rmad-Bhgavatam 1.2.

18 Calcuta, September 26, 1974

Bhgavata: "By regularly hearing the Bhgavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and lovi ng service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact." Prabhupda: naa-pryev abhadreu nitya bhgavata-sevay... [SB 1.2.18] (sound of small children) Bhgavata: Go! Celo. Prabhupda: Hm. ...nitya bhgavata-sevay bhagavaty uttama-loke bhaktir bhavati naihik [SB 1.2.18]

Naihik. Nih. From nih... Nih means "firmly fixed up." Firmly fixed up. dau ra ha bhajana-kriy tato 'nartha-nivtti syt tato nih [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. rla Rpa G plained how one can be fixed up, nih. This nih stage comes when one is freed from ana tha. dau raddh. Just like you all have come here out of raddh, some faith, that "Let us go to the Hare Ka temple, see the rati, or hear from the swamis." This is the beg inning, raddh. To create raddh, little faith, these centers are established. And one takes to faith, then he gradually advances. dau raddh. And that raddh has been expla ined by Kavirja Gosvm, what is raddh.

That raddh, he has said, raddh-abde vivsa kahe sudha nicaya. raddh means firm f dha nicaya, unflinching. What is that sudha nicaya? Ke bhakti kaile sarva-karma k This is the beginning of raddh. raddh means... As in the Bhagavad-gt it is said, sarv -dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja [Bg. 18.66]. If one is agreeable to this conditi n, that ke bhakti kaile, if one agrees, "Yes, if I surrender to Ka, my all perfection of life is achieved," this is raddh. Not that "Ka is also good, and this demigod is a lso good, you are also good, I am also good. You are also God, I am also God." T here is no raddh& #257;. Just like a chaste woman cannot say that every man is go od. She'll say, "Only my husband is good." That is chastity. If some woman says that "Any man is good..." Similarly, raddh means to become chaste, pure ka-bhakta. Th at is raddh. raddh-abde vivsa kahe sudha nicaya ke bhakti kaile sarva-karma kta haya [Cc. Madhya 22.62]

Now practically you can see. These American and European boys, they began with ra ddh. I told them that "Ka is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kas tu bhagavn sva SB 1.3.28]." They accepted it. They did not present so many rascals, that "Here is another God, here is another God, here is another God." No. Ke bhakti kaile sarv a-karma... They fixed up their faith. That is their fortune. They had no hodge-p odge idea. Therefore they are making progress. dau raddh. Then sdhu-saga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. That raddh, that firm faith in Ka, can be more and more firm by sdhu-saga. S saga means... Who is sdhu? A sdhu means a devotee. Sdhur eva sa mantavya [Bg. 9.30].

Who is sdhu? Sdhu means..., does not mean that having a long beard and saffron-col or dress. Sdhu means, mahtm means, who is pure devotee. That is the explanation in the Bhagavad-gt: api cet su-durcro bhajate mm ananya-bhk sdhur eva sa mantavya samyag vyavasito hi sa [Bg. 9.30]

He is sdhu, even he is su-durcra. Just like sometimes we find these American, Europe an boys, from our angle of vision, they are deviating little. But Ka confirms, "Eve n if he's deviating, still, he's sdhu." Why? Bhajate mm ananya-bhk. "Because he doe s not know except Me, Ka." This is the certificate given by Ka. Sdhur eva sa mantavy g. 9.30]. Samyak... "Oh, he may be sdhu, but not complete." No. Samyag vyavasito hi sa. He's complete sdhu. So what is the qualification? Now, bhajate mm ananya-bhk. The example you can see, how they are making bhajana by the Deity worship. You' ll never find in Calcutta such nice Deity worship. Bhajate mm ananya-bhk. They do not know. All these boys and girls, they do not know anything but Ka. So this is th e qualification, sdhu.

