Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
TEXT 29
tasyaivaà me 'nuraktasya
praçritasya hatainasaù
çraddadhänasya bälasya
däntasyänucarasya ca
tasya—his; evam—thus; me—mine; anuraktasya—attached to them; praçritasya—obediently; hata—freed from; enasaù—sins; çraddadhänasya—of the faithful; bälasya—of the boy; däntasya—subjugated; anucarasya—strictly following the instructions; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
I was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly following them with body and mind.
PURPORT
These are the necessary qualifications of a prospective candidate who can expect to be elevated to the position of a pure unadulterated devotee. Such a candidate must seek always the association of pure devotees. One should not be misled by a pseudo-devotee. He himself must be plain and gentle to receive the instructions of such a pure devotee. A pure devotee is a completely surrendered soul unto the Personality of Godhead. He knows the Personality of Godhead as the supreme proprietor and all others as His servitors. And by the association of pure devotees only, one can get rid of all sins accumulated by mundane association. A neophyte devotee must faithfully serve the pure devotee, and he should be very much obedient and strictly follow the instructions. These are the signs of a devotee who is determined to achieve success even in the existing duration of life.
TEXT 30
jïänaà guhyatamaà yat tat
säkñäd bhagavatoditam
anvavocan gamiñyantaù
kåpayä déna-vatsaläù
jïänam—knowledge; guhyatamam—most confidential; yat-what is; tat—that; säkñät—directly; bhagavatä uditam—propounded by the Lord Himself; anvavocan—gave instruction; gamiñyantaù—while departing from; kåpayä—by causeless mercy; déna-vatsaläù—those who are very kind to the poor and meek.
TRANSLATION
As they were leaving, those bhakti-vedäntas, who are very kind to poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject, which is instructed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.
PURPORT
A pure Vedäntist, or a bhakti-vedänta, instructs followers exactly according to the instructions of the Lord Himself. The Personality of Godhead, both in the Bhagavad-gétä and in all other scriptures, has definitely instructed men to follow the Lord only. The Lord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. The whole manifested creation is existing by His will, and by His will when the whole show will be finished He will remain in His eternal abode with all His paraphernalia. Before the creation He was there in the eternal abode, and after the annihilation He will continue to remain. He is not, therefore, one of the created beings. He is transcendental. In the Bhagavad-gétä the Lord says that long, long ago, the instruction was imparted to Arjuna, the same was instructed to the sun-god, and in course of time, the same instruction, being wrongly handled and being broken, was again reinstructed to Arjuna because he was His perfect devotee and friend. Therefore, the instruction of the Lord can be understood by the devotees only and no one else. The impersonalist, who has no idea of the transcendental form of the Lord, cannot understand this most confidential message of the Lord. The word "most confidential" is significant here because knowledge of devotional service is far, far above knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Jïänam means ordinary knowledge or any branch of knowledge. This knowledge develops up to the knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Above this, when it is partially mixed with devotion, such knowledge develops to knowledge of Paramätmä, or the all-pervading Godhead. This is more confidential. But when such knowledge is turned into pure devotional service and the confidential part of transcendental knowledge is attained, it is called the most confidential knowledge. This most confidential knowledge was imparted by the Lord to Brahmä, Arjuna, Uddhava, etc.
TEXT 31
yenaivähaà bhagavato
väsudevasya vedhasaù
mäyänubhävam avidaà
yena gacchanti tat-padam
yena—by which; eva—certainly; aham—I; bhagavataù—of the Personality of Godhead; väsudevasya—of Lord Çré Kåñëa; vedhasaù—of the supreme creator; mäyä—energy; anubhävam—influence; avidam—easily understood; yena—by which; gacchanti—they go; tat-padam—at the lotus feet of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
By that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence of the energy of Lord Çré Kåñëa, the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything, and knowing that, I could return to Him and personally meet Him.
PURPORT
By devotional service or by the most confidential knowledge, one can understand very easily how the different energies of the Lord are working. One part of energy is manifesting the material world; the other (superior) part of His energy is manifesting the spiritual world. And the via medium energy is manifesting the living entities who are serving either of the above-mentioned energies. The living entities serving material energy are struggling hard for existence and happiness, which is presented to them as illusion. But those in the spiritual energy are placed under the direct service of the Lord in eternal life, complete knowledge and perpetual bliss. The Lord desires, as He has directly said in the Bhagavad-gétä, that all conditioned souls, rotting in the kingdom of material energy, come back to Him by giving up all engagements in the material world. This is the most confidential part of knowledge. But this can be understood only by the pure devotees, and only such devotees enter the kingdom of God to see Him personally and serve Him personally. The concrete example is Närada Himself, who attained this stage of eternal knowledge and eternal bliss. And the ways and means are open to all, provided one agrees to follow in the foot steps of Çré Närada Muni. According to Çruti, the Supreme Lord has unlimited energies (without effort by Him) and these are described under three principal headings, as above mentioned.
TEXT 32
etat saàsücitaà brahmaàs
täpatraya-cikitsitam
yadéçvare bhagavati
karma brahmaëi bhävitam
etat—this much; saàsücitam—decided by the learned; brahmam—O brähmaëa Vyäsa; täpatraya—three kinds of miseries; cikitsitam—remedial measures; yat—what; éçvare—the supreme controller; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; karma—one's prescribed activities; brahmaëi—unto the great; bhävitam—dedicated.
TRANSLATION
O Brähmaëa Vyäsadeva, it is decided by the learned that the best remedial measure for removing all troubles and miseries is to dedicate one's activities to the service of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead [Çré Kåñëa].
PURPORT
Çré Närada Muni personally experienced that the most feasible and practical way to open the path of salvation or get relief from all miseries of life is to hear submissively the transcendental activities of the Lord from the right and bona fide sources. This is the only remedial process. The entire material existence is full of miseries. Foolish people have manufactured, out of their tiny brains, many remedial measures for removing the threefold miseries pertaining to the body and mind, pertaining to the natural distrubances and in relation with other living beings. The whole world is struggling very hard to exist out of these miseries, but men do not know that without the sanction of the Lord no plan or no remedial measure can actually bring about the desired peace and tranquility. The remedial measure to cure a patient by medical treatment is useless if it is not sanctioned by the Lord. To cross the river or the ocean by a suitable boat is no remedial measure if it is not sanctioned by the Lord. We should know for certain that the Lord is the ultimate sanctioning officer, and we must therefore dedicate our attempts to the mercy of the Lord for ultimate success or to get rid of the obstacles on the path of success. The Lord is all-pervading, all-powerful, omniscient and omnipresent. He is the ultimate sanctioning agent of all good or bad effects. We should, therefore, learn to dedicate our activities unto the mercy of the Lord and accept Him either as impersonal Brahman, localized Paramätmä or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It does not matter what one is. One must dedicate everything in the service of the Lord. If one is a learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, poet, etc., then he should employ his learning to establish the supremacy of the Lord. Try to study the energy of the Lord in every sphere of life. Do not decry Him and try to become like Him or take His position simply by fragmental accumulation of knowledge. If one is an administrator, statesman, warrior, politician, etc., then one should try to establish the Lord's supremacy in statesmanship. Fight for the cause of the Lord as Çré Arjuna did. In the beginning, Çré Arjuna, the great fighter, declined to fight, but when he was convinced by the Lord that the fighting was necessary, Çré Arjuna changed his decision and fought for His cause. Similarly, if one is a businessman, an industrialist, an agriculturist, etc., then one should spend his hard-earned money for the cause of the Lord. Think always that the money which is accumulated is the wealth of the Lord. Wealth is considered to be the goddess of fortune (Lakñmé), and the Lord is Näräyaëa or the husband of Lakñmé. Try to engage Lakñmé in the service of Lord Näräyaëa and be happy. That is the way to realize the Lord in every sphere of life. The best thing is, after all, to get relief from all material activities and engage oneself completely in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. But in case of the absence of such an opportunity, one should try to engage everything, for which one has specific attraction, in the service of the Lord, and that is the way of peace and prosperity. The word saàsücitam in this stanza is also significant. One should not think for a moment that the realization of Närada was childish imagination only. It is not like that. It is so realized by the expert and erudite scholars, and that is the real import of the word saàsücitam.
TEXT 33
ämayo yaç ca bhütänäà
jäyate yena suvrata
tad eva by ämayaà dravyaà
na punäti cikitsitam
ämayaù—diseases; yaù ca—whatever; bhütänäm-of the living being; jäyate—become possible; yena—by the agency; suvrata—O good soul; tat—that; eva—very; hi—certainly; ämayam—disease; dravyam—thing; na—does it not; punäti—cure; cikitsitam—treated with.
TRANSLATION
O good soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a disease which was caused by that very same thing?
