manastah<\/em>\u2014being placed within the mind.<\/p>\nTRANSLATION<\/p>\n
Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki. Devaki, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Krsna, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.<\/p>\n
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada<\/p>\n
As indicated here by the word manastah<\/em>, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva\u2019s mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devaki. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devaki not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by diksa<\/em>, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one\u2019s own heart.<\/p>\nThe word acyutamsam<\/em> is used because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sad-aisvarya-purna<\/em>, full in the opulences of wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. The Supreme Godhead is never separated from His personal opulences. As stated in the Brahma-samhita<\/em> (5.39), ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan<\/em>: the Lord is always situated with all His plenary expansions, such as Rama, Nrsimha, and Varaha. Therefore the word acyutamsam<\/em> is specifically used here, signifying that the Lord is always present with His plenary expansions and opulences. There is no need to think of the Lord artificially as yogis<\/em> do. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah<\/em> (Srimad-Bhagavatam<\/em> 12.13.1). Yogis<\/em> meditate upon the Supreme Person within the mind. For a devotee, however, the Lord is present, and His presence need only be awakened through initiation by a bona fide spiritual master. The Lord did not need to live within the womb of Devaki, for His presence within the core of her heart was sufficient to carry Him. One is here forbidden to think that Krsna was begotten by Vasudeva within the womb of Devaki and that she carried the child within her womb.<\/p>\nWhen Vasudeva was sustaining the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, he appeared just like the glowing sun, whose shining rays are always unbearable and scorching to the common man. The form of the Lord situated in the pure, unalloyed heart of Vasudeva is not different from the original form of Krsna. The appearance of the form of Krsna anywhere, and specifically within the heart, is called dhama<\/em>. Dhama<\/em> refers not only to Krsna\u2019s form, but to His name, His form, His quality, and His paraphernalia. Everything becomes manifest simultaneously.<\/p>\nThus the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full potencies was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki, exactly as the setting sun\u2019s rays are transferred to the full moon rising in the east.<\/p>\n
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered the body of Devaki from the body of Vasudeva. He was beyond the conditions of the ordinary living entity. When Krsna is there, it is to be understood that all His plenary expansions, such as Narayana, and incarnations like Lord Nrsimha and Varaha, are with Him, and they are not subject to the conditions of material existence. In this way, Devaki became the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is one without a second and the cause of all creation. Devaki became the residence of the Absolute Truth, but because she was within the house of Kamsa, she looked just like a suppressed fire, or like misused education. When fire is covered by the walls of a pot or is kept in a jug, the illuminating rays of the fire cannot be very much appreciated. Similarly, misused knowledge, which does not benefit the people in general, is not very much appreciated. So Devaki was kept within the prison walls of Kamsa\u2019s palace, and no one could see her transcendental beauty, which resulted from her conceiving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<\/p>\n
Commenting upon this verse, Sri Viraraghava Acarya writes, vasudeva-devaki jatharayor hrdayayor bhagavatah sambandhah<\/em>. The Supreme Lord\u2019s entrance into the womb of Devaki from the heart of Vasudeva was a heart-to-heart relationship.<\/p>\nCOMMENT by Giriraj Swami<\/p>\n
We have gathered here at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna to remember and celebrate His appearance in this world. According to Vedic literature, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam<\/em>). He is the Absolute Truth, the origin of all that exists. And He is realized in three features, nondual (advaya<\/em>), as explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam<\/em> (1.2.11):<\/p>\nvadanti tat tattva-vidas
<\/em> tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
<\/em>brahmeti paramatmeti
