Shakti-Fan

Seattle, Washington October 22, 1968 I offer my humble prostrated obeisances at the lotus feet of all the Vaisnavas. Sripada Trivikrama Maharaja, Yesterday I received your letter dated October 12, and its contents were heart-breaking. Kindly inform me of the details of the sudden disappearance of Pujyapada Maharaja (Srila B.P., Kesava Maharaja). I had a very long-standing, intimate relationship with Srila Maharaja. When I used to visit Sridhara Mayapura, I was taken care of by Sripada Narahari Dada and Sripada Vinoda Dada with great affection. They were my extremely loving friends. Also in Calcutta, the senior Tirtha Maharaja, Professor Nisikanta Sannyal and Vasudeva Prabhu, were very dear to me. Afterwards I used to visit and associate freely with Sripada Sridhara Maharaja as if we were the closest of family members. Except for Sripada Sridhara Maharaja, all of the above-mentioned Vaisnavas have gradually disappeared. Our time is also approaching, so it will be best to have the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada as long as possible. I have a very close connection with Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. Yourself, and particularly Sripada Vamana Maharaja, are well aware of the fact that I am one of the three persons who founded Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. We had conceived the idea of the formation of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti at Bosapada Lane, Calcutta, even before Srila (Kesava) Maharaja accepted sannyasa. Within a few days of the formation of the Samiti, Sri Narottamananda Brahmacari (presently Tridandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Kamala Madhusudana Maharaja) separated himself from the Samiti. At that time Sripada Vamana Maharaja, who was then a brahmacari, visited our home at Sitakanta Banarji Lane; He made me the chief editor of the Bengali magazine, Sri Gaudiya Patrika. Respecting the order of Srila (Kesava) Maharaja, I started writing articles for the Gaudiya Patrika regularly. Srila Maharaja greatly appreciated whatever I wrote. Thereafter, I was also appointed as the president of the Hindi magazine, Sri Bhagavata Patrika, and many of my articles were published in that. Afterwards I could not submit articles due to lack of time. Now I have become a resident of foreign lands and I have to travel twenty thousand miles every year. The greatest compassion of Srila Kesava Maharaja was to make me a sannyasi. I had taken a vow that I would never accept sannyasa, but Srila Maharaja forcibly gave it to me. He would certainly have been most pleased today to see the success of my preaching. Last year I visited him in Calcutta along with my disciples, and despite being bedridden, he was very pleased to receive us. I have complete confidence that both in his manifest presence and after his disappearance, he must be very pleased to see my widespread preaching of the message of Sriman Mahaprabhu in Western countries like America, Canada, England, Germany and Hawaii (Honolulu), situated in the pacific ocean, as well as eastern countries like Japan (Tokyo! and so on.) I was a staunch grhamedi (one whose thoughts are absorbed in household affairs). Srila Prabhupada used to come to me in dreams from time to time and call me to renounce family life and come along with him. The dreams would frighten me and make me think that I would have to accept sannyasa. I didn't have any desire to take sannyasa. But upon the repeated insistence of Sripada Narayana Maharaja, Srila Kesava Maharaja bestowed boundless mercy upon this unwilling and blind person, by forcibly giving me sannyasa. It seems that this desire of Srila Prabhupada's was transmitted into his heart, and it was thus that my sannyasa was accomplished. So I am eternally indebted to Srila (Kesava) Maharaja. Therefore, immediately after receiving your letter, I organized a viraha-sabha, an assembly at the Seattle temple to honor his disappearance. I am sending the condolence resolution of the meeting along with this letter. Kindly accept it as our Sraddhanjali, or humble homage. In my other centers (the list is enclosed), particularly London, Hamburg and Honolulu I have given instruction to arrange a viraha-sabha and offer Sraddhanjali homage likewise. You will be glad to know that under my guidance I have formed three sankirtana parties comprising American youths and couples. One such party is currently traveling to all cities in America and I am also with this party. The second party of six devotees is performing kirtana at different places in London. The Indians living there are amazed to see them. They have given up their home land and come all the way to the Westen world to attain wealth and reputation, but the Americans are performing harinama-sankirtana. Somehow the preaching activities are going on very nicely. I am interested to know what kind of constitution you are forming. In this matter you will receive my complete cooperation, because I am a man of constructive ideas. I do not like destructive policies. It was the desire of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura that Americans perform kirtana in Sridhama Mayapura, and that opportunity has now come. Unfortunately, those who have intruded into Mayapura consider it to be their personal property. These days others are restricted from visiting that place. Srila Kesava Maharaja used to deal with these guru-tyagis (those who renounce their guru) and guru-bhogis (those who enjoy the property of their guru) with sword in hand. Anyway, last year he mentioned that he would arrange five acres of land for me in Sridhama Mayapura. You were present at that time. If you help me in this matter, I intend to make an asrama in Mayapura. American boys and girls can visit and stay there and receive proper training. By our cooperation, preaching activities can be done very nicely. Therefore, I am eager to know the details of your constitution. I am going to Montreal tomorrow. From there I will go to Santa Fe (New Mexico) and then to Los Angeles. I am sending the addresses of our various centers along with this letter. We are executing a plan to build New Vrndavana on three hundred acres of land. Kindly reply to the Los Angeles-Hollywood address as I will be staying three days in Montreal, seven days in Santa Fe and almost one month in Los Angeles. pythivite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama Preaching can be spread extensively throughout the world on the basis of this system. I think that you will make your constitution directly in accordance with the above prediction. I hope your bhajana is going on nicely. Your obedient servant, Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami

Regarding Jaiva Dharma, Srila Prabhupada said in September 23, 1969, on the divine appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, <o:p></o:p> Regarding Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's books in general, a conversation took place with Prabhupada on May 13, 1975:<o:p></o:p>

Perhaps Sarva gattah can refute Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur and Srila Jiva Goswami in terms of: dharma, svabhava, vastu, ghatana, vikara and nisarga. If you've been actually reading the previous posts you will know how these terms are defined. To refresh your memory, here is Prem Prayojana Prabhu, Paraphrasing Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in Jaiva Dharma,

