nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya
naram caiva narottamam
devīm sarasvatīm vyāsam
tato jayam udirayet
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.4]
Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Rṣi, the supermost human being, unto Mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.
vede rāmāyaṇe caiva purāṇe bhārate tathā
ādāv ante ca madhye ca hariḥ sarvatra giyate
“In the Vedic literature, including the Rāmāyaṇa, Purāņas, and Mahābhārata, from the very beginning (ādau) to the end (ante ca), as well as within the middle (madhye ca) ,only Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is explained.”
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ pangum langhayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurum dīna-tāriņe
paramānanda-mādhavam
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead has the form of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1) - transcendental bliss, knowledge and eternity. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him, who turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains. Such is the mercy of the Lord.”
paramānanda he mādhava padungaluci makaranda
se-makaranda pāna-kari ānande bolo 'hari hari'
harinka nāme vānda vela pāri karibe cakā-dolā
se-cakā-dolānka-pāyāre mana-mo rahu nirantare
mana mo nirantare rahu 'hā-kṛṣṇa' boli jīva jāu
hā-kṛṣṇa boli jāu jīva mote udhāra rādhā-dhava
mote udhāra rādhā-dhava
mote udhāra rādhā-dhava
dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyam vāstavam atra vastu śivadam tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-krte kim vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hrdy avarudhyate 'tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.2]
nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amrta-drava-samyutam
pibata bhāgavatam rasam ā-layam
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.3]
“O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.”
anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasyājānato vidvāmś
cakre sātvata-samhitām
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.6]
“The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.”
yasyām vai śrūyamāṇāyāṁ
krsne parama-pūruṣe
bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ
śoka-moha-bhayāpahā
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.7]
“Simply by one’s giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.”
śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalam yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam
yasmin pāramahamsyam ekam amalam jñānaṁ paraṁ giyate
tatra ñāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitam naiṣkarmyam āviskṛtam
tac chṛṇvan su-paṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.13.18]
artho 'yam brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ
bhāratārtha-vinirnayah
gayatri-bhāṣya-rūpo 'sau
vedārtha-paribrmhitaḥ
[Garuḍa Purāṇa]
“Śrīmad-Bhagavatam gives the actual meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra. The author of the Vedānta-sūtra is Vyāsadeva, and he himself has explained those aphorisms in the form of Śrīmad-Bhagavatam.”
sarva-vedetihāsānāṁ
sāram sāraṁ samuddhṛtam
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.41]
“After extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe…”
sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ hi
śrīmad-bhāgavatam iṣyate
tad-rasāmṛta-tṛptasya
nānyatra syād ratiḥ kvacit
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.13.15]
“Śrīmad-Bhagavatam is declared to be the essence of all Vedānta philosophy. One who has felt satisfaction from its nectarean mellow will never be attracted to any other literature.”
‘kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-svarūpa’ śrī-bhāgavata
tāte veda-śāstra haite parama mahattva
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 25.150]
“Śrīmad-Bhagavatam gives direct information of the mellow derived from service to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhagavatam is above all other Vedic literatures.”
cāri-veda-upaniṣade yata kichu haya
tāra artha lañā vyāsa karilā sañcaya
yei sūtre yei rk-viṣaya-vacana
bhāgavate sei ṛk śloke nibandhana
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 25.98-99]
“Vyāsadeva collected whatever Vedic conclusions were in the four Vedas and one-hundred and eight Upaniṣads and placed them in the aphorisms of the Vedānta-sūtra. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the purport of all Vedic knowledge is explained, and in Śrīmad-Bhagavatam the same purport has been explained in eighteen thousand verses.”
jīvera nistāra lāgi’ sūtra kaila vyāsa
māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 6.169]
“Śrīla Vyāsadeva presented the Vedānta philosophy for the deliverance of conditioned souls, but if one hears the commentary of Śankarācārya, everything is spoiled.”
yāha, bhāgavata pada vaiṣṇavera sthāne
ekānta āśraya kara caitanya-carane
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā 5.131]
“If you want to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam”, he said, “you must approach a self-realized vaiṣṇava and hear from him. You can do this when you have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
bhāgavata ye nā māne, se — yavana-sama
tāra śāstā āche janme-janme prabhu yama
[Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Ādi-khaṇḍa 1.31]
“One who does not accept Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is no better than a Yavana, and Lord Yamarāja punishes him birth after birth.”
