THE
UDDHAVA GITA
From
Shrimad-Bhaagavat MahaPuran, Book 11.06-29
(Compiled and edited by Jay Mazo, International Gita Society)
(You are free to copy this provided you do not remove the name of the society
and author from it !! )
NOTE:
Instructions to Uddhava by Lord Krishna known as "The Uddhava-Gita"
starts from verse 40, Chapter 6, Book 11 of Shrimad-Bhaagavat MahaPuran and
ends after Chapter 29. It has more than 1,000 verses. This is also called the
farewell message of Lord Krishna, a parting discourse, and is meant for those
students who have first thoroughly studied The Bhagavad-Gita.
Book 11
Chapter Six: The Yadu Dynasty Retires to
Prabhasa
1. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Lord Brahma then set off
for Dvaraka, accompanied by his own sons as well as by the demigods and the
great Prajapatis. Lord Siva, the bestower of auspiciousness to all living
beings, also went, surrounded by many ghostly creatures.
2-4. The powerful Lord Indra, along with
the Maruts, Adityas, Vasus, Asvinis, Rbhus, Angiras, Rudras, Visvedevas,
Sadhyas, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nagas, Siddhas, Caranas, Guhyakas, the great
sages and forefathers and the Vidyadharas and Kinnaras, arrived at the city
of Dvaraka, hoping to see Lord Krsna. By His transcendental form, Krsna, the
Supreme Lord, enchanted all human beings and spread His own fame throughout
the worlds. The Lord’s glories destroy all contamination within the universe.
5. In that resplendent city of Dvaraka, rich with all
superior opulences, the demigods beheld with unsatiated eyes the wonderful
form of Sri Krsna.
6. The demigods covered the Supreme Lord of the
universe with flower garlands brought from the gardens of heaven. Then they
praised Him, the best of the Yadu dynasty, with statements containing
charming words and ideas.
7. The demigods began to speak: Our dear Lord,
advanced mystie yogis, striving for liberation from the severe bondage of
material work, meditate with great devotion upon Your lotus feet within their
hearts. Dedicating our intelligence, senses, vital air, mind and power of
speech to Your Lordship, we demigods bow down at Your lotus feet.
8. O unconquerable Lord, You engage Your illusory
energy, composed of three modes, to unleash, maintain and devastate the
inconceivable manifest cosmos, all within Your own self. As the supreme
superintendent of maya, You appear to be situated in the interaction of the
modes of nature; however, You are never affected by material activities. In
fact, You are directly engaged in Your own eternal, spiritual bliss, and thus
You cannot be accused of any material infection.
9. O greatest of all, those whose consciousness is
polluted by illusion cannot purify themselves merely by ordinary worship,
study of the Vedas, charity, austerity and ritual activities. Our Lord, those
pure souls who have developed a powerful transcendental faith in Your glories
achieve a purified state of existence that can never be attained by those
lacking such faith.
10. Great sages, desiring the highest benefit in life,
always cherish Your lotus feet within their hearts, which are melted by love
for You. Similarly, Your self-controlled devotees, desiring to cross beyond
the material kingdom of heaven to achieve opulence equal to Yours, worship
Your lotus feet in the morning, at noon and in the evening. Thus, they
meditate upon Your Lordship in Your quadruple expansion. Your lotus feet are
just like a blazing fire that burns to ashes all the inauspicious desires for
material sense gratification.
11. Those about to offer oblations into the fire of
sacrifice in accordance with the Rg, Yajur and Sama Vedas meditate on Your
lotus feet. Similarly, the practitioners of transcendental yoga meditate upon
Your lotus feet, hoping for knowledge about Your divine mystic potency, and
the most elevated pure devotees perfectly worship Your lotus feet, desiring
to cross beyond Your illusory potency.
12. O almighty Lord, You are so kind to Your servants
that You have accepted the withered flower garland that we have placed on
Your chest. Since the goddess of fortune makes her abode on Your
transcendental chest, she will undoubtedly become agitated, like a jealous
co-wife, upon seeing our offering also dwelling there. Yet You are so
merciful that You neglect Your eternal consort Laksmi and accept our offering
as most excellent worship. O merciful Lord, may Your lotus feet always act as
a blazing fire to consume the inauspicious desires within our hearts.
13. O omnipotent Lord, in Your incarnation as
Trivikrama, You raised Your leg like a flagpole to break the shell of the
universe, allowing the holy Ganges to flow down, like a banner of victory, in
three branches throughout the three planetary systems. By three mighty steps
of Your lotus feet, Your Lordship captured Bali Maharaja, along with his
universal kingdom. Your lotus feet inspire fear in the demons by driving them
down to hell and fearlessness among Your devotees by elevating them to the
perfection of heavenly life. We are sincerely trying to worship You, our
Lord; therefore may Your lotus feet kindly free us from all of our sinful
reactions.
14. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the transcendental
entity who is superior to both material nature and the enjoyer of nature. May
Your lotus feet bestow transcendental pleasure upon us. All of the great
demigods, beginning with Brahma, are embodied living entities. Struggling
painfully with one another under the strict control of Your time factor, they
are just like bulls dragged by ropes tied through their pierced noses.
15. You are the cause of the creation, maintenance and
destruction of this universe. As time, You regulate the subtle and manifest
states of material nature and control every living being. As the threefold
wheel of time You diminish all things by Your imperceptible actions, and thus
You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
16. My dear Lord, the original
purusa-avatara, Maha-Visnu, acquires His creative potency from You. Thus with
infallible energy He impregnates material nature, producing the mahat-tattva.
Then the mahat-tattva, the amalgamated material energy, endowed with the
potency of the Lord, produces from itself the primeval golden egg of the
universe, which is covered by various layers of material elements.
17. O Lord, You are the supreme creator of
this universe and the ultimate controller of all moving and nonmoving living
entities. You are Hrsikesa, the supreme controller of all sensory activity,
and thus You never become contaminated or entangled in the course of Your
supervision of the infinite sensory activities within the material creation.
On the other hand, other living entities, even yogis and philosophers, are
disturbed and frightened simply by remembering the material objects that they
have supposedly renounced in their pursuit of enlightenment.
18. My Lord, You are living with sixteen thousand
exquisitely beautiful, aristocratic wives. By their irresistible coy and
smiling glances and by their lovely arching eyebrows, they send You messages
of eager conjugal love. But they are completely unable to disturb the mind
and senses of Your Lordship.
19. The nectar-bearing rivers of discussions about
You, and also the holy rivers generated from the bathing of Your lotus feet,
are able to destroy all contamination within the three worlds. Those who are
striving for purification associate with the holy narrations of Your glories
by hearing them with their ears, and they associate with the holy rivers
flowing from Your lotus feet by physically bathing in them.
20. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: After Brahma,
along with Lord Siva and the other demigods, thus offered prayers to the
Supreme Lord, Govinda, Lord Brahma situated himself in the sky and addressed
the Lord as follows.
21. Lord Brahma said: My dear Lord, previously we
requested You to remove the burden of the earth. O unlimited Personality of
Godhead, that request has certainly been fulfilled.
22. My Lord, You have reestablished the principles of
religion among pious men who are always firmly bound to the truth. You have
also distributed Your glories all over the world, and thus the whole world
can be purified by hearing about You.
23. Descending into the dynasty of King Yadu, You have
manifested Your unique transcendental form, and for the benefit of the entire
universe You have executed magnanimous transcendental activities.
24. My dear Lord, those pious and saintly persons who
in the age of Kali hear about Your transcendental activities and also glorify
them will easily cross over the darkness of the age.
25. O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O my Lord, You
have descended into the Yadu dynasty, and thus You have spent one hundred
twenty-five autumns with Your devotees.
26-27. My dear Lord, there is nothing remaining at
this time for Your Lordship to do on behalf of the demigods. You have already
withdrawn Your dynasty by the curse of the brahmanas. O Lord, You are the
basis of everything, and if You so desire, kindly return now to Your own
abode in the spiritual world. At the same time, we humbly beg that You always
protect us. We are Your humble servants, and on Your behalf we are managing
the universal situation. We, along with our planets and followers, require Your
constant protection.
28. The Supreme Lord said: O lord of the demigods,
Brahma, I understand your prayers and request. Having removed the burden of
the earth, I have executed everything that was required on your behalf.
29. That very Yadava dynasty in which I appeared
became greatly magnified in opulence, especially in their physical strength
and courage, to the extent that they threatened to devour the whole world.
Therefore I have stopped them, just as the shore holds back the great ocean.
30. If I were to leave this world without withdrawing
the overly proud members of the Yadu dynasty, the whole world would be
destroyed by the deluge of their unlimited expansion.
31. Now due to the brahmana’s curse, the
annihilation of My family has already begun. O sinless Brahma, when this
annihilation is finished and I am enroute to Vaikuntha, I will pay a small
visit to your abode.
32. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus addressed by the
Lord of the universe, the self-born Brahma fell down in obeisances at the
lotus feet of the Lord. Surrounded by all the demigods, the great Brahma then
returned to his personal abode.
33. Thereafter, the Personality of Godhead observed
that tremendous disturbances were taking place in the holy city of Dvaraka.
Thus the Lord spoke to the assembled senior members of the Yadu dynasty as
follows.
34. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Our
dynasty has been cursed by the brahmanas. Such a curse is impossible to
counteract, and thus great disturbances are appearing everywhere around us.
35. My dear respected elders, we must not remain any
longer in this place if we wish to keep our lives intact. Let us go this very
day to the most pious place Prabhasa. We have no time to delay.
36. Once, the moon was afflicted with consumption
because of the curse of Daksa, but just by taking bath at Prabhasa-ksetra,
the moon was immediately freed from his sinful reaction and again resumed the
waxing of his phases.
37-38. By bathing at Prabhasa-ksetra, by offering
sacrifice there to placate the forefathers and demigods, by feeding the
worshipable brahmanas with various delicious foodstuffs and by bestowing
opulent gifts upon them as the most suitable candidates for charity, we will
certainly cross over these terrible dangers through such acts of charity, just
as one can cross over a great ocean in a suitable boat.
39. Sukadeva Gosvami said: O favorite son of the
Kurus, thus advised by the Personality of Godhead, the Yadavas made up their
minds to go to that holy place, Prabhasa-ksetra, and thus yoked their horses
to their chariots.
"The Uddhava-Gita" starts
40-41. My dear King,
Uddhava was a constantly faithful follower of Lord Krsna. Upon seeing the
imminent departure of the Yadavas, hearing from them of the Lord’s
instructions and taking note of the fearful omens, he approached the
Personality of Godhead in a private place. He bowed down with his head at the
lotus feet of the supreme controller of the universe and with folded hands
addressed Him as follows.
42. Sri Uddhava said:
O my Lord, O supreme God among all the demigods, real piety is invoked simply
by hearing and chanting Your transcendental glories. My Lord, it appears that
You will now withdraw Your dynasty, and thus You Yourself will finally give
up Your pastimes within this universe. You are the supreme controller and the
master of all mystic power. But although You are fully capable of
counteracting the brahmanas’ curse against Your dynasty, You are not doing
so, and Your disappearance is imminent.
43. O Lord Kesava, my
dear master, I cannot tolerate giving up Your lotus feet even for a fraction
of a moment. I urge You to take me along with You to Your own abode.
44. O my dear Krsna,
Your pastimes are supremely auspicious for mankind and are an intoxicating
beverage for the ears. Tasting such pastimes, people forget their desires for
other things.
45. My dear Lord, You
are the Supreme Soul, and thus You are most dear to us. We are Your devotees,
and how can we possibly reject You or live without You even for a moment?
Whether we are lying down, sitting, walking, standing, bathing, enjoying
recreation, eating or doing anything else, we are constantly engaged in Your
service.
46. Simply by
decorating ourselves with the garlands, fragrant oils, clothes and ornaments
that You have already enjoyed, and by eating the remnants of Your meals, we,
Your servants, will indeed conquer Your illusory energy.
47. Naked sages who
seriously endeavor in spiritual practice, who have raised their semen upward,
who are peaceful and sinless members of the renounced order, attain the
spiritual abode called Brahman.
48-49. O greatest of
mystics, although we are conditioned souls wandering on the path of fruitive
work, we will certainly cross beyond the darkness of this material world
simply by hearing about Your Lordship in the association of Your devotees.
Thus we are always remembering and glorifying the wonderful things You do and
the wonderful things You say. We ecstatically recall Your amorous pastimes
with Your confidential conjugal devotees and how You boldly smile and move
about while engaged in such youthful pastimes. My dear Lord, Your loving
pastimes are bewilderingly similar to the activities of ordinary people
within this material world.
50. Sukadeva Gosvami
said: O King Pariksit, thus addressed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Krsna, the son of Devaki, began to reply confidentially to His dear,
unalloyed servant Uddhava.
1. The Supreme Personality
of Godhead said: O greatly fortunate Uddhava, you have accurately revealed My
desire to withdraw the Yadu dynasty from the earth and return to My own abode
in Vaikuntha. Thus Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and all other planetary rulers are
now praying for Me to resume My residence in Vaikuntha.
2. Answering the
prayer of Lord Brahma, I descended within this world along with My plenary
portion, Lord Baladeva, and performed various activities on behalf of the
demigods. I have now completed My mission here.
3. Now due to the
brahmanas’ curse the Yadu dynasty will certainly perish by fighting among
themselves; and on the seventh day from today the ocean will rise up and
inundate this city of Dvaraka.
4. O saintly Uddhava,
in the near future I will abandon this earth. Then, being overwhelmed by the
age of Kali, the earth will be bereft of all piety.
5. My dear Uddhava,
you should not remain here on the earth once I have abandoned this world. My
dear devotee, you are sinless, but in Kali-yuga the people will be addicted
to all types of sinful activities; therefore do not stay here.
6. Now you should
completely give up all attachment to your personal friends and relatives and
fix your mind on Me. Thus being always conscious of Me, you should observe
all things with equal vision and wander throughout the earth.
7. My dear Uddhava,
the material universe that you perceive through your mind, speech, eyes, ears
and other senses is an illusory creation that one imagines to be real due to
the influence of maya. In fact, you should know that all of the objects of
the material senses are temporary.
8. One whose
consciousness is bewildered by illusion perceives many differences in value
and meaning among material objects. Thus one engages constantly on the
platform of material good and evil and is bound by such conceptions. Absorbed
in material duality, such a person contemplates the performance of compulsory
duties, nonperformance of such duties and performance of forbidden
activities.
9. Therefore,
bringing all your senses under control and thus subduing the mind, you should
see the entire world as situated within the self, who is expanded everywhere,
and you should also see this individual self within Me, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
10. Being fully
endowed with conclusive knowledge of the Vedas and having realized the
ultimate purpose of such knowledge in practice, you will be able to perceive
the pure self, and thus your mind will be satisfied. At that time you will
become dear to all living beings, headed by the demigods, and you will never
be hampered by any disturbance in life.
11. One who has
transcended material good and evil automatically acts in accordance with
religious injunctions and avoids forbidden activities. The self-realized
person does this spontaneously, like an innocent child, and not because he is
thinking in terms of material good and evil.
12. One who is the
kind well-wisher of all living beings, who is peaceful and firmly fixed in
knowledge and realization, sees Me within all things. Such a person never
again falls down into the cycle of birth and death.
13. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami
said: O King, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, thus instructed
His pure devotee Uddhava, who was eager to receive knowledge from the Lord.
Uddhava then offered obeisances to the Lord and spoke as follows.
14. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Lord, You alone award the results of yoga practice, and You are so
kind that by Your own influence You distribute the perfection of yoga to Your
devotee. Thus You are the Supreme Soul who is realized through yoga, and it
is You who are the origin of all mystic power. For my supreme benefit You
have explained the procedure for giving up the material world through the
process of sannyasa, or renunciation.
15. My dear Lord, O
Supreme Soul, for those whose minds are attached to sense gratification, and
especially for those bereft of devotion unto You, such renunciation of
material enjoyment is most difficult to perform. That is my opinion.
16. O my Lord, I
myself am most foolish because my consciousness is merged in the material
body and bodily relations, which are all manufactured by Your illusory
energy. Thus I am thinking, “I am this body, and all of these relatives are
mine.” Therefore, my Lord, please instruct Your poor servant. Please tell me
how I can very easily carry out Your instructions.
17. My dear Lord, You
are the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and You reveal
Yourself to Your devotees. Besides Your Lordship, I do not see anyone who can
actually explain perfect knowledge to me. Such a perfect teacher is not to be
found even among the demigods in heaven. Indeed, all of the demigods, headed
by Lord Brahma, are bewildered by Your illusory potency. They are conditioned
souls who accept their own material bodies and bodily expansions to be the
highest truth.
18. Therefore, O
Lord, feeling weary of material life and tormented by its distresses, I now
surrender unto You because You are the perfect master. You are the unlimited,
all-knowing Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose spiritual abode in
Vaikuntha is free from all disturbances. In fact, You are known as Narayana,
the true friend of all living beings.
19. The Supreme Lord
replied: Generally those human beings who can expertly analyze the actual
situation of the material world are able to raise themselves beyond the
inauspicious life of gross material gratification.
20. An intelligent
person, expert in perceiving the world around him and in applying sound
logic, can achieve real benefit through his own intelligence. Thus sometimes
one acts as one’s own instructing spiritual master.
21. In the human form of
life, those who are self-controlled and expert in the spiritual science of
Sankhya can directly see Me along with all of My potencies.
22. In this world
there are many kinds of created bodies—some with one leg, others with two, three,
four or more legs, and still others with no legs—but of all these, the human
form is actually dear to Me.
23. Although I, the
Supreme Lord, can never be captured by ordinary sense perception, those
situated in human life may use their intelligence and other faculties of
perception to directly search for Me through both apparent and indirectly
ascertained symptoms.
24. In this regard,
sages cite a historical narration concerning the conversation between the
greatly powerful King Yadu and an avadhuta.
25. Maharaja Yadu once
observed a certain brahmana avadhuta, who appeared to be quite young and
learned, wandering about fearlessly. Being himself most learned in spiritual
science, the King took the opportunity and inquired from him as follows.
26. Sri Yadu said: O
brahmana, I see that you are not engaged in any practical religious activity,
and yet you have acquired a most expert understanding of all things and all
people within this world. Kindly tell me, sir, how did you acquire this
extraordinary intelligence, and why are you traveling freely throughout the
world behaving as if you were a child?
27. Generally human
beings work hard to cultivate religiosity, economic development, sense
gratification and also knowledge of the soul, and their usual motive is to
increase the duration of their lives, acquire fame and enjoy material
opulence.
28. You, however,
although capable, learned, expert, handsome and most eloquent, are not
engaged in doing anything, nor do you desire anything; rather, you appear
stupefied and maddened as if you were a ghostly creature.
29. Although all
people within the material world are burning in the great forest fire of lust
and greed, you remain free and are not burned by that fire. You are just like
an elephant who takes shelter from a forest fire by standing within the water
of the Ganges River,
30. O brahmana, we
see that you are devoid of any contact with material enjoyment and that you
are traveling alone, without any companions or family members. Therefore,
because we are sincerely inquiring from you, please tell us the cause of the
great ecstasy that you are feeling within yourself.
31. Lord Krsna
continued: The intelligent King Yadu, always respectful to the brahmanas,
waited with bowed head as the brahmana, pleased with the King’s attitude,
began to reply.
32. The brahmana
said: My dear King, with my intelligence I have taken shelter of many
spiritual masters. Having gained transcendental understanding from them, I
now wander about the earth in a liberated condition. Please listen as I
describe them to you.
33-35. O King, I have
taken shelter of twenty-four gurus, who are the following: the earth, air,
sky, water, fire, moon, sun, pigeon and python; the sea, moth, honeybee,
elephant and honey thief; the deer, the fish, the prostitute Pingala, the
kurara bird and the child; and the young girl, arrow maker, serpent, spider
and wasp. My dear King, by studying their activities I have learned the
science of the self.
36. Please listen, O
son of Maharaja Yayati, O tiger among men, as I explain to you what I have
learned from each of these gurus.
37. A sober person,
even when harassed by other living beings, should understand that his
aggressors are acting helplessly under the control of God, and thus he should
never be distracted from progress on his own path. This rule I have learned
from the earth.
38. A saintly person
should learn from the mountain to devote all his efforts to the service of
others and to make the welfare of others the sole reason for his existence.
Similarly, as the disciple of the tree, he should learn to dedicate himself
to others.
39. A learned sage
should take his satisfaction in the simple maintenance of his existence and
should not seek satisfaction through gratifying the material senses. In other
words, one should care for the material body in such a way that one’s higher
knowledge is not destroyed and so that one’s speech and mind are not deviated
from self-realization.
40. Even a
transcendentalist is surrounded by innumerable material objects, which
possess good and bad qualities. However, one who has transcended material
good and evil should not become entangled even when in contact with the
material objects; rather, he should act like the wind.
41. Although a
self-realized soul may live in various material bodies while in this world,
experiencing their various qualities and functions, he is never entangled,
just as the wind which carries various aromas does not actually mix with
them.
42. A thoughtful
sage, even while living within a material body, should understand himself to
be pure spirit soul. Similarly, one should see that the spirit soul enters
within all forms of life, both moving and nonmoving, and that the individual
souls are thus all-pervading. The sage should further observe that the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the Supersoul, is simultaneously present
within all things. Both the individual soul and the Supersoul can be
understood by comparing them to the nature of the sky: although the sky
extends everywhere and everything rests within the sky, the sky does not mix
with anything, nor can it be divided by anything.
43. Although the
mighty wind blows clouds and storms across the sky, the sky is never
implicated or affected by these activities. Similarly, the spirit soul is not
actually changed or affected by contact with the material nature. Although
the living entity enters within a body made of earth, water and fire, and
although he is impelled by the three modes of nature created by eternal time,
his eternal spiritual nature is never actually affected.
44. O King, a saintly
person is just like water because he is free from all contamination, gentle
by nature, and by speaking creates a beautiful vibration like that of flowing
water. Just by seeing, touching or hearing such a saintly person, the living
entity is purified, just as one is cleansed by contact with pure water. Thus
a saintly person, just like a holy place, purifies all those who contact him
because he always chants the glories of the Lord.
45. Saintly persons
become powerful by execution of austerities. Their consciousness is
unshakable because they do not try to enjoy anything within the material
world. Such naturally liberated sages accept foodstuffs that are offered to
them by destiny, and if by chance they happen to eat contaminated food, they
are not affected, just like fire, which burns up contaminated substances that
are offered to it.
46. A saintly person,
just like fire, sometimes appears in a concealed form and at other times
reveals himself. For the welfare of the conditioned souls who desire real
happiness, a saintly person may accept the worshipable position of spiritual
master, and thus like fire he burns to ashes all the past and future sinful
reactions of his worshipers by mercifully accepting their offerings.
47. Just as fire
manifests differently in pieces of wood of different sizes and qualities, the
omnipotent Supreme Soul, having entered the bodies of higher and lower life
forms created by His own potency, appears to assume the identity of each.
48. The various
phases of one’s material life, beginning with birth and culminating in death,
are all properties of the body and do not affect the soul, just as the
apparent waxing and waning of the moon does not affect the moon itself. Such
changes are enforced by the imperceptible movements of time.
49. The flames of a
fire appear and disappear at every moment, and yet this creation and
destruction is not noticed by the ordinary observer. Similarly, the mighty
waves of time flow constantly, like the powerful currents of a river, and
imperceptibly cause the birth, growth and death of innumerable material
bodies. And yet the soul, who is thus constantly forced to change his
position, cannot perceive the actions of time.
50. Just as the sun
evaporates large quantities of water by its potent rays and later returns the
water to the earth in the form of rain, similarly, a saintly person accepts
all types of material objects with his material senses, and at the
appropriate time, when the proper person has approached him to request them,
he returns such material objects. Thus, both in accepting and giving up the
objects of the senses, he is not entangled.
51. Even when
reflected in various objects, the sun is never divided, nor does it merge
into its reflection. Only those with dull brains would consider the sun in
this way. Similarly, although the soul is reflected through different
material bodies, the soul remains undivided and nonmaterial.
52. One should never
indulge in excessive affection or concern for anyone or anything; otherwise
one will have to experience great suffering, just like the foolish pigeon.
53. There once was a
pigeon who lived in the forest along with his wife. He had built a nest
within a tree and lived there for several years in her company.
54. The two pigeons
were very much devoted to their household duties. Their hearts being tied
together by sentimental affection, they were each attracted by the other’s
glances, bodily features and states of mind. Thus, they completely bound each
other in affection.
55. Naively trusting
in the future, they carried out their acts of resting, sitting, walking,
standing, conversing, playing, eating and so forth as a loving couple among
the trees of the forest.
56. Whenever she
desired anything, O King, the she-pigeon would flatteringly cajole her
husband, and he in turn would gratify her by faithfully doing whatever she
wanted, even with great personal difficulty. Thus, he could not control his
senses in her association.
57. Then the female
pigeon experienced her first pregnancy. When the time arrived, the chaste
lady delivered a number of eggs within the nest in the presence of her
husband.
58. When the time was
ripe, baby pigeons, with tender limbs and feathers created by the
inconceivable potencies of the Lord, were born from those eggs.
59. The two pigeons
became most affectionate to their children and took great pleasure in
listening to their awkward chirping, which sounded very sweet to the parents.
Thus with love they began to raise the little birds who were born of them.
60. The parent birds
became very joyful by observing the soft wings of their children, their
chirping, their lovely innocent movements around the nest and their attempts
to jump up and fly. Seeing their children happy, the parents were also happy.
61. Their hearts
bound to each other by affection, the foolish birds, completely bewildered by
the illusory energy of Lord Visnu, continued to take care of the young
offspring who had been born to them.
62. One day the two
heads of the family went out to find food for the children. Being very
anxious to feed their offspring properly, they wandered all over the forest
for a long time.
63. At that time a
certain hunter who happened to be wandering through the forest saw the young
pigeons moving about near their nest. Spreading out his net he captured them
all.
64. The pigeon and
his wife were always anxious for the maintenance of their children, and they
were wandering in the forest for that purpose. Having obtained proper food,
they now returned to their nest.
65. When the lady
pigeon caught sight of her own children trapped within the hunter’s net, she
was overwhelmed with anguish, and crying out, she rushed toward them as they
cried out to her in return.
66. The lady pigeon
had always allowed herself to be bound by the ropes of intense material
affection, and thus her mind was overwhelmed by anguish. Being in the grip of
the illusory energy of the Lord, she completely forgot herself, and rushing
forward to her helpless children, she was immediately bound in the hunter’s
net.
67. Seeing his own
children, who were more dear to him than life itself, fatally bound in the
hunter’s net along with his dearmost wife, whom he considered equal in every
way to himself, the poor male pigeon began to lament wretchedly.
68. The male pigeon
said: Alas, just see how I am now destroyed! I am obviously a great fool, for
I did not properly execute pious activities. I could not satisfy myself, nor
could I fulfill the purpose of life. My dear family, which was the basis of
my religiosity, economic development and sense gratification, is now
hopelessly ruined.
69. My wife and I
were an ideal match. She always faithfully obeyed me and in fact accepted me
as her worshipable deity. But now, seeing her children lost and her home
empty, she has left me behind and gone to heaven with our saintly children.
70. Now I am a
wretched person living in an empty home. My wife is dead; my children are
dead. Why should I possibly want to live? My heart is so pained by separation
from my family that life itself has become simply suffering.
71. As the father
pigeon wretchedly stared at his poor children trapped in the net and on the
verge of death, pathetically struggling to free themselves, his mind went
blank, and thus he himself fell into the hunter’s net.
72. The cruel hunter,
having fulfilled his desire by capturing the head pigeon, his wife and all of
their children, set off for his own home.
73. In this way, one
who is too attached to family life becomes disturbed at heart. Like the
pigeon, he tries to find pleasure in mundane sex attraction. Busily engaged
in maintaining his own family, the miserly person is fated to suffer greatly,
along with all his family members.
74. The doors of
liberation are opened wide to one who has achieved human life. But if a human
being simply devotes himself to family life like the foolish bird in this
story, then he is to be considered as one who has climbed to a high place
only to trip and fall
down.