What is the method by which the jiva gradually becomes soft and lets go of the acquired nature, which is characterized by the presence of so many different anarthas? It is called saranagati. Surrender is the process of giving up the nisarga, the acquired nature. And how do you know that the jiva is giving up his nisarga? Because these anarthas, which are the fruits of nisarga, are all gradually disappearing; they are fading away and becoming less and less and less. That is called anartha nivrtti. So: adau sraddha tatah sadhu- sanga 'tha bhajana-kriya tato 'nartha-nivrtti syat tato nistha rucis tatah From sraddha up to ruci are the progressive steps of the gradual process of saranagati. Now we can understand saranagati-giving up nisarga and approaching our actual svabhava. So Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that in this process of saranagati, there are six angas, six limbs. What are they? anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam raksisyat iti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha atma-niksepa karpanye sad-vidha saranagatih (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 11.676) Anukulyasya sankalpa, we make a strong vow, I will do everything which is favorable for devotional service. Pratikulyasya varjanam, I will make a determined effort not to do anything against my practice of devotional service. Raksisyatiti visvaso, I have a strong faith that in any situation Krsna will protect me. Goptrtve varanam tatha, Now and tomorrow and forever, I will not have to do anything for my maintenance, Krsna will maintain me. Dainya, to always be meek and humble and give respect to others. And atma-nivedana means to not have any interest separate from the interest of Krsna. In the beginning, surrender means to Gurudeva and Vaisnavas, gurupadasraya, surrendering completely to Gurudeva,because at first we don't know Krsna. To not have any interest separate from the desire of guru, to make your desire and the desire of guru one-this is atma-nivedana. The six angas of saranagati are composed of five moods. The first mood is called pratijna, promise, anukulyasya sankalpah-pratikulyasya varjanam, I will do everything favorable and give up everything unfavorable. These two together make one mood that is called pratijna, I promise-this mood should come. Then the next mood, Krsna will certainly protect me, is called visvas, confidence, confidence in Krsna. The third mood, I know that Krsna will maintain me throughout my whole life-this is called nirbharata, dependence. Then, to always be humble-this is dainya bhava. And finally, atma-nivedana means not to have an independent mood. To depend on Krsna is one mood and not to have any independent mentality is the final mood. So now we can see where we are. We are in misra-sattva. Some devotees are very pure, I know, but myself and others like me are now absorbed in misra-sattva. Our jivatma has undergone vikara, some transformation, and we are ruled by an acquired nature, nisarga. The fruit of this nisarga is anartha, but if everyday we try to keep in our hearts these five moods, that is, a very firm promise, confidence in Krsna, to depend on Krsna, to always be humble, and have no self-interest, then when these five moods are firmly situated in the heart, that means that the nisarga has gone away. The combination of these five moods together is called sraddha, faith-this sraddha is suddha, it is pure. This is called paramartika sraddha. The first sraddha, as found in the verse 'adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga', is not paramarthika. It is not transcendental faith. It is worldly faith only, and it is soft, but because it came about by some contact with a sadhu, there is a slight scent of paramartika sraddha in it. It manifests in the feeling that only Krsna is worshipable; all the demigods are not worshipable, only Krsna. If this mood is there-that God is a person and He is the object of my worship, not anyone else-this laukika sraddha mentioned here is called 'adau sraddha'. There is only a smell of paramarthika sraddha in it in the form of one-pointedness towards Krsna. But strictly speaking, at this time, sraddha is not called paramartika because it is mixed. The jiva is still in the stage of misra-sattva, but he is trying hard to make a strong promise: I will follow everything my Gurudeva said. I have confidence in Guru and Krsna. Guru and Krsna will maintain me, and I will not be independent. When these moods gradually become stronger and stronger, and five moods are combined in the heart, that means naisargika phala is going away. This is called anartha nivrtti, and the devotee becomes steady. Now his suddha mood is coming. He is advancing to the platform of being liberated, because the effect of the modes of nature is going away. In nistha he is still not fully surrendered, but when ruci starts to come, he is known as saranagat, unconditionally surrendered. Even when he is in nistha, these five moods are always in his heart; he never lets go and no material moods predominate. Then if he will continue to associate with a sadhu, ruci will come. Why? Because there is some light coming out from that association. By his own effort alone, he can only realize something of brahma, but by that association he can have a realization-I want to serve Krsna in a particular way. Before taking sadhu sanga, he was not entitled to this realization. And when that feeling comes to serve Krsna in one particular mood, he has entered ruci. The bhakti-lata-bija has been called sraddha which is steady and mixed with pure ruci. The inner portion of the bhakti-lata-bija is the desire to serve Krsna, krsna-seva-vasana, and the outer portion is sraddha, faith. The external symptom that someone has faith is 'sa ca saranapati laksana' (Amnaya Sutra 58), they are unconditionally surrendered and are manifesting these five moods. Now there is an important point to note here. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that when the six angas of saranagati are manifest, five feelings are firmly situated in the heart of the jiva. Those five feelings combined together is called sraddha and that mood is the first step that the conditioned jiva takes in becoming like the nitya parikaras, the associates of Sri Krsna in the spiritual world. The associates of Radha and Krsna in the spiritual world always have these moods, but in a very advanced degree. When the living entity gives up his nisarga and these five moods are firmly situated in his heart (he has achieved sraddha), that is the first step that the jiva takes in becoming just like them. If you want to live in this world, you have to be like everyone else. But if you want to live in that world, you'll have to make the first step in becoming like them, and that is paramarthika sraddha. This will not come in misra-sattva or during nisarga. Naisargika phala should melt away by the process of saranagati; the devotee's mood must be steady, and then he comes in his suddha mood. Now, from this suddha mood begins ruci, and suddha-bhava is coming. Visuddha-bhava refers to the transformation of brahma-jnana into sambandha-jnana, and brahmananda into premananda, but this has not happened yet. The transformation has not yet taken place properly until bhava-bhakti comes. Ruci is the first appearance of suddha-bhava, and in this stage he must have association. When ruci becomes thicker, it turns into asakti, attachment. In the stage of asakti, now his heart is so pure that he can realize his spiritual form. He can see an abhasa (semblance) of his spiritual form at the time of chanting-some sphurti takes place by mercy of guru. Why? The form was already there, but covered. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadha-jivanam anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam Ceto darpana marjanam refers to sraddha, you should have some paramarthika sraddha. When you chant, bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, all the anarthas are going. Then sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam: this means that the name is like the moon and the rays of bhava are coming from that pure name. But in the stage of ruci, you are not chanting the pure name. Therefore, you must do kirtana with devotees who are chanting the pure name. And the rays coming out from that pure name will induce the lotus of your heart to open. This is ruci. The jiva can go up to liberation himself, but when he does kirtana with someone who has visuddha mood, then its rays touch his heart and initiate the first feeling that I want to serve Sri Radha-Krsna like Rupa Manjari. This is called ruci. Why? Because the rays of bhava coming from his association are opening his heart, and when it starts to open more and more, he sees the abhasa of his own svarupa in the stage of asakti. At the time of bhajana, he sometimes sees Radha and Krsna and Vrndavana also. But because his own visuddha-bhava has not come yet, he has no seva-adhikara, he has no qualification to go and serve Them. Gurudeva always says, He can see but he can't touch. Like in a sweet shop, the sweets are behind glass-you can see the sweets but you cannot taste them. So in that stage, he should associate more and more, and the more he stays in contact with someone who is on fire, then the fire, the potential within him, comes out and he goes from asakti to bhava. That is called: suddha-sattva visesatma prema suryamsu samya-bhak rucibhis citta-masrnya krd asau bhava ucayate What is bhava? Now, by his association, the potential which was in him comes out. Rucibhis citta-masryna, and his citta is masrnya. Now it just melts completely, it becomes completely molten-that is called bhava. What is the melting of the heart? This involves three types of tastes: bhagavat-prapti-abhilasa, anukula-abhilasa and sauhard-abhilasa. In ruci, this desire arises, but when bhava comes, his heart totally melts and his spiritual body is now totally enlivened-he is composed of this taste. What is that? Bhagavat-prapti-abhilasa-to attain Radha and Krsna; anukula-abhilasa-to serve Radha and Krsna in such a way that They become extremely happy; and sauhard-abhilasa-to not only serve Them, but to be really really intimate, to have one heart with Them, to become tadatmika with Radhika. This is bhava. In misra-sattva, the jiva has nisarga, he is very hard. When the nisarga goes away, he becomes pure. But it is not until he goes on doing bhajana in the association of pure devotees that the heart totally melts. Then, all the potential for love of Krsna comes out in the form of intense desires-to always be with Radha and Krsna, to always serve Them, and not only to serve Them but to have intimacy and equality with Them. Therefore, what is the process of sadhana-bhakti? This is very important. Through proper sadhana and association, all types of tattvas can be understood. Now we are coming to sadhana-bhakti-tattva. Rupa Gosvami gives the definition in Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu: krti-sadhya bhavet-sadhya bhava sa sadhanabhida nitya-siddhasya bhavasya prakatyam hrdi sadhyata What is sadhana? Krti-sadhya, you achieve this by your senses. You are engaging the senses of your body and mind in hearing, chanting and remembering. Sadhya bhava sa sadhanabhida-so that you can attain your sadhya bhava, your perfect mood. Then, if you will hear this first line, it seems that by doing sadhana, you will get something. But no, it is not that by practicing you will get it; it's not like that. This mood is nitya-siddhasya, nitya-siddha-bhava. Siddha means established, it is established in the heart. It is a potential within the jiva, but you will have to do sadhana, and by doing this sadhana, what will happen? Prakatyam hrdi sadhyata, it will manifest. Gurudeva gives the example of stones-in stones there is fire, but you can't see it. However, if you strike two stones together, sparks jump out. Don't think that by clashing the stones together, you made a spark. The fire was already there; you only caused it to manifest. In the same way, when someone does sadhana, he is trying hard again and again; when nitya-siddha-bhava manifests, one should not think that it was produced by one's sadhana. Only prakatyam hrdi sadhyata-what was always there comes out. So when the relationship with Krsna manifests in the heart of the jiva, he feels, I was always the servant of Radha and Krsna. This is who I am. This is self-realization. So even though bhava is something you attain by sadhana, when it comes, he feels like I always had it. This is something very weird. We have to go on chanting. There are not any words to tell what this experience is. Only Rupa Gosvami felt and realized everything, and he is telling us in his writings. At the time of doing sadhana-bhajana, the devotee can realize, O Rupa Gosvami, how did you write such a wonderful thing! And then a very intense desire comes in you to run and fall at his feet. What Rupa Gosvami has written is so sweet and beautiful. If one will do bhajana, he can realize the words of Srila Rupa Gosvamipada. Now there is one important point here. In Siksastakam, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu writes, vidya vadhu jivanam. When asakti comes you will realize, Oh, I am the maidservant of Radhika, but you cannot serve Her. So, anandambudhi vardhanam, the ocean of ananda is increasing (vardhanam). In other words, ananda was already present in the jiva; now that ananda becomes so powerful. Though the jiva as a vastu is minute, his dharma is unlimited. His prema dharma is unlimited and so powerful. The vast Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all existence, can become controlled by the prema of a tiny jiva. This is the impossible potential of love. Now, what is the jiva, what nature is in the jiva? I want to explain these tattvas and how this concept of jaiva dharma makes all tattvas clear. So far, we have explained bhakti-tattva-what is sadhana-bhakti and bhava-bhakti, and what is sraddha, bhajana kriya, anartha nivrtti, anartha, nistha, ruci, bhakti-lata-bija, asakti, bhava, bhava-bhakti and prema-bhakti. All of these concepts have become clear only by understanding jaiva dharma. Now we come to another tattva, guru-tattva. If we will understand only Jaiva Dharma, then we know what is guru-tattva. It does not matter what the jiva does or who he associates with, he cannot even attain ruci unless he has the sanga of a jata-rati-vaisnava. Even if he is always hearing, chanting, remembering and performing other limbs of bhakti, ruci will not come without associating with a Vaisnava in whose heart visuddha-bhava (visuddha-sattva) is present. The desire to serve Krsna in a particular way, the bhakti-lata-bija, will not come. And even if he has associated with a guru and he has received that bhakti-lata-bija, if he does not go on associating, as Gurudeva always says, It will dry up and be finished. Now, guru-tattva is clear. The guru must have visuddha-bhava; he must have rati. Otherwise, the jivas will always go for bhukti and mukti. They are hearing, chanting and remembering, but what is the result? To have a bigger temple with more marble, a more comfortable room, a better computer, a bigger car, more disciples and a new wife. And if they get a new wife, afterwards they want mukti, liberation. So the jiva will always go towards bhukti and mukti unless he associates with a jata-rati-vaisnava. This is bound to happen; the jiva has no choice, because that is all there is in the tatastha-sakti. The refinement of brahma-jnana and brahmananda takes place only by the association of someone with visuddha-bhava. We have explained bhakti-tattva, sadhana-tattva, bhava-tattva, prema-tattva, and now guru-tattva is clear. Now come to the next concept, sadhu sanga. You have a bona fide guru who is liberated, and he gave you diksa mantra. So do you still need to associate with a sadhu? Yes. Why? Because if you take a piece of wood which is on fire and touch the other piece of wood and then take it away, what will happen? Even if it was starting to turn black and smoke a little bit, the spark of fire will still go out. You'll have to keep that fire there until the other one is also on fire. In other words, the jiva will have to associate again and again and again with maha-bhagavat jata-rati-bhava-bhaktas until their own bhava manifests; they won't burn on their own until the flames of bhava have manifested in their heart. Even if they have realized sambandha-jnana and they know who they are-sometimes they see the abhasa of their svarupa in a sphurti-but still, until bhava comes, they will have to associate again and again. When they achieve rati and have seva-adhikara, they begin their service to Radha and Krsna. Spontaneously, asta-kaliya-lila comes in their heart whenever they chant. Until this stage comes, even the heat that was coming will cool down if they give up associating. So now, the philosophy of sadhu sanga has been clarified. Do you need to associate with sadhu? Yes. And how much do you need? You need to associate up to bhava. And when you come to the level of bhava, then without sadhu sanga, you will go mad. At that point, this question will not arise. That person does not think, Do I need sadhu sanga? That person rolls on the ground and weeps bitterly: sunyayate maha-gostham girindro 'jagarayate vyaghra-tundayate kundam jivatu-rahitasya me (Sri Prarthanasraya-caturdasaka, verse 11) The whole of Vrndavana is now like a desert, Giriraja Govardhana is like a python eating me alive. Radha Kunda is like the mouth of a tiger about to devour me alive. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is asking, Why is it like this? Because I don't have the association of Rupa Gosvami. There is no need to ask such a person, Do you need sadhu sanga? They are beyond any misconception in this regard. We have clearly explained the necessity of and the extent to which we need sadhu sanga. We have also discussed what kind of sadhu we should associate with, and what is vaisnava-tattva. Next we will look at pramana-tattva. Does anyone know Dasa Mula Siksa? amnayah praha tattvam harim iha paramam sarva-saktim rasabdhim tad-bhinnamsams ca jivan prakrti-kavalitan tad-vimuktams ca bhavad bhedabheda-prakasam sakalam api hareh sadhanam suddha-bhaktim sadhyam tat pritim evety upadisati janan gauracandrah svayam sah There are so many more tattvas and they all expand on the basis of one fundamental idea, a clear conception of the dharma of the jiva. Therefore, my Gurudeva often remarks that Jaiva Dharma is a masterpiece and anyone who is well acquainted with it will become very strong because he will know every siddhanta without any doubt or misconception. Gaura premanande!

