Chapter 10: Beyond Doubt

marttyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā
niveditātmā vichikirṣito me
tad amṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno
mayātma-bhūyāya cha kalpate vai

«When a mortal totally abandons all karma and offers himself to My direction, at that time he acts according to My sweet will and becomes one with Me — he attains the fitness to become My family member in his divine form of sachchidānanda nature.»

This is a transformation that can be seen in the physical system also. The physical cells undergo transformation. Old cells vanish — new cells grow. And this also occurs when one accepts prasādam, food offered to the Lord. A revolutionary transformation occurs.

Unconsciously, there is transformation in the physical system, by the gradual process of living a pious and divine life. Imperceptibly, the transformation takes place.

«Martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā: he has detached himself from all the activities of this so-called mundane world; niveditātmā: and he considers himself no longer a member of this material world. He has entered and enlisted in the family, in the entourage, of another plane. And gradually he more and more intensely identifies himself as one of that family, that plane. Niveditātmā vichikirṣito me: he is very busy to find out what can please Me. That is his errand always. He is always seeking how to please Me. That is the only principle in him; he automatically thinks over and over again, ‘How can I please Him? How can I please Him?’ Tad amṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno: then, indispensibly, such a change cannot but come in him: the necessary transformation. A transformation from mortality to immortality gradually occurs. The progress is sure and substantial.

Mayātma-bhūyāya cha kalpate vai: and consequently, he comes to be reckoned as one of My family members.» Also in Bhagavad-gītā, viśate tad anantaram: «My devotee enters into My family.»

With our bhajana (divine service), such transformation is inevitable. It must happen. Material hankering will be diminished. Mostly in rajo and tamo-guṇa (the modes of passion and ignorance) there is dissipation of vital energy, but in sattva-guṇa (truthfulness, realisation) the energy lost is of much less quantity.

bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir
anyatra chaiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ
prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus
tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣudapāyo ’nughāsam

«As with every mouthful an eater feels the threefold effects of satisfaction, his stomach being filled, and his hunger being dispelled, in the same way when a surrendered soul serves the Lord he realises devotion of three natures simultaneously: devotion in love, the personal appearance of the Lord who is the abode of love, and detachment from all other things.»

Progress can be measured by detecting this kind of transformation within. Pareśānubhavo: somehow, a conception of the Supreme must grow clearer and clearer in me. What is He? Who is He? Viraktir anyatra: and indifference to everything nonKṛṣṇa’ grows in me also. I avoid what does not concern Kṛṣṇa, and when it appears anyway, it produces some apathy or even irritation in me, «Oh, why has this thing come to me?» The measurement from the negative direction will be how much I am apathetic to ‘non-Kṛṣṇa’ things. Tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣudapāyo ’nughāsam: and also, the inner hunger should be felt to be fulfilled. «Yes, I am feeling fulfillment.» I shall feel self-approval that I am walking in the right direction. I shall have inner sanction of my clear conscience. «Yes, yes, I am doing right.» I will feel inner satisfaction.

bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś, chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ
kṣīyante chāsya karmāṇi, mayi drṣṭe ’khilātmani

«When the soul directly beholds Me as the Supreme Soul within all souls, his mundane ego is dissolved, all his doubts are slashed, and all his worldly deeds (harma) are annihilated.»

This is a scientific measurement, and of course, science of the transcendental world is not to be applied in the nature of the mundane. By this standard of adjustment, we shall gradually make progress towards proper adjustment. It the centre is clear, then, of course, the circumference is properly located. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the centre, and in that consciousness every event can be found to be properly adjusted. In this way, by that inner satisfaction and realisation one can measure his personal progress. But this does not mean that his thirst will be quenched; rather, it will increase. But the assurance will come that the direction is the right direction. «I am now making progress in the proper line, because many new things can be explained by that formula. They seemed to be unintelligible and meaningless. Now, what I am told to be the Absolute is harmonising all these things hitherto unharmonised. These points are being solved. So, chidyante sarva-saṁśayāh: the doubts are being cleared, and more satisfaction of a wide and spacious nature, the solution, will be felt in the heart of one who is a real student, a regular student of the Bhāgavata school. Chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ is a great thing. We cannot accommodate this within the narrow shell of our brain! «All doubts should be cleared? What is this?» It is inconceivable that all doubts will be cleared. But everything wall be solved if we accept the harmonising centre in such a point as advised by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu — Kṛṣṇa-conception of the Absolute.

Absolute love and charm is all-accommodating. None can deny it. None can say, «I don’t want love.» It is so universal. One may say, «I do not want any grandeur, any power,» but, «I do not want any love» — never. Sometimes one may even go as far to say, «I don’t want justice.» That may be possible. Of course, generally it may be the exception, but still it may be said, «I don’t want justice. By justice that man will suffer. Rather, I shall suffer, and that man be saved.» Just as Jesus Christ told, «Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.» By that prayer, Lord Christ set justice aside: «No, justice may go on this side, and let me be the sufferer.» We can take the risk of dismissing justice, but we can’t avoid love. We can give up everything but that love for love. If we have the eye to see, then we shall see that only to get love, prema, we can give up everything in the world. So how valuable is that thing? And Mahāprabhu and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam came with that.

