Serpents and Servants

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"Serpents and Servants"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.28

Mayapur, March 6, 1976

 

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Pusta Krsna: "My dear Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, on account

of my association with material desires one after another, gradually I have now

fallen in the blind well full of snakes. But Your servant Narada Muni kindly

accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental

position. Therefore my first duty is to serve him. And how can I leave it?"

 

Prabhupada:

 

evam janam nipatitam prabhavahi-kupe

kamabhikamam anu yah prapatan prasangat

krtvatmasat surarsina bhagavan grhitah

so 'ham katham nu visrje tava bhrtya-sevam

[sB 7.9.28]

 

So this is Vaisnava paddhati. Tava bhrtya-sevam. Vaisnava does not

approach Krsna directly. That is not Vaisnava. This is impudency. You cannot

approach Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor

dasa-dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is the process. You have to... As

you have to receive the perfect knowledge by the parampara system -- imam

vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [bg. 4.1] -- similarly, you have to

approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the parampara system.

 

sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam

sthapitam yena bhu-tale

svayam rupah kada mahyam

dadati sva-padantikam

 

[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?]

 

We have to approach in that way. Sri-caitanya-mano 'bhistam. The Gosvamis,

they established the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore we have to

receive the mercy of the six Gosvamis, and we have to receive the mercy of the

six Gosvamis through my spiritual master. Bhrtyasya bhrtyah. Narottama dasa

Thakura says, rupa-raghunatha pade, haibe akuti, kabe hama bujhabo, sri

yugala-piriti. Narottama dasa Thakura, he is also acarya. He is speaking, "When

I shall be eager to serve the lotus feet of Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami,"

rupa-raghunatha-pade, "six Gosvamis, beginning from Rupa Gosvami to Raghunatha

dasa Gosvami?" Sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri-jiva gopala-bhatta

dasa-raghunatha.

 

So we have to go through the Gosvamis and the parampara system. Then we

can understand. Rupa-raghunatha pade, haibe akuti, kabe hama bujhabo, sri

yugala-piriti. Generally some professional men, they chant

Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir. That is not the way. You cannot understand the

loving affairs of Radha and Krsna without understanding the path given by the

Gosvamis. If you surpass in this way, avoid the way of approaching Radha-Krsna

by reading Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, The Nectar of Devotion, the Teachings of Lord

Caitanya -- all of a sudden if you become an upstart to understand Radha-Krsna

love -- then you'll misunderstand. That is the way. And people, they try to

understand Radha-Krsna love affairs, jumping all of a sudden. This is not the

way. One should be very much eager to understand. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir

ahladini saktir asmad ekatmanav api deha-bhedam gatau tau, sri caitanya-prakatam

adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam radha-krsna-bhava-dyuti. There is a... This is

the verse by Jiva Gosvami that "Radha-Krsna is one. Radharani is the pleasure

potency of Krsna." Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate sva-bhaviki

jnana-bala-kriya ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Krsna is the Supreme Being.

When He wants to enjoy pleasure, no material things can supply that. That is not

possible. He expands His own energy, and by His own energy He gets the pleasure.

So Radharani is not ordinary, as the sahajiyas, those who take Radha-Krsna love

affair very easily... No. Then you'll misunderstand. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir

ahladini saktih. It is the expansion of pleasure potency of Krsna.

 

So this science one has to learn from the authorities, Rupa Gosvami,

Sanatana Gosvami and others. Then it is possible to understand what is loving

affairs of Radha-Krsna.

 

rupa-raghunatha pade rahu mora asa

prarthana koroye sada narottamo das

 

We should not jump over. There are so many literatures. They place

Radharani as ordinary baladar(?) woman because they do not understand. So

therefore Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden strictly that avaisnava-mukhodgirnam

puta-hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam: "Don't hear from the professional

men who are not situated in the Vaisnava behavior." One must be..., behavior in

Vaisnava. Sadacara-sampannah. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has warned

that "Don't mix it with Vaisnava who is not well trained up, well behaved." You

can offer him respect. A Vaisnava offers respect even to the ant. That is

another thing. But he has warned, "Don't mix with them, these professional,

so-called Vaisnava, sahajiyas." This is warned. Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam

puta-hari-kathamrtam, sravanam na kartavyam: "You should not hear.Eh? Huh?