So we have to associate with such sdhus, who has got unflinching faith in Ka and ful ly engaged in Ka's service. He is sdhu. Bhajate mm ananya-bhk. Mahtmnas tu m prt m rit, bhajanty ananya-manasa [Bg. 9.13]. That is mahtm. We are after mahtm. Who i Sa mahtm sudurlabha. Vsudeva sarvam iti sa mahtm sudurlabha [Bg. 7.19]. One who's a ed Ka as everything, such mahtm is very rarely to be seen. Otherwise, so-called mahtm they are loitering in the street: "You are God, I am God, everyone is God." Not that kind of mahtm. Mahtm means bhajanti, "He worships Me, Ka." Ka is bhajanya, servant. One who is convinced on this platform, he is mahtm, he is sdhu. So we hav e to associate with such sdhus.

dau raddh tata sdhu-saga [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Pure devotee of Ka. They have no ire. Anybhilit-nyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. They have no other desire. Anybhilit-nya j overed by the mental speculation or fruitive activities, karma-ka. Jna-karmdy-anvta . Madhya 19.167]. Not covered. If you mix up karma with bhakti, if you mix up jna with bhakti, or if you mix up yoga, it is contaminated. It is not pure. Pure dev otional service is given by Rpa Gosvm: anybhilit-nyam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. No desi fruitive activities or philosophical speculation or yogic, mystic yogic magic. N o. Simply how to satisfy Ka. That is bhakti. nuklyena knulanam. nuklyena. nuk s favorable, what Ka desires. Just like Arjuna. He did not like to fight. He wanted to be a very nice, nonviolent gentleman. But Ka was inducing him, "You fight." The n later on, he agreed: "Yes, kariye vacana tava [Bg. 18.73]." This is nuklyena. "Ka ts it. Doesn't matter whether it is violent or nonviolent, Ka wants it. I must do i t." This is called nuklyena, not against the desire of Ka, but in favor of Ka. This alled anukla, anukla-sev. So nuklyena knulana bhaktir uttam [Cc. Madhya 19.16 st-class bhakti. Not that "If I like it, then I shall do it." That is not anukla. That is pratikla. You like or not like, that doesn't matter. Ka likes it,; you must do it. That is nuklyena knulanam.

So if we associate with sdhu... Sdhu means, mahtm means, who are fully engaged in Ka service. That is sdhu. That is mahtm. Therefore it is recommended, dau raddh tata s aga [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. And if you associate with sdhu, then bhajana-kriy. If we. .. Just like so many thousands of Europeans, Americans, they have joined us on a ccount of sdhu-saga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. First of all they come in the temple and h ear for some days. Then all of a sudden he becomes shaven-headed. We haven't to request. He takes a bead and bead bag, although he's not initiated. Then, after some days, he approaches, "Please get me initiated." The bhajana-kriy. This is ca lled bhajana-kriy. So we initiate. "Yes, now you are in terested, we initiate." W e give him hari-nma: "Chant Hare Ka mantra." This is the first initiation. "And chan

t sixteen rounds and observe these rules and regulations." Then, when I see, six months or one year, he's doing very nicely, then we accept him as my disciple, the second initiation. So this is bhajana-kriy. Then he's admitted to worship the Deity or cook for the Deity, so many things. Bhajana-kriy.

dau raddh tata sdhu-sago 'tha bhajana-kriy tato 'nartha-nivtti syt [Cc. Madhya 23 If there is bhajana, then he'll be freed from all anarthas. Anartha means unwant ed things. Just like one man is smoking. Smoking is not essential for living. If you don't smoke... Just like we don't smoke. That does not mean we are dying. I t is an anartha. But anyone who has learned this smoking, he cannot stop it. Ana rtha. The result of bhajana will be substantiated when anartha-nivtti syt, he's no more interested with some unwanted things. We have practiced so many unwanted th ings. The first of allillicit sex, making so-called lusty affairs without any mar ried bondage, illicit sex. This is anartha. Why? If you want sex, get yourself m arried according to stra. Then there is no hindrance. According to Vedic civilizat ion, the, a gir l must be married. But in every country I see the female populat ion is more than the male population. Then how every girl should be married? The refore in India more than one wife was allowed. Now it is not allowed. That is t he Vedic injunction, kany-dna. The father must get, find out a husband for his dau ghter. There are many histories, the Kulna brhmaa.

