Bhakti Shastri (070) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 04 Text 11 to 13

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Shri Mat Bhagavad Gita ki Jai. We are now in the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, about to start with some of the most well-known verses in the Bhagavad Gita.
In fact, among all the verses, this is the verse pair that is most well-known. There are other verses which are well-known, like Karmanyavadikaraste or Yogakshemambahamyam, but two successive verses that are the most well-known within the Vedic context as well as outside the, what we could call the Hindu world. And this successive verse pair is the most well-known.
Let us look at these two verses. Yada yada hi dharmasya, la nirbhavati bharata, abhyathaanavadharmasya, tadatmanam sriyam yaham. So yada yada, yada yada, the two yada have meaning, wherever and whenever, Prabhupada translates.
That means at different times and at different places, yada yada hi dharmasya, dharma, glani. So glani means decline or disruption or as Prabhupada translates as discrepancies, bhavati bharata. Whenever there is a decline in religion, so Prabhupada translates that as decline in the sentence translation and discrepancies in the word-to-word translation.
And then abhyathaanavadharmasya, abhyathaan means increase, predominance. So when there is a decline in religion and increase in religion, tadatmanam sriyam yaham tadatmanam, therefore I myself manifest, sriyami. So now in the previous verse Krishna has said that, 4.4 was Arjuna’s question, how can, you have instructed the sun god and Krishna says in 4.5 that I remember all my previous lives, you don’t.
And then he says, he talks about his own position and he states in 4.6 that actually I remember because my body is transcendental, I am the lord of all living beings and I come by my own nature, in my own transcendental form, by my mercy. So prakratim svamadishthaya sambhavami atma mayaya, so this is the mystery of the lord’s appearance. Now the lord will describe why he appears in this world.
So first he is talking about when he appears and next verse he will tell why he appears. Actually in this verse itself, the why he appears is implicit. So he is saying that there is always this tension between dharma and adharma in this world, that is there within our hearts, we have a good side and a bad side, we have virtuous side and a vicious side or as the native Americans would say that there is a good dog within us and a bad dog within us.
So both the dogs are barking, prompting us to act either in good ways or bad ways. So this is always there within our hearts, the conflict between what some scholars call as the higher self and the lower self. So there is this conflict going on and the same conflict is reflected in the external world as a conflict between good and evil.
So the people whose good side is dominated by the bad side, they become adharmic and those whose bad side is dominated by the good side, they are dharmic. So now of course good and bad, different people may have different conceptions of that, what is actually good and what is actually bad, we have to look at scripture to understand that. But the point is, there is dharma and Krishna is saying when there is dharmasya glani, when there is a decline of religion.
Now the word dharma has multiple meanings. So normally Srila Prabhupada would say that dharma refers to our essential nature. So for example dharma of water is liquidity, the dharma of fire is heat and light, dharma of sugar is sweetness, that is true, so that is one meaning of dharma.
But the word dharma is not univalent, it is multivalent. Multivalent means it has multiple meanings, univalent means it has only one meaning. So the word dharma has multiple meanings.
So for example Krishna says sarva dharman parityajya, so give up all varieties of religion. So if dharma is our essential nature, then how can we give up dharma? How can Krishna tell us to give up all dharmas in fact? So we have to understand that the word dharma can refer to multiple things. Essentially it refers to three different things.
At the ultimate level it refers to essential nature which is to love and serve Krishna at the spiritual level. But we are not at the spiritual level of consciousness right now, so we are at the material level of consciousness. So when we are at the material level of consciousness, we have material dharma.
The material dharma is what is given to us by Varanashram and that material dharma keeps us in harmony with the world around us and fulfils our necessities in a way that doesn’t disrupt the environment and doesn’t disrupt our spiritual prospects. So dharma artha kama moksha is a progression, so that is the dharma at the conditioned level. Prabhupada talks about conditioned dharma, material dharma, sva dharma.
So for example some people may be brahmanas, some people may be vaisyas, like that, that is material dharma. And then there is transitional. Transitional means, now Varanashram in and of itself will purify, but it is a gradual process.
So what we are practising is sadhana bhakti. Sadhana bhakti is also our dharma. Sadhana bhakti is not our eternal dharma, bhakti is eternal, but sadhana bhakti where we have to struggle against our minuses and fix them on Krishna, that is not necessarily eternal.
That struggle will go on as long as we don’t become purified. Once we become purified, that struggle is no longer there. So, that is a transitional dharma.
So there is here, at the material level we have dharma, that is the social order. Then there is, we could say sadhana bhakti, that is also a dharma, that is also a duty. So chanting Hare Krishna, even if we don’t feel like chanting, this will elevate us, this will take us from the material level of consciousness to the spiritual level of consciousness ultimately.
So that is also a dharma. So here when Krishna is referring to dharma siglani, he is not referring to this level of dharma. This level is what? The spiritual level where the idea is that, one is I am a soul and I am a servant of Krishna, that is all that I have to do.
I love Krishna and I will serve him. That dharma is inalienable and that dharma cannot be disrupted. But Krishna is here referring to the social arrangement by which people practise dharma.
So the social arrangement by which people practise the principles of the spirituality. Dharma siglani means the predominance of a religion and the subordination, subjugation of religion. When such dharma siglani happens, then paritranaya sadhunam, Krishna will describe what he will do in the next verse.
But here it says tadatmanam sujamiham, at that time I appear. So now Prabhupada’s purport, focus on the word sujami. The word sujami is significant here.
