KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.3.17 TODAY (05/19/21):
- This verse confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by the acceleration of devotional service.
- Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing the identification of spiritual values.
- Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold
- Human life is simply awarded to a living entity (jīva) so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities.
- Once a person comes into contact with any of the Lord’s energies ( His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage) through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened.
- As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear by the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently.
- Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one’s complete life for eternity.
- CC M 22.54 – “The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.
- SB 3.25.25 – In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.
- And thus the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, in as much as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence.
- Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being; only due to material infection is the eternal living entity subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease.
- Aas quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in smṛti-śāstras – Money given in charity –
- to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brāhmaṇa.
- to a non-brāhmaṇa (without brahminical qualification) the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion.
- to a half-educated brāhmaṇa, even then the money is returned double.
- to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times, and
- to a Veda-pāraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas), it is returned by unlimited multiplication.
- There is a guarantee of money’s being returned if given in charity, regardless of the proportion. Similarly, a moment passed in the association of a pure devotee by hearing and chanting the transcendental messages of the Lord is a perfect guarantee for eternal life, for returning home, back to Godhead.
- a devotee of the Lord is guaranteed eternal life. A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.
SB 2.3.17 TRANSLATION:
Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.
CLASS NOTES:
Many wonderful points are made by Srila Prabhupada in this purport.
TIME INDICATED BY THE SUNRISE AND THE SUNSET WILL BE USELESSLY WASTED IF SUCH TIME IS NOT PROPERLY UTILIZED FOR REALIZING IDENTIFICATION OF SPIRITUAL VALUES
This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by acceleration of devotional service. Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values. Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold.
PURPOSE OF LIFE –
Human life is simply awarded to a living entity (jīva) so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness. A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities.
Most people are misled into thinking that you can find happiness in the material world. How can you find happiness in a place of misery – “dukhalayam asasvatam…” Permanent happiness is Rama – reservoir of pleasure… Happiness can only be found in Rama and Krsna…
THE DOOR TO PERFECTION IS IMMEDIATELY OPENED WHEN ONE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH ANY OF THE ENERGIES OF THE LORD.
The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him. Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened.
In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.40) the Lord has explained such contact in the following words: “Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled. Nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears.”
IMPORTANCE OF HEARING FROM PURE DEVOTEES
As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear by the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently. Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one’s complete life for eternity. (This is a paraphrase of CC M 22.54)
CC M 22.54
‘sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — sarva-śāstre kaya
lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.
HH HVM says – “Just a few moments of association with Srila Prabhupada fixed me for my life. I know he was exceptional, But when I saw him he was much greater than Jesus. He was much more humble, much more knowledgeable… “
Sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life
And thus the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, in as much as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence. Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being; only due to material infection is the eternal living entity subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease.
One can transcend the law of nature birth-death old age and disease by HEARING about the lord.
ABOUT CHARITY
The materialistic way of pious activities like charity is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.
MONEY GIVEN IN CHARITY
- to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brāhmaṇa.
- to a non-brāhmaṇa (without brahminical qualification) the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion.
- to a half-educated brāhmaṇa, even then the money is returned double.
- to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times, and
- to a veda-pāraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas), it is returned by unlimited multiplication.
The ultimate end of Vedic knowledge is realization of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ).
There is a guarantee of money’s being returned if given in charity, regardless of the proportion.
Similarly, a moment passed in the association of a pure devotee by hearing and chanting the transcendental messages of the Lord is a perfect guarantee for eternal life, for returning home, back to Godhead. Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. In other words, a devotee of the Lord is guaranteed eternal life. A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.
Now you are getting older, getting sick, break away now, it is the time to fully immerse in Krsna Katha… Krishna says – Kaunteya prati jane priyosi me… Gold standard – my devotee never perishes…
(SB 3.25.25) BY HEARING ABOUT LORD FROM A PURE DEVOTEE ONE BECOME FIXED IN DEV SERVICE
satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.