So, if this is the nature of the jiva, why is devotional service being called jaiva dharma? Why? This is a very wonderful thing. Now we come very deeply to the conception of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and all our acaryas. The tatastha-sakti is ultimately a transformation of svarupa-sakti, so the vrttis of samvit and hladini are present in the form of brahma-jnana and brahamananda. But because the jiva-sakti is ultimately transformed from svarupa-sakti, the jivas undergo another transformation by the association of a person who is himself established in svarupa-sakti. The samvit and hladini which is present in the jiva can be transformed, the brahma-jnana transforms into sambandha-jnana and the brahmananda into premananda, or sevananda. Ultimately, the tatastha-sakti is a transformation of svarupa-sakti. Then, though the jivas have not come from the spiritual world, they have come from tatastha, thus samvit and hladini in them is only as brahma-jnana and brahmananda, even if they are completely pure. Still, because ultimately the tatastha-sakti has come from (is a transformation of) svarupa sakti, the samvit and hladini within them becomes refined and transforms back, even though the jiva himself was never like that. Because tatastha has come from there originally, transformation takes place: brahma-jnana into sambandha-jnana and the brahmananda into premananda, sevananda. I'll give one example to clarify this. This example has been given in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.24) and it's quoted by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in Madhurya Kadambini: parthivad daruno dhumas tasmad agnis trayimayah tamasas tu rajas tasmat sattvam yad brahma-darsanam [The firewood is the transformation of the earth, and smoke is better than the raw wood, and fire is still better, because by fire we can derive so many benefits by superior knowledge, or Vedas. Similarly, rajas quality of matter is better than tamas quality, but sattva quality is the superior quality by which one can realize the Absolute Truth.] He is saying that if you gather a big pile of dirt and try to set it on fire, what will happen? Nothing. But earth transforms into wood. If wood is wet, you can't do anything with it either, but if it is dry, you can light a fire. From fire you can perform a yajna, and from a yajna you can get transcendental knowledge. In the same way, when the jiva is absorbed in misra-sattva, when he is in the mode of ignorance, you can't do anything with him. He is useless-just sleeping all day, getting drunk, arguing and lamenting. But at least, if the jiva is in the mode of passion, that is better because he is running around like a madman. In this condition he can make himself useful-you can give him a bookbag or a mrdanga and let him run around. Gradually, as the effect of raja guna goes away, he will come in sattva guna. In this world, however, there is always some mixture of tamas and rajas in sattva guna. But when he comes to pure goodness, suddha-sattva, then, sattvam yam brahma-darsanam. From that platform he can realize brahma. The jiva can be compared to wood. Inside the wood there is fire. Why? Wood is formed by heat coming from the sun. The sun has fire, which has been absorbed and stored up in the wood. That piece of wood was never on fire, never. If you put the wood down and carefully watch it forever, it will never catch on fire, never. But if another piece of wood which is already on fire will come and touch it, what will happen? The wood will burst into flames. Where did the fire in the first piece of wood come from? It originally came from the sun and was already in the wood, but it takes the touch of the second piece of wood that was already on fire to cause the potential within that wood to come out. By itself, it will not come out. In the same way, the jiva, coming from tatastha sakti, cannot do any bhakti. On its own, the jiva cannot do bhakti, no matter how much he chants, how much he reads, how much he associates with other jivas, who are also like wood. There will have to be at least one piece of wood that is on fire-who has visuddha-bhava. This is true even if the living entity is doing a very strong sadhana, and he has been liberated from the modes of passion and ignorance. Sometimes devotees will glorify someone, This devotee is really brahminical. He gets up everyday and serves the deities and chants so much. He's so fixed and steady and so much in the mode of goodness. He's a very good devotee. Then, after thirty years he falls down. Why? Because it doesn't matter how pure you become by your own efforts, you will only come up to the platform of sattva, pure goodness. You can realize brahma-jnana and brahmananda. But how will the potential within you, like the fire in wood, come out? Your potential sambandha-jnana and sevananda, or premananda, will not come out. There's nothing you can do. The jiva's ultimate potential will surface only when he comes in contact with a pure devotee who has bhava, suddha-sattva visesatma, who is not in misra-sattva or suddha-sattva. Then and then only, by that contact, will the idea come in his heart that I want to serve God, and his tendency to go towards karma, yoga or jnana-sense gratification and liberation, bhukti and mukti-will begin to be severed. When one associates with a maha-bhagavata, a pure devotee in the stage of bhava, a new-born desire comes, that first feeling that I don't want enjoyment, I don't want exploitation or renunciation, I want only dedication. This first feeling is called bhakti-lata-bija. Therefore: brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavana jiva guru krsna prasade paya bhakti lata bija Where does this bhakti-lata-bija come from? Does the jiva have it? No. Does the guru have it? No. When the jiva comes in contact with someone who has visuddha-bhava, then, the potential that was there becomes activated. It is a function; can we say a function is there or not? A function is not a substance, it's a function. For example, you are sitting down now, you can run, but when you are sitting, where is running? Do you have running? No, because it's not a substance, it's a potential, you can run. So this function, that is, krsna-seva vasana, the desire to serve Krsna, becomes animated. That latent function becomes animated when he meets the maha-bhagavat, who has visuddha-bhava. Therefore brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva. The jivas are wandering through thousands of lifetimes and his tendency to serve Krsna will never come-he will always strive for bhukti or mukti. This is what we see in so many religions of the world. But this tendency, I want to serve Krsna only, being free from bhukti and mukti, comes when he associates with someone who is on fire, not someone who is in misra-sattva, or even a mukta in suddha-sattva. What is required is a pure devotee who has prema or at least bhava. He is called jata rati vaisnava. The association of a vaisnava who has rati can cause the awakening of the tendency within the jiva to serve Krsna. This tendency is called bhakti-lata-bija. We will need more and more association. Why? Because the jiva's pure visuddha mood has not come yet. Only by the light of that association he is feeling something. If he doesn't have that association, that feeling to serve Krsna will become very weak and will eventually turn into bhukti and mukti again. Why? Because his realization is coming like a reflection from the association, and it will remain like this until he comes into the stage of bhava. When the jiva's desire to serve Krsna is kindled by the association of a pure devotee, he will face some obstacles and problems. These are called anarthas and they come in many varieties: 1) Svarupa bhrama: that means philosophical misconceptions. These are of four types: Sva-svarupa bhrama-in regard to one's own nature. For example, many devotees think that the jiva has no svarupa, we are just a blob of Brahman; but no, we do have a very subtle form. But the tendency to serve will not come without association. This is called jiva-svarupa bhrama. Then paratattva-svarupa bhrama-not understanding the nature of paratattva Sri Krsna. Then sadhya-sadhana-bhrama-not knowing what is the goal of life and the process to achieve it. The last one is called bhajana-virodhi-visaya bhrama: not understanding what is detrimental to our bhajana. So these misconceptions will have to go away. 2) Then the second type of anartha it called asat trsna, thirst for asat, that which is not opposed to our eternal nature. It is also of four types: 1) the thirst for material enjoyment in this world; 2) the desire for happiness in the heavenly planets, svarga loka. The third one is the desire for asta siddhi and nava nidhi, the eight perfections of yoga and nine jewels of Kuvera. The fourth one is liberation. This is also called asat trsna, thirst for that which is opposed to our eternal nature. 3) Aparadha-this is of four types. The first one is seva-aparadha. That means offences to Krsna's svarupa, the deity in the temple. There are thirty-two types of seva-aparadha. Then there are ten types of nama-aparadha. The next aparadha is called tadiya-aparadha, offences to those who are tadiya-they belong to Krsna, such as Vaisnavas, Tulasi devi, guru, sastra and so on. Then jiva-aparadha, to all jivas, even those who are not devotees. They are apparently disconnected from God, but we should not make offences even to an ant. These are the four types of offences. 4) The last one is hrdaya durbalya, weakness of heart. This is manifest in the tendency to be proud, as well as fault-finding, enviousness, duplicity and attachment to very insignificant things. Now the question comes, what is anartha? Where is it? We all have anarthas we have to deal with, so if we just knew what they were and where to find them, then we could locate them and wipe them off the face of the earth. OK anarthas, you've been giving me so many problems. We're going to line you up against the wall andŠ We've heard so much about all the different types of anarthas, but what are they and where are they? We know about so many substances-earth, water, fire, air, ether, intelligence, mind, false ego-we know all the ingredients, the twenty-six elements of the material world. But I never saw anartha anywhere among the elements. So what are they made of? What is this anartha? In Jaiva Dharma, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura clearly explains the conception of anartha, which is called naisargika phal, the fruit of nisarga. In other words, when the jiva undergoes vikara and his svabhava becomes latent, he attains nisarga, an aquired nature. Anarthas are the automatic characteristics of his citta-vrtti, the tendency of his consciousness due to having an acquired nature. Now the jiva has become hard, so he will have to become very soft. He will have give up his rigid behavior and attitudes and learn to relax a little bit. This relaxation or melting means that he will have to let go of his accustomed behavior as a softness gradually comes in the jiva. This softness indicates that he is gradually becoming free from nisarga, the acquired nature.