1. The saintly
brahmana said: O King, the embodied living entity automatically experiences
unhappiness in heaven or hell. Similarly, happiness will also be experienced,
even without one’s seeking it. Therefore a person of intelligent
discrimination does not make any endeavor to obtain such material happiness.
2. Following the
example of the python, one should give up material endeavors and accept for
one’s maintenance food that comes of its own accord, whether such food be
delicious or tasteless, ample or meager.
3. If at any time
food does not come, then a saintly person should fast for many days without
making endeavor. He should understand that by God’s arrangement he must fast.
Thus, following the example of the python, he should remain peaceful and
patient.
4. A saintly person
should remain peaceful and materially inactive, maintaining his body without
much endeavor. Even though possessed of full sensual, mental and physical
strength, a saintly person should not become active for material gain but
rather should always remain alert to his actual self-interest.
5. A saintly sage is
happy and pleasing in his external behavior, whereas internally he is most
grave and thoughtful. Because his knowledge is immeasurable and unlimited he
is never disturbed, and thus in all respects he is like the tranquil waters
of the unfathomable and unsurpassable ocean.
6. During the rainy
season the swollen rivers rush into the ocean, and during the dry summer the
rivers, now shallow, severely reduce their supply of water; yet the ocean
does not swell up during the rainy season, nor does it dry up in the hot
summer. In the same way, a saintly devotee who has accepted the Supreme
Personality of Godhead as the goal of his life sometimes will receive by
providence great material opulence, and sometimes he will find himself
materially destitute. However, such a devotee of the Lord does not rejoice in
a flourishing condition, nor is he morose when poverty-stricken.
7. One who has failed
to control his senses immediately feels attraction upon seeing a woman’s
form, which is created by the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. Indeed,
when the woman speaks with enticing words, smiles coquettishly and moves her
body sensuously, his mind is immediately captured, and thus he falls blindly
into the darkness of material existence, just as the moth maddened by the
fire rushes blindly into its flames.
8. A foolish person
with no intelligent discrimination is immediately aroused at the sight of a
lusty woman beautifully decorated with golden ornaments, fine clothing and
other cosmetic features. Being eager for sense gratification, such a fool
loses all intelligence and is destroyed just like the moth who rushes into
the blazing fire.
9. A saintly person
should accept only enough food to keep his body and soul together. He should
go from door to door accepting just a little bit of food from each family.
Thus he should practice the occupation of the honeybee.
10. Just as the
honeybee takes nectar from all flowers, big and small, an intelligent human
being should take the essence from all religious scriptures.
11. A saintly person
should not think, “This food I will keep to eat tonight and this other food I
can save for tomorrow.” In other words, a saintly person should not store
foodstuffs acquired by begging. Rather, he should use his own hands as his
plate and eat whatever fits on them. His only storage container should be his
belly, and whatever conveniently fits into his belly should be his stock of
food. Thus one should not imitate the greedy honeybee who eagerly collects
more and more honey.
12. A saintly
mendicant should not even collect foodstuffs to eat later in the same day or
the next day. If he disregards this injunction and like the honeybee collects
more and more delicious foodstuffs, that which he has collected will indeed
ruin him.
13. A saintly person
should never touch a young girl. In fact, he should not even let his foot
touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. By bodily contact with a woman
he will surely be captured by illusion, just as the elephant is captured by
the she-elephant due to his desire to touch her body.
14. A man possessing
intelligent discrimination should not under any circumstances try to exploit
the beautiful form of a woman for his sense gratification. Just as an
elephant trying to enjoy a she-elephant is killed by other bull elephants
also enjoying her company, one trying to enjoy a lady’s company can at any
moment be killed by her other lovers who are stronger than he.
15. A greedy person
accumulates a large quantity of money with great struggle and pain, but the
person who has struggled so much to acquire this wealth is not always allowed
to enjoy it himself or give it in charity to others. The greedy man is like
the bee who struggles to produce a large quantity of honey, which is then
stolen by a man who will enjoy it personally or sell it to others. No matter
how carefully one hides his hard-earned wealth or tries to protect it, there
are those who are expert in detecting the whereabouts of valuable things, and
they will steal it.
16. Just as a hunter
takes away the honey laboriously produced by the honeybees, similarly,
saintly mendicants such as brahmacaris and sannyasis are entitled to enjoy
the property painstakingly accumulated by householders dedicated to family
enjoyment.
17. A saintly person
dwelling in the forest in the renounced order of life should never listen to
songs or music promoting material enjoyment. Rather, a saintly person should
carefully study the example of the deer, who is bewildered by the sweet music
of the hunter’s horn and is thus captured and killed.
18. Becoming attracted to
the worldly singing, dancing and musical entertainment of beautiful women,
even the great sage Rsyasrnga, the son of Mrgi, fell totally under their
control, just like a pet animal.
19. Just as a fish,
incited by the desire to enjoy his tongue, is fatally trapped on the
fisherman’s hook, similarly, a foolish person is bewildered by the extremely
disturbing urges of the tongue and thus is ruined.
20. By fasting,
learned men quickly bring all of the senses except the tongue under control,
because by abstaining from eating such men are afflicted with an increased
desire to gratify the sense of taste.
21. Although one may
conquer all of the other senses, as long as the tongue is not conquered it
cannot be said that one has controlled his senses. However, if one is able to
control the tongue, then one is understood to be in full control of all the
senses.
22. O son of kings,
previously in the city of Videha there dwelled a prostitute named Pingala.
Now please hear what I have learned from that lady.
23. Once that
prostitute, desiring to bring a lover into her house, stood outside in the
doorway at night showing her beautiful form.
24. O best among men,
this prostitute was very anxious to get money, and as she stood on the street
at night she studied all the men who were passing by, thinking, “Oh, this one
surely has money. I know he can pay the price, and I am sure he would enjoy
my company very much.” Thus she thought about all the men on the street.
25-26. As the
prostitute Pingala stood in the doorway, many men came and went, walking by
her house. Her only means of sustenance was prostitution, and therefore she
anxiously thought, “Maybe this one who is coming now is very rich...Oh, he is
not stopping, but I am sure someone else will come. Surely this man who is
coming now will want to pay me for my love, and he will probably give lots of
money.” Thus, with vain hope, she remained leaning against the doorway,
unable to finish her business and go to sleep. Out of anxiety she would
sometimes walk out toward the street, and sometimes she went back into her
house. In this way, the midnight hour gradually arrived.
27. As the night wore
on, the prostitute, who intensely desired money, gradually became morose, and
her face dried up. Thus being filled with anxiety for money and most
disappointed, she began to feel a great detachment from her situation, and
happiness arose in her mind.
28. The prostitute
felt disgusted with her material situation and thus became indifferent to it.
Indeed, detachment acts like a sword, cutting to pieces the binding network
of material hopes and desires. Now please hear from me the song sung by the
prostitute in that situation.
29. O King, just as a
human being who is bereft of spiritual knowledge never desires to give up his
false sense of proprietorship over many material things, similarly, a person
who has not developed detachment never desires to give up the bondage of the
material body.
30. The prostitute
Pingala said: Just see how greatly illusioned I am ! Because I cannot control
my mind, just like a fool I desire lusty pleasure from an insignificant man.
31. I am such a fool
that I have given up the service of that person who, being eternally situated
within my heart, is actually most dear to me. That most dear one is the Lord
of the universe, who is the bestower of real love and happiness and the
source of all prosperity. Although He is in my own heart, I have completely
neglected Him. Instead I have ignorantly served insignificant men who can
never satisfy my real desires and who have simply brought me unhappiness,
fear, anxiety, lamentation and illusion.
32. Oh, how I have
uselessly tortured my own soul! I have sold my body to lusty, greedy men who
are themselves objects of pity. Thus practicing the most abominable
profession of a prostitute, I hoped to get money and sex pleasure.
33. This material
body is like a house in which I, the soul, am living. The bones forming my
spine, ribs, arms and legs are like the beams, crossbeams and pillars of the
house, and the whole structure, which is full of stool and urine, is covered
by skin, hair and nails. The nine doors leading into this body are constantly
excreting foul substances. Besides me, what woman could be so foolish as to
devote herself to this material body, thinking that she might find pleasure
and love in this contraption?
34. Certainly in this
city of Videha I alone am completely foolish. I neglected the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who awards us everything, even our original spiritual
form, and instead I desired to enjoy sense gratification with many men.
35. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is absolutely the most dear one for all living beings
because He is everyone’s well-wisher and Lord. He is the Supreme Soul
situated in everyone’s heart. Therefore I will now pay the price of complete
surrender, and thus purchasing the Lord I will enjoy with Him just like
Laksmidevi.
36. Men provide sense
gratification for women, but all these men, and even the demigods in heaven,
have a beginning and an end. They are all temporary creations who will be
dragged away by time. Therefore how much actual pleasure or happiness could
any of them ever give to their wives?
37. Although I most
stubbornly hoped to enjoy the material world, somehow or other detachment has
arisen in my heart, and it is making me very happy. Therefore the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Visnu, must be pleased with me. Without even knowing
it, I must have performed some activity satisfying to Him.
38. A person who has
developed detachment can give up the bondage of material society, friendship
and love, and a person who undergoes great suffering gradually becomes, out
of hopelessness, detached and indifferent to the material world. Thus, due to
my great suffering, such detachment awoke in my heart; yet how could I have
undergone such merciful suffering if I were actually unfortunate? Therefore,
I am in fact fortunate and have received the mercy of the Lord. He must
somehow or other be pleased with me.
39. With devotion I accept
the great benefit that the Lord has bestowed upon me. Having given up my
sinful desires for ordinary sense gratification, I now take shelter of Him,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
40. I am now
completely satisfied, and I have full faith in the Lord’s mercy. Therefore I
will maintain myself with whatever comes of its own accord. I shall enjoy
life with only the Lord, because He is the real source of love and happiness.
41. The intelligence
of the living entity is stolen away by activities of sense gratification, and
thus he falls into the dark well of material existence. Within that well he
is then seized by the deadly serpent of time. Who else but the Supreme
Personality of Godhead could save the poor living entity from such a hopeless
condition?
42. When the living
entity sees that the entire universe has been seized by the serpent of time,
he becomes sober and sane and at that time detaches himself from all material
sense gratification. In that condition the living entity is qualified to be
his own protector.
43. The avadhuta
said: Thus, her mind completely made up, Pingala cut off all her sinful
desires to enjoy sex pleasure with lovers, and she became situated in perfect
peace. Then she sat down on her bed.
44. Material desire
is undoubtedly the cause of the greatest unhappiness, and freedom from such
desire is the cause of the greatest happiness. Therefore, completely cutting
off her desire to enjoy so-called lovers, Pingala very happily went to sleep.
1. The saintly
brahmana said: Everyone considers certain things within the material world to
be most dear to him, and because of attachment to such things one eventually
becomes miserable. One who understands this gives up material possessiveness
and attachment and thus achieves unlimited happiness.
2. Once a group of
large hawks who were unable to find any prey attacked another, weaker hawk
who was holding some meat. At that time, being in danger of his life, the
hawk gave up his meat and experienced actual happiness.
3. In family life,
the parents are always in anxiety about their home, children and reputation.
But I have nothing to do with these things. I do not worry at all about any
family, and I do not care about honor and dishonor. I enjoy only the life of
the soul, and I find love on the spiritual platform. Thus I wander the earth
like a child.
4. In this world two
types of people are free from all anxiety and merged in great happiness: one
who is a retarded and childish fool and one who has approached the Supreme
Lord, who is beyond the three modes of material nature.
5. Once a
marriageable young girl was alone in her house because her parents and
relatives had gone that day to another place. At that time a few men arrived
at the house, specifically desiring to marry her. She received them with all
hospitality.
6. The girl went to a
private place and began to make preparations so that the unexpected male
guests could eat. As she was beating the rice, the conchshell bracelets on
her arms were colliding and making a loud noise.
7. The young girl
feared that the men would consider her family to be poor because their
daughter was busily engaged in the menial task of husking rice. Being very
intelligent, the shy girl broke the shell bracelets from her arms, leaving
just two on each wrist.
8. Thereafter, as the
young girl continued to husk the rice, the two bracelets on each wrist
continued to collide and make noise. Therefore she took one bracelet off each
arm, and with only one left on each wrist there was no more noise.
9. O subduer of the
enemy, I travel throughout the surface of the earth learning constantly about
the nature of this world, and thus I personally witnessed the lesson of the
young girl.
10. When many people
live together in one place there will undoubtedly be quarreling. And even if
only two people live together there will be frivolous conversation and
disagreement. Therefore, to avoid conflict, one should live alone, as we
learn from the example of the bracelet of the young girl.
11. Having perfected
the yoga sitting postures and conquered the breathing process, one should
make the mind steady by detachment and the regulated practice of yoga. Thus
one should carefully fix the mind on the single goal of yoga practice.
12. The mind can be
controlled when it is fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Having
achieved a stable situation, the mind becomes free from polluted desires to
execute material activities; thus as the mode of goodness increases in
strength, one can completely give up the modes of passion and ignorance, and
gradually one transcends even the material mode of goodness. When the mind is
freed from the fuel of the modes of nature, the fire of material existence is
extinguished. Then one achieves the transcendental platform of direct
relationship with the object of his meditation, the Supreme Lord.
13. Thus, when one’s
consciousness is completely fixed on the Absolute Truth, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, one no longer sees duality, or internal and external
reality. The example is given of the arrow maker who was so absorbed in
making a straight arrow that he did not even see or notice the king himself,
who was passing right next to him.
14. A saintly person
should remain alone and constantly travel without any fixed residence. Being
alert, he should remain secluded and should act in such a way that he is not
recognized or noticed by others. Moving without companions, he should not
speak more than required.
15. When a person
living in a temporary material body tries to construct a happy home, the
result is fruitless and miserable. The snake, however, enters a home that has
been built by others and prospers happily.
16. The Lord of the
universe, Narayana, is the worshipable God of all living entities. Without
extraneous assistance, the Lord creates this universe by His own potency, and
at the time of annihilation the Lord destroys the universe through His
personal expansion of time and withdraws all of the cosmos, including all the
conditioned living entities, within Himself. Thus, His unlimited Self is the
shelter and reservoir of all potencies. The subtle pradhana, the basis of all
cosmic manifestation, is conserved within the Lord and is in this way not
different from Him. In the aftermath of annihilation the Lord stands alone.
17-18. When the
Supreme Personality of Godhead displays His own potency in the form of time
and guides His material potencies, such as the mode of goodness, into a
neutral condition of equilibrium, He remains as the supreme controller of that
neutral state, called pradhana, as well as of the living entities. He is also
the supreme worshipable object for all beings, including liberated souls,
demigods and ordinary conditioned souls. The Lord is eternally free from any
material designation, and He constitutes the totality of spiritual bliss,
which one experiences by seeing the Lord’s spiritual form. The Lord thus
exhibits the fullest meaning of the word “liberation.”
19. O subduer of the
enemies, at the time of creation the Personality of Godhead expands His own
transcendental potency in the form of time, and agitating His material
energy, maya, composed of the three modes of material nature, He creates the
mahat-tattva.
20. According to
great sages, that which is the basis of the three modes of material nature
and which manifests the variegated universe is called the sutra or
mahat-tattva. Indeed, this universe is resting within that mahat-tattva, and
due to its potency the living entity undergoes material existence.
21. Just as from
within himself the spider expands thread through his mouth, plays with it for
some time and eventually swallows it, similarly, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead expands His personal potency from within Himself. Thus, the Lord
displays the network of cosmic manifestation, utilizes it according to His
purpose and eventually withdraws it completely within Himself.
22. If out of love,
hate or fear an embodied soul fixes his mind with intelligence and complete
concentration upon a particular bodily form, he will certainly attain the
form that he is meditating upon.
23. O King, once a
wasp forced a weaker insect to enter his hive and kept him trapped there. In
great fear the weak insect constantly meditated upon his captor, and without
giving up his body, he gradually achieved the same state of existence as the
wasp. Thus one achieves a state of existence according to one’s constant
concentration.
24. O King, from all
these spiritual masters I have acquired great wisdom. Now please listen as I
explain what I learned from my own body.
25. The material body
is also my spiritual master because it teaches me detachment. Being subject
to creation and destruction, it always comes to a painful end. Thus, although
using my body to acquire knowledge, I always remember that it will ultimately
be consumed by others, and remaining detached, I move about this world.
26. A man attached to
the body accumulates money with great struggle to expand and protect the
position of his wife, children, property, domestic animals, servants, homes,
relatives, friends, and so on. He does all this for the gratification of his
own body. As a tree before dying produces the seed of a future tree, the
dying body manifests the seed of one’s next material body in the form of
one’s accumulated karma. Thus assuring the continuation of material
existence, the material body sinks down and dies.
27. A man who has
many wives is constantly harassed by them. He is responsible for their
maintenance, and thus all the ladies constantly pull him in different
directions, each struggling for her self-interest. Similarly, the material
senses harass the conditioned soul, pulling him in many different directions
at once. On one side the tongue is pulling him to arrange tasty food; then
thirst drags him to get a suitable drink. Simultaneously the sex organs
clamor for satisfaction, and the sense of touch demands soft, sensuous
objects. The belly harasses him until it is filled, the ears demand to hear
pleasing sounds, the sense of smell hankers for pleasant aromas, and the fickle
eyes clamor for pleasing sights. Thus the senses, organs and limbs, all
desiring satisfaction, pull the living entity in many directions.
28. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, expanding His own potency, maya-sakti, created
innumerable species of life to house the conditioned souls. Yet by creating
the forms of trees, reptiles, animals, birds, snakes and so on, the Lord was
not satisfied within His heart. Then He created human life, which offers the
conditioned soul sufficient intelligence to perceive the Absolute Truth, and
became pleased.
29. After many, many
births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although
temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus
a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of
life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen
down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most
abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for
a human being.
30. Having learned
from my spiritual masters, I remain situated in realization of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and, fully renounced and enlightened by realized
spiritual knowledge, wander the earth without attachment or false ego.
31. Although the
Absolute Truth is one without a second, the sages have described Him in many
different ways. Therefore one may not be able to acquire very firm or
complete knowledge from one spiritual master.
32. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Having thus spoken to King Yadu, the wise
brahmana accepted obeisances and worship from the King and felt pleased
within himself. Then bidding farewell, he left exactly as he had come.
33. O Uddhava,
hearing the words of the avadhuta, the saintly King Yadu, who is the
forefather of our own ancestors, became free from all material attachment,
and thus his mind was evenly fixed on the spiritual platform.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Taking full shelter in Me, with the mind
carefully fixed in the devotional service of the Lord as spoken by Me, one
should live without personal desire and practice the social and occupational
system called varnasrama.
2. A purified soul
should see that because the conditioned souls who are dedicated to sense
gratification have falsely accepted the objects of sense pleasure as truth,
all of their endeavors are doomed to failure.
3. One who is
sleeping may see many objects of sense gratification in a dream, but such
pleasurable things are merely creations of the mind and are thus ultimately
useless. Similarly, the living entity who is asleep to his spiritual identity
also sees many sense objects, but these innumerable objects of temporary
gratification are creations of the Lord’s illusory potency and have no
permanent existence. One who meditates upon them, impelled by the senses,
uselessly engages his intelligence.
4. One who has fixed
Me within his mind as the goal of life should give up activities based on
sense gratification and should instead execute work governed by the
regulative principles for advancement. When, however, one is fully engaged in
searching out the ultimate truth of the soul, one should not accept the
scriptural injunctions governing fruitive activities.
5. One who has
accepted Me as the supreme goal of life should strictly observe the
scriptural injunctions forbidding sinful activities and, as far as possible,
should execute the injunctions prescribing minor regulative duties such as
cleanliness. Ultimately, however, one should approach a bona fide spiritual
master who is full in knowledge of Me as I am, who is peaceful, and who by
spiritual elevation is not different from Me.
6. The servant or
disciple of the spiritual master should be free from false prestige, never
considering himself to be the doer. He should be active and never lazy and
should give up all sense of proprietorship over the objects of the senses,
including his wife, children, home and society. He should be endowed with
feelings of loving friendship toward the spiritual master and should never
become deviated or bewildered. The servant or disciple should always desire
advancement in spiritual understanding, should not envy anyone and should
always avoid useless conversation.
7. One should see
one’s real self-interest in life in all circumstances and should therefore
remain detached from wife, children, home, land, relatives, friends, wealth
and so on.
8. Just as fire,
which burns and illuminates, is different from firewood, which is to be burned
to give illumination, similarly the seer within the body, the
self-enlightened spirit soul, is different from the material body, which is
to be illuminated by consciousness. Thus the spirit soul and the body possess
different characteristics and are separate entities.
9. Just as fire may
appear differently as dormant, manifest, weak, brilliant and so on, according
to the condition of the fuel, similarly, the spirit soul enters a material
body and accepts particular bodily characteristics.
10. The subtle and
gross material bodies are created by the material modes of nature, which
expand from the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Material
existence occurs when the living entity falsely accepts the qualities of the
gross and subtle bodies as being his own factual nature. This illusory state,
however, can be destroyed by real knowledge.
11. Therefore, by the
cultivation of knowledge one should approach the Supreme Personality of
Godhead situated within oneself. By understanding the Lord’s pure,
transcendental existence, one should gradually give up the false vision of
the material world as independent reality.
12. The spiritual
master can be compared to the lower kindling stick, the disciple to the upper
kindling stick, and the instruction given by the guru to the third stick
placed in between. The transcendental knowledge communicated from guru to
disciple is compared to the fire arising from the contact of these, which
burns the darkness of ignorance to ashes, bringing great happiness both to
guru and disciple.
13. By submissively
hearing from an expert spiritual master, the expert disciple develops pure
knowledge, which repels the onslaught of material illusion arising from the
three modes of material nature. Finally this pure knowledge itself ceases,
just as fire ceases when the stock of fuel has been consumed.
14-16. My dear
Uddhava, I have thus explained to you perfect knowledge. There are
philosophers, however, who challenge My conclusion. They state that the
natural position of the living entity is to engage in fruitive activities,
and they see him as the enjoyer of the happiness and unhappiness that accrue
from his own work. According to this materialistic philosophy, the world,
time, the revealed scriptures and the self are all variegated and eternal,
existing as a perpetual flow of transformations. Knowledge, moreover, cannot
be one or eternal, because it arises from the different and changing forms of
objects; thus knowledge itself is always subject to change. Even if you
accept such a philosophy, My dear Uddhava, there will still be perpetual
birth, death, old age and disease, since all living entities must accept a
material body subject to the influence of time.
17. Although the
performer of fruitive activities desires perpetual happiness, it is clearly
observed that materialistic workers are often unhappy and only occasionally
satisfied, thus proving that they are not independent or in control of their
destiny. When a person is always under the superior control of another, how
can he expect any valuable results from his own fruitive actions?
18. It is observed
within the material world that sometimes even an intelligent person is not
happy. Similarly, sometimes even a great fool is happy. The concept of
becoming happy through expertly performing material activities is simply a
useless exhibition of false egotism.
19. Even if people
know how to achieve happiness and avoid unhappiness, they still do not know
the process by which death will not be able to exert its power over them.
20. Death is not at
all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to
the place of execution, what possible happiness can people derive from
material objects or the gratification they provide?
21. That material
happiness of which we hear, such as promotion to heavenly planets for
celestial enjoyment, is just like that material happiness we have already
experienced. Both are polluted by jealousy, envy, decay and death. Therefore,
just as an attempt to raise crops becomes fruitless if there are many
problems like crop disease, insect plague or drought, similarly, the attempt
to attain material happiness, either on earth or on the heavenly planets, is
always fruitless because of innumerable obstacles.
22. If one performs
Vedic sacrifices and fruitive rituals without any mistake or contamination,
one will achieve a heavenly situation in the next life. But even this result,
which is only achieved by perfect performance of fruitive rituals, will be
vanquished by time. Now hear of this.
23. If on earth one
performs sacrifices for the satisfaction of the demigods, he goes to the
heavenly planets, where, just like a demigod, he enjoys all of the heavenly
pleasures he has earned by his performances.
24. Having achieved
the heavenly planets, the performer of ritualistic sacrifices travels in a
glowing airplane, which he obtains as the result of his piety on earth. Being
glorified by songs sung by the Gandharvas and dressed in wonderfully charming
clothes, he enjoys life surrounded by heavenly goddesses.
25. Accompanied by
heavenly women, the enjoyer of the fruits of sacrifice goes on pleasure rides
in a wonderful airplane, which is decorated with circles of tinkling bells
and which flies wherever he desires. Being relaxed, comfortable and happy in
the heavenly pleasure gardens, he does not consider that he is exhausting the
fruits of his piety and will soon fall down to the mortal world.
26. Until his pious
results are used up, the performer of sacrifice enjoys life in the heavenly
planets. When the pious results are exhausted, however, he falls down from
the pleasure gardens of heaven, being moved against his desire by the force
of eternal time.
27-29. If a human
being is engaged in sinful, irreligious activities, either because of bad
association or because of his failure to control his senses, then such a
person will certainly develop a personality full of material desires. He thus
becomes miserly toward others, greedy and always anxious to exploit the
bodies of women. When the mind is so polluted one becomes violent and
aggressive and without the authority of Vedic injunctions slaughters innocent
animals for sense gratification. Worshiping ghosts and spirits, the
bewildered person falls fully into the grip of unauthorized activities and
thus goes to hell, where he receives a material body infected by the darkest
modes of nature. In such a degraded body, he unfortunately continues to
perform inauspicious activities that greatly increase his future unhappiness,
and therefore he again accepts a similar material body. What possible
happiness can there be for one who engages in activities inevitably
terminating in death?
30. In all the
planetary systems, from the heavenly to the hellish, and for all of the great
demigods who live for one thousand yuga cycles, there is fear of Me in My
form of time. Even Brahma, who possesses the supreme life span of
311,040,000,000,000 years, is also afraid of Me.
31. The material
senses create material activities, either pious or sinful, and the modes of
nature set the material senses into motion. The living entity, being fully
engaged by the material senses and modes of nature, experiences the various
results of fruitive work.
32. As long as the
living entity thinks that the modes of material nature have separate
existences, he will be obliged to take birth in many different forms and will
experience varieties of material existence. Therefore, the living entity
remains completely dependent on fruitive activities under the modes of
nature.
33. The conditioned
soul who remains dependent on fruitive activities under the material modes of
nature will continue to fear Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, since I
impose the results of one’s fruitive activities. Those who accept the
material concept of life, taking the variegatedness of the modes of nature to
be factual, devote themselves to material enjoyment and are therefore always
absorbed in lamentation and grief.
34. When there is
agitation and interaction of the material modes of nature, the living
entities then describe Me in various ways such as all-powerful time, the
Self, Vedic knowledge, the universe, one’s own nature, religious ceremonies
and so on.
35. Sri Uddhava said:
O my Lord, a living entity situated within the material body is surrounded by
the modes of nature and the happiness and distress that are born of
activities caused by these modes. How is it possible that he is not bound by
this material encirclement? It may also be said that the living entity is
ultimately transcendental and has nothing to do with the material world. Then
how is he ever bound by material nature?
36-37. O my Lord,
Acyuta, the same living entity is sometimes described as eternally
conditioned and at other times as eternally liberated. I am not able to
understand, therefore, the actual situation of the living entity. You, my
Lord, are the best of those who are expert in answering philosophical
questions. Please explain to me the symptoms by which one can tell the
difference between a living entity who is eternally liberated and one who is eternally
conditioned. In what various ways would they remain situated, enjoy life,
eat, evacuate, lie down, sit or move about?
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, due to the influence of the
material modes of nature, which are under My control, the living entity is
sometimes designated as conditioned and sometimes as liberated. In fact,
however, the soul is never really bound up or liberated, and since I am the
supreme Lord of maya, which is the cause of the modes of nature, I also am
never to be considered liberated or in bondage.
2. Just as a dream is
merely a creation of one’s intelligence but has no actual substance,
similarly, material lamentation, illusion, happiness, distress and the
acceptance of the material body under the influence of maya are all creations
of My illusory energy. In other words, material existence has no essential
reality.
3. O Uddhava, both
knowledge and ignorance, being products of maya, are expansions of My
potency. Both knowledge and ignorance are beginningless and perpetually award
liberation and bondage to embodied living beings.