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
“O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”
Śrimad-Bhāgavatam Eighth Canto, Chapter Twelfth, Text Nine.
tvāṁ brahma kecid avayanty uta dharmam eke
eke paraṁ sad-asatoḥ puruṣaṁ pareśam
anye ’vayanti nava-śakti-yutaṁ paraṁ tvāṁ
kecin mahā-puruṣam avyayam ātma-tantram
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Those who are known as the impersonalist Vedāntists regard You as the impersonal Brahman. Others, known as the Mīmāṁsaka philosophers, regard You as religion. The Sāṅkhya philosophers regard You as the transcendental person who is beyond prakṛti and puruṣa and who is the controller of even the demigods. The followers of the codes of devotional service known as the Pañcarātras regard You as being endowed with nine different potencies. And the Patañjala philosophers, the followers of Patañjali Muni, regard You as the supreme independent Personality of Godhead, who has no equal or superior.
Text Ten.
nāhaṁ parāyur ṛṣayo na marīci-mukhyā
jānanti yad-viracitaṁ khalu sattva-sargāḥ
yan-māyayā muṣita-cetasa īśa daitya-
martyādayaḥ kim uta śaśvad-abhadra-vṛttāḥ
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
O my Lord, I, who am considered to be the best of the demigods, and Lord Brahmā and the great ṛṣis, headed by Marīci, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are bewildered by Your illusory energy and cannot understand what this creation is. Aside from us, what is to be said of others, like the demons and human beings, who are in the base modes of material nature [rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa]? How will they know You?
Factually speaking, even those who are situated in the material mode of goodness cannot understand the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What then is to be said of those who are situated in rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, the base qualities of material nature? How can we even imagine the Supreme Personality of Godhead? There are so many philosophers trying to understand the Absolute Truth, but since they are situated in the base qualities of material nature and are addicted to so many bad habits, like drinking, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling, how can they conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? For them it is impossible. For the present day, the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi as enunciated by Nārada Muni is the only hope. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, therefore, has quoted the following verse from the Brahma-yāmala:
śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate
“Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101) Those who are very advanced in knowledge and are situated in the mode of goodness follow the Vedic instructions of the śruti and smṛti and other religious scriptures, including the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi. Without understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this way, one only creates a disturbance. In this Age of Kali, so many gurus have sprung up, and because they do not refer to the śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pāñcarātrika-vidhi, they are creating a great disturbance in the world in regard to understanding the Absolute Truth. However, those who follow the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi under the guidance of a proper spiritual master can understand the Absolute Truth. It is said, pañcarātrasya kṛtsnasya vaktā tu bhagavān svayam: the pañcarātra system is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just like Bhagavad-gītā. Vāsudeva-śaraṇā vidur añjasaiva: the truth can be understood only by one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Vāsudeva.
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg. 7.19) Only those who have surrendered to the lotus feet of Vāsudeva can understand the Absolute Truth.
vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
“By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.” (Sb. 1.2.7) Therefore, Vāsudeva, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, personally teaches in Bhagavad-gītā:
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 18.66)
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service.” (Bg. 18.55) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not properly understood even by Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, what to speak of others, but He can be understood by the process of bhakti-yoga.
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
[Bg. 9.7]
If one practices bhakti-yoga by taking shelter of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, simply by hearing Vāsudeva speak about Himself, one can understand everything about Him. Indeed, one can understand Him completely (samagram).
One thing is stressed upon here in this verse especially that, how can one know that Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Śivajī says that thing, “I, who am considered to be the best of the demigods, and Lord Brahmā and the great ṛṣis, headed by Marīci, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are bewildered by Your illusory energy and cannot understand what this creation is. Aside from us, what is to be said of others, like the demons and human beings, who are in the base modes of material nature [rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa]? How will they know You?”
This is the question. Śivajī says, “When I fail, Brahmājī fails to understand You. What to speak of others, those who are in modes of raja-guna and tamo-guna? We are in sattva-guna still we cannot understand You.”