So anartha. We should not create in the society anarthas, unwanted disturbances. The unwanted disturbance is illicit sex. And meat-eating. Meat-eating... Why on e should eat meat? No animal foodstuff. Ka has given so many nice things. Produce. Ka says in the Bhagavad-gt, annd bhavanti bhtni [Bg. 3.14]. Ka never says, ms atsyd bhavanti bhtni. Never says. Annd. Anna, anna. Anna means food grain. Produce s ufficient food grain. So the... In the village side you go, hundreds and thousan ds of acres of land is lying vacant. Nobody is interested. Now they are interest ed (in) opening slaughterhouse. Kill the poor animals and eat, but don't produce food grain. The whole world, this rascaldom is going on. I have traveled over m any countries, all over the world. In Africa th ere are so much vacant land. In Australia there are so much vacant land. But nobody is producing food grains. Th ey, they have kept some cattles, these cows. They are automatically maintained. There is grass. And when they are fatty, take them and send to the slaughterhous e and eat. But the land is lying vacant. The land is lying vacant.

So therefore people are not following the rules and regulations given by God or by nature's own way. They have invented their own way of living condition. There fore they are suffering. Now we see in Calcutta or any other... Now it is a prob lem. Everywhere the problem will be food shortage and fuel shortage, power short age. This is the prediction of many, many great scientists. Because people are c ommitting so many sinful life, they must starve. That is the punishment. That is the punishment. These sinful rascals must be punished. Tn aha dviata krrn kipmy aj andha-yoniu [Bg. 16.19]. These godless persons, dviata, envious of God: "Why there should be God? Why Ka shall be God?", envious... So these are dirty things. We began in this chapter that,

Abhadri, all dirty things, they are accumulating. So by hearing about Ka... Nitya bh ata-sevay. Nitya bhgavata-sevay [SB 1.2.18]. You have to hear... Not that Bhgavata-sa ptha. I don't find this Bhgavata-saptha in anywhere in the Bhagavad, Bhgavata. But t hey have invented some means for professional reading. Nei. In the Bhgavata it is said..., not said, saptha bhgavata-sevay. Why it is said, nitya bhgavata-sevay? You ave to hear Bhgavatam daily, regularly. That is the injunction of Bhgavatam. You h ave to hear from, not from the professional men, professional reciters. Bhgavatasaptha, and then, after one saptha, you do your all nonsense things and he takes s ome money for li velihood, for maintaining his wife and children. And so many um brellas, so many suits, so many utensils, and sell in the market, get some money , and maintain them. This kind of bhgavata-sev will not help. Nitya bhgavata-sev. Cai tanya Mahprabhu's order is bhgavata pada giy bhgavata-sthne(?). If you want to realiz

e what is Bhgavata, then you must go and learn rmad-Bhgavatam from a person whose li fe is Bhgavatam, not the professional Bhgavata reciters. So here it is said... And who will recite Bhgavatam daily unless he has dedicated his life for Bhagavn? He's bhgavata. Grantha-bhgavata, and the person bhgavata. Bhga vata. Mah-bhgavata. A person, a devotee is called bhgavata. And the grantha-bhgavata . So we have to serve both. We have to hear daily rmad-Bhgavatam from the realized person. Nitya bhgavata-sevay [SB 1.2.18]. The guru, the devotee, they are bhgavata. So we have to serve, we have to please them. That is also said in the Bhagavad-gt. Tad viddhi praiptena paripranena sevay [Bg. 4.34]. If you want to learn the transce ndental subject matter, then you must adopt three things. Tad viddhi... First of all surrender. Find out that kind of person where you can surrender. If there i s no surr ender, it is not possible.

So the, the Vaiava philosophy begins from surrender. Therefore Ka says, sarva-dharmn arityajya mm eka araa vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is the order of Ka. And what is the d ence between Ka and His representative? The representative says that "You surrender to Ka." He never says that "You surrender to me. I have become Ka." That is a nonsen e, rascal. He will say the same thing. Therefore he's Ka's representative. Ka is pers nally asking that "You surrender to Me," and it is the duty of the bona fide spi ritual master, guru, to say to his disciple that "You surrender to Ka." He'll never say that "You surrender to Me. I have become Ka. Now I have realized soul. I have become Bhagavn." He's a rascal.

