— { DIVINE ASPIRATION } —

CHAPTER FIVE:
OUTER FORM, INNER SUBSTANCE

What is the test of Vedic knowledge? How deep is your knowledge about the revealed Truth? Vidyavatan bhagavate pariksara: the Srimad Bhagavatam is the test. It gives the standard against which all other conceptions must be measured. The standard is given there: the position of that central conception.

What is its capacity, utility, superiority of that Truth? Srimad Bhagavatam says:

vadanti tat tattva vidas
tattvam yad jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.11)

“The different learned transcendentalists know the Absolute Truth as one undivided spiritual substance beyond duality; but they realise It in three phases: as Brahman, Paramatma, and finally Bhagavan.”

The central Truth is not Brahman; Brahman is the all-accommodating aspect of the environment. And Paramatma is the all-permeating aspect, who is within everything, everywhere. Another aspect is Bhagavan. ‘Bhagavan’ means He is bhagya, auspicious; He is full of opulence, aisvarya. So the first interpretation of ‘Bhagavan’ may be given as aisvaryaman: the source of all power, the controller of all potency. But the Srimad Bhagavatam has shown Bhagavan in another, revolutionary aspect; it has taken the Center from a position of power to love. It has shown the Center to be love. Love is above power; it exists in a deeper plane. Power is external, and love is higher.

WHOLESALE SURRENDER

‘Bhagavan’ means bhajaniya-guna-visistha: He is of such substance that whenever we come in connection with Him we want to surrender to Him, worship Him, merge our interest in Him. We want to throw ourself at His feet. We will think: “That for which I have been searching, the Lord of my heart, I have here! I don’t want anything else.” Bhagavan is such: He excites eagerness to fall at His feet. He is all-attracting; therefore He is called Bhagavan.

His nature is such that the atmaramas, those who have no attraction for this mundane world, will also feel irresistibly pulled towards Him. He has such qualification. He attracts the soul to jump wholesale to His service. He will draw our wholesale surrender.

So, vidyavatan bhagavate pariksara: the Bhagavat is the test. It asks us: “How far are you advanced in your theistic life? Can you do this wholesale surrender? Can you even think of it? Can you think that by ‘dying’ you can live a proper life; that by dying as you are at present—a wholesale dissolution—you will gain yourself a new life? Are you bold enough for this?”

BEAUTY AND LOVE

The characteristic of the highest substance is not master of power or all-knowing, everything contained within Him as if ‘floating in His belly’. Nor is it all-permeating, microscopic, existing in the smallest thing. All-permeating, all-pervading, or all-accommodating—these are not the highest qualities of the Supreme Substance. The characteristic of the Controller of all power, Narayan, is one conception. But Who attracts us unconditionally towards Himself, so we only want to fall at His feet, He is such Beauty, such Love. That sort of conception is given by Srimad Bhagavatam, and that is the highest conception against which all others must be measured. Have you any idea of the Absolute as the Center of love from anywhere in the revealed scriptures? Only Srimad Bhagavatam has given us the highest thing. That is the central world, the highest plane of existence we are called to live in. And Mahaprabhu came with that; He brought it to us freely. Not only are we fortunate to have the human form, but we have such a great prospect of life.

LOOK TO YOURSELF

We should ask: what type of existence are we presently engaged in? I can go down again to be an insect, a beast, a tree. I am wandering in this vicious cycle of birth and death—this is my position. One moment I am at the top of the cycle; the next moment I am lost; I am nowhere. This is action and reaction. It is all only action and reaction. Now I am acting as master—then the reaction will come as a demand for me to pay my debt, and it will pull me down by my ear, just as the parent or schoolteacher punishes the misbehaving child. In this way we are moving in the material plane: higher and lower, up and down, continuously. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna says:

a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino ‘rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

(Bhagavad-gita, 8.16)

“O Arjuna, from the highest planet in the material universe, that of Lord Brahma, down to the lowest, all are places of misery because the residents of all these planes are under the law of repeated birth and death. But for one who attains My abode, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth.”