What is significant in sujami? Sujami cannot be used in the sense of creation. Because according to the previous verse, there is no creation of the Lord’s form or body. Since all of the forms are eternally in existence.
Therefore sujami means the Lord manifests himself as he is. So again the point is that sujami can mean creation. But just like for the gopis, for the relationship of Krishna and gopis, sometimes the word kama is used.
Now actually the relationship of Krishna with the gopis is not based on material lust. So kama, when it is used over there, doesn’t convey the sensual, selfish, grossly physical craving that characterises the male-female attraction in this world. That refers to, that kama refers to the pure spiritual selfless attraction that is there between the pure devotees and Krishna, between gopis and Krishna.
And because that relationship is so intense, that to give us an inkling of that, what is the nature of that relationship, the word kama is used. So when terms are used, we also have to understand that sometimes we have certain baggage which we carry in our mind. And because of that we perceive terms in a particular way.
But the scriptures do clarify. For example, many times when describing Krishna’s Raas Leela, the word kama may be used. But then, at the end of the Raas Panchadhyay, in the last verse, in 33rd chapter, 39th verse, it says that, 10.33.39, it says that actually if one hears Raas Leela, one will become free from kama.
So it says, So kamam hridrogam, that the heart disease of lust will be removed, will be cleansed. So the point is clear from the whole context, narration of the Raas Panchadhyay, that this is meant to remove lust. So if it is meant to remove lust, then how can the attraction between Krishna and gopis be lust? And if we hear about lust, others engaging in lusty activities, that doesn’t remove lust from our heart.
That increases the lust in our heart. So the word lust may be used, but the word lust does not mean, kama does, not sorry lust, the word kama may be used, but kama does not refer to lust as we know it here. Similarly, surjahmi, the word is used, the point is the Lord manifests Himself, the Lord is, it is not the Lord’s form is created, in the previous verse only He has said the Lord’s form is eternal, avyayatma, ajaha, prakritim svam, so He made things very clear.
Now Prabhupada explains then, what is dharma? So at one level dharma means transcendental nature, but Prabhupada also says dharmam tu sakshat bhagvat pranitam, so dharma is that which is given by God, bhagvat pranitam. This is the definition which comes in the sixth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, when Yamaraja is instructing, the whole pastime of Ajamila comes, then Yamaraja, Yamadutas, Vishnudutas, there are various discussions going on over there. Now, the principles of God, there are specifics which may vary, but the essential principles are the same and the essential message is the same, that the Lord wants the souls to return back to Him.
The Lord wants the souls who are His children, who have gone away from Him, to return back to Him, and for that purpose, whatever is required, He does that. So, He creates, He gives dharma, He gives scriptures, He gives the various spiritual manifestations, holy places, holy names, holy days, but along with that, He also gives many other things, that is, He gives essentially the principle of His own manifestation. So, Prabhupada writes in the purport that, so He includes Suyami, Sujamiham, so He says that in this, Prabhupada says, not only that the Lord Himself comes, so Prabhupada includes Buddha also in this, sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes He sends His bona fide representative in the form of His son or servant, or Himself in some disguised form.
So He descends personally, that is referring to the incarnation of Krishna, sends His bona fide representative in the form of His son, so here Prabhupada is referring to Jesus, and sometimes in some disguised form, so that is referring to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Channa Avatar. And now Prabhupada gives that actually the mission is the same, although externally the mission may appear to be different. So he gives the example of Buddha, contextually, circumstantially, because of the kind of mentality and culture that was present at his times, Buddha had to superficially reject the Vedas, but eventually his purpose was to elevate people.
So he rejected the Vedas externally, but he made people follow certain principles, which he was giving, and so he is the God, so by following him also people become elevated, at least from the lower modes to goodness. So now, here the Lord’s incarnations are described as many. In fact, the Bhagavatam says the Lord’s incarnations are innumerable, they are as many as are the waves in the ocean.
Why are the Lord’s incarnations unlimited? Because His love for us is unlimited. And that is why, sambhavami yuge yuge, that will come in the next verse, yuge yuge, every yuga He will keep coming again and again and again. So this actually reveals Krishna’s compassion far more than the idea that of certain exclusivist religions, that this particular person is the last messenger of God, this particular person is the only way to God.
These ideas, they actually don’t do justice to the glory of God, because if God is great, God is infinite, then why will God make the way to Him only one and restrict it, only this much, nothing more. So that unfortunately doesn’t make sense, and it not only doesn’t make intellectual sense, even to the heart, it depicts the idea of God as being very narrow, you know, limiting access to certain, limiting access to Him only to certain times, certain people, who can get connected with other people, who are connected with God. So yes, yes, now, it is true that certainly, that there is a way to return to God, and not that anybody does anything and that person will go back to God.
But the love of God that is to be developed, that is not a monopolised commodity of any particular registration, that is available through various manifestations for different people according to their time, place, circumstance. This is a universalist verse, Krishna is saying, yada yada, so actually, that’s a very important point, wherever and whenever. So that’s why it’s not that Krishna is saying, I am the only incarnation, Krishna is saying that, oh, wherever and whenever there is decline, I will appear.
So it’s a very inclusivist verse, which points to the broad mission of the Lord, that is to restore Dharma. And He says, wherever it will decline, I will come, and through that, I will elevate people. So now Prabhupada says that there may be some differences in the religions.
