SB 5.11.8 – Let the inner lamp burn with the flame of love, not the fire of lust

Transcript

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Srimad Bhagavatam 5.11.8 guṇānuraktam yasināñjanto śrīmāya nirguṇya-matho manasyā yathā pratipogṛdha-vartim aśnan śikhāsadhūmā bhajati yamidāsvam padam tathā guṇa-karmāṇubaddham pratyir manāśrayate nitya-tattvam Here, Jada Bharata is describing how the same mind can be the cause of both bondage and liberation. When it is guṇānuraktam, attached to the mouths, it becomes the cause of yasināya, for conditioning.
But when it is nirguṇya, then it becomes the cause of kṣemāya, for ultimate liberation. Now, for better user example, yathā pratipogṛdha-vartim aśnan. Pratipo is a lamp.
So when a lamp is given adequate ghee, then it burns properly. In one condition, the lamp gives light. In another condition, actually the lamp is blackened.
So how does that happen? Inside the lamp, there is a flame. And that flame is meant to illumine the surroundings. But that flame, if it is burning improperly, the wick that is there on which the flame is burning, if that whole burning happens improperly, then leave alone giving illumination to the surroundings, that flame leads to generation of smoke, and eventually the smoke and the soot, they blacken the lamp itself.
So that which was meant to bring light around it, brings darkness around it. So why is that? Because of improper burning. So same way, the same mind can bring bondage or can bring liberation, depending on how it is burning.
That means if it is burning with selfish desires, with lust, then gunakarma-anupadhyam, when it is filled with desires actuated by the modes, then it will cause bondage. Whereas when it is actuated by desires for loving and serving God, then it will connect us with tattvam, the ultimate reality. So it’s important to recognize that the mind is not permanently our enemy, although it will be for a long time, but it is not eternally our enemy.
And we have to redirect its energy, we have to cause it to burn with the flame of Krishna Consciousness, and not burn with the fire of lust and other such desires. And this redirection of the power of the mind happens by the process of mantra meditation. The bhakti yoga is a science that purifies and redirects our desires from matter to Krishna.
And although the mind may oppose the chanting of the holy names initially, if we keep chanting, the mind will slowly but surely take us progressively towards Krishna. Actually, it is Krishna who manifests the holy name, and He Himself draws us to Him, and He draws our mind to Him also. So knowing that the mind can be purified, and it will be purified by the holy name, if we give persistent and insistent exposure to the holy name, then that inspires us, knowing that the same mind which by default is darkening the horizon of my consciousness by bringing dark desires, it will eventually illumine the horizon of my consciousness by bringing bright desires, the desire to love and serve Krishna, and to do good for one and all.
So knowing this can be inspiring and motivating for us. And to the extent we cultivate pure desires, and to the extent we expose ourselves to the holy name while chanting, the mind will become purified. And by that, the same mind which has been troubling us for so long will become the source of liberation for us.
And that is the magic that the holy name can bring about. Thank you.