PURPORT
An expert physician treats his patient with a therapeutic diet. For example, milk preparations sometimes cause disorder of the bowels, but the very same milk converted into curd and mixed with some other remedial ingredients cures such disorders. Similarly, the threefold miseries of material existence cannot be mitigated simply by material activities. Such activities have to be spiritualized, just as by fire iron is made red-hot, and thereby the action of fire begins. Similarly, the material conception of a thing is at once changed as soon as it is put into the service of the Lord. That is the secret of spiritual success. We should not try to lord it over the material nature, nor should we reject material things. The best way to make the best use of a bad bargain is to use everything in relation with the supreme spiritual being. Everything is an emanation from the supreme spirit, and by His inconceivable power He can convert spirit into matter and matter into spirit. Therefore a material thing (so-called) is at once turned into a spiritual force by the great will of the Lord. The necessary condition for such a change is to employ so-called matter in the service of the spirit. That is the way to treat our material diseases and elevate ourselves to the spiritual plane where there is no misery, no lamentation and no fear. When everything is thus employed in the service of the Lord, we can experience that there is nothing except the Supreme Brahman. The Vedic mantra that "everything is Brahman" is thus realized by us.
TEXT 34
evaà nåëäà kriyä-yogäù
sarve saàsåti-hetavaù
ta evätma-vinäçäya
kalpante kalpitäù pare
evam—thus; nåëäm—of the human being; kriyä-yogäù—all activities; sarve—everything; saàsåti—material existence; hetavaù—causes; te—that; eva—certainly; ätma—the tree of work; vinäçäya—killing; kalpante—become competent; kalpitäù—dedicated; pare—unto the Transcendence.
TRANSLATION
Thus when all a man's activities are dedicated to the service of the Lord, those very activities which caused his bondage become the destroyer of the tree of work.
PURPORT
Fruitive work which has perpetually engaged the living being is compared with the banyan tree in the Bhagavad-gétä, for it is certainly very deeply rooted. As long as the propensity for enjoying the fruit of work is there, one has to continue the transmigration of the soul from one body or place according to one's nature of work. The propensity for enjoyment may be turned into the desire for serving the mission of the Lord. By doing so, one's activity is changed into karma-yoga, or the way by which one can attain spiritual perfection while engaging in the work for which he has a natural tendency. Here the word ätmä indicates the categories of all fruitive work. The conclusion is that when the result of all fruitive and other work is dovetailed with the service of the Lord, it will cease to generate further karma and will gradually develop into transcendental devotional service, which will not only cut off completely the root of the banyan tree of work but will also carry the performer to the lotus feet of the Lord.
The summary is that one has to, first of all, seek the association of pure devotees who are not only learned in the Vedänta but are self-realized souls and unalloyed devotees of Lord Çré Kåñëa the Personality of Godhead. In that association, the neophyte devotees must render loving service physically and mentally without reservation. This serivce attitude will induce the great souls to be more favorable in bestowing their mercy, which injects the neophyte with all the transcendental qualities of the pure devotees. Gradually this is developed into a strong attachment to hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, which makes him able to catch up the constitutional position of the gross and subtle bodies and beyond them the knowledge of pure soul and his eternal relation with the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead. After the relation is ascertained by establishment of the eternal relation, pure devotional service of the Lord begins gradually developing into perfect knowledge of the Personality of Godhead beyond the purview of impersonal Brahman and localized Paramätmä. By such Puruñottama-yoga, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä, one is made perfect even during the present corporeal existence, and one exhibits all the good qualities of the Lord to the highest percentage. Such is the gradual development by association of pure devotees.
TEXT 35
yadatra kriyate karma
bhagavat-paritoñaëam
jïänaà yat tad adhénaà hi
bhakti-yoga-samanvitam
yat—whatever; atra—in this life or world; kriyate—does perform; karma—work; bhagavat—unto the Personality of Godhead; paritoñaëam—satisfaction of; jïänam—knowledge; yat tat—what is so called; adhénam—dependent; hi—certainly; bhakti-yoga—devotional; samanvitam—dovetailed with bhakti-yoga.
TRANSLATION
Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction of the mission of the Lord is called bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service of the Lord, and what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor.
PURPORT
The general and popular notion is that by discharging fruitive work in terms of the direction of the scriptures one becomes perfectly able to acquire transcendental knowledge for spiritual realization. Bhakti-yoga is considered by some to be another form of karma. But factually bhakti-yoga is above both karma and jïäna. Bhakti-yoga is independent of jïäna or karma; on the other hand, jïäna and karma are dependent of bhakti-yoga. This kriyä-yoga or karma-yoga, as recommended by Çré Närada to Vyäsa, is specifically recommended because the principle is to satisfy the Lord. The Lord does not want His sons, the living beings, to suffer the threefold miseries of life. He desires that all of them come to Him and live with Him, but going back to Godhead means that one must purify himself from material infections. When work is, therefore, performed to satisfy the Lord, the performer becomes gradually purified from the material affection. This purification means attainment of spiritual knowledge. Therefore knowledge is dependent on such karma or work which is done on behalf of the Lord. Other knowledge, being devoid of bhakti-yoga or satisfaction of the Lord, cannot lead one back to the kingdom of God, which means that it cannot even offer salvation as is already explained in connection with the stanza, naiñkarmyam apy acyuta-bhäva-varjitam, etc. The conclusion is that a devotee engaged in the unalloyed service of the Lord, specifically in hearing and chanting of His transcendental glories, becomes simultaneously spiritually enlightened by the divine grace, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä.
TEXT 36
kurväëä yatra karmäëi
bhagavac-chikñayäsakåt
gåëanti guëa-nämäni
kåñëasyänusmaranti ca
kurväëäù—while performing; yatra—thereupon; karmäëi—duties; bhagavat—the Personality of Godhead; çikñayä—by the will of; asakåt—constantly; gåëanti—takes on; guëa—qualities; nämäni—names; kåñëasya—of Kåñëa; anusmaranti—constantly remembers; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
While performing duties according to the order of Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one constantly remembers Him, His names and qualities.
PURPORT
An expert devotee of the Lord can mold his life in such a way that while performing all kinds of duties either for this or the next life, he can constantly remember the Lord's name, fame, qualities, etc. The order of the Lord is distinctly there in the Bhagavad-gétä: one should work only for the Lord in all spheres of life. In every sphere of life the Lord should be situated as the proprietor. According to the Vedic rites, even in the worship of some demigods like Indra, Brahmä, Sarasvaté, Gaëeça, the system is that in all circumstances the representation of Viñëu must be there as the yajïeçvara, or the controlling power of such sacrifices. It is recommended that a particular demigod be worshiped for a particular purpose, but still the presence of Viñëu is compulsory in order to make the function proper.
Apart from such Vedic duties, even in our ordinary dealings (for example, in our household affairs or in our business or profession) we must consider that the result of all activities must be given over to the supreme enjoyer Lord Kåñëa. In the Bhagavad-gétä the Lord has declared Himself to be the supreme enjoyer of everything, as the supreme proprietor of every planet and the supreme friend of all beings. Except Lord Çré Kåñëa, no one else can claim to be the proprietor of everything within His creation. A pure devotee remembers this constantly, and in doing so he repeats the transcendental name, fame and qualities of the Lord, which means that he is constantly in touch with the Lord. The Lord is identical with His name, fame, etc., and therefore to be associated with His name, fame, etc., constantly, means actually to associate with the Lord.
The major portion of our monetary income, not less than fifty percent, must be spent to carry out the order of Lord Kåñëa. We should not only give the profit of our earning to this cause, but we must also arrange to preach this cult of devotion to others because that is also one of the orders of the Lord. The Lord definitely says that no one is more dear to Him than one who is always engaged in the preaching work of the Lord's name and fame all over the world. The scientific discoveries of the material world can also be equally engaged in carrying out His order. He wants the message of the Bhagavad-gétä to be preached amongst His devotees. It may not be so done amongst those who have no credit of austerities, charity, education, etc. Therefore, the attempt must go on to convert unwilling men to become His devotees. Lord Caitanya has taught a very simple method in this connection. He has taught the lesson for preaching the transcendental message through singing, dancing and refreshment. As such, fifty percent of our income may be spent for this purpose. In this fallen age of quarrel and dissension, if only the leading and wealthy persons of society agree to spend fifty percent of their income in the service of the Lord, as it is taught by Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, there is absolute certainty of converting this hell of pandemonium to the transcendental abode of the Lord. No one will disagree to partake in a function where good singing, dancing and refreshment are administered. Everyone will attend such a function, and everyone is sure to feel individually the transcendental presence of the Lord. This alone will help the attendant associate with the Lord and thereby purify himself in spiritual realization. The only condition for successfully executing such spiritual activities is that they must be conducted under the guidance of a pure devotee who is completely free from all mundane desires, fruitive activities and dry speculations about the nature of the Lord. No one has to discover the nature of the Lord. It is already spoken by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gétä especially and in all other Vedic literatures generally. We have simply to accept them in toto and abide by the orders of the Lord. That will guide us to the path of perfection. One can remain in his own position. No one has to change his position, especially in this age of variegated difficulties. The only condition is that one must give up the habit of dry speculation to become one with the Lord. And after giving up such lofty puffed up vanities, one may very submissively receive the orders of the Lord in the Bhagavad-gétä or Bhägavatam from the lips of a bona fide devotee whose qualification is mentioned above. That will make everything successful, without a doubt.