<\/em> bhagavan iti sabdyate<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cLearned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma, or Bhagavan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBrahman is the impersonal effulgence that emanates from the transcendental form of the Lord; Paramatma is the localized feature of the Lord, within the heart; and Bhagavan is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna Himself, full in six opulences.<\/p>\n
The form of Krishna is not material. Our bodies are material, distinct from the soul, which is spiritual. The Bhagavad-gita<\/em> (2.13) explains,<\/p>\ndehino \u2019smin yatha dehe
<\/em> kaumaram yauvanam jara
<\/em>tatha dehantara-praptir
<\/em> dhiras tatra na muhyati<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAs the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.\u201d The soul is a nonphysical, nonchemical particle of spiritual energy, and it is the soul that animates the body. As long as the soul is in the body, we say the body is alive. Actually, the body is never alive; the body is just a machine. But it appears to be alive when the soul is present to animate it. And when the soul leaves the body, the body has no capacity to act, to function, and then we say that the body is dead. In conditioned beings, such as us, there is a distinction between the body, which is made of material energy, and the soul, which is composed of spiritual energy. But in the case of Krishna, there is no difference between His body and soul. Being absolute, His body and He are the same. In our case, there is a difference between us and the body, because our real identity is the soul. If someone\u2019s father passes away, he or she will cry, \u201cOh, my father has left. My father is gone.\u201d Although the body of the father is there, why do we say, \u201cMy father has gone\u201d? Intuitively we know, especially at a time like death, that the body lying there in the room is not the person. The body is just a bag of chemicals. The real person is the soul who has left the body, and so the children and other relatives and friends cry, \u201cOh, he\u2019s gone,\u201d because he is the soul, not the body.<\/p>\n
But in the case of Krishna, He and His body are not different because He is absolute. There is no difference between His inside and His outside. He is completely spiritual. The Brahma-samhita<\/em> says, isvarah paramah krsnah<\/em> sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah<\/em>: \u201cKrishna is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body.\u201d Anadir adir govindah<\/em> sarva-karana-karanam<\/em>: \u201cHe is the origin of all, but He Himself has no origin. He is the prime cause of all causes.\u201d That is Krishna.<\/p>\nEverything we see in the material world has a cause. On a simple level, we can say, \u201cI am caused by my parents\u201d (or \u201cmy body is caused by my parents\u201d). They, in turn, were caused by their parents, who, in turn, were caused by their parents. And if we keep going back, further, further, further, eventually we will come to the original cause, and that is Krishna (sarva-karana-karanam<\/em>). He is the cause of everything\u2014the cause of all causes. But He Himself has no cause.<\/p>\nThis is hard for us to understand in the conditioned state, because everything material has a cause. Everything has a beginning and an end, but Krishna has no beginning and no end. He is eternal (sanatana<\/em>). \u201cEternal\u201d means \u201cno beginning and no end.\u201d Even we, as spirit souls, are also eternal. We have no beginning and no end. Our life in a particular body has a beginning, which we call \u201cbirth\u201d (or \u201cconception\u201d), and it has an end within a particular body, which we call \u201cdeath.\u201d But we, as spirit souls, have no beginning and no end, because we are parts and parcels of Krishna. We are of the same quality as Krishna, just in different quantity. The Lord says,<\/p>\nmamaivamso jiva-loke
<\/em> jiva-bhutah sanatanah
<\/em>manah-sasthanindriyani
<\/em> prakrti-sthani karsati<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.\u201d (Gita<\/em> 15.7)<\/p>\nThe living entity is an eternal, fragmental part of Krishna. This is the sublime philosophy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva<\/em>: the \u201cinconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference\u201d of the living entity and the Supreme Lord. We are one in quality with the Lord but different in quantity\u2014He is infinite and we are infinitesimal. Because we have the same qualities, we can have a relationship with Him. Unless there is some commonness, we can\u2019t have a relationship. And because of the difference in quantity\u2014He is the whole and we are the part\u2014our relationship is one of service. It is the natural function of the part to serve the whole. For example, the hand is part of the body, so the function of the hand is to serve the body. If the hand doesn\u2019t serve the body, there is something wrong; it is diseased or dead. So, our natural function is to serve Krishna (jivera \u2018svarupa\u2019 haya\u2014krsnera \u2018nitya-dasa\u2019<\/em>). And we are eternal, as Krishna is eternal, and our relationship, our service, is also eternal\u2014it never ends.