That’s a fact. Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa.
nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajam avyayam
[Bhagavad-gītā 7.25]
Kṛṣṇa says: “Mudhas, rascals, cannot understand Me. I never manifest myself everywhere and before everybody.” No. Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ, ‘I am covered up with My yoga-māyā potency.’ Though He is all pervaded, He's everywhere, but who sees Him? And who knows Him? And before whom He manifests Himself? That is the question. He says, ‘I don't manifest Myself before everybody and everywhere.’ So before whom He manifests? In other words, we may say that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna always keeps Himself hidden, yoga-māyā- samāvṛtaḥ. He is covered up with his Yogamaya potency. He always tries to keep Himself hidden. But He cannot keep Himself hidden from the eyes of a dear devotee, who is completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he sees Him. Example is Prahlāda Mahārāja who sees, or who saw the Supreme Lord in a stone pillar whereas his father Hiraṇyakaśipu, very powerful demon, who had conquered the three worlds, couldn’t see him.
It is only one way to understand Kṛṣṇa - bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (Bg. 18.55); bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ (Sb. 11.14.21); bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā (Bg. 8.22). Repeatedly Kṛṣṇa says, how He can be understood, how He can be known - only by bhakti, no other means.
na sādhayati māṁ yogo
na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo
yathā bhaktir mamorjitā
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.20)
He says in the Eleventh Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Uddhava, “Only by ananya-bhakti, unalloyed devotion, one can understand Me. Nobody can understand me through tapasyā, through mystic yoga, through Vedic study, through Sāṅkhya alocanā, analytical study.”
Na sādhayati māṁ yogo na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma: by following strictly the principles of dharma also one cannot understand Me or approach Me. Svādhyāya, tapa - by tapasyā, by undergoing severe austerity and penance, one cannot also understand Me or approach Me.
Svādhyāyas tapas tyāgaḥ - by detachment, by cultivating vairāgya also, nobody can understand Me. Rejecting everything, ‘Māyā, māyā, māyā; neti, neti, neti’. Yathā bhaktir mamorjitā, as I am understood or approached through bhakti, only bhakti.
Kevalya-bhakti: it's only bhakti, unmixed bhakti, not mixed bhakti. That He says, bhaktyā mān abhijānāti. This verse says and in purport Prabhupāda are quoting so many ślokas.
Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (Bg. 18.55). Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (Bg. 18.66).
One who has completely surrendered, giving up, abandoning all varieties of religion, just he has surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa without any condition, unconditional surrender, not conditional surrender, only he knows.
If we analyze this thing, we can understand, in Caitanya-līlā, you find this thing, when there was a conversation between Gopīnatha Ācārya and Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya. After taking up sannyasa, Mahāprabhu came to Jagannāth Purī dhāma, at that time, Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya was there. He was a follower of Saṅkara philosophy, Māyāvāda Sankaraite. He was a great paṇḍita, great scholar. He was Bṛhaspati-avatāra, incarnation of Bṛhaspati. No such scholar and paṇḍita was there at that time, still today, one cannot find such paṇḍita or scholar. He was such a scholar paṇḍita. But he was a follower of this impersonal brahmavāda, dry philosophy, suksa brahma-jñāna. He was a follower of that thing.
Gopīnātha Ācārya is his brother-in-law. He was a devotee, who knows Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He tried his best to convince his brother-in-law Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead but he failed. Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya tried to establish that He is a great devotee, but not Bhagavān. So there were so many discussions among them.
In Caitanya-caritāmrta, Madhya-līlā:
‘bhaṭṭācārya’ tumi iṅhāra nā jāna mahimā
bhagavattā-lakṣaṇera iṅhātei sīmā
tāhāte vikhyāta iṅho parama-īśvara
ajña-sthāne kichu nahe vijñera gocara’
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 6.78-79)
Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “O Bhattācārya, you don’t know His glory, how He is Bhagavān!” He quoted this thing:
Ajña-sthāne kichu nahe vijñera gocara’ tāhāte vikhyāta iṅho parama-īśvara. He is Supreme Īśvara - ajña-sthāne kichu nahe vijñera gocara’. One [who] is vijña, vijña means learned. Learned in what respect? One who knows tattva-jñāna, who has received tattva-jñāna; because He is advaya-tattva, He is the Absolute Truth – he is learned, vijñāna. Ajña is opposite, ignorant. An ignorant person cannot understand this thing but a learned person knows. And for this reason, that is means indirectly he said, “You are an ignorant person.” But he was such a paṇḍita, Bṛhaspati incarnation, he had so much pride, great pride, so puffed up. But indirectly he said, “You are ajña, you are an ignorant person therefore you couldn’t understand, therefore you think Him as an ordinary human being.”