TEXT 37
om namo bhagavate tubhyaà
väsudeväya dhémahi
pradyumnäyäniruddhäya
namaù saìkarñaëäya ca
om—the sign of chanting the transcendental glory of the Lord; namaù—offering obeisances unto the Lord; bhagavate—unto the Personality of Godhead; tubhyam—unto You; väsudeväya—unto the Lord, the son of Vasudeva; dhémahi—let us chant; pradyumnäya, aniruddhäya and saìkarñaëäya—all plenary expansions of Väsudeva; namaù—respectful obeisances; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
Let us all chant the glories of Väsudeva along with His plenary expansions, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Saìkarñaëa.
PURPORT
According to Païcarätra, Näräyaëa is the primeval cause of all expansions of Godhead. These are Väsudeva, Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Väsudeva and Saìkarñaëa are on the middle left and right, Pradyumna is on the right of Saìkarñaëa, and Aniruddha is on the left of Väsudeva, and thus the four Deities are situated. They are known as the four aides-de-camp of Lord Çré Kåñëa.
This is a Vedic hymn or mantra beginning with omkära praëava, and thus the mantra is established by the transcendental chanting process, namely, om namo dhémahi, etc.
The purport is that any transaction, either in the field of fruitive work or empiric philosophy, which is not ultimately aimed at transcendental realization of the Supreme Lord, is considered to be useless. Näradajé has therefore explained the nature of unalloyed devotional service by his personal experience in the development of intimacy between the Lord and the living entity by gradual process of progressive devotional activities. Such a progressive march of transcendental devotion for the Lord culminates in the attainment of loving service of the Lord, which is called prema in different transcendental variegatedness called rasas (tastes). Such devotional service is also executed in mixed forms, namely mixed with fruitive work or empiric philosophical speculations.
Now the question which was raised by the great åñis headed by Çaunaka regarding the confidential part of Süta's achievement through the spiritual master is explained herein by chanting this hymn consisting of thirty-three letters. And this mantra is addressed to the four Deities or the Lord with His plenary expansions. The central figure is Lord Çré Kåñëa because the plenary portions are His aides-de-camp. The most confidential part of the instruction is that one should always chant and remember the glories of the Lord Çré Kåñëa the Supreme Personality of Godhead along with His different plenary portions expanded as Väsudeva, Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. These expansions are the original Deities for all other truths, namely either Viñëu-tattva or çakti-tattvas.
TEXT 38
iti mürty-abhidhänena
mantra-mürtim amürtikam
yajate yajïa-puruñaà
sa samyag darçanaù pumän
iti—thus; mürti—representation; abhidhänena—in sound; mantra-mürtim—form representation of transcendental sound; amürtikam—the Lord who has no material form; yajate—worship; yajïa—Viñëu; puruñam—the Personality of Godhead; saù—he alone; samyak—perfectly; darçanaù—one who has seen; pumän—person.
TRANSLATION
Thus he is the actual seer who worships, in the form of transcendental sound representation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viñëu, who has no material form.
PURPORT
Our present senses are all made of material elements, and therefore they are imperfect to realize the transcendental form of Lord Viñëu. He is therefore worshiped by sound representation via the transcendental method of chanting. Anything which is beyond the scope of experience by our imperfect senses can be realized fully by the sound representation. A person transmitting sound from a far distant place can be factually experienced. If this is materially possible, why not spiritually? This experience is not a vague impersonal experience. But it is actually an experience of the transcendental Personality of Godhead who possesses the pure form of eternity, bliss and knowledge. In the Amarakoça Sanskrit dictionary the word mürti carries import in twofold meanings, namely, form and difficulty.
Therefore amürtikam is explained by Äcärya Çré Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkur as meaning without difficulty. The transcendental form of eternal bliss and knowledge can be experienced by our original spiritual senses which can be revived by chanting of the holy mantras or transcendental sound representations. Such sound should be received from the transparent agency of the bona fide spiritual master, and the chanting may be practiced by the direction of the spiritual master. That will gradually lead us nearer to the Lord. This method of worship is recommended in the Päïcarätrika system, which is both recognized and authorized. The Päïcarätrika system has the most authorized codes for transcendental devotional service. Without the help of such codes, one cannot approach the Lord, certainly not by dry philosophical speculation. The Päïcarätrika system is both practical and suitable for this age of quarrel. The Païcarätra is more important than the Vedänta for this modern age.
TEXT 39
imaà svanigamaà brahmann
avetya mad-anuñöhitam
adän me jïänam aiçvaryaà
svasmin bhävaà ca keçavaù
imam—thus; svanigamam—confidential knowledge of the Vedas in respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahmam—O brähmaëa (Vyäsadeva); avetya—knowing it well; mat—by me; anuñöhitam—executed; adät—bestowed upon me; me—me; jïänam—transcendental knowledge; aiçvaryam—opulence; svasmin—personal; bhävam—intimate affection and love; ca—and; keçavaù—Lord Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
O brähmaëa, thus by the Supreme Lord Kåñëa I was endowed first with the transcendental knowledge of the Lord as inculcated in the confidential parts of the Vedas, then with the spiritual opulences, and then with His intimate loving service.
PURPORT
Communion with the Lord by transmission of the transcendental sound is nondifferent from the whole spirit Lord Çré Kåñëa. It is a completely perfect method for approaching the Lord. By such pure contact with the Lord, without offense of material conceptions (numbering ten), the devotee can rise above the material plane to understand the inner meaning of the Vedic literatures, including the Lord's existence in the transcendental realm. The Lord reveals His identity gradually to one who has unflinching faith, both in the spiritual master and in the Lord. After this, the devotee is endowed with mystic opulences, which are eight in number. And above all, the devotee is accepted in the confidential entourage of the Lord and is entrusted with specific service of the Lord through the agency of the spiritual master. A pure devotee is more interested in serving the Lord than in showing an exhibition of the mystic powers dormant in him. Çré Närada has explained all these from his personal experience, and one can obtain all the facilities which Çré Närada obtained by perfecting the chanting process of the sound representation of the Lord. There is no bar for chanting this transcendental sound by anyone, provided it is received through Närada's representative, coming down by the chain of disciplic succession, or the paramparä system.
TEXT 40
tvam apy adabhra-çruta viçrutaà vibhoù
samäpyate yena vidäà bubhutsitam
präkhyähi duùkhair muhur arditätmanäà
saìkleça-nirväëam uçanti nänyathä
tvam—your good soul; api—also; adabhra—vast; çruta—Vedic literatures; viçrutam—have heard also; vibhoù—of the Almighty; samäpyate—satisfied; yena—by which; vidäm—of the learned; bubhutsitam—who always desire to learn transcendental knowledge; prakhyähi—describe; duùkhaiù—by miseries; muhuù—always; ardita-ätmanäm—suffering mass of people; saìkleça—sufferings; nirväëam—mitigation; uçanti na—do not get out of; anyathä—by other means.
TRANSLATION
Please, therefore, describe the Almighty Lord's activities which you have learned by your vast knowledge of the Vedas, for that will satisfy the hankerings of great learned men and at the same time mitigate the miseries of the masses of common people who are always suffering from material pangs. Indeed, there is no other way to get out of such miseries.
PURPORT
Çré Närada Muni from practical experience definitely asserts that the prime solution of all problems of material work is to broadcast very widely the transcendental glories of the Supreme Lord. There are four classes of good men, and there are four classes of bad men also. The four classes of good men acknowledge the authority of the Almighty God, and therefore such good men when 1) they are in difficulty, 2) when they are in need of money, 3) when they are advanced in knowledge and 4) when they are inquisitive to know more and more about God, intuitively take shelter of the Lord. As such, Näradajé advises Vyäsadeva to broadcast the transcendental knowledge of God in terms of the vast Vedic knowledge which he had already attained.
As far as the bad men are concerned, they are also four in number: 1) those who are simply addicted to the mode of progressive fruitive work and thus are subjected to the accompanying miseries, 2) those who are simply addicted to vicious work for sense satisfaction and so suffer the consequence, 3) those who are materially very much advanced in knowledge but have no sense to acknowledge the authority of the Almighty Lord and thus suffer a lot, and 4) the class of men who are known as atheists and therefore purposely hate the very name of God, although they are always in difficulty.