Before the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam appeared in the world, Devarṣi Nārada came and gave a regular stricture to Śrīla Vyāsadeva: «What have you done for so long? This is nothing! Rather, you did some downright wrong. «

jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte ’nuśāsataḥ
svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ
yad vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthito
na manyate tasya nivāraṇaṁ janaḥ

«You have committed a great wrong. In your injunctions of religious duty for the masses, you have sanctioned condemnable worldly works for fulfillment of mundane desires. The masses are already by nature attached to condemnable worldly works for fulfillment of mundane desires. It is a great wrong because the worldly masses will conclude that your messages alone are the central religious duty. Even if they are taught by other knowers of the truth to refrain from those worldly works, they will not accept those teachings, or, they will not be able to understand them for themselves.»

«The people generally have natural affinity for these things — dharma, artha, kāma, and then mokṣa (religion, wealth, sense-pleasure, and liberation). You have recommended these four things in a regular and polished way, but this is already their natural demand. When one is overfed, he wants fasting as a reaction. So, mokṣa is only a reaction to exploitation. This is already a fact, and you have recommended the same thing. What new thing have you given them? You have done wrong! Why? Because when a person of your status has recommended mokṣa, it will be difficult to give anything further. No one will be prepared to oppose your opinion, your standard. All will say that Vyāsadeva is the highest authority, and that they don’t care for the advice of anyone else. The highest authority is Vyāsadeva. So it will be very difficult to get the people to accept through other sources anything beyond what you have given. So, you have done wrong! It may be considered your misdeed. Now, the only relief can be that you yourself will give the fifth end (beyond the aforementioned four common pursuits). You, personally, will have to take this work: ‘So far, what I have given is very limited, but now I shall give you something far superior.’ You alone will have to take up this task, and only then you will have undergone the proper penance necessary for your chastisement. Mahān vyatikramaḥ — it is a great wrong, because jugupsitam — what is very condemnable; dharma-kṛte — is given under the stamp of religion; the goods under the stamp are ultimately non-religious. What good is that? Only ‘to do wrong and not to do wrong.’ But to do good — is it not included there? Of bad and non-bad, non-bad does not mean positive good. So, you will have to take this duty with earnestness and clarify the position for the people: ‘So far, what I have given you is more or less of a negative character. Now I have come to give you something positive.’ In this way, you must create the atmosphere to give them something substantial.

«Dharma-projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmat-sarāṇām satām (the religion of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is free from the deceptions of the four ends of humanity, and it is the religion of the true saints). Nirmatsara means an impartial mentality,’ and matsara refers to the jealous. ‘So far, I have given advices to that particular section which is not free from egoistic thinking. I have dealt with them. But now I shall deal with the normalthinking — the good-hearted people. I shall now advise them.’ Because it will be difficult to dissuade the people from the path taught by you, I have therefore come to you. Only through you can the higher, developed conception be given to them. This is the only way.»

So Śrī Vyāsadeva was chastised in this way by Devarṣi Nārada. Then, with an outline often basic principles (Bhā: 2.20.1,2) he had to meditate, assimilate, and finally reproduce. Devarṣi Nārada left the āśrama, and Śrī Vyāsadeva began to meditate and assimilate. «So far, this was my conception of religion and nonreligion; now some new light has been given to me, and in perspective I have to think out the whole system; the whole system must be coloured with a new colour. A new colour should be given to everything I delivered previously.» So, he came to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

And he also felt, « Mokṣa, the Brahma-jñāna (liberation in the non-differentiated Absolute), has been given the highest position. Now, the higher conception that has been given to me by Devarṣi Nārada must be delivered to the world by a person whose Brahma-jñāna is unquestionably admitted by all the scholars.» So he searched for Śukadeva. «Śukadeva is the only person who is very widely respected by the so-called liberationists. This higher doctrine should be brought to light through him, and then the position of Bhāgavatam will be automatically unchallengeable. So he hunted after Śukadeva.

He sent a woodsman whose business it was to cut down trees in the jungle and dense forest, and who made a trade from that. He told this śloka to that woodcutter:

nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
bhavauṣadhāch chrotra-mano ’bhirāmāt
ka uttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādāt
pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt

«Wherever you will find a boy like my son, you will try to chant this śloka. You always wander in the dense forest, and my boy is there, roaming hither and thither in the jungle. It is very difficult to trace his whereabouts, because he does not stay in one location. Always roaming and wandering, he lives on only leaves and fruits, and he takes water from the river.»