What is the wrong there? The Krsna-katha is there." No, Krsna-katha is there

just like milk is there, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is no

more to be taken. It has become poison. Unless one is situated as pure Vaisnava

in his dealing, in his behavior, inside and outside, he should not become a

preacher because it will not be effective, neither one should hear from such

person. But people in general, they can not understand, but those who are

preaching, they must be very sincere, the same way. Rupa-raghunatha pade, haibe

akuti. They should read the literatures, the instruction, just like Upadesamrta,

The Nectar of Instruction. We should follow, strictly follow. Then prthivim sa

sisyat. Then you'll be able to preach and make disciples all over the world.

This is the injunction. That is called gosvami. Don't be cheap preacher, cheap

guru. No, no. That is not good. It is not possible.

 

So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the mahajana, authorities. How he has

gotten this authority? Here it is said, so 'ham katham nu visrje tava

bhrtya-sevam. So everyone must have his position by giving service to the

spiritual master. And who is spiritual master? Tava bhrtya, who is a servant of

Krsna.

 

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado

yasyaprasadad na gatih kuto 'pi

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

 

Guru is described, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah: "By the mercy of

guru one can achieve the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Yasya

prasada. Yasya aprasadat: "If guru is not pleased, then he has no place." Na

gatih kuto 'pi.

 

saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair

uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih

kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya

 

Why the spiritual master position is so great? Because he is very, very

confidential servant of Krsna; therefore his position is so great.

 

So this is the process. Tava bhrtya-seva. We have to... Adau gurvasrayam.

First beginning of Vaisnava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, adau

gurvasrayam, then other things. Because who will teach you? So we have to

approach a pure Vaisnava as spiritual master, follow his instruction. And what

is his instruction? His instruction is as he was instructed by his spiritual

master. He does not invent instruction. This is instruction. The pure Vaisnava,

he does not invent anything new. Yare dekha tare kaha krsna upadesa [Cc. Madhya

7.128]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that "You all, every one of you become guru,

everyone." Amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Wherever you

are living, it doesn't require that you have to travel all over the world. If

you have no such capacity, it doesn't matter. You remain wherever you are, but

you become a guru. "How I become a guru?" Yare dekha tare kaha krsna upadesa:

[Cc. Madhya 7.128] "Very simple thing. You instruct only what is instructed by

Krsna. That's all." Don't invent. Don't become overintelligent. Remain a poor

fool. Guru more murkha dekhi sasana, korila sasana [Cc. Adi 7.71]. Caitanya

Mahaprabhu also presenting Himself as a great fool because He says, "My Guru

Maharaja found Me a great fool." He was a fool? He was Krsna Himself. But one

should remain always a fool before Guru Maharaja. That is progress. If he

thinks, "I know more than my Guru Maharaja," then he's fallen. Yasyaprasadad na

gatih kuto 'pi. Then he is finished. So we should always remain a fool before

the spiritual master, even though one is incarnation, not that "I am

incarnation; therefore I have become God." No. Even if you are incarnation, you

should remain a humble servant. That is that, tava bhrtya-sevam. Prahlada

Maharaja is... Daityanam prahlado 'smi. The Supreme Personality of Godhead

incarnates in different societies, different platforms, and He says, "Amongst

the Daityas..." Amongst the Daityas, there are also devotees. So prahlado 'smi.

Prahlada Maharaja is saktyavesavatara, but still, he says that katham nu visrje

tava bhrtya-sevam: "How can I give up this service?" Prahlada Maharaja does not

say, "My Lord, Nrsimhadeva, I am now so competent. Give me Your service

directly." No. Tava bhrtya-sevam: "First of all give me the opportunity to serve

Your servant." This is Vaisnavism.

 

So why it is required to serve Vaisnava? If you want to get relief from

this conditional life, then you have to serve Vaisnavas. Chadiya vaisnava seva,

nistara payeche keba. This is the... "Who has got," I mean to say, "liberty from

this entanglement of material existence" -- chadiya vaisnava seva -- "if you do

not serve a pure Vaisnava?" Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [sB 5.5.2]. This is

everywhere. If you want liberation from this material entanglement, then you

must take to mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh [sB 5.5.2]. You must. There is no

alternative. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [sB 11.3.21]. "If

you are actually interested to inquire about the transcendental subject matter,

you must accept a guru." Tasmad gurum prapadyeta.

 

tad viddhi pranipatena

pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti tad jnanam

jnaninas tattva-darsinam

[bg. 4.34]

 

So these are the ways. You cannot understand by your erudite scholarship

what is Krsna. It is not possible. Then Krsna would have instructed

Bhagavad-gita to..., finding out a very great Vedantist. No. Krsna found Arjuna.

