KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.1.8
• Srila Sukadeva Goswami, the top most transcendentalist is setting an example for hearing about and glorifying the supreme Lord
• Srimad Bhagavatam cannot be studied by one’s own intellectual capacity. It can only be learned by studying it at the feet of a realized soul like Śrīla Vyāsadeva
• Although Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated soul from the very day of his birth, he still had to take lessons of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from his great father, Vyāsadeva, who compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under the instruction of another great soul, Śrī Nārada Muni
• Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed a learned brāhmaṇa to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a personal bhāgavata.
• It is called Brahma-sammitam because it is the sound representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa
• Bhagavad-gītā is the sound incarnation of the Lord because it is spoken by the Supreme Lord.
• Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sound representative of the Lord because it was spoken by the incarnation of the Lord about the activities of the Lord.
• It is the essence of the Vedic desire tree and the natural commentation on the Brahma-sūtras, the topmost philosophical thesis on the subject matter of Brahman
• By hearing Srimad Bhagavatam one can become freed from the modes of material nature. If we accept the essence as it is when we make spiritual advancement.
• By studying Srimad Bhagavatam, one will do better in the job, studies, relationships, better time management, etc. It has immediate benefits for everyone.
• All good qualities will develop in one who regularly hears and repeats Srimad Bhagavatam. (26 qualities of the devotees). Srimad Bhagavatam is for the all-around success of human life.
• Therefore, we should develop faith by regular hearing, repeating. When we are regularly hearing and repeating, we are with Krsna all the time and we perfect our lives.
• Our purpose of life when we are in Krsna Consciousness is to always hear and glorify about the Lord.
• The way to glorify the Lord is explained in the Lord’s Daily Activities chapter in Krishna Book.
• The glorification of the Lord, by the Messenger, the Kings, and Narada Muni are great examples. They are not asking for anything material. They are asking that the Lord protects them so they can take up devotional service seriously.
• You can taste how much affection they have for the Lord and how they are putting themselves in the position of complete dependence on the mercy of the Lord.
• We read this chapter 70 in Krsna book, because, we have to develop a taste for hearing about Krsna’s qualities, pastimes with the devotees. This was happening on the earth’s planet when Krsna came to demonstrate his transcendental pastimes.
• Why does He come to the earth – it is to show people what is going on in Goloka Vrndavan so they have an idea of the transcendental activities that are going on there and the relationships. These relationships are free of lust, greed, anger, and envy.
• We do not have to make up any prayers. We need to just repeat the transcendental realizations of the pure devotees. Brahma Samhita, Bhagavadgita, the whole Srimad Bhagavatam is full of prayers.
• Developing that taste for Krsna Katha (transcendental literature) is something that we need to work on.
SB 2.1.8 TRANSLATION:
At the end of the Dvāpara-yuga, I studied this great supplement of Vedic literature named Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is equal to all the Vedas, from my father, Śrīla Dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva.
CLASS NOTES:
SRILA SUKADEVA GOSWAMI, THE TOP MOST TRANSCENDENTALIST IS SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR HEARING ABOUT AND GLORIFYING THE SUPREME LORD
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that the topmost transcendentalist, who is beyond the jurisdiction of regulations and restrictions, mainly takes to the task of hearing about and glorifying the Personality of Godhead
SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM CANNOT BE STUDIED BY ONE’S OWN INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY. IT CAN ONLY BE LEARNED BY STUDYING IT AT THE FEET OF A REALIZED SOUL LIKE ŚRĪLA VYĀSADEVA
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or, for that matter, any other scientific literature, cannot be studied at home by one’s own intellectual capacity. Medical books of anatomy or physiology are available in the market, but no one can become a qualified medical practitioner simply by reading such books at home. One has to be admitted to the medical college and study the books under the guidance of learned professors. Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the postgraduate study of the science of Godhead, can only be learned by studying it at the feet of a realized soul like Śrīla Vyāsadeva
Although Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a liberated soul from the very day of his birth, he still had to take lessons of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from his great father, Vyāsadeva, who compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under the instruction of another great soul, Śrī Nārada Muni
LORD ŚRĪ CAITANYA MAHĀPRABHU INSTRUCTED A LEARNED BRĀHMAṆA TO STUDY ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM FROM A PERSONAL BHĀGAVATA.
ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM IS THE SOUND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LORD
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is based on the transcendental name, form, attributes, pastimes, entourage and variegatedness of the Supreme Person, and it is spoken by the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Vyāsadeva.
It is called Brahma-sammitam because it is the sound representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa — like the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is the sound incarnation of the Lord because it is spoken by the Supreme Lord, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sound representative of the Lord because it was spoken by the incarnation of the Lord about the activities of the Lord.
