Bhagavatam study 19 – 1.5.11-16 – Devotion alone brings lasting value to anything

Discussion in our future classes, thank you Bhagavatam 1511 1511 1511 1511 1511 1511 here the bhagavatam is continuing on its description of the glories of the supreme lord and specifically of the literature that glorify the supreme lord this is Vyasanarabha Samadha and Narada Narada Muni is analysing the cause of the dissatisfaction of of his disciple Vyasa and in that connection he has said that you have not glorified the supreme lord so in this particular verse he is comparing this in the previous verse are usually presented as twin verses which instruct by contrasting so the verse essentially states that that those words which are glorifying the supreme lord the names, the glories of the lord Nanta the lord who is unlimited are broadcast over there so such words they bring about a revolution visarga is sorry visarga is creation those words are such a creation that they bring about agavitplava they bring about destruction in the agha in the sins of people those words in which each letter is glorifying the supreme lord every word is a glorification of the supreme lord and that such words of the glorification of the supreme lord even if they are having difficulties they have faults it’s an extreme thing that every word is filled with fault so there is spiritual potency and then there is literally style so the bhagavatam says in fact one of the defining characteristics of the bhagavatam is that the material qualifications are consistently shown to be subordinate to or even insignificant when compared to the spiritual qualification of devotion thus we have demon who is materially far more disqualified than a devata indra and trasur is shown to be greater than indra or we have the brahmana patnis who are shown to be greater than the young brahmanas their husbands or we have nambarish maharaj who is grahastha and kshatriya shown to be greater than durvasa who is a brahmana and sanyasi and all because although they have material qualification or qualification but they have spiritual qualification their spiritual qualification is that they are devoted to the supreme lord that same point is being talked about here in the bhagavatam where the point is made that the literature which has material qualification chitrapadam it is even if that word is filled with poetic ornamentation and that is contrasted here with pratislokam abhidhvatyam then even if there is there is defect in every word in every verse still so there is material qualification so there may be abandoned material flourish in some literature in contrast with that there may be no material flourish in some literature rather there may be material defects in some literature but if that literature with material flourish with literal flourish If that is not glorifying the Supreme Lord, then that is considered worthless.
That is like a pilgrimage place for crows. And here it is said that that literature which glorifies the Supreme Lord is accepted by the Sadhavas. शुन्मन्ति गायन्ति गुणंति साधवः The saintly people accept this because they see that it is its spiritual purpose, its devotional purpose is going to purify the world.
So here Bhagavatam underscores that the purpose of literature is not just to entertain. It is not just to impress with its literary qualities. The purpose of the literature, of any literature ultimately is to connect us with the Supreme Lord and when we glorify Krishna by such glorification we become purified, others become purified and we all move closer to Krishna.
And that moving closer to Krishna is the ultimate purpose of life. So here it is that purpose that is being stressed and the purpose which is being emphasised and by doing this radical contrast just like Krishna does in the Bhagavad Gita when he talks about first 7.15 नमाः तुष्कुति नो मुध्य He talks about one extreme of people who don’t just not surrender to Krishna but to defy Krishna. And in 7.16 he talks about चतुर्विधाः भजन्तेमाः Then those who approach in worship and gradually they come to the level of surrendering to him that is described in 7.19. So similarly Krishna here, the Bhagavatam is drawing two extremes over here.
The literature which does not glorify the Supreme Lord at all and that literature which glorifies the Supreme Lord. So that spiritual quality trumps all material qualities. We see this consistently in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life also that we see when his spiritual master asked him to edit his book and he with great humility first said no, you have written for the pleasure of Krishna, there cannot be any fault in it.
And yet his spiritual master insisted and then he found some fault and his spiritual master said that it is not a fault, he should have put his head down. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted that. We see South Indian brahmana, he could not recite the Bhagavad Gita properly.
And yet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was pleased with him. Why? Because he had devotion. So here the subtext, the underlying message from this comparison that Narottam Muni is doing.
He is telling, we have written phenomenal literature but the literature are not devoted to the glorification of the Supreme Lord. Yes, there is mention of the Supreme Lord, there is mention of bhakti but the literature is not devoted to that. And that literature is not going to be relishable to the heart.
