SACRAFICE

[Guest guest]

what can i sacrafice to please krishna?

[theist]

 

 

"...Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names(japa)... BG 10.25

[gHari]

Offer all you are and all you have. Let Him use it all as He sees fit.

 

[Guest guest]

do not sacrifice... add krsna to your life... chant hare krishna... find a bona fide guru to learn how to sacrifice (= make everything sacred)

[gHari]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.4-6:<blockquote><center><font color="red">Atma-tattva-vizuddhy-arthaM

yad Aha bhagavAn Rtam

brahmaNe darzayan rUpam

avyalIka-vratAdRtaH

</center>

Atma-tattva--the science of God or that of the living entity; vizuddhi--purification; artham--goal; yat--that which; Aha--said; bhagavAn--the Personality of Godhead; Rtam--in reality; brahmaNe--unto Lord BrahmA; darzayan--by showing; rUpam--eternal form; avyalIka--without any deceptive motive; vrata--vow; AdRtaH--worshiped.

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O King, the Personality of Godhead, being very much pleased with Lord BrahmA because of his nondeceptive penance in bhakti-yoga, presented His eternal and transcendental form before BrahmA. And that is the objective goal for purifying the conditioned soul.

 

PURPORT

Atma-tattva is the science of both God and the living entity. Both the Supreme Lord and the living entity are known as AtmA. The Supreme Lord is called ParamAtmA, and the living entity is called the AtmA, the brahma or the jIva. Both the ParamAtmA and the jIvAtmA, being transcendental to the material energy, are called AtmA. So Sukadeva GosvAmI explains this verse with the aim of purifying the truth of both the ParamAtmA and the jIvAtmA. Generally people have many wrong conceptions about both of them. The wrong conception of the jIvAtmA is to identify the material body with the pure soul, and the wrong conception of ParamAtmA is to think Him on an equal level with the living entity. But both misconceptions can be removed by one stroke of bhakti-yoga, just as in the sunlight both the sun and the world and everything within the sunlight are properly seen. In the darkness one cannot see the sun, nor himself, nor the world. But in the sunlight one can see the sun, himself and the world around him. SrIla Sukadeva GosvAmI therefore says that for purification of both wrong conceptions, the Lord presented His eternal form before BrahmAjI, being fully satisfied by BrahmA's nondeceptive vow of discharging bhakti-yoga. Except for bhakti-yoga, any method for realization of Atma-tattva, or the science of AtmA, will prove deceptive in the long run.

 

In the Bhagavad-gItA, the Lord says that only by bhakti-yoga can one know Him perfectly, and then one can enter into the science of God. BrahmAjI undertook great penance in performing bhakti-yoga, and thus he was able to see the transcendental form of the Lord. His transcendental form is one hundred percent spiritual, and one can see Him only by spiritualized vision after proper discharge of tapasya or penance, in pure bhakti-yoga. The form of the Lord manifested before BrahmA is not one of the forms with which we have experience in the material world. BrahmAjI did not perform such severe types of penance just to see a form of material production. Therefore the question by MahArAja ParIkSit about the form of the Lord is answered. The form of the Lord is sac-cid-Ananda, or eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. But the material form of the living being is neither eternal, nor full of knowledge, nor blissful. That is the distinction between the form of the Lord and that of the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul, however, can regain his form of eternal knowledge and bliss simply by seeing the Lord by means of bhakti-yoga.

 

The summary is that due to ignorance the conditioned soul is encaged in the temporary varieties of material forms. But the Supreme Lord has no such temporary form like the conditioned souls. He is always possessed of an eternal form of knowledge and bliss, and that is the difference between the Lord and the living entity. One can understand this difference by the process of bhakti-yoga. BrahmA was then told by the Lord the gist of SrImad-BhAgavatam in four original verses. Thus SrImad-BhAgavatam is not a creation of the mental speculators. The sound of SrImad-BhAgavatam is transcendental, and the resonance of SrImad-BhAgavatam is as good as that of the Vedas. Thus the topic of the SrImad-BhAgavatam is the science of both the Lord and the living entity. Regular reading or hearing of SrImad-BhAgavatam is also performance of bhakti-yoga, and one can attain the highest perfection simply by the association of SrImad-BhAgavatam. Both Sukadeva GosvAmI and MahArAja ParIkSit attained perfection through the medium of SrImad-BhAgavatam.