So how do we understand the difference in religions, Prabhupada says that there are higher and lower principles. You can say there is exoteric and there is esoteric. So exoteric is external, esoteric is internal.
So the exoteric ideas will differ, exoteric forms will differ. For example, if we see the Hindus fold their hands and offer respects to God, the Muslims may raise their hands forward and offer namaz, the Christians may do mass. So now the forms externally are different, but the principle of offering respect to God is the same.
The principle is the same, that we all offer respect to God. So if we focus only on the externals, the exoterics, oh, they are doing like this, we are doing like this, therefore they are different, we are different, their God is different, our God is different. If we focus on externals, then we misunderstand.
So the externals are different, no doubt, but there can be a lot of difference in externals because these are provided according to culture. So the internal is the same, the internal is the principle of offering respect to God and showing our devotion to God. So this way we understand that this is the aspect of the Bhagavad Gita which is universal.
Wherever and whenever I come, I come, whenever there is a decline of religion, I come. So the whole purpose of the mission of Incarnations is to arouse Krishna Consciousness everywhere. Such Consciousness is manifest, non-manifest, only under different circumstances.
That means arouse Krishna Consciousness, Prabhupada is taking the whole discussion at a deeper level and he is saying that Krishna Consciousness is also present, but it just has to be aroused. It is not that Krishna Consciousness has to be created. The soul has a nature to be Krishna Conscious.
So here Krishna Consciousness can also be used generically to mean God Consciousness. Everybody has some level of God Consciousness, at least at a dormant level. In different circumstances, manifest and unmanifest.
So now, let’s look at the next verse. paritrāṇāya sādhÅ«nāṁ vināśhāya ca daÅ›hká¹›tāṁ dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge So paritrāṇāya, paritrāṇāya means to deliver, prāṇa is to deliver, like we have mantra, manastrāya teti mantra, that which delivers the mind is called mantra. So paritrāṇāya is for the deliverance of the devotee.
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya, for delivering the devotees, for delivering the sādhus and destroying the daśhkṛtis, vināśhāya ca daśhkṛtāṁ, of the miscreants. dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya saṁsthāpan is established, ārthāya is for that purpose. So to re-establish dharma, sambhavāmi yuge yuge, sambhavāmi, I appear.
So Krishna is telling three purposes here. In the previous verse he said the time when he appears and now he says three purposes. So when there is adharma what is going to happen? Actually it’s not that adharma is something amorphous, okay there is clouds in the sky, adharma is not like that.
There are people who are adharmic. Adharma doesn’t automatically arise. There are people who are adharmic who propagate adharma.
And there are people who are dharmic who practise and propagate dharma. So when adharma arises that means that adharmic people grab power. And when they grab power they persecute dharma.
So when they persecute dharma at that time the adharmic people they create trouble for the dharmic people. So they become tormented. So paritranaya sadhunam, so those people who are practising dharma, those who are troubled, so Krishna comes to protect them.
So like when Lord Ram appeared at that time what was the situation? Ravana was tormenting the devatas. He had defeated Indra with the help of his son Indrajit. Then he had also defeated, even he had also fought with Yamaraja and Yamaraja also had to withdraw, not because Yamaraja was defeated but because Brahmaji told him to withdraw in order to honour the promise that Brahmaji had given to Ravana.
But the point here is that he had practically, there was no challenge left for him. He was going around tormenting people, tormenting the spiritually minded, the devotionally minded people, the spiritually inclined people. So those who were devatas they were troubled by Ravana.
And similarly the earthly planetary system also, the rishis were troubled by Ravana. So when all this was happening, at that time what did Ravana do? Ravana was thinking that I am the unconquered ruler and I can go anywhere and do anything. So people were living in terror of him.
So Lord Rama appeared and when he was in the forest he came to a place called Ramteg and he saw there actually a pile of bones and they were human bones. And he asked, what is this? Sages there said that these are actually rakshasas. Rakshasas have come and there are many rishis who were doing meditation.
The rakshasas are cannibals. They ate up the rishis and their bones are lying over here. So Lord Rama picked up his bow and he took off all this.
He said I will rid the world of the rakshasas, these demoniac rakshasas who are threatening dharma. So the Lord wants to paritranaya sadhuna and then vinyasaya duskrtam. So for protecting the devotees what has to be done is destruction of the demons.
Duskrtam and then after that what? Now when vinyasaya duskrtam, this doesn’t mean necessarily that everybody has to be created. Everybody has to be destroyed. What it means is that vinyasaya duskrtam means that those who are demoniac, they have to be destroyed.
So when Lord Rama devastated, destroyed Ravana and defeated Ravana’s hordes, so he did not destroy Lanka entirely. What did he do? He re-established dharma by having a dharmic vibhishan be established over there. So the Lord’s goal is to dharma samsthapanarthaya.
So he does what is required to re-establish dharma. Krishna himself, he had Yudhishthira Maharaj establish as a king. So by which? Dharma samsthapanarthaya.
So for this purpose sambhavami yuge yuge. Then Prabhupada starts the purport by explaining who is a sadhu. Sadhu is one who is in Krishna consciousness.
And then there are demons. So now Prabhupada explains an interesting point over here. He says, the Lord especially descends to appease the unalloyed devotees who are always harassed by the demoniac.
So now here Prabhupada makes an interesting point that there is a primary purpose and there is a secondary purpose. The primary purpose of the Lord’s descent is to satisfy the devotees. The devotees long to see him and especially when troubles come in this world, the devotees’ eagerness, desperation to have the shelter of the Lord, to have the darshan of the Lord increases all the more.