Çré Näradajé advised Vyäsadeva to describe the glories of the Lord just to do good to all the eight classes of men, both good and bad. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is therefore not meant for any particular class of men or sect. It is for the sincere soul who wants actually his own welfare and peace of mind.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Fifth Chapter, of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, entitled "Çré Närada's Instructions on Çrémad-Bhägavatam for Vyäsadeva."
Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
TEXT 12
TEXT 12
naiñkarmyam apy acyuta-bhäva-varjitaà
na çobhate jïänam alaà niraïjanam
kutaù punaù çaçvad abhadram éçvare
na cärpitaà karma yad apy akäraëam
naiñkarmyam—self-realization, being freed from the reactions of fruitive work; api—in spite of; acyuta—the infallible Lord; bhäva—conception; varjitam—devoid of; na—does not; çobhate—look well; jïänam—transcendental knowledge; alam—by and by; niraïjanam—free from designations; kutaù—where is; punaù—again; çaçvat—always; abhadram—uncongenial; éçvare—unto the Lord; na—not; ca—and; arpitam—offered; karma—fruitive work; yat api—what is; akäraëam—not fruitive.
TRANSLATION
Knowledge of self-realization, even though freed from all material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What, then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not ultilized for the devotional service of the Lord?
PURPORT
As referred to above, not only ordinary literatures devoid of the transcendental glorification of the Lord are condemned, but also Vedic literatures and speculation on the subject of impersonal Brahman when they are devoid of devotional service. When speculation on the impersonal Brahman is condemned on the above ground, then what to speak of ordinary fruitive work which is not meant to fulfill the aim of devotional service. Such speculative knowledge and fruitive work cannot lead one to the goal of perfection. Fruitive work in which almost all people in general are engaged is always painful either in the beginning or at the end. It can only be fruitful when made subservient to the devotional service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gétä also it is confirmed that the result of such fruitive work may be offered for the service of the Lord, otherwise it leads to material bondage. The bona fide enjoyer of the fruitive work is the Personality of Godhead, and thus when it is engaged for the sense gratification of the living beings, it becomes an acute source of trouble.
TEXT 13
atho mahä-bhäga bhavän amogha-dåk
çuci-çraväù satya-rato dhåta-vrataù
urukramasyäkhila-bandha-muktaye
samädhinänusmara tad-viceñöitam
atho—therefore; mahä-bhäga—highly fortunate; bhavän—yourself; amogha-dåk—the perfect seer; çuci—spotless; çraväù—famous; satya-rataù—having taken the vow of truthfulness; dhåta-vrataù—fixed in spiritual qualities; urukramasya—of the one who performs supernatural activities (God); akhila—universal; bandha—bondage; muktaye—for liberation from; samädhinä—by trance; anusmara—think repeatedly and then describe them; tat-viceñöitam—various pastimes of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
O Vyäsadeva, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness. And thus you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation of the people in general from all material bondage.
PURPORT
People in general have a taste for literatures by instinct. They want to hear and read from the authorities something about the unknown, but their taste is exploited by unfortunate literatures which are full of subject matter for satisfaction of the material senses. Such literatures contain different kinds of mundane poems and philosophical speculations, more or less under the influence of mäyä, ending in sense gratification. These literatures, although worthless in the true sense of the term, are variously decorated to attract the attention of the less intelligent men. Thus the attracted living entities are more and more entangled in material bondage without hope of liberation for thousands and thousands of generations. Çré Närada Åñi, being the best amongst the Vaiñëavas, is compassionate on such unfortunate victims of worthless literatures, and thus he advises Çré Vyäsadeva to compose transcendental literature which is not only attractive but can also actually bring liberation from all kinds of bondage. Çréla Vyäsadeva or his representatives are qualified because they are rightly trained to see things in true perspective. Çréla Vyäsadeva and his representatives are pure in thought due to their spiritual enlightenment, fixed in their vows due to their devotional service and determined to deliver the fallen souls rotting in the material activities. The fallen souls are very eager to receive novel informations every day, and the transcendentalists like Vyäsadeva or Närada can supply such eager people in general with unlimited news from the spiritual world. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is said that the material world is only a part of the whole creation and that this earth is only a fragment of the whole material world.
There are thousands and thousands of literary men all over the world, and they have created many, many thousands of literary works for the information of the people in general for thousands and thousands of years. Unfortunately none of them have brought peace and tranquility on the earth. This is due to a spiritual vacuum in those literatures; therefore the Vedic literatures, especially the Bhagavad-gétä and the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, are specifically recommended to the suffering humanity to bring about the desired effect of liberation from the pangs of material civilization, which is eating the vital part of the human energy. The Bhagavad-gétä is the spoken message of the Lord Himself recorded by Vyäsadeva, and the Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the transcendental narration of the activities of the same Lord Kåñëa which alone can satisfy the hankering desires of the living being for eternal peace and liberation from miseries. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is, therefore, meant for all the living beings all over the universe for total liberation from all kinds of material bondage. Such transcendental narrations of the pastimes of the Lord can only be described by liberated souls like Vyäsadeva and his bona fide representatives who are completely merged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Only to such devotees do the pastimes of the Lord and their transcendental nature become automatically manifest by dint of devotional service. No one else can either know or describe the acts of the Lord, even if they speculate on the subject for many, many years. The descriptions of the Bhägavatam are so precise and accurate that whatever has been predicted in this great literature about 5,000 years before is now exactly happening. Therefore, the vision of the author comprehends past, present and future. Such liberated persons like Vyäsadeva are not only perfect by the power of vision and wisdom, but also in aural reception, in thinking, feeling and all other sense activities. A liberated person possesses perfect senses, and with perfect senses only can one serve the sense-proprietor, Håñékeça, Çré Kåñëa the Personality of Godhead. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is, therefore, the perfect description of the all-perfect Personality of Godhead by the all-perfect personality Çréla Vyäsadeva, the compiler of the Vedas.
TEXT 14
tato 'nyathä kiïcana yad vivakñataù
påthag dåças tat-kåta-rüpa-nämabhiù
na karhicit kväpi ca duùsthitä matir
labheta vätä-hata-naur iväspadam
tataù—from that; anyathä—apart; kiïcana—something; yat—whatsoever; vivakñataù—desiring to describe; påthak—separately; dåçaù—vision; tat-kåta—reactionary to that; rüpa—form; nämabhiù—by names; na karhicit—never; kväpi—any; ca—and; duùsthitä matiù—oscillating mind; labheta—gains; väta-hata—troubled by the wind; nauù—boat; iva—like; äspadam—place.
TRANSLATION
Whatever you desire to describe, which is separate in vision from the Lord, simply reacts, with different forms, names and results, to agitate the mind as the wind agitates a boat which has no resting place.
'PURPORT
Çré Vyäsadeva is the editor of all descriptions of the Vedic literatures, and thus he has described transcendental realization in different ways, namely by fruitive activities, specualtive knowledge, mystic power and devotional service. Besides that, in his various Puräëas he has recommended the worship of so many demigods in different forms and names. The result is that people in general are puzzled how to fix up their minds in the service of the Lord; they are always disturbed to find out the real path of self-realization. Çréla Näradadeva is stressing this particular defect in the Vedic literatures compiled by Vyäsadeva, and thus he is trying to emphasize describing everything in relation with the Supreme Lord, and no one else. In fact, there is nothing existent except the Lord. The Lord is manifested in different expansions. He is the root of the complete tree. He is the stomach of the complete body. As such, pouring water on the root is the right process to water the tree, as much as feeding the stomach supplies energy to all the parts of the body. Çréla Vyäsadeva should not have compiled any Puräëas other than the Bhägavata Puräëa because a slight deviation from that may create havoc for self-realization. If a slight deviation can create such havoc, then what to speak of deliberate expansion of the separatist idea from the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead. The most defective part of worshiping demigods is that it creates a definite conception of pantheism, ending disastrously in many religious sects detrimental to the progress of the principles of the Bhägavatam, which alone can give the accurate direction for self-realization in eternal relation with the Personality of Godhead by devotional service in transcendental love. The example of the boat disturbed by whirling wind is suitable in this respect. The diverted mind of the pantheist can never reach to the perfection of self-realization due to the disturbed condition of the selection of object.
TEXT 15
jugupsitaà dharma-kåte 'nuçäsataù
sva-bhäva-raktasya mahän vyatikramaù
yad-väkyato dharma itétaraù sthito
na manyate tasya niväraëaà janaù
jugupsitam—verily condemned; dharma-kåte—for the matter of religion; anuçäsataù—instruction; sva-bhäva-raktasya—naturally inclined; mahän—great; vyatikramaù—unreasonable; yat-väkyataù—under whose instruction; dharmaù—religion; iti—it is thus; itaraù—the people in general; sthitaù—fixed; na—do not; manyate—think; tasya—of that; niväraëam—prohibition; janaù—they.
TRANSLATION
The people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily condemned and is quite unreasonable. Because they are guided under your instructions, they will accept such activities in the name of religion and will hardly care for prohibitions.