TRUE FRIENDS

How are we to come out of this vicious cycle and attain the fulfilment of our life? Our only friends are those who are carrying this information to the public: the Absolute Centre is Love. Our best friends are those who are on such an errand. All other seeming friends should be dismissed. They should all be dismissed if we are sincere. Now, this will be the form of our progressive life: to move towards that Centre. And for that there must be elimination, and new acceptance. In this way, leaving behind all other formalities, the inner spirit must make us mad to advance further towards Him.

Student: Guru Maharaj, I have one question. In Chaitanya-lila the Spiritual Master of Gadadhar Pandit is Pundarik Vidyanidhi. But what is Pundarik Vidyandhi’s position in Krishna-lila?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Gadadhar Pandit has been considered to be Radharani’s incarnation; and Pundarik Vidyanidhi is considered to be Vrsabhanu-raj, the father of Radharani in Krishna-lila.

Student: Pundarik Vidyanidhi has such uncommon pastimes. They are very difficult to understand.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: He is paramahamsa. Different devotees have come to this world to show different types of bhajan. Bhajan is the common factor among all such extraordinary devotees. They are all fully devoted, but they are showing themselves as different types, different models. So all are not one and the same. But their common end, Krishna consciousness, is to be considered. If one is directed totally towards Krishna consciousness in all positions, then he is properly situated.

Suppose there are many patients suffering from the same disease. The doctor may not advise everyone to take the same diet. It will be similar, but not the same; according to the capacity or condition of the stomach, one patient is given one thing and another something else. Similarly, the aim of those who are going towards Krishna consciousness is one, but the physical arrangements may be a little different. So in the case of the paramahamsas, devotees of extraordinary characteristics, their activities should not be judged in relation to the general standard of what is considered good and bad.

PUNDARIK PARAMAHAMSA

One example of this is Pundarik Vidyanidhi. In his youth, Gadadhar Pandit was always very eager to see sadhus. So one day Mukunda asked him: “Would you like to go and see a sadhu? I know of a good sadhu; I can take you.”

“Yes, yes, take me to him!”

So Mukunda brought him there. Gadadhar Pandit saw that Pundarik Vidyanidhi was sitting on a very soft bed with the finest covers; he was smoking an elaborately carved pipe; his hair was styled very beautifully, and his clothes were of the most expensive cut. Gadadhar thought, “Oh! What sort of sadhu has Mukunda brought me to see?” He had some doubt in his mind. Mukunda knew this; he could feel it. So he chanted one sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam:

aho bakiyam stana-kala-kutam
jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvi
lebhe gatim dhatry-uchitam tato ‘nyam
kam va dayalum saranam vrajema

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.2.23 )

In this verse Uddhava is speaking to Vidura: “Who should I worship, other than Krishna? His magnanimity is so great that when Putana came to kill Him by poison, she was given the position as mother to Him in His domain. Among those who are worshippable, He is the most magnanimous personality. Who shall I have as my worshippable Lord, greater than this?”

This sloka created some movement in the heart of Pundarik Vidyanidhi, and despite his external appearance, gradually something else began to show itself. Throwing away the valuable smoking-pipe, he began to shred his expensive clothing and his bedding; he began to tear his well-decorated hair and show many different kinds of extraordinary behaviour. Then he began to roll on the ground, his body spasming; words from that verse: ‘kam va dayalum… saranam vrajema…’ were coming intermittently from Pundarik’s mouth.

Then Gadadhar Pandit thought: “Oh! Even a small sentiment about the magnanimity of Krishna can produce so much revolution in his heart! He must be a great devotee.” In this way Gadadhar Pandit began to understand the dignified position of Pundarik Vidyanidhi.

