A lecture given by HH Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja, 02 December 2009, Durban, South Africa
So we’re reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam, 11th Canto, chapter 7 entitled, “Lord Krsna instructs Uddhava,” text 12:
sarva-bhuta-suhrc chanto
jnana-vijnana-niscayah
pasyan mad-atmakam visvam
na vipadyeta vai punah
Translation: One who is the kind well-wisher of all living beings, who is peaceful and firmly fixed in knowledge and realization, sees Me within all things. Such a person never again falls down into the cycle of birth and death.
Text 13:
sri-suka uvaca
ity adisto bhagavata
maha-bhagavato nrpa
uddhavah pranipatyaha
tattvam jijnasur acyutam
Translation: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, thus instructed His pure devotee Uddhava, who was eager to receive knowledge from the Lord. Uddhava then offered obeisances to the Lord and spoke as follows.
(Purport)
(Invocatory Prayers)
9 processes of devotional service
Uddhava was a great and deep devotee. Uddhava was very much attached to the lotus feet of Krsna. Uddhava was completely dedicated to worshipping Krsna. We understand that the process of devotional service is containing 9 different processes: sravanam kirtanam visnoh, smaranaam pada-sevanam. There is hearing, then chanting, then remembering, then serving the lotus feet of the Lord. Then one may engage in worshipping the Deity of the Lord, and then vandanam; as we are worshipping the Deity of the Lord there is naturally prayers that we offer. Then we fully enter into the mood of being a servant of the Lord- dasyam. Then we realise that we have no other friend in this world than Krsna alone. Finally we realise that we need shelter and we always turn to somewhere or someone for shelter. But to no avail we’re looking for solutions because we feel that there is something lacking within us. This is the situation that everyone in this world is feeling that there is something lacking within ourselves and we’re trying to look for different ways to fill that and therefore we take shelter. We take shelter of different persons, of different things but all these things, they don’t work. But when we come to Krsna, there is shelter- only there and nowhere else!
Although the mind is again and again thinking that, ‘well maybe, if I would only have this desired object then I will be happy!” But this is the illusory energy. Only Krsna,
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
(SB 1.2.6)
Only pure devotional service- unalloyed, unmotivated- is the only thing that can satisfy the heart completely and nothing else. So, sakhyam- we know that Krsna is our only friend and no other friend. We just turn to Krsna. Whatever our needs are, Krsna is the only one that can answer our needs and no one else can. And finally, if we are thoroughly aware that this- that Krsna’s our only shelter- then atam nivedanam, then we surrender fully- mind, body, soul...completely to Krsna. And then from that day we will just say, ‘Krsna, I am Yours.’
Surrender and mood of different devotees
So this is the nine fold process of devotional service. So the Acaryas describe that there is some progression; from hearing gradually we start chanting, and from chanting we gradually start to remember. Then naturally we become inclined to serve the Lord’s lotus feet; our meditation becomes just simply the lotus feet of Krsna. What else is there? At Krsna’s lotus feet we are aware that we are dependent, we bow down, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, we bow down to His lotus feet. Still we see that different devotees, who are mentioned in the scripture, had a predominant mood and it is stated that sravanam (hearing), that Maharaja Pariksit perfected that process of hearing; he spent his time hearing. And Sukadeva Goswami perfected the aspect of chanting- kirtanam- by just purely glorifying Krsna. Then remembrance; who other than Prahlada who was the one who always remembered? In the most difficult situations Prahlada just remembered Krsna and felt completely secure because he understood that the actual reality is Krsna and everything else is actually the illusory energy. When thrown in a pit with snakes, he thought of Krsna! When attacked by demons with weapons, he thought of Krsna! Prahlada always thought of Krsna! So he’s the perfection of remembrance. Then arcanam, it is said that Maharaja Prithu, he dedicated himself so much to the process of Deity worship because he was performing all these yajnas for the pleasure of the Deity. And he was actually arranging to do a hundred horse sacrifices, which is very difficult to do. Indra didn’t like, and Indra became worried. So as the hundred sacrifices was about to take place, then Indra interfered and stole that sacrificial horse. But Maharaja Prithu was perfect in his worship. Vandanam- Akrura is the one who offered prayers. When coming to Vrndavan, sent by Kamsa to pick up Krsna and bring Him to Mathura, Akrura was simply thinking of his good fortune. He wasn’t thinking at all that, ‘I’m being sent by Kamsa on some mission,’ but he was thinking, ‘I’m most fortunate because I get sent out to see Krsna and what more is there to be desired?’ So the whole way he was thinking, ‘how will it be when I meet Krsna? What will I say when I see Krsna?’ And then he came into Vrndavana, which is the land of Krsna! And when he came into Vrndavana, into this land of Krsna, then he saw there Krsna’s footprints everywhere! He lost control of himself and he began to roll on the ground in the dust! And in this way bathing in the dust in great ecstasy! Then Akrura, when he finally saw Krsna, he offered so many prayers. So Akrura is famous for prayers.
