The last few days discourses have focused on the main theme of devotional life, dīnatā or humility. All obstacles in devotional affairs arise due to mada(intoxication) or moha(illusion). In humility or honesty there is no mada or moha. The root cause of falling from devotional life is mada, creating undermining activity within the mind. That is why, from the very beginning, a person should remain humble; then one can remain peaceful.
Lord Kapila describes that there are various bhavas within bhakti, where varying degrees of mada are present, resulting in an assortment in siddhis(perfections) , and devotional achievements.
Bhakti has various features and persons in the devotional line are called bhakti yogis and fall within distinctive categories. Why is bhava is of so many types?
The various colors of devotion reflect the qualities within us. According to what is within, a bhava(devotional mellow) will manifest. In this context, Lord Kapila elaborates about the process of bhakti yoga.
He instructs, that when there is a presence of a rajas mentality, devotion becomes ‘rajas devotion’, tamas mentality, tamas devotion, and sattvic mentality, sattvic devotion. These are known as guṇamaya, devotions based on the guṇas or the modes of nature.
The fourth type is nirguṇa bhakti, devotion beyond the modes of nature, the true devotional path, where wisdom and renunciation come automatically. Which wisdom allows a darshan(a vision) of the Lord?
SB 1.2.7
vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and
There is a difference here; wisdom that is causeless will enable devotion beyond the modes of material nature, nirguṇa bhakti, as described by Lord Kapila, ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā(unmotivated and unbroken). Devotion is never for gaining fame and wealth, these are separate grounds.
There are tamas causes like violence etc. External devotion is a manifestation of pride and showing off. Then there are sattvic causes also; we want salvation or liberation. Sattvic reasons are higher than rajas or tamas origins, but causes are causes.
Devotion based on any cause will be gunatmika devotion based on the modes of nature. There is no cause, devotion is causeless, devotion is un restricted, no obstacles can restrict it, then it becomes gunatmika devotion, beyond the modes of nature. That type of devotion, nirguna bhakti is the main theme of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
SB. 1.2.6
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated
This means there is no restriction, no gap, no discontinuity the words here are ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati; meaning there is no self interest, no interest for self liberation, no interest in the destruction of our past karmas. Surrendering of all the karmas at the lotus feet of the Lord, is action of the highest order without motivation; there are sattvic reasons also. Where there is no cause, that is gunatita nirguna bhakti; devotion that is beyond the modes of nature. Purusottmama jñāna bhakti is found in:
SB. 3.29.12
nātiprasīdati tathopacitopacārair
ārādhitaḥ sura-gaṇair hṛdi baddha-kāmaiḥ
yat sarva-bhūta-dayayāsad-alabhyayaiko
nānā-janeṣv avahitaḥ suhṛd antar-ātmā
My Lord, You are not very much satisfied by the worship of the demigods, who arrange for Your worship very pompously, with various paraphernalia, but who are full of material hankerings. You are situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul just to show Your causeless mercy, and You are the eternal well-wisher, but You are unavailable for the nondevotee.
In this devotion you can obtain the Lord Who is Purusottmama. Sutaji, in the very beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, describes this point. Lord Kapila also, in the end advised His mother on these matters. For every aspirant in devotional life this type of devotion, nirguna bhakti or devotion beyond the modes of nature, should become the goal. And as Lord Kapila has stated; there are many types of devotion.
Why is it so? From the very beginning, the modes of nature like sattvas, rājas, and tamas, will tailor ones devotional thoughts. The mode of nature that you operate within; devotion will be of that type. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord has also said this in the 9th chapter.
Bg 9. 12
moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.
Bg 9.13
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.
In real devotion you can obtain the Lord Who is Puruṣottama(Supreme Personality). This is the significance of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as stated in the very beginning by Sūta Gosvāmī. Lord Kapila also advised His mother on these matters. For every aspirant in devotional life, nirguṇa bhakti or devotion beyond the modes of nature should become a goal. Lord Kapila made it clear; that instead of a pure form, impure devotion manifests as many types.
Why is it so? From the very beginning, if the modes of nature are allowed entrance, like sattvas, rājas, and tamas, one’s devotional thoughts will be tailored accordingly. The mode of nature that surrounds you; your devotion will be of that type. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord has also said this in the 9th chapter.
Bg 9. 12
moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.
Bg 9.13
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.