INNER ENGAGEMENT

So, it is not always that ‘the man may be known by his dress’. For Pundarik Vidyanidhi, his opulent appearance and activity is only an outer showing; he does not care; he has no attachment for it—to him everything is one and the same. He is only showing such an opulent fashion externally, but he is not a slave to those things—to beautiful clothes, hair, or any other such thing.

Similarly, it is told about Rajarsi Janaka: if he should have one hand on the soft breast of a lady and another hand in the fire, there is no change, no disturbance in his consciousness. Both cases—enjoying and suffering—are the same to him. Softness and burning sensation; he is tolerating both. So, if a man who can tolerate the pain of fire-burning, puts his hand on the soft part of a lady, it is nothing to him. The inner man is otherwise engaged; the outward manifestation is only an external posture, and it cannot affect him at all. It cannot disturb him from his engagement. Do you follow?

Student: Yes.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Another example is Lord Ramachandra. The day before he was to be installed on the throne, all in the kingdom were rejoicing. But Ramachandra Himself was in a serious frame of mind. His mood was not very light, not very pleasing. He was thinking that the next day, He is going to receive the great responsibility of discharging His duty to the kingdom: “A great burden is coming on My head. I shall have the responsibility of looking after so many subjects.” This was His sober mood. Then when He heard that instead of being enthroned, He was to go to the forest—that His stepmother had forced His father to enthrone Bharata, her son, and to banish Ramachandra to the forest—Ramachandra’s temperament remained the same: He was going to discharge a duty. To get the throne is duty; to obey His father’s will by going to the forest also duty. By accepting banishment to the forest, He is discharging a duty, and His temperament does not change. His balance of mind, His equilibrium, is not disturbed. He is not a slave to any event, be it good or bad; He is perfectly equipoised to carry out His duty. Even if He must go to hell, He is not in any way disturbed.

Such a quality is also manifest in the exclusive devotees of the Lord:

narayana-parah sarve
na kutaschana bibhyati
svargapavarga-narakesv
api tulyartha-darsinah

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 6.17.28)

“Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.”

PARVATI’S CURSE

This verse is in connection with the following story related in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Once Lord Siva was sitting with his wife Parvati on his lap; by his desire she was there, and he was resting. Then his friend and previous classmate Chitraketu happened to be passing by, and, seeing this, made some remark:

“O Sankar, what are you doing? Of course, I don’t question your dignity; but, to the public, it is not a good lesson, not a good example. You should consider this.”

Parvati was enraged: “You don’t know the greatness of Mahadev? You are making some remark about him? You are ridiculing his practice? Your views are not pure, so you must take a demonic birth.”

But Chitraketu only said, “Yes, I accept your curse.” And he went away.

Then Mahadev, his mood a little angry, spoke to Parvati: “Do you know devotees of Narayan? Do you know who they are? Chitraketu has not done anything wrong. He is my friend, and what I am doing should not be publicly done. That is why his remark is not very insulting to me. He is my friend, and in a friendly way he gave such a slight remark. But you could not tolerate it; you cast a curse upon him. And what was his attitude? He could have cast a similar curse on you—he has that power—but he did not. He only accepted your curse and went away. So, who are those devotees? Do you know them?”

SIVA’S PRAISE

Then Lord Siva instructed Parvati with this sloka:

narayana-parah sarve,
na kutaschana bibhyati,
svargapavarga-narakesv,
api tulyartha-darsinau

(Srimad Bhagavatam 6.17.28)

“The devotees of Narayan do not care for anything of this world, good or bad; both heaven and hell are equal to them. They are not afraid of any condition of life; they are prepared for any eventuality, whether ‘svarga’, ‘apavarga’, or ‘naraka’ (heaven, salvation or hell). All are equal to them.”

