SB 01.05.17 Unsuccessful para dharma is far superior to successful apara dharma

Transcript

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Thank you Chanting Last day was being instructed by Narad Muni about the comparative values of Paradharma and Aparadharma of transcendental religion which focuses on love of Krishna and material religion which talks about a gradual, even multi-life progression of Dharma Artha Kama so here he is being told Chanting that if somebody gives up Swadharma that means one’s material Dharma Chanting and takes up the lotus feet of Lord Hari Chanting and even if the person is immature so here he is not talking about somebody who is successful in practicing Paradharma, he is talking about somebody who even if unsuccessful in practicing Paradharma Chanting if the person falls away even if the person falls away Chanting even then what in auspiciousness is there Chanting why is there no auspiciousness because the gain that is got on the spiritual path is eternal in contrast Chanting that what Artha is obtained if one is not doing worship of Lord Hari one is not devoted to Lord Hari and Swadharma one is just doing one’s worldly duties so Dharma Artha Kama itself is valuable but it is gradually progressive and some people can get caught at the material level and not realize the ultimate purpose of attraction to Krishna, pure love for Krishna those who do not realize this stay stuck at the material level maybe for lifetime after lifetime so therefore it is said what is the benefit of doing Dharma if one does not develop love for Krishna and on the other hand if one gives up Swadharma and practices the path of devotion even if unsuccessful whatever attraction that person has gained for Krishna that attraction will stay forever that attraction will never go away so what is the meaning of this verse basically is it that telling that just one should not care for Aparadharma at all just give it up and practice Paradharma at one level it does say that but here it is a rhetorical statement emphasizing that one should not give so much importance to Aparadharma that one neglects Paradharma that one that’s what Vasudev has done that he has talked so much about Aparadharma in the Vedic literature that Paradharma the path of pure devotion has almost become obscured and as a counter to this misallocation of this sections in the Vedic scriptures that means too much importance is given to that which is not so important and less importance is given to that which is more important so as a counter to this misallocation Vasudev is being told rhetorically here that one is actually useless even if done well and one is glorious even if done wrongly so this is a very good verse to meditate on when we are chanting that I have so many anxieties in my material life and this, what about this, what about that, what about that they have their importance no doubt and we have to do our material duties responsibly but from the point of view of transcendence, how much are they going to matter 50 years down the line, maybe 60-70 years down the line after one day, you will not be alive so the issues that seem to be of earth shaking importance today they will no longer matter in our next life, what to speak of next life even maybe a few weeks later they will not matter so much we may not even remember them a few years later, what is driving us mad with anxiety or mad with desire right now so from the long term perspective they don’t really have much value and by meditating on this we can reprioritize every mantra that I am chanting, every moment that I am remembering Krishna every way that I am trying to take my heart and my mind closer to Krishna that is going to contribute that is going to, every single thing is going to, every single devotional activity is going to take me closer to Krishna not one of it is going to go in vain so even if I can’t chant attentively even if my mind wanders still whatever I am doing is of great value therefore let me keep doing it and at least at the time of chanting, let me just forget this let me remember this is the time to do bhajitam if I don’t do bhajan of lord Krishna when I am trying to focus exclusively on him how will I be able to remember him at other times and if I don’t remember him then everything else will ultimately prove futile I will continue on the cycle of birth and death therefore if I want to raise myself to transcendence I must focus and for focusing now is the time there is no other benefit if I don’t do bhajitam, therefore let me do bhajan right now, focus wholeheartedly on remembering Krishna thank you