4. O most intelligent
Uddhava, the living entity, called jiva, is part and parcel of Me, but due to
ignorance he has been suffering in material bondage since time immemorial. By
knowledge, however, he can be liberated.
5. Thus, My dear
Uddhava, in the same material body we find opposing characteristics, such as
great happiness and misery. That is because both the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is eternally liberated, as well as the conditioned soul are
within the body. I shall now speak to you about their different
characteristics.
6. By chance, two
birds have made a nest together in the same tree. The two birds are friends
and are of a similar nature. One of them, however, is eating the fruits of
the tree, whereas the other, who does not eat the fruits, is in a superior
position due to His potency.
7. The bird who does
not eat the fruits of the tree is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who by
His omniscience perfectly understands His own position and that of the
conditioned living entity, represented by the eating bird. That living
entity, on the other hand, does not understand himself or the Lord. He is
covered by ignorance and is thus called eternally conditioned, whereas the
Personality of Godhead, being full of perfect knowledge, is eternally
liberated.
8. One who is
enlightened in self-realization, although living within the material body,
sees himself as transcendental to the body, just as one who has arisen from a
dream gives up identification with the dream body. A foolish person, however,
although not identical with his material body but transcendental to it,
thinks himself to be situated in the body, just as one who is dreaming sees
himself as situated in an imaginary body.
9. An enlightened
person who is free from the contamination of material desire does not
consider himself to be the performer of bodily activities; rather, he knows
that in all such activities it is only the senses, born of the modes of
nature, that are contacting sense objects born of the same modes of nature.
10. An unintelligent
person situated within the body created by his previous fruitive activities
thinks, “I am the performer of action.” Bewildered by false ego, such a
foolish person is therefore bound up by fruitive activities, which are in
fact carried out by the modes of nature.
11. An enlightened
person fixed in detachment engages his body in lying down, sitting, walking,
bathing, seeing, touching, smelling, eating, hearing and so on, but is never
entangled by such activities. Indeed, remaining as a witness to all bodily
functions, he merely engages his bodily senses with their objects and does
not become entangled like an unintelligent person.
12-13. Although the
sky, or space, is the resting place of everything, the sky does not mix with
anything, nor is it entangled. Similarly, the sun is not at all attached to
the water in which it is reflected within innumerable reservoirs, and the
mighty wind blowing everywhere is not affected by the innumerable aromas and
atmospheres through which it passes. In the same way, a self-realized soul is
completely detached from the material body and the material world around it.
He is like a person who has awakened and arisen from a dream. With expert
vision sharpened by detachment, the self-realized soul cuts all doubts to
pieces through knowledge of the self and completely withdraws his
consciousness from the expansion of material variety.
14. A person is
considered to be completely liberated from the gross and subtle material
bodies when all the functions of his vital energy, senses, mind and
intelligence are performed without material desire. Such a person, although
situated within the body, is not entangled.
15. Sometimes for no
apparent reason one’s body is attacked by cruel people or violent animals. At
other times and in other places, one will suddenly be offered great respect
or worship. One who becomes neither angry when attacked nor satisfied when
worshiped is actually intelligent.
16. A saintly sage
sees with equal vision and therefore is not affected by that which is
materially good or bad. Indeed, although he observes others performing good
and bad work and speaking properly and improperly, the sage does not praise
or criticize anyone.
17. For the purpose
of maintaining his body, a liberated sage should not act, speak or
contemplate in terms of material good or bad. Rather, he should be detached
in all material circumstances, and taking pleasure in self-realization, he
should wander about engaged in this liberated life-style, appearing like a
retarded person to outsiders.
18. If through
meticulous study one becomes expert in reading Vedic literature but makes no
endeavor to fix one’s mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then one’s
endeavor is certainly like that of a man who works very hard to take care of
a cow that gives no milk. In other words, the fruit of one’s laborious study
of Vedic knowledge will simply be the labor itself. There will be no other
tangible result.
19. My dear Uddhava,
that man is certainly most miserable who takes care of a cow that gives no
milk, an unchaste wife, a body totally dependent on others, useless children
or wealth not utilized for the right purpose. Similarly, one who studies
Vedic knowledge devoid of My glories is also most miserable.
20. My dear Uddhava,
an intelligent person should never take to literatures that do not contain
descriptions of My activities, which purify the whole universe. Indeed, I
create, maintain and annihilate the entire material manifestation. Among all
My pastime incarnations, the most beloved are Krsna and Balarama. Any
so-called knowledge that does not recognize these activities of Mine is
simply barren and is not acceptable to those who are actually intelligent.
21. Coming to this
conclusion of all knowledge, one should give up the false conception of
material variety that one imposes upon the soul and thus cease one’s material
existence. The mind should be fixed on Me, since I am all-pervading.
22. My dear Uddhava,
if you are not able to free your mind from all material disturbance and thus
absorb it completely on the spiritual platform, then perform all your
activities as an offering to Me, without trying to enjoy the fruits.
23-24. My dear
Uddhava, narrations of My pastimes and qualities are all-auspicious and
purify the entire universe. A faithful person who constantly hears, glorifies
and remembers such transcendental activities, who through dramatic
performances relives My pastimes, beginning with My appearance, and who takes
full shelter of Me, dedicating his religious, sensual and occupational
activities for My satisfaction, certainly obtains unflinching devotional
service to Me, the eternal Personality of Godhead.
25. One who has
obtained pure devotional service by association with My devotees always
engages in worshiping Me. Thus he very easily goes to My abode, which is
revealed by My pure devotees.
26-27. Sri Uddhava
said: My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, what type of person do
You consider to be a true devotee, and what type of devotional service is
approved by great devotees as worthy of being offered to Your Lordship? My
dear ruler of the universal controllers, O Lord of Vaikuntha and almighty God
of the universe, I am Your devotee, and because I love You I have no other
shelter than You. Therefore please explain this to me.
28. My dear Lord, as
the Absolute Truth You are transcendental to material nature, and like the
sky You are never entangled in any way. Still, being controlled by Your
devotees’ love, You accept many different forms, incarnating according to
Your devotees’ desires.
29-32. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: O Uddhava, a saintly person is merciful and
never injures others. Even if others are aggressive he is tolerant and
forgiving toward all living entities. His strength and meaning in life come
from the truth itself, he is free from all envy and jealousy, and his mind is
equal in material happiness and distress. Thus, he dedicates his time to work
for the welfare of all others. His intelligence is never bewildered by
material desires, and he has controlled his senses. His behavior is always
pleasing, never harsh and always exemplary, and he is free from
possessiveness. He never endeavors in ordinary, worldly activities, and he
strictly controls his eating. He therefore always remains peaceful and
steady. A saintly person is thoughtful and accepts Me as his only shelter.
Such a person is very cautious in the execution of his duties and is never
subject to superficial transformations, because he is steady and noble, even
in a distressing situation. He has conquered over the six material
qualities—namely hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death. He
is free from all desire for prestige and offers honor to others. He is expert
in reviving the Krsna consciousness of others and therefore never cheats
anyone. Rather, he is a well-wishing friend to all, being most merciful. Such
a saintly person must be considered the most learned of men. He perfectly
understands that the ordinary religious duties prescribed by Me in various
Vedic scriptures possess favorable qualities that purify the performer, and
he knows that neglect of such duties constitutes a discrepancy in one’s life.
Having taken complete shelter at My lotus feet, however, a saintly person
ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and worships Me alone. He
is thus considered to be the best among all living entities.
33. My devotees may
or may not know exactly what I am, who I am and how I exist, but if they
worship Me with unalloyed love, then I consider them to be the best of
devotees.
34-41. My dear
Uddhava, one can give up false pride and prestige by engaging in the
following devotional activities. One may purify oneself by seeing, touching,
worshiping, serving, and offering prayers of glorification and obeisances to
My form as the Deity and to My pure devotees. One should also glorify My
transcendental qualities and activities, hear with love and faith the
narrations of My glories and constantly meditate on Me. One should offer to
Me whatever one acquires, and accepting oneself as My eternal servant, one
should give oneself completely to Me. One should always discuss My birth and
activities and enjoy life by participating in festivals, such as Janmastami,
which glorify My pastimes. In My temple, one should also participate in
festivals and ceremonies by singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and
discussing Me with other Vaisnavas. One should observe all the regularly
celebrated annual festivals by attending ceremonies, pilgrimages and making
offerings. One should also observe religious vows such as Ekadasi and take
initiation by the procedures mentioned in the Vedas, Pancaratra and other,
similar literatures. One should faithfully and lovingly support the
installation of My Deity, and individually or in cooperation with others one
should work for the construction of Krsna conscious temples and cities as
well as flower gardens, fruit gardens and special areas to celebrate My
pastimes. One should consider oneself to be My humble servant, without
duplicity, and thus should help to clean the temple, which is My home. First
one should sweep and dust thoroughly, and then one should further cleanse
with water and cow dung. Having dried the temple, one should sprinkle scented
water and decorate the temple with mandalas. One should thus act just like My
servant. A devotee should never advertise his devotional activities;
therefore his service will not be the cause of false pride. One should never
use lamps that are offered to Me for other purposes simply because there is
need of illumination, and similarly, one should never offer to Me anything
that has been offered to or used by others. Whatever is most desired by one
within this material world, and whatever is most dear to oneself—one should
offer that very thing to Me. Such an offering qualifies one for eternal life.
42. O saintly
Uddhava, please know that you may worship Me in the sun, fire, brahmanas,
cows, Vaisnavas, sky, wind, water, earth, individual soul and all living
entities.
43-45. My dear
Uddhava, one should worship Me within the sun by chanting selected Vedic
mantras and by performing worship and offering obeisances. One may worship Me
within fire by offering oblations of ghee, and one may worship Me among the
brahmanas by respectfully receiving them as guests, even when uninvited. I
can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable
grains and paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows, and one may
worship Me within the Vaisvavas by offering loving friendship to them and
honoring them in all respects. Through steady meditation I am worshiped
within the inner space of the heart, and within the air I can be worshiped by
knowledge that prana, the life air, is the chief among elements. I am
worshiped within water by offerings of water itself, along with other
elements such as flowers and tulasi leaves, and one may worship Me within the
earth by proper application of confidential seed mantras. One may worship Me
within the individual living entity by offering food and other enjoyable
substances, and one may worship Me within all living entities by seeing the
Supersoul within all of them, thus maintaining equal vision.
46. Thus, in the
previously mentioned places of worship and according to the processes I have
described, one should meditate on My peaceful, transcendental form with four
arms holding a conchshell, Sudarsana disc, club and lotus flower. In this
way, one should worship Me with fixed attention.
47. One who has
executed sacrificial performances and pious works for My satisfaction, and
who thus worships Me with fixed attention, obtains unflinching devotional
service unto Me. By the excellent quality of his service such a worshiper
obtains realized knowledge of Me.
48. My dear Uddhava,
I am personally the ultimate shelter and way of life for saintly liberated
persons, and thus if one does not engage in My loving devotional service,
which is made possible by associating with My devotees, then for all
practical purposes, one possesses no effective means for escaping from
material existence.
49. My dear Uddhava,
O beloved of the Yadu dynasty, because you are My servant, well-wisher and
friend, I shall now speak to you the most confidential knowledge. Please hear
as I explain these great mysteries to you.
1-2. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure
devotees one can destroy one’s attachment for all objects of material sense
gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under the control of My
devotee. One may perform the astanga-yoga system, engage in philosophical
analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other
ordinary principles of piety, chant the Vedas, perform penances, take to the
renounced order of life, execute sacrificial performances and dig wells,
plant trees and perform other public welfare activities, give in charity,
carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras,
visit holy places or accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions, but
even by performing such activities one does not bring Me under his control.
3-6. In every yuga
many living entities entangled in the modes of passion and ignorance gained
the association of My devotees. Thus, such living entities as the Daityas,
Raksasas, birds, beasts, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nagas, Siddhas, Caranas,
Guhyakas and Vidyadharas, as well as such lower-class human beings as the
vaisyas, sudras, women and others, were able to achieve My supreme abode.
Vrtrasura, Prahlada Maharaja and others like them also achieved My abode by
association with My devotees, as did personalities such as Vrsaparva, Bali
Maharaja, Banasura, Maya, Vibhisana, Sugriva, Hanuman, Jambavan, Gajendra,
Jatayu, Tuladhara, Dharma-vyadha, Kubja, the gopis in Vrndavana and the wives
of the brahmanas who were performing sacrifice.
7. The persons I have
mentioned did not undergo serious studies of the Vedic literature, nor did
they worship great saintly persons, nor did they execute severe vows or
austerities. Simply by association with Me and My devotees, they achieved Me.
8. The inhabitants of
Vrndavana, including the gopis, cows, unmoving creatures such as the twin
arjuna trees, animals, living entities with stunted consciousness such as
bushes and thickets, and snakes such as Kaliya, all achieved the perfection
of life by unalloyed love for Me and thus very easily achieved Me.
9. Even though one
engages with great endeavor in the mystic yoga system, philosophical
speculation, charity, vows, penances, ritualistic sacrifices, teaching of
Vedic mantras to others, personal study of the Vedas, or the renounced order
of life, still one cannot achieve Me.
10. The residents of
Vrndavana, headed by the gopis, were always completely attached to Me with
deepest love. Therefore, when My uncle Akrura brought My brother Balarama and
Me to the city of Mathura, the residents of Vrndavana suffered extreme mental
distress because of separation from Me and could not find any other source of
happiness.
11. Dear Uddhava, all
of those nights that the gopis spent with Me, their most dearly beloved, in
the land of Vrndavana seemed to them to pass in less than a moment. Bereft of
My association, however, the gopis felt that those same nights dragged on
forever, as if each night were equal to a day of Brahma.
12. My dear Uddhava,
just as great sages in yoga trance merge into self-realization, like rivers merging
into the ocean, and are thus not aware of material names and forms,
similarly, the gopis of Vrndavana were so completely attached to Me within
their minds that they could not think of their own bodies, or of this world,
or of their future lives. Their entire consciousness was simply bound up in
Me.
13. All those
hundreds of thousands of gopis, understanding Me to be their most charming
lover and ardently desiring Me in that way, were unaware of My actual
position. Yet by intimately associating with Me, the gopis attained Me, the
Supreme Absolute Truth.
14-15. Therefore, My
dear Uddhava, abandon the Vedic mantras as well as the procedures of
supplementary Vedic literatures and their positive and negative injunctions.
Disregard that which has been heard and that which is to be heard. Simply
take shelter of Me alone, for I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
situated within the heart of all conditioned souls. Take shelter of Me
wholeheartedly, and by My grace be free from fear in all circumstances.
16. Sri Uddhava said:
O Lord of all masters of mystic power, I have heard Your words, but the doubt
in my heart does not go away; thus my mind is bewildered.
17. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the Supreme Lord gives life to
every living being and is situated within the heart along with the life air
and primal sound vibration. The Lord can be perceived in His subtle form
within the heart by one’s mind, since the Lord controls the minds of
everyone, even great demigods like Lord Siva. The Supreme Lord also assumes a
gross form as the various sounds of the Vedas, composed of short and long
vowels and consonants of different intonations.
18. When sticks of
kindling wood are vigorously rubbed together, heat is produced by contact
with air, and a spark of fire appears. Once the fire is kindled, ghee is
added and the fire blazes. Similarly, I become manifest in the sound
vibration of the Vedas.
19. The functions of
the working senses—the organ of speech, the hands, the legs, the genital and the
anus—and the functions of the knowledge-acquiring senses—the nose, tongue,
eyes, skin and ears—along with the functions of the subtle senses of mind,
intelligence, consciousness and false ego, as well as the function of the
subtle pradhana and the interaction of the three modes of material nature—all
these should be understood as My materially manifest form.
20. When many seeds
are placed in an agricultural field, innumerable manifestations of trees,
bushes, vegetables and so on will arise from a single source, the soil.
Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who gives life to all and is
eternal, originally exists beyond the scope of the cosmic manifestation. In
the course of time, however, the Lord, who is the resting place of the three
modes of nature and the source of the universal lotus flower, in which the
cosmic manifestation takes place, divides His material potencies and thus
appears to be manifest in innumerable forms, although He is one.
21. Just as woven
cloth rests on the expansion of lengthwise and crosswise threads, similarly
the entire universe is expanded on the lengthwise and crosswise potency of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is situated within Him. The
conditioned soul has been accepting material bodies since time immemorial,
and these bodies are like great trees sustaining one’s material existence.
Just as a tree first blossoms and then produces fruit, similarly the tree of
material existence, one’s material body, produces the various results of
material existence.
22-23. This tree of
material existence has two seeds, hundreds of roots, three lower trunks and
five upper trunks. It produces five flavors and has eleven branches and a
nest made by two birds. The tree is covered by three types of bark, gives two
fruits and extends up to the sun. Those lusty after material enjoyment and
dedicated to family life enjoy one of the tree’s fruits, and swanlike men in
the renounced order of life enjoy the other fruit. One who with the help of
the bonafide spiritual masters can understand this tree to be a manifestation
of the potency of the one Supreme Truth appearing in many forms actually
knows the meaning of the Vedic literature.
24. With steady
intelligence you should develop unalloyed devotional service by careful
worship of the spiritual master, and with the sharpened ax of transcendental
knowledge you should cut off the subtle material covering of the soul. Upon
realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you should then give up that ax
of analytic knowledge.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: The three modes of material nature, namely
goodness, passion and ignorance, pertain to material intelligence and not to
the spirit soul. By development of material goodness one can conquer the
modes of passion and ignorance, and by cultivation of transcendental goodness
one may free oneself even from material goodness.
2. When the living
entity becomes strongly situated in the mode of goodness, then religious
principles, characterized by devotional service to Me, become prominent. One
can strengthen the mode of goodness by cultivation of those things that are
already situated in goodness, and thus religious principles arise.
3. Religious
principles, strengthened by the mode of goodness, destroy the influence of
passion and ignorance. When passion and ignorance are overcome, their
original cause, irreligion, is quickly vanquished.
4. According to the
quality of religious scriptures, water, one’s association with one’s children
or with people in general, the particular place, the time, activities, birth,
meditation, chanting of mantras, and purificatory rituals, the modes of
nature become differently prominent.
5. Among the ten
items I have just mentioned, the great sages who understand Vedic knowledge
have praised and recommended those that are in the mode of goodness,
criticized and rejected those in the mode of ignorance, and shown
indifference to those in the mode of passion.
6. Until one revives
one’s direct knowledge of the spirit soul and drives away the illusory
identification with the material body and mind caused by the three modes of
nature, one must cultivate those things in the mode of goodness. By
increasing the mode of goodness, one automatically can understand and
practice religious principles, and by such practice transcendental knowledge
is awakened.
7. In a bamboo forest
the wind sometimes rubs the bamboo stalks together, and such friction
generates a blazing fire that consumes the very source of its birth, the
bamboo forest. Thus, the fire is automatically calmed by its own action.
Similarly, by the competition and interaction of the material modes of
nature, the subtle and gross material bodies are generated. If one uses his
mind and body to cultivate knowledge, then such enlightenment destroys the
influence of the modes of nature that generated one’s body. Thus, like the
fire, the body and mind are pacified by their own actions in destroying the
source of their birth.
8. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Krsna, generally human beings know that material life brings great
future unhappiness, and still they try to enjoy material life. My dear Lord,
how can one in knowledge act just like a dog, an ass or a goat?
9-10. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, a person bereft of intelligence
first falsely identifies himself with the material body and mind, and when
such false knowledge arises within one’s consciousness, material passion, the
cause of great suffering, pervades the mind, which by nature is situated in
goodness. Then the mind, contaminated by passion, becomes absorbed in making
and changing many plans for material advancement. Thus, by constantly
thinking of the modes of material nature, a foolish person is afflicted with
unbearable material desires.
11. One who does not
control the material senses comes under the control of material desires and
is thus bewildered by the strong waves of the mode of passion. Such a person
executes material activities, although clearly seeing that the result will be
future unhappiness.
12. Although the
intelligence of a learned person may be bewildered by the modes of passion
and ignorance, he should again carefully bring the mind under control. By
clearly seeing the contamination of the modes of nature, he does not become
attached.
13. A person should
be attentive and grave and never lazy or morose. Mastering the yoga
procedures of breathing and sitting properly, one should practice fixing the
mind on Me at dawn, noon and sunset, and thus gradually the mind should be
completely absorbed in Me.
14. The actual yoga
system as taught by My devotees, headed by Sanaka-kumara, is simply this:
Having withdrawn the mind from all other objects, one should directly and
appropriately absorb it in Me.
15. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Kesava, at what time and in what form did You instruct the science of
yoga to Sanaka and his brothers? I now desire to know about these things.
16. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Once, the mental sons of Lord Brahma, namely, the
sages headed by Sanaka, inquired from their father about the difficult
subject matter of the supreme goal of yoga.
17. The sages headed
by Sanaka said: O Lord, people’s minds are naturally attracted to material
sense objects, and similarly the sense objects in the form of desire enter
within the mind. Therefore, how can a person who desires liberation, who
desires to cross over activities of sense gratification, destroy this mutual
relationship between the sense objects and the mind? Please explain this to
us.
18. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, Brahma himself, who is born
directly from the body of the Lord and who is the creator of all living
entities within the material world, being the best of the demigods, seriously
contemplated the question of his sons headed by Sanaka. The intelligence of
Brahma, however, was affected by his own activities of creation, and thus he
could not discover the essential answer to this question.
19. Lord Brahma
desired to attain the answer to the question that was puzzling him, and thus
he fixed his mind on Me, the Supreme Lord. At that time, in My form of Hamsa,
I became visible to Lord Brahma.
20. Thus seeing Me,
the sages, placing Brahma in the lead, came forward and worshiped My lotus
feet. Then they frankly asked Me, “Who are You?”
21. My dear Uddhava,
the sages, being eager to understand the ultimate truth of the yoga system,
thus inquired from Me. Now please hear as I explain that which I spoke unto
the sages.
22. My dear
brahmanas, if, when asking Me who I am, you believe that I am also a jiva
soul and that there is no ultimate difference between us—since all souls are
ultimately one without individuality—then how is your question possible or
appropriate? Ultimately, what is the real situation or resting place both of
yourselves and of Me?
23. If by asking Me
“Who are You?” you were referring to the material body, then I must point out
that all material bodies are constituted of five elements, namely earth,
water, fire, air and ether. Thus, you should have asked, “Who are you five?”
If you consider that all material bodies are ultimately one, being
constituted essentially of the same elements, then your question is still
meaningless, since there would be no deep purpose in distinguishing one body
from another. Thus, it appears that in asking My identity, you are merely
speaking words, without any real meaning or purpose.
24. Within this
world, whatever is perceived by the mind, speech, eyes or other senses is Me
alone and nothing besides Me. All of you please understand this by a
straightforward analysis of the facts.
25. My dear sons, the
mind has a natural proclivity to enter into the material sense objects, and
similarly the sense objects enter into the mind; but both this material mind
and the sense objects are merely designations that cover the spirit soul, who
is part and parcel of Me.
26. A person who has
thus achieved Me by understanding that he is not different from Me realizes
that the material mind is lodged within the sense objects because of constant
sense gratification, and that the material objects are existing prominently
within the material mind. Having understood My transcendental nature, he
gives up both the material mind and its objects.
27. Waking, sleeping
and deep sleep are the three functions of the intelligence and are caused by
the modes of material nature. The living entity within the body is
ascertained to possess characteristics different from these three states and
thus remains us a witness to them.
28. The spirit soul
is trapped in the bondage of material intelligence, which awards him constant
engagement in the illusory modes of nature. But I am the fourth stage of
consciousness, beyond wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. Becoming situated
in Me, the soul should give up the bondage of material consciousness. At that
time, the living entity will automatically renounce the material sense
objects and the material mind.
29. The false ego of
the living entity places him in bondage and awards him exactly the opposite
of what he really desires. Therefore, an intelligent person should give up
his constant anxiety to enjoy material life and remain situated in the Lord,
who is beyond the functions of material consciousness.
30. According to My
instructions, one should fix the mind on Me alone. If, however, one continues
to see many different values and goals in life rather than seeing everything
within Me, then although apparently awake, one is actually dreaming due to
incomplete knowledge, just as one may dream that one has wakened from a
dream.
31. Those states of
existence that are conceived of as separate from the Supreme Personality of
Godhead have no actual existence, although they create a sense of separation
from the Absolute Truth. Just as the seer of a dream imagines many different
activities and rewards, similarly, because of the sense of an existence
separate from the Lord’s existence, the living entity falsely performs
fruitive activities, thinking them to be the cause of future rewards and
destinations.
32. While awake the
living entity enjoys with all of his senses the fleeting characteristics of
the material body and mind; while dreaming he enjoys similar experiences
within the mind; and in deep dreamless sleep all such experiences merge into
ignorance. By remembering and contemplating the succession of wakefulness,
dreaming and deep sleep, the living entity can understand that he is one
throughout the three stages of consciousness and is transcendental. Thus, he
becomes the lord of the senses.
33. You should
consider how, by the influence of My illusory energy, these three states of
the mind, caused by the modes of nature, have been artificially imagined to
exist in Me. Having definitely ascertained the truth of the soul, you should
utilize the sharpened sword of knowledge, acquired by logical reflection and
from the instructions of sages and Vedic literatures, to completely cut off
the false ego, which is the breeding ground of all doubts. All of you should
then worship Me, who am situated within the heart.
34. One should see
that the material world is a distinct illusion appearing in the mind, because
material objects have an extremely flickering existence and are here today
and gone tomorrow. They can be compared to the streaking red line created by
whirling a fiery stick. The spirit soul by nature exists in the single state
of pure consciousness. However, in this world he appears in many different
forms and stages of existence. The modes of nature divide the soul’s
consciousness into normal wakefulness, dreaming and dreamless sleep. All such
varieties of perception, however, are actually maya and exist only like a
dream.
35. Having understood
the temporary illusory nature of material things, and thus having pulled
one’s vision away from illusion, one should remain without material desires.
By experiencing the happiness of the soul, one should give up material
speaking and activities. If sometimes one must observe the material world,
one should remember that it is not ultimate reality and therefore one has
given it up. By such constant remembrance up till the time of death, one will
not again fall into illusion.
36. Just as a drunken
man does not notice if he is wearing his coat or shirt, similarly, one who is
perfect in self-realization and who has thus achieved his eternal identity
does not notice whether the temporary body is sitting or standing. Indeed, if
by God’s will the body is finished or if by God’s will he obtains a new body,
a self-realized soul does not notice, just as a drunken man does not notice
the situation of his outward dress.
37. The material body
certainly moves under the control of supreme destiny and therefore must
continue to live along with the senses and vital air as long as one’s karma
is in effect. A self-realized soul, however, who is awakened to the absolute
reality and who is thus highly situated in the perfect stage of yoga, will
never again surrender to the material body and its manifold manifestations,
knowing it to be just like a body visualized in a dream.
38. My dear
brahmanas, I have now explained to you the confidential knowledge of Sankhya,
by which one philosophically distinguishes matter from spirit, and of
astanga-yoga, by which one links up with the Supreme. Please understand that
I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, and that I have appeared
before you desiring to explain your actual religious duties.
39. O best of the
brahmanas, please know that I am the supreme shelter of the yoga system,
analytic philosophy, virtuous action, truthful religious principles, power,
beauty, fame and self-control.
40. All superior
transcendental qualities, such as being beyond the modes of nature, detached,
the well-wisher, the most dear, the Supersoul, equally situated everywhere,
and free from material entanglement—all such qualities, free from the
transformations of material qualities, find their shelter and worshipable
object in Me.
41. [Lord Krsna continued:] My dear Uddhava,
thus all of the doubts of the sages headed by Sanaka were destroyed by My
words. Fully worshiping Me with transcendental love and devotion, they
chanted My glories with excellent hymns.
42. The greatest of
sages, headed by Sanaka Rsi, thus perfectly worshiped and glorified Me, and
as Lord Brahma looked on, I returned to My own abode.
1. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Krsna, the learned sages who explain Vedic literature recommend
various processes for perfecting one’s life. Considering these varieties of
viewpoint, my Lord, please tell me whether all these processes are equally
important, or whether one of them is supreme.
2. My dear Lord, You
have clearly explained the process of unalloyed devotional service, by which
a devotee removes all material association from his life, enabling him to fix
his mind on You.
3. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: By the influence of time, the transcendental
sound of Vedic knowledge was lost at the time of annihilation. Therefore,
when the subsequent creation took place, I spoke the Vedic knowledge to
Brahma because I Myself am the religious principles enunciated in the Vedas.
4. Lord Brahma spoke
this Vedic knowledge to his eldest son, Manu, and the seven great sages
headed by Bhrgu Muni then accepted the same knowledge from Manu.
5-7. From the
forefathers headed by Bhrgu Muni and other sons of Brahma appeared many
children and descendants, who assumed different forms as demigods, demons,
human beings, Guhyakas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, Caranas, Kindevas,
Kinnaras, Nagas, Kimpurusas, and so on. All of the many universal species,
along with their respective leaders, appeared with different natures and
desires generated from the three modes of material nature. Therefore, because
of the different characteristics of the living entities within the universe,
there are a great many Vedic rituals, mantras and rewards.
8. Thus, due to the
great variety of desires and natures among human beings, there are many
different theistic philosophies of life, which are handed down through
tradition, custom and disciplic succession. There are other teachers who
directly support atheistic viewpoints.
9. O best among men,
the intelligence of human beings is bewildered by My illusory potency, and
thus, according to their own activities and whims, they speak in innumerable
ways about what is actually good for people.
10. Some say that
people will be happy by performing pious religious activities. Others say
that happiness is attained through fame, sense gratification, truthfulness,
self-control, peace, self-interest, political influence, opulence,
renunciation, consumption, sacrifice, penance, charity, vows, regulated
duties or strict disciplinary regulation. Each process has its proponents.
11. All the persons I
have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their material work. Indeed,
the meager and miserable situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and
are based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the fruits of their work, such
persons are filled with lamentation.
12. O learned
Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me, giving up all material
desires, share with Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by
those engaged in sense gratification.
13. One who does not
desire anything within this world, who has achieved peace by controlling his
senses, whose consciousness is equal in all conditions and whose mind is
completely satisfied in Me finds only happiness wherever he goes.
14. One who has fixed
his consciousness on Me desires neither the position or abode of Lord Brahma
or Lord Indra, nor an empire on the earth, nor sovereignty in the lower
planetary systems, nor the eightfold perfection of yoga, nor liberation from
birth and death. Such a person desires Me alone.
15. My dear
Uddhava, neither Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Sankarsana, the goddess of
fortune nor indeed My own self are as dear to Me as you are.
16. With the dust of
My devotees’ lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are
situated within Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees,
who are free from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes,
peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition
everywhere.
17. Those who are
without any desire for personal gratification, whose minds are always
attached to Me, who are peaceful, without false ego and merciful to all
living entities, and whose consciousness is never affected by opportunities
for sense gratification—such persons enjoy in Me a happiness that cannot be
known or achieved by those lacking such detachment from the material world.
18. My dear Uddhava,
if My devotee has not fully conquered his senses, he may be harassed by
material desires, but because of his unflinching devotion for Me, he will not
be defeated by sense gratification.
19. My dear Uddhava,
just as a blazing fire turns firewood into ashes, similarly, devotion unto Me
completely burns to ashes sins committed by My devotees.
20. My dear
Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to Me by My devotees
brings Me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged
in mystic yoga, Sankhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or
renunciation.
21. Only by
practicing unalloyed devotional service with full faith in Me can one obtain
Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am naturally dear to My devotees, who
take Me as the only goal of their loving service. By engaging in such pure
devotional service, even the dog-eaters can purify themselves from the
contaminationof their low birth.
22. Neither religious
activities endowed with honesty and mercy nor knowledge obtained with great
penance can completely purify one’s consciousness if they are bereft of
loving service to Me.
23. If one’s hairs do
not stand on end, how can the heart melt? And if the heart does not melt, how
can tears of love flow from the eyes? If one does not cry in spiritual
happiness, how can one render loving service to the Lord? And without such
service, how can the consciousness be purified?
24. A devotee whose
speech is sometimes choked up, whose heart melts, who cries continually and
sometimes laughs, who feels ashamed and cries out loudly and then dances—a
devotee thus fixed in loving service to Me purifies the entire universe.
25. Just as gold,
when smelted in fire, gives up its impurities and returns to its pure
brilliant state, similarly, the spirit soul, absorbed in the fire of
bhakti-yoga, is purified of all contamination caused by previous fruitive
activities and returns to its original position of serving Me in the
spiritual world.
26. When a diseased
eye is treated with medicinal ointment it gradually recovers its power to
see. Similarly, as a conscious living entity cleanses himself of material
contamination by hearing and chanting the pious narrations of My glories, he
regains his ability to see Me, the Absolute Truth, in My subtle spiritual
form.
27. The mind of one
meditating upon the objects of sense gratification is certainly entangled in
such objects, but if one constantly remembers Me, then the mind is absorbed
in Me.
28. Therefore, one
should reject all material processes of elevation, which are like the mental
creations of a dream, and should completely absorb one’s mind in Me. By
constantly thinking of Me, one becomes purified.
29. Being conscious
of the eternal self, one should give up association with women and those intimately
associated with women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place, one should
concentrate the mind on Me with great attention.
30. Of all kinds of
suffering and bondage arising from various attachments, none is greater than
the suffering and bondage arising from attachment to women and intimate
contact with those attached to women.
31. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear lotus-eyed Krsna, by what process should one who desires liberation
meditate upon You, of what specific nature should his meditation be, and upon
which form should he meditate? Kindly explain to me this topic of meditation.
32-33. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Sitting on a level seat that is not too high or
too low, keeping the body straight and erect yet comfortable, placing the two
hands on one’s lap and focusing the eyes on the tip of one’s nose, one should
purify the pathways of breathing by practicing the mechanical exercises of
puraka, kumbhaka and recaka, and then one should reverse the procedure
(recaka, kumbhaka, puraka). Having fully controlled the senses, one may thus
practice pranayama step by step.
34. Beginning from
the muladhara-cakra, one should move the life air continuously upward like
the fibers in the lotus stalk until one reaches the heart, where the sacred
syllable om is situated like the sound of a bell. One should thus continue
raising the sacred syllable upward the distance of twelve angulas, and there
the omkara should be joined together with the fifteen vibrations produced
with anusvara.
35. Being fixed in
the omkara, one should carefully practice the pranayama system ten times at
each sunrise, noon and sunset. Thus, after one month one will have conquered
the life air.
36-42. Keeping the
eyes half closed and fixed on the tip of one’s nose, being enlivened and alert,
one should meditate on the lotus flower situated within the heart. This lotus
has eight petals and is situated on an erect lotus stalk. One should meditate
on the sun, moon and fire, placing them one after the other within the whorl
of that lotus flower. Placing My transcendental form within the fire, one
should meditate upon it as the auspicious goal of all meditation. That form
is perfectly proportioned, gentle and cheerful. It possesses four beautiful
long arms, a charming, beautiful neck, a handsome forehead, a pure smile and
glowing, shark-shaped earrings suspended from two identical ears. That
spiritual form is the color of a dark rain cloud and is garbed in
golden-yellowish silk. The chest of that form is the abode of Srivatsa and
the goddess of fortune, and that form is also decorated with a conchshell,
disc, club, lotus flower and garland of forest flowers. The two brilliant
lotus feet are decorated with ankle bells and bracelets, and that form
exhibits the Kaustubha gem along with an effulgent crown. The upper hips are
beautified by a golden belt, and the arms are decorated with valuable
bracelets. All of the limbs of that beautiful form capture the heart, and the
face is beautified by merciful glancing. Pulling the senses back from the
sense objects, one should be grave and self-controlled and should use the
intelligence to strongly fix the mind upon all of the limbs of My
transcendental body. Thus one should meditate upon that most delicate
transcendental form of Mine.
43. One should then
pull the consciousness back from all the limbs of that transcendental body.
At that time, one should meditate only on the wonderfully smiling face of the
Lord.
44. Being established
in meditation on the Lord’s face, one should then withdraw the consciousness and
fix it in the sky. Then giving up such meditation, one should become
established in Me and give up the process of meditation altogether.
45. One who has
completely fixed his mind on Me should see Me within his own soul and should
see the individual soul within Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus,
he sees the individual souls united with the Supreme Soul, just as one sees
the sun’s rays completely united with the sun.
46. When the yogi
thus controls his mind by intensely concentrated meditation, his illusory
identification with material objects, knowledge and activities is very
quickly extinguished.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga
are acquired by a yogi who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind,
conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on Me.
1. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and
what is the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there?
Please explain these things to me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic
perfections.
3. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared
that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which
eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary,
appearing from the material mode of goodness.
4-5. Among the eight
primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one’s own body
are anima, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahima, becoming greater than
the greatest; and laghima, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the
perfection of prapti one acquires whatever one desires, and through prakamya-siddhi
one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next.
Through isita-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of
maya, and through the controlling
potency called vasita-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature.
One who has acquired kamavasayita-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere,
to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered
to be naturally existing and unexcelled
within this world.
6-7. The ten
secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers
of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances,
hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind,
assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one
desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls
called Apsaras, completely executing one’s determination and giving orders
whose fulfillment is unimpeded.
8-9. The power to
know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities;
knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water,
poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by others—these constitute five
perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation. I am simply listing
these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn
from Me how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and
also of the particular processes involved.
10. One who
worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind
on that alone, obtains the mystic perfection called anima.
11. One who absorbs
his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon
Me as the Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic
perfection called mahima. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of
each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one
progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.
12. I exist within everything,
and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material
elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogi may achieve the
perfection called laghima, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance
of time.
13. Fixing his mind
completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of
goodness, the yogi obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he
becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such
perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.
14. One who
concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of
the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains
from Me, whose appearance is beyond material perception, the most excellent
mystic perfection called prakamya.
15. One who places
his consciousness on Visnu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord
of the external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic
perfection of controlling other conditioned souls, their material bodies and
their bodily designations.
16. The yogi who
places his mind in My form of Narayana, known as the fourth factor, full of
all opulences, becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic
perfection called vasita.
17. One who fixes his
pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the
greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.
18. A human being who
concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the
personification of purity and the Lord of Svetadvipa obtains the pure
existence in which he is freed from the six waves of material disturbance,
namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.
19. That purified
living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations
occurring within Me as the personified sky and total life air is then able to
perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.
20. Merging one’s
sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one’s eyes, one should
meditate on Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one
acquires the power to see any distant thing.
21. The yogi who
completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that
follows the mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the
potency of meditation on Me the mystic perfection by which his body
immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.
22. When the yogi,
applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that
very form immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the
mind in the shelter of My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume
innumerable forms.
23. When a perfect
yogi desires to enter another’s body, he should meditate upon himself within
the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the
other’s body through the pathways of air, as easily as a bee leaves one
flower and flies into another.
24. The yogi who
has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mrtyu blocks the anus
with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the
chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the
brahma-randhra, the yogi then gives up his material body and guides the
spirit soul to the selected destination.
25. The yogi who
desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on
the purified mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the
heavenly women, generated from the mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.
26. A yogi who has
faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always
fulfilled, will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has
determined to follow.
27. A person who
perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and
controller. His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.
28. A yogi who has
purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the
process of meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can
therefore see the birth and death of himself and others.
29. Just as the
bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogi
whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed
in yoga science cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.
30. My devotee
becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are
decorated with Srivatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial
paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans.
31. A learned devotee
who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the
mystic perfections that I have described.
32. For a sage who
has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and
always absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be
difficult to achieve?
33. Learned experts
in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have
mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is
practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life
directly from Me.
34. Whatever mystic
perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can
all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the
actual perfection of yoga by any other means.
35. My dear Uddhava,
I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the
yoga system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of
learned Vedic teachers.
36. Just as the same
material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly,
I cannot be covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the
Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervading feature.
1. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Lord, You are beginningless and endless, the Absolute Truth Himself,
unlimited by anything else. You are the protector and life-giver, the
destruction and creation of all things that exist.
2. My dear Lord,
although it is difficult for the impious to understand that You are situated
in all superior and inferior creations, those brahmanas who are actual
knowers of the Vedic conclusion worship You in truth.
3. Please tell me of
the perfections that great sages achieve by worshiping You with devotion.
Also, kindly explain which of Your different forms they worship.
4. O my Lord,
maintainer of all, although You are the Supersoul of the living entities, You
remain hidden. Thus being bewildered by You, the living entities cannot see
You, although You are seeing them.
5. O supremely potent
Lord, please explain to me Your innumerable potencies, which You manifest on
the earth, in heaven, in hell and indeed in all directions. I offer my humble
obeisances at Your lotus feet, which are the shelter of all holy places.
6. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: O best of those who know how to inquire, on the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Arjuna, desiring to fight with his rivals, asked
Me the same question that you are now posing.
7. On the Battlefield
of Kuruksetra Arjuna thought that killing his relatives would be an
abominable, irreligious activity, motivated only by his desire to acquire a
kingdom. He therefore desisted from the battle, thinking, “I would be the
killer of my relatives. They would be destroyed.” Thus Arjuna was afflicted
with mundane consciousness.
8. At that time I
enlightened Arjuna, the tiger among men, with logical arguments, and thus in
the front of the battle Arjuna addressed Me with questions in the same way
that you are now inquiring.
9. My dear Uddhava, I
am the Supersoul of all living entities, and therefore I am naturally their
well-wisher and supreme controller. Being the creator, maintainer and
annihilator of all entities, I am not different from them.
10. I am the ultimate
goal of all those seeking progress, and I am time among those who exert
control. I am the equilibrium of the modes of material nature, and I am
natural virtue among the pious.
11. Among things
possessing qualities I am the primary manifestation of nature, and among
great things I am the total material creation. Among subtle things I am the
spirit soul, and of things that are difficult to conquer I am the mind.
12. Among the Vedas I
am their original teacher, Lord Brahma, and of all mantras I am the
three-lettered omkara. Among letters I am the first letter, ”a,” and among
sacred meters I am the Gayatri mantra.
13. Among the
demigods I am Indra, and among the Vasus I am Agni, the god of fire. I am
Visnu among the sons of Aditi, and among the Rudras I am Lord Siva.
14. Among saintly
brahmanas I am Bhrgu Muni, and I am Manu among saintly kings. I am Narada
Muni among saintly demigods, and I am Kamadhenu among cows.
15. I am Lord
Kapila among perfected beings and Garuda among birds. I am Daksa among the
progenitors of mankind, and I am Aryama among the forefathers.
16. My dear Uddhava,
among the demoniac sons of Diti know Me to be Prahlada Maharaja, the saintly
lord of the asuras. Among the stars and herbs I am their lord, Candra (the
moon), and among Yaksas and Raksasas I am the lord of wealth, Kuvera.
17. I am Airavata
among lordly elephants, and among aquatics I am Varuna, the lord of the seas.
Among all things that heat and illuminate I am the sun, and among human
beings I am the king.
18. Among horses I
am Uccaihsrava, and I am gold among metals. I am Yamaraja among those who
suppress and punish, and among serpents I am Vasuki.
19. O sinless
Uddhava, among the best of snakes I am Anantadeva, and among those animals
with sharp horns and teeth I am the lion. Among the social orders I am the
fourth, or the renounced order of life, and among the occupational divisions
I am the first, the brahmanas.
20. Among sacred and
flowing things I am the holy Ganges, and among steady bodies of water I am
the ocean. Among weapons I am the bow, and of the wielders of weapons I am
Lord Siva.
21. Among residences
I am Mount Sumeru, and of impervious places I am the Himalayas. Among trees I
am the holy fig tree, and among plants I am those that bear grains.
22. Among priests I
am Vasistha Muni, and among those highly situated in Vedic culture I am
Brhaspati. I am Kartikeya among great military leaders, and among those
advancing in superior ways of life I am the great personality Lord Brahma.
23. Among sacrifices
I am study of the Veda, and I am nonviolence among vows. Among all things
that purify I am the wind, fire, the sun, water and speech.
24. Among the eight
progressive states of yoga I am the final stage, samadhi, in which the soul is
completely separated from illusion. Among those desiring victory I am prudent
political counsel, and among processes of expert discrimination I am the
science of the soul, by which one distinguishes spirit from matter. Among all
speculative philosophers I am diversity of perception.
25. Among ladies I am
Satarupa, and among male personalities I am her husband, Svayambhuva Manu. I
am Narayana among the sages and Sanat-kumara among brahmacaris.
26. Among religious
principles I am renunciation, and of all types of security I am consciousness
of the eternal soul within. Of secrets I am pleasant speech and silence, and
among sexual pairs I am Brahma.
27. Among the
vigilant cycles of time I am the year, and among seasons I am spring. Among
months I am Margasirsa, and among lunar houses I am the auspicious Abhijit.
28. Among ages I am
the Satya-yuga, the age of truth, and among steady sages I am Devala and
Asita. Among those who have divided the Vedas I am Krsna Dvaipayana
Vedavyasa, and among learned scholars I am Sukracarya, the knower of
spiritual science.
29. Among those
entitled to the name Bhagavan I am Vasudeva, and indeed, you, Uddhava,
represent Me among the devotees. I am Hanuman among the Kimpurusas, and among
the Vidyadharas I am Sudarsana.
30. Among jewels I am
the ruby, and among beautiful things I am the lotus cup. Among all types of
grass I am the sacred kusa, and of oblations I am ghee and other ingredients
obtained from the cow.
31. Among the
enterprising I am fortune, and among the cheaters I am gambling. I am the
forgiveness of the tolerant and the good qualities of those in the mode of
goodness.
32. Of the powerful I
bodily and mental strength, and I am the devotional activities of My
devotees. My devotees worship Me in nine different forms, among which I am
the original and primary Vasudeva.
33. Among the
Gandharvas I am Visvavasu, and I am Purvacitti among the heavenly Apsaras. I
am the steadiness of mountains and the fragrant aroma of the earth.
34. I am the sweet
taste of water, and among brilliant things I am the sun. I am the effulgence
of the sun, moon and stars, and I am the transcendental sound that vibrates
in the sky.
35. Among those
dedicated to brahminical culture I am Bali Maharaja, the son of Virocana, and
I am Arjuna among heroes. Indeed, I am the creation, maintenance and
annihilation of all living entities.
36. I am the
functions of the five working senses—the legs, speech, anus, hands and sex
organs—as well as those of the five knowledge-acquiring senses—touch, sight,
taste, hearing and smell. I am also the potency by which each of the senses
experiences its particular sense object.
37. I am form, taste,
aroma, touch and sound; false ego; the mahat-tattva; earth, water, fire, air
and sky; the living entity; material nature; the modes of goodness, passion
and ignorance; and the transcendental Lord. All these items, along with
knowledge of their individual symptoms and the steady conviction that results
from this knowledge, represent Me.
38. As the Supreme
Lord I am the basis of the living entity, of the modes of nature and of the
mahat-tattva. Thus I am everything, and nothing whatsoever can exist without
Me.
39. Even though over
a period of time I might count all the atoms of the universe, I could not
count all of My opulences which I manifest within innumerable universes.
40. Whatever power,
beauty, fame, opulence, humility, renunciation, mental pleasure, fortune,
strength, tolerance or spiritual knowledge there may be is simply an
expansion of My opulence.
41. I have briefly
described to you all My spiritual opulences and also the extraordinary
material features of My creation, which are perceived by the mind and defined
in different ways according to circumstances.
42. Therefore,
control your speaking, subdue the mind, conquer the life air, regulate the
senses and through purified intelligence bring your rational faculties under
control. In this way you will never again fall onto the path of material
existence.
43. A
transcendentalist who does not completely control his words and mind by
superior intelligence will find that his spiritual vows, austerities and
charity flow away just as water flows out of an unbaked clay pot.
44. Being surrendered
to Me, one should control the speech, mind and life air, and then through
loving devotional intelligence one will completely fulfill the mission of
life.
1-2. Sri Uddhava
said: My dear Lord, previously You described the principles of devotional
service that are to be practiced by followers of the varnasrama system and
even ordinary, unregulated human beings. My dear lotus-eyed Lord, now please
explain to me how all human beings can achieve loving service unto You by the
execution of their prescribed duties.
3-4. My dear Lord, O
mighty-armed one, previously in Your form of Lord Hamsa You spoke to Lord
Brahma those religious principles that bring supreme happiness to the
practitioner. My dear Madhava, now much time has passed, and that which You
previously instructed will soon practically cease to exist, O subduer of the
enemy.
5-6. My dear Lord
Acyuta, there is no speaker, creator and protector of supreme religious
principles other than Your Lordship, either on the earth or even in the
assembly of Lord Brahma, where the personified Vedas reside. Thus, my dear
Lord Madhusudana, when You, who are the very creator, protector and speaker
of spiritual knowledge, abandon the earth, who will again speak this lost
knowledge?
7. Therefore, my
Lord, since You are the knower of all religious principles, please describe
to me the human beings who may execute the path of loving service to You and
how such service is to be rendered.
8. Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami said: Sri Uddhava, the best of devotees, thus inquired from the Lord.
Hearing his question, the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, was pleased and
for the welfare of all conditioned souls spoke those religious principles
that are eternal.
9. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, your question is faithful to
religious principles and thus gives rise to the highest perfection in life,
pure devotional service, for both ordinary human beings and the followers of
the varnasrama system. Now please learn from Me those supreme religious
principles.
10. In the beginning,
in Satya-yuga, there is only one social class, called hamsa, to which all
human beings belong. In that age all people are unalloyed devotees of the
Lord from birth, and thus learned scholars call this first age Krta-yuga, or
the age in which all religious duties are perfectly fulfilled.
11. In Satya-yuga
the undivided Veda is expressed by the syllable om, and I am the only object
of mental activities. I become manifest as the four-legged bull of religion,
and thus the inhabitants of Satya-yuga, fixed in austerity and free from all
sins, worship Me as Lord Hamsa.
12. O greatly
fortunate one, at the beginning of Treta-yuga Vedic knowledge appeared from
My heart, which is the abode of the air of life, in three divisions—as Rg,
Sama and Yajur. Then from that knowledge I appeared as threefold sacrifice.
13. In Treta-yuga the
four social orders were manifested from the universal form of the Personality
of Godhead. The brahmanas appeared from the Lord’s face, the ksatriyas from
the Lord’s arms, the vaisyas from the Lord’s thighs and the sudras from the
legs of that mighty form. Each social division was recognized by its
particular duties and behavior.
14. The married order
of life appeared from the loins of My universal form, and the celibate
students came from My heart. The forest-dwelling retired order of life
appeared from My chest, and the renounced order of life was situated within
the head of My universal form.
15. The various
occupational and social divisions of human society appeared according to
inferior and superior natures manifest in the situation of the individual’s
birth.
16. Peacefulness,
self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple
straightforwardness, devotion to Me, mercy and truthfulness are the natural
qualities of the brahmanas.
17. Dynamic power,
bodily strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity, great
endeavor, steadiness, devotion to the brahmanas and leadership are the
natural qualities of the ksatriyas.
18. Faith in Vedic
civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the
brahmanas and perpetually desiring to accumulate more money are the natural
qualities of the vaisyas.
19. Service without
duplicity to the brahmanas, cows, demigods and other worshipable
personalities, and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in
such service, are the natural qualities of sudras.
20. Dirtiness,
dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger and
hankering constitute the nature of those in the lowest position outside the vanasrama
system.
21. Nonviolence,
truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others and
freedom from lust, anger and greed constitute duties for all members of
society.
22. The twice-born
member of society achieves second birth through the sequence of purificatory
ceremonies culminating in Gayatri initiation. Being summoned by the spiritual
master, he should reside within the guru’s asrama and with a self-controlled
mind carefully study the Vedic literature.
23. The brahmacari
should regularly dress with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should
wear matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with akña beads
and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kusa grass in his hand, he should never
accept a luxurious or sensuous sitting place. He should not unnecessarily
polish his teeth, nor should he bleach and iron his clothes.
24. A brahmacari
should always remain silent while bathing, eating, attending sacrificial
performances, chanting japa or passing stool and urine. He should not cut his
nails and hair, including the armpit and pubic hair.
25. One observing the
vow of celibate brahmacari life should never pass semen. If the semen by
chance spills out by itself, the brahmacari should immediately take bath in
water, control his breath by pranayama and chant the Gayatri mantra.
26. Purified and
fixed in consciousness, the brahmacari should worship the fire-god, sun,
acarya, cows, brahmanas, guru, elderly respectable persons and demigods. He
should perform such worship at sunrise and sunset, without speaking but by
silently chanting or murmuring the appropriate mantras.
27. One should know
the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy
him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the
demigods.
28. In the morning
and evening one should collect foodstuffs and other articles and deliver them
to the spiritual master. Then, being self-controlled, one should accept for
oneself that which is allotted by the acarya.
29. While engaged in
serving the spiritual master one should remain as a humble servant, and thus
when the guru is walking the servant should humbly walk behind. When the guru
lies down to sleep, the servant should also lie down nearby, and when the
guru has awakened, the servant should sit near him, massaging his lotus feet
and rendering other, similar services. When the guru is sitting down on his
asana, the servant should stand nearby with folded hands, awaiting the guru’s
order. In this way one should always worship the spiritual master.
30. Until the student
has completed his Vedic education he should remain engaged in the asrama of
the spiritual master, should remain completely free of material sense
gratification and should not break his vow of celibacy [brahmacarya].
31. If the brahmacari
student desires to ascend to the Maharloka or Brahmaloka planets, then he
should completely surrender his activities to the spiritual master and,
observing the powerful vow of perpetual celibacy, dedicate himself to
superior Vedic studies.
32. Thus enlightened
in Vedic knowledge by service to the spiritual master, freed from all sins
and duality, one should worship Me as the Supersoul, as I appear within fire,
the spiritual master, one’s own self and all living entities.
33. Those who are not
married—sannyasis, vanaprasthas and brahmacaris—should never associate with
women by glancing, touching, conversing, joking or sporting. Neither should
they ever associate with any living entity engaged in sexual activities.
34-35. My dear
Uddhava, general cleanliness, washing the hands, bathing, performing
religious services at sunrise, noon and sunset, worshiping Me, visiting holy
places, chanting japa, avoiding that which is untouchable, uneatable or not
to be discussed, and remembering My existence within all living entities as
the Supersoul—these principles should be followed by all members of society
through regulation of the mind, words and body.
36. A brahmana
observing the great vow of celibacy becomes brilliant like fire and by
serious austerity burns to ashes the propensity to perform material
activities. Free from the contamination of material desire, he becomes My
devotee.
37. A brahmacari who
has completed his Vedic education and desires to enter household life should
offer proper remuneration to the spiritual master, bathe, cut his hair, put
on proper clothes, and so on. Then, taking permission from the guru, he
should go back to his home.
38. A brahmacari
desiring to fulfill his material desires should live at home with his family,
and a householder who is eager to purify his consciousness should enter the
forest, whereas a purified brahmana should accept the renounced order of
life. One who is not surrendered to Me should move progressively from one
asrama to another, never acting otherwise.
39. One who desires
to establish family life should marry a wife of his own caste, who is beyond
reproach and younger in age. If one desires to accept many wives he must
marry them after the first marriage, and each wife should be of a
successively lower caste.
40. All twice-born
men—brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas—must perform sacrifice, study the Vedic
literature and give charity. Only the brahmanas, however, accept charity,
teach the Vedic knowledge and perform sacrifice on behalf of others.
41. A brahmana who
considers that accepting charity from others will destroy his austerity,
spiritual influence and fame should maintain himself by the other two
brahminical occupations, namely teaching Vedic knowledge and performing
sacrifice. If the brahmana considers that those two occupations also
compromise his spiritual position, then he should collect rejected grains in
agricultural fields and live without any dependence on others.
42. The body of a
brahmana is not intended to enjoy insignificant material sense gratification;
rather, by accepting difficult austerities in his life, a brahmana will enjoy
unlimited happiness after death.
43. A brahmana
householder should remain satisfied in mind by gleaning rejected grains from
agricultural fields and marketplaces. Keeping himself free of personal
desire, he should practice magnanimous religious principles, with
consciousness absorbed in Me. In this way a brahmana may stay at home as a
householder without very much attachment and thus achieve liberation.