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
(Bhagavad-gita 9.11)
In Bhagavad-gita, Kṛṣṇa has said, “Those mūdhās, rascals, ignorant fools, they think Me an ordinary human being. They cannot understand how I am, mama bhūta-maheśvaram.”
Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya had many students, he was a teacher. He was teaching even the sannyāsīs though he was a gṛhastha. Such a learned scholar. His students said, “Oh! How do you say?”
śiṣya-gaṇa kahe, — ‘īśvara kaha kon pramāṇe’
“What proof is there; you say that He is Īśvara, He is Bhagavān?”
ācārya kahe, — ‘vijña-mata īśvara-lakṣaṇe’
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 6.80)
Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “The vijñas have said.” A vijña is a learned person. Those who know this tattva, they have said this thing, so, following their footsteps I say. Mahā-janaḥ yena gataḥ (Cc. Madhya 17.186); ‘mahājana’ yei kahe, sei ‘satya’ māni (Cc. Madhya 25.56).
But his students said, “No, no, no, no. That is not the process. Only by speculation one can – anumāna-pramāṇa.” They said because they are speculators. They never come under the hearing process, śrauta-pāramparya. So they said, “No, no, no, no, no, no – only anumāna-pramāṇa. Only through speculation, imagination, one can think of the Supreme Truth.” They have that logic, they quoted this logic:
parvataḥ vahnimān dhūmāt - where there is smoke there is fire. This is logic. If you see smoke, then you must understand there must be fire, Otherwise, how there is smoke? This is their logic.
Parvataḥ vahnimān dhūmāt. From a distance, a parvata, hill or mountain, looks as if covered up with smoke. So there must be fire. This is their logic. But there is no fire, it looks smoky from a distance, so this logic is not perfect logic.
Then Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “No, no, no. This is not the pramāṇa at all, proof at all, evidence at all. Anumāna pramāṇa nahe. Without the mercy of Supreme Lord, nobody can understand Him.
anumāna pramāṇa nahe īśvara-tattva-jñāne
kṛpā vinā īśvarere keha nāhi jāne
īśvarera kṛpā-leśa haya ta’ yāhāre
sei ta’ īśvara-tattva jānibāre pare
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 6.82-83]
This is Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-līlā, sixth chapter.
“One who has gotten some mercy of Īśvara, that Supreme Lord, he knows Him. Anumāna-pramāṇa, this speculation, imagination is not the evidence or proof. Nobody can understand through speculation.”
Then he quoted verse from Tenth Canto.
athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.29]
This is Brahmājī’s statement. When Brahmājī’s darpa, pride, was crushed by Kṛṣṇa because he stole the cowherd boys and calves. Brahmā was so puffed up, so when Kṛṣṇa crushed his pride, then Brahmā was offering this prayer.
athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan
“O Lord, one who has gotten some mercy of Your lotus feet, only he can understand You.” Prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, only he can understand Your tattva, mahimā-tattva. But those who go on speculating all life, still they cannot understand You.” By such speculation, anumāna, nobody can understand You, cannot understand Your tattva.”
Then Gopīnātha said, Ccm (6.85-87)
yadyapi jagad-guru tumi — śāstra-jñānavān
pṛthivīte nāhi paṇḍita tomāra samāna
īśvarera kṛpā-leśa nāhika tomāte
ataeva īśvara-tattva nā pāra jānite
tomāra nāhika doṣa, śāstre ei kahe
pāṇḍityādye īśvara-tattva-jñāna kabhu nahe’
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 6.85-87]
Then Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “You are such a great scholar, such great paṇḍita, Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya. There is no such paṇḍita as you in the whole world. Learned scholar, you know śāstra, everything. But you have not gotten His mercy, īśvara-kṛpā.”
Because he is not surrendered, how can he get mercy? Those who are surrendered, they get mercy. Unconditionally surrendered, completely, they get mercy. Otherwise, nobody can get mercy, though Supreme Lord is an ocean of mercy. Showing His causeless mercy, He descends Here, He manifests His līlā here in this material world. That is His causeless mercy. Still, how many can understand Him? Unless one is surrendered, he cannot understand. Avajānanti mām mūdhā (Bg. 9.11).