Suddenly one day, this śloka caught Śukadeva’s attention. «What do these woodcutters say?»

nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
bhavauṣadhāch chrotra-mano ’bhirāmāt
ka uttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādāt
pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt

«This big sound, with high meaning — where did they get it from?» Then after hearing twice, thrice, he approached them. «What do you say?» They again repeated, «Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād: who have had all their thirst quenched, satisfied — they come and sing this song; bhavauṣadhāt: it is the medicine for the solution to birth and death; śrotra-mano ’bhirāmāt: and it is always pleasing to the senses. The senses should not be considered as one’s eternal enemy, and eliminated from any utility. They can be utilised. This song is very sweet for all the senses. Śrotra-mano ’bhirāmāt: both the ear and mind are pleased by a high class of joy. Ka uttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādāt pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt: who but a suicide will keep such a conception of life, such a model ideal of his life, at a distance? Only a self-killer can do so! Otherwise, one who is wakeful to his real interest can never avoid the uttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānu-vāda — the praise and prayer of the highest entity, the Lord Absolute. Who can keep himself aloof from this highest conception of life which is beyond even mokṣa?»

Then, after having a glimpse into the meaning of this śloka, this poem of Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva enquired,

«Where did you obtain this śloka?»

«At Badarikāśrama.»

«Can you show me the place?»

«Yes, come.»

And they took him to Vyāsadeva. He could recognise, «Oh, this is my father’s āśrama. Vyāsadeva, my father, requested me to stay with him, but I did not care for that. I ran away to the forest to avoid human society. To avoid being influenced by human society’s designing attitute, I left it. However, for the solution I find in this śloka, I cannot but enquire from him.»

So he came, and asked his father the meaning of the śloka. Śrīla Vyāsadeva then explained according to the angle of vision that Devarṣi Nārada had recently given him. And when Śukadeva later delivered the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he openly admitted in the assembly:

pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇye, uttamaḥśloka-lilayā
gṛhīta-chetā rājarṣe, ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān
tad ahaṁ te ’bhidhāsyāmi, mahāpauruṣiko bhavān
yasya śraddadhatām āśu, syān mukunde matiḥ satī

When Parīkṣit Mahārāja enquired from Śrī Śukadeva Goswāmī, Śukadeva first introduced himself in this way:

«O sage among kings, despite being excellently merged in the transcendental Brahman, I have studied this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because my heart was attracted by the pastimes of the Supreme Lord Uttamahśloka.

«King, you are a devotee, and as such you are most qualified to come to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person; therefore I shall explain this narrative scripture to you. Swiftly does divine love for the Supreme Lord Mukunda arise within the heart of one who has developed faith in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.»

Śrī Śukadeva Goswāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit, «You seem to be a student of a high standard of learning (mahā-pauruṣiko bhavān). There are many seekers of their future fortune, but you are a bona fide student; presently death is encroaching upon you, so no ordinary aspirations are in your mind. You are a genuine student and enquirer. Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa (religion, wealth, sense pleasure, and liberation) are known as the fourfold ends of human enquiry (puruṣārtha), but because I consider you to be the most bona fide and sincere seeker of truth (mahāpauruṣiko), I think I can teach you what I have heard from my dear father very recently; I consider that to be the highest end of every life.

adhītavān dvāparādau, pitur dvaipāyanād aham

tad ahaṁ te ’bhidhāsyāmi, mahāpauruṣiko bhavān

«At the end of Dvāpara-yuga, I studied this Mahā-purāṇa Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from my father, Śrī Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. I conceive that to be the highest standard of education and you are the fittest man to receive it. Therefore I shall deliver it to you.»

Saying this, he began the talk of Bhāgavatam. And there he gave the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that harmonises all classes.

To receive descending spiritual knowledge in this way is the method of the deductive school. And the nature of such fit recipients is described as nirmatsara — they are free from jealousy. Those who are suffering the disease of jealousy cannot tolerate anyone holding a higher position than themselves. They cannot tolerate the merit of others: «I am the best. None can be greater than me.» This is their disease (matsara). But the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is for those who are free from the disease of such a mean egoistic feeling. The students that come forward to read the Bhāgavatam must be of such character that they have conquered that mean egoistic sentiment of considering oneself to be all-in-all. When that sort of mean, egoistic feeling is removed, one will be fit to study Bhāgavatam, and he will successfully imbibe the teachings herein and make a great and inconceivably divine improvement in his life.

Vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadam: «I am not dealing with an imaginary concoction. This is vāstava-vastu, a realistic thought which death and. mortality cannot challenge. I am dealing with such a thing here. The whole world you are living in is unreal, but what I am dealing with here is the only reality. The realistic thought is not unreal. You are suffering from the mania of unreality. Tāpatrayonmūlanam: and your disease wall be wholesale cured. The disease and its effect — your suffering — will be uprooted to the extreme.»