44. Just as a ship
rescues those who have fallen into the ocean, similarly, I very quickly
rescue from all calamities those persons who uplift brahmanas and devotees
suffering in a poverty-stricken condition.
45. Just as the chief
bull elephant protects all other elephants in his herd and defends himself as
well, similarly, a fearless king, just like a father, must save all of the
citizens from difficulty and also protect himself.
46. An earthly king
who protects himself and all citizens by removing all sins from his kingdom
will certainly enjoy with Lord Indra in airplanes as brilliant as the sun.
47. If a brahmana
cannot support himself through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he
may adopt the occupation of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition
by buying and selling material things. If he continues to suffer extreme
poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the occupation of a ksatriya,
taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog,
accepting an ordinary master.
48. A king or other
member of the royal order who cannot maintain himself by his normal
occupation may act as a vaisya, may live by hunting or may act as a brahmana
by teaching others Vedic knowledge. But he may not under any circumstances
adopt the profession of a sudra.
49. A vaisya, or
mercantile man, who cannot maintain himself may adopt the occupation of a
sudra, snd a sudra who cannot find a master can engage in simple activities
like making baskets and mats of straw. However, all members of society who
have adopted inferior occupations in emergency situations must give up those
substitute occupations when the difficulties have passed.
50. One in the
grhastha order of life should daily worship the sages by Vedic study, the
forefathers by offering the mantra svadha, the demigods by chanting svaha,
all living entities by offering shares of one’s meals, and human beings by
offering grains and water. Thus considering the demigods, sages, forefathers,
living entities and human beings to be manifestations of My potency, one
should daily perform these five sacrifices.
51. A householder
should comfortably maintain his dependents either with money that comes of
its own accord or with that gathered by honest execution of one’s duties.
According to one’s means, one should perform sacrifices and other religious
ceremonies.
52. A householder
taking care of many dependent family members should not become materially
attached to them, nor should he become mentally unbalanced, considering
himself to be the lord. An intelligent householder should see that all
possible future happiness, just like that which he has already experienced,
is temporary.
53. The association
of children, wife, relatives and friends is just like the brief meeting of
travelers. With each change of body one is separated from all such
associates, just as one loses the objects one possesses in a dream when the
dream is over.
54. Deeply
considering the actual situation, a liberated soul should live at home just
like a guest, without any sense of proprietorship or false ego. In this way
he will not be bound or entangled by domestic affairs.
55. A householder
devotee who worships Me by execution of his family duties may remain at home,
go to a holy place or, if he has a responsible son, take sannyasa.
56. But a householder
whose mind is attached to his home and who is thus disturbed by ardent
desires to enjoy his money and children, who is lusty after women, who is
possessed of a miserly mentality and who unintelligently thinks, ”Everything
is mine and I am everything,” is certainly bound in illusion.
57. ”O my poor
elderly parents, and my wife with a mere infant in her arms, and my other
young children! Without me they have absolutely no one to protect them and
will suffer unbearably. How can my poor relatives possibly live without me?”
58. Thus, because of
his foolish mentality, a householder whose heart is overwhelmed by family
attachment is never satisfied. Constantly meditating on his relatives, he
dies and enters into the darkness of ignorance.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: One who desires to adopt the third order of
life, vanaprastha, should enter the forest with a peaceful mind, leaving his
wife with his mature sons, or else taking her along with him.
2. Having adopted the
vanaprastha order of life, one should arrange one’s sustenance by eating
uncontaminated bulbs, roots and fruits that grow in the forest. One may dress
oneself with tree bark, grass, leaves or animal skins.
3. The vanaprastha
should not groom the hair on his head, body or face, should not manicure his
nails, should not pass stool and urine at irregular times and should not make
a special endeavor for dental hygiene. He should be content to take bath in
water three times daily and should sleep on the ground.
4. Thus engaged as a
vanaprastha, one should execute penance during the hottest summer days by
subjecting oneself to burning fires on four sides and the blazing sun
overhead; during the rainy season one should remain outside, subjecting
oneself to torrents of rain; and in the freezing winter one should remain
submerged in water up to one’s neck.
5. One may eat
foodstuffs prepared with fire, such as grains, or fruits ripened by time. One
may grind one’s food with mortar and stone or with one’s own teeth.
6. The vanaprastha
should personally collect whatever he requires for his bodily maintenance,
carefully considering the time, place and his own capacity. He should never
collect provisions for the future.
7. One who has
accepted the vanaprastha order of life should perform seasonal sacrifices by
offering oblations of caru and sacrificial cakes prepared from rice and other
grains found in the forest. The vanaprastha, however, may never offer animal
sacrifices to Me, even those sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas.
8. The vanaprastha
should perform the agnihotra, darsa and paurnamasa sacrifices, as he did
while in the grhastha-asrama. He should also perform the vows and sacrifices
of caturmasya, since all of these rituals are enjoined for the
vanaprastha-asrama by expert knowers of the Vedas.
9. The saintly
vanaprastha, practicing severe penances and accepting only the bare
necessities of life, becomes so emaciated that he appears to be mere skin and
bones. Thus worshiping Me through severe penances, he goes to the Maharloka
planet and then directly achieves Me.
10. One who with long
endeavor executes this painful but exalted penance, which awards ultimate
liberation, simply to achieve insignificant sense gratification must be considered
the greatest fool.
11. If the
vanaprastha is overtaken by old age and because of his trembling body is no
longer able to execute his prescribed duties, he should place the sacrificial
fire within his heart by meditation. Then, fixing his mind on Me, he should
enter into the fire and give up his body.
12. If the
vanaprastha, understanding that even promotion to Brahmaloka is a miserable
situation, develops complete detachment from all possible results of fruitive
activities, then he may take the sannyasa order of life.
13. Having worshiped
Me according to scriptural injunctions and having given all one’s property to
the sacrificial priest, one should place the fire sacrifice within oneself.
Thus, with the mind completely detached, one should enter the sannyasa order
of life.
14. ”This man taking
sannyasa is going to surpass us and go back home, back to Godhead.” Thus
thinking, the demigods create stumbling blocks on the path of the sannyasi by
appearing before him in the shape of his former wife or other women and
attractive objects. But the s sannyasi should pay the demigods and their
manifestations no heed.
15. If the sannyasi
desires to wear something besides a mere kaupina, he may use another cloth
around his waist and hips to cover the kaupina. Otherwise, if there is no
emergency, he should not accept anything besides his danda and waterpot.
16. A saintly person
should step or place his foot on the ground only after verifying with his
eyes that there are no living creatures, such as insects, who might be
injured by his foot. He should drink water only after filtering it through a
portion of his cloth, and he should speak only words that possess the purity
of truth. Similarly, he should perform only those activities his mind has
carefully ascertained to be pure.
17. One who has not
accepted the three internal disciplines of avoiding useless speech, avoiding
useless activities and controlling the life air can never be considered a
sannyasi merely because of his carrying bamboo rods.
18. Rejecting those
houses that are polluted and untouchable, one should approach without
previous calculation seven houses and be satisfied with that which is
obtained there by begging. According to necessity, one may approach each of
the four occupational orders of society.
19. Taking the food
gathered through begging, one should leave the populated areas and go to a
reservoir of water in a secluded place. There, having taken a bath and washed
one’s hands thoroughly, one should distribute portions of the food to others
who may request it. One should do this without speaking. Then, having
thoroughly cleansed the remnants, one should eat everything on one’s plate,
leaving nothing for future consumption.
20. Without any
material attachment, with senses fully controlled, remaining enthusiastic,
and satisfied in realization of the Supreme Lord and his own self, the
saintly person should travel about the earth alone. Having equal vision
everywhere, he should be steady on the spiritual platform.
21. Dwelling in a
safe and solitary place, his mind purified by constant thought of Me, the
sage should concentrate on the soul alone, realizing it to be nondifferent
from Me.
22. By steady
knowledge a sage should clearly ascertain the nature of the soul’s bondage
and liberation. Bondage occurs when the senses are deviated to sense
gratification, and complete control of the senses constitutes liberation.
23. Therefore,
completely controlling the five senses and the mind by Krsna consciousness, a
sage, having experienced spiritual bliss within the self, should live
detached from insignificant material sense gratification.
24. The sage should
travel in sanctified places, by flowing rivers and within the solitude of
mountains and forests. He should enter the cities, towns and pasturing grounds
and approach ordinary working men only to beg his bare sustenance.
25. One in the
vanaprastha order of life should always practice taking charity from others,
for one is thereby freed from illusion and quickly becomes perfect in
spiritual life. Indeed, one who subsists on food grains obtained in such a
humble manner purifies his existence.
26. One should never
see as ultimate reality those material things which obviously will perish.
With consciousness free from material attachment, one should retire from all
activities meant for material progress in this life and the next.
27. One should
logically consider the universe, which is situated within the Lord, and one’s
own material body, which is composed of mind, speech and life air, to be
ultimately products of the Lord’s illusory energy. Thus situated in the self,
one should give up one’s faith in these things and should never again make
them the object of one’s meditation.
28. A learned
transcendentalist dedicated to the cultivation of knowledge and thus detached
from external objects, or My devotee who is detached even from desire for
liberation—both neglect those duties based on external rituals or
paraphernalia. Thus their conduct is beyond the range of rules and
regulations.
29. Although most
wise, the paramahamsa should enjoy life like a child, oblivious to honor and
dishonor; although most expert, he should behave like a stunted, incompetent
person; although most learned, he should speak like an insane person; and
although a scholar learned in Vedic regulations, he should behave in an
unrestricted manner.
30. A devotee
should never engage in the fruitive rituals mentioned in the karma-kanda
section of the Vedas, nor should he become atheistic, acting or speaking in
opposition to Vedic injunctions. Similarly, he should never speak like a mere
logician or skeptic or take any side whatsoever in useless arguments.
31. A saintly person
should never let others frighten or disturb him and, similarly, should never
frighten or disturb other people. He should tolerate the insults of others
and should never himself belittle anyone. He should never create hostility
with anyone for the sake of the material body, for he would thus be no better
than an animal.
32. The one Supreme
Lord is situated within all material bodies and within everyone’s soul. Just
as the moon is reflected in innumerable reservoirs of water, the Supreme
Lord, although one, is present within everyone. Thus every material body is
ultimately composed of the energy of the one Supreme Lord.
33. If at times one
does not obtain proper food one should not be depressed, and when one obtains
sumptuous food one should not rejoice. Being fixed in determination, one
should understand both situations to be under the control of God.
34. If required, one
should endeavor to get sufficient foodstuffs, because it is always necessary
and proper to maintain one’s health. When the senses, mind and life air are
fit, one can contemplate spiritual truth, and by understanding the truth one
is liberated.
35. A sage should
accept the food, clothing and bedding—be they of excellent or inferior
quality—that come of their own accord.
36. Just as I, the
Supreme Lord, execute regulative duties by My own free will, similarly, one
who has realized knowledge of Me should maintain general cleanliness, purify
his hands with water, take bath and execute other regulative duties not by
force but by his own free will.
37. A realized soul
no longer sees anything as separate from Me, for his realized knowledge of Me
has destroyed such illusory perception. Since the material body and mind were
previously accustomed to this kind of perception, it may sometimes appear to
recur; but at the time of death the self-realized soul achieves opulences
equal to Mine.
38. One who is
detached from sense gratification, knowing its result to be miserable, and
who desires spiritual perfection, but who has not seriously analyzed the
process for obtaining Me, should approach a bona fide and learned spiritual
master.
39. Until a devotee
has clearly realized spiritual knowledge, he should continue with great faith
and respect and without envy to render personal service to the guru, who is
nondifferent from Me.
40-41. One who has
not controlled the six forms of illusion [lust, anger, greed, excitement,
false pride and intoxication], whose intelligence, the leader of the senses,
is extremely attached to material things, who is bereft of knowledge and
detachment, who adopts the sannyasa order of life to make a living, who
denies the worshipable demigods, his own self and the Supreme Lord within
himself, thus ruining all religious principles, and who is still infected by
material contamination, is deviated and lost both in this life and the next.
42. The main
religious duties of a sannyasi are equanimity and nonviolence, whereas for
the vanaprastha austerity and philosophical understanding of the difference
between the body and soul are prominent. The main duties of a householder are
to give shelter to all living entities and perform sacrifices, and the brahmacari
is mainly engaged in serving the spiritual master.
43. A householder may
approach his wife for sex only at the time prescribed for begetting children.
Otherwise, the householder should practice celibacy, austerity, cleanliness
of mind and body, satisfaction in his natural position, and friendship toward
all living entities. Worship of Me is to be practiced by all human beings,
regardless of social or occupational divisions.
44. One who worships
Me by his prescribed duty, having no other object of worship, and who remains
conscious of Me as present in all living entities, achieves unflinching
devotional service unto Me.
45. My dear Uddhava,
I am the Supreme Lord of all worlds, and I create and destroy this universe,
being its ultimate cause. I am thus the Absolute Truth, and one who worships
Me with unfailing devotional service comes to Me.
46. Thus, one who has
purified his existence by execution of his prescribed duties, who fully
understands My supreme position and who is endowed with scriptural and realized
knowledge, very soon achieves Me.
47. Those who are
followers of this varnasrama system accept religious principles according to
authorized traditions of proper conduct. When such varnasrama duties are
dedicated to Me in loving service, they award the supreme perfection of life.
48. My dear saintly
Uddhava, I have now described to you, just as you inquired, the means by
which My devotee, perfectly engaged in his prescribed duty, can come back to
Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: A self-realized person who has cultivated
scriptural knowledge up to the point of enlightenment and who is free from
impersonal speculation, understanding the material universe to be simply
illusion, should surrender unto Me both that knowledge and the means by which
he achieved it.
2. For learned,
self-realized philosophers I am the only object of worship, the desired goal
of life, the means for achieving that goal, and the settled conclusion of all
knowledge. Indeed, because I am the cause of their happiness and their
freedom from unhappiness, such learned souls have no effective purpose or
dear object in life except Me.
3. Those who have
achieved complete perfection through philosophical and realized knowledge
recognize My lotus feet to be the supreme transcendental object. Thus the
learned transcendentalist is most dear to Me, and by his perfect knowledge he
maintains Me in happiness.
4. That perfection
which is produced by a small fraction of spiritual knowledge cannot be
duplicated by performing austerities, visiting holy places, chanting silent
prayers, giving in charity or engaging in other pious activities.
5. Therefore, My dear
Uddhava, through knowledge you should understand your actual self. Then,
advancing by clear realization of Vedic knowledge, you should bworship Me in
the mood of loving devotion.
6. Formerly, great
sages, through the sacrifice of Vedic knowledge and spiritual enlightenment,
worshiped Me within themselves, knowing Me to be the Supreme Lord of all
sacrifice and the Supersoul in everyone’s heart. Thus coming to Me, these
sages achieved the supreme perfection.
7. My dear Uddhava,
the material body and mind, composed of the three modes of material nature,
attach themselves to you, but they are actually illusion, since they appear
only at the present, having no original or ultimate existence. How is it
possible, therefore, that the various stages of the body, namely birth,
growth, reproduction, maintenance, dwindling and death, can have any relation
to your eternal self? These phases relate only to the material body, which
previously did not exist and ultimately will not exist. The body exists
merely at the present moment.
8. Sri Uddhava said:
O Lord of the universe! O form of the universe! Please explain to me that
process of knowledge which automatically brings detachment and direct
perception of the truth, which is transcendental, and which is traditional
among great spiritual philosophers. This knowledge, sought by elevated
personalities, describes loving devotional service unto Your Lordship.
9. My dear Lord, for
one who is being tormented on the terrible path of birth and death and is
constantly overwhelmed by the threefold miseries, I do not see any possible
shelter other than Your two lotus feet, which are just like a refreshing
umbrella that pours down showers of delicious nectar.
10. O almighty Lord,
please be merciful and uplift this hopeless living entity who has fallen into
the dark hole of material existence, where the snake of time has bitten him.
In spite of such abominable conditions, this poor living entity has
tremendous desire to relish the most insignificant material happiness. Please
save me, my Lord, by pouring down the nectar of Your instructions, which
awaken one to spiritual freedom.
11. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, just as you are now inquiring
from Me, similarly, in the past King Yudhisthira, who considered no one his
enemy, inquired from the greatest of the upholders of religious principles,
Bhisma, while all of us were carefully listening.
12. When the great
Battle of Kuruksetra had ended, King Yudhisthira was overwhelmed by the death
of many beloved well-wishers, and thus, after listening to instructions about
many religious principles, he finally inquired about the path of liberation.
13. I will now
speak unto you those religious principles of Vedic knowledge, detachment,
self-realization, faith and devotional service that were heard directly from the
mouth of Bhismadeva.
14. I personally
approve of that knowledge by which one sees the combination of nine, eleven,
five and three elements in all living entities, and ultimately one element
within those twenty-eight.
15. When one no
longer sees the twenty-eight separated material elements, which arise from a
single cause, but rather sees the cause itself, the Personality of Godhead—at
that time one’s direct experience is called vijnana, or self-realization.
16. Commencement,
termination and maintenance are the stages of material causation. That which
consistently accompanies all these material phases from one creation to
another and remains alone when all material phases are annihilated is the one
eternal.
17. From the four
types of evidence—Vedic knowledge, direct experience, traditional wisdom and
logical induction—one can understand the temporary, insubstantial situation
of the material world, by which one becomes detached from the duality of this
world.
18. An intelligent
person should see that any material activity is subject to constant
transformation and that even on the planet of Lord Brahma there is thus
simply unhappiness. Indeed, a wise man can understand that just as all that
he has seen is temporary, similarly, all things within the universe have a
beginning and an end.
19. O sinless
Uddhava, because you love Me, I previously explained to you the process of
devotional service. Now I will again explain the supreme process for
achieving loving service unto Me.
20-24. Firm faith in
the blissful narration of My pastimes, constant chanting of My glories,
unwavering attachment to ceremonial worship of Me, praising Me through
beautiful hymns, great respect for My devotional service, offering obeisances
with the entire body, performing first-class worship of My devotees,
consciousness of Me in all living entities, offering of ordinary, bodily
activities in My devotional service, use of words to describe My qualities,
offering the mind to Me, rejection of all material desires, giving up wealth
for My devotional service, renouncing material sense gratification and
happiness, and performing all desirable activities such as charity,
sacrifice, chanting, vows and austerities with the purpose of achieving
Me—these constitute actual religious principles, by which those human beings
who have actually surrendered themselves to Me automatically develop love for
Me. What other purpose or goal could remain for My devotee?
25. When one’s
peaceful consciousness, strengthened by the mode of goodness, is fixed on the
Personality of Godhead, one achieves religiosity, knowledge, detachment and
opulence.
26. When
consciousness is fixed on the material body, home and other, similar objects
of sense gratification, one spends one’s life chasing after material objects
with the help of the senses. Consciousness, thus powerfully affected by the
mode of passion, becomes dedicated to impermanent things, and in this way
irreligion, ignorance, attachment and wretchedness arise.
27. Actual
religious principles are stated to be those that lead one to My devotional
service. Real knowledge is the awareness that reveals My all-pervading
presence. Detachment is complete disinterest in the objects of material sense
gratification, and opulence is the eight mystic perfection, such as
anima-siddhi.
28-32. Sri Uddhava
said: My dear Lord Krsna, O chastiser of the enemies, please tell me how many
types of disciplinary regulations and regular daily duties there are. Also,
my Lord, tell me what is mental equilibrium, what is self-control, and what
is the actual meaning of tolerance and steadfastness. What are charity,
austerity and heroism, and how are reality and truth to he described? What is
renunciation, and what is wealth? What is desirable, what is sacrifice, and
what is religious remuneration? My dear Kesava, O most fortunate one, how am
I to understand the strength, opulence and profit of a particular person?
What is the best education, what is actual humility, and what is real beauty?
What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is learned, and who is a fool? What
are the true and the false paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who
is indeed a true friend, and what is one’s real home? Who is a rich man, and
who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual controller? O Lord
of the devotees, kindly explain these matters to me, along with their
opposites.
33-35. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Nonviolence, truthfulness, not coveting or
stealing the property of others, detachment, humility, freedom from
possessiveness, trust in the principles of religion, celibacy, silence,
steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness are the twelve primary disciplinary
principles. Internal cleanliness, external cleanliness, chanting the holy
names of the Lord, austerity, sacrifice, faith, hospitality, worship of Me,
visiting holy places, acting and desiring only for the supreme interest,
satisfaction, and service to the spiritual master are the twelve elements of
regular prescribed duties. These twenty-four elements bestow all desired
benedictions upon those persons who devotedly cultivate them.
36-39. Absorbing the
intelligence in Me constitutes mental equilibrium, and complete discipline of
the senses is self-control. Tolerance means patiently enduring unhappiness,
and steadfastness occurs when one conquers the tongue and genitals. The
greatest charity is to give up all aggression toward others, and renunciation
of lust is understood to be real austerity. Real heroism is to conquer one’s
natural tendency to enjoy material life, and reality is seeing the Supreme
Personality of Godhead everywhere. Truthfulness means to speak the truth in a
pleasing way, as declared by great sages. Cleanliness is detachment in
fruitive activities, whereas renunciation is the sannyasa order of life. The
true desirable wealth for human beings is religiousness, and I, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, am sacrifice. Religious remuneration is devotion to
the acarya with the purpose of acquiring spiritual instruction, and the
greatest strength is the pranayama system of breath control.
40-45. Actual
opulence is My own nature as the Personality of Godhead, through which I
exhibit the six unlimited opulences. The supreme gain in life is devotional
service to Me, and actual education is nullifying the false perception of
duality within the soul. Real modesty is to be disgusted with improper
activities, and beauty is to possess good qualities such as detachment. Real
happiness is to transcend material happiness and unhappiness, and real misery
is to be implicated in searching for sex pleasure. A wise man is one who
knows the process of freedom from bondage, and a fool is one who identifies
with his material body and mind. The real path in life is that which leads to
Me, and the wrong path is sense gratification, by which consciousness is
bewildered. Actual heaven is the predominance of the mode of goodness,
whereas hell is the predominance of ignorance. I am everyone’s true friend,
acting as the spiritual master of the entire universe, and one’s home is the
human body. My dear friend Uddhava, one who is enriched with good qualities
is actually said to be rich, and one who is unsatisfied in life is actually
poor. A wretched person is one who cannot control his senses, whereas one who
is not attached to sense gratification is a real controller. One who attaches
himself to sense gratification is the opposite, a slave. Thus, Uddhava, I
have elucidated all of the matters about which you inquired. There is no need
for a more elaborate description of these good and bad qualities, since to
constantly see good and bad is itself a bad quality. The best quality is to
transcend material good and evil.
1. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear lotus-eyed Krsna, You are the Supreme Lord, and thus the Vedic
literatures, consisting of positive and negative injunctions, constitute Your
order. Such literatures focus upon the good and bad qualities of work.
2. According to
Vedic literature, the superior and inferior varieties found in the human
social system, varnasrama, are due to pious and sinful modes of family
planning. Thus piety and sin are constant points of reference in the Vedic
analysis of the components of a given situation—namely the material
ingredients, place, age and time. Indeed, the Vedas reveal the existence of
material heaven and hell, which are certainly based on piety and sin.
3. Without seeing the
difference between piety and sin, how can one understand Your own
instructions in the form of Vedic literatures, which order one to act piously
and forbid one to act sinfully? Furthermore, without such authorized Vedic
literatures, which ultimately award liberation, how can human beings achieve
the perfection of life?
4. My dear Lord, in
order to understand those things beyond direct experience—such as spiritual
liberation or attainment of heaven and other material enjoyments beyond our
present capacity—and in general to understand the means and end of all
things, the forefathers, demigods and human beings must consult the Vedic
literatures, which are Your own laws, for these constitute the highest
evidence and revelation.
5. My dear Lord, the
distinction observed between piety and sin comes from Your own Vedic
knowledge and does not arise by itself. If the same Vedic literature subsequently
nullifies such distinction between piety and sin, there will certainly be
confusion.
6. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, because I desire that human
beings may achieve perfection, I have presented three paths of advancement—the
path of knowledge, the path of work and the path of devotion. Besides these
three there is absolutely no other means of elevation.
7. Among these
three paths, jnana-yoga, the path of philosophical speculation, is
recommended for those who are disgusted with material life and are thus
detached from ordinary, fruitive activities. Those who are not disgusted with
material life, having many desires yet to fulfill, should seek perfection
through the path of karma-yoga.
8. If somehow or
other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories,
such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material
life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.
9. As long as one
is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for
devotional service by sravanam kirtanam visnoh one has to act according to
the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.
10. My dear Uddhava,
a person who is situated in his prescribed duty, properly worshiping by Vedic
sacrifices but not desiring the fruitive result of such worship, will not go
to the heavenly planets; similarly, by not performing forbidden activities he
will not go to hell.
11. One who is
situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and cleansed of
material contamination, in this very life obtains transcendental knowledge
or, by fortune, devotional service unto Me.
12. The residents of
both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human
life facilitates the achievement of transcendental knowledge and love of
Godhead, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies efficiently provide such
opportunities.
13. A human being who
is wise should never desire promotion to heavenly planets or residence in
hell. Indeed, a human being should also never desire permanent residence on
the earth, for by such absorption in the material body one becomes foolishly
negligent of one’s actual self-interest.
14. A wise person,
knowing that although the material body is subject to death it can still
award the perfection of one’s life, should not foolishly neglect to take
advantage of this opportunity before death arrives.
15. Without
attachment, a bird gives up the tree in which his nest was constructed when
that tree is cut down by cruel men who are like death personified, and thus
the bird achieves happiness in another place.
16. Knowing that
one’s duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and
nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material
attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect
peace.
17. The human body,
which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of
nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be
compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the
captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds
impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being
who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence
must be considered the killer of his own soul.
18. A
transcendentalist, having become disgusted and hopeless in all endeavors for
material happiness, completely controls the senses and develops detachment.
By spiritual practice he should then fix the mind on the spiritual platform
without deviation.
19. Whenever the
mind, being concentrated on the spiritual platform, is suddenly deviated from
its spiritual position, one should carefully bring it under the control of
the self by following the prescribed means.
20. One should never
lose sight of the actual goal of mental activities, but rather, conquering
the life air and senses and utilizing intelligence strengthened by the mode
of goodness, one should bring the mind under the control of the self.
21. An expert horseman, desiring to tame a
headstrong horse, first lets the horse have his way for a moment and then,
pulling the reins, gradually places the horse on the desired path. Similarly,
the supreme yoga process is that by which one carefully observes the
movements and desires of the mind and gradually brings them under full
control.
22. Until one’s mind
is fixed in spiritual satisfaction, one should analytically study the
temporary nature of all material objects, whether cosmic, earthly or atomic.
One should constantly observe the process of creation through the natural
progressive function and the process of annihilation through the regressive
function.
23. When a person is
disgusted with the temporary, illusory nature of this world and is thus
detached from it, his mind, guided by the instructions of his spiritual
master, considers again and again the nature of this world and eventually
gives up the false identification with matter.
24. Through the
various disciplinary regulations and the purificatory procedures of the yoga
system, through logic and spiritual education or through worship and
adoration of Me, one should constantly engage his mind in remembering the
Personality of Godhead, the goal of yoga. No other means should be employed
for this purpose.
25. If, because of
momentary inattention, a yogi accidentally commits an abominable activity,
then by the very practice of yoga he should burn to ashes the sinful
reaction, without at any time employing any other procedure.
26. It is firmly declared that the steady adherence of
transcendentalists to their respective spiritual positions constitutes real
piety and that sin occurs when a transcendentalist neglects his prescribed
duty. One who adopts this standard of piety and sin, sincerely desiring to
give up all past association with sense gratification, is able to subdue
materialistic activities, which are by nature impure.
27-28. Having
awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all
material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery,
but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should
remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he
is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense
gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such
activities.
29. When an
intelligent person engages constantly in worshiping Me through loving
devotional service as described by Me, his heart becomes firmly situated in
Me. Thus all material desires within the heart are destroyed.
30. The knot in the
heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces and the chain of fruitive
actions is terminated when I am seen as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
31. Therefore, for a
devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation
of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the
highest perfection within this world.