“Oh! He is a mere human being. Oh, He is a cowherd boy; he was just tending the cows of Nanda.” Such great learned scholars, paṇḍitas, great speculators, great, great philosophers, what they say? “Oh, Kṛṣṇa! Oh! Five-thousand years ago, he was here, he was born. He was a great… he was a historical person.” They say, “He is a historical person. He was born and he died. He is dead now. One Jarā śabara was there, tribal person, he shot an arrow and killed Him, basa. The arrow pierced at his heel and he was killed. So he is no more.” They say so; avajānanti mam mūdhā mānusīm.
Kṛṣṇa had already said this thing, “Such ignorant fools, the mūdhās, rascals, they cannot understand Me. They think Me as an ordinary human being.”
Then he says,
īśvarera kṛpā-leśa haya ta’ yāhāre
sei ta’ īśvara-tattva jānibāre pare
“O Bhattācārya, though you are such a great learned scholar paṇḍita, you know śāstra, there is no such scholar, paṇḍita, in the whole world as you; still you have not gotten His mercy. Therefore you cannot understand Him.”
tomāra nāhika doṣa, śāstre ei kahe
pāṇḍityādye īśvara-tattva-jñāna kabhu nahe’
“It is not your fault; sastra says this thing. Only by learning or scholarship, one cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Absolute Truth. Only by krpā one can understand him; and you have not gotten His kṛpā.” Then he got angry! He says, in the Upaniṣad mantra also you will find.
nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo
na medhasā na bahunā śrutena
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23)
Kaṭha Upaniṣad mantra. The next mantra also says:
Naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā
(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.9)
In the Upaniṣads, all these mantras are there. ‘One cannot understand that paramatva-tattva, that bhagāvata-vastu, by dint of his own merit, learning or scholarship.’ Na medhayā na bahudhā śrutena.
Only one who is very fortunate accepts a bonafide disciplic succession, an ācārya who comes in a bonafide disciplic succession, hears from him, gets his mercy, then he can understand him, otherwise nobody can understand Him. Thereby they get the mercy of the Lord. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta also you will find:
guru kṛṣṇa-rūpa hana śāstrera pramāṇe
guru-rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 1.45]
Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of mercy. He always showers His mercy. In what way? How? Guru-rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe. In the form of guru, He showers mercy.
That in Gurvāṣṭaka (Text 1) we chant:
saḿsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
That is the thing, that is the Truth. Kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Arṇava means ocean. Prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya : that guru, he has come down here, with that ocean, Arṇava. Kṛṣṇa is the ocean of mercy! With that ocean, guru has come here. Prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. So if you go to Kṛṣṇa and say, “Oh, You are the ocean of mercy! Please give me one drop.” Then Kṛṣṇa will say, “You are such a fool, rascal! You are so fool. That ocean is not with Me now! He has gone there! Why have you come here? To distribute mercy, he is distributing. Why you come here, you rascal? That ocean is not with Me now. He has taken that ocean.” Who? That guru, who is a very dear devotee, ācārya, he has come, kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam.
This is Gurvāṣṭaka, it says, and this mantra also says,
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām
If the Lord accepts somebody, that means, if the Lord becomes pleased with somebody, then He showers His mercy on him, or gives full mercy. So that person understands Him, that advaya-tattva, and sees Him. That is, who are they? They are the completely surrendered devotees, completely surrendered at the lotus feet of Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, without any condition, unconditionally surrendered. They are the persons, such devotees.
They have gotten full mercy. Devotion is with them. That means, Kṛṣṇa has accepted them as His own men. Krishna is very much pleased with them. So Kṛṣṇa only manifests Himself, He shows His own beautiful, all beautiful, all attractive form to them, that Śyāmasundara form. Only they see, only they understand. Nobody can see Him, nobody can understand Him, by dint of his dry brahma-jñāna or anumāna, logic, speculation. No. Nobody can. Only by mercy.
Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “Śāstra has said this thing.” He quoted these mantras from Upaniṣads. “So this is not your fault; śāstra says this thing.”
Then Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya got angry. “Hey Ācārya! Gopīnātha Ācārya! What are you saying? Be cautious in your speech. Don’t say so! What proof is there that you have gotten mercy and I have not gotten? What proof is there? You say such thing! I caution you! Hold up your tongue! Don’t say so!”