In this way, different devotees attained perfection. Hanuman, being the servant- dasyam; Arjuna- friendship; and atma nivedanam- completely surrendering to Krsna- Bali Maharaja, who completely surrendered to Krsna even when he was being treated not so nice. He was arrested by Lord Vamanadeva, because he was supposed to give three steps of land but gave only two. So then he was arrested and kept in a snake noose and the snake was strangling him and it wasn’t very comfortable. And then Vamanadeva was seeing if he was still devotionally inclined to that situation. So he was tested but he was fixed. So surrender means that; that even in unfavourable circumstances we remain fixed. That is surrender. Not that, ‘yes, yes Krsna, I’m Yours...’ and all the blessings come, ‘yes, yes Krsna, I am Your devotee. And now my life is so wonderful!’ no, also in circumstances of great difficulty.
Uddhava’s mood in service to Krsna
So, all these devotees are listed as having focused on a particular type of service. So, different devotees are absorbed in a different mood. So this is interesting that every devotee has his surrender to Krsna but that he also has his particular mood in which he likes to serve Krsna. So Uddhava also had a particular mood and Uddhava, Uddhava was a devotee who particularly was very much inclined towards studying the scripture. And his spiritual master therefore was also extraordinarily learned, because his spiritual master was none other than Brhaspathi, who is the spiritual master of the demigods. So Uddhava as such, was an extremely learned devotee and therefore Uddhava was specifically the right person to represent transcendental knowledge.
So Krsna was winding up his earthly pastimes. We know that when the Lord comes into this world that His appearance and disappearance is compared to the rising and setting of the sun. And it’s said that just as the sun, when it sets in South Africa, then the sun appears somewhere else- it is still present somewhere else. Nowadays one can experience that when we are flying. If you fly to Australia, if you leave at the time of sunrise, you can have sunrise the whole way! The whole way the sun will just keep on rising- 12 hours sunrise! It’s possible because we’re travelling so fast and we’re travelling with the rising of the sun. So we can have a practical experience of this point, that as the sun disappears in one place it is somewhere else. So Krsna’s pastimes are always going on somewhere, but Krsna was winding up His pastimes on this planet. So Uddhava was aware of this somehow or other and Uddhava was chosen by Krsna to particularly approach Him at that point, at the end of His life, to ask questions regarding the philosophy.
The Uddhava-Gita
And we find that in the 11th Canto this discussion between Krsna and Uddhava is found. (Curtain opens) Jaya Sri Sri Radha Radhanatha ki, Jaya! So this discussion between Uddhava and Krsna is found in the Uddhava-Gita. The Uddhava-Gita is very interesting because in the Uddhava-Gita, Uddhava asks many detailed questions to Krsna- many, many detailed questions about the philosophy. So this part of the 11th Canto, the Uddhava-Gita, is very important because there are many, many relevant instructions about spiritual life. So now we are preparing to receive these instructions. Uddhava, of course, was specifically deputed by the Supreme Lord to remain on this planet after the departure of the Lord. And He sent Uddhava to Badrinath, or Badarikasrama, because in that place there were also many devotees but they never had the opportunity to meet the Supreme Lord, and therefore they missed out so to speak. So Krsna arranged for them.