It is the essence of the Vedic desire tree and the natural commentation on the Brahma-sūtras, the topmost philosophical thesis on the subject matter of Brahman
SB is the greatest scripture in the history of the world. It is a scientific book. Who is Krsna, qualities, body, activities, past times, … By hearing this one can become freed from the modes of material nature. If we accept it as it is when we make spiritual advancement. If we read other books – mayavadi’s commentaries, we will never advance. It is called Bramma sammitam. Someone can say I can read but it will not get me a job or a promotion. That is the false narrative. By studying SB, you can manage your time SB, better in your job, your relationships, you can develop the great 26 qualities of a devotee by hearing SB every day. We develop faith by regular hearing, repeating, and we are with Krsna all the time and we perfect our lives.
Krishna Chapter 70
Krsna wakes up 3 hrs before Brahma Muhurta, washes His hands feet and mouth, and face, and starts meditating on Himself. Because He is the absolute truth and living entities are eternal servants and we meditate on Him and Srimati Radha Rani. After meditation, He takes a bath and changes into clean clothing. He does fire sacrifice and does Gayatri Mantra. There are many reasons why we cannot meditate on ourself, – Krishna’s body and soul are the same. He is the supreme and absolute truth. He is the brahman, paramatma, bhagavan. Krishna’s existence is not relative and our existence is relative. Krishna does not need anything. He is completely independent. His activities are all transcendental. He is supreme controller, maintainer,
He is the cause of all causes. We are limited by time and space. He is the controller of both and is not limited by them. His body is completely spiritual and is not subject to the mode of nature. He gives 13,800 cows in charity in Brahma Muhurta. He is present in 16,000 palaces with 16,000 wives with 10 children with each wife, after Brahma Muhurta he will become one and go to assembly house Sudhama. He is ekarasa.. His body never gets older. He always has His full potency.. As a lil baby, he killed the cart demon, Puthana,…Any one of His senses can perform functions of all other senses as He has a spiritual body… anganiyasya sakalendriya… Krsna is the cause of the whole creation. We are not the cause of anything except stool and urine. Krsna does not have any specific duty to perform. But he only does His duty to inspire others to follow the duty. He does not become perfect, but he is always perfect. He can expand His body. He is pleasing many living entities. He administers all the issues of governance … when he goes to
Sudhama Assembly hall – none of these are there – Hunger, Thirst, Lamentation, Illusion, Old Age, Death
We cannot imitate, we can follow – Wake up early, chanting Hare Krsna, Do some charity…
Our purpose of life when we are in KC is to always hear and glotify about the Lord. The way to glorify the Lord is explained in the Lord’s Activities chapter in Krsna Book.
(KRISHNA BOOK CHAPTER 70) HOW TO GLORIFY THE LORD
Dear Lord, we are not among these surrendered souls; we are still within the duality and illusion of this material existence. We therefore take shelter of Your lotus feet, for we are afraid of the cycle of birth and death. Dear Lord, we think that there are many living entities like us who are eternally entangled in fruitive activities and their reactions. They are never inclined to follow Your instructions by performing devotional service, although it is pleasing to the heart and most auspicious for one’s existence. On the contrary, they are against the path of Kṛṣṇa conscious life, and they are wandering within the three worlds, impelled by the illusory energy of material existence.
Devotees do not come to the Lord and say I need money for the end of the month. They do not approach the lord like that..
“‘Dear Lord, who can estimate Your mercy and Your powerful activities? You are present always as the insurmountable force of eternal time, baffling the indefatigable desires of the materialists, who are thus repeatedly confused and frustrated. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You in Your form of eternal time. Dear Lord, You are the proprietor of all the worlds, and You have incarnated Yourself with Your plenary expansion Lord Balarāma. It is said that Your appearance in this incarnation is for the purpose of protecting the faithful and destroying the miscreants.
Under the circumstances, how is it possible that miscreants like Jarāsandha can put us into such deplorable conditions of life against Your authority? We are puzzled at the situation and cannot understand how it is possible. It may be that Jarāsandha has been deputed to give us such trouble because of our past misdeeds, but we have heard from revealed scriptures that anyone who surrenders unto Your lotus feet is immediately immune to the reactions of sinful life. We therefore offer ourselves wholeheartedly unto Your shelter, and we hope that Your Lordship will now give us full protection. We have now come to the real conclusion of our lives. Our kingly positions were nothing but the reward of our past pious activities, just as our suffering imprisonment by Jarāsandha is the result of our past impious activities. We realize now that the reactions of both pious and impious activities are temporary and that we can never be happy in this conditioned life.
These are the realizations of the Kings. This is the real face of reality for everyone.
The material body is awarded to us by the modes of material nature, and on account of this we are full of anxieties. The material condition of life simply involves bearing the burden of this dead body. As a result of fruitive activities, we have thus been subjected to being beasts of burden for these bodies, and, being forced by conditioned life, we have given up the pleasing life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now we realize that we are the most foolish persons. We have been entangled in the network of material reactions due to our ignorance. We have therefore come to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which can immediately eradicate all the results of fruitive action and thus free us from the contamination of material pains and pleasures.