He got angry, you see? He had such pride, such a proud fellow. Then Gopīnātha Ācārya tried his best to convince him. These discussions are there in caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā.
What they said, at last this conclusion is that, without mercy of the Supreme Lord nobody can understand Him. And those who are really surrendered souls, they are always begging mercy. They are not proud fellows. They are not proud at all - tṛṇād api su-nīcena. That, Mahāprabhu has taught. They think themselves lowest of the low. If you become proud, how can you beg mercy? You cannot beg mercy, you are proud fellow, puffed up, ‘I am such a great person.’ So such pride was there in Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya. But those who are really surrendered souls, they are, they think themselves lowest than the low. They always beg mercy, always beg, always offer prayer, this kārpaṇya.
ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlya-vivarjanam
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā
ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 22.100]
Ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ - six symptoms of śaranāgati, surrender. A person, in a devotee in whom you will find these six symptoms, then you can understand he is a really surrendered soul, he is a real sādhu. That is the chief symptom of a sādhu - kṛṣṇaika śaraṇatva - completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. No other thing is there, basa. Chief symptoms of sādhu, these six symptoms.
ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlya-vivarjanam
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā
ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ
Raksisyatīti viśvāsaḥ - he has this strong faith: avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa, raksisyatīti viśvāsaḥ. Kṛṣṇa vinā rakṣā-kartā nāhi keha āra (Śrī Hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi 13.11). Kṛṣṇa ye rākhaka āra pālaka āmāra. “Kṛṣṇa is my maintainer; Kṛṣṇa is my protector. Nobody else is there, who maintains me and who protects me." And he has this strong faith, unflinching faith.
rakṣiṣyati hi mām kṛṣṇo
bhaktānāṁ bāndhavaś ca saḥ
kṣemam vidhāsyatīti yad
viśvāso ’traiva gṛhyate
[Ādi-Purāna ?.28]
Ācāryas says so. “Kṛṣṇa must protect me because I have taken complete shelter. I am helpless. There is nobody for me. Only Kṛṣṇa is there. I am deserted, I am kicked by everybody. Only Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa will never kick me. He must protect me. I have this faith.”
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said,
vipada haite svāmī! avaśya tāhāre tumi,
rakṣibe,— tāhāra e viśvāsa
(Tumi To Māribe Jāre: Text 5, Śaraṇāgati)
“O Svāmī, O my Lord! I have this unflinching faith, strong faith - You must protect me from all sorts of dangers, calamities, all sorts of situations. I have this faith. Because He is the only friend, bāndhava. Suhṛdam, He is such a friend, He will never desert me.”
So many material friends might desert you, but Kṛṣṇa will never desert you, never kick you. “I have this strong faith.” This is raksisyatīti viśvāsaḥ.
Pariksit Maharaja says that thing. In First Canto you will find.
taṁ mopayātaṁ pratiyantu viprā
gaṅgā ca devī dhṛta-cittam īśe
dvijopasṛṣṭaḥ kuhakas takṣako vā
daśatv alaṁ gāyata viṣṇu-gāthāḥ
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.19.15]
Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was cursed by that brahmana boy, Śamīka Muni’s son, Śṛṅgi. Takṣaka will come, great serpent, to bite him, he will die in seven days. But he gave up everything, his whole empire. He was emperor of the whole world! He had everything. So powerful king, so much opulence he had, ruling so many subordinates, what not? So much fame, but he gave up everything. “Oh, my lifespan is only left for seven days.” So he sat down there on the bank of Ganges, became completely surrendered, “Nobody can now protect me from such brāhmaṇa-śāpa, nobody. Who can protect me? Nobody can protect me from the curse of a brāhmaṇa. Infallible; it must take place. All were afraid, but he said:
taṁ mopayātaṁ pratiyantu viprā
gaṅgā ca devī dhṛta-cittam īśe
dvijopasṛṣṭaḥ kuhakas takṣako vā
daśatv alaṁ gāyata viṣṇu-gāthāḥ
So all brahmarṣis, devarṣis, rājarṣis, saints, sages, all came there and assembled there, Such an emperor left his ruling kingdom, his empire! Because he was such a great emperor. His administration was perfect administration: ‘we were all peaceful under his administration, now he left!’ So all rājarṣis, devarṣis, brahmarṣis, great rṣis, munis, saints, all came.