PURPORT
Çréla Vyäsadeva's compilation of different Vedic literatures on the basis of regulated performances of fruitive activities as depicted in the Mahäbhärata and other literature is condemned herewith by Çréla Närada. The human beings, by long material association, life after life, have a natural inclination, by practice, to endeavor to lord it over material energy. They have no sense of the responsibility of human life. This human form of life is a chance to get out of the clutches of illusory matter. The Vedas are meant for going back to Godhead, going back home. To revolve in the cycle of transmigration in a series of lives numbering 8,400,000 is an imprisoned life for the condemned conditioned souls. The human form of life is a chance to get out of this imprisoned life, and as such the only occupation of the human being is to reestablish his lost relationship with God. Under the circumstances, one should never be encouraged in making a plan for sense enjoyment in the name of religious functions. Such diversion of the human energy results in a misguided civilization. Çréla Vyäsadeva is the authority in Vedic explanations in the Mahäbhärata, etc., and his encouragement in sense enjoyment in some form or other is a great barrier for spiritual advancement because the people in general will not agree to renounce material activities which hold them in material bondage. At a certain stage of human civilization, such material activities in the name of religion (as sacrificing animals in the name of yajïa) were too much rampant. The Lord incarnated Himself as Buddha and decried the authority of the Vedas to stop animal sacrifice in the name of religion. This was foreseen by Närada, and therefore he condemned such literatures. The flesh-eaters still continue to perform animal sacrifice before some demigod or goddess in the name of religion because in some of the Vedic literatures such regulated sacrifice is recommended. They are so recommended to discourage flesh-eating, but gradually the purpose of such religious activities is forgotten, and the slaughterhouse becomes prominent. This is because foolish materialistic men do not care to listen to others who are actually in a position to explain the Vedic rites.
In the Vedas it is distinctly said that the perfection of life is never to be attained either by voluminous work, or by accumulation of wealth or even by increasing the number of population. But it is so attained only by renunciation. The materialistic men do not care to listen to such injunctions. According to them, the so-called renounced order of life is meant for those who are unable to earn their livelihood because of some corporeal defects, or for persons who have failed to achieve prosperity in family life.
In histories like the Mahäbhärata, of course, there are topics on transcendental subjects along with material topics. The Bhagavad-gétä is there in the Mahäbhärata. The whole idea of the Mahäbhärata is culminated in the ultimate instructions of the Bhagavad-gétä, that one should relinquish all other engagements and should engage oneself solely and fully in surrendering unto the lotus feet of Lord Çré Kåñëa. But men with materialistic tendencies are more attracted to politics, economics and philanthropic activities mentioned in the Mahäbhärata than to the principal topic, namely the Bhagavad-gétä. This compromising spirit of Vyäsadeva is directly condemned by Närada, who advises him to directly proclaim that the prime necessity of human life is to realize one's eternal relation with the Lord and thus surrender unto Him without delay.
A patient suffering from a particular type of malady is almost always inclined to accept eatables which are forbidden for him. The expert physician does not make any compromise with the patient by allowing him to take partially what he should not at all take. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is also said that a man attached to fruitive work should not be discouraged from his occupation, for gradually he may be elevated to the position of self-realization. This is sometimes applicable for those who are only dry empiric philosophers without spiritual realization. But those who are in the devotional line need not be always so advised.
TEXT 16
vicakñaëo 'syärhati vedituà vibhor
ananta-pärasya nivåttitaù sukham
pravarta-mänasya guëair anätmanas
tato bhavän darçaya ceñöitaà vibhoù
vicakñaëaù—very expert; asya—of him; arhati—deserves; veditum—to understand; vibhoù—of the Lord; ananta-pärasya—of the unlimited; nivåttitaù—retired from; sukham—material happiness; pravarta-mänasya—those who are attached to; guëaiù—by the material qualities; anätmanaù—devoid of knowledge in spiritual value; tataù—therefore; bhavän—your goodness; darçaya—show the ways; ceñöitam—activities; vibhoù—of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord is unlimited. Only a very expert personality, retired from the activities of material happiness, deserves to understand this knowledge of spiritual values. Therefore those who are not so well situated, due to material attachment, should be shown the ways of transcendental realization, by your goodness, through descriptions of the transcendental activities of the Supreme Lord.
PURPORT
Theological science is a difficult subject, especially when it deals with the transcendental nature of God. It is not a subject matter to be understood by persons who are too much attached to material activities. Only the very expert, who have almost retired from materialistic activities by culture of spiritual knowledge, can be admitted to the study of this great science. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is clearly stated that out of many hundreds and thousands of men only one person deserves to enter into transcendental realization. And out of many thousands of such transcendentally realized persons, only a few can understand the theological science specifically dealing with God as a person. Çré Vyäsadeva is therefore advised by Närada to describe the science of God directly by relating His transcendental activities. Vyäsadeva is himself a personality expert in this science, and he is unattached to material enjoyment. Therefore he is the right person to describe it, and Çukadeva Gosvämé, the son of Vyäsadeva, is the right person to receive it. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the topmost theological science, and therefore it can react on the laymen as medicinal doses. Because it contains the transcendental activities of the Lord, there is no difference between the Lord and the literature. The literature is the factual literary incarnation of the Lord. So the laymen can hear the narration of the activities of the Lord. Thereby they are able to associate with the Lord and thus gradually become purified from material diseases. The expert devotees also can discover novel ways and means to convert the nondevotees in terms of particular time and circumstance. Devotional service is dynamic activity, and the expert devotees can find out competent means to inject it into the dull brains of the materialistic population. Such transcendental activities of the devotees for the service of the Lord can bring a new order of life to the foolish society of materialistic men. Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and His subsequent followers exhibited expert dexterity in this connection. By following the same method, one can bring the materialistic men of this age of quarrel into order for peaceful life and transcendental realization.
TEXT 17
tyaktvä sva-dharmaà caraëämbujaà harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva väbhadram abhüd amuñya kià
ko värtha äpto 'bhajatäà sva-dharmataù
tyaktvä—having forsaken; sva-dharmam—one's own occupational engagement; caraëa-ambujam—the lotus feet; hareù—of Hari (the Lord); bhajan—in the course of devotional service; apakvaù -immature; atha—for the matter of; patet—falls down; tataù—from that place; yadi—if; yatra—whereupon; kva—what sort of; vä—or (used sarcastically); abhadram—unfavorable; abhüt—shall happen; amuñya—of him; kim—nothing; kaù vä arthaù—what interest; äptaù—obtained; abhajatäm—of the nondevotee; sva-dharmataù—being engaged in occupational service.
TRANSLATION
One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.
PURPORT
As far as the duties of mankind are concerned, there are innumerable duties. Every man is duty-bound not only to his parents, family members, society, country, humanity, other living beings, the demigods, etc., but also to the great philosophers, poets, scientists, etc. It is enjoined in the scriptures that one can relinquish all such duties and surrender unto the service of the Lord. So if one does so and becomes successful in the discharge of his devotional service unto the Lord, it is well and good. But it so happens sometimes that one surrenders himself unto the service of the Lord by some temporary sentiment, and in the long run, due to so many other reasons, he falls down from the path of service by undesirable association. There are so many instances of this in the histories. Bharata Mahäräja was obliged to take his birth as a stag due to his intimate attachment to a stag. He thought of this stag when he died. As such, in the next birth he became a stag, although he did not forget the incidence of his previous birth. Similarly, Citraketu also fell down due to his offenses at the feet of Çiva. But in spite of all this, the stress is given here to surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord, even if there is a chance of falling down. Because, even though one falls down from the prescribed duties of devotional service, he will never forget the lotus feet of the Lord. Once engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, one will continue the service in all circumstances. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is said that even a small quantity of devotional service can save one from the most dangerous position. There are many instances of such examples in history. Ajämila is one of them. Ajämila in his early life was a devotee, but in his youth he fell down. Still he was saved by the Lord at the end.
TEXT18
tasyaiva hetoù prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad-bhramatäm upary adhaù
tal-labhyate duùkhavad anyataù sukhaà
kälena sarvatra gabhéra-raàhasä
tasya—for that purpose; eva—only; hetoù—reason; prayateta—should endeavor; kovidaù—one who is philosophically inclined; na—not; labhyate—is not obtained; yat—what; bhramatäm—wandering; upari adhaù—from top to bottom; tat—that; labhyate—can be obtained; duùkhavat—like the miseries; anyataù—as a result of previous work; sukham—sense enjoyment; kälena—in course of time; sarvatra—everywhere; gabhéra—subtle; raàhasä—progress.
TRANSLATION
Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Pätäla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.