Krsna is taking care of us
So this is spiritual life; we don’t have to worry. It is not that we have to build a staircase to heaven and then ascend the staircase and somehow or other reach. Or it doesn’t mean that by our own power and our own strength we have to figure it all out how to get there and then get there; no, we have to simply take shelter of Krsna and Krsna will make all the arrangements. And as Krsna was making plans in the life of Uddhava, Krsna is also taking care of us and making all the arrangements. And He has a plan, He has it all figured out; we cannot see and we’re thinking, ‘Oh, I’m left alone here to battle and to struggle, and it’s so difficult. I am fighting here with the material energy and it is so hard, so hard this fight with the material energy- prakrti sthani karsati- the struggle with the material energy. The struggle with survival- so tough- and somehow or other in the midst of that struggle I have to be Krsna conscious and it’s difficult and I don’t know how to do it!!! Will I be successful?’ Hmmm....everything we need will be provided! Just at the right time Krsna will arrange and He will send us someone. He will make an arrangement; somehow or other He will create circumstances that will make everything favourable for us.
There is a plan that Krsna has designed to take us back to Godhead, and gradually this plan is unfolding in our life. Sometimes of course, it’s different from our own plan. We also had a plan, ‘I’m going to have a very nice spiritual life. It will be sweet and very inspiring. It will be full of nectar. Sometimes a little austerity when I rise early or when I fast on fast days. Yes, that will also be there. And I planned it all out, very nice and balanced and there will be nice association and I will stay in a temple, which is also very inspiring. Sometimes of course a little struggle will be there but that is my opportunity to show my devotion to Krsna...’ and in this way we have written a nice script about our spiritual life- “My Spiritual Life”- but it’s not exactly going to happen because it turns out that Krsna, Krsna has written out a plan for us. And one has to accept it. In pleasure or pain, one has to bow down, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mam yaji mam namaskuru, ‘yes my Lord, I am Your servant. Yes my Lord, whatever You send me...’
Tolerating difficulties
tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano
bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak
(SB 10.14.8)
‘Yes my Lord, now You’ve sent me difficulties. All right my Lord, I know, I know, You’re only giving me a token. I deserve more my Lord I know. I know I’m sinful, I know it, I know it very well. My Lord, I have so many sinful desires, therefore I know that I’ve committed so many sinful activities in my last life. Maybe I cannot remember them but I can know it because of all the sinful desires that are there. My heart must be filled with sinful seeds, which give me a sinful inclination. And the result is that I always, always have sinful thoughts and desires. Therefore I’m not surprised, no I’m not surprised that difficulty and hardship is now coming my way. I need the purification; oh yes, I do. So I will tolerate as You have requested. tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam, I will tolerate because You have said that “for those who tolerate, tolerate all these difficulties, they will become the rightful heir to My mercy and they will get devotional service. And they will become free from this material world and from all suffering and they will attain perfection, yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak, it will become their rightful claim.” So I will tolerate my Lord, I will tolerate. Although, I may have to preach to my mind because my mind tends to hanker and lament. So my mind will again and again say, ‘now it’s too much, now I can’t do it,’ but I will preach, I will preach...’
Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety...