Prema Prayojana Prabhu: Yesterday we began to discuss the conception of jiva-tattva and dharma in an attempt to convey Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's presentation of these topics in his great masterpiece, Jaiva Dharma. For those who were not here, I will quickly review a few points that we touched upon last night. Every field of knowledge has its own terminology that helps us understand the subject precisely. In understanding the soul, it is helpful for us to become acquainted with the terms: dharma, svabhava, vastu, ghatana, vikara and nisarga. The word dharma comes from dhri dhatu-the verbal root, meaning 'to hold'. That which any substance is holding and never lets go of and by which it can be identified is called its dharma, its religion. Every vastu, or substance, has its dharma, that is, its svabhava, or nature. This svabhava arises automatically from its ghatana, its internal construction. It is not something acquired from anywhere else. It is not something to be practiced or learned. Dharma is the intrinsic nature (svabhava) arising from the ghatana (construction) of any substance (vastu). Next, we discussed how a vastu, when coming in contact with another force, can undergo transformation. The transformation of any substance is called vikara. When vikara takes place, the svadharma (svabhava) of a substance goes into a latent position and is apparently lost; the vastu's subsequent acquired nature is called nisarga. To illustrate these terms, an example is given. A vastu, in this case water, has a dharma (svabhava), namely liquidity, which arises automatically from its ghatana. When water is subjected to extreme cold, a vikara (transformation) occurs in which its dharma, liquidity, is apparently lost. The transformation in this case is commonly known as freezing, in which the substance exhibits nisarga, an acquired nature, namely hardness or solidity, as opposed to its svabhava or dharma, liquidity. Now let us apply these terms to the subject of the jiva soul. The jiva is transcendental by constitution; but because he is very tiny, he undergoes vikara (transformation) when he comes in contact with the material energy. His svabhava, his nature, or his dharma-that is, prema-dharma, vaisnava-dharma, bhagavat-dharma, sanatana-dharma, or jaiva-dharma-goes into a latent position and he takes on an acquired nature, called nisarga. It is important to know how that nisarga manifests in our lives. As a result of this nisarga, the jiva begins to engage in karma, or fruitive activity, that is, doing something to get something in return. Otherwise, he engages in jnana (speculative knowledge) in an attempt to become liberated. Or he performs yoga to achieve siddhi, mystic powers to control his environment. Thus, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is speaking about jaiva-dharma, or vaisnava-dharma, he is not referring to a sectarian concern. This is not 'our belief,' our 'manifesto,' our 'party line.' No, this is the nature of every jiva. Then how can we understand all the other religions of the world? Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that the dharma of the jiva is unconditional loving service to Krsna, the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. The degree to which the conception of such service to Krsna is present within any other religious conception determines the degree to which that religious conception is valuable. We find that in all the religious conceptions of this whole world, there is some mixture of karma, jnana or yoga. Therefore, by following these paths, one cannot become entirely free from his nisarga, acquired nature. What is vaisnava-dharma? If you will gather together all the religions of the world, and take out from them karma (the fruitive mentality, to go to paradise), jnana (the desire for salvation, to be liberated), and desires which are mixed with yoga siddhi (mystic powers such as healing and speaking in tongues), you'll be left with Vaisnavism. This is the pure dharma; it is without any contamination coming from nisarga (the acquired nature resulting from contact with the modes of material nature). Therefore, this jaiva-dharma, or the process of prema-bhakti, is the religion of every jiva, every living entity. The conception is completely broad and universal. If you will discuss this with anyone, they can easily see the defects of karma, jnana and yoga. And if they will remove these things from their religion, they will be left with Vaisnavism. So this is very good news for the whole world. We have a lot of work to do to broadcast this idea. We discussed this yesterday and we also explained about Krsna's sakti. He has one sakti, svarupa sakti, and it has three vrttis, three functions or tendencies known as sat-cit-ananda, or sandhini, samvit and hladini. parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8) There are three vrttis in the svarupa sakti. When the svarupa sakti comes out from the mandala of the cit-jagat, it transforms and becomes tatastha-sakti. From this tatastha-sakti, so many jivas have come. This sakti also transforms into the shadow of its original nature-that shadow aspect is called maya-sakti, and the effect of sandhini, samvit and hladini is also present there. We have discussed the three influences of these three vrttis in the three transformations of svarupa-sakti. Everyone remembers clearly? I think so. In case not, we'll mention again in brief. In the spiritual world, sandhini makes forms and shapes, samvit makes knowledge, but in Vrndavana samvit cannot work. It is transformed; because there is so much hladini there, it becomes only sambandha-jnana, knowledge of a special relationship with Krsna. And hladini transforms: hladinira sara 'prema', prema-sara 'bhava' bhavera parama-kastha, nama--'maha-bhava' (CC. Adi 4.68) This hladini develops into all the different varieties of prema. This is the vilasa of hladini-sakti. This sakti becomes so many varieties of waves of endless affection, its ultimate embodiment being Srimati Radhika Herself. So these are the three functions in the spiritual world. In the material world, the three functions are present but in a transformed state. They become temporary existence, material knowledge, and happiness and distress, respectively. In the tatastha sakti, sandhini makes the jiva's form, samvit makes brahma-jnana, and hladini makes brahmananda. When the jiva is covered over and is not aware that 'I am the soul,' 'I am atma,' he is only absorbed in maya. In this condition, he has material knowledge and undergoes material happiness and distress. When his consciousness is not entangled in maya, then he realizes himself. What does he realize? Aham brahmasmi, I am spirit. brahma-bhuta prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad bhaktim labhate param (Bhagavad Gita 18.58) Brahma-bhuta prasannatma: he realizes, 'I am Brahma,' 'I am spirit only' and prasannatma, he becomes happy. How happy? Brahmananda: 'I am liberated'-only this. Yesterday we also spoke about the vikara of the jiva's svarupa. Because the jiva is very tiny, due to contact with the material energy, vikara takes place. That means transformation takes place in the jiva's svarupa. There is atma guna vikara, that is, the qualities of the soul also become transformed. The jiva gives up his pure nature and becomes entangled with maya. Today I want to say something about this tatastha sakti. When svarupa-sakti comes out from the mandala of cit-jagat, then it is called tatastha-sakti. This tatastha-sakti is also called aisi-sakti. Aisi-sakti means sakti of Isvara. The word 'aisi' comes from the word Isa. All the saktis are from Isvara, but this particular one is really special in the sense thatt it has some unique characteristics. Tatastha sakti has one karya, duty, and it has kriya, activity, the activity by which it performs its duty. So what is the duty of tatastha-sakti, aisi-sakti? What does she have to do? (Devotee: She has to serve Krsna.) All saktis have to serve Krsna. Now the karya, the duty of aisi-sakti, tatastha-sakti, is to assemble to apurna jagat. There is purna-jagat, the spiritual world, and apurna-jagat, the material world. That is the complete universe, and this in the incomplete universe, apurna-jagat. Aisi-sakti has to assemble the apurna jagat. That is her karya, her duty. How does she do it? In Bhagavad-Gita (7.4) Krsna says: bhumira apo'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhi eva ca ahankara iti yam me bhinna prakrtir astadha There are eight types of bhinna prakrti, separated energy-earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intelligence and false ego. But: apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat (Bhagavad-Gita 7.5) Apart from these separated energies, I have another energy, 'prakrtim viddhi me param.' You should know this is para, this is a transcendental energy, it is not material, it is not a part of maya. Jiva bhutam maha baho: from this energy come all the jivas. What are the jivas doing? Yayedam dharyate jagat dharyate: dharma, dhr-dhatu-they are holding or sustaining this jagat, this material universe. Unless the jivas enter into the material energy, the universe will not go on. Take your body as a microcosm of the universe-in this body there are so many elements and so many living entities, all of whom are working together and living in harmony as long as the soul is present. The moment the soul goes, suddenly every cell in the body doesn't know how to cooperate with the others and it doesn't work anymore. Everything breaks down and becomes rotten and begins to emanate a foul odor. So the presence of the jiva causes everything in the body to go on in harmony. Due to the presence of the jiva in the sun, the sun god is is able to function. The moon, the wind, the rain and everything work in this way. The jivas have entered into the material energy along with the Supersoul, who facilitates their desires. Therefore, because of the presence of the jivas in all the departments of the material world, this jagat is going on. All the elements are there, but who assembled them? It was accomplished by one jiva in the form of Lord Brahma. Brahma took the material elements and assembled them, and the jivas entered into what he assembled; then their bodies came alive and they began to move. In this way, the whole universe is going on. Krsna said: Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. It was the duty of the tatastha-sakti to assemble the apurna-jagat. How did the aisi-sakti assemble the apurna-jagat? By manifesting unlimited, tiny jivas. Those jivas are very astonishing, having a quality that is not present in any other spiritual manifestation. Though they are para-sakti, of a transcendental nature and not material, they have a dual passport. It means that this particular manifestation, which has come from tatastha-sakti, can come under the control of cit-dharma, the spiritual nature. Alternatively, they can become vasibhuta (overpowered) and come under the control of jada-dharma. By coming into the proximity of the modes of material nature, then, though they are spiritual and conscious, gradually they can accept jada-dharma. That means they tend towards inert nature. In other words, they start to freeze up. Water is soft, but it can gradually become hard-crystals form, it solidifies and becomes ice. In the same way, by the influence of the powerful material energy, the jivas, because they are so tiny, undergo some transformation (vikara) and accept jada dharma, even though they are spiritual by nature. This is the only spiritual energy that has the capacity to accept jada dharma. When vikara of the jiva-svarupa, the transformation of his nature (atma-guna-vikara) takes place, the jiva becomes less and less conscious. In the human form of life, we are relatively conscious some of the time, and sometimes not. If the jiva will degrade into the animal species, then his consciousness becomes more and more contracted. As he goes further down-to fish, to plants and stones, the consciousness continues to contract, and in stone, the jiva is practically like jada now, having no feeling at all. Though the jivas are spiritual, they can accept jada-dharma. There are other jivas who also came from jiva-sakti, but they manifested directly in the spiritual world when Krsna situated Himself in jiva-sakti and became Baladeva. These jivas are essentially the same as the tatastha jivas, but because they are in the atmosphere of svarupa-sakti, their visuddha-bhava (their pure mood) is active; therefore, they can never be covered by maya. This means they will never accept jada-dharma. Only those jivas that are manifested from Paramatma as tatastha, due to haviing a dual nature, have the opportunity to accept cit-dharma or jada-dharma. If you want to understand the subject deeply, you have to know that sattva (existence) has many levels. The word sattva means existence; the sandhini-sakti makes existence but it transforms into many levels. So this sattva has different levels. First we should know what is sattva, then misra-sattva, suddha-sattva, visuddha-sattva, and finally suddha-sattva visesatma. The conditioned soul is called misra-sattva. This existence is contaminated by the reactions of the modes of nature-sattva, rajas and tamas, goodness, passion and ignorance. When the jiva comes in contact with the material energy, vikara takes place in the jiva-svarupa because the gunas have entered his satta (existence). This is the state of misra-sattva, mixed existence. When the jiva's tendency for karma, jnana and yoga have gone, the jiva can completely retract the senses and stop them from contemplating the material energy. This is accomplished either by associating with a transcendental personality or by executing very hard austerities. Gradually his transformation goes away and he comes from the level of misra-sattva to suddha-sattva, pure existence. Now he is mukta purusa, liberated. In Jaiva Dharma, we see how Brajanatha questioned Raghunatha dasa Babaji. He asked, Now I have understood the defect in the conditioned soul-this vikara in atma-svarupa. He has undergone some transformation due to the association of guna-mayi-maya. But is there any defect in a liberated soul? I am not talking about a pure devotee who is liberated in that world, but rather a mukta, a jiva who has achieved liberation. He is brahma-bhuta-is there any defect in him? Babaji Maharaja replied, There is no defect in a liberated soul in terms of vikara. There is no transformation in jivatma-svarupa. But there is one problem. That is, because he is very weak, from the platform of liberation, again he can fall down. Again, vikara, the transformation, can take place, because he is very tiny and the material energy is very powerful. This has been described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is very important to understand the depth of this verse. If a jiva becomes mukta, that is, suddha, all the vikara goes away; the transformation in his svarupa goes away. It is as if he has come again to the central, or marginal, position. But if he wants to enter the spiritual world, another transformation will have to take place, because when he is liberated, what can he realize? What is in the jiva? Brahma-jnana and brahmananda, only up to this. Therefore, when he is liberated and he becomes free from the influence of the material energy, he will only realize brahma-jnana and brahmananda. From there, again he can become distorted, vikara can take place and he can come in maya again. Only to become pure is not enough. To come to the platform of suddha-sattva is not enough. He will have to come to the stage of visuddha-sattva. Visuddha-sattva, specialized purity, is the nature of Krsna and His associates and the whole spiritual world. There, the pure existence is predominated by the actions of samvit and hladini, which are of the nature of visuddha-sattva. This is described by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu (1.3.1): suddha-sattva visesatma prema suryamsu samya-bhak rucibhis citta-masrnya krd asau bhava ucayate Here the word 'visesa' indicates visuddha-sattva. Visesatma prema-don't stop at the end of the line, go one word further, suddha-sattva visesatma prema, the love. In other words, the combination of samvit and hladini, which is of the nature of visuddha, is like the sun, and one ray of that is called bhava. So unless the jiva attains bhava, he can fall down. He may be suddha, but unless his service to the Supreme Lord in the form of bhava-bhakti manifests, he can fall down. Therefore, in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32), it is stated: ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah Srila Prabhupada quoted this verse in many of his purports throughout his Bhagavatam. It means, O my Lord, because they neglect to serve Your lotus feet, those who think that they are liberated by dint of very hard austerities again fall down because their intelligence is not pure. We have heard this verse a thousand times, but look closely at the words. It says, ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas: those who think, manina means they consider themselves vimukta, supremely liberated; they are mukta, they are liberated. They are not touched by the three modes of material nature anymore, but they are thinking, I am vimukta, supremely liberated. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa,' 'O Aravindaksa, O lotus-eyed Lord, ye-those who, vimukta manina-think they are supremely liberated, tvayy asta bhaved avisuddha-buddhayah-their buddhi is not visuddha. They may be suddha, but they are not visuddha. What will happen to them? Aruhya krcchena-even though by practice, aruhya means they went up, krcchena means by terribly severe austerities, yoga, sense control and jnana; they come up. Param padam-to a transcendental situation, tatah-from that place, patanty-they fall down. Patanti adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghraya-why did they fall down? 'nadrta-they do not honor You. They have no respect for Your lotus feet, so they fall down. The jiva may do very hard austerities and gradually, gradually become free from the influence of the material energy, but because, when the svarupa-sakti transforms into tatastha, the action of samvit and hladini is only brahma-jnana and brahmananda. Therefore, although by their own activity they can become liberated, they remain weak, and again they can go down. This is a very important point. If we can understand this tattva, then we will understand all tattvas-such as pramana-tattva, jiva-tattva, guru-tattva, sadhu sanga, vaisnava-tattva, nama-tattva, bhakti-tattva, bhava-tattva, prema-tattva-if we can just clear this point. How? Now we understand that when the jiva is free from the modes, he can become liberated, but the function of samvit and hladini in him is only brahma-jnana and brahmananda. That is why every single living entity has a tendency to try just to get out of this world (nirvana). This is their disposition. Generally, all the jivas of this world do not naturally go toward bhakti. There are millions and millions of people in this world following a spiritual path, all of whom are like Buddhists. All are mayavadis. Otherwise, they are Christians and think God is the light. Even Muslims, Sikhas, Jains and all others ultimately think that God is not a person, that He has no form, and that there is no sense of service in that realm. Why? Because this is the nature of the jiva. Up until the point of liberation, even in the pure state, it is their nature.

Prabhupada's instructions on what can be taken on Ekadasi are clearly a concession that he made in order to preach Krsna Consciousness to a group of people who were not accustomed to practicing austereties. If one was to tell Srila Prabhupada that they were following a stricter dietary regime on Ekadasi, do you really think that he would object? Anyway Srila Narayana Maharaja has told his Western followers that if they are unable to follow the Gaudiya Math style Ekadasi then they may follow Srila Prabhupada's concessions.