The Lord is advising; “Oh Arjuna people are of different categories. One is of a demoniac nature and the other is a religious nature, one is an attracting nature, and above all these is the divine nature.” Demoniac, religious (external practices), hopes and results always go in vain. They are destructive and temporary and in time will vanish. As one just holds onto prospects and fruitless thoughts; his wisdom and knowledge becomes ineffectual in the long run.
Just as in advertising, there are so many organizations that specialize in out reach work. They can spread hopes and information through the media in seconds. How marketing is circulated and lost can be compared to knowledge that is temporal, cosmetic, and with time in vain.
The different natures can be demoniac, rājasic, or attracted, dominated by jealousy, envy, and violence; devotion based on these scenarios will be tamas devotion as stated by Lord Kapliladeva. Violence, anger, and pride will invite subordinate devotions.
Those of us who may have the best association but despite the saṅga, remain angry, are known as samgam (attached). Persons who are samgam are prone to commit offenses against other devotees, and commit bhakta aparādhe, which creates obstacles on the path of devotion. Sadly, they commit offenses against other devotees and have to leave. Therefore, from the very beginning persons should strive for pure devotion; then tamas devotion will not develop in them. Who has an envious nature? Who indulges in sensual pleasures? He/She is one who is under the influence of rājas bhakti; a platform that invites many future obstacles.
Then there is the attracted nature(under the influence of sensual stimulation); these persons are idle, prone to make mistakes, absorbed in muhu(a darkness of mind).
Just like with teenage children, there is a danger of indulgence in sense objects; they may even be very devotional, but when they are influenced by unrestricted sense gratification, may even leave guru, the Lord and spiritually safe relations.
If the girl gets married, she goes to the husband’s house, gets sense objects within marriage, forgetting everything about the parents and home. Similarly, the boys, being more independent like western cowboys, challenge the material energy, finally free from sheltered restrictions. The sensory exposure in youth is the highest addiction setting a certain well-travelled path into the future.
Sugriva in Kishkinda-kāṇḍa of Rāmacarita mānasa, Sugriva obtained Ruma, his own wife, and Tara, the wife of Bali; by acquiring them he forgot everything, disregarding the mission. Why? Sense objects distracted him. Tara is one of the Panca Kanyas(5 eternal virgins): Sita, Kunti, Tara, Mandodari, and Draupadi, their bodies always remain as virgins. Once Surgiva obtained Tara he forgot the Lord.
The sense objects have such an attraction that even can agitate the mind of a sage. The girls who left Maan Mandir went due to attraction to sense objects. From mada, muhu or darkness is born. Mohini praktrita, the nature of moha or illusion arises.
Yesterday, I was speaking about this point at noon. Under the influence of mohini prakriti, the nature of moha or illusion, one remains idle, is prestige less, and carries these qualities wherever he goes. That is the nature of Mohinī prakriti, three types of nature, rajas, tamas, and sattvic; the fourth is pure, and supremely sattvic and will manifest as nirguṇa(without material qualities). This is a divine nature as described in Bhagavad-gītā 9.13;
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.
One who is engaged in the devotion of the Lord, exclusive devotion, has no desires for fame or sensual enjoyment; there is no distraction for him. This divine position, unalloyed devotion, is gained through satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ(unending glorification), then devotion and sadhana become continuous, no waste of time, not even for a moment, being ever so connected to the Lord. Even while eating, drinking, and bodily maintenance; one is ever absorbed in the Lord; this is bhakti yoga.
What has been said in the Bhagavad-gita and by Lord Kapila in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as there are different habits and natures. Guṇātīta bhakti or devotion beyond the modes of nature, for those of the pure path of devotion, and through wisdom attain to Brahmān, of Brahmān jñāna.
From the very beginning how can we have that type of nature? The Lord also has answered that; there are ten causes.
SB 11.13.4
āgamo ’paḥ prajā deśaḥ
kālaḥ karma ca janma ca
dhyānaṁ mantro ’tha saṁskāro
daśaite guṇa-hetavaḥ
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.
Āgama means scriptures, the type of scriptures that you study, food and water that you take, the company that you keep. If by the grace of the Lord you obtain pure association, you obtain śastra-pāṇi(the sword of knowledge), the saṅga of a true saint through śastra, who never wants money, position, and fame; then you will obtain devotion beyond the modes of material nature and achieve bhakti very easily.
