Srimad Bhagavatam – 1.14.32~33 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Chennai | May 17, 2025 |
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasa vate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine
jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya
prabhu Nityananda
sri-adwaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 14 Verse 32.
ŚB 1.14.32-33
तथैवानुचरा: शौरे: श्रुतदेवोद्धवादय: ।
सुनन्दनन्दशीर्षण्या ये चान्ये सात्वतर्षभा: ॥ ३२ ॥
अपि स्वस्त्यासते सर्वे रामकृष्णभुजाश्रया: ।
अपि स्मरन्ति कुशलमस्माकं बद्धसौहृदा: ॥ ३३ ॥
tathaivānucarāḥ śaureḥ
śrutadevoddhavādayaḥ
sunanda-nanda-śīrṣaṇyā
ye cānye sātvatarṣabhāḥ
api svasty āsate sarve
rāma-kṛṣṇa-bhujāśrayāḥ
api smaranti kuśalam
asmākaṁ baddha-sauhṛdāḥ
Translation
Also, Śrutadeva, Uddhava and others, Nanda, Sunanda and other leaders of liberated souls who are constant companions of the Lord are protected by Lord Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa. Are they all doing well in their respective functions? Do they, who are all eternally bound in friendship with us, remember our welfare?
Purport
The constant companions of Lord Kṛṣṇa, such as Uddhava, are all liberated souls, and they descended along with Lord Kṛṣṇa to this material world to fulfill the mission of the Lord. The Pāṇḍavas are also liberated souls who descended along with Lord Kṛṣṇa to serve Him in His transcendental pastimes on this earth. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.8), the Lord and His eternal associates, who are also liberated souls like the Lord, come down on this earth at certain intervals. The Lord remembers them all, but His associates, although liberated souls, forget due to their being taṭasthā-śakti, or marginal potency of the Lord. That is the difference between the viṣṇu-tattva and jīva-tattva. The jīva-tattvas are infinitesimal potential particles of the Lord, and therefore they require the protection of the Lord at all times. And to the eternal servitors of the Lord, the Lord is pleased to give all protection at all times. The liberated souls never, therefore, think themselves as free as the Lord or as powerful as the Lord, but they always seek the protection of the Lord in all circumstances, both in the material world and in the spiritual world. This dependence of the liberated soul is constitutional, for the liberated souls are like sparks of a fire that are able to exhibit the glow of fire along with the fire and not independently. Independently the glow of the sparks is extinguished, although the quality of fire or the glowing is there. Thus those who give up the protection of the Lord and become so-called lords themselves, out of spiritual ignorance, come back again to this material world, even after prolonged tapasya of the severest type. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
So, here we have a continuing list of the inhabitants of Dwaraka. And it is described here that they are all bound by a friendship to the Supreme Lord. And in the purport Srila Prabhupada describes them all as liberated souls. And as liberated souls, they accompany the Lord from the spiritual world to the material world. The Lord, of course, because He is eternally in the spiritual world and never leaves, comes into the material world, but He is never absent from the spiritual world. Similarly, all the devotees in the spiritual world are never absent from the spiritual world. But they accompany the Lord in the material world, but are never contaminated by the material world. So, in that way, they are eternally liberated from the influence of māyā .
Of course, we can also say that those who are liberated in Brahman are also eternally liberated. But there is also a big difference between those liberated in Brahman and those liberated in the spiritual world. So, though we can call these eternal associates as liberated, perhaps we have to give them a different name. So, we can say that, yes, they are liberated because they are eternally free of material nature. But more than those in Brahman, they eternally have spiritual bodies.
Though they are in the spiritual world and have eternal body like the Supreme Lord, they never become the Supreme Lord. So, Jivas are taṭastha-śakti . They always remain taṭastha-śakti . However, there is a slight difference between the Jivas in the material world and the Jivas in the spiritual world. They are both taṭastha. However, the Jiva in the material world is called nitya-baddha. He is eternally bound up by ignorance. And those in the spiritual world are eternally in their spiritual bodies, not influenced by māyā at all. So, the conditions of these Jivas in the material world and spiritual world are different. But they are both Jiva, taṭastha-śakti . What is the cause of this different condition? So its described that those Jivas in Spiritual world have not just taṭastha-śakti Jivas, but they have a small portion of the Cit śakti of the Lord.
So, we know there are three śaktis – Bahiranga śakti, that is matter. taṭastha-śakti, Jiva. And the cit-śakti , or Antaranga śakti. The Jivas in the material world do not have the cit-śakti , those in the spiritual world have the cit-śakti . So there is a slight difference between the Jivas in the spiritual world and those in the material world. Of course, this is only natural, because bhakti is part of the cit-śakti . And this becomes fixed in the Jiva in the spiritual world. And, of course, it’s possible not only for bhakti, it’s possible for their spiritual forms and all of their pastimes with the Lord.