To interpret:Srila Prabhupada - ‘No one falls from the spiritual world or Vaikuntha planet, for it is the eternal abode. (Bhag. 3.16.26, purp.) to mean, "This clearly means our nitya-siddha svarupa body can NEVER leave Goloka or Vaikuntha and that WE ONLY DREAM, THINK OR IMAGINE WE LEAVE." is a total concoction.

Pretends to agree but CONTRADICTS

[sripad Dhrstadyumna Prabhu reads from Jaiva Dharma:] "Sannyasi Maharaja said, 'Prabhu, I want to understand this topic very clearly.'" [srila Narayana Maharaja:] He very humbly said, "Prabhu, I want to know all these truths." When he said, 'to know', he meant, 'I want to realize something. I am not satisfied by the (mayavada) tattva I have been practicing. I want to be satisfied." We should know that any example or analogy of this world cannot fully explain the transcendental world. Some examples can give us an idea, like, "Krsna is beautiful and black, like a cloud or like a tamal tree." It is not possible, however, to totally describe the transcendental world by any mundane worldly examples. Examples are given to express some idea, but there is nothing in this world that can fully compare with Krsna. Someone may ask, "Can you tell me where is the moon?" Another person will reply, "You can see it on the branch." The moon is not on the branch; it is millions of miles away. Still, some idea was given. The logic used to understand what is not within our understanding is thus called 'sakha-candra nyaya,' the logic of the moon on the branch. By doing bhajana, by daily chanting Hare Krsna and hearing hari-katha in the correct process, with very strong belief, then, according to your advancement in bhajana, you can realize all the truths regarding this world and that absolute transcendental world. Logic will not satisfy you. One logical argument will defeat all other arguments, and then another logical argument will come and defeat all the previous arguments. Mundane logic and argument have no existence in the spiritual world. svatah siddho vedo hari dayita vedhah prabhrtitah pramanam sat praptam pramiti visayan tan nava vidhan tatha pratyaksadi pramiti sahitam sadhayati nah na yuktis tarkakhya pravisati tatha sakti rahita "The self evident Vedas, which has been received in the sampradaya through guru parampara by recipients of Sri Hari's mercy, such as Brahmaji and others, are known as amnaya-vakya. The nine prayema tattvas are established by those amnaya-vakyas with the help of the other sastras, along with different types of evidence such as direct sense perception (pratyaksa), inasmuch as thy confirm the Vedic version. Reasoning that is only based on logic is always crippled when evaluating inconceivable subject matters, since logic and argument have no access in the realm of the inconceivable." (Dasamula 1) acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet prakrtibhyah param yac ca tad acintyasya laksanam "All transcendental tattvas are beyond material nature, and are therefore inconceivable. Dry arguments are within the jurisdiction of material nature, so they can only be applied in mundane subject matters. They cannot even come close to transcendental tattvas, what to speak of grasping them. As far as inconceivable conceptions are concerned, the application of dry arguments is undesirable and useless." (Mahabharata, Bhisma parva 5.22) [sripad Dhrstadyumna Prabhu reads from Jaiva Dharma:] "Babaji Mahasaya replied, 'Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, who was an object of the mercy of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, showed me a manuscript that he had written with his own hand. Sriman Mahaprabhu has instructed us on this subject in the book named Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 20.108) as follows: jivera 'svarupa' haya - krsnera 'nitya-dasa' krsnera 'tatastha-sakti', 'bhedabheda-prakasa' "The constitutional nature of the jiva is to be an eternal servant of Sri Krsna. He is the marginal potency of Krsna, and is a manifestation simultaneously one with Him and different from Him. krsna bhuli sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha ataeva maya tare deya samsara-duhkha "The jiva who has forgotten Krsna has been preoccupied with the external potency since time without beginning. Consequently, Krsna's illusory potency (maya) gives him misery in the form of material existence." (Cc Madhya 20.117) [srila Narayana Maharaja:] Can you explain the meaning of 'krsna bhuli sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha'? [syamarani dasi]: Caitanya Mahaprabhu is speaking to Sri Sanatana Gosvami about the nature of the jiva. 'Sei jiva' - that jiva who has forgotten Krsna since the beginning of time. 'Anadi-bahirmukha.' Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained to Sanatana Gosvami that there are two kinds of jivas, (1) the unmukha (liberated) jiva who is eternally engaged in his service in the spiritual world, and (2) the bahirmukha (conditioned) jiva who has turned his face against the Lord, who is different from that eternally liberated soul. The conditioned jiva, who has never been in the spiritual world, is a product of the tatastha-sakti. He has emanated from there, and when given the choice by Lord Maha Visnu, he was attracted to the material nature. 'Sei jiva' - only that jiva, being attracted by the illusory energy, is being given all kinds of miseries in the form of material existence by that illusory energy. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] But why has it been said, 'krsna bhuli'? Does it mean that initially the jiva was remembering and serving Krsna in the spiritual world, but after sometime he forgot Him and fell down? [sripad Asrama Maharaja:] One may say that this statement 'krsna bhuli sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha' means that the jiva has forgotten Krsna and came to this material world. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] But Srila Swami Maharaja has never written in his books that the jiva has come from Goloka. What is the harm of saying that the jivas were in Goloka and then they made some mistakes and fell down to this material world? [sripad Asrama Maharaja:] It's explained in Bhagavad-gita: janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna "One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." (Bg 4.9) In the spiritual world there is svarupa-sakti, but there is no influence of maya-sakti. What to speak of the spiritual world, Mayadevi cannot even go to the Viraja River, the dividing line between the spiritual world and material world.* There is no question of ignorance in the spiritual world. There the jivas are in their svarupa, transcendental forms, and there is no question of them forgetting their relationship with the Lord and falling onto this material world. Sastra states that they are not aware of this material world. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] If the jivas fell from there, there would be no use of doing so much sadhana and bhajana. If you do bhajana and go to the spiritual world, and then you come to the material world - what is the use of doing bhajana? It is better to stay here. If that jiva falls down from Goloka Vrndavana, it would mean that maya also exists in Goloka Vrndavana. There are no words and no language to explain this. By the influence of maya there is a certain vocabulary here, and we use certain words, but you will have to purify your understanding of those words by sadhana-bhajana. You cannot understand by words alone, because mundane language does not reach beyond matter. Still, even though there is some impurity and defect, sastra will have to use this mundane language to give an idea. [sripad Madhava Maharaja:] We have heard from our guru-parampara and we have seen in the scriptures: na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama ["That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world." (BG 15.6)] After going to the spiritual world, the eternal abode of Krsna, one will never come back to this material world. All jivas are doing sadhana-bhajana to attain the service of the Divine Couple. We should try our level best to go back to Godhead. If, after going there the jiva is falling down, then what is the use of doing sadhana-bhajana? Moreover, if they don't fall down, what to say about jivas who are the eternal associates of Krsna, such as sakhas like Subala, Sridama, and Madhumangala; parents like Nanda Baba and Yasoda Maiya; and all gopis, especially Srimati Radhika. It is not possible for them to fall down from there. Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura use the words 'krsna bhuli' only to give us an idea, and to make us understand. It is like sakha-candra nyaya-the logic of the moon on a branch. We have to understand through our guru-parampara; and then we can understand properly. If we try to understand through the speculation of mind or by our mental exercise, we cannot understand. We have to surrender ourselves to lotus feet of Gurudeva. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] There are very deep meanings in all the slokas of Srimad Bhagavatam, and they need to be explained. These slokas state that no one can fall from Goloka Vrndavana or Vaikuntha to this material world. Jaya and Vijaya wanted to please their Prabhu Narayana because He wanted to taste vira-rasa, and it was for this reason that Narayana attracted the four Kumaras to come to see Him in Vaikuntha. Neither anger, nor lust, nor any bad qualities are present in Vaikuntha, but Narayana inspired Yogamaya to make them angry. They became angry and cursed Jaya and Vijaya, and when they repented just after doing so, Narayana told them, "Don't be worried. I wanted this. Jaya and Vijaya will go to the material world for three lifetimes in their manifestation forms and, at the same time, they will remain in the spiritual world in their original forms. I will perform pastimes of vira-rasa with them in the material world." Citraketu Maharaja was in the same position, and Bharata Maharaja, who was in the position of rati (bhava-bhakti), never fell. These devotees performed pastimes of 'falling down' only to give lessons to jivas like us. Similarly, Narada Muni also performed a pastime in which he appeared to have he become bewildered. He once conquered Kamadeva, Cupid, and after that he proudly thought, "Even my Guru, Sankara, ran after Maya. When he saw Mohini, having forgotten that it was Krsna who had become Mohini, he became like a madman and ran after 'Her.' His deerskin fell off as he ran, and he kept running even though he had become naked. Parvati came and asked him, 'What are you doing?!' but he remained unaware of her presence and continued running after Mohini. But Kamadeva (Cupid) came to me, and he could not do anything." Narada then went to Sankara and told him, "I have conquered Kamadeva," then he went to Brahma told him the same thing, and then he went to Lord Narayana and told Him the same. Narayana saw that false ego, like a disease, had now come to Narada, and He thought, "I will remove this disease by an operation. His disease is like piles, and he will not be cured of it without My performing an operation." He replied to Narada, "You are My best devotee. I'm very proud of you." Later, as Narada was returning to this universe, he saw a very, very beautiful kingdom, and he saw a king and his only daughter. That girl was extremely lovely and, in wonder, Narada considered that he had never seen such beauty before. He went to the king and said, "I want to see her future." He then took the hand of that princess in his, and thought, "How can I marry this girl?" After seeing her hand, he went away and began to meditate on his Prabhu, Lord Narayana. Narayana at once appeared in his meditation and asked, "What do you want?" Narada prayed, "O, please help me. I want to marry that girl. Please give me a form which is as beautiful as Yours." Narayana replied, "All auspisciousness to you. All benedictions to you. I will do what is best for you." Narada now thought that Narayana had fulfilled his desires and given him a form similar to His own, with a very beautiful face, and he was satisfied. He returned to the King, and at that time that girl was having a svayambhava ceremony, the function in which a princess chooses her husband. She took a very beautiful garland and she was preparing to garland to the man who most attracted her, after which they would be married. Narada kept walking wherever that girl walked, showing his face to her and hoping she would give him the garland. Although she looked disgusted and went to another place whenever she looked at him, Narada still followed her everywhere to attract her attention. In the meantime, one of the associates of Sankara told him, "Oh, you are so beautiful." Narada thought the associate of Sankara was telling the truth, but actually he was joking and ridiculing him. In the meantime, Lord Narayana Himself came to that place on Garuda, and when the girl saw Him, she put the garland around His neck. Then, without a minute's delay, Narayana took her on His lap, on Garuda, and quickly flew away. Narada thought, "He is a very wicked person. I have served Him without any desire. Only this once did I have a desire. I wanted to marry this girl, and I asked for His beautiful face. I should see what face I have." Narada saw in a mirror, or in water, that he had the face of a black Indian monkey, like a baboon - and he became completely disturbed. He at once flew to Vaikuntha, and there he saw that very girl sitting where Laksmi usually sits. Narada then told Narayana, "You have cheated me. I curse You that You will weep, as I am weeping for this lady." In the meantime Narayana took away His maya, and Narada saw that the girl was actually Laksmi. Narayana said, "I performed this operation only to remove your false ego and pride." Narada then fell flat at Narayana's feet and apologized. This incident became the cause of Lord Ramacandra's appearance. This pastime was manifest by Krsna, or Narayana, through the agency of Yogamaya, only to give instructions to all jivas. We should not think that Narada fell from Goloka Vrndavana or Vaikuntha, and was covered by maya. By the wish of Krsna, devotees can do anything to fulfill the desires of their Prabhu. We should understand that jivas cannot fall from Goloka Vrndavana or Vaikuntha. [Raghunatha Bhatta dasa:] Why does the living entity have minute independence? [srila Narayana Maharaja:] He always has independence, whether he is here or there. This is because he is cit, not acit, and this is the symptom of cit-pardarta (the conscious entity). He always has independence, whether he is here in bondage, or there in the spiritual world. [Raghunatha Bhatta dasa:] The living entity has a choice to go to Goloka, using his independence. If he has no sadhu-sanga at the tatastha region, how will he know what is maya and what is Krsna? How will he know where to go? [srila Narayana Maharaja:] Krsna is very powerful, and He wants that all should come to Him and serve Him in the spiritual world. He never wants anyone to be separated from Him and be unhappy. He wants the jivas to desire to be with Him; so He wants to arrange anything favorable and for them to go to Him - as He did in Brhad Bhagavatamrtam. Krsna knows everything. If He sees that a jiva has some little desire there to serve Him, and he is sincere, He will arrange that he can go to the spiritual world and be with Him there. But each jiva is independent. If he misuses his independence, then he will go down to the material world. If he looks towards the spiritual world from the tatastha region he will go there by the help of Yogamaya, and if he looks towards the material world, he will come to the material world under the influence of Mayadevi. Gaura premanande [* Karanbdhi pare mayara nitya avasthiti / virajara pare paravyome nahi gati. The Viraja, or Causal Ocean, is the border between the spiritual world and material worlds. The material energy is situated on one shore of that ocean, and cannot enter onto the other shore, which is the spiritual sky." (Cc. Mad. 20.269)