 

<center><font color="red">sa Adi-devo jagatAM paro guruH

svadhiSNyam AsthAya sisRkSayaikSata

tAM nAdhyagacchad dRzam atra sammatAM

prapaJca-nirmANa-vidhir yayA bhavet

</center>

saH--he; Adi-devaH--the first demigod; jagatAm--of the universe; paraH--supreme; guruH--spiritual master; svadhiSNyam--his lotus seat; AsthAya--to find the source of it; sisRkSayA--for the matter of creating the universal affairs; aikSata--began to think; tAm--in that matter; na--could not; adhyagacchat--understand; dRzam--the direction; atra--therein; sammatAm--just the proper way; prapaJca--material; nirmANa--construction; vidhiH--process; yayA--as much as; bhavet--should be.

</font>

Lord BrahmA, the first spiritual master, supreme in the universe, could not trace out the source of his lotus seat, and while thinking of creating the material world, he could not understand the proper direction for such creative work, nor could he find out the process for such creation.

 

PURPORT

This verse is the prelude for explaining the transcendental nature of the form and the abode of the Lord. In the beginning of SrImad-BhAgavatam it has already been said that the Supreme Absolute Truth exists in His own abode without any touch of the deluding energy. Therefore the kingdom of God is not a myth but factually a different and transcendental sphere of planets known as the VaikuNThas. This will also be explained in this chapter.

 

Such knowledge of the spiritual sky far above this material sky and its paraphernalia can be known only by dint of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. The power of creation by Lord BrahmA was also achieved by bhakti-yoga. BrahmAjI was bewildered in the matter of creation, and he could not even trace out the source of his own existence. But all this knowledge was fully achieved by him through the medium of bhakti-yoga. By bhakti-yoga one can know the Lord, and by knowing the Lord as the Supreme, one is able to know everything else. One who knows the Supreme knows everything else. That is the version of all Vedas. Even the first spiritual master of the universe was enlightened by the grace of the Lord, so who else can attain perfect knowledge of everything without the mercy of the Lord? If anyone desires to seek perfect knowledge of everything, he must seek the mercy of the Lord, and there is no other means. To seek knowledge on the strength of one's personal attempt is a sheer waste of time.

 

<center><font color="red">sa cintayan dvy-akSaram ekadAmbhasy

upAzRNod dvir-gaditaM vaco vibhuH

sparzeSu yat SoDazam ekaviMzaM

niSkiJcanAnAM nRpa yad dhanaM viduH

</center>

saH--he; cintayan--while thus thinking; dvi--two; akSaram--syllables; ekadA--once upon a time; ambhasi--in the water; upAzRNot--heard it nearby; dviH--twice; gaditam--uttered; vacaH--words; vibhuH--the great; sparzeSu--in the sparza letters; yat--which; SoDazam--the sixteenth; ekaviMzam--and the twenty-first; niSkiJcanAnAm--of the renounced order of life; nRpa--O King; yat--what is; dhanam--wealth; viduH--as it is known.

</font>

While thus engaged in thinking, in the water, BrahmAjI heard twice from nearby two syllables joined together. One of the syllables was taken from the sixteenth and the other from the twenty-first of the sparza alphabets, and both joined to become the wealth of the renounced order of life.

 

PURPORT

In Sanskrit language, the consonant alphabets are divided into two divisions, namely the sparza-varNas and the tAlavya-varNas. From ka to ma the letters are known as the sparza-varNas, and the sixteenth of the group is called ta, whereas the twenty-first letter is called pa. So when they are joined together, the word tapa, or penance, is constructed. This penance is the beauty and wealth of the brAhmaNas and the renounced order of life. According to BhAgavata philosophy, every human being is meant simply for this tapa and for no other business, because by penance only can one realize his self; and self-realization, not sense gratification, is the business of human life. This tapa, or penance, was begun from the very beginning of the creation, and it was first adopted by the supreme spiritual master, Lord BrahmA. By tapasya only can one get the profit of human life, and not by a polished civilization of animal life. The animal does not know anything except sense gratification in the jurisdiction of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. But the human being is made to undergo tapasya for going back to Godhead, back home.