<\/p>\nEarlier we mentioned the three features of the Absolute Truth: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. There are different classes of transcendentalists, who have different spiritual aspirations. Most people are materialists. They are not even interested in spiritual life. They just want to enjoy the world. But when one becomes a little more elevated, a little more purified in consciousness, one thinks of improving oneself spiritually. And when one becomes serious enough, one will actually enter into a discipline in a particular school of thought and practice. So, one category of transcendentalists is the jnanis<\/em>. Their goal is to merge and become one with Brahman, the impersonal effulgence that emanates from the transcendental body of Krishna. And higher than the jnanis<\/em> are the yogis<\/em>. They want to realize the localized feature, the Lord within the heart (dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah<\/em>). And the highest are the bhaktas. They want to enter into a loving relationship with Bhagavan, Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<\/p>\nAlthough in one sense, because the Absolute Truth is nondual (advaya<\/em>), all transcendentalists are the same, still, from an analytical or objective point of view there are degrees of realization. As stated earlier, Krishna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha<\/em>. Sat<\/em> means \u201ceternal,\u201d cit<\/em> means \u201ccognizant,\u201d and ananda<\/em> means \u201cblissful.\u201d The jnanis who attain impersonal Brahman realize only the sat<\/em> feature, eternal existence. The yogis who realize Paramatma have perception of sat<\/em> (eternity) and cit<\/em> (knowledge), because they apprehend the individuality of the Lord in the heart. And the bhaktas have full realization of sat<\/em>, cit<\/em>, and ananda<\/em> (eternity, knowledge, and bliss), because real happiness comes from loving relationships. Although one may say that there is a sort of bliss in impersonal Brahman, compared with the ecstatic happiness of loving service to Krishna it is insignificant. There are many statements in the shastra, the Vedic scriptures, to the effect that the happiness realized in relationship to Krishna is like an ocean and that the happiness of merging (or trying to merge) into impersonal Brahman is like a puddle of water in comparison.<\/p>\ntvat-saksat-karanahlada-
<\/em> visuddhabdhi-sthitasya me
<\/em>sukhani gospadayante
<\/em> brahmany api jagad-guro<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cMy dear Lord, O master of the universe, since I have directly seen You, my transcendental bliss has taken the shape of a great ocean. Being situated in that ocean, I now realize all other so-called happiness, the pleasure derived from impersonal Brahman, to be like the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf.\u201d (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya<\/em> 14.36) Practically, there is no comparison.<\/p>\nFurthermore, to realize impersonal Brahman is very difficult, especially in the present age. And even if one succeeds\u2014or imagines that one has succeeded\u2014there is every chance that one will fall down.<\/p>\n
ye \u2019nye \u2019ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
<\/em> tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
<\/em>aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
<\/em> patanty adho \u2019nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cO lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.\u201d (SB<\/em> 10.2.32)<\/p>\nMore likely, they just imagine that they have realized Brahman, but whether they have actually realized it or just imagine they have, because they have neglected the service of the lotus feet of Krishna they fall down (patanty adhah<\/em>).<\/p>\nWe, conditioned souls, are rotating in the cycle of repeated birth and death (samsara<\/em>), and our goal is to gain release from this samsara-chakra. Such liberation is called mukti, or moksha. The impersonal type of liberation, in which the individual soul merges into the spiritual light, is very hard to achieve\u2014if one can achieve it at all. But even if one does, it doesn\u2019t last. Therefore the Bhagavatam<\/em> says patanty adhah<\/em>: they fall down. Why? Because they have no engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.<\/p>\nImpersonal liberation is like going to sleep. Intelligent people can perceive that there is misery in material existence, and they want relief. That is one factor that may lead someone to consider spiritual life. So, a person trying to achieve impersonal liberation is similar to someone who is suffering and tries to escape the suffering by sleeping\u2014\u201cThe world is too much.\u201d Well, all right, you can temporarily escape the misery by going to sleep, but how long can you remain asleep? Eventually you will wake up, and the same miseries will be there.<\/p>\n