So with that in mind, to satisfy the devotees, the Lord appears. And as an incidental result, by-product, the Lord kills the demons also. So the Lord doesn’t have to come to kill the demons.
Ravana is bragging about his strength, thumping his chest. At that time, the Lord is present in the heart of Ravana also. He can just give a heart attack.
He is thumping his chest and he will collapse into a heap over there itself. But the Lord comes because the devotees want to behold him and the devotees want to relish his pastimes. So those devotees who are present at that time, they get his darshan, they get his Sangha and other devotees present at other times also get his Sangha by means of hearing about his pastimes.
That will come in the next verse. Now Prabhupada quotes about Avatar. Avatar science, practically speaking, is talked about in Laghubhagavatamrit.
Laghubhagavatamrit is a book written by Rupa Goswami based on the teachings that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave to the Goswamis on the whole principle of various avatars. So in the Madhya Lila, chapter 16, 17, 18, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu meets, goes to Vrindavan. He decides to go to Vrindavan, travels to Vrindavan, which is Vrindavan.
In chapter 19, he meets Rupa Goswami. And in chapter 20, he meets Sanatana Goswami. In chapters 20 to 25, 24, is his instructions to Sanatana Goswami.
So now Prabhupada quotes from that section. So all, especially his instructions to Sanatana Goswami are about avatar. So Rupa and Sanatana, when they went to Vrindavan, and they wrote books together.
Sanatana Goswami told Rupa Goswami all that, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had told him. And then Rupa Goswami wrote that in the book Laghubhagavatamrit. So, here from Madhya Lila, he is quoting over here.
Mayatita Paravyome Sabara Avasthan Vishwa Avatari Dhare Avatara Naam So, Srishti Hetu Yai Murthi Srishti Hetu means, this is for the sake of material manifestation. So, one who manifests the material level, Murthi Prapanchera Avatar, that form which appears in Prapanchya. Prapanchya is material existence.
So, Srishti Hetu, for the sake of material manifestation, that Avatar which comes here is called as, Se Ishwara Murthi Avatara Naam Dhare So, that form of the Lord is called as Avatar. Mayatita Paravyome So, Maya, Maya Dheen and Maya Atit. Atit means beyond, Dheen is under.
So, Maya Atit. In the Paravyome, Paravyoma refers to the spiritual world. From that spiritual world, which is Maya Atit, beyond the realm of Maya, Sabara Avasthan Avasthan means situation.
So, all the Avatars are situated in that spiritual world. Vishve Avatari Dhare Avatara Naam Vishve Avatari Dhare means, Vishve in this world, Avatari Dhare, that which descends, that form which descends is called, Avatara Naam So, here, you have to understand the point. Avatar means, Avatarati Iti Avatar.
So, that which descends from the spiritual realm to the material realm is called as Avatar. So, the Lord eternally exists in His original spiritual form in the spiritual world. But at particular times in history, the Lord chooses to descend to this world.
So, those forms which are manifested in this world are called as Avatars. So, when the Lord manifests, what all does He do? So, Prabhupada talks about four different kinds of Avatars here. So, Purusha Avatars, this is again from the Bhagavad Gita, Jain and Jain Avatars, both.
So, Purusha Avatar refers to the three Purushas, Maha Vishnu, Garbhodakshaya Vishnu and Shirodakshaya Vishnu. So, these three Avatars, Maha Vishnu, Garbhodakshaya Vishnu, Shirodakshaya Vishnu, they are the Avatars that look after the manifestation of material nature. They interact with Prakriti.
And Purusha and Prakriti are considered two primary elements in Sankhya. So, through the interaction of Purusha and Prakriti, Purusha is consciousness and Prakriti is material nature. So, through the interaction of Purusha and Prakriti, various things happen in this world.
So, Purusha Avatars are these three, Maha Vishnu and Maha Vishnu. And they are, among the various incarnations, they are quite directly connected with the material world. Purusha Avatars, how are they connected? Not that they are material, but they are connected with the material world, they are connected with the process of creation.
We will discuss about Purusha Avatars once again when we discuss a little bit of Sankhya in the 7th chapter. Then, Guna Avatars refers to those manifestations of the Lord who supervise the modes. So, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
Often this is the word Trimurti or trinity is used to describe them. So, what is this Trimurti? Actually, they are the three forms who look after various aspects of the material existence. So, the material existence is governed by the three modes of material nature.
And Lord Shiva is in charge of the mode of ignorance. He is not ignorant, mind you. He is himself an extremely powerful Devata.
So, then there is Lord Shiva, apart from Lord Shiva who supervises the mode of passion, there is Lord Brahma who creates and who supervises the mode of goodness. And Lord Vishnu himself who supervises the mode of sorry, Brahmaji is passion and Lord Vishnu is goodness. So, like that these three are Gunavatars.
Then after that there is Leelavatar. So, Leelavatar refers to those manifested by the Lord who come to perform particular pastimes. Then there is Shaktyabhishavatar.
So, Leelavatar before that means that the Leelavatars, they just perform pastimes. They may or may not teach Yugadharma. So, for example, Krishna himself is not a Yugavatar.
Krishna in the sense he is a Leelavatar. Lord Ram is also a Leelavatar. He is not a Yugavatar.