This is the way to approach the Lord. They are not asking anything material. They are asking that the lord protects them so they can take up devotional service seriously.
Dear Lord, You have already fought with Jarāsandha eighteen times consecutively, out of which You have defeated him seventeen times by surpassing his extraordinarily powerful position. But in Your eighteenth fight You exhibited Your human behavior, and thus it appeared that You were defeated.
Dear Lord, we know very well that Jarāsandha cannot defeat You at any time, for Your power, strength, resources and authority are all unlimited. No one can equal You or surpass You. Your apparent defeat by Jarāsandha in the eighteenth engagement was nothing but an exhibition of human behavior. Unfortunately, foolish Jarāsandha could not understand Your tricks, and he has since then become puffed up over his material power and prestige. Specifically, he has arrested and imprisoned us, knowing fully that as Your devotees we are subordinate to Your sovereignty.’”
The messenger concluded, “Now I have explained the awful position of the kings, and Your Lordship can consider and do whatever You like. As the messenger and representative of all those imprisoned kings, I have submitted my words before Your Lordship and presented their prayers to You. All the kings are very anxious to see You so that they can all personally surrender at Your lotus feet. My dear Lord, be merciful upon them and act for their good fortune.”
(KRISHNA BOOK CHAPTER 70) NARADA MUNI GLORIFIES THE LORD
The great sage Nārada spoke as follows: “My dear Lord, You have spoken about the cosmic manifestation created by the Supreme Lord, but I know that You are the all-pervading creator. Your energies are so extensive and inconceivable that even powerful personalities like Brahmā, the lord of this particular universe, cannot measure Your inconceivable power. My dear Lord, You are present as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart by Your inconceivable potency, exactly like the fire which is present in everyone but which no one can see directly. In conditioned life, all living entities are within the jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature. As such, they are unable to see Your presence everywhere with their material eyes. By Your grace, however, I have seen many times the action of Your inconceivable potency, and therefore when You ask me for the news of the Pāṇḍavas, which is not at all unknown to You, I am not surprised at Your inquiry.
“My dear Lord, by Your inconceivable potencies You create this cosmic manifestation, maintain it and again dissolve it. Only by dint of Your inconceivable potency does this material world, although a shadow representation of the spiritual world, appear to be factual. No one can understand what You plan to do in the future. Your transcendental position is always inconceivable to everyone.
As far as I am concerned, I can simply offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again. In the bodily concept of existence, everyone is driven by material desires, and thus everyone develops new material bodies one after another in the cycle of birth and death. Being absorbed in such a concept of existence, one does not know how to get out of this encagement of the material body. By Your causeless mercy, my Lord, You descend to exhibit Your various transcendental pastimes, which are illuminating and full of glory. Therefore I have no alternative but to offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
“My dear Lord, You are the Supreme, Para-brahman, and Your pastimes as an ordinary human are another tactical resource, exactly like a play on the stage in which the actor plays parts different from his own identity.
We read this because, we have to develop a taste for hearing about Krsna’s qualities, pastimes with the devotees. This was happening on the earth planet when Krsna came to demonstrate his transcendental pastimes. Why does He come to earth – it is to show people what is going on in Goloka Vrndavan so they have an idea of the transcendental activities that are going on there and the relationships. Everything is relational in human existence. Therefore the relationships the devotees have in Goloka are the supreme pinnacle of achievement, There relationships are free of lust, greed, anger, and envy. This is what we have to hear about. Nowadays all movies are about sense gratification, bad guys defeated or win, that does not teach you anything about transcendental relationships. You can feel the love and affection in the words of Messenger, the kings in the prison, and Narada Muni. You can taste how much affection they have for the lord and how they are putting themselves in the position of complete dependence on the mercy of the lord.
We have to develop a taste for hearing the transcendental nature of the relationship between Krsna and His devotees and they show you what is going on in the spiritual world.
Mahamaya takes away from Krsna. Yoga Maya brings us closer to Krsna. Illusion in the spiritual world is such that we intimately come close to Krsna. We are free to love Krsna with no inhibitions and rules or regulations in Goloka Vrndavan. Why there are no rules because everyone there has a PURE love for Krsna. In the material world, we have no pure love, hence we have to follow rules to overcome the false conceptions and false ego and finally surrender to the lord. We cannot love Krsna if we have a false ego. It is a gradual process here to become free of Maha Maya. But if we are serious about Krsna Consciousness, it can go quickly also.
It is very rare to meet someone like Srila Prabhupada who is giving real knowledge. One has to go through Sadhana Bhakti and one cannot jump to Raganuga bhakti.
Hearing regularly – This is the nectar, this is the medicine. We do not have to make up any prayers. We need to just repeat the transcendental realizations of the pure devotees, Brahma Samhita, Bhagavadgita, the whole Bhagavatam is full of prayers. Developing that taste for Krsna Katha (transcendental literature) is something that we need to work on.
Homework for tomm – explain what you have learnt from Narada Muni’s statements.