Braja’ means a place of association where one can obtain great bliss. There is a problem when great persons or saints encourage their dependents to not reside in Braja for much time. This is against the scriptures and is totally wrong; they do not know the importance and benefits of the dhama. Those who oppose residing in the dhama are not devotees of the dhama, and destroy a natural love and people’s partiality for the dhāma.
The Bhāgavata Māhātmya describes that when Kali-yuga was in its initial stages, the whole world began to suffer. There was no piousness, wisdom, and devotion, all types of devotional practice were lost; all places of pilgrimage had depreciated and in the first chapter Nārada said after going to the earth, visiting the places of pilgrimage, he found no truth, tapasya, and culture of donating; deceitfulness was everywhere.
A saint lived close to me, he used to say, “In a very remote and highly reputed place, where the religious bhandaras(feasts) took place, the donors were very clever, they tried to keep accounts of what they had donated and what ever has been used in the worship; but they made a pipe that siphoned out the ghee from the containers and kept it for themselves and in this way stole back a large quantity of ghee.” In the holy locations, there was no longer truthfulness, but disloyalty and deceit. The quest for honesty in spirituality has disappeared. Like materialistic persons, the monks in these areas have lost their focus, all the āśramas have deteriorated; the yogis, tyāgīs, and siddhas are gone; the forest fire of Kali-yuga has burned any residues of remaining spirituality.
In this way, Nārada went to all the places of pilgrimage in India. When he came to Vṛndāvana, he went to the bank of the Yamuna and there he saw one young woman with two old men beside her.
The woman said to him, “O sage in seeing you I am pleased, you must stay here for some time.” He asked about two old men and the identity of the lotus-eyed woman. The young woman said, “I am devotion, Bhakti, and these are my two sons Jñāna (Knowlege) and Vairāgya (Renunciation); Kali-yuga has beaten, beaten, and beaten my two sons and they have become old. The women who are serving them are the rivers, like Ganga, Sarasvatī, etc.
Kali-yuga also turned me into an old woman, all the parts of my body, my hands and limbs became crooked, but there is one miracle in Kali-yuga; though I could barely walk but in coming to Vṛndāvana, even in this Kali-yuga, I have become young again, but these two sons have not become youthful, but remained old. This does not look nice. How has this happened?”
Nārada answers, “When Lord Kṛṣṇa returned to His eternal abode from earth; Kali-yuga then manifested. When Parīkṣit conquered all the places of the world, Kali came and took shelter of him. When Parīkṣit was thinking whether to kill him or not, he did not do so.”
Just as a bee extracts nectar from the flower, similarly in the Kali-yuga by taking shelter the nama kirtan one can obtain a stage of devotion surpassing thousands of years of austerities in Satya-yuga; that is the main feature of Kali-yuga. Bhakti declares, “That is why I will not grow old in Kali-yuga.”
Discourses on the Bhāgavatam may be made a business, but spiritual conveyances cannot, then everything will be obtained in devotional life; but when people think that the success for lecturing on the Bhagavāta is to just get some vegetables, then the main purpose of Bhagavāta katha has gone. The purpose within the places of pilgrimage have gone because no austere persons remain, no one is absorbed in real tradition, learned persons are not concerned with Vaiṣṇava tattva, it has been destroyed. What is to be done? Nārada said in the second chapter in the first sloka, “Don’t worry, You should not worry persons should simply absorb themselves in thinking Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for He has not gone anywhere. If you can call Him, then He will come here. When the Lord appears, then you ask the Lord, “What should I do?”
Then in doing so, the Lord appeared and said to Bhakti, “O Devotion you should accept Me with your own heart and be pleased with Me. Liberation will be your maidservant. Wisdom and Renunciation will remain as your sons. Liberation automatically comes to him whom you accept as your own, whom you remember, and give shelter. There is no greater yuga than Kali-yuga because only by the holy name people can attain any high stage of devotion. I shall allow Kali-yuga to spread to every home, then I will advent as a Servant of the Lord to spread the holy name.” Then as the Lord appeared, He went away.
Then Nārada began chanting Vedic mantras to awaken Jñāna and Vairāgya and said, “Arise, wake up, wake up now.” Still they remained asleep like eating after the bhandaras, everyone goes to sleep after a big meal; in a similar way, Jñāna and Vairāgya remained asleep they could not open their eyes. Then a voice came from the sky, “Do some pious activity.” But what pious activity should be done? Then the Sanakadik (four Kumāras) appeared and Nāradaji asked them, “Knowledge and Renunciation are in danger, what is the way to help them?” They replied, “The answer is very simple; just have them hear the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”
After that the weekly lectures of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam started. In the Bhāgavata Mahatmya, chapter 4, the story of Dhundhukali has been described. When the horrible influence of Kali had spread everywhere, then at that time Devotion came to Vṛndāvana. Jñāna and Vairāgya did not die but stayed alive, remaining as old persons; therefore the miracle of the dhāma is still 100% intact, even in this age of Kali.