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> IS BOOK DISTRIBUTION PURE BHAKTI?<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <st1:place><st1:city>Los Angeles</st1:city>, <st1:state>California</st1:state></st1:place>: Excerpts from May 11 and <st1:date year="2003" day="12" month="5">May 12, 2003</st1:date><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> [srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja is in the process of printing a large quantity of Sri Brahma-samhita, Sri Bhajana Rahasya, The Origin of Ratha-yatra, and revised editions of Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu, Gaudiya-giti-guccha (the Song book), Their Lasting Relationship, Guru-devatatma, and My Siksa-guru and Priya-bandhu, and Our Gurus: One in Siddhanta, One in Heart. He encouraged the devotees to distribute these books, and others, by sprinkling his <st1:city><st1:place>Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> classes with excerpts on that subject: The following are a few of those excerpts.] <o:p></o:p> May 11:<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The books that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja produced, and also the books that I am now producing, should be printed in very large numbers ? and now it is taking place. We are presently spending about one crore rupees ($200,000) to print books, and now there is a question of distributing them. I do not want the books to remain in cold storage. I want you all to help me in the distribution of books, and you may also keep some profit for your going here and there. <o:p></o:p> [This was the introduction to the class. During the class, Srila Narayana Maharaja called on various devotees to speak. During this time, Sripad Madhava Maharaja addressed the devotee audience:] <o:p></o:p> [sripad Madhava Maharaja:] One devotee just said that book distribution is not pure bhakti. But when a devotee goes for book distribution, he will take the book and say, "Oh, this book contains Vasanta-pancami (the pastimes of Krsna's rasa-lila during spring time)." Or, "This book contains the disappearance days of Srila Dasa Gosvami and Srila Cakravarti Thakura." They are explaining something about bhakti; they are doing kirtana. When Sriman Mahaprabhu, being Krsna and having taken the complexion of Srimati Radhika, went to <st1:place>South India</st1:place>, He brought Kurma Purana and Brahma-samhita and ordered His devotees to make copies of them. This is book distribution. <o:p></o:p> [srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja:] He wanted to obey me, so he spoke in summary; and he left some remnants for you and for me. If book distribution is done for one's own purposes, such as personal profit or reputation, then it is not pure bhakti. A devotee must think, "They should have this book and read it thoroughly, and they should enter into a deep understanding of bhakti. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned from South India with Sri Brahma-samhita and Sri Krsna-karnamrta, and He told the devotees that they should make a necklace of the teachings therein. Why? Because there is so much siddhanta in them. Without knowing all these subjects, you cannot enter the realm of bhakti. <o:p></o:p> Book distribution is for this end ? by the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to please Guru and Krsna ? then it will be real bhakti, otherwise it will not. You should be careful about this. While distributing books, you should think, "I am doing this to please my Gurudeva and Krsna, all should know what is written in Jaiva Dharma." You may tell people, "Jaiva Dharma includes everything from top to bottom about how to develop your bhakti from the beginning. If you want to read only one book, then you will have to read Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. From the conclusions of Bhagavad Gita starting with Saranagati, and continuing to maha-bhava, everything has been explained in this book. So you must read and follow Jaiva Dharma." Know that book distribution is essential. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did this Himself, and we must follow His example. But always be careful. It should not be sanga-siddha or aropa-siddha bhakti. <o:p></o:p> May 12<o:p></o:p> Book Distribution is not aropa-siddha-bhakti <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself distributed books to others, so don?t think that book distribution is aropa-siddha-bhakti [see endnote 1]. Never think likethat; never. Srila Vyasadeva first compiled Srimad Bhagavatam, and then he instructed Sri Sukadeva Gosvami to preach it everywhere. If book distribution was aropa-siddha bhakti, why, then, did Krsna give an order in the Gita that this knowledge should be given to everyone? <o:p></o:p> ya idam paramam guhyam mad bhaktesv abhidhasyati bhaktim mayi param krtva mam evaisyaty asamsayah na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya krttamah bhavita na ca me tasmad anyah priyataro bhuvi <o:p></o:p> ["For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever beone more dear." (Bg 18.68-69)] <o:p></o:p> If there is no Bhagavad-gita in book form, how we can preach? Don?t think that distributing it is aropa-siddha bhakti. Havea strong belief in this. If the motive is other than to please Krsna ? if it is to earn money to maintain oneself ? then it is bogus, aropa-siddha-bhakti. However, if any book is distributed to please Gurudeva and Krsna, for the benefit ofall human beings and the entire universe, then it is not aropa-siddha-bhakti; it is svarupa-siddha-bhakti, pure bhakti.*[see endnote 2] <o:p></o:p> What to speak of book distribution,even a person who cleans the stool of another devotee is much better situated than someone who is chanting and remembering but is criticizing others. Many mayavadis [impersonalists] and sahajiyas [those who equate mundane sex life with Krsna's transcendental loving pastimes] chant the holy name, which generally comes in the category of svarupa-siddha-bhakti, but what is the fruit they aspire for by their chanting? They want to merge in Krsna, and this is offensive. So you should be clear in your mind. When the book is distributed for the benefit of humanity, to please Gurudeva, it is bhakti.* [see endnote 3] <o:p></o:p> If Gurudeva tells you to clean up the stool of any devotee, you should run immediately to do so. There was once a very sincere devotee of our Gurudeva who rendered him so much service; playing mrdanga and singing excellently, cooking, and washing the cloths of Gurudeva. That disciple, who was quite young, became sick, and Gurudeva became busy in serving and caring for him ? even though that boy was his disciple. At that time I personally told Gurudeva, "I want to help you, so that you may have time to preach. I will look after my godbrother." Every day I would wipe off the blood coming from his mouth, and clean up his urine and stools. As a result of this,my Guru Maharaja became very, very pleased with me, and that is why I have been blessed to come here to preach today. Pujyapada Trivikrama Maharaja, used to glorify me, saying, "You risked your life to serve this devotee." <o:p></o:p> [sripad Madhava Maharaja:] And he also said, "And by this you conquered Gurudeva?s heart." <o:p></o:p> So you should not have any doubt. You should chant, remember, perform nagara-sankirtana and book distribution, and go through the books; learn the essence of these books and try to follow sincerely. Then it will not be aropa-siddha-bhakti. Otherwise, it must be. <o:p></o:p> Thank you. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> *Endnotes: 1. "Aropa-siddha-bhakti ? Endeavors indirectly attributed with the quality of bhakti. Endeavors which by nature are not purely constituted of bhakti ?that is, anukulya-krsnanusilana ? and in which the performer, in order to fulfill his own purpose, offers his activities and their results to the Lord so that He maybe pleased, is called aropa-siddha-bhakti. In other words, because his activities are assigned (aropa) to the Supreme Lord, bhakti is attributed (aropita) to them." (Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu, 92) <o:p></o:p> 2. "Svarupa-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors purely constitutued of Uttama-bhakti <o:p></o:p> All favorable endeavors or cesta such as sravana, kirtana, smarana, and so on, as well as the manifestation of the spiritual sentiments which occur beginning from the stage of bhava, which are completely devoid of all desires separate from Sri Krsna and which are freed from the coverings of jnana and karma are known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti. In other words all endeavors of the body, words and mind which are related to Sri Krsna and which are performed exclusively and directly for His pleasure without any interruption, these are known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti. <o:p></o:p> Therefore in Raya Ramananda samvada, the conversation between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Raya Ramananda found in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, both aropa-siddha and sanga-siddha-bhakti have been described as external." (Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu 18-19)<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> 3. " [Within the 64 limbs of bhakti, this is #54] Vaisnava-sastra-seva (serving Vaisnava scriptures) ? Only those sastras which cause Bhagavad-bhakti to be obtained are vaisnava-sastras. One should faithfully and regularly study such scriptures, hear them from the mouths of pure devotees, and read and recite them with a worshipful attitude. One should know the object to be obtained by such scriptures, that is bhagavad-bhakti, and having full faith in that, one should mold one's life in accordance with its principles. The restoration of, careful keeping of, publication and propagation of vaisnava-sastras are all included within sastra-seva (service to Vaisnava scriptures)." (Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu.) <o:p></o:p>

Whom To Follow And How Much To Follow Them <hr> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="203"> <tbody><tr> <td> Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Granada, Spain: June 24, 2003 Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja: One thing more – if you want to develop your Krsna consciousness, don't try to show off your bhakti to others. Keep it like camphor in your heart. If burning camphor is kept in a closed room, its fragrance increases. If kept in an open doorway it evaporates. Be like Bharata Maharaja, who never told anyone about his advancement in devotion. Only out of mercy he spoke to Rahugana, and not to others, for he was hiding his wealth. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed, "Na prema-gandho 'sti darapi me harau. – I have not a trace, or even a shadow, of prema – I have nothing." If someone would ask Him, "Then why You are weeping?" He would reply, "I am weeping so that all will praise Me. If a fish is taken out of water, she dies at once, in a moment. But as far as I am concerned, I am not meeting with Krsna, and I am tolerating the separation. So how can I say I have prema?" Srila Narottama Thakura has written in Prema Bhakti Candrika (verse 9), "Apana bhajana-katha, na kahiba jatha tatha. Don't tell anyone, 'I have seen Krsna in my dream. I have realized Krsna. Sometimes I weep bitterly for Krsna. I chant sixty-four rounds of harinama.' Or 'I can speak very nicely; better than anyone.' You must hide everything – if you want to develop your Krsna-prema."

klesa-ghni subhada moksa- laghutakrt sudurlabha sandrananda-visesatma sri-krsnakarsani ca sa "Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. It is the beginning of all auspiciousness. It minimizes the value of liberation. It is rarely achieved, it automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure, and it is the only means to attract Krsna." Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja: You should know this. You know sandhini, samvit, and hladini. ["The transcendental potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by which He maintains His existence is called sandhini. The transcendental potency by which He knows Himself and causes others to know Him is called samvit. The transcendental potency by which He possesses transcendental bliss and causes His devotees to have bliss is called hladini. The total exhibition of these potencies is called visuddha-sattva." Cc.Adi.4 purp.)] On the platform of sandhini, anything transformed by sandhini is called suddha-sattva. When the essence of hladini and samvit mix together and appear on the platform of sandhini, or suddha-sattva, this is called visesatma. What is the meaning? Hladini is directly Srimati Radhika Herself, who is svarupa-sakti. The highest mood of that svarupa-sakti is the mood of hladini. This hladini mood in its highest stage, madana, is not even in Krsna, and it is this madana that Krsna wants to taste and realize. This mood is found only in the essence of hladini, who is Radhika Herself. The moods in Radhika, the moods of how to serve and please Krsna, is called maha-bhava. What is bhava? Bhava is coming from samvit. Samvit is the potency of knowledge, but when that knowledge condensed, it is transformed into bhava, and bhava is transformed into sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, and maha-bhava. This maha-bhava is the moods in Radhika. These moods are thus the essence of samvit and hladini, the moods of service Krsna in the highest way, and they come on the platform of suddha-sattva. What is sattva? It is any transformation of sandhini. Within sandhini, any jiva who is liberated is called suddha-sattva, and Krsna and His svamsa or manifestations are called visuddha-sattva. Jivas are not visuddha-sattva, but they may be suddha-sattva. Asuddha-sattva are those who are not liberated, suddha-sattva are liberated, and visuddha-sattva refers to Krsna and His all incarnations including Visnu. When visuddha-sattva will combine with the essence of hladini and samvit and comes in a jiva, that essential mood to serve Krsna will be sandrananda-visesatma; otherwise not. This is very high-class. It is a very elevated.