And being suspended in the impersonal Brahman effulgence can be boring. It is a relief\u2014it is definitely a relief to be out of the material world\u2014but eventually it can get boring. Someone may go on a cruise: \u201cOh, boy, I need to get away from things. Let me go on a cruise. I want to enjoy the sea.\u201d And it may be nice for a while, but eventually one gets bored\u2014just water and waves and wind. Eventually one wants to go back on dry land, even though the land is what he wanted to get away from. Although there was frustration and misery on the land, at least there was some stimulation, some variety.<\/p>\n
So, the impersonal jnanis who want to merge and become one with Brahman eventually fall down (patanty adhah<\/em>), because they become restless. They want some activity, and because they have no idea of the spiritual activities of Krishna consciousness, devotional service to Krishna, patanty adhah<\/em>, they fall into material activities, and again they suffer, because the result of material activity is material misery.<\/p>\nSo, why does the Lord descend? He is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha<\/em>: eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. And He lives in His spiritual abode, where everything is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. And He is served by great souls completely free of material contamination, liberated from the material bodies that cause so much pain. So why should the Lord come here at all? What does He have to gain?<\/p>\nPersonally, He has nothing to gain. But He comes out of His mercy, to deliver us. The material world is compared to a prison house, and we, conditioned souls, are the prisoners. We are restricted, like prisoners. We can\u2019t just go anywhere and everywhere, wherever we want. Liberated souls can travel anywhere in the universe. They don\u2019t need spaceships or any other such contraptions. They can move about freely. But we are bound. We are not allowed to leave this planet very easily, and even if we do, we don\u2019t really have any other place to stay. So we are bound, and we have to suffer.<\/p>\n
I mentioned the body, that there is so much pain in the body. So someone might think, \u201cThis swami is very negative about the body.\u201d But the Bhagavad-gita<\/em> says, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam<\/em>: one should always perceive the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. You might say, \u201cWhy does the swami have to be so negative? I want to enjoy the body. I want to enjoy life. I want to enjoy the here and now\u201d\u2014which is good in a certain context\u2014but if I ask any of you, \u201cTruthfully, do you want disease?\u201d \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cDo you want old age?\u201d \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cDo you want death?\u201d \u201cNo.\u201d Well, that is what comes with the body. When you get a material body, those come in the package; they are what you get with it. You may think, \u201cBut there is so much happiness in the body. I can go surfing, I can go hiking, I can eat ice cream, I can drink and eat and enjoy with the body.\u201d Well, yes, but it is not actually the body that enables you to enjoy; it is the soul within the body. All the parts of the body may be there when the soul departs, but where is the enjoyment? There is no enjoyment in the body after the soul leaves. We may think that we are enjoying with the senses, but it is actually because of the presence of the soul that we are able to enjoy and work and live.<\/p>\nThe body is the medium for the conditioned soul\u2019s experience. For example, I have these eyeglasses. I see through the eyeglasses\u2014the eyeglasses themselves don\u2019t see. Similarly, we have these sense organs\u2014eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin\u2014and we perceive through them. They themselves cannot actually perceive. It is the soul that perceives\u2014through the senses of the body. But we don\u2019t need the body in order to perceive happiness. With the body, there is some perception of happiness\u2014but with lots of pain.<\/p>\n
There are different schools of philosophy\u2014sad-darsana<\/em>\u2014and one philosopher has analysed and concluded that the body is meant for misery. He gives the example of your little finger. How many ways can your little finger enjoy? Not many. And how many ways can it feel pain? So many. Even a little sliver or blister can be so painful. And the finger can be cut, burned, crushed. The body is so vulnerable. But the soul is not. As the Gita<\/em> says, it can\u2019t be cut, it can\u2019t be burned, it can\u2019t be made wet, it can\u2019t be withered\u2014it is beyond the range of material elements.<\/p>\nnainam chindanti sastrani