Yugavatar refers to that avatar which actually teaches Yugadharma. So, for Kalyuga the Yugadharma is Hrinam Sankirtan. And the teacher of Yugadharma is Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
So, Krishna it is not that what is the Yugadharma of the age when Krishna appeared? Tvapare Paricharyayam Tretayam Ijyato Makhayi So, in Tvapare Paricharyayam that is deity worship. So, deity worship is it taught by the Lord? Yes, definitely. He teaches that.
But that is only one of the many teachings that are given in Uddhav Gita. And when the Yugadharma is to be taught, the Yugadharma is taught at the start of the Yuga. It is not taught at the end of the Yuga.
Krishna comes at the end. So, Krishna is Lila Avatar. Now, of course, as a part of the Lila he may give teachings also.
For example, he teaches Bhagavad Gita over here. So, Lila Avatar performs pastimes and one of the pastimes may also be teaching, educating. So, that is fine.
But the categorical differentiation between Lila Avatar and Yuga Avatar is that what is the primary focus? The primary purpose is to teach Dharma by teaching Dharma, by teaching Yugadharma one may do Lila also. Or the primary purpose may be to teach Lila, demonstrate Lila and then while demonstrating Lila some Dharmic principles may also be taught. That will become Lila Avatar.
When there is Shaktyavesh Avatar, Shaktyavesh refers to a living entity who is empowered by the Supreme Lord. The living entity is empowered by the Supreme Lord and that person is called a Shaktyavesh Avatar. And then Manvantar Avatar.
Manvantar Avatar refers to those avatars who appear in every millennia, in every month interval and they help in the establishment of Dharma periodically. So, now Prabhupada talks about Lord Chaitanya and he says how Lord Chaitanya is Mahavadanya. He doesn’t do Vinashaya Dushkrtam.
He actually purifies the Dushkrtam. He gives them the consciousness and encourages them to practise their spiritual life and thereby purify themselves. He is Mahavadanya.
He doesn’t kill anyone. Now let us move forward to the next verse. So in this verse Krishna is telling that such people, they do not come back here but they come to me, so are you, those people, that person.
Krishna is using singular over here. One who understands that my Janma and Karma, my birth and my activities are Divya. Divya means transcendental.
Such people they understand it in truth. When they give up their body they don’t come back to this world again. They come back to me.
So if you look at Sri Prabhupada’s teachings, Sri Prabhupada actually quotes this 4.9 much more than 4.7 and 8. All the other people may quote 4.7 and 8. It’s an important verse. They can be quoted. But Prabhupada’s the frequency and the regularity with which he quoted certain verses, that itself is of significance depending on what was the context at that particular time and what was the contemplation that Sri Prabhupada was having based on which he spoke certain things.
All this has to be understood. So now when people have a materialistic conception of religion, materialistic conception of religion means their idea is the purpose of God’s existence is to look after us. And they think that this world is the place in which we are supposed to perform pastimes.
And God is going to protect us so that we can perform our pastimes here. So we want to enjoy here and God’s business is to make sure to provide for our enjoyment. That is the idea.
With that purpose in mind, people think God’s purpose is to come here and restore dharma here. And if things are okay there, then God is not required. They say, God, you stay there, we’ll stay here.
You’ll be happy there, we’ll be happy here. You don’t interfere with my life. People think like that.
But yes, Krishna does come here and restore dharma. But the purpose of restoring dharma is not so that we can enjoy over here. Actually, the purpose of restoring dharma is so that we can go back to Krishna.
So that’s why when we understand this complete system of the Lord’s arrangement, yes, the Lord does provide us some arrangement by which our life over here can be taken care of. But after that, the important thing is that we ultimately return back to the Lord. So, janma karma chame devyam.
This verse says how we can return back to the Lord. And by understanding the Lord’s activities in past times as devya, we can return back to Him. This verse actually describes the ultimate purpose of the Lord.
The purpose of the Lord’s coming here is to dharma samsthapana artha. But what is the purpose of dharma samsthapana? What after that? After dharma samsthapana is done, then the soul should take shelter of Him. And by taking shelter of Him, they’ll return back to Him.
And that is the ultimate goal of life. This verse has many significant points. So, first is devyam.
The word, see, there can be, the word devyam can mean two things in different places. It can mean celestial or it can mean spiritual. So, there is terrestrial, celestial and spiritual.
Terrestrial refers to earthly, past or direct. So, then celestial refers to heavenly. It doesn’t necessarily have to refer to spiritual.
So, anything higher than the earthly can be referred to by various names. So, celestial refers to Svargaloka. That is celestial.
Similarly, Chandraloka, that is celestial. But spiritual is that which is beyond the three modes. That is entirely transcendental.
That is not perceived by our senses right now. So, when Krishna is using the word devya, He is not referring to His activities as celestial and certainly not terrestrial. They are not just earthly nor are they heavenly.
They are transcendental. That’s why Prabhupada is one who understands the transcendental nature of my birth and activities, my appearance and activities, janma and karma. So, what is transcendental about His activities? So, So, Kunti Maharani in her prayers, there are many prayers that say that actually it’s so wonderful that you are unborn and yet you take birth from the womb of Devaki.
So, how is it possible? So, when Devaki were in trouble, they were distressed, they called out to you and you appeared through their through them, through the womb of Devaki. How did it happen? So, actually what He says over here is that’s because you are transcendental. What child is born with hair on the head and nicely decorated with clothes and with a necklace and everything around, all the paraphernalia that a nicely dressed royal child may have.