From Dandavats Blog Archives: According to Srila Prabhupada in Krishna Book, we have not yet had association with Krishna, because he says that if a devotee becomes perfect he gets to take birth in a universe where Krishna’s pastimes are being manifest and at that time gets his FIRST OPPORTUNITY to associate with Krishna. Obviously, the statement that “first opportunity” indicates that we have never before had an opportunity to associate with Krishna. As such, there is no possibility of falling from Krishna’s service and association if we are still waiting for our “first opportunity” to associate with Krishna in Gokula Vrindavan as it is being manifest in a material universe. If we already have a body in Goloka that is in a coma then we would be able to go straight back to that body. Since we don’t already have a body in Goloka as some person is saying, then we have to take birth in Gokula Vrindavan to establish our spiritual relationship with Krishna and attain a spiritual body which we don’t presently have at this time. Krishna Book ch. 28 so, yes, we have not fallen down from Goloka. We have never been in Goloka to fall from there. There is no falling from Goloka. The pure devotees of Krishna are infallible as Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita. <!-- end .comments-middle --> Comment posted by Japa Jim on October 23rd, 2007 Home » Our constitutional body is eternal, could it be that we are presently dreaming?

Krishna Book, Srila Prabhupada : Ch. 20, Description of Autumn; “The brahmajyoti–spiritual effulgence–is just like the sunshine; as the sunshine is full of molecular shining particles, so the brahmajyoti is full of minute portions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of that unlimited expansion of minute portions of the Supreme Lord, some are covered by the influence of material nature, whereas others are free.”

The Sleeper-Vadi Theory is based on certain analogies given by Srila Prabhupada to neophytes to help them with a basic understanding. Again: Tridandiswami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja: We should know that any example or analogy of this world cannot fully explain the transcendental world. Some examples can give us an idea, like, "Krsna is beautiful and black, like a cloud or like a tamal tree." It is not possible, however, to totally describe the transcendental world by any mundane worldly examples. Examples are given to express some idea, but there is nothing in this world that can fully compare with Krsna. Someone may ask, "Can you tell me where is the moon?" Another person will reply, "You can see it on the branch." The moon is not on the branch; it is millions of miles away. Still, some idea was given. The logic used to understand what is not within our understanding is thus called 'sakha-candra nyaya,' the logic of the moon on the branch.

Tridandiswami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja: We should know that any example or analogy of this world cannot fully explain the transcendental world. Some examples can give us an idea, like, "Krsna is beautiful and black, like a cloud or like a tamal tree." It is not possible, however, to totally describe the transcendental world by any mundane worldly examples. Examples are given to express some idea, but there is nothing in this world that can fully compare with Krsna. Someone may ask, "Can you tell me where is the moon?" Another person will reply, "You can see it on the branch." The moon is not on the branch; it is millions of miles away. Still, some idea was given. The logic used to understand what is not within our understanding is thus called 'sakha-candra nyaya,' the logic of the moon on the branch. By doing bhajana, by daily chanting Hare Krsna and hearing hari-katha in the correct process, with very strong belief, then, according to your advancement in bhajana, you can realize all the truths regarding this world and that absolute transcendental world. Logic will not satisfy you. One logical argument will defeat all other arguments, and then another logical argument will come and defeat all the previous arguments. Mundane logic and argument have no existence in the spiritual world. svatah siddho vedo hari dayita vedhah prabhrtitah pramanam sat praptam pramiti visayan tan nava vidhan tatha pratyaksadi pramiti sahitam sadhayati nah na yuktis tarkakhya pravisati tatha sakti rahita "The self evident Vedas, which has been received in the sampradaya through guru parampara by recipients of Sri Hari's mercy, such as Brahmaji and others, are known as amnaya-vakya. The nine prayema tattvas are established by those amnaya-vakyas with the help of the other sastras, along with different types of evidence such as direct sense perception (pratyaksa), inasmuch as thy confirm the Vedic version. Reasoning that is only based on logic is always crippled when evaluating inconceivable subject matters, since logic and argument have no access in the realm of the inconceivable." (Dasamula 1)

1) hari hari! kabe haba vrndavana-vasi nirakhiba nayane yugala-rupa-rasi <o:p> </o:p> <st2:personname w:st="on"> O Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Hari</st1:sn></st2:personname>, when will I be able to live in Vrndavana and be a real Vrajavasi? When will my eyes behold the beautiful forms of the Divine Couple, <st2:personname w:st="on">Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Radha-Krsna</st1:sn></st2:personname>? <o:p> </o:p> (2) radha-krsna sevon mui jivane marane tara sthana, <st2:place w:st="on">tara</st2:place> lila dekho ratri-dine <o:p> </o:p> I shall serve <st2:personname w:st="on">Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Radha</st1:sn></st2:personname> and <st2:personname w:st="on">Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Krsna</st1:sn></st2:personname> in life and in death. I shall behold Their transcendental abode and pastimes night and day. Prarthana (Song 48) (3) hari hari ara kabe palatibe dasa ei saba kariya bame, aba vrndavana dhame, ei mane kariyachi asa <o:p> </o:p> <st2:personname w:st="on"> O Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Hari</st1:sn></st2:personname>, when will my life change? When will I renounce all worldly affairs and make my way to <st2:personname w:st="on">Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Vrndavana-dhama</st1:sn></st2:personname>? I cherish this hope. Prarthana (Song 47) <o:p> </o:p> <st2:personname w:st="on"><st1:givenname w:st="on">Srila</st1:givenname> <st1:middlename w:st="on">Bhaktivinoda</st1:middlename> <st1:sn w:st="on">Thakura</st1:sn></st2:personname>: <o:p> </o:p> (4) dekhite dekhite, bhuliba va kabe, nija-sthula-paricaya nayane heriba, vraja-pura-sobha, nitya cid-ananda-maya <o:p> </o:p> When will I see that I have forgotten my gross bodily identity and am beholding the exquisite beauty of Vraja, full of eternal, spiritual bliss and cognizance. <o:p> </o:p> vrsabhanu-pure, janama laiba, yavate vivaha ha’be<o:p></o:p> vraja-gopi-bhava, haibe svabhava, ana bhava na rahibe<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I shall take birth in Vrsabhanu Maharaja’s town and will marry in the nearby <st2:place w:st="on"><st2:placetype w:st="on">village</st2:placetype> of <st2:placename w:st="on">Yavat</st2:placename></st2:place>. My sole disposition and nature will be that of a cowherd maiden.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> nija-siddha-deha, nija-siddha-nama, nija-rupa sva vasana<o:p></o:p> radha-krpa-bale, labhiba va kabe, krsna-prema-prakarana<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> When will I obtain, by the power of Radha’s mercy, my own eternal spiritual body, my own realized name and dress embellishing my real form? And when will I receive initiation into the techniques of expressing divine love for Krsna?<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> yamuna-salila-aharane giya, bujhibo yugala-rasa<o:p></o:p> prema-mugdha ha’ye, pagalini-praya, gaiba radhara yasa<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> As I go to draw water from the Yamuna, I will understand the confidential mellows of Yugala-Kisora’s loving affairs. Being captivated by prema, I will sing <st2:personname w:st="on">Sri <st1:sn w:st="on">Radhika</st1:sn></st2:personname>’s glories just like a madwoman.] <st2:personname w:st="on"><st1:givenname w:st="on"> </st1:givenname></st2:personname>

This year, September 25th is anniversary of the day that Srila Prabhupada took sannyasa from Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. Srila Narayana Maharaja is in Bhubanesvara on that day and will be celebrating there. We will not be there with him to record his lecture, so please accept the following excerpts from his class on the same subject, given by him in Mathura on September 27, 1996: “Sannyasa is taken in order to attain the service of Sri Mukunda. It is not an ordinary thing. The sannyasa mantra is the mantra of the very sacred gopi-bhava. By uttering this mantra we are able to give our entire body, mind, soul and everything we possess to Lord Krsna – to serve Him. Srila Swami Maharaja dedicated himself to his sannyasa-guru, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. They were god-brothers and very bosom friends.” Next is an excerpt from a discourse given by Srila Narayana Maharaja in San Francisco on May 31, 1997. This lecture is from a series of classes on Srila Prabhupada’s Nectar of Instruction (a translation of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Sri Upadesamrta), Srila Maharaja called on devotees to read from Srila Prabhupada’s translations and commentaries, and then he elaborated on Prabhupada’s words” “Who are rupanuga? Those who are actually following the mood of Srila Rupa Gosvami. All our acaryas are rupanuga; they are not only raganuga. This is a very, very important point. “Our Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, has composed Sri Radha-Vindodastakam. The first sloka is: “radha-cinta-nivesena yasya kantir vilopita sri krsna-caranam vande radhalingita-vigraham Sri Radha Vinoda-Bihari Tattvastakam (1) [“I worship the lotus feet of Sri Krsna when, due to being thoroughly immersed in separation from Srimati Radhika (who is displaying mana, Her jealous anger), His own dark complexion vanishes and He assumes Her bright, golden luster.”] “You should hear this meaning; otherwise you will miss this rare opportunity. “Sometimes Srimati Radhika becomes so absorbed in feelings of separation, weeping so bitterly, that She faints. Srila Rupa Gosvami does not want this, and neither do our Gurudeva nor any of our acaryas. What will they want? Radha-cinta-nivesena yasya kantir vilopita. They consider, “Krsna should weep in separation from Srimati Radhika. Krsna should weep. Our Srimati Radhika is so soft, and Her feet are so soft. She should not walk here and there to search for Krsna. Krsna should search for Her, because He is a cowherd boy and His feet are very hard. He should walk far and wide in search for Her.” “When Srimati Radhika disappeared from the rasa dance, Sri Krsna searched throughout the forests for Her. He could not get Her darsana, so He was continuously searching and weeping. At last He sat down at Imli-tala in Vrndavana, near Yamuna in Seva-kunja. He was bitterly weeping and absorbed in thinking, “Oh, where can I find Srimati Radhika? Where can I find Radhika? She has left Me here. Where has She gone?” Drowned in these thoughts, Krsna lost His black complexion and at once became golden. He was still Krsna, but He became golden like Srimati Radhika, and His mood was changed into Hers. At that time He began to cry bitterly, “Oh Krsna, where are You? Oh Krsna, where are You?” “Do you understand this? He was not calling “Oh Radhika, Oh Radhika,” in Krsna’s mood. Rather, Her color and mood came in Him and He began to call, “Krsna, Krsna, where are You?” “In all our Gurudeva’s temples and preaching centers he established the Deities, Sri Radha Vinoda-bihari, with this mood: radha-cinta-nivesena yasya kantir vilopita. Krsna’s color and mood became covered with Radhika’s. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. “Radhalingita-vigraham. I pray to that very form of Krsna, who has been embraced by Radhika with all Her limbs. Sri Krsna’s body has been completely covered by all the limbs and parts of Srimati Radhika’s body. In this way, radhalingita-vigraha is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. “This is rupanuga: ‘Krsna should weep; Krsna should search for Radhika. Why should our sweet, innocent, very simple Srimati Radhika go here and there, in mountains, across rivers and through thorny areas? Why should She go? Krsna should go everywhere in search of Her.’ “All rupanuga acaryas think like this, and they have come only to bestow their mercy upon us so that we may enter their mood. “Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja spent much time cutting the jungles of atheism and impersonalism, but he did not come only for this. We can see from his Nectar of Instruction, his broadcasting of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s teachings, that he is giving all these truths. Patiently hear about this, and then you will be able to understand the mood of this special rupanuga-vaisnava acarya, Srila Swami Maharaja.” *[see endnote 1] The following is an Excerpt from Srila Narayana Maharaja’s conversation in Srila Prabhupada’s room at Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, May 17, 1996. The day was Visvarupa-mahotsava (in September, 1959), and many senior Vaisnavas and disciples of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura were present at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha. At that time my Gurudeva gave Srila Swami Maharaja the sannyasa-mantra. Uttering this mantra is not merely a formality. It is chanted to attain the service of the gopis – to enter into the mood of the gopis. He was really a rupanuga-vaisnava. [*Endnote 1: In the madhurya-rasa, characterized by conjugal love, one can become like Srimati Radharani or Her lady friends such as Lalita and Her serving maids (manjaris) like Rupa and Rati. This is the essence of all instruction in the matter of devotional service.” (Nectar of Instruction, verse 8, purport)]

