Chapter 4: Preparing to Understand Kṛṣṇa’s Transcendental Pastimes

tava vikrīḍitaṁ kṛṣṇa nṛṇāṁ parama-maṅgalam
karṇa-pīyūṣam āsādya tyajanty anya-spṛhāṁ janāḥ

Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes are unlimited and unfathomable. They are completely beyond our material and limited conception. Although we can’t understand anything of Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes from here, they are nevertheless supremely auspicious for everyone and are our goal of life.

Devotee: Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāj Prabhupād published the tenth canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in a summary form as the Kṛṣṇa books. There, he described the Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs. He says if someone reads these Pastimes, or hears about them from a bona fide authority in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all that is lusty in his heart will disappear. Could you please explain how this is possible?

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: Yes. The śloka you are referring to is this:

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idañ cha viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty achireṇa dhīraḥ

“Anyone who with faith hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvan will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus, he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.”

But there is a serious condition given in this śloka, and Śrīla Prabhupād has explained what that condition is: that it is necessary to hear about Kṛṣṇa consciousness from a bona fide authority in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And when one hears from a bona fide authority, that authority will not at first explain Kṛṣṇa-līlā but will start by trying to turn you into a good “receiver” of those Pastimes. He will prepare you so you can properly receive and understand those Pastimes. When you become a good receiver, or when you are qualified to hear those Pastimes, that authority will explain the Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs. Otherwise, you will not be able to understand that supramental theory. It will not come to you in a proper way.

Faith: the basis of all religions

When one receives transcendental knowledge from his Guru and is firm in his faith to his Guru, that person will begin to practise Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Without solid faith, we cannot do anything. Faith is the basis of all religions, not only Vaiṣṇavism. In Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, faith is the basis. It is necessary to have firm faith in great personalities like Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupād, and Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur as well as our entire Guru-paramparā. It is necessary to have faith in the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa as expressed in Śrīmad Bhāgavad-gītā. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself said to Uddhava in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.12.14, 15):

tasmāt tvam uddhavotsṛjya chodanāṁ pratichodanām
pravṛttiñ cha nivṛttiñ cha śrotavyaṁ śrutam eva cha
mām ekam eva śaraṇam ātmānaṁ sarva-dehinām
yāhi sarvātma-bhāvena mayā syā hy akuto-bhayaḥ

“Take shelter of Me and you will get the love, beauty, charm, and ecstasy for which you are searching. But you must keep faith in My words, or you will not get what you want.”

Another important verse is:

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare cha niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

“The Guru must be qualified, and the disciple must have faith. Then Gurudev will come forward, and one can approach him with humility, honour, and faith.”

Faith is necessary, otherwise it is not possible. After one’s faith develops, the seed of the bhakti-latā can be planted by a sādhu in the fertile ground of a faithful heart, and with good nourishment, it will grow.

No imitation

When one begins to practise Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all his anarthas, or impurities, will leave him. Then, he will be able to understand the Pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But first his Guru must consider him a qualified candidate, then that spiritual authority will describe the Pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa — not before. If we hear those Pastimes without being qualified, they will destroy our spiritual bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed of the creeper of devotion. They will kill us; that is, they will destroy our spiritual life of devotion, and we will fall into the hellish garbage of sahajiyāism, or imitationism.

There is another śloka in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.33.30) that describes how Lord Śiva can digest an ocean of poison:

naitat samācharej jātu manasāpi hy anīśvaraḥ
vinaśyaty ācharan mauḍhyād yathārudro ’bdhi-jaṁ viṣam

If one does not hold such a powerful position as Lord Śiva and drinks an ocean of poison, he will be destroyed. The play of the Sweet Absolute is like that; it is beyond the lustful plane of this world. Since we live in the lustful plane, it is necessary to cross that plane by our practices. Then, we will be able to understand the Pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and transcendental consciousness will appear in us.

Since these are higher level topics, before we can approach them, it is necessary to change our consciousness from material to spiritual consciousness. It is necessary to pass through all the stages and varieties of material consciousness and come to the brahma-bhūta stage, and we can do that by devotion. Then, we will become qualified to hear the Pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and transcendental consciousness will appear within us.

If anything wrong remains within us in that plane, it is known as a shadow of lust. This will be quickly demolished, and very soon we will get clean Kṛṣṇa-prema, or love, affection, and service to Kṛṣṇa. When our enjoying mood and spirit disappears, we will become qualified for the service of the Vraja-gopīs. The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam has given us this caution, but one phrase is very important in the above śloka and that is, “the qualified spiritual master”.

Devotee: How can one get a qualified spiritual master?

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: It depends on the jīva-soul’s own fortune, or his sukṛti. Not everyone is able to get a qualified spiritual master, but in the Age of Kali, there is special help for the conditioned souls, like the many instructions Lord Kṛṣṇa gives in the Bhagavad-gītā. There are also many incarnations and associates of the Lord who have appeared in this world. If we are able to get at least some light from them, we may search for a great personality from whom we can get the property of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this searching spirit will come by reading the literature of the divine devotees of the Lord.