32-33. Everything
that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment,
mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life
is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow
or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in
My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions.
34. Because My
devotees possess saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely
dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even
if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it.
35. It is said that
complete detachment is the highest stage of freedom. Therefore, one who has
no personal desire and does not pursue personal rewards can achieve loving
devotional service unto Me.
36. Material piety
and sin, which arise from the good and evil of this world, cannot exist
within My unalloyed devotees, who, being free from material hankering,
maintain steady spiritual consciousness in all circumstances. Indeed, such devotees
have achieved Me, the Supreme Lord, who am beyond anything that can be
conceived by material intelligence.
37. Persons who
seriously follow these methods of achieving Me, which I have personally
taught, attain freedom from illusion, and upon reaching My personal abode
they perfectly understand the Absolute Truth.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Those who give up these methods for achieving
Me, which consist of devotional service, analytic philosophy and regulated
execution of prescribed duties, and instead, being moved by the material
senses, cultivate insignificant sense gratification, certainly undergo the
continual cycle of material existence.
2. Steadiness in
one’s own position is declared to be actual piety, whereas deviation from
one’s position is considered impiety. In this way the two are definitely
ascertained.
3. O sinless Uddhava,
in order to understand what is proper in life one must evaluate a given
object within its particular category. Thus, in analyzing religious
principles one must consider purity and impurity. Similarly, in one’s
ordinary dealings one must distinguish between good and bad, and to insure
one’s physical survival one must recognize that which is auspicious and
inauspicious.
4. I have revealed
this way of life for those bearing the burden of mundane religious
principles.
5. Earth, water,
fire, air and ether are the five basic elements that constitute the bodies of
all conditioned souls, from Lord Brahma himself down to the nonmoving
creatures. These elements all emanate from the one Personality of Godhead.
6. My dear Uddhava,
although all material bodies are composed of the same five elements and are
thus equal, the Vedic literatures conceive of different names and forms in
relation to such bodies so that the living entities may achieve their goal of
life.
7. O saintly Uddhava,
in order to restrict materialistic activities, I have established that which
is proper and improper among all material things, including time, space and
all physical objects.
8. Among places,
those bereft of the spotted antelope, those devoid of devotion to the
brahmanas, those possessing spotted antelopes but bereft of respectable men,
provinces like Kikata and places where cleanliness and purificatory rites are
neglected, where meat-eaters are prominent or where the earth is barren, are
all considered to be contaminated lands.
9. A specific time is
considered pure when it is appropriate, either by its own nature or through achievement
of suitable paraphernalia, for the performance of one’s prescribed duty. That
time which impedes the performance of one’s duty is considered impure.
10. An object’s
purity or impurity is established by application of another object, by words,
by rituals, by the effects of time or according to relative magnitude.
11. Impure things may
or may not impose sinful reactions upon a person, depending on that person’s
strength or weakness, intelligence, wealth, location and physical condition.
12. Various objects
such as grains, wooden utensils, things made of bone, thread, liquids,
objects derived from fire, skins and earthy objects are all purified by time,
by the wind, by fire, by earth and by water, either separately or in
combination.
13. A particular
purifying agent is considered appropriate when its application removes the
bad odor or dirty covering of some contaminated object and makes it resume
its original nature.
14. The self can be
cleansed by bathing, charity, austerity, age, personal strength, purificatory
rituals, prescribed duties and, above all, by remembrance of Me. The brahmana
and other twice-born men should be duly purified before performing their
specific activities.
15. A mantra is
purified when chanted with proper knowledge, and one’s work is purified when
offered to Me. Thus by purification of the place, time, substance, doer,
mantras and work, one becomes religious, and by negligence of these six items
one is considered irreligious.
16. Sometimes piety
becomes sin, and sometimes what is ordinarily sin becomes piety on the
strength of Vedic injunctions. Such special rules in effect eradicate the
clear distinction between piety and sin.
17. The same
activities that would degrade an elevated person do not cause falldown for
those who are already fallen. Indeed, one who is lying on the ground cannot
possibly fall further. The material association that is dictated by one’s own
nature is considered a good quality.
18. By refraining
from a particular sinful or materialistic activity, one becomes freed from
its bondage. Such renunciation is the basis of religious and auspicious life
for human beings and drives away all suffering, illusion and fear.
19. One who accepts
material sense objects as desirable certainly becomes attached to them. From
such attachment lust arises, and this lust creates quarrel among men.
20. From quarrel
arises intolerable anger, followed by the darkness of ignorance. This
ignorance quickly overtakes a man’s broad intelligence.
21. O saintly
Uddhava, a person bereft of real intelligence is considered to have lost
everything. Deviated from the actual purpose of his life, he becomes dull,
just like a dead person.
22. Because of
absorption in sense gratification, one cannot recognize himself or others.
Living uselessly in ignorance like a tree, one is merely breathing just like
a bellows.
23. Those statements
of scripture promising fruitive rewards do not prescribe the ultimate good
for men hut are merely enticements for executing beneficial religious duties,
like promises of candy spoken to induce a child to take beneficial medicine.
24. Simply by
material birth, human beings become attached within their minds to personal
sense gratification, long duration of life, sense activities, bodily
strength, sexual potency and friends and family. Their minds are thus
absorbed in that which defeats their actual self-interest.
25. Those ignorant of
their real self-interest are wandering on the path of material existence,
gradually heading toward darkness. Why would the Vedas further encourage them
in sense gratification if they, although foolish, submissively pay heed to
Vedic injunctions?
26. Persons with
perverted intelligence do not understand this actual purpose of Vedic
knowledge and instead propagate as the highest Vedic truth the flowery
statements of the Vedas that promise material rewards. Those in actual
knowledge of the Vedas never speak in that way.
27. Those who are
full of lust, avarice and greed mistake mere flowers to be the actual fruit
of life. Bewildered by the glare of fire and suffocated by its smoke, they
cannot recognize their own true identity.
28. My dear Uddhava,
persons dedicated to sense gratification obtained through honoring the Vedic
rituals cannot understand that I am situated in everyone’s heart and that the
entire universe is nondifferent from Me and emanates from Me. Indeed, they
are just like persons whose eyes are covered by fog.
29-30. Those who are
sworn to sense gratification cannot understand the confidential conclusion of
Vedic knowledge as explained by Me. Taking pleasure in violence, they cruelly
slaughter innocent animals in sacrifice for their own sense gratification and
thus worship demigods, forefathers and leaders among ghostly creatures. Such
passion for violence, however, is never encouraged within the process of
Vedic sacrifice.
31. Just as a foolish
businessman gives up his real wealth in useless business speculation, foolish
persons give up all that is actually valuable in life and instead pursue
promotion to material heaven, which although pleasing to hear about is
actually unreal, like a dream. Such bewildered persons imagine within their
hearts that they will achieve all material blessings.
32. Those established
in material passion, goodness and ignorance worship the particular demigods and
other deities, headed by Indra, who manifest the same modes of passion,
goodness or ignorance. They fail, however, to properly worship Me.
33-34. The worshipers
of demigods think, “We shall worship the demigods in this life, and by our
sacrifices we shall go to heaven and enjoy there. When that enjoyment is
finished we shall return to this world and take birth as great householders
in aristocratic families.” Being excessively proud and greedy, such persons
are bewildered by the flowery words of the Vedas. They are not attracted to
topics about Me, the Supreme Lord.
35. The Vedas,
divided into three divisions, ultimately reveal the living entity as pure
spirit soul. The Vedic seers and mantras, however, deal in esoteric terms,
and I also am pleased by such confidential descriptions.
36. The
transcendental sound of the Vedas is very difficult to comprehend and
manifests on different levels within the prana, senses and mind. This Vedic
sound is unlimited, very deep and unfathomable, just like the ocean.
37. As the unlimited,
unchanging and omnipotent Personality of Godhead dwelling within all living
beings, I personally establish the Vedic sound vibration in the form of
omkara within all living entities. It is thus perceived subtly, just like a
single strand of fiber on a lotus stalk.
38-40. Just as a
spider brings forth from its heart its web and emits it through its mouth,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself as the reverberating
primeval vital air, comprising all sacred Vedic meters and full of
transcendental pleasure. Thus the Lord, from the ethereal sky of His heart,
creates the great and limitless Vedic sound by the agency of His mind, which
conceives of variegated sounds such as the sparsas. The Vedic sound branches
out in thousands of directions, adorned with the different letters expanded
from the syllable om: the consonants, vowels, sibilants and semivowels. The
Veda is then elaborated by many verbal varieties, expressed in different
meters, each having four more syllables than the previous one. Ultimately the
Lord again withdraws His manifestation of Vedic sound within Himself.
41. The Vedic
meters are Gayatri, Usnik, Anustup, Brhati, Pankti, Tristup, Jagati,
Aticchanda, Atyasti, Atijagati and Ativirat.
42. In the entire
world no one but Me actually understands the confidential purpose of Vedic
knowledge. Thus people do not know what the Vedas are actually prescribing in
the ritualistic injunctions of karma-kanda, or what object is actually being
indicated in the formulas of worship found in the upasana-kanda, or that
which is elaborately discussed through various hypotheses in the jnana-kanda
section of the Vedas.
43. I am the
ritualistic sacrifice enjoined by the Vedas, and I am the worshipable Deity.
It is I who am presented as various philosophical hypotheses, and it is I
alone who am then refuted by philosophical analysis. The transcendental sound
vibration thus establishes Me as the essential meaning of all Vedic
knowledge. The Vedas, elaborately analyzing all material duality as nothing
but My illusory potency, ultimately completely negate this duality and
achieve their own satisfaction.
1-3. Uddhava
inquired: My dear Lord, O master of the universe, how many different elements
of creation have been enumerated by the great sages? I have heard You
personally describe a total of twenty-eight—God, the jiva soul, the
mahat-tattva, false ego, the five gross elements, the ten senses, the mind,
the five subtle objects of perception and the three modes of nature. But some
authorities say that there are twenty-six elements, while others cite
twenty-five or else seven, nine, six, four or eleven, and even others say
that there are seventeen, sixteen or thirteen. What did each of these sages
have in mind when he calculated the creative elements in such different ways?
O supreme eternal, kindly explain this to me.
4. Lord Krsna
replied: Because all material elements are present everywhere, it is
reasonable that different learned brahmanas have analyzed them in different
ways. All such philosophers spoke under the shelter of My mystic potency, and
thus they could say anything without contradicting the truth.
5. When philosophers
argue, “I don’t choose to analyze this particular case in the same way that
you have,” it is simply My own insurmountable energies that are motivating
their analytic disagreements.
6. By interaction of
My energies different opinions arise. But for those who have fixed their
intelligence on Me and controlled their senses, differences of perception
disappear, and consequently the very cause for argument is removed.
7. O best among men,
because subtle and gross elements mutually enter into one another,
philosophers may calculate the number of basic material elements in different
ways, according to their personal desire.
8. All subtle
material elements are actually present within their gross effects; similarly,
all gross elements are present within their subtle causes, since material
creation takes place by progressive manifestation of elements from subtle to
gross. Thus we can find all material elements within any single element.
9. Therefore, no
matter which of these thinkers is speaking, and regardless of whether in
their calculations they include material elements within their previous
subtle causes or else within their subsequent manifest products, I accept
their conclusions as authoritative, because a logical explanation can always
be given for each of the different theories.
10. Because a person
who has been covered by ignorance since time immemorial is not capable of
effecting his own self-realization, there must be some other personality who
is in factual knowledge of the Absolute Truth and can impart this knowledge
to him.
11. According to
knowledge in the material mode of goodness, there is no qualitative
difference between the living entity and the supreme controller. The
imagination of qualitative difference between them is useless speculation.
12. Nature exists
originally as the equilibrium of the three material modes, which pertain only
to nature, not to the transcendental spirit soul. These modes—goodness,
passion and ignorance—are the effective causes of the creation, maintenance
and destruction of this universe.
13. In this world the
mode of goodness is recognized as knowledge, the mode of passion as fruitive
work, and the mode of darkness as ignorance. Time is perceived as the
agitated interaction of the material modes, and the totality of functional
propensity is embodied by the primeval sutra, or mahat-tattva.
14. I have described
the nine basic elements as the enjoying soul, nature, nature’s primeval
manifestation of the mahat-tattva, false ego, ether, air, fire, water and
earth.
15. Hearing, touch,
sight, smell and taste are the five knowledge acquiring senses, My dear
Uddhava, and speech, the hands, the genitals, the anus and the legs
constitute the five working senses. The mind belongs to both these
categories.
16. Sound, touch,
taste, smell and form are the objects of the knowledge-acquiring senses, and
movement, speech, excretion and manufacture are functions of the working
senses.
17. In the beginning
of creation nature assumes, by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance,
its form as the embodiment of all subtle causes and gross manifestations
within the universe. The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not enter the
interaction of material manifestation but merely glances upon nature.
18. As the material
elements, headed by the mahat-tattva, are transformed, they receive their
specific potencies from the glance of the Supreme Lord, and being amalgamated
by the power of nature, they create the universal egg.
19. According to some
philosophers there are seven elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and
ether, along with the conscious spirit soul and the Supreme Soul, who is the
basis of both the material elements and the ordinary spirit soul. According
to this theory, the body, senses, life air and all material phenomena are
produced from these seven elements.
20. Other
philosophers state that there are six elements—the five physical elements
(earth, water, fire, air and ether) and the sixth element, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. That Supreme Lord, endowed with the elements that He
has brought forth from Himself, creates this universe and then personally
enters within it.
21. Some philosophers
propose the existence of four basic elements, of which three—fire, water and
earth—emanate from the fourth, the Self. Once existing, these elements
produce the cosmic manifestation, in which all material creation takes place.
22. Some calculate
the existence of seventeen basic elements, namely the five gross elements,
the five objects of perception, the five sensory organs, the mind, and the
soul as the seventeenth element.
23. According to the
calculation of sixteen elements, the only difference from the previous theory
is that the soul is identified with the mind. If we think in terms of five
physical elements, five senses, the mind, the individual soul and the Supreme
Lord, there are thirteen elements.
24. Counting eleven,
there are the soul, the gross elements and the senses. Eight gross and subtle
elements plus the Supreme Lord would make nine.
25. Thus great
philosophers have analyzed the material elements in many different ways. All
of their proposals are reasonable, since they are all presented with ample
logic. Indeed, such philosophical brilliance is expected of the truly
learned.
26. Sri Uddhava
inquired: Although nature and the living entity are constitutionally
distinct, O Lord Krsna, there appears to be no difference between them,
because they are found residing within one another. Thus the soul appears to
be within nature and nature within the soul.
27. O lotus-eyed
Krsna, O omniscient Lord, kindly cut this great doubt out of my heart with
Your own words, which exhibit Your great skill in reasoning.
28. From You alone
the knowledge of the living beings arises, and by Your potency that knowledge
is stolen away. Indeed, no one but Yourself can understand the real nature of
Your illusory potency.
29. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: O best among men, material nature and its
enjoyer are clearly distinct. This manifest creation undergoes constant
transformation, being founded upon the agitation of the modes of nature.
30. My dear Uddhava,
My material energy, comprising three modes and acting through them, manifests
the varieties of creation along with varieties of consciousness for
perceiving them. The manifest result of material transformation is understood
in three aspects: adhyatmic, adhidaivic and adhibhautic.
31. Sight, visible
form and the reflected image of the sun within the aperture of the eye all
work together to reveal one another. But the original sun standing in the sky
is self-manifested. Similarly, the Supreme Soul, the original cause of all
entities, who is thus separate from all of them, acts by the illumination of
His own transcendental experience as the ultimate source of manifestation of
all mutually manifesting objects.
32. Similarly, the
sense organs, namely the skin, ears, eyes, tongue and nose—as well as the
functions of the subtle body, namely conditioned consciousness, mind,
intelligence and false ego—can all be analyzed in terms of the threefold
distinction of sense, object of perception and presiding deity.
33. When the three
modes of nature are agitated, the resultant transformation appears as the
element false ego in three phases—goodness, passion and ignorance. Generated
from the mahat-tattva, which is itself produced from the unmanifest pradhana,
this false ego becomes the cause of all material illusion and duality.
34. The speculative
argument of philosophers—“This world is real,” “No, it is not real”—is based
upon incomplete knowledge of the Supreme Soul and is simply aimed at
understanding material dualities. Although such argument is useless, persons
who have turned their attention away from Me, their own true Self, are unable
to give it up.
35-36. Sri Uddhava
said: O supreme master, the intelligence of those dedicated to fruitive
activities is certainly deviated from You. Please explain to me how such
persons accept superior and inferior bodies by their materialistic activities
and then give up such bodies. O Govinda, this topic is very difficult for
foolish persons to understand. Being cheated by illusion in this world, they
generally do not become aware of these facts.
37. Lord Krsna said:
The material mind of men is shaped by the reactions of fruitive work. Along
with the five senses, it travels from one material body to another. The
spirit soul, although different from this mind, follows it.
38. The mind, bound
to the reactions of fruitive work, always meditates on the objects of the
senses, both those that are seen in this world and those that are heard about
from Vedic authority. Consequently, the mind appears to come into being and
to suffer annihilation along with its objects of perception, and thus its
ability to distinguish past and future is lost.
39. When the living
entity passes from the present body to the next body, which is created by his
own karma, he becomes absorbed in the pleasurable and painful sensations of
the new body and completely forgets the experience of the previous body. This
total forgetfulness of one’s previous material identity, which comes about
for one reason or another, is called death.
40. O most charitable
Uddhava, what is called birth is simply a person’s total identification with
a new body. One accepts the new body just as one completely accepts the
experience of a dream or a fantasy as reality.
41. Just as a person
experiencing a dream or daydream does not remember his previous dreams or
daydreams, a person situated in his present body, although having existed
prior to it, thinks that he has only recently come into being.
42. Because the mind,
which is the resting place of the senses, has created the identification with
a new body, the threefold material variety of high, middle and low class
appears as if present within the reality of the soul. Thus the self creates
external and internal duality, just as a man might give birth to a bad son.
43. My dear Uddhava,
material bodies are constantly undergoing creation and destruction by the
force of time, whose swiftness is imperceptible. But because of the subtle
nature of time, no one sees this.
44. The different
stages of transformation of all material bodies occur just like those of the
flame of a candle, the current of a river, or the fruits of a tree.
45. Although the
illumination of a lamp consists of innumerable rays of light undergoing
constant creation, transformation and destruction, a person with illusory
intelligence who sees the light for a moment will speak falsely, saying,
“This is the light of the lamp.” As one observes a flowing river, ever-new
water passes by and goes far away, yet a foolish person, observing one point
in the river, falsely states, “This is the water of the river.” Similarly,
although the material body of a human being is constantly undergoing
transformation, those who are simply wasting their lives falsely think and
say that each particular stage of the body is the person’s real identity
46. A person does not
actually take birth out of the seed of past activities, nor, being immortal,
does he die. By illusion the living being appears to be born and to die, just
as fire in connection with firewood appears to begin and then cease to exist.
47. Impregnation,
gestation, birth, infancy, childhood, youth, middle age, old age and death
are the nine ages of the body.
48. Although the
material body is different from the self, because of the ignorance due to
material association one falsely identifies oneself with the superior and
inferior bodily conditions. Sometimes a fortunate person is able to give up
such mental concoction.
49. By the death of
one’s father or grandfather one can surmise one’s own death, and by the birth
of one’s son one can understand the condition of one’s own birth. A person
who thus realistically understands the creation and destruction of material
bodies is no longer subject to these dualities.
50. One who observes
the birth of a tree from its seed and the ultimate death of the tree after
maturity certainly remains a distinct observer separate from the tree. In the
same way, the witness of the birth and death of the material body remains
separate from it.
51. An unintelligent
man, failing to distinguish himself from material nature, thinks nature to be
real. By contact with it he becomes completely bewildered and enters into the
cycle of material existence.
52. Made to wander
because of his fruitive work, the conditioned soul, by contact with the mode
of goodness, takes birth among the sages or demigods. By contact with the
mode of passion he becomes a demon or human being, and by association with
the mode of ignorance he takes birth as a ghost or in the animal kingdom.
53. Just as one may
imitate persons whom one sees dancing and singing, similarly the soul,
although never the doer of material activities, becomes captivated by
material intelligence and is thus forced to imitate its qualities.
54-55. The soul’s
material life, his experience of sense gratification, is actually false, O
descendant of Dasarha, just like trees’ appearance of quivering when the
trees are reflected in agitated water, or like the earth’s appearance of
spinning due to one’s spinning his eyes around, or like the world of a
fantasy or dream.
56. For one who is
meditating on sense gratification, material life, although lacking factual
existence, does not go away, just as the unpleasant experiences of a dream do
not.
57. Therefore, O
Uddhava, do not try to enjoy sense gratification with the material senses.
See how illusion based on material dualities prevents one from realizing the
self.
58-59. Even though
neglected, insulted, ridiculed or envied by bad men, or even though
repeatedly agitated by being beaten, tied up or deprived of one’s occupation,
spat upon or polluted with urine by ignorant people, one who desires the
highest goal in life should in spite of all these difficulties use his
intelligence to keep himself safe on the spiritual platform.
60. Sri Uddhava said:
O best of all speakers, please explain to me how I may properly understand
this.
61. O soul of the
universe, the conditioning of one’s personality in material life is very
strong, and therefore it is very difficult even for learned men to tolerate the
offenses committed against them by ignorant people. Only Your devotees, who
are fixed in Your loving service and who have achieved peace by residing at
Your lotus feet, are able to tolerate such offenses.
1. Sukadeva Gosvami
said: Lord Mukunda, the chief of the Dasarhas, having thus been respectfully
requested by the best of His devotees, Sri Uddhava, first acknowledged the
fitness of his servant’s statements. Then the Lord, whose glorious exploits
are most worthy of being heard, began to reply to him.
2. Lord Sri Krsna
said: O disciple of Brhaspati, there is virtually no saintly man in this
world capable of resettling his own mind after it has been disturbed by the
insulting words of uncivilized men.
3. Sharp arrows which
pierce one’s chest and reach the heart do not cause as much suffering as the
arrows of harsh, insulting words that become lodged within the heart when
spoken by uncivilized men.
4. My dear Uddhava,
in this regard a most pious story is told, and I shall now describe it to
you. Please listen with careful attention.
5. Once a certain
sannyasi was insulted in many ways by impious men. However, with
determination he remembered that he was suffering the fruit of his own
previous karma. I will narrate to you his story and that which he spoke.
6. In the country of
Avanti there once lived a certain brahmana who was very rich and gifted with
all opulences, and who was engaged in the occupation of commerce. But he was
a miserly person—lusty, greedy and very prone to anger.
7. In his home,
devoid of religiosity and lawful sense gratification, the family members and
guests were never properly respected, even with words. He would not even
allow sufficient gratification for his own body at the suitable times.
8. Since he was so
hardhearted and miserly, his sons, in-laws, wife, daughters and servants
began to feel inimical toward him. Becoming disgusted, they would never treat
him with affection.
9. In this way the
presiding deities of the five family sacrifices became angry at the brahmana,
who, being niggardly, guarded his wealth like a Yaksa, who had no good
destination either in this world or the next, and who was totally deprived of
religiosity and sense enjoyment.
10. O magnanimous
Uddhava, by his neglect of these demigods he depleted his stock of piety and
all his wealth. The accumulation of his repeated exhaustive endeavors was
totally lost.
11. Some of the
wealth of this so-called brahmana was taken away by his relatives, My dear
Uddhava, some by thieves, some by the whims of providence, some by the
effects of time, some by ordinary men and some by government authorities.
12. Finally, when his
property was completely lost, he who never engaged in religiosity or sense
enjoyment became ignored by his family members. Thus he began to feel
unbearable anxiety.
13. Having lost all
his wealth, he felt great pain and lamentation. His throat choked up with
tears, and he meditated for a long time on his fortune. Then a powerful
feeling of renunciation came over him.
14. The brahmana
spoke as follows: O what great misfortune! I have simply tormented myself
uselessly, struggling so hard for money that was not even intended for
religiosity or material enjoyment.
15. Generally, the
wealth of misers never allows them any happiness. In this life it causes
their self-torment, and when they die it sends them to hell.
16. Whatever pure
fame is possessed by the famous and whatever praiseworthy qualities are found
in the virtuous are destroyed by even a small amount of greed, just as one’s
attractive physical beauty is ruined by a trace of white leprosy.
17. In the earning,
attainment, increase, protection, expense, loss and enjoyment of wealth, all
men experience great labor, fear, anxiety and delusion.
18-19. Theft, violence,
speaking lies, duplicity, lust, anger, perplexity, pride, quarreling, enmity,
faithlessness, envy and the dangers caused by women, gambling and
intoxication are the fifteen undesirable qualities that contaminate men
because of greed for wealth. Although these qualities are undesirable, men
falsely ascribe value to them. One desiring to achieve the real benefit of
life should therefore remain aloof from undesirable material wealth.
20. Even a man’s
brothers, wife, parents and friends united with him in love will immediately
break off their affectionate relationships and become enemies over a single
coin.
21. For even a small
amount of money these relatives and friends become very agitated and their
anger is inflamed. Acting as rivals, they quickly give up all sentiments of
goodwill and will reject one at a moment’s notice, even to the point of
committing murder.
22. Those who obtain
human life, which is prayed for even by the demigods, and in that human birth
become situated as first-class brahmanas, are extremely fortunate. If they
disregard this important opportunity, they are certainly killing their own
self-interest and thus achieve a most unfortunate end.
23. What mortal man,
having achieved this human life, which is the very gateway to both heaven and
liberation, would willingly become attached to that abode of worthlessness,
material property?
24. One who fails to
distribute his wealth to the proper shareholders—the demigods, sages,
forefathers and ordinary living entities, as well as his immediate relatives,
in-laws and own self—is maintaining his wealth simply like a Yaksa and will
fall down.
25. Discriminating
persons are able to utilize their money, youth and strength to achieve
perfection. But I have feverishly squandered these in the useless endeavor
for further wealth. Now that I am an old man, what can I achieve?
26. Why must an
intelligent man suffer by his constant vain efforts to get wealth? Indeed,
this whole world is most bewildered by someone’s illusory potency.
27. For one who is in
the grips of death, what is the use of wealth or those who offer it, sense
gratification or those who offer it, or, for that matter, any type of
fruitive activity, which simply causes one to again take birth in the
material world?
28. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, who contains within Himself all the
demigods, must be satisfied with me. Indeed, He has brought me to this
suffering condition and forced me to experience detachment, which is the boat
to carry me over this ocean of material life.
29. If there is any
time remaining in my life, I will perform austerities and force my body to
subsist on the bare necessities. Without further confusion I shall pursue
that which constitutes my entire self-interest in life, and I shall remain
satisfied within the self.
30. Thus may the
presiding demigods of these three worlds kindly show their mercy upon me.
Indeed, Maharaja Khatvanga was able to achieve the spiritual world in a
single moment.
31. Lord Sri Krsna
continued: His mind thus determined, that most excellent Avanti brahmana was
able to untie the knots of desire within his heart. He then assumed the role
of a peaceful and silent sannyasi mendicant.
32. He wandered about
the earth, keeping his intelligence, senses and life air under control. To
beg charity he traveled alone to various cities and villages. He did not
advertise his advanced spiritual position and thus was not recognized by
others.
33. O kind Uddhava,
seeing him as an old, dirty beggar, rowdy persons would dishonor him with
many insults.
34. Some of these
persons would take away his sannyasi rod, and some the waterpot which he was
using as a begging bowl. Some took his deerskin seat, some his chanting
beads, and some would steal his torn, ragged clothing. Displaying these
things before him, they would pretend to offer them back but would then hide
them again.
35. When he was
sitting on the bank of a river about to partake of the food that he had
collected by his begging, such sinful rascals would come and pass urine on
it, and they would dare to spit on his head.
36. Although he had
taken a vow of silence, they would try to make him speak, and if he did not
speak they would beat him with sticks. Others would chastise him, saying,
“This man is just a thief.” And others would bind him up with rope, shouting,
”Tie him up! Tie him up!”
37. They would
criticize and insult him, saying, “This man is just a hypocrite and a cheat.
He makes a business of religion simply because he lost all his wealth and his
family threw him out.”