sri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam<o:p></o:p> When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet? (BG As It Is Intro) Here, Srila Prabhupada translates abista as desire. Your overall point is makes sense from one angle of vision, but there is always the opposite angle to be seen. Sri Krsna's Svarupa-sakti BY SWAMI B.V. TRIPURARI Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari "When the one comes under the influence of Krsna's svarupa-sakti, bhava dawns in one's heart, and one's life becomes meaningful in the fullest sense of the term." Q. What is the relationship between the jiva (individual soul) and Krsna's svarupa-sakti, and where does the soul's attraction to a particular relationship with Krsna come from? A. Sri Krsna's svarupa-sakti is his primary sakti, and thus all other saktis have their origin in it. The svarupa-sakti is constituted of sandhini (eternal existence), samvit (complete spiritual knowledge), and hladini (joy). The jiva-sakti is a partial manifestation of the svarupa-sakti and the maya-sakti (illusory energy) is a distorted manifestation of it. Because the jiva is a partial manifestation of the svarupa-sakti, it exists eternally, can know itself (brahma-jnana), and has the capacity to experience the joy of brahmananda. However, only when the jiva comes in contact with the svarupa-sakti through the guru-parampara can it realize its full potential to exist, know, and be happy. This is a potential that is not present in the maya-sakti, as all manifestations of the maya-sakti, including material knowledge and sense pleasure, are relative and fleeting, the latter ultimately only leading to greater degrees of suffering. In connection with the svarupa-sakti, the jiva-sakti has the potential to experience an eternal relationship with Krsna, as it is a partial manifestation of the svarupa-sakti. When the jiva-sakti comes in contact with the svarupa-sakti through the guru-parampara, its dormant spiritual potential gradually awakens. This contact is Krsna extending himself to the jiva as he sees fit, which results in the jiva desiring a particular relationship with him in reciprocation. The relationship is inherent and dormant in the jiva in the same way that the capacity to walk is dormant within an infant. The relationship is eternal (krsna prema nitya-siddha) and is not created by the guru. Likewise, it is not created by the disciple though practice. Given the appropriate circumstances and nourishment, an infant will eventually walk; similarly, given the association with and nourishment from Krsna's svarupa-sakti, the jiva will realize its dormant potential to live in love with Sri Krsna. Through contact with the guru-parampara, faith comes into one's heart. This faith is the guru's realization, the backing behind his or her chanting of Krsna nama and Krsna mantra, as well as the guru's blessing to chant. This is the seed of bhakti given to the disciple. This seed is like an initial investment in a business idea in which a start-up business realizes its potential through greater capital. With investment from Krsna's svarupa-sakti, the jiva realizes its potential and goes public, and suddenly its shares are worth something. Similarly, with hearing, chanting, and so on (sravanadi), one's consciousness is purified (suddha citte), and one's relationship with Krsna begins to manifest (karaye udaya). When the one comes under the influence of Krsna's svarupa-sakti, bhava dawns in one's heart, and one's life becomes meaningful in the fullest sense of the term. Q. When we say that souls have an inherent relationship with Krsna does this mean that Krsna has already decided who will be a gopi or gopa in the spiritual world? A. We cannot say that Sri Krsna does not know how he would like to accept service from us, and in consideration of this we can say that our svarupa is inherent and already determined. However, what is inherent in the jiva is only its potential to experience its eternal svarupa. The svarupa itself, which is constituted of svarupa-sakti, is in a dormant condition within the svarupa sakti. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta describes the jivatma as cit-kana, a particle of knowledge/consciousness, cit-kana jiva, kiran-kana sama. It also describes the soul's eternal nature or dharma to be servitude/love, jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa. Caitanya-caritamrta also states that the svarupa of the jiva in prema eternally exists in a dormant condition and is awakened through bhakti, krsna prema nitya siddha sadhya kabhu naya sravanadi suddha-citte karaye udaya. Thakura Bhaktivinoda also explains the inherent nature of one's svarupa in this way. He writes that one's svarupa is inherent within the soul inasmuch as the jiva has the potential to love and service is its nitya-dharma. In his Tattva-sutra he writes that while the jiva soul is constituted of knowledge, its eternal nature or inclination is to love. This eternal inclination of the jiva is perfected when it is reposed in Sri Krsna, the perfect object of love, resulting in the awakening of one's svarupa. Thus one's svarupa eternally exists and is realized by sravanam (hearing), kirtanam (chanting), and smaranam (remembering) under the guidance of the guru. The guru's service is to identify our svarupa as it begins to manifest through natural attraction. The direct culture of one's svarupa, however, is something that pertains more to higher stages of devotion, such as ruci, asakti, and bhava. In these stages it is cultivated directly, as the indirect work of cleansing the heart has for the most part been completed by the time these stages have been attained. Thus although one's svarupa is eternally existing, it is also cultivated and desired or longed for at some point. First there is submission, and then there is longing. Submission is more applicable to sadhana-bhakti, and longing is more applicable to bhava-bhakti. Commenting on vandanam (offering prayers) in Sri Rupa's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Jiva Goswami writes, "Prayers that have the purpose of firming the mind and senses in devotional service are known as samprarthana. Such prayers are characteristic of those who have not attained bhava. On the other hand, expressions of a desire for one's specific personal service are known as lalasa. These are characteristic of those who have attained bhava." When Krsna's svarupa-sakti dawns in the heart of a devotee, he or she develops from sadhana-bhakti to bhava-bhakti. Rupa Goswami describes bhava-bhakti as "the ingress of suddha sattva, the ray of the sun of prema." When this ray shines in the heart of a sadhaka, he or she becomes a devotee proper. Such a devotee knows and experiences his or her svarupa, whether it is that of a gopi or a gopa. Further information on this subject can be found in the following Sanga: Meditation on Siddha Deha Questions or comments may be submitted at the Q&A Forum http://www.swami.org/sanga/ or email sangaeditor@swami.org.

Can you give the exact quote including when and where?

Krsna is performing a nara lila in this instance. In some ways He is acting like a person in this world as if he is under the laws of nature and man. In this lila there is more aisvarya or opulence than in Vraja lila but it is still a type of nara lila. This is the reason he is worshiping Lord Siva. Another reason he is worshiping Lord Siva is out of love for his devotee. Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.38 vayam tu sakshad bhagavan bhavasya priyasya sakhyuh kshana-sangamena suduscikitsyasya bhavasya mrityor bhishaktamam tvadya gatim gatah sma SYNONYMS vayam -- we; tu -- then; sakshat -- directly; bhagavan -- O Lord; bhavasya -- of Lord Siva; priyasya -- very dear; sakhyuh -- Your friend; kshana -- for a moment; sangamena -- by association; suduscikitsyasya -- very difficult to cure; bhavasya -- of material existence; mrityoh -- of death; bhishak-tamam -- the most expert physician; tva -- You; adya -- today; gatim -- destination; gatah -- have achieved; sma -- certainly. TRANSLATION Dear Lord, by virtue of a moment's association with Lord Siva, who is very dear to You and who is Your most intimate friend, we were fortunate to attain You. You are the most expert physician, capable of treating the incurable disease of material existence. On account of our great fortune, we have been able to take shelter at Your lotus feet. PURPORT It has been said: harim vina na sritim taranti. Without taking shelter of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, one cannot attain relief from the clutches of maya, the repetition of birth, old age, disease and death. The Pracetas received the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the grace of Lord Siva. Lord Siva is the supreme devotee of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh: the most exalted Vaishnava is Lord Siva, and those who are actually devotees of Lord Siva follow Lord Siva's advice and take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. The so-called devotees of Lord Siva, who are simply after material prosperity, are in a way deceived by Lord Siva. He does not actually deceive them, because Lord Siva has no business deceiving people, but because the so-called devotees of Lord Siva want to be deceived, Lord Siva, who is very easily pleased, allows them all kinds of material benedictions. These benedictions might ironically result in the destruction of the so-called devotees. For instance, Ravana took all material benediction from Lord Siva, but the result was that he was ultimately destroyed with his family, kingdom and everything else because he misused Lord Siva's benediction. Because of his material power, he became very proud and puffed up so that he dared kidnap the wife of Lord Ramacandra. In this way he was ruined. To get material benedictions from Lord Siva is not difficult, but actually these are not benedictions. The Pracetas received benediction from Lord Siva, and as a result they attained the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. This is real benediction. The gopis also worshiped Lord Siva in Vrindavana, and the lord is still staying there as Gopisvara. The gopis, however, prayed that Lord Siva bless them by giving them Lord Krishna as their husband. There is no harm in worshiping the demigods, provided that one's aim is to return home, back to Godhead. Generally people go to the demigods for material benefit, as indicated in Bhagavad-gita (7.20): kamais tais tair hrita-jnanah prapadyante 'nya-devatah tam tam niyamam asthaya prakritya niyatah svaya "Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." One enamored by material benefits is called hrita jnana ("one who has lost his intelligence"). In this connection it is to be noted that sometimes in revealed scriptures Lord Siva is described as being nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The point is that Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu are so intimately connected that there is no difference in opinion. The actual fact is, ekale isvara krishna, ara saba bhritya: "The only supreme master is Krishna, and all others are His devotees or servants." (Cc. Adi 5.142) This is the real fact, and there is no difference of opinion between Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu in this connection. Nowhere in revealed scripture does Lord Siva claim to be equal to Lord Vishnu. This is simply the creation of the so-called devotees of Lord Siva, who claim that Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu are one. This is strictly forbidden in the Vaishnava-tantra: yas tu narayanam devam. Lord Vishnu, Lord Siva and Lord Brahma are intimately connected as master and servants. Siva-virinci-nutam. Vishnu is honored and offered obeisances by Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. To consider that they are all equal is a great offense. They are all equal in the sense that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and all others are His eternal servants.