<\/em> nainam dahati pavakah
<\/em>na cainam kledayanty apo
<\/em> na sosayati marutah<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.\u201d (Gita<\/em> 2.23) Without the body, the soul can enjoy freely, in every way, but without the pain.<\/p>\nAnd because the soul is part and parcel of Krishna, it derives its real happiness in relation to Krishna. We now are like fishes out of water, because originally we come from Krishna, from the spiritual atmosphere, and we have come into the material world and are suffering in a foreign atmosphere. We are always restless, anxious, and fearful.<\/p>\n
So, why does Krishna come? He comes to reclaim us, His lost children, to bring us back home, back to Him. That is why He comes. There is no other reason. There is nothing for Him here. He comes only for our sake.<\/p>\n
Although He comes into the material world, He doesn\u2019t come in a physical body. He comes in His original, spiritual form (sac-cid-ananda-vigraha<\/em>). And Krishna in particular comes in a form that resembles a human being. \u201cMan is made in the image of God.\u201d That Krishna comes in a humanlike form is very good for us, because it makes it easier for us in human bodies to relate to Him.<\/p>\nanugrahaya bhaktanam
<\/em> manusam deham asthitah
<\/em>bhajate tadrsih krida
<\/em> yah srutva tat-paro bhavet<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWhen the Lord assumes a humanlike body to show mercy to His devotees, He engages in such pastimes as will attract those who hear about them to become dedicated to Him.\u201d (SB<\/em> 10.33.36) He comes to reclaim us and deliver us, His lost children and devotees.<\/p>\nAnd how does He come? He does not take birth like an ordinary human being, by seminal discharge. Rather, He manifests Himself, or appears.<\/p>\n
ajo \u2019pi sann avyayatma
<\/em> bhutanam isvaro \u2019pi san
<\/em>prakrtim svam adhisthaya
<\/em> sambhavamy atma-mayaya<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAlthough I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.\u201d (Gita<\/em> 4.6)<\/p>\nAnd that is what we read tonight. It is a very esoteric subject, how the Lord appears. But He chooses a completely purified devotee and enters the mind of that completely purified devotee. The name of the devotee whose mind Krishna entered is given here\u2014Vasudeva. And the state that enabled him to receive Krishna within his pure mind is called vasudeva<\/em>, which means completely beyond the three modes of material nature, completely transcendental\u2014the state of pure goodness, suddha-sattva<\/em>. As stated in Srimad-Bhagvatam<\/em>, sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam<\/em>: completely pure consciousness is known as vasudeva<\/em>.<\/p>\nsattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam
<\/em> yad iyate tatra puman apavrtah
<\/em>sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo
<\/em> hy adhoksajo me manasa vidhiyate<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe condition of pure goodness, suddha-sattva<\/em>, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed without any covering, is called vasudeva<\/em>. In that pure state the Supreme Godhead, who is beyond the material senses and who is known as Vasudeva, is perceived by my mind.\u201d (SB <\/em>4.3.23, quoted as Cc Adi<\/em> 4.66)<\/p>\nAfter Vasudeva received Krishna within his purified mind, or heart, he, by his spiritual power, transferred Him into the purified heart of Devaki. There was no seminal discharge. And the process by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the heart of Vasudeva to the heart of Devaki is called diksa<\/em>. Diksa<\/em> means \u201cspiritual initiation.\u201d Diksa<\/em> takes place between teacher, or guru, and disciple. When the guru is qualified enough, he can carry Krishna within his heart. And when the disciple is qualified enough, he can receive Krishna from the guru\u2014through an exchange called diksa<\/em>.<\/p>\nThe process of diksa<\/em> is essential for the realization of God (Krishna). There is an entire science of bhakti-yoga, described in Srila Rupa Gosvami\u2019s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu<\/em>, and it begins with this process. Guru-padasrayas<\/em> tasmat<\/em>: \u201cOne must accept shelter at the lotus feet of a spiritual master.\u201d Krsna-diksadi-siksanam<\/em>: \u201cOne must take initiation from him and receive instruction from him.\u201d And visrambhena guroh seva<\/em>: \u201cOne must serve him with intimacy.\u201d<\/p>\nWe cannot attain Krishna by our own efforts. We have to receive Krishna by the mercy of one who has Him. Thus Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great spiritual teacher, prays to the pure devotee:<\/p>\n
krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro,
<\/em>tomara sakati ache
<\/em>ami to\u2019 kangala, \u2018krsna\u2019 \u2018krsna\u2019 boli\u2019,