Devotee: During the battle of Kurukṣetra, not only perfected souls saw Kṛṣṇa, but everyone saw Him. Duryodhan and others also saw Kṛṣṇa. I am an ordinary person, then why am I not able to see Kṛṣṇa?

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: We can see Kṛṣṇa, but what kind of Kṛṣṇa do you want to see? You are seeing Kṛṣṇa. It may be in a photo or may be in the form of a Deity.

Devotee: In the human form just like everybody. How can I recognise the “human” form of Kṛṣṇa?

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: Yes, we can see that if we will get that vision. Arjuna wanted to see the viśvarūp, universal form of Kṛṣṇa, but before showing that to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said, “You cannot see Me with these eyes, so I am giving you divine eyes. Now you can see Me.”

na tu māṁ śakyase draṣṭum anenaiva svachakṣuṣā
divyaṁ dadāmi te chakṣuḥ paśya me yogam aiśvaram

In this śloka, Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, “I am giving you transcendental vision; now you can see Me.” If I get transcendental vision by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, then I can see Kṛṣṇa. If we wait a few years maybe through science, we will be able to see many things. Through scientific research, we can see many things, and that is not transcendental, no doubt, but it is one kind of vision which is recognised as “transcendental” by mundane people.

Proper source

It is necessary to discover where our deficiency or disease is. After we hear about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, more and more hankering for Kṛṣṇa consciousness should develop within us. This hankering is a good sign, but to get such hankering, it is necessary to go to the proper source or the proper “university”. All universities are not the same. If you want to study physics, mathematics, or chemistry, you must go to a teacher who can teach you those subject matters. You must train under his guidance. If you want everything in a cheap way, you won’t get anything; you will only get imitation knowledge. You will get an imitation stone, not a real diamond.

If I feel it is necessary to elevate myself from my present position in this mundane environment to a higher stage, I must go to that type of qualified source who can take me from this world. I must practise under his guidance. When the time for higher study comes, we must go to the proper type of expert who can give us higher knowledge.

Devotee: My experience is that the lust within me is not disappearing. At times it is suppressed, but again it comes back. I think it hasn’t actually disappeared. Is this correct?

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: Yes. It will completely disappear if we can keep ourselves in the plane of service, and the stage by stage process for doing that is given in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.4.15-16):

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā ruchis tataḥ

Lust will remain with us up to the plane of ruchi. Ruchi means “taste”. Lust will disappear from our hearts when we become firmly situated in the plane of ruchi. When a special kind of attraction or taste for service to the Lord appears, I will be promoted to that plane of service. Then, lust will leave, and ruchi will develop. Lust will exist below the standard of ruchi. Sometimes it will come, sometimes it will go, and sometimes it will be suppressed.

Conditions for growth

Lust has a very sweet name. It is called manobhāva. Manobhāva means it takes birth in the mind; it appears in the mind. If the mind is clear, lust will automatically go to Kṛṣṇa. Lust will not come to your mind. We can understand lust grows in the mind because if the mind is absent, or if your mind is disturbed, lust will not come to you. This is the proof lust grows in the mind. When the mind is absent, lust is not present. It will grow in your mind when a particular situation arises.

Once the demigods and asuras were churning the ocean. After they finished, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in the form of Mohinī Mūrti to distract the asuras. When Lord Śiva saw her, he chased after her. Normally, Lord Śiva isn’t like that, but a particular situation developed, and he ran after Mohinī Mūrti.

This proves lust grows in the mind. Everyone can understand this if they will try. In the primary stage, it is necessary to control lust, and in the final stage, it will not appear because Kṛṣṇa is Reality the Beautiful. All attachment, attraction, and service will automatically go to Kṛṣṇa. Love, affection, and everything will go to Kṛṣṇa, and lust will disappear. It will not come again. Before that, it will come and go. But don’t be fearful — it will be removed; it will be removed by dharma-buddhi. Lust can be removed by dharma-buddhi, and dharma-buddhi means religious intelligence.

Once, Kṛṣṇa asked Mahārāj Yudhiṣṭhir about this subject. Kṛṣṇa is very naughty, and He asked Mahārāj Yudhiṣṭhir this question because Mahārāj Yudhiṣṭhir never told a lie. His question was very dangerous.

Kṛṣṇa said, “Your mother looks like an eighteen or twenty-year-old girl. She is very beautiful. Have you ever been polluted in your mind by seeing her?”

Yudhiṣṭhir said, “Yes. Sometimes I am shocked to see her, but I control everything with my religious intelligence.” This answer is found in the Mahābhārata.

Hare Kṛṣṇa: all-in-all

Devotee: Could you please speak about gāyatrī-dīkṣā or second initiation?