If such a devotee has to go to hell, the other sufferers there will be benefited, but no hellish thing will be able to touch him; he is always surrounded by the Lord’s protection. Just as when a man in good health goes to serve an infectious patient, the infection cannot enter him. But if the helping man’s own health is weak, he will fall prey to that infection. Similarly, the devotees of Narayan are of such a type that wherever they are, whatever unfavourable circumstances they are in, they are protected by bhakti-rasa. Their ‘under-garment’ is of the purest material; nothing can pierce or harm them. So, tulyartha-darsinah—everything is equal in their eyes. Their vision is such. They are wandering in the world of Krishna; wherever they go is by Krishna’s will. And whatever comes to them, they see: “Oh, it is Krishna’s will. I am serving His purpose.” They are living only with this idea: that they are serving His purpose. They are not suffering from any local interest, but always they are in such consciousness; they remain always merged in the universal interest.

THE NIRGUNA PLANE

Once, after the Kuruksetra war was finished, one young rishi named Utanka met Krishna and told Him:

“Krishna, I shall curse You.”

“Oh, why?”

“Because You are the cause of all the misery that is the outcome of that great, vast battle of Kuruksetra—so many widows, so many orphans, so many crippled persons are all crying out of pain and misery, and You are at the bottom of it all!”

Then Krishna said, “Oh, you rishi-kumar, young rishi, whatever power you have accumulated by your penance will be finished if you will come to utilise it against Me. No effect will come to Me. I am in nirguna. My position is without any material quality. It is gunatita, transcending the material qualities. There is sattva-rajah-tamah, the three gunas, materially binding qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance. But above these three, there is the universal angle of vision. My position is there. That plane is ahaituki-apratihata. There exists the causeless and irresistible flow of the most fundamental world.

“Just as electricity has vibration, flow, so I exist in a plane of dynamic movement. That movement is irresistible, and it is causeless. It has no object but is an automatic, wholesome movement of infinite character. I am there. All My activity is from that plane. So waves from any other plane that will come to clash with it will be finished. The plane in which I am moving will continue forever. It is eternal: it has no beginning and no end; it is a harmonious flow. I am there. Nothing can affect My position. Whatever relative power you, rishi-kumar, have acquired will be finished if you throw it against the irresistible flow wherein I am moving.” This was Krishna’s reply.

EXCLUSIVE SERVICE MOOD

The divine plane is nirguna, and in relation to that, only the internal position should be judged, not the external. The internal situation is all-important.

Such criterion may be applied in the case of grhasta devotees; their inner purity we may consider from this standpoint. The sannyasins, of course, should not cast any glance over the ladies. They will consider doing so a very filthy thing. But there are grhasta devotees who are producing so many children. They may still be cent-per-cent pure—no enjoying mood, no spirit of exploitation is in them. And it is not only that the enjoying mood may be absent, but they have a serving mood: the grhasta is joined in union and the child comes, but in that there is a fully serving mood. There is no mood of enjoyment. It may be so.

In a word: exploitation is bad, serving is good. The outer colour of the thing does not matter much. If any activity is approached through the spirit of service, if it is the vibration from that most fundamental plane that is influencing any external activity, whatever it may be, then that activity is cent-per-cent pure. So thieving, lying—everything may be pure if the vibration is coming from the most fundamental plane. If the motive of power comes, being pushed from that plane, it is alright. That is the nirguna-lila. There exists not only selflessness, but the fullest self-surrendering to the Center. All movement is actuated by that power. The surrendered servitors are fully established in lila, and that is nirguna.

LOCAL AND UNIVERSAL INTEREST

So it is not by the form but by the spirit—the real position—that things should be judged. Whatever we think we are achieving or understanding by our local or provincial experience, if we are accepting that local interest as our standard, has no value. That is to say: it has value, but temporary value because it is partial. Its locality is partial; it is part of space, and also part of time, and that is all of limited value. That kind of local standard, is to be applied to the ordinary persons but not to the nirguna servitors. The activities of such servitors may appear to be similar: doing seemingly undesirable things such as stealing, lying and fighting. But because their motivation is from the nirguna plane, they are not bad. Their nature is of a different order.

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