 

When Lord BrahmA was perplexed about how to construct the material manifestations in the universe and went down within the water to find out the means and the source of his lotus seat, he heard the word tapa vibrated twice. Taking the path of tapa is the second birth of the desiring disciple. The word upAzRNot is very significant. It is similar to upanayana, or bringing the disciple nearer to the spiritual master for the path of tapa. So BrahmAjI was thus initiated by Lord KRSNa, and this fact is corroborated by BrahmAjI himself in his book the Brahma-saMhitA. In the Brahma-saMhitA Lord BrahmA has sung in every verse govindam Adi-puruSaM tam ahaM bhajAmi **. Thus BrahmA was initiated by the KRSNa mantra, by Lord KRSNa Himself, and thus he became a VaiSNava, or a devotee of the Lord, before he was able to construct the huge universe. It is stated in the Brahma-saMhitA that Lord BrahmA was initiated into the eighteen-letter KRSNa mantra, which is generally accepted by all the devotees of Lord KRSNa. We follow the same principle because we belong to the BrahmA sampradAya, directly in the disciplic chain from BrahmA to NArada, from NArada to VyAsa, from VyAsa to Madhva Muni, from Madhva Muni to MAdhavendra PurI, from MAdhavendra PurI to Izvara PurI, from Izvara PurI to Lord Caitanya and gradually to His Divine Grace BhaktisiddhAnta SarasvatI, our divine master.

 

One who is thus initiated in the disciplic succession is able to achieve the same result or power of creation. Chanting of this holy mantra is the only shelter of the desireless pure devotee of the Lord. Simply by such tapasya, or penance, the devotee of the Lord achieves all perfections like Lord BrahmA.</blockquote>

 

gHari

[gHari]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1:<blockquote><center><font color="red">RSabha uvAca

nAyaM deho deha-bhAjAM nRloke

kaSTAn kAmAn arhate viD-bhujAM ye

tapo divyaM putrakA yena sattvaM

zuddhyed yasmAd brahma-saukhyaM tv anantam

</CENTER>

RSabhaH uvAca--Lord RSabhadeva said; na--not; ayam--this; dehaH--body; deha-bhAjAm--of all living entities who have accepted material bodies; nR-loke--in this world; kaSTAn--troublesome; kAmAn--sense gratification; arhate--deserves; viT-bhujAm--of stool-eaters; ye--which; tapaH--austerities and penances; divyam--divine; putrakAH--My dear sons; yena--by which; sattvam--the heart; zuddhyet--becomes purified; yasmAt--from which; brahma-saukhyam--spiritual happiness; tu--certainly; anantam--unending.

</FONT>

Lord RSabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.

 

PURPORT

In this verse Lord RSabhadeva tells His sons about the importance of human life. The word deha-bhAk refers to anyone who accepts a material body, but the living entity who is awarded the human form must act differently from animals. Animals like dogs and hogs enjoy sense gratification by eating stool. After undergoing severe hardships all day, human beings are trying to enjoy themselves at night by eating, drinking, having sex and sleeping. At the same time, they have to properly defend themselves. However, this is not human civilization. Human life means voluntarily practicing suffering for the advancement of spiritual life. There is, of course, suffering in the lives of animals and plants, which are suffering due to their past misdeeds. However, human beings should voluntarily accept suffering in the form of austerities and penances in order to attain the divine life. After attaining the divine life, one can enjoy happiness eternally. After all, every living entity is trying to enjoy happiness, but as long as one is encaged in the material body, he has to suffer different kinds of misery. A higher sense is present in the human form. We should act according to superior advice in order to attain eternal happiness and go back to Godhead.

 

It is significant in this verse that the government and the natural guardian, the father, should educate subordinates and raise them to KRSNa consciousness. Devoid of KRSNa consciousness, every living being suffers in this cycle of birth and death perpetually. To relieve them from this bondage and enable them to become blissful and happy, bhakti-yoga should be taught. A foolish civilization neglects to teach people how to rise to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Without KRSNa consciousness a person is no better than a hog or dog. The instructions of RSabhadeva are very essential at the present moment. People are being educated and trained to work very hard for sense gratification, and there is no sublime aim in life. A man travels to earn his livelihood, leaving home early in the morning, catching a local train and being packed in a compartment. He has to stand for an hour or two in order to reach his place of business. Then again he takes a bus to get to the office. At the office he works hard from nine to five; then he takes two or three hours to return home. After eating, he has sex and goes to sleep. For all this hardship, his only happiness is a little sex. Yan maithunAdi-gRhamedhi-sukhaM hi tuccham [sB 7.9.45]. RSabhadeva clearly states that human life is not meant for this kind of existence, which is enjoyed even by dogs and hogs. Indeed, dogs and hogs do not have to work so hard for sex. A human being should try to live in a different way and should not try to imitate dogs and hogs. The alternative is mentioned. Human life is meant for tapasya, austerity and penance. By tapasya, one can get out of the material clutches. When one is situated in KRSNa consciousness, devotional service, his happiness is guaranteed eternally. By taking to bhakti-yoga, devotional service, one's existence is purified. The living entity is seeking happiness life after life, but he can make a solution to all his problems simply by practicing bhakti-yoga. Then he immediately becomes eligible to return home, back to Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gItA (4.9):

<center><font color="red">

janma karma ca me divyam

evaM yo vetti tattvataH

tyaktvA dehaM punar janma

naiti mAm eti so 'rjuna

</CENTER></FONT>

"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."