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj: Dīkṣā means initiation. Hari-nām-dīkṣā is the main initiation in our Vaiṣṇava religion. In the Age of Kali, if you do not take second initiation — called gāyatrī-dīkṣā in our society — that will not be harmful if you took the Hari-nām mahāmantra from a bona fide Guru.

Generally, people take initiation from a bona fide Guru in order to save themselves from the material environment. The gāyatrī-dīkṣā mantra is for second initiation, but the Lord Himself has given a special prescription for the Age of Kali: the Lord has manifested Himself through the Guru-paramparā in the form of the Hari-nām mahāmantra. There are no rules and regulations for chanting the Hari-nām mahāmantra. This is stated in the scriptures, but if I say this, I will be an offender to Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupād, but the śloka is this:

ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-chetasāṁ sumanasām uchchāṭanaṁ chāṁhasām
āchaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś cha mukti-śriyaḥ
no dīkṣāṁ na cha sat-kriyāṁ na cha puraścharyāṁ manāg īkṣate
mantro ’yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ

The gist is, “You chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra and be happy.” This śloka is very strong. Śrīla Prabhupād gave four directives, but what will happen if someone cannot follow these four directives?

Medicine and diet

Prabhupād’s instructions were, “If you want the proper results of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra, you must follow the four directives.” If you want good results in curing a disease, you must take medicine — but you must also follow a proper diet. Then, the disease will go away very easily. This is the harmony between this śloka and Śrīla Prabhupād’s instructions.

Prabhupād said if you engage in nonsense activities and take the Hari-nām mahāmantra, it will take time before the results of chanting come to you. Prabhupād considered everyone a sick man. A sick man must have a good diet. On some days I am taking only milk and sago (tapioca), because my health isn’t always good. If I take too many fried foods, my sugar will increase. So, the diet must be appropriate.

Prabhupād knew Western society has no rules and regulations of life. They hold a big license for enjoyment, and the name of that license is “teenager”. Society has given young people a big license for sense enjoyment and that is, “Oh, he is a teenager.” That means a teenager can do anything. The parents and the society are all giving enthusiasm for this.

But Prabhupād wanted to control this. At least he thought it was necessary to give them the knowledge that they should not kill others. If a father has a lot of money and takes his teenager gambling and loses everything, that is not good. Prabhupād said: “Do not kill others, do not gamble, and do not take drugs.” He also said don’t take other intoxication or have illicit sex.

The life of this world is a sexual life. Through that, birth and death and happiness and sadness come to us. But you can use this process in your practising life. Sexual life can also give you the supreme benefit. You only have to be a devotee and serve Kṛṣṇa with your wife and children. That is legal, and in this way you can proceed in your practising life and difficulties will not come to you.

It is necessary to know the meaning of everything, and for that, a Guru is necessary. A Guru will say what is good and what is bad. Prabhupād also said this. He had some experience of the Western world, but not full experience.

In the beginning, Prabhupād wanted to make a “guardian ruled family” in which everyone in the family would happily worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. He wanted to make a Vaiṣṇava village in Māyāpur, but I have seen this was not possible.

Everything is within us

Many different kinds of activities are going on in the Western world, and this influence is entering the Indian culture and destroying it. It is destroying the Vedic culture, but what can be done? Kali is the master of this age. He is the guardian now. To avoid Kali’s influence is difficult, but those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious must try to proceed under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, other influences will not come.

An example is everyone takes food, but one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious does not take food. What do you think? Is he fasting? No. He takes mahāprasādam. First, he offers food to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and then he takes the remnants of that prasādam. Then, reactions won’t come to him. Kṛṣṇa says in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā:

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pachanty ātma-kāraṇāt

“Whoever cooks for himself eats sin, but when one prepares food for the Lord and offers it to Him, those preparations become transcendental because the Lord Himself is transcendental.”

The remnants of prasādam give us spiritual strength and life. This is the Kṛṣṇa conscious person’s life. Everything is within you, but you must be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Valuable property

When we have a physical body, there will be physical problems. But everything is valuable if I can use it properly. Narottam Dās Ṭhākur said, karmārpaṇe ‘krodha’ bhakta-dveṣi-jane, ‘lobha’ sādhu-saṅge Hari-kathā (Pbc: 2.10).

We can use everything for Kṛṣṇa consciousness; we must use what is within us wisely. This is the meaning of the four directives given by Śrīla Prabhupād. But that śloka — ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-chetasāṁ sumanasām uchchāṭanaṁ chāṁhasām — should not give us enthusiasm to break the rules or to do anything and everything as we may like.

We are getting Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the cheapest way. Because of this, we cannot understand what we are getting and what we are losing. If you pay a thousand dollars for one day, you will think it is very valuable, but if you get it very cheaply, how will you understand its value? You offer one flower at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or Gurudev, and afterwards you throw it away. It may not be in an inauspicious place, but you throw it away.

Everything can produce spiritual property — śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa, gandha: experience by sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell — all can give us good results if we adjust them in the proper way for our spiritual benefit.