Those Jivas in the material world do not have that cit-śakti. They are influenced by māyā -śakti. So, though we say that nitya-baddhas are in the material world, technically they are not nitya-baddha . They always have a chance to get out of that bondage. So, another way of saying it, which is more correct, would be anādi-bahirmukha. They have material consciousness with no beginning. But the beginningless ignorance can have an end. So, in that sense, it’s not eternally in the past and eternally in the future. On the other hand, we can call the devotees in the spiritual world as nitya-mukta . They are eternally in the past, eternally in the future, free of material energy. However, we do have Jivas in the material world who, by the mercy of devotees, take to bhakti, get Prema. They also go to the spiritual world. So, their material condition is not eternal, if they take to bhakti. So they end their material condition, they end up in the spiritual world.
So, we have two types of Jivas in the spiritual world. Both of the Jivas have cit-śakti . But we have those who came from the material world, they didn’t have the chit-śakti before. These are called the baddha-muktas . And then we have the nitya-muktas, those who were never influenced by material energy. However, we cannot really distinguish them in the spiritual world. Why? Because there is no conception of a material world in the spiritual world. So, those who come from the material world to the spiritual world, when they are there, then it appears they are eternally there. And there is no distinction. The nitya-siddhas in the spiritual world don’t say, well, these are ones baddha-muktas , they are not like us, put them in a separate place. So, all the devotees in the spiritual world, simply are serving the Lord.
So, the Lord has some very special devotees. And the Jivas can never take their position. So, we have Nanda and Yasoda, and the principal Gopis, etc. So, no one can take their place. They are eternally in that position. But, Jivas in the material world, by taking to bhakti, can aspire for similar types of service in the spiritual world, and the Lord will grant that. So, all of these devotees in the spiritual world, they are the taṭastha-śakti , also endowed with the cit-śakti . So, they are permanently serving the Lord.
The Jivas in the material world do not have the cit-śakti . Thus, they don’t serve the Lord, they don’t perceive the Lord. They are covered by material energy. Instead of serving the Lord, they serve māyā . Instead of Prema, which is eternal bliss, they get a mixture of material happiness and suffering. Those Jivas in the material world get continual bodies, not one eternal body, they get repeated material bodies, which are subject to destruction. And they are all subject to the law of karma.
So, the Jivas in the spiritual world are very different from those in the material world. Very similar to the Supreme Lord. Nevertheless, they always remain Jiva. And thus, they are always serving the Lord. Of course, nature of the spiritual world is quite astonishing. So, sometimes it looks like the Lord is serving the devotee. So, that also happens in the spiritual world, though the Lord never loses His position as being Supreme Lord, Ishwara.
So, that spiritual world with all the Jivas is there, and when the Lord comes in the material world, some of those Jivas come with the Supreme Lord. Just as the Supreme Lord is never subjected to the ignorance of the material world, the Jivas who come with the Lord are also not affected at all. When the Lord disappears from the material world, those devotees also disappear. But, like the Lord never dies, those Jivas never die, they never have material bodies, they are always in their spiritual bodies.
Hare Krsna !
Q & A
1. Thank you Maharaj. When you mentioned about the different liberated souls, where our acharyas says –
īhā yasya harer dāsye
karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
– Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.187)
Even while they are here in the material world, they are considered to be liberated. So, this kind of liberated personalities are there, and there are, those who are liberated and went to the spiritual world, and there are eternally liberated souls. So, there are three kinds of liberated souls, Maharaj. So, technically, what is the difference, Maharaj, from all the three?
So, in the spiritual world, we have two types. The baddha-mukta, one who came from the spiritual world and by sadhana, gets to spiritual world and eternally stays there afterwards. And we have the nitya-mukta, who never was in the material world, didn’t perform any sadhana, always has Prema. So, those are two types in the spiritual world. What’s the third type? You said the third type?
Devotee: This verse talks about, even while they are here, even in this material world, those who are dedicated by body, mind and words to the spiritual activities are considered to be liberated. This is a verse from Bhagavad Gita.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah Yeah.. So, of course, we have devotees in the material world. They can attain Bhava, then they get to Prema. When they get Prema, then they have spiritual bodies, even though they still have a material body. But in their spiritual body, then they are still called baddha-mukta.
However, in the material world, with that body, that body is also some sort of obstacle. Because the body still has to breathe and eat and drink water and whatever, which doesn’t exist in the spiritual world. So, eventually, the Lord arranges for him to get rid of that material body completely. And he’s just got his spiritual body. So, one who has attained Prema in the material world, even though he has a material body, has destroyed all of karma. He has destroyed ahankara. Although he is in the material world, he is not at all influenced by that material body, gross or subtle.
2. Hare Krsna Maharaj. Maharaj on the spiritual level, at the transcendental level, what is the difference between envy and jealousy?
Well, they are very similar words. So, if we look in the Vyabachari bhavas within Prema, then we will see words like ‘Matsarya’, which we we call as envy. So Vyabachari bhavas are temporary manifestations. And they can only arise if we have a primary Sthayi bhava like Sakhya, Vatsalya, Madhurya, etc.