PURPORT
Every man everywhere is trying to obtain the greatest amount of sense enjoyment by various endeavors. Some of them are busy engaged in trade, industry, economic development, political supremacy, etc., and some of them are engaged in fruitive work to become happy in the next life by attaining higher planets. It is said that in the moon the inhabitants are fit for greater sense enjoyment by drinking soma-rasa, and the Pitåloka is obtained by good charitable work. So there are various programs for sense enjoyment, either during this life or in the life after death. Some are trying to reach the moon or other planets by some mechanical arrangement, for they are very anxious to get into such planets without doing good work. But it is not to happen. By the law of the Supreme, different places are meant for different grades of living beings according to the work they might have performed. By good work only, as prescribed in the scriptures, one can obtain birth in a good family, opulence, good education and good bodily features. We see also that even in this life one obtains a good education or money or bodily beauty. Similarly, in our next birth we get such desirable positions only by good work. Otherwise, it would not so happen that two persons born in the same place, at the same time are seen differently placed according to previous work. But all such material positions are not permanent. The positions in the topmost Brahmaloka and in the lowest Pätäla are also changeable according to our own work. The philosophically inclined person must not be tempted by such changeable positions. He should try to get into the permanent life of bliss and knowledge where he will not be forced to come back again to the miserable material world, either in this or that planet. Miseries and mixed happiness are two features of material life, and they are obtained in Brahmaloka and in other lokas also. They are obtained in the life of the demigods and also in the life of the dogs and hogs. The miseries and mixed happiness of all living beings are only of different degree and quality, but no one is free from the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease. Similarly, everyone has his destined happiness also. No one can get more or less of these things simply by personal endeavors. Even if they are obtained, they can be lost again. One should not, therefore, waste time with these flimsy things, but one should only endeavor to go back to Godhead. That should be the mission of everyone's life.
TEXT 19
na vai jano jätu kathaïcanävrajen
mukunda-sevy anyavad aìga saàsåtim
smaran mukundäìghry-upagühanaà punar
vihätum icchenna rasa-graho janaù
na—never; vai—certainly; janaù—a person; jätu—at any time; kathaïcana—somehow or other; ävrajet—does not undergo; mukunda-sevé—the devotee of the Lord; anyavat—like others; aìga—O my dear; saàsåtim—material existence; smaran—remembering; mukunda-aìghri—the lotus feet of the Lord; upagühanam—embracing; punaù—again; vihätum—willing to give up; icchet—desire; na—never; rasagrahaù—one who has relished the mellow; janaù—person.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vyäsa, even though a devotee of Lord Kåñëa sometimes falls down somehow or other, he certainly does not undergo material existence like others [fruitive workers, etc.] because a person who has once relished the taste of the lotus feet of the Lord can do nothing but remember that ecstasy again and again.
PURPORT
A devotee of the Lord automatically becomes uninterested in the enchantment of material existence because he is rasa-graha, or one who has tasted the sweetness of the lotus feet of Lord Kåñëa. There are certainly many instances where devotees of the Lord have fallen down due to uncongenial association, just like fruitive workers, who are always prone to degradation. But even though he falls down, a devotee is never to be considered the same as a fallen karmi. A karmi suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions, whereas a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord Himself. The sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor because he has no one to take care of him, but a beloved son of a rich man, although he appears to be on the same level as the orphan, is always under the vigilance of his capable father. A devotee of the Lord, due to wrong association, sometimes imitates the fruitive workers. The fruitive workers want to lord it over the material world. Similarly, a neophyte devotee foolishly thinks of accumulating some material power in exchange for devotional service. Such foolish devotees are sometimes put into difficulty by the Lord Himself. As a special favor, He may remove all material paraphernalia. By such action, the bewildered devotee is forsaken by all friends and relatives, and so he comes to his senses again by the mercy of the Lord and is set right to execute his devotional service.
In the Bhagavad-gétä it is also said that such fallen devotees are given a chance to take birth in a family of highly qualified brähmaëas or in a rich mercantile family. A devotee in such a position is not as fortunate as one who is chastised by the Lord and put into a position seemingly of helplessness. The devotee who becomes helpless by the will of the Lord is more fortunate than those who are born in good families. The fallen devotees born in a good family may forget the lotus feet of the Lord because they are less fortunate, but the devotee who is put into a forlorn condition is more fortunate because he swiftly returns to the lotus feet of the Lord, thinking himself helpless all round.
Pure devotional service is so spiritually relishable that a devotee becomes automatically uninterested in material enjoyment. That is the sign of perfection in progressive devotional service. A pure devotee continuously remembers the lotus feet of Lord Çré Kåñëa and does not forget Him even for a moment, not even in exchange for all the opulence of the three worlds.
TEXT 20
idaà hi viçvam bhagavän ivetaro
yato jagat-sthäna-nirodha-sambhaväù
tadd hi svayaà veda bhaväàs tathäpi te
prädeça-mätraà bhavataù pradarçitam
idam—this; hi—all; viçvam—cosmos; bhagavän—the Supreme Lord; iva—almost the same; itaraù—different from; yataù—from whom; jagat—the worlds; sthäna—exist; nirodha—annihilation; sambhaväù—creation; tat hi—all about; svayam—personally; veda—know; bhavän—your good self; tathäpi—still; te—unto your; prädeça-mätram—a synopsis only; bhavataù—unto you; pradarçitam—explained.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead is Himself this cosmos, and still He is aloof from it. From Him only this cosmic manifestation has emanated, in Him it rests, and unto Him it enters after annihilation. Your good self knows all about this. I have only given a synopsis.
PURPORT
For a pure devotee, the conception of Mukunda Lord Çré Kåñëa is both personal and impersonal. The impersonal cosmic situation is also Mukunda because it is the emanation of the energy of Mukunda. For example, a tree is a complete unit, whereas the leaves and the branches of the tree are emanated parts and parcels of the tree. The leaves and branches of the tree are also the tree, but the tree itself is neither the leaves nor the branches. The Vedic version that the whole cosmic creation is nothing but Brahman means that since everything is emanating from the Supreme Brahman, nothing is apart from Him. Similarly, the part and parcel hands and legs are called the body, but the body as the whole unit is neither the hands nor the legs. The Lord is the transcendental form of eternity, cognition and beauty. And thus the creation of the energy of the Lord appears to be partially eternal, full of knowledge and beautiful also. The captivated conditioned souls under the influence of the external energy mäyä are therefore entrapped in the network of the material nature. They accept this as all in all, for they have no information of the Lord who is the primeval cause. Nor have they information that the parts and parcels of the body, being detached from the whole body, are no longer the same hand or leg as when attached to the body. Similarly, a godless civilization detached from the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is just like a detached hand or leg. Such parts and parcels may appear like hands and legs, but they have no efficiency. The devotee of the Lord, Çréla Vyäsadeva, knows this very well. He is further advised by Çréla Närada to expand the idea so that the entrapped conditioned souls may take lessons from him to understand the Supreme Lord as the primeval cause.
According to the Vedic version, the Lord is naturally fully powerful, and thus His supreme energies are always perfect and identical with Him. Both the spiritual and the material skies and their paraphernalia are emanations of the internal and external energies of the Lord. External energy is comparatively inferior, whereas the internal potency is superior. The superior energy is living force, and therefore she is completely identical, but the external energy, being inert, is partially identical. But both the energies are neither equal to nor greater than the Lord, who is the generator of all energies; such energies are always under His control, exactly as electrical energy, however powerful it may be, is always under the control of the engineer.
The human being and all other living beings are products of His internal energies. Thus the living being is also identical with the Lord. But he is never equal or superior to the Personality of Godhead. The Lord and living beings are all individual persons. With the help of the material energies the living beings are also creating something, but none of their creations are equal or superior to the creations of the Lord. The human being may create a small playful sputnik and may throw it into outer space, but that does not mean that he can create a planet like the earth or moon and float it in the air as the Lord does. Men with a poor fund of knowledge claim to be equal to the Lord. They are never equal to the Lord. This is never to be. The human being, after attaining complete perfection, may achieve a large percentage of the qualities of the Lord (say up to 78%), but it is never possible to surpass the Lord or to become equal with Him. In a diseased condition only the foolish being claims to be one with the Lord and thus becomes misled by the illusory energy. The misguided living beings, therefore, must accept the supremacy of the Lord and agree to render loving service to Him. For this they have been created. Without this, there cannot be any peace or tranquility in the world. Çréla Vyäsadeva is advised by Çréla Närada to expand this idea in the Bhägavatam. In the Bhagavad-gétä also the same idea is explained: surrender fully unto the lotus feet of the Lord. That is the only business of the perfect human being.
TEXT 21
tvam ätmanä''tmänam avehy amogha-dåk
parasya puàsaù paramätmanaù kaläm
ajaà prajätaà jagataù çiväya tan
mahänubhäväbhyudayo 'dhigaëyatäm
tvam—yourself; ätmanä—by your own self; ätmänam—the Supersoul; avehi—search out; amogha-dåk—one who has perfect vision; parasya—of the Transcendence; puàsaù—Personality of Godhead; paramätmanaù—of the Supreme Lord; kaläm—plenary part; ajam—birthless; prajätam—have taken birth; jagataù—of the world; çiväya—for the well-being; tat—that; mahänubhäva—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa; abhyudayaù—pastimes; adhigaëyatäm—describe most vividly.