And not only that, not what an ordinary child may have, more also. This child was born with four limbs and those two extra appendages which had come because of some genetic deformity. Sometimes the people have some six fingers coming out instead of five.
Some genetic misfiring happens, gene mutation happens because the six fingers may come out. So, those are extra appendages that is. So, Krishna’s two arms when He manifests in Vishnu form, they are not like extra appendages which has come because of some genetic misfiring.
They are manifestation of transcendental glory. They are completely beautiful, extraordinarily transcendentally all attractive. And that is also Krishna Himself.
So, Krishna is the one who understands my nature to be transcendental. That person comes back to me. So, when we talk about Krishna, we have to understand that Krishna’s activities are transcendental.
When people don’t understand Krishna’s activities to be transcendental, then they see them as just sources of entertainment. What are sources of entertainment mean? So, when some children do some mischievous activities. So, the ladies, the relatives of the child, they all like to talk.
You know what that child did that time? You know what he did? You don’t know what he did? I’ll tell you. And they get excited talking about it. It’s good that parental love for children, among the parents as well as other relatives, that is nice to see.
But beyond that, there is something higher. What is that higher? That actually Krishna’s activities are not just like that. This is God Himself.
And He is concealing His divinity so that love can reign supreme. What is Krishna doing? Krishna is concealing His divinity so that love can reign supreme. Krishna is Himself God, but He doesn’t delight in being God.
He delights in simply loving His devotees and letting His devotees love Him and absorbing Himself in that world of love. So, for that purpose, Krishna conceals His divinity. Krishna acts like a small child.
So, when we understand that this is God, then the level of appreciation for Krishna Leela increases enormously. Increases enormously. You know, if we go to some say slum area and we see that over there some children are just playing and then they are studying and there is one child who looks quite clean, well-dressed and he is there and he is playing with these children and he is also studying with them and he is teaching them.
You wonder who is this child? And then you come to know that actually the Prime Minister’s child. You say, what is he doing here? He says, no, he just wants to be friends, he wants to help those children, that’s why he is coming here. So, when we just see the actions there may be some curiosity.
But when we understand the position of the person who is doing the action, then the action acquires so much more meaning. The Prime Minister’s child is doing like this. Who trained him? The Prime Minister trained him.
Very special values this person has got. So, actions, who is doing the action, the position of the person doing the action makes a huge difference. So, therefore, when there are some children playing, stealing butter and herding the cows, that’s fine.
Nice to hear about. But when we understand God does this, then my God, a completely different dimension comes about. God does like this.
Why does God do like this? So, the first time when the Europeans came to India and decided, they took political rule of India for a period of time. Then, when they went to North India towards Atura, Vrindavan and even Bengal, they saw these pictures of Krishna stealing butter and thus they would hear about this. Who is this? This is God.
In the other tradition, the idea of God is a stern looking person who sits high in the clouds and sends thunderbolts down which send the sinful down reeling to hell to burn in the fires forever. Eternal damnation. So, the idea of God was a stern being who punishes the sinful.
So, the idea of the small child being God is too difficult to digest. And then, after that, the idea said that, OK, what is he doing? Krishna would have his hands in the butter pot and the hands would be sticking with butter and the lips would also be sticking with butter. He is stealing butter.
What? God stealing butter? First of all, why does God have to steal? And stealing is immoral. In the Bible, one of the commandments is, Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not steal.
And here, so God is telling everyone, don’t steal, but God himself is stealing. What is this? And then, if you have to steal also, you know, you have some class. Small thieves steal small things, big thieves steal big things.
So, why butter? Butter is not worth stealing also. So, this has got completely intellectually short-circuited. What is this happening? So, actually, Krishna doesn’t have to steal anything at all.
Everything belongs to him. So, even if he takes something from someone, that is not actually stealing. Because everything, whatever, whoever has, ultimately belongs to Krishna.
You know, if I take some money from one pocket and I put it in another pocket, is that stealing? No, the money belongs to me only. So, from one pocket, I put it to another. So, like that, everything belongs to Krishna.
So, if he takes it from one place and puts it in another place, then he is not stealing at all. And then, beyond that, actually, in the Virat Rupa, it is shown that everything is inside him only. So, the butter pot is also inside him only.
So, if what is inside him, but in the Leela, it is manifest outside. If he takes the butter pot, takes the water from it and puts it inside him, what is the difference? Everything belongs to him only, ultimately. In fact, not only everything belongs to him, everything besides is inside him in his Virat Rupa.
So, Krishna performs this kind of pastimes for the sake of love. You know, he, when he takes the role of a child, of a baby child, what he does is, he acts in a way that will attract the heart of his devotees to him. So, Krishna subordinates, Krishna subordinates his position as God, so that he can reciprocate love with his devotees.
So, by reciprocating love with his devotees, he can actually go deeper and deeper into the world of love. So, he is God, but he conceals himself as God. So, if you want to understand this, then consider the example of a drama.
In a drama, there is a, there are various actors, but there is one hero. Then there is a director. And then there is a script writer.
The script writer writes, okay, this is the storyline. And the director says, okay, for the story, we are dressed like this, make the setting like this, do the actions like this. And then the hero acts.
So, if you want to understand Krishna’s pastimes, this metaphor of a drama is good. Krishna is the hero. So, Yogamaya is the director.
Now, the word Yogamaya is an oxymoron in English. Oxymoron means those words O-X-Y-M-O-R-O-N. Oxymoron means those words which have two contradictory senses brought together.