</blockquote>

Lecture excerpt from Japan April 1972:<blockquote>PrabhupAda: [...] So to achieve this highest goal of life, it requires tapasya, austerity. It is not easily obtainable. So therefore Caitanya MahAprabhu has taught us,

<center>

tRNAd api sunIcena

taror api sahiSNunA

amAninA mAnadena

kIrtanIyaH sadA hariH

[Cc. adi 17.31]

</center>

Caitanya MahAprabhu has recommended, paraM vijAyate zrI-kRSNa-saGkIrtanam. Simply by... Caitanya MahAprabhu has recommended not whimsically. This is the prescription of this age: kIrtanAd eva kRSNasya mukta-saGgaH paraM vrajet. If you perfectly chant this Hare KRSNa mantra, kIrtanAd eva kRSNasya--not any other name but KRSNa--mukta-saGgaH: you can become free from this material association, or the contamination due to material contact. That is the special advantage of this age. This age, Kali-yuga, is full of faulty things. Kaler doSa-nidhe. It is an ocean of faulty things. It is very, very difficult. SarvAnge gha upaidha (?) mala. A man is suffering from itches or what is called..., sores, all over the body. So where he shall give ointment? He should be dipped in the ointment. This is the position. Similarly, how much you will find out, "This is faulty, this is faulty, this is faulty." The life in the Kali-yuga itself is faulty. Everything is faulty. So... But still, KRSNa is so kind. He has given an opportunity that by chanting His holy name one can become free from this faulty position. KIrtanAd eva kRSNasya mukta-saGga paraM vrajet. It is possible.

 

So Caitanya MahAprabhu, mahA-vadAnyAvatara, He is patita-pAvana. He is the deliverer of all the fallen souls. He has given us this much tapasya prescription. Tapasya must be there. And that is very easy to be done by us. It is not very difficult. One has to become very humble. That is the first qualification. TRNAd api sunIcena. SunIcena means lower than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; they do not protest. TRNAd api sunIcena taror api sahiSnunA. And tolerant, humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. A tree gives us all benefit, but in return we give the tree so much trouble. We snatch away the twigs, we snatch away the leaves. Sometimes for our fuel we cut down. But there is no protest. So these things have been taught by Caitanya MahAprabhu. TRNAd api sunIcena taror api sahiSnunA amAninA mAnadena. Nobody should think himself that he is very prestigious person, falsely. Nobody is prestigious. Everyone should be humble. So these three, four things we should learn, and that is tapasya. And we should avoid the sinful activities, namely, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. These are some of the positive and negative formulas given by Caitanya MahAprabhu. And if we follow this tapasya and chant Hare KRSNa, then our life is successful.

 

Life is successful means it is stated here, sattvaM zuddhyed yasmAd brahma-saukhyaM tv anantam. We are, every one of us, we are after happiness, sukham. From sukham it has come saukhyam. That happiness, if we want to continue our eternal life, then we require eternal happiness. Without happiness our life is not worth. Anandamayo 'bhyAsAt. Everyone should be happy, Anandamaya. That is spiritual world. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhAvitAbhis tAbhir ya eva nija-rUpatayA kalAbhiH. There is life, Ananda-cinmaya-rasa. Not jadAnanda. This is jadAnanda. In the material world, the material happiness is jada. There is no life. But there is a place which is full of eternal happiness. So this life should be engaged for that purpose, not to fight like cats and dogs. That is not very credit. Credit means ruining one's life. If one fights like cats and dogs, he becomes cats and dogs. Nature's law is very strict. Therefore we should be very careful not to become like cats and dogs but to become very humble--humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. AmAninA. Everyone wants that "I am very honorable man, prestigious man. And you should respect me." That is our material disease. "I do not want to respect you, but you should offer me respect." This is the position. Therefore our system is to call another VaiSNava as prabhu. "Sir, you are prabhu, you are master." But we call prabhu, but I think, "No, you are not prabhu; I am prabhu. You are servant." This cheating process will not help us. Actually, we should believe that he is prabhu. "He is servant of KRSNa; therefore he is my prabhu." This is VaiSNava mentality. GopI-bhartur .-kamalayor dAsa-dAsa-dAsa-dAsAnudAsa. One who wants to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, he is actually prabhu. If falsely one thinks that "I am prabhu," then his life is spoiled. So this word we use amongst ourself, prabhu, means that "I am your servant, you are my master." But that should be practically exhibited. That is called tapasya, to learn all these things.