38-39. Some would ridicule
him by saying, ”Just see this greatly powerful sage! He is as steadfast as
the Himalaya Mountains. By practice of silence he strives for his goal with
great determination, just like a duck.” Other persons would pass foul air
upon him, and sometimes others would bind this twice-born brahmana in chains
and keep him captive like a pet animal.
40. The brahmana
understood that all his suffering—from other living beings, from the higher
forces of nature and from his own body—was unavoidable, being allotted to him
by providence.
41. Even while being
insulted by these low-class men who were trying to effect his downfall, he
remained steady in his spiritual duties. Fixing his resolution in the mode of
goodness, he began to chant the following song.
42. The brahmana
said: These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither
are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it
is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the
rotation of material life.
43. The powerful mind
actuates the functions of the material modes, from which evolve the different
kinds of material activities in the modes of goodness, ignorance and passion.
From the activities in each of these modes develop the corresponding statuses
of life.
44. Although present
along with the struggling mind within the material body, the Supersoul is not
endeavoring, because He is already endowed with transcendental enlightenment.
Acting as my friend, He simply witnesses from His transcendental position. I,
the infinitesimal spirit soul, on the other hand, have embraced this mind,
which is the mirror reflecting the image of the material world. Thus I have
become engaged in enjoying objects of desire and am entangled due to contact
with the modes of nature.
45. Charity,
prescribed duties, observance of major and minor regulative principles,
hearing from scripture, pious works and purifying vows all have as their
final aim the subduing of the mind. Indeed, concentration of the mind on the
Supreme is the highest yoga.
46. If one’s mind is
perfectly fixed and pacified, then tell me what need does one have to perform
ritualistic charity and other pious rituals? And if one’s mind remains
uncontrolled, lost in ignorance, then of what use are these engagements for
him?
47. All the senses
have been under the control of the mind since time immemorial, and the mind
himself never comes under the sway of any other. He is stronger than the
strongest, and his godlike power is fearsome. Therefore, anyone who can bring
the mind under control becomes the master of all the senses.
48. Failing to
conquer this irrepressible enemy, the mind, whose urges are intolerable and
who torments the heart, many people are completely bewildered and create
useless quarrel with others. Thus they conclude that other people are either
their friends, their enemies or parties indifferent to them.
49. Persons who
identify with this body, which is simply the product of the material mind,
are blinded in their intelligence, thinking in terms of ”I” and ”mine.”
Because of their illusion of ”this is I, but that is someone else,” they
wander in endless darkness.
50. If you say that
these people are the cause of my happiness and distress, then where is the
place of the soul in such a conception? This happiness and distress pertain
not to the soul but to the interactions of material bodies. If someone bites
his tongue with his own teeth, at whom can he become angry in his suffering?
51. If you say that
the demigods who rule the bodily senses cause suffering, still, how can such
suffering apply to the spirit soul? This acting and being acted upon are
merely interactions of the changeable senses and their presiding deities.
When one limb of the body attacks another, with whom can the person in that body
be angry?
52. If the soul
himself were the cause of happiness and distress, then we could not blame
others, since happiness and distress would be simply the nature of the soul.
According to this theory, nothing except the soul actually exists, and if we
were to perceive something besides the soul, that would be illusion.
Therefore, since happiness and distress do not actually exist in this
concept, why become angry at oneself or others?
53. And if we examine
the hypothesis that the planets are the immediate cause of suffering and
happiness, then also where is the relationship with the soul, who is eternal?
After all, the effect of the planets applies only to things that have taken
birth. Expert astrologers have moreover explained how the planets are only causing
pain to each other. Therefore, since the living entity is distinct from these
planets and from the material body, against whom should he vent his anger?
54. If we assume that
fruitive work is the cause of happiness and distress, we still are not dealing
with the soul. The idea of material work arises when there is a spiritual
actor who is conscious and a material body that undergoes the transformation
of happiness and distress as a reaction to such work. Since the body has no
life, it cannot be the actual recipient of happiness and distress, nor can
the soul, who is ultimately completely spiritual and aloof from the material
body. Since karma thus has no ultimate basis in either the body or the soul,
at whom can one become angry?
55. If we accept time
as the cause of happiness and distress, that experience still cannot apply to
the spirit soul, since time is a manifestation of the Lord’s spiritual
potency and the living entities are also expansions of the Lord’s spiritual
potency manifesting through time. Certainly a fire does not burn its own
flames or sparks, nor does the cold harm its own snowflakes or hail. In fact,
the spirit soul is transcendental and beyond the experience of material
happiness and distress. At whom, therefore, should one become angry?
56. The false ego
gives shape to illusory material existence and thus experiences material
happiness and distress. The spirit soul, however, is transcendental to
material nature; he can never actually be affected by material happiness and
distress in any place, under any circumstance or by the agency of any person.
A person who understands this has nothing whatsoever to fear from the
material creation.
57. I shall cross
over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the
service of the lotus feet of Krsna. This was approved by the previous
acaryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
58. Lord Sri Krsna
said: Thus becoming detached upon the loss of his property, this sage gave up
his moroseness. He left home, taking sannyasa, and began to travel about the
earth. Even when insulted by foolish rascals he remained unswerved from his
duty and chanted this song.
59. No other force
besides his own mental confusion makes the soul experience happiness and
distress. His perception of friends, neutral parties and enemies and the
whole material life he builds around this perception are simply created out
of ignorance.
60. My dear Uddhava,
fixing your intelligence on Me, you should thus completely control the mind.
This is the essence of the science of yoga.
61. Anyone who
listens to or recites to others this song of the sannyasi, which presents
scientific knowledge of the Absolute, and who thus meditates upon it with
full attention, will never again be overwhelmed by the dualities of material
happiness and distress.
1. Lord Sri Krsna
said: Now I shall describe to you the science of Sankhya, which has been
perfectly established by ancient authorities. By understanding this science a
person can immediately give up the illusion of material duality.
2. Originally, during
the Krta-yuga, when all men were very expert in spiritual discrimination, and
also previous to that, during the period of annihilation, the seer existed
alone, nondifferent from the seen object.
3. That one Absolute
Truth, remaining free from material dualities and inaccessible to ordinary
speech and mind, divided Himself into two categories—the material nature and
the living entities who are trying to enjoy the manifestations of that
nature.
4. Of these two
categories of manifestation, one is material nature, which embodies both the
subtle causes and manifests products of matter. The other is the conscious
living entity, designated as the enjoyer.
5. When material
nature was agitated by My glance, the three material modes—goodness, passion
and ignorance—became manifest to fulfill the pending desires of the
conditioned souls.
6. From these modes
arose the primeval sutra, along with the mahat-tattva. By the transformation
of the mahat-tattva was generated the false ego, the cause of the living
entities’ bewilderment.
7. False ego, which
is the cause of physical sensation, the senses, and the mind, encompasses
both spirit and matter and manifests, in three varieties: in the modes of
goodness, passion and ignorance.
8. From false ego in
the mode of ignorance came the subtle physical perceptions, from which the
gross elements were generated. From false ego in the mode of passion came the
senses, and from false ego in the mode of goodness arose the eleven demigods.
9. Impelled by Me,
all these elements combined to function in an orderly fashion and together
gave birth to the universal egg, which is My excellent place of residence.
10. I Myself appeared
within that egg, which was floating on the causal water, and from My navel
arose the universal lotus, the birthplace of self-born Brahma.
11. Lord Brahma, the
soul of the universe, being endowed with the mode of passion, performed great
austerities by My mercy and thus created the three planetary divisions,
called Bhur, Bhuvar and Svar, along with their presiding deities.
12. Heaven was
established as the residence of the demigods, Bhuvarloka as that of the
ghostly spirits, and the earth system as the place of human beings and other
mortal creatures. Those mystics who strive for liberation are promoted beyond
these three divisions.
13. Lord Brahma
created the region below the earth for the demons and the Naga snakes. In
this way the destinations of the three worlds were arranged as the
corresponding reactions for different kinds of work performed within the
three modes of nature.
14. By mystic yoga,
great austerities and the renounced order of life, the pure destinations of
Maharloka, Janoloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka are attained. But by devotional
yoga, one achieves My transcendental abode.
15. All results of
fruitive work have been arranged within this world by Me, the supreme creator
acting as the force of time. Thus one sometimes rises up toward the surface
of this mighty river of the modes of nature and sometimes again submerges.
16. Whatever features
visibly exist within this world—small or great, thin or stout—certainly
contain both the material nature and its enjoyer, the spirit soul.
17. Gold and earth
are originally existing as ingredients. From gold one may fashion golden
ornaments such as bracelets and earrings, and from earth one may fashion clay
pots and saucers. The original ingredients gold and earth exist before the
products made from them, and when the products are eventually destroyed, the
original ingredients, gold and earth, will remain. Thus, since the
ingredients are present in the beginning and at the end, they must also be
present in the middle phase, taking the form of a particular product to which
we assign for convenience a particular name, such as bracelet, earring, pot
or saucer. We can therefore understand that since the ingredient cause exists
before the creation of a product and after the product’s destruction, the same
ingredient cause must be present during the manifest phase, supporting the
product as the basis of its reality.
18. A material
object, itself composed of an essential ingredient, creates another material
object through transformation. Thus one created object becomes the cause and
basis of another created object. A particular thing may thus be called real
in that it possesses the basic nature of another object that constitutes its
origin and final state.
19. The material
universe may be considered real, having nature as its original ingredient and
final state. Lord Maha-Visnu is the resting place of nature, which becomes
manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Visnu and time are
not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.
20. As long as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead continues to glance upon nature, the material
world continues to exist, perpetually manifesting through procreation the
great and variegated flow of universal creation.
21. I am the basis of
the universal form, which displays endless variety through the repeated
creation, maintenance and destruction of the planetary systems. Originally
containing within itself all planets in their dormant state, My universal
form manifests the varieties of created existence by arranging the
coordinated combination of the five elements.
22-27. At the time of
annihilation, the mortal body of the living being becomes merged into food.
Food merges into the grains, and the grains merge back into the earth. The
earth merges into its subtle sensation, fragrance. Fragrance merges into
water, and water further merges into its own quality, taste. That taste
merges into fire, which merges into form. Form merges into touch, and touch
merges into ether. Ether finally merges into the sensation of sound. The
senses all merge into their own origins, the presiding demigods, and they, O
gentle Uddhava, merge into the controlling mind, which itself merges into
false ego in the mode of goodness. Sound becomes one with false ego in the
mode of ignorance, and all-powerful false ego, the first of all the physical
elements, merges into the total nature. The total material nature, the
primary repository of the three basic modes, dissolves into the modes. These
modes of nature then merge into the unmanifest form of nature, and that
unmanifest form merges into time. Time merges into the Supreme Lord, present
in the form of the omniscient Maha-purusa, the original activator of all
living beings. That origin of all life merges into Me, the unborn Supreme
Soul, who remains alone, established within Himself. It is from Him that all
creation and annihilation are manifested.
28. Just as the
rising sun removes the darkness of the sky, similarly, this scientific
knowledge of cosmic annihilation removes all illusory duality from the mind
of a serious student. Even if illusion somehow enters his heart, it cannot
remain there.
29. Thus I, the
perfect seer of everything material and spiritual, have spoken this knowledge
of Sankhya, which destroys the illusion of doubt by scientific analysis of
creation and annihilation.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: O best among men, please listen as I describe to
you how the living entity attains a particular nature by association with
individual material modes.
2-5. Mind and sense
control, tolerance, discrimination, sticking to one’s prescribed duty,
truthfulness, mercy, careful study of the past and future, satisfaction in
any condition, generosity, renunciation of sense gratification, faith in the
spiritual master, being embarrassed at improper action, charity, simplicity,
humbleness and satisfaction within oneself are qualities of the mode of
goodness. Material desire, great endeavor, audacity, dissatisfaction even in
gain, false pride, praying for material advancement, considering oneself
different and better than others, sense gratification, rash eagerness to
fight, a fondness for hearing oneself praised, the tendency to ridicule
others, advertising one’s own prowess and justifying one’s actions by one’s
strength are qualities of the mode of passion. Intolerant anger, stinginess,
speaking without scriptural authority, violent hatred, living as a parasite,
hypocrisy, chronic fatigue, quarrel, lamentation, delusion, unhappiness,
depression, sleeping too much, false expectations, fear and laziness
constitute the major qualities of the mode of ignorance. Now please hear
about the combination of these three modes.
6. My dear Uddhava,
the combination of all three modes is present in the mentality of ”I” and
”mine.” The ordinary transactions of this world, which are carried out
through the agency of the mind, the objects of perception, the senses and the
vital airs of the physical body, are also based on the combination of the modes.
7. When a person
devotes himself to religiosity, economic development and sense gratification,
the faith, wealth and sensual enjoyment obtained by his endeavors display the
interaction of the three modes of nature.
8. When a man desires
sense gratification, being attached to family life, and when he consequently
becomes established in religious and occupational duties, the combination of
the modes of nature is manifest.
9. A person
exhibiting qualities such as self-control is understood to be predominantly
in the mode of goodness. Similarly, a passionate person is recognized by his
lust, and one in ignorance is recognized by qualities such as anger.
10. Any person,
whether man or woman, who worships Me with loving devotion, offering his or
her prescribed duties unto Me without material attachment, is understood to
be situated in goodness.
11. When a person
worships Me by his prescribed duties with the hope of gaining material
benefit, his nature should be understood to be in passion, and one who worships
Me with the desire to commit violence against others is in ignorance.
12. The three modes
of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance—influence the living
entity but not Me. Manifesting within his mind, they induce the living entity
to become attached to material bodies and other created objects. In this way
the living entity is bound up.
13. When the mode of
goodness, which is luminous, pure and auspicious, predominates over passion
and ignorance, a man becomes endowed with happiness, virtue, knowledge and
other good qualities.
14. When the mode of
passion, which causes attachment, separatism and activity, conquers ignorance
and goodness, a man begins to work hard to acquire prestige and fortune. Thus
in the mode of passion he experiences anxiety and struggle.
15. When the mode of
ignorance conquers passion and goodness, it covers one’s consciousness and
makes one foolish and dull. Falling into lamentation and illusion, a person
in the mode of ignorance sleeps excessively, indulges in false hopes, and
displays violence toward others.
16. When
consciousness becomes clear and the senses are detached from matter, one
experiences fearlessness within the material body and detachment from the
material mind. You should understand this situation to be the predominance of
the mode of goodness, in which one has the opportunity to realize Me.
17. You should
discern the mode of passion by its symptoms—the distortion of the
intelligence because of too much activity, the inability of the perceiving
senses to disentangle themselves from mundane objects, an unhealthy condition
of the working physical organs, and the unsteady perplexity of the mind.
18. When one’s higher
awareness fails and finally disappears and one is thus unable to concentrate
his attention, his mind is ruined and manifests ignorance and depression. You
should understand this situation to be the predominance of the mode of
ignorance.
19. With the increase
of the mode of goodness, the strength of the demigods similarly increases.
When passion increases, the demoniac become strong. And with the rise of
ignorance, O Uddhava, the strength of the most wicked increases.
20. It should be
understood that alert wakefulness comes from the mode of goodness, sleep with
dreaming from the mode of passion, and deep, dreamless sleep from the mode of
ignorance. The fourth state of consciousness pervades these three and is
transcendental.
21. Learned persons
dedicated to Vedic culture are elevated by the mode of goodness to higher and
higher positions. The mode of ignorance, on the other hand, forces one to
fall headfirst into lower and lower births. And by the mode of passion one
continues transmigrating through human bodies.
22. Those who leave
this world in the mode of goodness go to the heavenly planets, those who pass
away in the mode of passion remain in the world of human beings, and those
dying in the mode of ignorance must go to hell. But those who are free from
the influence of all modes of nature come to Me.
23. Work performed as
an offering to Me, without consideration of the fruit, is considered to be in
the mode of goodness. Work performed with a desire to enjoy the results is in
the mode of passion. And work impelled by violence and envy is in the mode of
ignorance.
24. Absolute
knowledge is in the mode of goodness, knowledge based on duality is in the
mode of passion, and foolish, materialistic knowledge is in the mode of
ignorance. Knowledge based upon Me, however, is understood to be
transcendental.
25. Residence in the
forest is in the mode of goodness, residence in a town is in the mode of
passion, residence in a gambling house displays the quality of ignorance, and
residence in a place where I reside is transcendental.
26. A worker free of
attachment is in the mode of goodness, a worker blinded by personal desire is
in the mode of passion, and a worker who has completely forgotten how to tell
right from wrong is in the mode of ignorance. But a worker who has taken
shelter of Me is understood to be transcendental to the modes of nature.
27. Faith directed
toward spiritual life is in the mode of goodness, faith rooted in fruitive
work is in the mode of passion, faith residing in irreligious activities is
in the mode of ignorance, but faith in My devotional service is purely
transcendental.
28. Food that is
wholesome, pure and obtained without difficulty is in the mode of goodness,
food that gives immediate pleasure to the senses is in the mode of passion,
and food that is unclean and causes distress is in the mode of ignorance.
29. Happiness derived
from the self is in the mode of goodness, happiness based on sense
gratification is in the mode of passion, and happiness based on delusion and
degradation is in the mode of ignorance. But that happiness found within Me
is transcendental.
30. Therefore material
substance, place, result of activity, time, knowledge, work, the performer of
work, faith, state of consciousness, species of life and destination after
death are all based on the three modes of material nature.
31. O best of human
beings, all states of material being are related to the interaction of the
enjoying soul and material nature. Whether seen, heard of or only conceived
within the mind, they are without exception constituted of the modes of
nature.
32. O gentle Uddhava,
all these different phases of conditioned life arise from work born of the
modes of material nature. The living entity who conquers these modes,
manifested from the mind, can dedicate himself to Me by the process of
devotional service and thus attain pure love for Me.
33. Therefore, having
achieved this human form of life, which allows one to develop full knowledge,
those who are intelligent should free themselves from all contamination of
the modes of nature and engage exclusively in loving service to Me.
34. A wise sage, free
from all material association and unbewildered, should subdue his senses and
worship Me. He should conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by engaging
himself only with things in the mode of goodness.
35. Then, being fixed
in devotional service, the sage should also conquer the material mode of
goodness by indifference toward the modes. Thus pacified within his mind, the
spirit soul, freed from the modes of nature, gives up the very cause of his
conditioned life and attains Me.
36. Freed from the subtle
conditioning of the mind and from the modes of nature born of material
consciousness, the living entity becomes completely satisfied by experiencing
My transcendental form. He no longer searches for enjoyment in the external
energy, nor does he contemplate or remember such enjoyment within himself.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Having achieved this human form of life, which
affords one the opportunity to realize Me, and being situated in My
devotional service, one can achieve Me, the reservoir of all pleasure and the
Supreme Soul of all existence, residing within the heart of every living
being.
2. A person fixed in
transcendental knowledge is freed from conditioned life by giving up his
false identification with the products of the material modes of nature.
Seeing these products as simply illusion, he avoids entanglement with the
modes of nature, although constantly among them. Because the modes of nature
and their products are simply not real, he does not accept them.
3. One should never
associate with materialists, those dedicated to gratifying their genitals and
bellies. By following them one falls into the deepest pit of darkness, just
like a blind man who follows another blind man.
4. The following song
was sung by the famous emperor Purarava. When deprived of his wife, Urvasi,
he was at first bewildered, but by controlling his lamentation he began to
feel detachment.
5. When she was
leaving him, even though he was naked he ran after her just like a madman and
called out in great distress, ”O my wife, O terrible lady! Please stop!”
6. Although for many
years Purarava had enjoyed sex pleasure in the evening hours, still he was
not satisfied by such insignificant enjoyment. His mind was so attracted to
Urvasi that he did not notice how the nights were coming and going.
7. King Aila said:
Alas, just see the extent of my delusion! This goddess was embracing me and
held my neck in her grip. My heart was so polluted by lust that I had no idea
how my life was passing.
8. That lady cheated
me so much that I did not even see the rising or setting of the sun. Alas,
for so many years I passed my days in vain!
9. Alas, although I
am supposed to be a mighty emperor, the crown jewel of all kings on this
earth, just see how my bewilderment has rendered me a toy animal in the hands
of women!
10. Although I was a
powerful lord with great opulence, that woman gave me up as if I were no more
than an insignificant blade of grass. And still, naked and without shame, I
followed her, crying out to her like a madman.
11. Where are my
so-called great influence, power and sovereignty? Just like an ass being
kicked in the face by his she-ass, I ran after that woman, who had already
given me up.
12. What is the use
of a big education or the practice of austerities and renunciation, and what
is the use of studying religious scriptures, of living in solitude and
silence, if, after all that, one’s mind is stolen by a woman?
13. To hell with me!
I am such a fool that I didn’t even know what was good for me, although I
arrogantly thought I was highly intelligent. Although I achieved the exalted
position of a lord, I allowed myself to be conquered by women as if I were a
bullock or a jackass.
14. Even after I had
served the so-called nectar of the lips of Urvasi for many years, my lusty
desires kept rising again and again within my heart and were never satisfied,
just like a fire that can never be extinguished by the oblations of ghee
poured into its flames.
15. Who but the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who lies beyond material perception and is
the Lord of self-satisfied sages, can possibly save my consciousness, which
has been stolen by a prostitute?
16. Because I allowed
my intelligence to become dull and because I failed to control my senses, the
great confusion in my mind did not go away, even though Urvasi herself gave
me wise counsel with well-spoken words.
17. How can I blame
her for my trouble when I myself am ignorant of my real, spiritual nature? I
did not control my senses, and so I am like a person who mistakenly sees a
harmless rope as a snake.
18. What is this
polluted body anyway—so filthy and full of bad odors? I was attracted by the
fragrance and beauty of a woman’s body, but what are those so-called
attractive features? They are simply a false covering created by illusion.
19-20. One can never
decide whose property the body actually is. Does it belong to one’s parents,
who have given birth to it, to one’s wife, who gives it pleasure, or to one’s
employer, who orders the body around? Is it the property of the funeral fire
or of the dogs and jackals who may ultimately devour it? Is it the property
of the indwelling soul, who partakes in its happiness and distress, or does
the body belong to intimate friends who encourage and help it? Although a man
never definitely ascertains the proprietor of the body, he becomes most
attached to it. The material body is a polluted material form heading toward
a lowly destination, yet when a man stares at the face of a woman he thinks,
“What a good-looking lady! What a charming nose she’s got, and see her
beautiful smile!”
21. What difference
is there between ordinary worms and persons who try to enjoy this material
body composed of skin, flesh, blood, muscle, fat, marrow, bone, stool, urine
and pus?
22. Yet even one who
theoretically understands the actual nature of the body should never
associate with women or with men attached to women. After all, the contact of
the senses with their objects inevitably agitates the mind.
23. Because the mind
is not disturbed by that which is neither seen nor heard, the mind of a
person who restricts the material senses will automatically be checked in its
material activities and become pacified.
24. Therefore one
should never let his senses associate freely with women or with men attached
to women. Even those who are highly learned cannot trust the six enemies of
the mind; what to speak, then, of foolish persons like me.
25. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Having thus chanted this song, Maharaja Pururava,
eminent among the demigods and human beings, gave up the position he had
achieved in the planet of Urvasi. His illusion cleansed away by
transcendental knowledge, he understood Me to be the Supreme Soul within his
heart and so at last achieved peace.
26. An intelligent
person should therefore reject all bad association and instead take up the
association of saintly devotees, whose words cut off the excessive attachment
of one’s mind.
27. My devotees fix
their minds on Me and do not depend upon anything material. They are always
peaceful, endowed with equal vision, and free from possessiveness, false ego,
duality and greed.
28. O greatly
fortunate Uddhava, in the association of such saintly devotees there is
constant discussion of Me, and those partaking in this chanting and hearing
of My glories are certainly purified of all sins.
29. Whoever hears,
chants and respectfully takes to heart these topics about Me becomes
faithfully dedicated to Me and thus achieves My devotional service.
30. What more remains
to be accomplished for the perfect devotee after achieving devotional service
unto Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth, whose qualities are innumerable and who
am the embodiment of all ecstatic experience?
31. Just as cold,
fear and darkness are eradicated for one who has approached the sacrificial
fire, so dullness, fear and ignorance are destroyed for one engaged in
serving the devotees of the Lord.
32. The devotees of
the Lord, peacefully fixed in absolute knowledge, are the ultimate shelter
for those who are repeatedly rising and falling within the fearful ocean of
material life. Such devotees are just like a strong boat that comes to rescue
persons who are at the point of drowning.
33. Just as food is
the life of all creatures, just as I am the ultimate shelter for the
distressed, and just as religion is the wealth of those who are passing away
from this world, so My devotees are the only refuge of persons fearful of
falling into a miserable condition of life.
34. My devotees
bestow divine eyes, whereas the sun allows only external sight, and that only
when it is risen in the sky. My devotees are one’s real worshipable deities
and real family; they are one’s own self, and ultimately they are
nondifferent from Me.
35. Thus losing his
desire to be on the same planet as Urvasi, Maharaja Pururava began to wander
the earth free of all material association and completely satisfied within
the self.
1. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Lord, O master of the devotees, please explain to me the prescribed
method of worshiping You in Your Deity form. What are the qualifications of
those devotees who worship the Deity, on what basis is such worship
established, and what is the specific method of worship?
2. All the great
sages repeatedly declare that such worship brings the greatest benefit
possible in human life. This is the opinion of Narada Muni, the great
Vyasadeva and my own spiritual master, Brhaspati.
3-4. O most
magnanimous Lord, the instructions on this process of Deity worship first
emanated from Your lotus mouth. Then they were spoken by the great Lord
Brahma to his sons, headed by Bhrgu, and by Lord Siva to his wife, Parvati.
This process is accepted by and appropriate for all the occupational and
spiritual orders of society. Therefore I consider worship of You in Your
Deity form to be the most beneficial of all spiritual practices, even for
women and sudras.
5. O lotus-eyed one,
O Supreme Lord of all lords of the universe, please explain to Your devoted
servant this means of liberation from the bondage of work.
6. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, there is no end to the
innumerable Vedic prescriptions for executing Deity worship; so I shall
explain this topic to you briefly, one step at a time.
7. One should
carefully worship Me by selecting one of the three methods by which I receive
sacrifice: Vedic, tantric or mixed.
8. Now please listen
faithfully as I explain exactly how a person who has achieved twice-born
status through the relevant Vedic prescriptions should worship Me with
devotion.
9. A twice-born
person should worship Me, his worshipable Lord, without duplicity, offering
appropriate paraphernalia in loving devotion to My Deity form or to a form of
Me appearing upon the ground, in fire, in the sun, in water or within the
worshiper’s own heart.
10. One should first
purify his body by cleansing his teeth and bathing. Then one should perform a
second cleansing by smearing the body with earth and chanting both Vedic and
tantric mantras.
11. Fixing the mind
on Me, one should worship Me by his various prescribed duties, such as
chanting the Gayatri mantra at the three junctures of the day. Such
performances are enjoined by the Vedas and purify the worshiper of reactions
to fruitive activities.
12. The Deity form of
the Lord is said to appear in eight varieties—stone, wood, metal, earth,
paint, sand, the mind or jewels.
13. The Deity form of
the Lord, who is the shelter of all living entities, can be established in
two ways: temporarily or permanently. But a permanent Deity, having been
called, can never be sent away, My dear Uddhava.
14. The Deity that is
temporarily established can optionally be called forth and sent away, but
these two rituals should always be performed when the Deity is traced upon
the ground. Bathing should be done with water except if the Deity is made of
clay, paint or wood, in which cases a thorough cleansing without water is
enjoined.
15. One should
worship Me in My Deity forms by offering the most excellent paraphernalia.
But a devotee completely freed from material desire may worship Me with
whatever he is able to obtain, and may even worship Me within his heart with
mental paraphernalia.
16-17. In worshiping
the temple Deity, my dear Uddhava, bathing and decoration are the most
pleasing offerings. For the Deity traced on sacred ground, the process of
tattva-vinyasa is most dear. Oblations of sesame and barley soaked in ghee
are the preferred offering to the sacrificial fire, whereas worship consisting
of upasthana and arghya is preferred for the sun. One should worship Me in
the form of water by offering water itself. Actually, whatever is offered to
Me with faith by My devotee—even if only a little water—is most dear to Me.