In this way we are secure, in this way everything is arranged, in this way we need not be in anxiety; our nature is to be in anxiety. That is material existence. This is the place of anxiety- always in anxiety about something, about, ‘is it going to work out? Is it not working out? It doesn’t look like it’s working out? And what now? What will I do and how will I deal with this? And what can I do now to save the day and save the situation?’ Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety! ‘It’s not working...oh no! It looks bad....help! What can I do?’ Anxiety, anxiety... ‘I hope, I really hope that it’s going to work. I’ve invested a lot of energy into it and I really hope it’s going to work. Yes, yes it is happening and I hope that nothing bad would happen and I have horses’ hooves and rabbit tails and fingers crossed and everything that brings luck, luck, luck. Lucky, lucky, I do puja, I burn incense, I burn lamps as long as somehow or other my good fortune comes because anything can happen at any moment!!! And I’m in total anxiety!!!’ No, not required, because actually Krsna is protecting, raksisyatiti visvaso, knowing that Krsna will protect us, being very sure. That means no more anxiety, it means accepting, ‘all right, now I’ve taken up spiritual life so now I’m no longer just under the law of karma. Now Krsna has personally taken charge of my life. Therefore now I don’t have to worry. Now I know that everything is in the perfect hands of the all-merciful, perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead. So what can go wrong? Nothing can go wrong.’
Although sometimes it looks like wrong, yes it does. Then we have to remind ourselves, then we have to tell this mind, ‘Dear mind, we don’t overdo it...’ Like a child; children over react. They cry for no real reason. And we tell them, ‘no it’s all right, there’s nothing wrong, everything is fine.’ And still they don’t believe it. So the mind is like that also, getting all worked up and we are use to this. We are conditioned by this, we must recognise this in ourselves, this tendency that our mind is very childish. Recently is Mayapur we had a nice gathering and then my old friend, Samba, who is now teaching in the Gurukula in Mayapur, he said something about the teaching in the Mayapur Gurukula. He said, “it’s a very nice school because we’re teaching the children to stop being childish.” I thought, wow! That’s interesting! There are so many schools where children are being educated and where they give lots of opportunity to the children to express their nature. That’s like schools with nice toys and playgrounds and all these things- all provisions for children’s childishness. And this school is different; they’re teaching the children to stop being childish. That’s far out! I said, well, once we’re finished with the children then maybe we can start with the adults and teach them also to stop being childish! Because yes, most of us never learned it- we didn’t learn it as children and we didn’t learn it as adults- still childish! That is our problem- we are childish. Oh, childishly upset, childishly wanting a toy, childishly...childish emotions! Small, so small! And we need to be kept sweet- ‘okay, give him a toy. Happy now?’
Pure devotional service is the only way
So spiritual life means that we have to become very mature, we have to grow, we have to really mature...we have to become really deep. We cannot just say, ‘oh, it’s so difficult...’ that’s what children say, ‘oooh....too difficult, nooooo, I can’t do it...’ that’s childish. We have to say, no, this is the reality. There is no other way! Devotional service- pure devotional service- is the only way. Not even compromised devotional service- it’s not the way. We have to come to pure devotional service, that’s the only way, that’s the only real path. Otherwise we are in illusion if it’s not pure devotional service.
So in this way we can stop being in anxiety. A symptom of immaturity is this anxiety. And maturity means that we are very firm in our faith- Krsna will take care of me, everything is fine. He is taking care of me right now. It’s not that ‘Krsna will take care of me but is He taking care of me right now? But I’m sure that He will take care of me...’ No, Krsna is taking care of me right now. Everything is fine, as long as I take shelter. All I have to do is take shelter, shelter of everything that Krsna gave. Shelter of, of course, hearing and chanting. If we don’t take shelter of hearing and chanting then we are in trouble. Vedic culture offers us a period of life where we are trained as brahmacaris, and what is the business of the brahmacari? The business of the brahmacari is to rise early in the morning. Prabhupada said that a brahmacari cannot sleep till 7 or 9 ‘o clock- that’s not possible. He must rise at least one and a half hour before sunrise. And what is the idea of the brahmacari? So that the training is there, so that when we enter into the grhastha asrama, that we maintain it and still rise that early in the morning, so that hearing and chanting will be there about Krsna. So that remembrance of Krsna can go on. And when remembrance of Krsna is there then we will realise that, ‘I’m the servant’ then pada sevanam, then we will serve. Then as we’re serving Krsna, naturally we’ll realise His glories and we’ll worship Him. How to serve Krsna? We have the Deity in the temple, and we can always serve the Deity very easily, every time. So we serve the Deity and then we go before the Deity and then we pray, ‘oh my Lord, I need help now, I need help. I need help because I am weak. Please give me strength to overcome this weakness, my weakness of heart, hrdaya-daurbalyam. Please give me strength to overcome this weakness of heart.’