In the Devi Bhāgavatam, it is said that even when Kali-yuga is in full force on the planet, though all the rivers will be destroyed, Vṛndāvana will remain, everywhere utter destruction will take place, but within this 20 krośa Vṛndāvana, pure devotion to the Lord will endure.
Persons, who oppose residing in dhama, may have not read these portions of the Bhāgavata-māhātmya or may have not read them with full attention; however no one should be restricted from residing in the dhāma. Rupa Gosvāmīji has described 64 aspects of devotional life of which 5 are most important. There is nama, one should chant the holy name, the dhāma, one should live in the the abode of the Lord(Mathura), worship the deity, live with those that are more advanced, and read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
If you oppose the dhāma then everything in devotion is destroyed. Therefore if we do not obey the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the advice of the six Gosvāmīs, individuals encourage a faulty position spreading their own opinions and undermine the devotional scriptures.
[unedited written translation]
Aug 23rd
Evenafter obtaining the Lord., I have given the example of hrunavaji and Orah after obtaining the Lord..te gopis in the maha rasa LK left them.the Lord After being homnored so muchthe gpois were the same as us in this mater. Seeingthis mada in the gopis, to neutralize that mada , the Lord vanished…to neutralize that mad , people lie us can not understand, todayin Braja that energetic dance in Braja is goinfon …I am agreat rasikas , acraya , this type of mada is gonfon everywhere..almost all the great acaryas are a vistim ofthat..almostall the mada in them..I am a little person Ishould not talls like this..theh great saits of Braja hasve said lik this , they become guruji and gosaiji, in the real life they act like ordinary persons, the act in eny, persons of one temple , ppersons come come our temple not others..a women used to come to Barṣāṇā, she was instructed that there is no sweetness no temple in Bar, thisis very low standard,even acaryas advise to not reside in Braja you will offense..this is demoniac points of view …devotion automatically comes…without you can see many saints of very high stages we can not undertand that, it has been stated thatthere is 64 angas of devotionallife…amongthse 64organd, nama, dhama, means dev seva and , thes 5 are the main 5 of 64 organs. If even one of them can follow in a quality, one can obain the Lord, chanting the holy name properly, properly..true devotees of the Lord, then you will tryly obtain Sri Kṛṣṇa and amongst thes 5 most important organs, resideing in the dhama, the opposite is of many reasons, business, this discipleis very wordly, he is very rich, give money to other persons, agrre to this establishmen, follow me, not other persons, go else wher dismissed, persond restrictthem, they say never go to Govrhsnsrtc…these are demioac points of view, inthis way they have cut down the means of the lord.,, this maan mandir is the nose of the Lord, the whol Braja, the whole braja is the s..of the Lord…this as ben described in the SB.agatam…I can not remenbeger in nandiotasav, in the tenth canto 10.5h chapter 18 sloka from that very the Braja of Nanda baba became endowed with all types of prosperity, here Rama dos not mean Laxmi, But Shriji, wheo becomes absorbed in praisingthe pastimes of SK…for three reasons this becoemsthe playingplace of Shirji…nunde 3 all the qualities f theLord exist in Braja…the internal Braja is thebody of the Lord, the internal Braja..it has ben stated in the scriptures, here Shriji becomes angry in love , this is the song of ..this place was sitting under the feet of Radha rani, the absolute comes to pacify ShriJI, yester day some pesons came here, from with RAdha kanat Beyaji, wevery year stagedramas, you publish pamphlets and Biyaji refused, he does not want t nvite the mahants of Vrindaban, got abised in the Yamuna movement…we shall not invite anyone, if they want they cane come if not then they don…even the Lord Brajavasi bow down, I am become a father of a siddha, perform pious acytivities …here in the mada he is moving in Braja, what is the Lord doing here? This is the sloka of Kṛṣṇa composed by a siddha devotee. …The Lord catched the taile of sclaf …oh Suri…give me your evening milk..oh Lordyou are playing with the calves of Braja, when the highly brahmanas, perforimng fire sacrifices …and you do not go there, you become theservant of the women ofBraja…the Gopis of Braja makes one a servant…10.11.7 the gopis entice we shall give you butter milk …to be obstained by the Lord in avery difficult way…how can I get curd…gopis say you should sing then we will give you butter….he is asmall child he can not sing…he becomes a dollmade of wood. As he is made to sing he sings. Sas he is made to dance he dannes….Yasodaji says, bring the wooden seat our neighbor has come paduka, littlesri Krsn comes when his mother says…the gopis say how will will you carry?