Pariksit Mahārāja says, “You, all brāhmaṇas, vaiṣṇavas.” And this Gaṅgā-devī is here, they are sitting in the bank of Gaṅgā. “I am completely now surrendered unto that Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Personality of Godhead - śaraṇāgata kṛṣṇa-arpita-citta. I am completely dedicated myself at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, completely surrendered. You should understand. So you all go on glorifying that Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Only I will hear His glories from you. Let thousands and thousands of takṣaka and kuhakas come and bite me, I am not afraid.”
He became fearless because he took complete shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is such a place where there is no fear, no lamentation, no death.
aśoka-abhaya, amṛta-ādhāra,
tomāra caraṇa-dvaya
(Ātma-nivedana Tuwā Pade: Text 2, Śaraṇāgati)
One who takes such shelter, that Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself before him! He gets the mercy. Kṛṣṇa accepts him as His own man. Only he knows. Nobody else knows, or can know Him. He said that thing.
Kulaśekhara has said,
bhava-jaladhi-gatānāṁ dvandva-vātāhatānāṁ
suta-duhitṛ-kalatra-trāṇa-bhārārditānām
viṣama-viṣaya-toye majjatām āplavānāṁ
bhavati śaraṇam eko viṣṇu-poto narāṇām
[Mukunda-mālā-stotra: Text 11]
Kulaśekhara, a great devotee, he says like that. All are drowning here in this dreadful ocean of material existence. They have developed so much rāga and dveṣa, attachment and envy. They are like violent storms here in this dreadful ocean of material existence. And these people are overburdened. They are carrying a very heavy burden of maintaining their family, their sons, daughters, wives. This is a heavy burden. They have been drowning here in this dreadful ocean of material existence, feeling themselves helpless, “Oh! How can I cross over this dreadful ocean of material existence? Where is that boat? Which is the boat?”
The boat is the only lotus feet of this Supreme Personality of Godhead. No other boat is here. He will help you in crossing over this dreadful ocean of material existence.
Yamunācārya says,
abhūta-pūrvaṁ mama bhāvi kiṁ vā
sarvaṁ sahe me sahajaṁ hi duhkham
kintu tvad agre śaranāgatānaṁ
parābhavo nātha na te ’nurūpaḥ
[Stotra-ratna Text 25]
Yamunācārya is a great devotee. These are great devotees: Kulaśekhara, Yamunācārya. They say so. “Hey Nātha! O my Lord! What is wonderful? I can tolerate everything.” Taror eva sahisnuna. Mahāprabhu says, “Be tolerant as a tree.”
“I can tolerate everything. Distress is my friend. He is my close friend; he is always with me. So I can tolerate.” He says, sarvaṁ sahe me sahajaṁ hi duhkham. But one who has taken complete shelter at Your lotus feet, completely surrendered at Your lotus feet, if he feels himself helpless, can You tolerate it? I tolerate all these things but can You tolerate this thing?
Do you understand what is the purport behind it? That means, it is impossible on the part of the Supreme Lord, He cannot tolerate this thing. “One who has taken shelter at My lotus feet, [if] he is helpless, I am there, every moment, with him.” He gives him such a protection, everything. That is what.
Then Yamunācārya says,
nirāsakasyāpi na tāvad utsahe
maheśa hātuṁ tava pāda-pankajam
ruṣā nirasto’pi śiśus-stanandhayo
na jatu mātuś-caraṇau jihāsati
[Stotra-ratna Text 26]
“O Maheśvara! O Supreme Lord! If you disappoint me, still I won’t leave Your lotus feet. If You kick me, still I won’t leave Your lotus feet.”
As for example, if a mother gets angry, and kicks her baby who is sucking breast, is it that that baby will leave his mother? This is what he says.
ruṣā nirasto’pi śiśus-stanandhayo
na jatu mātuś-caraṇau jihāsati
“So how can I leave Your lotus feet? I cannot leave.”
Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī says:
yā draupadī-paritrāṇe
yā gajendrasya mokṣaṇe
mayy ārte karuṇāmūrte
sā tvarā kva gatā hare
(Śrī Padyāvali Text 63)
“O Hari! When Draupadī was crying bitterly, begging Your mercy, seeking Your help in the assembly of Kuru, when she was persecuted so severely and inhumanly, You rushed so speedily towards her, to help her. When Gajendra was offering prayer for rescue from that crocodile, great crocodile, You rushed to him so speedily. I am now in such a condition. I am begging Your mercy. Where is that speed now?
