Transcription made by: Sai Nidhi Mataji and Shrushthi Nidhi Mataji
Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swamī: Oṁ Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya. Oṁ Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Eighth Canto, Chapter ten, text thirteen to fifteen. citra-dhvaja-paṭai rājann ātapatraiḥ sitāmalaiḥ mahā-dhanair vajra-daṇḍair vyajanair bārha-cāmaraiḥ vātoddhūtottaroṣṇīṣair arcirbhir varma-bhūṣaṇaiḥ sphuradbhir viśadaiḥ śastraiḥ sutarāṁ sūrya-raśmibhiḥ deva-dānava-vīrāṇāṁ dhvajinyau pāṇḍu-nandana rejatur vīra-mālābhir yādasām iva sāgarau SB 8.10.13-15
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda: O King, O descendant of Mahārāja Pāṇḍu, the soldiers of both the demigods and demons were decorated by canopies, colorful flags, and umbrellas with handles made of valuable jewels and pearls. They were further decorated by fans made of peacock feathers and by other fans also. The soldiers, their upper and lower garments waving in the breeze, naturally looked very beautiful, and in the light of the glittering sunshine their shields, ornaments and sharp, clean weapons appeared dazzling. Thus, the ranks of soldiers seemed like two oceans with bands of aquatics.
Eighteen. vairocano baliḥ saṅkhye so ’surāṇāṁ camū-patiḥ yānaṁ vaihāyasaṁ nāma kāma-gaṁ maya-nirmitam sarva-sāṅgrāmikopetaṁ sarvāścaryamayaṁ prabho apratarkyam anirdeśyaṁ dṛśyamānam adarśanam āsthitas tad vimānāgryaṁ sarvānīkādhipair vṛtaḥ bāla-vyajana-chatrāgryai reje candra ivodaye [SB 8.10.16-18]
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda: For that battle the most celebrated commander in chief, Mahārāja Bali, son of Virocana, was seated on a wonderful airplane named Vaihāyasa. O King, this beautifully decorated airplane had been manufactured by the demon Maya and was equipped with weapons for all types of combat. It was inconceivable and indescribable. Indeed, it was sometimes visible and sometimes not. Seated in this airplane under a beautiful protective umbrella and being fanned by the best of cāmaras, Mahārāja Bali, surrounded by his captains and commanders, appeared just like the moon rising in the evening, illuminating all directions.
Nineteen to twenty-four. tasyāsan sarvato yānair yūthānāṁ patayo ’surāḥ namuciḥ śambaro bāṇo vipracittir ayomukhaḥ dvimūrdhā kālanābho ’tha prahetir hetir ilvalaḥ śakunir bhūtasantāpo vajradaṁṣṭro virocanaḥ hayagrīvaḥ śaṅkuśirāḥ kapilo meghadundubhiḥ tārakaś cakradṛk śumbho niśumbho jambha utkalaḥ ariṣṭo ’riṣṭanemiś ca mayaś ca tripurādhipaḥ anye pauloma-kāleyā nivātakavacādayaḥ alabdha-bhāgāḥ somasya kevalaṁ kleśa-bhāginaḥ sarva ete raṇa-mukhe bahuśo nirjitāmarāḥ siṁha-nādān vimuñcantaḥ śaṅkhān dadhmur mahā-ravān dṛṣṭvā sapatnān utsiktān balabhit kupito bhṛśam [SB 8.10.19-24]
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda: Surrounding Mahārāja Bali on all sides were the commanders and captains of the demons, sitting on their respective chariots. Among them were the following demons: Namuci, Śambara, Bāṇa, Vipracitti, Ayomukha, Dvimūrdhā, Kālanābha, Praheti, Heti, Ilvala, Śakuni, Bhūtasantāpa, Vajradaṁṣṭra, Virocana, Hayagrīva, Śaṅkuśirā, Kapila, Meghadundubhi, Tāraka, Cakradṛk, Śumbha, Niśumbha, Jambha, Utkala, Ariṣṭa, Ariṣṭanemi, Tripurādhipa, Maya, the sons of Puloma, the Kāleyas and Nivātakavaca. All of these demons had been deprived of their share of the nectar and had shared merely in the labor of churning the ocean. Now, they fought against the demigods, and to encourage their armies, they made a tumultuous sound like the roaring of lions and blew loudly on conchshells. Balabhit, Lord Indra, upon seeing this situation of his ferocious rivals, became extremely angry.