So these are the process. Tad viddhi praiptena paripranena sevay [Bg. 4.34]. Here it is also, the same thing. The same thing is said in a different way. That is stra. Actually, as Ka says in the Bhagavad-gt... What is Veda? There are four Vedas and 10 8 Upaniads, then Vednta-stra, then so, so many books. All of them are Vedas. And wh at is the purpose? Vedai ca sarvair aham eva vedya [Bg. 15.15]. You read all the V edas, all the Puras, Brahma-stra, Rmyaa, Mahbhrata. What is the purpose? To underst If you don't understand Ka, then it is useless. Your so-called study of Vedas are u seless. rama eva hi kevalam. That is the confirmation of rmad-Bh gavatam. dharma svanuhita pus vivaksena-kathsu ya notpdayed yadi rati rama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8] You are spoiling your energy. You are... Dharma... A brhmaa is executing his brahm inical culture very nicely. It is very good. A katriya is doing his duty very nic ely. That's all right. A vaiya, he's dutying... But the test, whether he's perfec t or not, or simply working for nothing, wasting his time, what is that test? Th at is also stated by Sta Gosvm: ata pumbhir dvija-reh varrama-vibhgaa svanuhitasya dharmasya sasiddhir hari-toaam [SB 1.2.13] He must understand whether by executing his... It doesn't matter whether Hindu o r Muslim or this or that. Your duty is, by executing your religious principles, whether you are satisfying Ka. That is wanted. Tasmin tue jagat tuam. So the Ka personally says that "You surrender unto Me." That is the only business. There is no other business. Simply to see that "Whether I am satisfying Ka?" So tha t will be possible... Here it is said that naa-pryeu abhadreu. Not completely. There are so many dirty things within our heart. If at once it becomes all cleared, th en immediately we are liberated person. And that is not possible. Gradually. Gra

dually, you go on hearing, hearing, vat sva-kath ka [SB 1.2.17]. Gradually, all hings will be cleansed. So naa-pryeu, almost clean. Not purely, not completely clean . Even it is almost clean... Naa-pryeu abhadreu. How it is cleansed? Nitya bhgavataay [SB 1.2.1 8]. You serve your spiritual master, the representative of Bhagavn, b hgavata, and you hear rmad-Bhgavatamthese are the two kind of Bhgavatamand you do it itya bhgavata-sevay. Naa-prye... Almost, almost cle... Then what is that? Bhagavaty u tama-loke bhaktir bhavati naihik. The result will be that you'll be fixed up in the devotional service. Uttama-loka. Bhagavn's another name is Uttama-loka. Uttama-loka means selected praye rs. Just like Brahmj is offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead: cintmai-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vkalakvteu surabhr abhiplayantam lakm-sahasra-ata-sambhrama-sevyamna govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi [Bs. 5.29]

There are so many prayers in the stras. So therefore His name is Uttama-loka. These prayers are composed by not ordinary rascal poet. They are composed by very, ve ry stalwart, great personalities like Lord Brahm, Lord iva and others, Sta Gosvm, uka eva Gosvm, Vysadeva. Therefore they are called uttama-loka, selected poetry. Therefo re Bhagavn's another name is Uttama-loka. He is offered prayers by the great perso nalities with selected composition of poetry and prayers. So bhagavaty uttama-lok e. If actually we follow these regulative principles, nitya bhgavata-sevay [SB 1.2.18] , then gradually our heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaa-mrjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12] . Caitanya Mahprabhu said. The process is to cleanse the dirty heart. Actually, w e are clean. Asago 'ya purua. We have no business to be contaminated with the materi al qualities. We do not contaminate. Just like we know... In Bengali we say, tel e jale mesera(?). You put oil in the water, it will never mix. Similarly, we are spirit souls, aha brahmsmi. We have nothing to do with this material world. But s omehow or other, I am in contact. So simply I have to be contactless. That Caita nya Mahprabhu says, ceto-darpaa-mrjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. As soon as your heart is cleansed with all dirty things, then bhava-mah-dvgni-nirvpaam, immediately you becom e out of this contamination, bhava-mah-dvgni.

This contamination means we are in the blazing fire of this material world. Blaz ing fire. It is, has been... Blazing fire... Bhava-mah-dvgni. Mah-dvgni. Dvgni mean fire in the forest. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place. Just like we, in India we thought that "By driving away the Britishers, we shall be happy." No. The dvgni is so that... That is not the medicine. Medicine is bhav auadhi. Medicine is Ka consciousness. Not that simply changing from this ism to that ism, this political party to this... That is not. Because everyone is imperfect . How they can give you perfect happiness? It is not possible. They are themselv es andha. Andha means blind. So if you follow the blind man, how you'll cross? T hat is not possible. Andh yathndhair upanyamn. Why they are andha? Na te vidu svrth i hi vi& #7779;um [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know the ultimate goal of life is to su rrender to Ka. That they do not know. They are manufacturing their own ways of adva ncing. That will never be successful. They do not know. Na te vidu svrtha-gati hi v iu duray ye bahir-artha-mnina [SB 7.5.31]. They are thinking, "By adjustment of thi erial world, we shall be happy." That is not possible. The my, the material energy , will not allow you to become perfect unless and until you surrender to Ka. That i s her business. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gt, daiv hy e guamay mama my duratyay mm eva ye prapadyante mym et taranti te