The art of giving
Yes, the weakness of heart is also described. And it’s said that weakness of heart means that we are worshipping Krsna but still we are looking for glorification of ourselves. We are worshipping Krsna and we are looking for recognition. ‘Just see how nice I’m serving Krsna! See me! Look at me! Look, look at me how great I am! Look, Look...’ yes everyone is thinking, ‘look at what I’m doing, look...’ so this weakness of heart is interfering. We are miserly; we must become generous. So we must give, give to Krsna- everything to Krsna! Everything we have, yes it’s Krsna’s. Then we must give ourselves to Krsna, ‘yes Krsna, I am Yours! My body is Yours, my time is Yours, my energy is Yours and I will not calculate, I will not calculate- can I afford it?’ Usually we give some charity and we look in the wallet and you see what you have and you pull out something and we calculate how much can I afford? But in serving Krsna, it’s not a matter of what we can afford; it’s a matter of what Krsna requires, because different situations arise and service is required. There is no pujari...who will do? ‘All right I’ll do it.’ So as Krsna requires, as the situation makes it clear, we will do. And why only that? We will do more. When the opportunity arises, oh yes, how to miss it? Can we ever miss an opportunity for service? That will be very foolish. The opportunities are there, let’s take them, let’s look for opportunities for service...this is how Krsna comes closer and closer. This is how Krsna becomes more and more part of our life, this is how Krsna takes over our life, and this is how one day Krsna will be everything!
Kunti Devi was praying to Krsna. And at one point Kunti Devi, who is so dedicated as a mother, was taking care of her sons- the Pandavas- who are all great devotees, pure devotes of the Lord, each one of them totally dedicated to Krsna. And at one point Kunti Devi says, “O my Lord,” she’s praying to Krsna, “please cut these ties of affection for my kinsmen, for my sons, the Pandavas. Please take this attachment I have for them away.” How is it possible? How can Kunti Devi pray like this? But she was praying in ecstasy, she was praying in a desire that she wanted only Krsna, just to think 24 hours a day only of Krsna. She said, “Even my sons, I love all my sons but it’s interfering now with this one desire that I have- to always think of Krsna. Never a moment without Krsna. Therefore take away this attachment for my sons. I cannot overcome it by myself but I want only You my Lord, only You. To think only of You, to remember only You, to hear only about You all the time, to serve only You all the time...” Was this only for an exceptional devotee like Kunti Devi? This is the stage where all of us must come. And how to get there? Step by step, step by step give more, give more, give more time, give more energy, give the intelligence by studying the scripture. Give the tongue by chanting the holy name- give, give, give. ‘Ah, 16 rounds...finished!’ No, give more, give, give!
Someone is teaching some process, “The art of living”; we are teaching the process, “The art of giving”. The vaisnavas, they give, they give to Krsna...they give everything to Krsna- “the art of giving.” Somehow or other lets us grow up. Grown up means to accept things as they are, to be immature means to hide under the blankets. But to be mature is to face reality and to deal with it. We are the eternal servant of Krsna- nothing else. Everything else is just some arrangement of the illusory energy. Any other designation is an arrangement of the illusory energy. We are the eternal servant of Krsna. Let us now just become more generous and give, give everything to Krsna. For Krsna yes, then I’ll give everything I have. So let us step by step give more.
So any questions or any comments?
Question: How can one remain always enthusiastic?