So, of course, the envy may look like material envy. But it completely depends upon the Sthayi bhava of Sakhya, Vatsalya, Madhurya, etc. So, it’s actually quite different. So, it only creates some variety within the Prema. In the material world, envy and greed and lust and anger, etc, they don’t depend on any particular rasa in the material world. They all arise from ignorance.
3. Maharaj, you mentioned that, like the Supreme Lord, the eternal associates, when they come here, they are never contaminated. In the case of Yadus, Yadavas, it apparently looks like the way they finished their Lila, they went back, it apparently looks the level of contamination in the activities. So, should we attribute it purely on the Lila aspect?
Well, not only the Yadus, even it appears Krishna was affected by the curse. Krishna got shot in the foot. Krishna left a material body [Laughs]. So, the whole disappearance of Krishna also looks as if he is affected by the material world. But, obviously, we know he is not.
So, later on, in the 11th and 12th canto, it is described in the Bhagavatam itself, the reason why the Lord made this arrangement. It is also described, when the Lord disappeared, if you had the eyes to see, then you see, Krishna didn’t die at all. He just rose up [Laughs] and went to Vaikuntha. So, all of these arrangements were made by the Lord, as a way of disappearance of himself and the Yadus. Nevertheless, they eternally reside in Dwaraka .
4. Hare Krsna Maharaj, while Lord coming to this material world, nitya-mukta s are also coming to this world with Lord and they are doing Lilas and they are completing the Lilas and they go back to the eternal Spiritual world, so baddha–muktas are also coming, like that, from spiritual world?
They could, because they are also uncontaminated.
5. Maharaj, can we overcome negativity from the spiritual world?
There is no negativity in spiritual world [Laughs]. It is all positive [Laughs].
6. Can you help to understand the statement “Jivan–mukta still have some karma to finish in this world”.
Well, of course, we have to define what we mean by jivan-mukta . It often refers to one practicing impersonal Jnana. Those persons are called jivan-mukta when they get some realization of Brahman, when they still have a material body. But, if they don’t worship the Lord, but rather offend the Lord, they can’t really get liberation. So, they are called Vimuktha manina. They think they are liberated. But, when they give up the body, then they get another material body.
7. We have heard that those who are in the spiritual world, Gopis, they belong to Hladini–śakti, whereas the Jivas are taṭastha-śakti . Being the case, if a Jiva aspires to become a Gopi, can they get the spiritual form of Gopis and serve Krishna in the spiritual world, even though they belong to taṭastha-śakti ?
Well, we describe Radharani as Hladini śakti. That does not apply to all the billions of Gopis. Of course, as I mentioned, all the Jivas in the spiritual world also have a portion of the cit-śakti . Actually, what it means is, they have a portion of Hladini and Samvit.
And in Nectar of Devotion, Rupa Goswami explains that when you attain Bhava, what is the Bhava you attain? That is a combination of Hladini and Samvit śakti. But that śakti with Hladini and Samvit becomes permanent in all the Jivas, whether they are in Madhurya rasa , Sakhya rasa, Vatsalya rasa, Dasya rasa or even Santa rasa .
8. In the beginning of the creation, all Jivas were connected to Krishna. Being the case, how this difference or this being distinguished that Nithya Siddhas and Nithya Baddhas?
Well, all Jivas, whether they are in the material world or spiritual world, are always eternally related to the Lord. They are all Nithya Krishna Das! So, by constitution, all Jivas are subservient to the Lord. They are śakti only.
So, in the purport Prabhupada, mentions about the fire and the spark. So, the spark always remains a spark. But if it is at a distance from the fire, then that spark becomes very dim. As it gets closer to the fire, it begins to glow more and more. So, when the Jiva practices Bhakti and attains Prema, then he has got his full manifestation, like a spark glowing.
9. Bhakta-Muktas, can they engage in exchange of rasa as during their lilas? Do they have that quality? Particularly in Goloka, can Bhakta-Muktas engage in exchange of rasa as?
Well, the whole point of doing Sadhana Bhakti is to attain Prema, go to the spiritual world and serve the Lord eternally in rasa. To go to the spiritual world and have no relationship with the Lord, what are we doing there?
10. How come Nithya Siddhas are not affected by anarthas? Can you please help to understand?
Whether Nithya-Siddhas or baddha-muktas , they are not affected by anarthas because there is no influence of māyā in the spiritual world. They have a little portion of the chit śakti which gives a little extra śakti to those Jivas in the spiritual world.
11. How to understand that prasadam is spiritualized?
Well, everything in the material world including our body and our senses, if we engage in Krishna’s service, no longer has material reactions. Well, everything in the material world including our body and our senses, if we engage in Krishna’s service, no longer has material reactions.
So when our senses and body serve Krishna, it no longer gives material karma. And when we offer things to Krishna, they become full of spiritual śakti. Then that no longer has a material effect, it has spiritual effect. By association with bhakti, things in the material world lose their material qualities.
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam Ki.. Jai !! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj Ki.. Jai !!
Thank you so much Maharaj !!