…he shows his muscles.. The Lord brathes formthe moths of theBrajavasis..if you want to become big themn never come here, …We will not invite anyone if you are highly placed anywhere..the Lord who can not be obtained inVrindabacan b obtained in Barṣāṇā..there they will not fins the Lord thisis a-song of Vyasaji.why should we invite anyone to Brasana..what B is saying is true, eenthe theLord bows dwn at ted feet of radharanai, wen Sr ji becomes abgry in love again aan again she come tot the tip of thehill, SK tries topacify Her, and She is coiing upand down, then the sakhis say thatonly a mad perdsons can become between you two, …you htry to pacify here…you say get out get out…makes me go anywhere, WEwill not invite anyone…who ever idscalled by Shri JI they will automatically come, the honor of Maan mnadir i..teb demogiod come …you come thisnis your fortune…you do not come that is your bad foutune…these girls stage dramas we never need any…if you have a proper respectfor the place of pastimes 10.18..where the pastimes of the Lord take place 10.18 11…has becme a cowherd boy and has hidden himslfinthis way..bestows his grace on the demon…if I go there in the form of ath lord…let us become cowherd boys..thegrace of SK is bestowed…all the saints of Braja…even Mahadevas came here as a cowherd boy…wera has come this fat cowherd by…when you become a horse we will ride you, the demigods come here as cowherd boys, it was the grac ofteh Lord..Indra cam other demigods came ..Indra came with th parijat flowers , two flower garalnds to worship Krs aand Balarma,,the Lord has become a cowherd boy and is playing the garland was very seet smelling…one cowherd boy as said….ook the garland and putit on his throat…an there for the garland…what righte these brajavasis have longa mans high jump, Brajvasi are makinghim dance, long jump, high jump, other cowherd boys were infrt of them, they loves sri k while eating so much butter, no energyto walk fast,, throwing ajavelin…in the fields the Braja vass thebrajavasasi were palying in thefeilds..whatwas thrown by SK and was left behing, what was thrown by the other cowherd boys…SK was not ready to admit, ther for staterd to wrestle, you have to fight, K said later, you talk very much you should fight against us…he is very nicely dressed, inthis way the pastimes are going on…prambhasura cam in the form of a cowherd boy, he cam e to seel, wh bec defeted bec a horse and the winer rides the horse…Dauji won SK fdefeated…LK became ahorese 10.18.24 And hen h took Vrishab and let us play another game.Kanaiya group again defearted…P ram k group
Baba child went to the winning side…LK horse..in the group of K Dauji rode P though let me firsttake him, them steal SK…become a horse he what did P do? P started to go towrd Mathura, Daujui astonished …going vey fast…Dauji thought he is going striat to Mathuara something must be right Here, when Dauji took ..he started to fly in the sky,, hist hime with his hand and he was klled..this morning on the book of Braja yatra..people think that one will commit aoofens ecoming to dhama…pandas oppose bec the want money, want restrict people baba psays they are Pralmbasura, restrict ones from comeing to Dhama they ar e Prambasuras, the are avatars of Pralmhasura, they are educyaed wrongly..theyare demons they will file cases against you in the court…. 64 anga of dev life..who are against their own acaryas are demons…in Vrindabanthe saint say wo says you, who gives vrindaban if any ones makes you braja cut his head, toungue…as Muslims make patawas, the will make a patmwa…I am not the right person..Murlika opposition od fe dhama in theopposition of teb ord…One who oposes the staying in dhama cut his tongue it is not a sin. 4.17 If you are unable to leave the place, cobcover your ears, if you are then you cut his tongue, otherwise you become dead, never hear the opposition to the dhama, opposition to the Lord, the saints have said…cut their tongues..they are avatrs of Prambasura, how can they become dhama vajis in the Brahmā varta purana some saints have said your book will be banned…that is better,,to restrict one from living in dhama..a sin make them do opposite should be be