Maharaja: By everyday again starting this process of sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam, by everyday again hearing about Krsna. You have to hear about Krsna and then we have to chant the glories of Krsna so that we can remember Krsna, because when we remember Krsna, then we’ll see things as they are and then we’ll be enthusiastic. But when we don’t hear, when we never hear about Krsna, and when we chant miserly, just the very minimum, (dramatic) ‘16 rounds...finished! And not one mantra more...not one more! Not one more...(chants fast) Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare...4 more to go...3 more to go, 2 more to go, 1 more to go...zero...aaaah! Relief!’ Miserly! When we hear and chant then we remember and then enthusiasm will come. So we’re always eager to be with those who are into hearing and chanting; we’re looking for devotees who are into hearing and chanting. Ah yes, let’s do some hearing and chanting...what shall we do? Well how about some hearing and chanting! It’s raining today, what are we going to do? Let’s have hearing and chanting! The sun is shining, and what are we going to do? Let’s have some hearing and chanting! And yes, this is what we do- hearing and chanting! Hearing and chanting all the time as much as possible because then we will always be enthusiastic- always. Lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya, it is said that it takes just a moment, just a moment to hear the truth. And suddenly it can penetrate, it can penetrate the heart in one blow and we’ll suddenly realise that, ‘my problem is that there is not enough hearing and chanting. That’s why I’m not enthusiastic! This is it, that’s it! That’s it...’ bang! Lightning bolts! Struck by thunder! ‘Finally I understand...that’s it! Not enough hearing and chanting and not enough remembering of Krsna- ‘forget it, then I don’t feel enthusiastic about Krsna. Such a burden- six-teen rounds!!!’
Any other?
Question: Maharaja, you were talking about attachment to Krsna. Is it okay to be attached to a devotee because attachment to Krsna seems to be so high?
Maharaja: Ya, it’s good to be attached to Krsna’s devotee. They are our well wishers; they’re nice people, so we want to be attached to devotees. Maitri, friendship with devotees; maitri is eternal. That’s not ordinary friendship, that friendship is eternal. So yes we need that friendship. Of course we must be careful when we deal with devotees and with relationships with the devotees. Then we must be careful that we don’t allow material desires to enter into the relationships. Because when we deal with any relationships with human beings, we can have spiritual relationships and we can have a material relationship- both. Material relationship means lust, that we start to enjoy on the bodily platform. That can also happen with devotees. And then our attachment can also be on the bodily platform, ‘oh yes, I’m so attached to the devotee,’ yes, but what is feeding the attachment? Is it lust? Or is the attachment being fed by pure desire to serve Krsna? So the relationships of devotees must be based on serving Krsna.
Therefore with the spiritual master we are in a safe relationship because there’s no other agenda. The only agenda is Krsna, the only agenda is Krsna. What other agenda is there? Even if another agenda would arise then we know there is no place for that. With the spiritual master the only thing is Krsna. Therefore after Krsna, we turn to the spiritual master, as good as Krsna we turn to the spiritual master. And to the spiritual masters, vande gurun isa-bhaktan; Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami said we worship the spiritual masters- not one but also our siksa gurus, also those vaisnavas that inspire us to back to Godhead.
But then, ‘Oh, I’m so attached to the devotees and being together with them and having pizza with them or playing a game of cricket with them...’ well it’s nice if every once in a while you say ‘Haribol!’ during the cricket game, that’s nice; at least then it has a spiritual element. But in itself, ‘I’m so attached to these devotees playing cricket every Saturday’ and then you have pizza together, all right it’s something- better a blind uncle than none! But it’s a blind uncle; that’s ‘blind uncle devotee association’! so there is a lot of ‘ blind uncle attachment’ and ‘blind uncle association’- lots of ‘blind uncle devotee gatherings’ and lots of ‘blind uncle devotee parties’ and lots of ‘blind uncle and blind aunty (by the way)...’ So if we have all this ‘blind uncle’ and ‘blind aunty’ devotee association, it’s better than none. That’s all I can say. But the real thing is deep, spiritual relationships. And that’s wonderful- oh yes! Such relationships we’re hankering for; we’re always hankering for the association of the vaisnavas- always feeling in separation- always, always! ‘Oh if only I could for a moment longer have the association of the pure devotees of the Lord, oh...’ like that.
Anything else? Krsna, Krsna, Krsna...none?
Okay, thank you very much. Srila Prabhupada ki, Jaya!