Results

890819 - SB 7.9.24 - A Soul Gets Pleasure By Serving the Pure Devotees and the Supreme - Bhubaneswar


Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant.”

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda:

By studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, every intelligent man can get experience like that of Prahlāda Mahārāja through the historical incidents mentioned in this great literature of spiritual knowledge. By following in the footsteps of Prahlāda Mahārāja, one should gain thorough experience that all material opulence is perishable at every moment. Even this body, for which we try to acquire so many sensual pleasures, may perish at any time. The soul, however, is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: the soul is never vanquished, even when the body is destroyed. An intelligent man, therefore, should care for the happiness of the spirit soul, not of the body. Even if one receives a body with a long duration of life, like those of Lord Brahmā and the other great demigods, it will also be destroyed, and therefore an intelligent man should be concerned with the imperishable spirit soul.

To save oneself, one must take shelter of a pure devotee. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā. If one wants to save himself from material nature’s onslaughts, which arise because of the material body, one must become Kṛṣṇa conscious and try to fully understand Kṛṣṇa. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9), janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ. One should understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, and this one can do only by serving a pure devotee. Thus Prahlāda Mahārāja prays that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva place him in touch with a pure devotee and servant instead of awarding him material opulence. Every intelligent man within this material world must follow Prahlāda Mahārāja. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Prahlāda Mahārāja did not want to enjoy the estate left by his father; rather, he wanted to become a servant of the servant of the Lord. The illusory human civilization that perpetually endeavors for happiness through material advancement is rejected by Prahlāda Mahārāja and those who strictly follow in his footsteps.

There are different types of material opulence, known technically as bhukti, mukti and siddhi. Bhukti refers to being situated in a very good position, like a position with the demigods in the higher planetary systems, where one can enjoy material sense gratification to the greatest extent. Mukti refers to being disgusted with material advancement and thus desiring to become one with the Supreme. Siddhi refers to executing a severe type of meditation, like that of the yogīs, to attain eight kinds of perfection (aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, etc.). All who desire some material advancement through bhukti, mukti or siddhi are punishable in due course of time, and they return to material activities. Prahlāda Mahārāja rejected them all; he simply wanted to engage as an apprentice under the guidance of a pure devotee.

“My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant.” - Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ - Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the eminent mahājanas, so whatever he says, it is very, very important statement and conclusive statements. So all should follow in the footsteps of Prahlāda Mahārāja, - 'mahajana' yei kahe, sei 'satya' mãni -One should accept the statements given by bonafide mahājanas, pure devotees. Here, Prahlāda Mahārāja says how worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and material pleasures enjoyed by all the living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the ant, are all perishable. At any time, all these will be perished. So what is the necessity of the acquisition of all such things? In the purport, our beloved spiritual master, Śrīla Prabhupāda says, quoting from Srīmad-Bhāgavatam and Srimad Bhagavad-gītā, how we are the spirit soul and we are not the body:

 

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

Bg 2.20

 

The body perishes but the soul is imperishable, is never destroyed. We are that spirit soul, we are not this body, it's the first lesson given to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā. And all the human beings should take this lesson. Therefore one who is intelligent, he should endeavor, he should try his best to get pleasure for the self, the soul, not for the body. In Srīmad-Bhāgavatam that is stated 'what is the pleasure of the body?'


yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky
apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati

ŚB 1.2.6


sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati

ŚB 1.2.6


ātmā prasīdati - that means the soul takes pleasure, gets pleasure by serving Adhokṣaja, by serving the Supreme Lord. Supreme Lord, one of the names of the Supreme Lord is Adhokṣaja. That means one cannot calculate the Supreme Lord through his material senses. Therefore He's known as Adhokṣaja. Śrīmān Mahāprabhu says: jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa. That is the constitutional position of all living entities - he's an eternal servant of the Lord. So, one should serve the Lord, the Supreme Lord and thereby get pleasure. And that pleasure, that happiness is imperishable happiness. The time factor, kāla, cannot destroy it. That is imperishable, eternal happiness. But the happiness concerning to this material body and material senses are temporary, and they will be destroyed at any time. Rather, all this material opulence's, happiness won't give you any happiness. Rather it will bring misery. 


ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā
duḥkha-yonaya eva te
ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya
na teṣu ramate budhaḥ

Bg 5.22

 

In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated. Those who are budhas, those who are wise men, intelligent men, persons, they won't aspire for this bodily pleasure or happiness because they are the outcome of all sorts of miseries, duḥkha-yonaya. Prahlāda Mahārāja says the same thing here. So he says, "I don't want all these things. I have experience. These worldly opulence's, mystic power, longevity and material pleasures will be destroyed at any time by You, as the powerful time factor." Then he wants one thing, "Please keep me in touch with Your pure devotee - nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam. I want to be engaged as an apprentice under the guidance of a pure devotee only." And what is that? What happiness or pleasure one gets by serving a pure devotee? The conditioned souls or the persons who are too much attached to this material pleasure, material opulence, acquisition of material wealth and opulence, they cannot understand it. What pleasure is there by serving a pure devotee of the Lord? Only those who are pure devotees, those who have got mercy form such pure devotees, they can understand it how it is pleasurable to serve a pure devotee. We have many instances before us. If someone is intelligent, he can understand it. 

How Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, great Gosvāmīs, ṣaḍ-gosvamis, six great Gosvāmis, very dear to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, kicked up all these things, worldly opulence's


janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir
edhamāna-madaḥ pumān
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai
tvām akiñcana-gocaram

ŚB1.8.26


This is the prayer of Kuntī-devī,  "To take birth in a very respectable family, janma, janma-aiśvarya, material opulence, aiśvarya, material education, obtaining many degrees, diplomas in many universities, material universities, to be famous as a very learned person, paṇḍita; śrī: material opulence and bodily beauty.

All these things, janma-aiśvarya-śruta-śrī, edhamāna-madaḥ pumān," if someone possesses all these things, he becomes too much proud, puffed up. He cannot become dīna, akiñcana. So he cannot see the Lord, he cannot understand Lord, he cannot know the Supreme Lord. Those who are dīna, those who are very sober persons, distressed, very poor, downtrodden, as Mahāprabhu says, Śrīmān Mahāprabhu, tṛṇa, as an insignificant straw fallen in the street


tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror eva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ


Mahāprabhu’s śikṣā. Then you can do hari-bhajana if you can become more insignificant that a straw fallen in the street. Whenever one goes on the street, he treads it.Then you can do hari-bhajana if you can become more insignificant that a straw fallen in the street. Whenever one goes on the street, he treads it.


tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror eva sahiṣṇunā


Be more tolerant than a tree. This is, these are Vaiṣṇava qualities. taror eva sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānada - don't demand respect from anybody. Rather give respect to one and all. These four things. These are Vaiṣṇava qualities then one can do śuddha hari-bhajana - pure, he can chant pure name and will derive immense transcendental pleasure thereby. And that pleasure and happiness is eternal. It cannot be destroyed by the powerful time factor. So those who are intelligent persons like Prahlāda Mahāraja, these Gosvāmīs I was telling, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rupa Gosvāmī, Jiva Gosvāmī, Raghunatha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunatha Dās Gosvāmī, all these Gosvāmīs. They had all these things but they kicked them.


tyaktvā tūrṇam tucchavat
bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau
 kaupīna-kanthāśritau


They kicked all these things because these are very, very insignificant things in their calculation, and they became dina.

They put on only kaupīna and kanthi and stayed in the jungle of Vṛndāvana under the trees. But they were great persons, very wealthy persons. What type, what sort of wealth they had? They acquired kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana, kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana, you understand? Kṛṣṇa-prema, the love of Kṛṣṇa. - Love of Godhead is the best type of wealth - It's transcendental wealth. It cannot be destroyed by the time factor. And they were very happy. Though outwardly they appeared to be very distressed, trodden, but inwardly they were very happy. They get everything but they utilize everything for the service of the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Thereby they get immense pleasure which cannot be derived by the acquisition of all these material assets, material opulence, mystic power, all these things. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja  doesn't want all these things. "I only want one thing: to be engaged as an apprentice under the guidance of a pure devotee".


Kṛṣṇa-prema, you understand ? This is the symptom.


nayanaṁ galad-aśru-dhārayā
vadanaṁ gadgada-ruddhayā girā
pulakair nicitaṁ vapuḥ kadā
tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati


When that day will come, by chanting Your transcendental name, holy name, the tears will roll down from my eyes.


nayanaṁ galad-aśru-dhārayā
vadanaṁ gadgada-ruddhayā girā


My voice will be chocked up with prema, with ecstasy; pulakair nicitaṁ vapuḥ, the hair on the body will be erected, romāñca.

These are the symptoms of that prema.

Therefore Mahāprabhu says, "When that day will come, when I can get such stage, condition, such ecstatic mood by chanting Your holy name?" Thus he gets pleasure. The compiler of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, has written on that verse


“prema-dhana vinā vyartha daridra jīvana
‘dāsa’ kari’ vetana more deha prema-dhana”

CC antya 20.7


Kavirāja Gosvāmīs has written this thing, 


prema-dhana vinā vyartha daridra jīvana


"I am very poor because I am devoid of that wealth, prema-dhana. I got all these material assets but I've no prema-dhana so I am poor, you understand.


- prema-dhana vina vyartha daridra jīvana - Therefore I pray to You, O Lord, please make me Your servant, let me serve You and give me that wealth. A servant gets salary, what salary? That prema-dhana. I don't want anything else, - 'dāsa' kari' vetana more deha prema-dhana -