That’s the point which will come later. But earlier he has said that the literature that glorifies the Supreme Lord is dear to the Lord and to the devotees. And the same thing is said here with further emphasis that The sadhus accept the little literature which glorifies the Lord even if it does not contain much, even a literary flourish.
Rather if it contains some defects also that doesn’t matter. Still it is praised and glorified by the great saints, by the saintly people. Sometimes some scholars try to find some faults which are in Prabhupada’s books.
Sometimes his Sanskrit translations are not very accurate. Or sometimes he adds something in the translation itself which is not there in the words. There are various levels of explanation for this.
But the important point is even if somebody says for argument’s sake that there are some defects in it. And even if we say that yes there are defects. Still the point remains that Prabhupada was a great saint who loved Krishna.
And he wanted all of us to love Krishna. And because of that intention to glorify Krishna, his books have had such potency. The Bhagavatam has been made universally available by Sri Prabhupada’s tireless mercy.
And we all have the opportunity to benefit by his great benevolence. So what we need to recognise is that keep the Ramayana purpose in mind. Prabhupada here, in his work also he says that Prabhupada translated and commented on the first Canto in India.
At that time he was a one man army, he did not have any assistants, he did not have any editors. Prabhupada knew that as compared to many other devotees in the Gaudiya Math, his English was relatively good. But still there were some issues with his English.
And Prabhupada himself admitted that there were issues. And he said that our attempts to present this great knowledge, this great literature in foreign language is going to, he is not just saying, he doesn’t say that it is going to be difficult for me to do it. He says it’s going to fail.
But he doesn’t consider his purpose will fail. He says yes, the English literary accuracy may not be there. But the Ramayana purpose will still be there.
And that purpose will be fulfilled. So there is a fire of material existence where people are suffering, burning because of desires and anxieties. And the Bhagavatam offers the remembrance of Krishna which acts like the extinguishing fire, which acts like the extinguisher.
So Prabhupada said that when the fire in a house and the neighbours want to warn the residents of the house to get out, they don’t care about the precision of the language. They focus on conveying the message, making sure that it is understood. So Prabhupada in that mood was focused on making sure that the message was conveyed.
That people move towards him and move towards Krishna and attain Krishna. That was his primary focus. And that focus was fundamentally served.
And that focus, consistent focus on glorifying the Supreme Lord, which the Bhagavatam stresses is what Prabhupada also consistently stresses in his brilliant purports. So if we are also interested in truth, if we are interested in spiritual truth, if we are just interested in grammatical accuracy, then we can also find fault with Prabhupada’s books. But if we are interested in the ultimate spiritual truth, then we will know that what Prabhupada has given is the essence of the Vedic literature and he has given it for our all-round benefit.
Now, twelfth verse. नचार्पितं कर्म यत्य अप्य कार्ण नेश्कर्मेम अप्य अच्छुत भाववर्जितम् This whole section contains many important verses which point to the underlying theme of the Bhagavatam. So नेश्कर्म, नेश्कर्म is freedom from karmic bondage.
अच्छुत भाववर्जितम् So, if it is without अच्छुत भाववर्जितम्, if it is without devotion to the Lord, नशोभते घ्यानम अलं निरंजनम् that घ्यानम, even घ्यान, which is without devotion, that does not look beautiful. नशोभते कुतः पुनशश्वद अभध्रमिश्वरे What to speak of? What to speak of अभध्रमिश्वरे? नचार्पितं कर्मयद्यप्तकार्णम् So, when what to speak of? Fruitive work or non-fruitive work, it is not offered to the Supreme Lord. The Bhagavatam is extending the theme, which is mentioned earlier that without a connection, without a connection to the Supreme, everything else becomes, no matter what its qualities are, it becomes void.
So, here it is talking about the paths of karma and jnana. So, even jnana, अच्छितभाव अर्जितमे नशोभते ज्ञान मनं निरिञ्यन If the jnana is without अच्छितभाव, without devotion, jnana is not of much use. What to speak of karma? अभध्रमिश्वरे So, when one works with fruitive intention, one gets bound in material existence.
And such bondage is unfortunate. And if one doesn’t get bound, then there are other issues that come up. One needs to struggle with these.
So, the important point is that we all as sadhakas need to recognise the primacy of the connection with the Supreme. And the Bhagavatam stresses that anything that is not connected with the Supreme has its limitations. It does not serve a constructive purpose.