What was Arjuna? Arjuna was a grhastha. Arjuna was a ksatriya, and although a

soldier... A soldier is not expected to become a Vedantist. We recruit soldiers

not from the Vedantists' group. One who can fight, one who has got strength --

we recruit soldier. So Arjuna was not very qualified in that way to understand

Bhagavad-gita or instruction, but Krsna said, "Yes, I will speak, speak to you.

This Bhagavad-gita, the parampara is lost, so I shall again speak the old thing

to you.Why to me?" Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: [bg. 4.3] "Because you are My

bhakta. You are My priya." So by scholarship one cannot understand

Bhagavad-gita. That is not possible. One must become a servant of the servant of

Krsna [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Then one can understand what is Bhagavad-gita.

Otherwise it (is) not possible.

 

So evam janam nipatitam prabhavahi-kupe. Ahi kupa. Ahi means the serpent.

So we have got these serpents surrounded by us, surrounded, all round. What are

the serpents? The senses. Everyone, we are in the dark well surrounded by

serpents, this body. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung this song, sarira avidya-jal,

jadendriya tahe kala. Kala means serpents, kala-sarpa. Kala-sarpa, it can bite

at any moment and finish you. We are being bitten every moment. It is Krsna's

grace that we are living. Otherwise our senses are so dangerous that it can

bring me down at any moment, kala-sarpa. There are many places,

kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstrayate. One devotee says, "Yes, I am surrounded

by kala-sarpa, the serpent, that's nice, but I can break the teeth." But if

kala-sarpa is the... What is called, that? Fangs? If they are broken -- they are

taken out -- they are no more dangerous. Dangerous. They are dangerous so long

the fangs are there. So protkhata-damstrayate. Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati said,

kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstrayate: "Yes, I have got my kala-sarpas, but by

the grace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I have broken the fangs, so it is no more

fearful." How it is possible? By the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu it is

possible. Just like you can break the fangs of the... There are expert snake

charmer. Because this poison is required for some medicinal purpose, so they

take it out. Then it is useless. But they again grow. The body is so made of the

snake, even if you take once the fangs, again it grows. That is stated here,

that how it is possible? Kamabhikamam anu yah prapatan prasangat. Once it may be

broken, but if you have bad association, then again it will grow. Kamabhikamam.

One kama, one lusty desire, produces another lusty desire. In this way, one

after another, this is going on. That is the cause of our repeated birth and

death. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [bg. 8.19]. So therefore, if we want to enter

into bhakti platform, then we should give up this. Anyabhilasita-sunyam.

Anyabhilasita-sunyam [brs. 1.1.11].

 

So "How it can be zero? I am a living being. How it can be zero? I am

always thinking, planning. I have got so many desires," they say. One who does

not know what is the position of a living being, they say that "Give up desires.

Desireless." That is not possible. Desirelessness is not possible. Because I am

a living being, I must desire. Therefore desires may be purified. That is

wanted. You cannot make the desires zero. That is not possible.

Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Now our

desires are there according to my designated position. "I am Hindu,I am

Muslim. Why shall I take Krsna consciousness?" Because I am designated, I have

taken this designation, "I am Hindu,I am Muslim,I am Christian." Therefore

we cannot take Krsna consciousness. "Oh, this is... Krsna is Hindu God. Krsna is

Indian. Why shall I take Krsna?" No. "You have to be desireless" means you have

to purify your this false understanding that "I am Hindu,I am Muslim,I am

Christian,I am Indian,I am this." This has to be purified. One has to

understand that "I am gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa. I am the servant of the

servant of the servant of Krsna [Cc. Madhya 13.80]." That is purification. Then

desire. Then you'll not desire anything except Krsna's service. That is

perfection. When you come to that platform, that you desire nothing but to serve

Krsna, always, twenty-four hours, then you are liberated. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam

tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Then you become nirmalam, without

any material tinge. In that position only, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir

ucyate. Then... My senses will be there; not that I become senseless nonsense.

No. My senses are there. They will act. They'll act for simply to serve Krsna.

That is wanted. So that can be possible when you are trained up by the servant

of Krsna. Otherwise it is not possible.

 

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976

 

To find out more about Srila Prabhupada

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Your Humble Servant,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Jaya

Kesava Dasa

And All my Obiesances and thanks to

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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