<\/em>dhai tava pache pache<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cKrishna is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, \u2018Krishna! Krishna!\u2019 \u201d (Saranagati, <\/em>\u201cOhe! Vaishnava Thakura\u201d)<\/p>\nThis act of diksa<\/em>, as described in today\u2019s verse, is really the culmination of a gradual process. It is not so easy that we just decide, \u201cOh, let me find a guru who has Krishna, and he will give Him to me, and my business will be finished.\u201d We have to be qualified to receive Krishna, and the process of becoming qualified proceeds gradually. We have to work to come to that stage of purity where we can receive Krishna in our hearts\u2014and not just receive Him in our hearts, but actually see Him face to face. After residing for some time in the heart of Devaki, Krishna came before her, and they saw each other face to face. She saw Him face to face, and He saw her. That is the perfection of Krishna consciousness.<\/p>\nSo, we have to qualify ourselves. We have to cleanse the mirror of the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam<\/em>).<\/p>\nThe process of purification varies from age to age. Although the basic process is the same\u2014Krishna consciousness\u2014in the present age the specific process recommended is to chant the holy names of the Lord:<\/p>\n
harer nama harer nama
<\/em> harer namaiva kevalam
<\/em>kalau nasty eva nasty eva
<\/em> nasty eva gatir anyatha<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cOne should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Lord Hari [Krishna]. There is no other means, no other means, no other means for success in this age.\u201d (Brhan-naradiya Purana<\/em> 38.126)<\/p>\nChant<\/em> is repeated three times for emphasis. \u201cYou must do it, you must do it, you must do it.\u201d There was once a cartoon in a newspaper, which depicted an elderly man sitting across from his wife. She was requesting him, \u201cChant, chant, chant,\u201d and he was replying, \u201cCan\u2019t, can\u2019t, can\u2019t.\u201d That is our misfortune. Shastra, scripture, tell us, \u201cChant, chant, chant\u201d (harer nama harer nama harer nama<\/em>), and for no good reason\u2014just some causeless aversion\u2014we say (not necessarily by our words but by our behavior), \u201cCan\u2019t, can\u2019t, can\u2019t.\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t, because I am too busy.\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t, because I prefer other things.\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t, because . . .\u201d\u2014because, because, because. So harer nama harer nama harer nama<\/em> is emphatic: chant, chant, chant. And kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva<\/em>: there is no other way, no other way, no other way. Now, that phrase might conjure up images of a fanatical Christian insisting, \u201cJesus is the only way.\u201d But this nasty eva<\/em>, the \u201conly way,\u201d is a little different. (And we don\u2019t want to presume that there is anything wrong with \u201cJesus is the only way,\u201d either.) But in this context, nasty eva<\/em>, \u201cno other way,\u201d has a special meaning.<\/p>\nIn different ages different methods for self-realization were recommended\u2014in Satya-yuga it was meditation, in Treta-yuga Vedic sacrifice, and in Dvapara-yuga opulent temple worship. In the present age, however, harer nama<\/em>, chanting the holy names of God, is prescribed. So, nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva<\/em> means \u201cnot by silent meditation, not by elaborate sacrifices, not by ritualistic temple worship,\u201d but by chanting the holy names.<\/p>\nBut the holy names are not sectarian. There are Christian sects in which practitioners constantly repeat the name of Jesus. We don\u2019t say that you have to chant only the holy name of Krishna. You may chant any name of God. Because God is absolute, any name of God is as good as any other. But you should chant some name. The Muslim tradition also recommends chanting the name of God, of Allah. In Pakistan I came across a book titled, Ninety-Nine Names of Allah<\/em>. In the Vedic tradition there is Visnu-sahasra-nama<\/em>, \u201cA Thousand Names of Vishnu.\u201d So the principle of chanting the names of God is current in every tradition, but it is often overlooked. Then again, in any tradition, the majority of people are conventional. It is only the minority who are really mystical, or spiritual. But within the mystical, spiritual traditions, the chanting of God\u2019s names is advised.