शश्वदभध्रमिश्वरे अभध्रमिश्वरे Everything else is not of much transcendental purpose. From the transcendental perspective, it is not of any use. अथो महाभागभवानमोगद्रिक् शुचिष्रवासत्यरतोदृतब्रतः उरुक्रमस्याकिलबन्धमुक्तये समाधिनानुस्मरतद्विचेष्टितम् अथो महाभाग Therefore, महाभागभवानमोगद्रिक् that you are अमोभवान नारभुनिष्मि अदर्शिद इस्पेक्फुलि is addressing with respectfully यासदेव भवान इस्पेक्फुलि अमोगद्रिक् So your vision doesn’t go in vain.
You have a deep vision, enlightened vision. शुचिष्रवाः शुचिष्रवाः Your fame is spotless. तत्यरतो दृतव् ब्रतः So his various qualifications are being described.
सत्यरतो Devoted to the truth. He has followed vows strictly. दृतव् ब्रतः उरुक्रमस्या अखिलबन्धमुक्तये उरुक्रमस्या That lord who performs wonderful deed.
अखिलबन्धमुक्तये That supreme lord. बन्धमुक्तये Devoted to whom one becomes free from bondage. समाधिना अनुस्मरत तद्विचेष्टितम् समाधिना विष्चरिण समय समाधिना अनुस्मरत तद्विचेष्टितम् And meditate on him and his pastimes, his glories.
तद्विचेष्टितम् So in the preceding verses, the futility of anything disconnected with the lord has been talked about. And now in this verse, the importance of connection with the lord is stressed by stating that without that you, O Vyasa, you have the qualifications. Now Vyasa himself has earlier said that in the previous chapter towards the end, he said that yes, I have taken the vows diligently.
I have studied the scriptures. So similar things are being made over here. So now material qualifications are not entirely useless.
Material qualifications, if somebody with material qualifications uses those qualifications in Krishna’s service, then a lot of service can be done. If provided with material qualifications, don’t make one proud. A person is a sweet singer, that person sings Hare Krishna, sings Krishna’s glories, then many people get attracted.
A person who is a good writer or a good intellectual or any having good material skills, and those skills are used in Krishna’s service, then so much good can be done for the world. समाधिना अनुस्मरत तद्विचेष्टितम् So Narada Muni is acknowledging that Vyasa has great qualities and he has great diligence. And those qualities and diligence, it is being stated that use them in the service of the Supreme.
उरुक्रम स्याखिल बन्धमुक्तये Urukrama is the Supreme Lord who is capable of performing wonderful deeds. तद्विचेष्टितम् So his pastimes you meditate on. So here the genesis of the Bhagavatam is being described.
Narada Muni is telling Vyasa Dev that you should glorify the Supreme. So direct all your ratas, all your qualities towards the glorification of the Supreme Lord and therein you will find relief from dissatisfaction. You will find the ultimate satisfaction.
You are Mahabhaga. You are greatly fortunate. Use that fortune properly.
ततो अन्यथा किञ्चन्यद्विवक्षदः रुठग्द्रिशस्तत्तुतरूपनामभि नकरिचित्क्वापिच्यदुस्तितामतिर् लभेतवाताहत नौरिवास्पदम् So here a beautiful metaphor is given to drive home the point. ततो अन्यथा ततो अन्यथा means other than the Lord. He says, समाधिनानुस्मर्थत्विचेष्टितम् That was the previous verse.
Now this verse is, ततो अन्यथा apart from him, apart from the Supreme Lord, अन्यथा किञ्चन्यद्विवक्षदः If anything one tries to describe, the result of such description will be रुठग्द्रिशस्तत्तुतरूपनामभि रुठग्द्रिशस् One is having a separatist vision by which one is not able to see तत्कृत्रूपनामभि One is not able to see the ultimate reality. तत्कृत्रूपनामभि नकरचित क्वापिचि दुस्तितामतिर And whatever one may glorify, क्वापि, whatever it may be, दुस्तितामतिर The मति, the mind, the consciousness will remain restless. An example, लभेत वाताहत नुरिवास्पदम वात आहत, वात is wind, the आहत is to be exalted by.
So when a boat, नऊर, is when a boat is exalted by a stormy wind, then it cannot stay fixed in any one place. It will just get battered and shattered. So, similarly, if our consciousness is not rested in कृष्ण, then whatever else we may rest our consciousness in, it will not attain lasting rest.