airāvataṁ dik-kariṇam ārūḍhaḥ śuśubhe sva-rāṭ yathā sravat-prasravaṇam udayādrim ahar-patiḥ [SB 8.10.25]
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda: Sitting on Airāvata, an elephant who can go anywhere and who holds water and wine in reserve for showering, Lord Indra looked just like the sun rising from Udayagiri, where there are reservoirs of water. On the top of the mountain called Udayagiri are large lakes from which water continuously pours in waterfalls. Similarly, Indra's carrier Airāvata holds water and wine in reserve and showers it in the direction of Lord Indra. Thus Indra, king of heaven, sitting on the back of Airāvata, appeared like the brilliant sun rising above Udayagiri.
This is all description of this battle between the demigods and demons. Two parties, how they are arranged, how they are decorated, how their chariots and different carriers are there. The chief of the demon side was Bali, son of Virocana, and the chief of the demigod side is Indra, king of heaven. In Bhāgavatam you'll find many descriptions, but there is a purpose. Why does this fighting go on? My revered spiritual master says, "There are always these two kinds of men in this material world: demons and demigods, Deva and Danava. And the enmity between them is perpetual." It cannot be stopped unless intelligent persons from both sides take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only solution. If leaders accept a bonafide guru and receive tattva-jñāna, they can understand their real constitutional position: jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ [CC Madhya 20.108]. They are eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. Your body is meant to serve Kṛṣṇa with love. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased, the whole world is satisfied. As it says in the verse yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena [SB 4.31.14], if you pour water on the root of the tree, the whole tree gets water. If you give food to the stomach, the whole body is nourished. Similarly, if the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped and satisfied, the whole universe is satisfied.
A living entity must understand: "I am Kṛṣṇa dāsa. My only duty is to serve the Supreme Lord and please Him." Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer and proprietor; everything else is His property meant for His enjoyment. I am not the enjoyer. This desire for enjoyment is the root cause of all enmity, rivalry, and intolerance. When you understand you are not the enjoyer, there is no question of enviousness. The demons get angry because they feel deprived of enjoyment, and that is why fighting occurs.
How do they become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Kṛṣṇa is the only well-wishing friend, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ [BG 5.29]. Out of mercy, Kṛṣṇa gave the Vedic literature, jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa [CC Madhya 20.122]. One cannot understand this by scholarship or intelligence alone; it must be understood in tattva. As the Gita says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ [BG 4.34]. One must approach a tattva-darśi guru who has seen the truth. The first step is surrender (praṇipātena), then service (sevayā), then humble inquiry (paripraśnena).
How can a conditioned soul find such a guru? A conditioned soul cannot judge or measure a guru with defective senses. It depends completely on the merciful Lord Kṛṣṇa. If you cry before Him, "Please, O Kṛṣṇa, I am Your servant," He will make the arrangement. Mahaprabhu taught us to cry like this: ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau [Śikṣāṣṭaka 5]. If you cry in your heart, Kṛṣṇa as Paramatma will make the arrangement for you to meet a guru.
The Katopanishad says that Paramatma assumes a body and appears as the guru. Kṛṣṇa sends a guru according to your temperament and mood. If a person is simple and free from duplicity, truly wanting to serve, Kṛṣṇa appears Himself as the guru or sends a real representative. But if a person is crooked and wants to be cheated, Kṛṣṇa’s illusory energy, Maya, sends a guru to them. Kṛṣṇa knows the heart; if you want "duplicitous mercy" (sakapaṭa-kṛpā), He allows you to meet a cheater.