 

Without tapasya, we cannot get out of this conditioned state. That is not possible. Those who are thinking that "Let us do whatever nonsense I can do, and at the same time I become free from this material condition..." No. That is not possible. One has to undergo tapasya. Just like if you are diseased you have to undergo some tapasya. Just like first of all you go to a medical man. Immediately he charges ten rupees, twenty rupees. In our country. In your country it is more. No doctor charges less than ten dollars. Ten dollars means in our exchange it is ninety rupees. So who can pay ninety rupees in this country? That is the minimum charge. Then there is medicine. So you have to pay it because you have got disease. And you have to earn this money with hard labor. So to cure your disease you have to undergo some penances, some austerities. This is an ordinary... And according to the gravity of the disease you have to pay more, which you may not have. You have to gather, you have to borrow, you have to beg. So these tribulations are called tapasya. So just for curing our ordinary disease we have to pay to the doctor, pay for the medicine, and then we have to starve also. We cannot take anything. So many things forbidden. So this austerity is called tapasya, denial, self-denial. So we should learn it. If we want to utilize this body sane, like a sane man, then we should learn tapasya. Tapo divyam. And this tapa, what is the purpose of tapasya? Tapasya everyone knows. Just like a man walking on the street, pulling a thela. What is the purpose? He'll get five or ten rupees, whole day working like an ass. That is also tapasya. Tapasya means labor. So he's thinking, "I'll get ten rupees by working." He cannot pull it, the load is so heavy. Still, some way or other... That is also tapasya. A scientist discovering something, he has to work very hard, and make experiments So many things. That is also tapasya. But not that kind of tapasya. That kind of tapasya is not required. Tapo divyam. You are working hard for maintaining your body and soul together. You have to work hard. But here, that hard work should be for self-realization, divine contact. That is called divyam.

 

Divyam is explained in the Bhagavad-gItA: janma karma ca me divyam [bg. 4.9]. If you simply take little trouble to understand KRSNa... That tapasya required: to read KRSNa's instruction, Bhagavad-gItA, SrImad-BhAgavatam, and try to understand KRSNa. Because that tapasya, if you take little painful... It is not painful. It is very pleasing. But we avoid it. We think it is painful. "Ah! Who is going to read books? We are meant for selling books, not for reading books." This is not good. We should read also. That is tapasya. Saddhaya. That is tapasya. Don't think that simply our books are meant for selling. No. It is meant for reading also. If we read regularly, at least two hours, three hours, that is tapasya. Tapo divyam. To understand spiritual position, my spiritual position, KRSNa's spiritual... (aside:) Stop that. (child making noise) So that is tapasya. These are the tapasyas. To rise early in the morning, that is also tapasya. Not that every day we have to ring bell--dung, dung, dung, dung--"Get up! Get up!No, I am sleeping." No, you have to accept. These are the tapasyas. We cannot avoid. If we actually want to avoid this body, working like cats and dogs, like animals, then we have to undergo tapasya, a very simple tapasya.

 