You are not coming to me? Where is that speed?”
Kva gatā, hare, sā tvarā kva gatā hare! “I am so distressed. I am crying, seeking Your mercy. I am praying for Your mercy. I am in such condition, O Lord! Where is that speed now? It is not for me?”
This is how, kārpaṇya, always praying for mercy. This is, complete surrendered souls.
Draupadī has said this thing,
tamasi ravir ivodyan majjatām aplavānāṁ
plava iva tṛs-itānāṁ svādu-varsīva meghaḥ
iidhir iva nidhanānāṁ tīvra-duḥkhāmayānāṁ
bhiṣag iva kuśalaṁ no dātum āyāti śauriḥ
(Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 3.96(or 97 or 98?)
When Kṛṣṇa came to help, to protect Draupadī. Then Draupadī says, “As someone is crying for light, in dense darkness, if suddenly sun arises, how he feels? If someone is drowning there in the middle of the ocean, if suddenly a boat comes there, how he feels? If someone is very thirsty, at that time, a black patch of cloud comes and pours rain. How he feels? If someone is very, very poor, pauper suffering out of poverty, all of a sudden he gets nidhi, invaluable wealth, one cannot evaluate it.” We say nidhi, nava-nidhi, nine nidhis are there. How he feels?
“One who is suffering very much out of chronic disease. He cannot get any treatment to his suffering out of chronic disease. If all of a sudden a doctor arises there. How he feels? Similarly, this kṛṣṇa-nāma came to rescue me. Such is my feeling.” Because Kṛṣṇa is the only protector.
Bhiṣag iva kuśalaṁ no dātum āyāti śauriḥ - “Kṛṣṇa is the only well-wishing friend. So, my friend has come now.”
Prabhodānanda Sarasvatīpāda has said:
hā hanta citta-bhuvi me paramoṣarāyāṁ
sad-bhakti-kalpa-latikāṅkuritā kathaṁ syāt
hṛdy ekam eva paramāśasatnīyam asti
caitanya-nāma kalayan na kadāpi śocyaḥ
(Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛta 6.53[48])
“Alas! Alas! My heart is a barren land.” How the seed of bhakti-latā will germinate there, in a barren land?”
Gopīnātha Ācārya said, ūṣara-bhūmite yena bījera ropaṇa
[Cc. Madhya 6.105]
“I am just sowing a seed in a barren land. It will never germinate.” A barren land - the heart of Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya is a barren land. My heart is a barren plot of land, so the seed of bhakti-latā creeper will not germinate here. So what shall I do? How can I get bhakti?
Caitanya-nāma kalayan na kadāpi śocyaḥ - “Have you not heard the name of Caitanya, wonderfully merciful? So only this hope is there. Now I will chant the name of Caitanya and beg His mercy. He has never disappointed anybody. Even Jāgāis and Mādhāis, they get His mercy. So I have only this hope: now I will take shelter of that Caitanya Mahāprabhu and beg for His mercy. He will never disappoint me.
“So, though my heart is a plot of barren land, still this hope is there: He must shower His mercy. Now I will get bhakti. That seed of bhakti-latā must germinate now.”
These are prayers like kārpaṇya, always pray for the mercy. So, Gopīnātha Ācārya says that thing: “Without the mercy of that Supreme Lord, nobody can understand Him, So, you have not gotten his mercy.” Ūṣara-bhūmite yena bījera ropaṇa - I am just now sowing seed in a barren land.
tomāra upare tāṅra kṛpā yabe habe
e-saba siddhānta tabe tumiha kahibe
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 6.106]
“When you get His mercy, Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, then you can understand.”
At last he said that and that took place. He got Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard Vedānta from him, He showered His mercy. This is what. Without the mercy of the Lord, nobody can understand Him. Without the help of sunshine, nobody can see the Sun. Can any scientist show the Sun at night? However powerful torch or television he may invent or he may manufacture, can he show the Sun at night, when there is no sunshine? He must wait for Sun to rise and sunshine. Then he can show, and can see. Similarly, without the mercy of Supreme Lord, nobody can understand Him, nobody can approach Him. This is the only thing required.
Thank you.