[Bg. 7.14] This is the way. So in this verse it is confirmed... The same thing. In the Vedic literature the same thing is spoken in a different way, in different circumstances. But the ult imate goal is how to know Ka. Vedai ca sarvair aham eva vedya [Bg. 15.15]. So if we f ollow this principle, hear Bhgavatam... Bhgavatam means the words or the activitie s of Bhagavn. But the impersonalists, they think the ultimate goal, ultimate trut h, Absolute Truth, is not a person. So there is no activity. If one is person, h e has got activities. But if one is not person, void, just like a sky... In the sky, there is no activity. The only activity is the sky is covered with cloud, a nd you cannot see the sun. That is the only activity.

So that kind of activity is not required. Regular, varieties of activities. Ther efore we have to hear about Ka. You'll hear about Ka in so many varieties of activiti s. Bhagavad-gt, you hear. It's so many activities of Ka. So we have to hear about the se. And unless there are activities, what you will hear? Simply "Brahman, Brahma n, Brahman... nirkra." How long you will hear? And how long you will enjoy? That i s... There is no enjoyment. Therefore they, these Brahmavds, these Nirkravd, although by austerities and penances they may rise up to the Brahman effulgence, still, t hey will fall down. Because we are living entities, we want varieties of enjoyme nt. We are not satisfied in void, in zero. That is not possible. Therefore vat sva-ka th ka [SB 1.2.17]. One has to hear about Ka, varieties of activities. Varieties of ties. Not nirkra, without any activities. No. That activity is different from mate rial activity. Janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Therefore it is called divyam. T hey are not ordinary activities. They are all transcendental, spiritual activiti es. The Myvd philosophers, they cannot understand.

So we have got enough matter for hearing about Ka. vat sva-kath ka puya-rav down and hear, we become pious. And as soon as we become pious, then we can und erstand what is Ka, what is God. If we are involved or implicated in sinful activit ies, there is no chance. Therefore anartha-nivtti syt. By sdhu-saga [Cc. Madhya 22.83 ], by association with the sdhus, bhaktas, and by bhajana-kriy, we'll be seen, a p erson will be seen that he's no more involved in unwanted things. He's simply in terested in executing devotional service. Nitya bhgavata-sevay, bhagavaty uttama-lok e bhaktir bhavati naihik [SB 1.2.18]. When we are almost free from all this contami nation, then we become fixed up in the devotional service. That is...

Bhagavn said in the Bhaga... Bahavo jna-tapas pt. Pt. Pta means purified. So thi ocess means to become purified, purified. That is... The Nrada-pacartra-stra also sa ys that, sarvopdhi-vinirmukta tat-paratvena nirmalam hkea hkeasevana bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Bhakti can be performed when you are purified. Sarvopdhi-vinirmuk... Updhi. These are the updhis: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I a m black," "I am white." These are updhis. This is the description of the skin, no t for me. Aha brahmsmi. I do not belong to the skin. I do not... Because I do not belong to the skin, then so many skin descriptions... Caitanya Mahprabhu says tha t "I am not a brhmaa. I am not a dra. I am not a sannys. I am not a brahmacr. I am katriya." In this way, "not, not, not..." Then what You are? "I am gop-bhartu pada -kamalayor dsa-dsnudsa [Cc. Madhya 13.80]." When you understand that "I am eternal se rvant of Ka," that is purification. That is purification. You accept it blindly, or by the process of reading stra and Vedas, you have to come to the conclusion: vsud eva sarvam iti sa mahtm sudurlabha [Bg. 7.19]. Then you become mahtm and your life is

perfect. Thank you very much. (end) http://krishnaonline.com.br/Srimad-Bhagavatam%201.2.18_calcuta_09_26_74.html