<\/p>\nThe process of chanting (sankirtana<\/em>) cleanses the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam<\/em>) and makes it a fit place for the Lord to reside. That is what we have to do to prepare to receive Him. We have to chant. And chanting is pleasant, as I hope you all experienced. It is pleasurable. That\u2019s the other thing: although the results of Krishna consciousness are the highest, the process is also the easiest and most sublime. It\u2019s almost too good to be true, but it is true. Chanting is easy and joyful, and at the same time it cleanses the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam<\/em>) and makes it a fit place for the Lord to reside. And that process is accomplished through diksa<\/em>, the continuing process of diksa<\/em>, which culminates in perfect realization of Krishna. And then, when one is fully purified and realized, Krishna can\u2019t contain Himself within your heart. He becomes so pleased with your service and so eager to see and embrace you that He comes out of your heart. (Of course, at the same time, He also stays there.) In His own way, He comes out of your heart to look at you and touch you and embrace you and take you by the hand and invite you to come with Him to His eternal abode.<\/p>\nThat is the perfection of Krishna consciousness, and it is possible for each and every one of us. We just have to make the effort to chant without offense, and remain encouraged and steady in that effort. And for that, we need association. In every endeavor one needs association. In every field there are associations of people engaged in the same endeavor, because they support each other. There is the chamber of commerce, the diabetes society, the birdwatchers association\u2014there are societies for everything, because in association with others who are pursuing the same goal, we get encouragement to stay on the path and we learn from them, from their experiences, how to improve in our own efforts and quicken our progress. It is a natural thing\u2014and essential. Once we become a little serious, once we develop a little faith and attraction, the next stage is to associate with devotees (adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah<\/em>). That association will really help us.<\/p>\nChanting is simple, but the real art of chanting is to hear the chanting. Anyone can chant mindlessly, \u201cHare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna . . .\u201d and look at the trees, look at the moon, look at the newspaper, look at the television, but that\u2019s not real chanting. Real chanting means to hear with one\u2019s mind fixed on the sound. This is meditation, mantra meditation, and it takes practice. If you chant for five minutes, will you be able to keep your mind fixed on the sound of the holy name? It will be a challenge. Even one minute is a challenge, because the nature of the mind is to flicker. It is restless. It always wants to go every which way\u2014like the wind. In the Bhagavad-gita<\/em>, Arjuna says that it is as hard to control the mind as to control the wind.<\/p>\ncancalam hi manah krsna
<\/em> pramathi balavad drdham
<\/em>tasyaham nigraham manye
<\/em> vayor iva su-duskaram<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate, and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.\u201d (Gita<\/em> 6.34)<\/p>\nHow can you control the wind? It is always going here and there. No one can stop it. So how can we control the mind? We can\u2019t. Still, the Bhagavad-gita<\/em> says it is possible\u2014by practice (abhyasa<\/em>) and detachment.<\/p>\nasamsayam maha-baho
<\/em> mano durnigraham calam
<\/em>abhyasena tu kaunteya
<\/em> vairagyena ca grhyate<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIt is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.\u201d (Gita<\/em> 6.35)<\/p>\nThis is the suitable practice: hearing about Krishna consciousness and then chanting\u2014and hearing\u2014Lord Krishna\u2019s name. We chant and we hear. We practice fixing our mind on the sound of the holy name of the Lord. That is our sadhana; that is our practice. And it is serious business, and hard work. A<\/em>s our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, said, \u201cChanting is easy\u201d\u2014anyone can articulate the sounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna\u2014\u201cbut the determination to chant [and hear with attention] is not so easy.\u201d So that is what we need. We need that determination (drdha-vratah<\/em>). And that determination develops in the association of devotees who are serious about chanting and hearing. Therefore the association of devotees is so valuable, and it is most important to maintain favorable relationships with devotees.<\/p>\nThere are different offenses to be avoided when one chants. The main offense is to be inattentive while chanting, and another is to offend devotees. Devotees are our best well-wishers. They give us the holy name. They give us support in our efforts to chant.