So, for example, somebody says, that person is a courageous coward. How can somebody be a courageous coward? Either you are courageous or coward. Or somebody says that person is stupid, is an intelligent fool.
That person is a chaste prostitute. How can somebody be chaste and prostitute? Both. So, when there are contradictory words brought together, that is called as oxymoron.
So, Yogamaya, the word Yogamaya is actually an oxymoron. Why? Because Maya refers to illusion. And Yoga refers to connection.
So, illusion means we are disconnected from God. And Yoga, connection, is we are connected with God. So, the whole purpose of Yoga is to come out of Maya.
We practise Yoga to come out of Maya. And when we are in Maya, we cannot practise Yoga. When we are chanting Hare Krishna, we want to be in Yoga, but often we go into Maya.
We start looking here and there. Who is doing what? We are attentive to everyone’s chanting except our own chanting. That person is sleeping, that person is not pronouncing properly, that person is looking here and there.
But we are looking everywhere else. So, what is happening? Instead of Yoga, we are in Maya at that time. So, Maya and Yoga are normally opposite.
But Yogamaya, when both the words are brought together, that creates a sort of oxymoron. But it is not a meaningless oxymoron. It is meaningful.
Why? There is one kind of Maya, that is the only Maya, which is called as Mahamaya, which makes us forget Krishna and puts us into sense gratification, puts us into material consciousness where we become utterly disconnected from Krishna. There is another kind of Maya, that is Yogamaya, which makes us forget Krishna, not in the sense that we go into materialist illusion, but it makes us forget Krishna’s supreme position. So, when we forget Krishna’s supreme position, then that doesn’t mean that we no longer are connected with Krishna.
Rather, that connection with Krishna deepens. Because Yashodamayi cannot love Krishna as intensely as she does if she remembers Krishna is God. If she thinks Krishna is God, then God doesn’t need my breast milk.
I don’t have to take care of God. God has to take care of me. So, Yashodamayi, does she know that Krishna is God? In the background somewhere, the Rajivasis know that Krishna is God, but that is not in the foreground.
Just like in the sky, even in the daytime, the stars are there, but the sun is so bright that the stars are no longer seen. So, like that, the facts, the spiritual facts of Krishna’s supremacy, they are there, but they are in the background of the consciousness of the Rajivasis. When required, they come to the foreground sometimes.
So, in the Gopi Gita, the Gopis say that yes, Krishna, we know that you are God. That actually, it was by the prayer of Brahmaji that you have appeared. Vikhansarthito Vishwaguptaye Sakhaudeiva Sathmatam Kule So, they say, we know.
Vikhansarthito Vikhansarthito refers to Brahmaji. Arthito, when he was distressed, Vishwaguptaye, for the sake of protection of the world. Same point here.
Dharmasamsthapana. Vishwaguptaye Sakhaudeiva Sathmatam Kule You have arisen, like Suryodaya, sun rises, you have arisen Sathmatam Kule in the Sathya dynasty. So, they know that Krishna is God, but even while talking about how he is the supreme lord, who was prayed to by Brahmaji, they are also still using the word Sakhaudeiva.
Sakha means Sakha, you are our friend. So, the Gopis, they are aware of Krishna’s supreme position, but that awareness is subordinated, is put aside, so that they focus on Krishna as their beloved. So, Yogamaya means that energy which makes the soul forget Krishna’s position, so as to enhance devotion.
Mahamaya is that energy which makes the soul forget Krishna’s position by which devotion becomes not enhanced but cut down. It becomes decreased even eliminated. So, now, why are we talking about all this? We are trying to understand the concept of Leela.
So, Krishna is Krishna is the supreme lord and he is all attractive. So, but he subordinates his power, his position, so that love can flow through uninhibited, unrestricted. Aishwarya shithila prema na aishwarya rapriya.
Krishna says that when there is awareness of aishwarya, awareness of Krishna’s greatness, then shithila, that makes the prema, love lax. Love cannot flow as forcefully, as enthusiastically. And Krishna doesn’t like that love so much.
Krishna likes spontaneous love which is not inhibited by the fact of his divinity, of his supremacy. So, what Krishna does is, he makes the knowledge covered of the vijvasi so that they can reciprocate love. So, Krishna is the actor, Yogamaya is the director.
So, now, in a movie, who is in control? Is the actor in control or director in control? The director. Director is the actor. Act like this.
Punch the face like this. Do like this, do like that. And the actor does.
So, then, if Krishna is controlled by Yogamaya, then how is Krishna supreme? Krishna is God. And God means he should be supreme. So, if Krishna is controlled by Yogamaya, how is he supreme? Because there is an actor who is acting out the direction of the director.
But the director is directing based on a script. The script is written by the scriptwriter. And the scriptwriter is Krishna himself.
The scriptwriter is Krishna himself. So, that means the whole past time is happening according to Krishna’s will. And Yogamaya is directing him and Yogamaya is directing the other devotees also.
So, in this way, Krishna is simultaneously not in control and in control. As the actor, when Krishna is being chased by Mother Yashoda, because he has stolen butter, at that time, Krishna is not thinking, I am God, who is going to catch me? Krishna is actually afraid. When Krishna wants to relish patsala rasa with his devotees, he actually feels like a small child.
He is not just doing a natak. He actually feels like a small child. He is not just faking it.