18. Even very opulent
presentations do not satisfy Me if they are offered by nondevotees. But I am
pleased by any insignificant offering made by My loving devotees, and I am
certainly most pleased when nice presentations of fragrant oil, incense,
flowers and palatable foods are offered with love.
19. After cleansing
himself and collecting all the paraphernalia, the worshiper should arrange
his own seat with blades of kusa grass whose tips point eastward. He should
then sit facing either east or north, or else, if the Deity is fixed in one
place, he should sit directly facing the Deity.
20. The devotee
should sanctify the various parts of his body by touching them and chanting
mantras. He should do the same for My Deity forms and then with his hands he
should clean the Deity of old flowers and the remnants of previous offerings.
He should properly prepare the sacred pot and the vessel containing water for
sprinkling.
21. Then, with the
water of that proksaniya vessel he should sprinkle the area where the Deity
is being worshiped, the offerings that are going to be presented, and his own
body. Next he should decorate with various auspicious substances three
vessels filled with water.
22. The worshiper
should then purify those three vessels. He should sanctify the vessel holding
water for washing the Lord’s feet by chanting hrdayaya namah, the vessel
containing water for arghya by chanting sirase svaha, and the vessel
containing water for washing the Lord’s mouth by chanting sikhayai vasat.
Also, the Gayatri mantra should be chanted for all three vessels.
23. The worshiper
should meditate upon My subtle form—which is situated within the worshiper’s
own body, now purified by air and fire—as the source of all living entities.
This form of the Lord is experienced by self-realized sages in the last part
of the vibration of the sacred syllable om.
24. The devotee
conceives of the Supersoul, whose presence surcharges the devotee’s body, in
the form corresponding to his realization. Thus the devotee worships the Lord
to his full capacity and becomes fully absorbed in Him. By touching the
various limbs of the Deity and chanting appropriate mantras, the devotee
should invite the Supersoul to join the Deity’s form, and then the devotee
should worship Me.
25-26. The worshiper
should first imagine My seat as decorated with the personified deities of
religion, knowledge, renunciation and opulence and with My nine spiritual
energies. He should think of the Lord’s sitting place as an eight-petaled
lotus, effulgent on account of the saffron filaments within its whorl. Then,
following the regulations of both the Vedas and the tantras, he should offer
Me water for washing the feet, water for washing the mouth, arghya and other
items of worship. By this process he achieves both material enjoyment and
liberation.
27. One should
worship, in order, the Lord’s Sudarsana disc, His Pancajanya conchshell, His
club, sword, bow, arrows and plow, His musala weapon, His Kaustubha gem, His
flower garland and the Srivatsa curl of hair on His chest.
28. One should
worship the Lord’s associates Nanda and Sunanda, Garuda, Pracanda and Canda,
Mahabala and Bala, and Kumuda and Kumudeksana.
29. With offerings
such as proksana one should worship Durga, Vinayaka, Vyasa, Visvaksena, the
spiritual masters and the various demigods. All these personalities should be
in their proper places facing the Deity of the Lord.
30-31. The
worshiper should bathe the Deity every day, as opulently as his assets
permit, using waters scented with sandalwood, usira root, camphor, kunkuma
and aguru. He should also chant various Vedic hymns, such as the anuvaka
known as Svarna-gharma, the Mahapurusa-vidya, the Purusa-sukta and various
songs of the Sama Veda, such as the Rajana and the Rohinya.
32. My devotee should
then lovingly decorate Me with clothing, a brahmana thread, various
ornaments, marks of tilaka and garlands, and he should anoint My body with
fragrant oils, all in the prescribed manner.
33. The worshiper
should faithfully present Me with water for washing My feet and mouth,
fragrant oils, flowers and unbroken grains, along with incense, lamps and
other offerings.
34. Within his
means, the devotee should arrange to offer Me sugar candy, sweet rice, ghee,
saskuli [rice-flour cakes], apupa [various sweet cakes], modaka [steamed
rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and sugar], samyava [wheat
cakes made with ghee and milk and covered with sugar and spices], yogurt,
vegetable soups and other palatable foods.
35. On special
occasions, and daily if possible, the Deity should be massaged with ointment,
shown a mirror, offered a eucalyptus stick for brushing His teeth, bathed
with the five kinds of nectar, offered all kinds of opulent foods, and
entertained with singing and dancing.
36. In an arena
constructed according to scriptural injunctions, the devotee should perform a
fire sacrifice, utilizing the sacred belt, the sacrificial pit and the altar
mound. When igniting the sacrificial fire, the devotee should bring it to a
blaze with wood piled up by his own hands.
37. After spreading
kusa grass on the ground and sprinkling it with water, one should perform the
anvadhana ritual according to the prescribed rules. Then one should arrange
the items to be offered as oblations and should sanctify them with water from
the sprinkling vessel. The worshiper should next meditate upon Me within the
fire.
38-41. The
intelligent devotee should meditate upon that form of the Lord whose color is
like molten gold, whose four arms are resplendent with the conchshell, disc,
club and lotus flower, and who is always peaceful and dressed in a garment
colored like the filaments within a lotus flower. His helmet, bracelets, belt
and fine arm ornaments shine brilliantly. The symbol of Srivatsa is on His
chest, along with the glowing Kaustubha gem and a garland of forest flowers.
The devotee should then worship that Lord by taking pieces of firewood soaked
in the sacrificial ghee and throwing them into the fire. He should perform
the ritual of aghara, presenting into the fire the various items of oblation
drenched in ghee. He should then offer to sixteen demigods, beginning with
Yamaraja, the oblation called svisti-krt, reciting the basic mantras of each
deity and the sixteen-line Purusa-sukta hymn. Pouring one oblation after each
line of the Purusa-sukta, he should utter the particular mantra naming each
deity.
42. Having thus
worshiped the Lord in the sacrificial fire, the devotee should offer his
obeisances to the Lord’s personal associates by bowing down and should then
present offerings to them. He should then chant quietly the mula-mantra of
the Deity of the Lord, remembering the Absolute Truth as the Supreme
Personality, Narayana.
43. Once again he
should offer the Deity water for washing His mouth, and he should give the
remnants of the Lord’s food to Visvaksena. Then he should present the Deity
with fragrant perfume for the mouth and prepared betel nut.
44. Singing along
with others, chanting loudly and dancing, acting out My transcendental
pastimes, and hearing and telling stories about Me, the devotee should for
some time absorb himself in such festivity.
45. The devotee
should offer homage to the Lord with all kinds of hymns and prayers, both
from the Puranas and from other ancient scriptures, and also from ordinary
traditions. Praying, ”O Lord, please be merciful to me! ”he should fall down
flat like a rod to offer his obeisances.
46. Placing his head
at the feet of the Deity, he should then stand with folded hands before the
Lord and pray, ”O my Lord, please protect me, who am surrendered unto You. I
am most fearful of this ocean of material existence, standing as I am in the
mouth of death.”
47. Praying in this
way, the devotee should respectfully place upon his head the remnants I offer
to him. And if the particular Deity is meant to be sent away at the end of
the worship, then this should be performed, the devotee once again placing
the light of the Deity’s presence inside the light of the lotus within his
own heart.
48. Whenever one
develops faith in Me—in My form as the Deity or in other bona fide manifestations—one
should worship Me in that form. I certainly exist both within all created
beings and also separately in My original form, since I am the Supreme Soul
of all.
49. By worshiping Me
through the various methods prescribed in the Vedas and tantras, one will
gain from Me his desired perfection in both this life and the next.
50. The devotee
should more fully establish My Deity by solidly constructing a temple, along
with beautiful gardens. These gardens should be set aside to provide flowers
for the regular daily worship, special Deity processions and holiday
observances.
51. One who offers
the Deity gifts of land, markets, cities and villages so that the regular
daily worship and special festivals of the Deity may go on continually will
achieve opulence equal to My own.
52. By installing the
Deity of the Lord one becomes king of the entire earth, by building a temple
for the Lord one becomes ruler of the three worlds, by worshiping and serving
the Deity one goes to the planet of Lord Brahma, and by performing all three
of these activities one achieves a transcendental form like My own.
53. But one who
simply engages in devotional service with no consideration of fruitive
results attains Me. Thus whoever worships Me according to the process I have
described will ultimately attain pure devotional service unto Me.
54. Anyone who steals
the property of the demigods or the brahmanas, whether originally given to
them by himself or someone else, must live as a worm in stool for one hundred
million years.
55. Not only the
performer of the theft but also anyone who assists him, instigates the crime,
or simply approves of it must also share the reaction in the next life.
According to their degree of participation, they each must suffer a
proportionate consequence.
1. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: One should neither praise nor criticize the
conditioned nature and activities of other persons. Rather, one should see
this world as simply the combination of material nature and the enjoying
souls, all based on the one Absolute Truth.
2. Whoever indulges
in praising or criticizing the qualities and behavior of others will quickly
become deviated from his own best interest by his entanglement in illusory
dualities.
3. Just as the embodied
spirit soul loses external consciousness when his senses are overcome by the
illusion of dreaming or the deathlike state of deep sleep, so a person
experiencing material duality must encounter illusion and death.
4. That which is
expressed by material words or meditated upon by the material mind is not
ultimate truth. What, therefore, is actually good or bad within this
insubstantial world of duality, and how can the extent of such good and bad
be measured?
5. Although shadows,
echoes and mirages are only illusory reflections of real things, such
reflections do cause a semblance of meaningful or comprehensible perception.
In the same way, although the identification of the conditioned soul with the
material body, mind and ego is illusory, this identification generates fear
within him even up to the moment of death.
6-7. The Supersoul
alone is the ultimate controller and creator of this world, and thus He alone
is also the created. Similarly, the Soul of all existence Himself both
maintains and is maintained, withdraws and is withdrawn. No other entity can
be properly ascertained as separate from Him, the Supreme Soul, who
nonetheless is distinct from everything and everyone else. The appearance of
the threefold material nature, which is perceived within Him, has no actual
basis. Rather, you should understand that this material nature, composed of
the three modes, is simply the product of His illusory potency.
8. One who has
properly understood the process of becoming firmly fixed in theoretical and
realized knowledge, as described herein by Me, does not indulge in material
criticism or praise. Like the sun, he wanders freely throughout this world.
9. By direct
perception, logical deduction, scriptural testimony and personal realization,
one should know that this world has a beginning and an end and so is not the
ultimate reality. Thus one should live in this world without attachment.
10. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Lord, it is not possible for this material existence to be the
experience of either the soul, who is the seer, or of the body, which is the
seen object. On the one hand, the spirit soul is innately endowed with
perfect knowledge, and on the other hand, the material body is not a
conscious, living entity. To whom, then, does this experience of material
existence pertain?
11. The spirit soul
is inexhaustible, transcendental, pure, self-luminous and never covered by
anything material. It is like fire. But the nonliving material body, like
firewood, is dull and unaware. So in this world, who is it that actually
undergoes the experience of material life?
12. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: As long as the foolish spirit soul remains
attracted to the material body, senses and vital force, his material
existence continues to flourish, although it is ultimately meaningless.
13. Actually, the
living entity is transcendental to material existence. But because of his
mentality of lording it over material nature, his material existential
condition does not cease, and, just as in a dream, he is affected by all
sorts of disadvantages.
14. Although while
dreaming a person experiences many undesirable things, upon awakening he is
no longer confused by the dream experiences.
15. Lamentation,
elation, fear, anger, greed, confusion and hankering, as well as birth and
death, are experiences of the false ego and not of the pure soul.
16. The living entity
who falsely identifies with his body, senses, life air and mind, and who
dwells within these coverings, assumes the form of his own materially
conditioned qualities and work. He is designated variously in relation to the
total material energy, and thus, under the strict control of supreme time, he
is forced to run here and there within material existence.
17. Although the
false ego has no factual basis, it is perceived in many forms—as the
functions of the mind, speech, life air and bodily faculties. But with the
sword of transcendental knowledge, sharpened by worship of a bona fide
spiritual master, a sober sage will cut off this false identification and live
in this world free from all material attachment.
18. Real spiritual
knowledge is based on the discrimination of spirit from matter, and it is
cultivated by scriptural evidence, austerity, direct perception, reception of
the Puranas’ historical narrations, and logical inference. The Absolute
Truth, which alone was present before the creation of the universe and which
alone will remain after its destruction, is also the time factor and the
ultimate cause. Even in the middle stage of this creation’s existence, the
Absolute Truth alone is the actual reality.
19. Gold alone is
present before its manufacture into gold products, the gold alone remains
after the products’ destruction, and the gold alone is the essential reality
while it is being utilized under various designations. Similarly, I alone
exist before the creation of this universe, after its destruction and during
its maintenance.
20. The material mind
manifests in three phases of consciousness—wakefulness, sleep and deep
sleep—which are products of the three modes of nature. The mind further
appears in three different roles—the perceiver, the perceived and the
regulator of perception. Thus the mind is manifested variously throughout
these threefold designations. But it is the fourth factor, existing separately
from all this, that alone constitutes the Absolute Truth.
21. That which did
not exist in the past and will not exist in the future also has no existence
of its own for the period of its duration, but is only a superficial
designation. In My opinion, whatever is created and revealed by something
else is ultimately only that other thing.
22. Although thus not
existing in reality, this manifestation of transformations created from the
mode of passion appears real because the self-manifested, self-luminous
Absolute Truth exhibits Himself in the form of the material variety of the
senses, the sense objects, the mind and the elements of physical nature.
23. Thus clearly
understanding by discriminating logic the unique position of the Absolute
Truth, one should expertly refute one’s misidentification with matter and cut
to pieces all doubts about the identity of the self. Becoming satisfied in
the soul’s natural ecstasy, one should desist from all lusty engagements of
the material senses.
24. The material body
made of earth is not the true self; nor are the senses, their presiding
demigods or the air of life; nor is the external air, water or fire or one’s
mind. All these are simply matter. Similarly, neither one’s intelligence,
material consciousness nor ego, nor the elements of ether or earth, nor the
objects of sense perception, nor even the primeval state of material
equilibrium can be considered the actual identity of the soul.
25. For one who has
properly realized My personal identity as the Supreme Godhead, what credit is
there if his senses—mere products of the material modes—are perfectly
concentrated in meditation? And on the other hand, what blame is incurred if
his senses happen to become agitated? Indeed, what does it mean to the sun if
the clouds come and go?
26. The sky may
display the various qualities of the air, fire, water and earth that pass
through it, as well as such qualities as heat and cold, which continually
come and go with the seasons. Yet the sky is never entangled with any of these
qualities. Similarly, the Supreme Absolute Truth is never entangled with the
contaminations of goodness, passion and ignorance, which cause the material
transformations of the false ego.
27. Nevertheless,
until by firmly practicing devotional service to Me one has completely
eliminated from his mind all contamination of material passion, one must very
carefully avoid associating with the material modes, which are produced by My
illusory energy.
28. Just as an
improperly treated disease recurs and gives repeated distress to the patient,
the mind that is not completely purified of its perverted tendencies will
remain attached to material things and repeatedly torment the imperfect yogi.
29. Sometimes the
progress of imperfect transcendentalists is checked by attachment to family
members, disciples or others, who are sent by envious demigods for that
purpose. But on the strength of their accumulated advancement, such imperfect
transcendentalists will resume their practice of yoga in the next life. They
will never again be trapped in the network of fruitive work.
30. An ordinary
living entity performs material work and is transformed by the reaction to
such work. Thus he is driven by various desires to continue working
fruitively up to the very moment of his death. A wise person, however, having
experienced his own constitutional bliss, gives up all material desires and
does not engage in fruitive work.
31. The wise man,
whose consciousness is fixed in the self, does not even notice his own bodily
activities. While standing, sitting, walking, lying down, urinating, eating
or performing other bodily functions, he understands that the body is acting
according to its own nature.
32. Although a
self-realized soul may sometimes see an impure object or activity, he does
not accept it as real. By logically understanding impure sense objects to be
based on illusory material duality, the intelligent person sees them to be
contrary to and distinct from reality, in the same way that a man awakening
from sleep views his fading dream.
33. Material
nescience, which expands into many varieties by the activities of the modes
of nature, is wrongly accepted by the conditioned soul to be identical with
the self. But through the cultivation of spiritual knowledge, My dear
Uddhava, this same nescience fades away at the time of liberation. The
eternal self, on the other hand, is never assumed and never abandoned.
34. When the sun
rises it destroys the darkness covering men’s eyes, but it does not create
the objects they then see before them, which in fact were existing all along.
Similarly, potent and factual realization of Me will destroy the darkness
covering a person’s true consciousness.
35. The Supreme Lord
is self-luminous, unborn and immeasurable. He is pure transcendental consciousness
and perceives everything. One without a second, He is realized only after
ordinary words cease. By Him the power of speech and the life airs are set
into motion.
36. Whatever apparent
duality is perceived in the self is simply the confusion of the mind. Indeed,
such supposed duality has no basis to rest upon apart from one’s own soul.
37. The duality of
the five material elements is perceived only in terms of names and forms.
Those who say this duality is real are pseudoscholars vainly proposing fanciful
theories without basis in fact.
38. The physical body
of the endeavoring yogi who is not yet mature in his practice may sometimes
be overcome by various disturbances. Therefore the following process is
recommended.
39. Some of these
obstructions may be counteracted by yogic meditation or by sitting postures,
practiced together with concentration on controlled breathing, and others may
be counteracted by special austerities, mantras or medicinal herbs.
40. These
inauspicious disturbances can be gradually removed by constant remembrance of
Me, by congregational hearing and chanting of My holy names, or by following
in the footsteps of the great masters of yoga.
41. By various
methods, some yogis free the body from disease and old age and keep it
perpetually youthful. Thus they engage in yoga for the purpose of achieving
material mystic perfections.
42. This mystic
bodily perfection is not valued very highly by those expert in transcendental
knowledge. Indeed, they consider endeavor for such perfection useless, since
the soul, like a tree, is permanent, but the body, like a tree’s fruit, is
subject to destruction.
43. Although the
physical body may be improved by various processes of yoga, an intelligent
person who has dedicated his life to Me does not place his faith in the
prospect of perfecting his physical body through yoga, and in fact he gives
up such procedures.
44. The yogi who has
taken shelter of Me remains free from hankering because he experiences the
happiness of the soul within. Thus while executing this process of yoga, he
is never defeated by obstacles.
1. Sri Uddhava said:
My dear Lord Acyuta, I fear that the method of yoga described by You is very
difficult for one who cannot control his mind. Therefore please explain to me
in simple terms how someone can more easily execute it.
2. O lotus-eyed Lord,
generally those yogis who try to steady the mind experience frustration
because of their inability to perfect the state of trance. Thus they weary in
their attempt to bring the mind under control.
3. Therefore, O
lotus-eyed Lord of the universe, swanlike men happily take shelter of Your
lotus feet, the source of all transcendental ecstasy. But those who take
pride in their accomplishments in yoga and karma fail to take shelter of You
and are defeated by Your illusory energy.
4. My dear infallible
Lord, it is not very astonishing that You intimately approach Your servants
who have taken exclusive shelter of You. After all, during Your appearance as
Lord Ramacandra, even while great demigods like Brahma were vying to place
the effulgent tips of their helmets upon the cushion where Your lotus feet
rested, You displayed special affection for monkeys such as Hanuman because
they had taken exclusive shelter of You.
5. Who, then, could
dare reject You, the very Soul, the most dear object of worship, and the
Supreme Lord of all—You who give all possible perfections to the devotees who
take shelter of You? Who could be so ungrateful, knowing the benefits You
bestow? Who would reject You and accept something for the sake of material
enjoyment, which simply leads to forgetfulness of You? And what lack is there
for us who are engaged in the service of the dust of Your lotus feet?
6. O my Lord!
Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express
their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged
lifetime of Brahma, for You appear in two features—externally as the acarya
and internally as the Supersoul—to deliver the embodied living being by
directing him how to come to You.
7. Sukadeva Gosvami
said: Thus questioned by the most affectionate Uddhava, Lord Krsna, the
supreme controller of all controllers, who takes the entire universe as His
plaything and assumes the three forms of Brahma, Visnu and Siva, began to
reply, lovingly displaying His all-attractive smile.
8. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Yes, I shall describe to you the principles of
devotion to Me, by executing which a mortal human being will conquer
unconquerable death.
9. Always remembering
Me, one should perform all his duties for Me without becoming impetuous. With
mind and intelligence offered to Me, one should fix his mind in attraction to
My devotional service.
10. One should take
shelter of holy places where My saintly devotees reside, and one should be
guided by the exemplary activities of My devotees, who appear among the
demigods, demons and human beings.
11. Either alone or
in public gatherings, with singing, dancing and other exhibitions of royal
opulence, one should arrange to celebrate those holy days, ceremonies and
festivals set aside specially for My worship.
12. With a pure heart
one should see Me, the Supreme Soul within all beings and also within
oneself, to be both unblemished by anything material and also present
everywhere, both externally and internally, just like the omnipresent sky.
13-14. O brilliant
Uddhava, one who thus views all living entities with the idea that I am
present within each of them, and who by taking shelter of this divine knowledge
offers due respect to everyone, is considered actually wise. Such a man sees
equally the brahmana and the outcaste, the thief and the charitable promoter
of brahminical culture, the sun and the tiny sparks of fire, the gentle and
the cruel.
15. For him who
constantly meditates upon My presence within all persons, the bad tendencies
of rivalry, envy and abusiveness, along with false ego, are very quickly
destroyed.
16. Disregarding
the ridicule of one’s companions, one should give up the bodily conception
and its accompanying embarrassment. One should offer obeisances before
all—even the dogs, outcastes, cows and asses—falling flat upon the ground
like a rod.
17. Until one has
fully developed the ability to see Me within all living beings, one must
continue to worship Me by this process with the activities of his speech,
mind and body.
18. By such
transcendental knowledge of the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, one is
able to see the Absolute Truth everywhere. Freed thus from all doubts, one
gives up fruitive activities.
19. Indeed, I
consider this process—using one’s mind, words and bodily functions for
realizing Me within all living beings—to be the best possible method of
spiritual enlightenment.
20. My dear Uddhava,
because I have personally established it, this process of devotional service
unto Me is transcendental and free from any material motivation. Certainly a
devotee never suffers even the slightest loss by adopting this process.
21. O Uddhava,
greatest of saints, in a dangerous situation an ordinary person cries,
becomes fearful and laments, although such useless emotions do not change the
situation. But activities offered to Me without personal motivation, even if
they are externally useless, amount to the actual process of religion.
22. This process is
the supreme intelligence of the intelligent and the cleverness of the most
clever, for by following it one can in this very life make use of the
temporary and unreal to achieve Me, the eternal reality.
23. Thus have I
related to you—both in brief and in detail—a complete survey of the science
of the Absolute Truth. Even for the demigods, this science is very difficult
to comprehend.
24. I have repeatedly
spoken this knowledge to you with clear reasoning. Anyone who properly
understands it will become free from all doubts and attain liberation.
25. Anyone who fixes
his attention on these clear answers to your questions will attain to the
eternal, confidential goal of the Vedas—the Supreme Absolute Truth.
26. One who liberally
disseminates this knowledge among My devotees is the bestower of the Absolute
Truth, and to him I give My very own self.
27. He who loudly
recites this supreme knowledge, which is the most lucid and purifying,
becomes purified day by day, for he reveals Me to others with the lamp of
transcendental knowledge.
28. Anyone who
regularly listens to this knowledge with faith and attention, all the while
engaging in My pure devotional service, will never become bound by the
reactions of material work.
29. My dear friend
Uddhava, have you now completely understood this transcendental knowledge?
Are the confusion and lamentation that arose in your mind now dispelled?
30. You should not
share this instruction with anyone who is hypocritical, atheistic or
dishonest, or with anyone who will not listen faithfully, who is not a
devotee, or who is simply not humble.
31. This knowledge
should be taught to one who is free from these bad qualities, who is
dedicated to the welfare of the brahmanas, and who is kindly disposed,
saintly and pure. And if common workers and women are found to have devotion
for the Supreme Lord, they are also to be accepted as qualified hearers.
32. When an
inquisitive person comes to understand this knowledge, he has nothing further
to know. After all, one who has drunk the most palatable nectar cannot remain
thirsty.
33. Through analytic
knowledge, ritualistic work, mystic yoga, mundane business and political
rule, people seek to advance in religiosity, economic development, sense
gratification and liberation. But because you are My devotee, whatever men
can accomplish in these multifarious ways you will very easily find within
Me.
34. A person who
gives up all fruitive activities and offers himself entirely unto Me, eagerly
desiring to render service unto Me, achieves liberation from birth and death
and is promoted to the status of sharing My own opulences.
35. Sukadeva Gosvami
said: Hearing these words spoken by Lord Krsna, and having thus been shown
the entire path of yoga, Uddhava folded his hands to offer obeisances. But
his throat choked up with love and his eyes overflowed with tears; so he
could say nothing.
36. Steadying his
mind, which had become overwhelmed with love, Uddhava felt extremely grateful
to Lord Krsna, the greatest hero of the Yadu dynasty. My dear King Pariksit,
Uddhava bowed down to touch the Lord’s lotus feet with his head and then
spoke with folded hands.
37. Sri Uddhava said:
O unborn, primeval Lord, although I had fallen into the great darkness of
illusion, my ignorance has now been dispelled by Your merciful association.
Indeed, how can cold, darkness and fear exert their power over one who has
approached the brilliant sun?
38. In return for my
insignificant surrender, You have mercifully bestowed upon me, Your servant,
the torchlight of transcendental knowledge. Therefore, what devotee of Yours
who has any gratitude could ever give up Your lotus feet and take shelter of
another master?
39. The firmly
binding rope of my affection for the families of the Dasarhas, Vrsnis,
Andhakas and Satvatas—a rope You originally cast over me by Your illusory
energy for the purpose of developing Your creation—is now cut off by the
weapon of transcendental knowledge of the self.
40. Obeisances unto
You, O greatest of yogis. Please instruct me, who am surrendered unto You,
how I may have undeviating attachment to Your lotus feet.
41-44. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, take My order and go to My
asrama called Badarika. Purify yourself by both touching and also bathing in
the holy waters there, which have emanated from My lotus feet. Rid yourself
of all sinful reactions with the sight of the sacred Alakananda River. Dress
yourself in bark and eat whatever is naturally available in the forest. Thus
you should remain content and free from desire, tolerant of all dualities,
good-natured, self-controlled, peaceful and endowed with transcendental
knowledge and realization. With fixed attention, meditate constantly upon
these instructions I have imparted to you and assimilate their essence. Fix your
words and thoughts upon Me, and always endeavor to increase your realization
of My transcendental qualities. In this way you will cross beyond the
destinations of the three modes of nature and finally come back to Me.
45. Sukadeva Gosvami
said: Thus addressed by Lord Krsna, whose intelligence destroys all the
suffering of material life, Sri Uddhava circumambulated the Lord and then
fell down, placing his head upon the Lord’s feet. Although Uddhava was free
from the influence of all material dualities, his heart was breaking, and at
this time of departure he drenched the Lord’s lotus feet with his tears.
46. Greatly fearing
separation from Him for whom he felt such indestructible affection, Uddhava
was distraught, and he could not give up the Lord’s company. Finally, feeling
great pain, he bowed down to the Lord again and again, placed the slippers of
his master upon his head, and departed.
47. Thereupon,
placing the Lord deeply within his heart, the great devotee Uddhava went to
Badarikasrama. By engaging there in austerities, he attained to the Lord’s
personal abode, which had been described to him by the only friend of the
universe, Lord Krsna Himself.
48. Thus Lord Krsna,
whose lotus feet are served by all great yoga masters, spoke to His devotee
this nectarean knowledge, which comprises the entire ocean of spiritual
bliss. Anyone within this universe who receives this narration with great
faith is assured of liberation.
49. I offer my
obeisances to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original and greatest
of all beings, Lord Sri Krsna. He is the author of the Vedas, and just to
destroy His devotees’ fear of material existence, like a bee He has collected
this nectarean essence of all knowledge and self-realization. Thus He has
awarded to His many devotees this nectar from the ocean of bliss, and by His
mercy they have drunk it.
OM TAT SAT
THE
END OF UDDHAVA GITA