<\/strong> And if we offend them, we cut ourselves off from our best well-wishers, our best friends, our best support for the chanting. We cut ourselves off from the mercy that we so desperately need to progress. But if we pay attention to these two points\u2014chanting attentively and maintaining favorable relationships with devotees\u2014then gradually we can come to the stage of perfection. It takes time, but we can actually come to that stage when Krishna will enter our hearts. He is there already, but He will manifest Himself fully to us, and then, eventually, we will see Him face to face. So we should always, every spare moment, kirtaniyah-sada-harih<\/em>, chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare\/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Whatever you do when you are not chanting should be to place you in a position where you can chant. You may say, \u201cI can\u2019t chant all the time. I have to work. I have to earn money. I have to pay the bills.\u201d That is true, but what is the goal of it all? Why do you want a roof over your head? Why do you want food on your plate? Ultimately, it should be to keep your body and soul together so you can chant the holy names and realize God. That is kirtaniyah-sada-harih<\/em>, to \u201calways chant the name of God.\u201d We have the body. We must take care of it. We must bathe and dress and eat and sleep. We must get the necessities of life. We must do it all. But why are we doing it? The goal should be to chant the holy names of Krishna and realize Krishna.<\/p>\nSo, Krishna comes to give us this message, and if from this occasion, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, we can just take this message\u2014take it in our heart\u2014that will be the beginning of our perfection. We must take it in our heart and practice it and repeat it to others\u2014repeat it both for the benefit of others and for our own sake. And the results will be glorious. Krishna\u2019s purpose in appearing in this world will be fulfilled, and our purpose as human beings will be fulfilled. And we will all be happy in Krishna consciousness together. Hare Krishna.<\/p>\n
Are there any questions or comments?<\/p>\n
Guest (1): Christians believe in resurrection, and Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation, but personally, I always ask myself, \u201cWhat is the meaning of starting something and ending something? What is the meaning of several or many lives when we can be comfortable with maybe just one life? Why we are reaching perfection through many lives?<\/p>\n
Giriraj Swami: That is a very good question. Miguel says that Christians believe in resurrection and Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation, but what is the need of passing through many lifetimes if you can realize God in one lifetime?<\/p>\n
We agree with you completely. That is the whole idea. Especially now that we have come to this human form of life, which is achieved after many lifetimes, and especially now that we have come in touch with devotees who tell us about Krishna and the process of bhakti-yoga, we can and should complete our purpose in this world in this life.<\/p>\n
labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante
<\/em> <\/em>manusyam artha-dam anityam apiha dhirah
<\/em>turnam yateta na pated anu-mrtyu yavan
<\/em> nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAfter many, many births one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life before his body, which is always subject to death, falls away. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for a human being.\u201d (SB<\/em> 11.9.29)<\/p>\nAnd if we chant seriously\u2014chant and hear and follow the regulative principles that support the chanting and hearing\u2014we can achieve complete success in the same lifetime. And that should be our determination.<\/p>\n
Still, the Bhagavad-gita<\/em> explains that if by chance you are not completely successful, then in your next life you continue from where you left off in this one; you don\u2019t have to start all over again. With anything material, you have to start all over again in the next life. In this life you might know seven languages, but in your next life, when you are born, all you can say is \u201cGa, ga, ga,\u201d and you don\u2019t even know ABC. Materially, whatever you acquire in this life is lost at the time of death. But whatever you gain spiritually through the practice of bhakti-yoga continues in the next life. Suppose in this life you complete only 50 percent; then in the next life you begin from 51 percent. You don\u2019t have to start again from the beginning.<\/p>\nBut still, we have the human form of life, and the association of devotees, so why should we take any chances? We should have that determination to be completely successful in this life, just like you said.<\/p>\n
Guest (1): Why did we come here in the first place? Why do we have to go through so many lives?<\/p>\n
Giriraj Swami: Actually, as mentioned, we all come from Krishna, but when we turn away from Him\u2014when we forget Him and want to enjoy apart from Him\u2014we come under maya and suffer in the material world.<\/p>\n
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