Our consciousness will be battered and shattered by whatever other objects we try to shelter it in. And this is the tragedy of material existence that we are often offered innumerable objects in which we can shelter our consciousness. And when we find that those objects do not give us shelter, then we get caught, we get dejected, we get frustrated.
And thus, we stay bound in material existence. Now, even if we don’t observe the bondage, even if we don’t break the bondage, sometimes there is an illusion, we don’t understand how grave material existence and its bondage is. But even then, we find that our conditioned material existence is still unfortunate.
We are still suffering in material existence and we are still caught, unable to get freedom from the bondages of life. So if we want freedom from that bondage, we need to move onwards towards the supreme. And the more we fix our consciousness on the supreme, because he is the supreme unchanging reality.
He stands beyond all the changes of this world. And by seeking shelter in him, our consciousness attains rest. Saint Augustine in the Christian tradition has said, Oh God, you have made us for you.
And our heart is made for you and our heart finds no rest unless it rests in you. So, But when our consciousness becomes fixed in Hari, then it becomes satisfied. Otherwise it is not satisfied.
Fifteenth text. जुगुप्सितम् धर्मकृते अनुशासतः सभावर तस्य महान्यती क्रमः यद्वाकितो धर्म इती तरहस्तितो नमन्यते तस्य दिवारणं जनः जुगुप्सितम् जुगुप्सितम् is something which is reproachable, something which is not at all praiseworthy. It is opposite of praiseworthy.
जुगुप्सितम् धर्मकृते अनुशासतः धर्मकृते In the matter of religion, you are given instruction. It is regrettable the kind of instruction that you have. सभावर तस्य महान्यती क्रमः सभावर तस्य According to people’s nature, you have given them instruction and you have sanctioned, you have legitimised what people anyway want to do.
सभावर तस्य महान्यती क्रमः सभावर तस्य महान्यती क्रमः This is a great violation that you have done. अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर् अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर्था अर् People who are attached to worldly things, यद वाक्यत धर्म इती तरह सितों That those who are attached will say that actually doing what we are attached to, that itself is dharma and this is what we said in scripture. So, इती तरह अस्तिता The people in general will think like this and they will stay situated at whatever level they are at.
And then, नमन्यसे वन्यते सनिवारनम्यनम् They will do what they want to do in the name of dharma. And they will not even care for the further restrictions that are given in dharma. And in the literature and thus they will stay.
They will not really be elevated by the study of the literature. Rather, they will stay caught wherever they are. So, Prabhupada in the Purport talks about how this happened with respect to meat-eating.
And when this happened with respect to meat-eating, then the Lord had to come as Buddha to do an emergency rescue operation by which people could be elevated. People could be saved from the wrong activity which was done in the name of the Vedas, the killing of animals that was happening. People are saying that this is what the Vedas are telling.
Yes, the Vedas do talk about animal killing, but that is only provisional. That is not the essential instruction of the Vedas. That is a concession given for those who are anyway attached to meat-eating.
And that sort of misrepresentation of the Vedas had happened. And Buddha himself came to correct that. So again, the same point is being hammered here.
You are an expert and indeed an expert can do this. An expert person deserves to understand this, can understand this, the glories of the Lord. That Lord who is unlimited.
So, the expert person, what is the expertise of that person? That person should be detached from worldly pleasures. So, those who are those who are caught up in the flow of the modes and those who are caught up in infatuated material objects. So, those people who are attached to worldly things and are caught in worldly things, they can become detached and they can become attached to the Supreme Lord if they are guided by an expert person.
So, you be that expert. Therefore, you be that expert and reveal the glories of the Supreme. So, now he is talking about, okay, what is done is done, but what to do? But there’s no point in lambasting a person for the mistake that has been done.
We have to see how things can be corrected, how things can be rectified. And in that connection, he’s stating here that what you could do is even if people are attached, they can become detached by hearing the glories of the Supreme. You please speak the glories of the Supreme.
And to the extent you speak about the glories of the Supreme, to that extent, people will become elevated and liberated. And in this way, people can move onwards towards the Supreme and attain the Supreme. So, this is how Asudev is instructed by Narada Muni to speak the Srimad Bhagavatam.
We’ll continue our discussion in future classes. Thank you.