TRANSLATION
Your goodness has perfect vision. You yourself can know the Supersoul Personality of Godhead because you are present as the plenary portion of the Lord. Although you are birthless, you have appeared on this earth for the well-being of all people. Please, therefore, describe the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa more vividly.
PURPORT
Çréla Vyäsadeva is the empowered plenary portion incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa. He descended by his causeless mercy to deliver the fallen souls in the material world. The fallen and forgotten souls are detached from the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, and they are eternally servitors of the Lord. All the Vedic literatures are, therefore, put into systematic order for the benefit of the fallen souls, and it is the duty of the fallen souls to take advantage of such literatures and be freed from the bondage of material existence. Although formally Çréla Närada Åñi is his spiritual master, Çréla Vyäsadeva is not at all dependent on a spiritual master because in essence he is the spiritual master of everyone else. But because he is doing the work of an äcärya, he has taught us by his own conduct that one must have a spiritual master, even though he be God Himself. Lord Çré Kåñëa, Lord Çré Räma and Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, all incarnations of Godhead, accepted formal spiritual masters, although by Their transcendental nature They were cognizant of all knowledge. In order to direct people in general to the lotus feet of Lord Çré Kåñëa, He Himself in the incarnation of Vyäsadeva is delineating the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.
TEXT 22
idaà hi puàsas tapasaù çrutasya vä
sviñöasya süktasya ca buddhi-dattayoù
avicyuto 'rthaù kavibhir nirüpito
yad-uttamaçloka-guëänuvarëanam
idam—this; hi—certainly; puàsaù—of everyone; tapasaù—by dint of austerities; çrutasya—by dint of study of the Vedas; vä—or; sviñöasya—sacrifice; süktasya—spiritual education; ca—and; buddhi—culture of knowledge; dattayoù—charity; avicyutaù—infallible; arthaù—interest; kavibhiù—by the recognized learned fellow; nirüpitaù—concluded; yat—what; uttamaçloka-the Lord, who is described by choice poetry; guëa-anuvarëanam—description of the transcendental qualities of.
TRANSLATION
Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry.
PURPORT
Human intellect is developed for advancement of learning in art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, economics, politics, etc. By culture of such knowledge the human society can attain perfection of life. This perfection of life culminates in the realization of the Supreme Being Viñëu. The Çruti therefore directs that those who are actually advanced in learning should aspire for the service of Lord Viñëu. Unfortunately persons who are enamored by the external beauty of Viñëu-mäyä do not understand that culmination of perfection or self-realization depends on Viñëu. Viñëu-mäyä. means sense enjoyment, which is transient and miserable. Those who are entrapped by Viñëu-mäyä utilize advancement of knowledge for sense enjoyment. Çré Närada Muni has explained that all parapharnalia of the cosmic universe is but an emanation from the Lord out of His different energies because the Lord has set in motion, by His inconceivable energy, actions and reactions of the created manifestation. They have come to be out of His energy, they rest on His energy, and after annihilation they merge into Him. Nothing is, therefore, different from Him, but at the same time the Lord is always different from them.
When advancement of knowledge is applied in the service of the Lord, the whole process becomes absolute. The Personality of Godhead, His transcendental name, fame, glory, etc., are all nondifferent from Him. Therefore, all the sages and devotees of the Lord have recommended that the subject matter of art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology and all other branches of knowledge should be wholly and solely applied in the service of the Lord. Art, literature, poetry, painting, etc., may be used in glorifying the Lord. The fiction writers, poets and celebrated literateurs are generally engaged in writing of sensuous subjects, but if they turn towards the service of the Lord they can describe the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. Välméki was a great poet, and similarly Vyäsadeva is a great writer, and both of them have absolutely engaged themselves in delineating the transcendental activities of the Lord, and by doing so they have become immortal. Similarly, science and philosophy also should be applied in the service of the Lord. There is no use presenting dry speculative theories for sense gratification. Philosophy and science should be engaged to establish the glory of the Lord. Advanced people are eager to understand the Absolute Truth through the medium of science, and therefore a great scientist should endeavor to prove the existence of the Lord on a scientific basis. Similarly, philosophical speculations should be utilized to establish the Supreme Truth as sentient and all-powerful. Similarly, all other branches of knowledge should always be engaged in the service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gétä also the same is affirmed. All "knowledge" not engaged in the service of the Lord is but nescience. Real utilization of advanced knowledge is to establish the glories of the Lord, and that is the real import. Scientific knowledge engaged in the service of the Lord and all similar activities are all factually Hari-kértana or glorification of the Lord.
TEXT 23
ahaà purätétabhave 'bhavaà mune
däsyästu kasyäçcana veda-vädinäm
nirüpito bälaka eva yoginäà
çuçrüñaëe prävåñi nirvivikñatäm
aham—I; purä—formerly; atétabhave—in the previous millennium; abhavam—became; mune—of the muni; däsyäù—of the maidservant; tu—but; kasyäçcana—certain; veda-vädinäm—of the followers of Vedänta; nirüpitaù—engaged; bälakaù—boy servant; eva—only; yoginäm—of the devotees; çuçrüñaëe—in the service of; prävåñi—during the four months of the rainy season; nirvivikñatäm—living together.
TRANSLATION
O Muni, in the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brähmaëas who were following the principles of Vedänta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.
PURPORT
The wonder of an atmosphere surcharged with devotional service of the Lord is briefly described herein by Çré Närada Muni. He was the son of the most insignificant parentage. He was not properly educated. Still, because his complete energy was engaged in the service of the Lord, he became an immortal sage. Such is the powerful action of devotional service. The living entities are the marginal energy of the Lord, and therefore they are meant for being properly utilized in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. When this is not done, it is called mäyä. Therefore the illusion of mäyä. is at once dissipated as soon as one's full energy is converted in the service of the Lord instead of in sense enjoyment. From the personal example of Çré Närada Muni in his previous birth, it is clear that the service of the Lord begins with the service of the Lord's bona fide servants. The Lord says that the service of His servants is greater than His personal service. Service of the devotee is more valuable than the service of the Lord. One should therefore choose a bona fide servant of the Lord constantly engaged in His service and accept such a servant as the spiritual master and engage himself in his (the spiritual master's) service. Such a spiritual master is the transparent medium by which to visualize the Lord who is beyond the conception of the material senses. By service of the bona fide spiritual master, the Lord consents to reveal Himself in proportion to the service rendered. Utilization of the human energy in the service of the Lord is the progressive path of salvation. The whole cosmic creation becomes at once identical with the Lord as soon as service in relation with the Lord is rendered under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The expert spiritual master knows the art of utilizing everything to glorify the Lord, and therefore under his guidance the whole world can be turned into the spiritual abode by the divine grace of the Lord's servant.
TEXT 24
te mayy apetäkhila-cäpale 'rbhake
dänte 'dhåta-kréòanake 'nuvartini
cakruù kåpäà yadyapi tulya-darçanäù
çuçrüñamäëe munayo 'lpa-bhäñiëi
te—they; mayi—unto me; apeta—not having undergone; akhila—all kinds of; cäpale—proclivities; arbhake—unto a boy; dänte—having controlled the senses; adhåta-kréòanake—without being accustomed to sporting habits; anuvartini—obedient; cakruù—did bestow; kåpäm—causeless mercy; yadyapi—although; tulya-darçanäù—impartial by nature; çuçrüñamäëe—unto the faithful; munayaù—the muni followers of the Vedänta; alpa-bhäñiëi—one who does not speak more than required.
TRANSLATION
Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedänta blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was self-controlled and had no attachment for sports, even though I was a boy. In addition, I was not naughty, and I did not speak more than required.
PURPORT
In the Bhagavad-gétä the Lord says, "All the Vedas are searching after Me." Lord Çré Caitanya says that in the Vedas the subject matters are only three, namely to establish the relation of the living entities with the Personality of Godhead, perform the relative duties in devotional service and thus achieve the ultimate goal, back to Godhead. As such, Vedänta-vädé, or the followers of the Vedänta, indicates the pure devotees of the Personality of Godhead. Such Vedänta-vädé or the bhakti-vedäntas are impartial in distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. To them no one is enemy or friend; no one is educated or uneducated. No one is especially favorable, and no one is unfavorable. The bhakti-vedäntas see the people in general are wasting time in false sensuous things. Their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to reestablish the lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead. By such endeavor, even the most forgotten soul is roused up to the sense of spiritual life, and thus being initiated by the bhakti-vedäntas, the people in general gradually progress on the path of transcendental realization. So the Vedänta-vädés initiated the boy even before he became self-controlled and was detached from childish sporting, etc. But before the initiation, he (the boy) became more and more advanced in discipline, which is very essential for one who wishes to make progress in the line. In the system of varëäçrama-dharma, which is the beginning of actual human life, small boys after five years of age are sent to become brahmacäré at the guru's äçrama where these things are systematically taught to boys, be they king's sons or sons of ordinary citizens. The training was compulsory not only to create good citizens of the state, but also to prepare the boy's future life for spiritual realization. The irresponsible life of sense enjoyment was unknown to the children of the followers of the varëäçrama system. The boy was even injected with spiritual acumen before being placed by the father in the womb of the mother. Both the father and the mother were responsible for the boy's success in being liberated from the material bondage. That is the process of successful family planning. It is to beget children for complete perfection. Without being self-controlled, without being disciplinary and without being fully obedient, no one can become successful in following the instructions of the spiritual master, and without doing so, no one is able to go back to Godhead.