In this age, it is not possible that as big, big saintly persons they go to the forest and undergo meditation in Himalayan mountain under the snow and so many dif... No food, no shelter, secluded place, there are so many animals. That kind of tapasya is not possible in this age. You remain. We have constructed big, big nice building. But because the building is there, you simply come here as free guest and make life very easy for eating and sleeping, that is not tapasya. That is not tapasya. You must be very careful how to keep the temple very cleansed, yourself clean, worshiping the Deity. That is recommended. SrI-vigrahArAdhana-nitya-nAnA-zRGgAra-tan mandira-mArjanAdau **. This is also tapasya. If you cannot read, if you cannot do any other thing, so try to keep the temple... Every corner of this temple is KRSNa. Don't think that only KRSNa is here in the temple room. No. KRSNa is everywhere, especially this temple where KRSNa lives. Every part of this temple, every part of is KRSNa. Otherwise why it is recommended, tan-mandira-mArjanAdiSu? This is tapasya. You should always remain engaged doing something for KRSNa. Don't think, "This is very first class; this is last class." No. Advaya-jJAna. KRSNa and KRSNa's temple, the same thing. Don't think that "Oh, I am given this work to cleanse the temple, and that man is given this work to worship the Deity." There is no difference. ArAdhya bhagavAn vrajeSa tanaya tad dhAma vRndAvanam. As vrajeSa tanaya, KRSNa, is ArAdhya, worshipable, similarly His dhAma, His place, this VRndAvana, is also worshipable, as good as KRSNa. What to speak of temple--whole VRndAvana. Whole VRndAvana. Just like Uddhava. Uddhava, when he came to take KRSNa to MathurA, he immediately fell down on the grass of VRndAvana, that "These grasses are so fortunate that over this grass KRSNa and the gopIs and KRSNa's friends, they trample over." This is vaiSNava-vicara. Not that he's thinking grass is insignificant than KRSNa. No. KRSNa, KRSNa's name, KRSNa's fame, KRSNa's form, KRSNa's qualities, KRSNa's paraphernalia, KRSNa's associates--everything is KRSNa. And you should treat like that. That is tapasya. And following the footsteps, mahAjana yena gataH sa panthAH. SAdhu mArgAnugamanam. These things we should learn. SAdhu mArgAnugamanam. Just like sAdhu... AkrUra is a sAdhu. How he respected even grass of VRndAvana. So unless we read books, literature, and follow their example, then how tapasya will be there? So things should not be neglected. Divya (?).

 

So if we undergo this tapasya then our existence will be purified. This is... This method, this process, is devotional service. The devotional service, from the very beginning it is transcendental. IhA yasya harer dAsye. If you simply desire to serve KRSNa, that's the beginning of existentional purification, immediately. IhA yasya harer dAsye karmaNA manasA vAca. Simply if you sincerely think that "How shall I serve KRSNa?KRSNa" does not mean simply KRSNa. "KRSNa" means KRSNa, KRSNa's name, KRSNa's form, KRSNa's quality, KRSNa's paraphernalia, KRSNa's association--everything in connection. Nirbandhe kRSNa-sambandha yukta vairAgyam ucyate. Everything.

 

So in this way if we lead our life, then this life will be successful, and then the result will be yasmAd brahma-saukhyam. Brahma-saukhyam. Here brahma-saukhyam may be interpreted, as MAyAvAdI says, brahma-sukha, brahma-lim. This is also brahma-lin, brahma-sukha, but it is not the MAyAvAdI philosophy. MAyAvAdI philosophy is to kill himself, to become one with Brahman. So if, suppose I have to eat something to enjoy. So I can eat. That is enjoyment. But if I lose my existence, I become the food, then where is the enjoyment? No. The enjoyment is: "The food is there, I am there, I shall eat and enjoy." That means dvaita. Monism is not enjoyment, and therefore they fall down: Aruhya kRcchreNa paraM padaM tataH patanty adho [sB 10.2.32]. Brahma-sukha, do not think to become Brahman or to become one with Brahman... That is not sukha. That they do not know. Therefore my Guru MahArAja used to say, a poor fund of knowledge. By becoming one with the Brahman, Supreme Brahman, that is not actually sukha. If it is actually sukha, then why in the zAstra it is said, Aruhya kRcchreNa paraM padaM tataH patanty adho [sB 10.2.32]? By very severe austerities they come to the Brahman platform, monism, to become one with the Supreme, but from there he falls down. Why falls down? AnAdRta-yuSmad-aGghrayaH. Because they have no information of the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Unless you come to that point, then there is no possibility of eternal happiness.

 

Therefore it is said, tapasya, tapo divyam. That is divyam. KRSNa has explained, janma karma ca me divyam [bg. 4.9]. That means activities, transcendental activities. Not that KRSNa is a zero, full stop. No. Actual activities begins when there is KRSNa consciousness. These activities, they're my activities temporarily. They will not give us real happiness. Real happiness means when we come to the platform to be engaged in KRSNa's activities. Tapo divyam putrakA yena. Then we will get eternal happiness. That is recommended here. Brahma-sukha does not mean that, as ordinarily they think, that to become brahma-lin or merge into the existence of Brahman, no. That will be explained in the next verse: mahat-sevAM dvAram ahur vimukteH [sB 5.5.2]. It will be explained. We shall take up this subject tomorrow.

 

Thank you very much. (end)</blockquote>

 

gHari