Without the mercy of a sadhu guru, nobody can be delivered or understand this tattva. sādhu-guru-kṛpā binā, nāika nistāra. Conditioned souls often say, "Seeing is believing," but they do not admit they are blind with defective vision. You cannot see the swaroop (real form) of a sadhu guru with defective eyes; that requires transcendental vision. Out of causeless mercy, these gurus descend to deliver the pāmaras by imparting tattva-jñāna. They come from the spiritual world, holding a "rope" tied to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
When a fortunate soul (bhāgyavān jīva) meets a sadhu guru, the guru drops that rope into the deep dark well of material existence and says, "Grasp it tightly." If you hold on without slackness—meaning without adding your own mental speculation—the guru will pull you out of the prison house of Maya. Many say they want mercy with their lips, but they maintain an independent mentality and do not want to surrender. They want to give orders to the guru. Such persons cannot get the mercy.
A real disciple thinks, "I am the servant. I have to serve in a way that pleases Kṛṣṇa, not myself." If you say, "I don’t like this service," you are trying to please yourself, not Kṛṣṇa. One should cry for the service of Guru and Gauranga. Kṛṣṇa knows your heart. If you are acutely crying for service without duplicity, you get real mercy. A real disciple follows the instructions as they are, without adding "mano dharma" (mental speculation).
One should prepare to tolerate any hardship or distress that comes while rendering service. Kṛṣṇa hears the prayers of such a person. It is not easy to overcome Maya, mama māyā duratyayā [BG 7.14]. You get the strength to conquer Maya through the guru. Kṛṣṇa says in the Tenth Canto to Sudama Vipra: "I am not as pleased by severe penance, sannyasa, or brahmacharya as I am by one who is always engaged in loving service unto the guru." nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāṁ tapasopaśenena vā tuṣyeyaṁ sarva-bhūtātmā guru-śuśrūṣayā yathā [SB 10.80.34].
Spiritual strength comes from serving the guru and the Holy Name without duplicity. A real disciple accepts whatever arrangement the guru makes as good, however difficult it may be. guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koribo aikya. Whatever comes from the lips of the guru, accept it as it is. If you think paraphernalia is for your own enjoyment, it is a great offense. Everything is gurura sevā upakaraṇa—ingredients for the service of the guru and Kṛṣṇa.
Everything in this world is paraphernalia for service. One who sees this gets all auspiciousness. If you give up your minute independence and surrender without duplicity, it is guaranteed that in this very life you will reach the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Do bhajan under the guidance of a guru, and you can go back to Godhead in one life.
Hearing is most important. Through the lips of a pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa descends in the form of sabda brahma and enters the heart. A sadhu guru can make Kṛṣṇa appear in your heart because Kṛṣṇa belongs to them: kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dīte pāro. When you are endowed with devotional vision (premāñjana-cchurita), you see the all-beautiful Syamasundara within and without.
We should be "up and doing," eager to serve without wasting a single moment. Stay always in the association of sadhus (satsanga), or you will become a speculator. This takes unflinching faith that only Kṛṣṇa can give protection. Such a person becomes fearless, blissful, and cheerful even in this dukkhalaya (miserable world). For such a soul, all confidential truths are revealed: prakāśante mahātmanaḥ [SU 6.23].
Devotee: You said there are two levels. According to one’s attitude, one gets a real guru or a cheater. But can a real guru also cheat?
Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swamī: A real guru will not cheat, but their outward appearance might "cheat" those who only look at the exterior. For example, Pundarik Vidyanidhi appeared outwardly as a bhogi (enjoyer), sitting on cushions and wearing rings, but he was a maha-bhagavata. If you only see the outward form, you are cheated by your own vision. If you cry in your heart to see his real swaroop, you will get his real mercy. Gadadhara Pandit went to see Pundarik Vidyanidhi with Mukunda Dutta...