TEXT 25
ucchiñöa-lepän anumodito dvijaiù
sakåt sma bhuïje tad-apästa-kilbiñaù
evaà pravåttasya viçuddha-cetasas
tad-dharma evätma-ruciù prajäyate
ucchiñöa lepän—the remnants of foodstuff; anumoditaù—being permitted; dvijaiù—by the Vedäntist brähmaëas; sakåt—once upon a time; sma—in the past; bhuïje—took; tat—by that action; apästa—eliminated; kilbiñaù—all sins; evam—thus; pravåttasya—being engaged; viçuddha-cetasaù—of one whose mind is purified; tat—that particular; dharma—nature; eva—certainly; ätma-ruciù—transcendental attraction; prajäyate—was manifested.
TRANSLATION
Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.
PURPORT
Pure devotion is as much infectious, in a good sense, as infectious diseases. A pure devotee is cleared from all kinds of sins. The Personality of Godhead is the purest entity, and unless one is equally pure from the infection of material qualities, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Lord. The bhakti-vedäntas as above mentioned were pure devotees, and the boy became infected with their qualities of purity by their association and by eating once the remnants of the foodstuff taken by them. Such remnants may be taken even without permission of the pure devotees. There are sometimes pseudo-devotees, and one should be very much cautious about them. There are many things which hinder one from entering devotional service. But by the association of pure devotees all these obstacles are removed. The neophyte devotee becomes practically enriched with the transcendental qualities of the pure devotee, which means attraction for the Personality of Godhead's name, fame, quality, pastimes, etc. Infection of the qualities of the pure devotee means to imbibe the taste of pure devotion always in the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead. This transcendental taste at once makes all material things distasteful. Therefore a pure devotee is not at all attracted by material activities. After the elimination of all sins or obstacles on the path of devotional service, one can become attracted, one can have steadiness, one can have perfect taste, one can have transcendental emotions, and at last one can be situated on the plane of loving service of the Lord. All these stages develop by the association of pure devotees, and that is the purport of this stanza.
TEXT 26
tatränvahaà kåñëa-kathäù pragäyatäm
anugraheëäçåëavaà mano-haräù
täù çraddhayä me 'nupadaà viçåëvataù
priyaçravasy aìga mamäbhavad ruciù
tatra—thereupon; anu—every day; aham—I; kåñëa-kathäù—narration of Lord Kåñëa's activities; pragäyatäm—describing; anugraheëa—by causeless mercy; açåëavam—giving aural reception; manaù-haräù—attractive; täù—those; çraddhayä—respectfully; me—unto me; anupadam—every step; viçåëvataù—hearing attentively; priyaçravasi—of the Personality of Godhead; aìga-O Vyäsadeva; mama—mine; abhavat—it so became; ruciù—taste.
TRANSLATION
O Vyäsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedäntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Kåñëa. And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step.
PURPORT
Lord Çré Kåñëa the Absolute Personality of Godhead is not only attractive in His personal features, but also in His transcendental activities. It is so because the Absolute is absolute by His name, fame, form, pastimes, entourage, parapharnalia, etc. The Lord descends on this material world out of His causeless mercy and displays His various transcendental pastimes as a human being so that human beings attracted towards Him become able to go back to Godhead. Men are naturally apt to hear histories and narrations of various personalities performing mundane activities without knowing that by such association one simply wastes valuable time and also becomes addicted to the three qualities of mundane nature. Instead of wasting time one can get spiritual success by turning his attention to the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. By hearing the narration of the pastimes of the Lord, one contacts directly the Personality of Godhead, and, as explained before, by hearing about the Personality of Godhead, from within, all accumulated sins of the mundane creature are cleared. Thus being cleared of all sins, the hearer gradually becomes liberated from mundane association and becomes attracted to the features of the Lord. Närada Muni has just explained this by his personal experience. The whole idea is that simply by hearing about the Lord's pastimes one can become one of the associates of the Lord. Närada Muni has eternal life, unlimited knowledge and unfathomed bliss, and he can travel all over the material and spiritual worlds without restriction. One can attain to the highest perfection of life simply by attentive hearing of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord from the right sources, as Çré Närada heard them from the pure devotees (bhakti-vedäntas) in his previous life. This process of hearing in the association of the devotees, is especially recommended in this age of quarrel (Kali).
TEXT 27
tasmiàs tadä labdhä-rucer mahämate
priyaçravasy askhalitä matir mama
yayäham etat sad-asat sva-mäyayä
paçye mayi brahmaëi kalpitaà pare
tasmin—it being so; tadä—at that time; labdhä—achieved; ruceù—taste; mahämate—great sage; priyaçravasi—upon the Lord; askhalitä matiù—uninterrupted attention; mama—mine; yayä—by which; aham—I; etat—all these; sat-asat—gross and subtle; sva-mäyayä—one's own ignorance; paçye—see; mayi—in me; brahmaëi—the Supreme; kalpitam—is accepted; pare—in the Transcendence.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, as soon as I got a taste of the Personality of Godhead, my attention to hear of the Lord was unflinching. And as my taste developed, I could realize that it was only in my ignorance that I had accepted gross and subtle coverings, for both the Lord and I are transcendental.
PURPORT
Ignorance in material existence is compared to darkness, and in all Vedic literatures the Personality of Godhead is compared to the sun. Wherever there is light there cannot be darkness. Hearing of the Lord's pastimes is itself transcendental association with the Lord because there is no difference between the Lord and His transcendental pastimes. To become associated with the supreme light is to dissipate all ignorance. By ignorance only the conditioned soul wrongly thinks that both he and the Lord are products of material nature. But in fact the Personality of Godhead and the living beings are transcendental, and they have nothing to do with the material nature. When ignorance is removed and it is perfectly realized that there is nothing existing without the Personality of Godhead, then nescience is removed. Since the gross and the subtle bodies are emanations from the Personality of Godhead, the knowledge of light permits one to engage both of them in the service of the Lord. The gross body should be engaged in acts of rendering service to the Lord (as in bringing water, cleansing the temple or making obeisances, etc.). The path of arcanä, or worshiping the Lord in the temple, involves engaging one's gross body in the service of the Lord. Similarly, the subtle mind should be engaged in hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, thinking about them, chanting His name, etc. All such activities are transcendental. None of the gross or subtle senses should otherwise be engaged. Such realization of transcendental activities is made possible by many, many years of apprenticeship in the devotional service, but simply attraction of love to the Personality of Godhead, as it was developed in Närada Muni, by hearing, is highly effective.
TEXT 28
itthaà çarat-prävåñikäv åtü harer
viçåëvato me 'nusavaà yaço 'malam
saìkértyamänaà munibhir mahätmabhir
bhaktiù pravåttätma-rajas-tamopahä
ittham—thus; çarat—autumn; prävåñikau—rainy season; åtü—two seasons; hareù—of the Lord; viçåëvataù—continuously hearing; me—myself; anusavam—constantly; yaçaù amalam—unadulterated glories; saìkértyamänam—chanted by; munibhiù—the great sages; mahätmabhiù—great souls; bhaktiù—devotional service; pravåttä—began to flow; ätma—living being; rajaù—mode of passion; tamaù—mode of ignorance; apahä—vanishing.
TRANSLATION
Thus during two seasons—the rainy season and autumn—I had the opportunity to hear these great-souled sages constantly chant the unadulterated glories of the Lord Hari. As my devotional service began, the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished.
PURPORT
Transcendental loving service for the Supreme Lord is the natural inclination of every living being. The instinct is dormant in everyone, but due to the association of material nature the modes of passion and ignorance cover this from time immemorial. If, by the grace of the Lord and the great-souled devotees of the Lord, a living being becomes fortunate enough to associate with the unadulterated devotees of the Lord and gets a chance to hear the unadulterated glories of the Lord, certainly the flow of devotional service takes place like the flow of a river. As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God. Such a flow of devotional service cannot stop. On the contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance. These two qualities of nature are thus removed, and the living being is liberated, being situated in his original position.