He is feeling it. And how is he feeling it? That is by Yogamaya. He is wondering, will Yashoda catch me? No, I cannot let her catch me.
I must run fast. She is coming this way. I will go this way.
I suddenly turn this way. She will not be able to catch me. So, he is actually planning it.
He is trying his best to stay away. He is running, running, running. So, when Krishna enters into a particular role, he enters completely and he forgets.
But by his plan, whenever he wants, he can remember. So, he is caught by Yashodamaya and Yashodamaya is, after great effort, succeeds in tying him and he is not able to break the ropes. But then he thinks, oh, here is Nalakovar Manikarim.
These trees are there. These trees are there. They are actually Nalakovar Manikarim and my devotee Narada Muni.
Now, how can a small few year old baby have my devotee? Who are his devotees? He remembers that I am the Supreme Lord. My devotee had promised that I will deliver them. So, I must deliver them.
So, Krishna, by his plan, he can remember whenever he wants and he can forget whenever he wants. He is a script writer and Yogamaya, the director, directs him according to the script. So, Krishna is, as far as the Leela is concerned, when he is in the Leela, he may not always seem to be in control.
Whatever the way past time is going, he is in control or he is not in control. But in Tattva, even the Leela is happening according to his will only. So, he is always in control.
Oh, but how does Krishna create all this? So, he has to have reciprocation of love. So, in this way, actually, love reigns supreme. And then they understand how much Krishna loves his devotees, that he even conceals his divinity so that love can flow, unlimited.
Then they understand. Such a wonderful God. I want to love this Lord.
I want to return back to Him. This is what happens when we understand Krishna Tattvataha. When we understand Him in truth, then that understanding attracts us to Him.
And that understanding inspires us to direct our love to Him. And by that, we return back to Him. So, when we understand Him, Tattvataha.
So, without Krishna Tattva, Krishna Leela will appear amusing. Amusing means good entertainment. Nice story.
Good you told me this story. I like to hear about such small children doing mischief. But with Krishna Tattva, Krishna Leela becomes amazing.
Without Krishna Tattva, Krishna Leela is amusing. With Krishna Tattva, Krishna Leela is amazing. Amazing.
God does this. My God. It’s amazing.
Such a wonderful God. How can God become so tiny? How can God act in this way? How sweet. How indian.
How attractive. I want to love this God. So then, Mahameti Tattva deham punar janma Naiti mameti sarjuna Then when we give up the body, we go back to Krishna.
And we never come back to this world. So actually, all this happens when we understand who Krishna is. So, Prabhupada now, in the Parpot course one day, So, Krishna has many, many forms.
And, what is the concept of Leela? In the Purusha Boddhi and Upanishad Prabhupada course, There is one Lord, who is constantly performing pastimes. And what kind of pastimes? He is present in the heart of his unalloyed devotees while performing pastimes. And then, Prabhupada quotes many verses over here.
So now, he quotes one further point now. He makes a philosophical point. Tattvam asi.
Tattvam asi is a famous Vedic aphorism. In fact, it is considered as one of the Mahavakyas. So, what does Tattvam asi refer to? So, what the impersonalist says is that Tattvam asi.
That absolute truth you are. So, that is the you. We have to point to ourself.
And you know, I am here. I am that absolute truth. Tattvam asi.
So, you are God. That is what they say it means. But Prabhupada says, Tattvam asi is to be applied to the incarnations.
When Krishna comes to this world, he appears to be like one of us only. He also lives in this world. He has his family.
He has his children. He has his kingdom. He seems to be one of us only.
But then, when we look at him, Tattvam asi. Tattvam asi. You are that.
That means, you are that absolute truth. So, when we understand in this way, what the aphorism means, it is not referring to ordinary living entities. It is referring to Supreme Lord’s manifestation in this world.
That manifestation is still the absolute truth. And then, the same point of how by knowing Krishna we will return back to him, that is quoted in the Shweta Shweta Rukmi Sheth also. So, Prabhupada quotes that.
This is the verse which Prabhupada quotes quite often. tam eva viditva atimrtyumeti nanya pantha vidyate ayanaya So, tam eva viditva, by knowing you, mrtyumeti atimrtyumeti. One will go beyond mrtyu.
One will go beyond the cycle of birth. nanya pantha. There is no other path.
vidyate ayanaya. There is no other path that remains. And Prabhupada then quotes the famous example of which Bhaktishyana Shastra would quote.
And Prabhupada would also quote frequently that we have to understand Krishna Tattvataha. Without understanding Tattvataha, we may get theoretical knowledge about Krishna. But that will not purify or liberate us.
That will only keep us bound in material existence. The academic scholars may know a lot about Krishna, but they are like licking a honey bottle from outside. They don’t come to know Krishna Tattvataha.
They know only him in some details. They don’t know the essence. And they can’t love Krishna.
They will stay on in material existence till they get the mercy of the Lord. So, later on, in 18.55, Krishna will complement this knowledge. He is saying here we should know me Tattvataha.
But how can we know him Tattvataha? He will tell ladies and gentlemen, bhaktyamam abhijanati yavan yas chas me Tattvataha. So, how can I be known Tattvataha? As I am. bhaktyamam abhijanati Only by bhakti we can know him.
So, this is what this verse is pointing to. That we have to know Krishna in truth and how we can know him. That is by bhakti.
So, what that bhakti is and what are the obstacles to that bhakti that Krishna will talk in the next verse, which we will discuss in our next class. Thank you very much.