Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.20 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Chennai | 10 June 2026
jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī
gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī
yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana
yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Jaya Prabhupāda Jaya Prabhupāda
Prabhupāda Jaya Prabhupāda
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 Chapter 3 Verse 20.
ŚB 2.3.20
bile batorukrama-vikramān ye
na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya
jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta
na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ
Synonyms
bile — snake holes; bata — like; urukrama — the Lord, who acts marvelously; vikramān — prowess; ye — all these; na — never; śṛṇvataḥ — heard; karṇa-puṭe — the earholes; narasya — of the man; jihvā — tongue; asatī — useless; dārdurikā — of the frogs; iva — exactly like that; sūta — O Sūta Gosvāmī; na — never; ca — also; upagāyati — chants loudly; urugāya — worth singing; gāthāḥ — songs.
Translation
One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like the holes of snakes and a tongue like the tongue of a frog.
Purport
Devotional service to the Lord is rendered by all limbs or parts of the body. It is the transcendental dynamic force of the spirit soul; therefore a devotee is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord. One can engage in devotional service when the senses of the body are purified in relation with the Lord, and one can render service to the Lord with the help of all the senses. As such, the senses and the action of the senses are to be considered impure or materialistic as long as they are employed only in sense gratification. The purified senses are engaged not in sense gratification but in the service of the Lord in toto. The Lord is the Supreme with all senses, and the servitor, who is part and parcel of the Lord, also has the same senses. Service to the Lord is the completely purified use of the senses, as described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord imparted instructions with full senses, and Arjuna received them with full senses, and thus there was a perfect exchange of sensible and logical understanding between the master and the disciple. Spiritual understanding is nothing like an electrical charge from the master to the disciple, as foolishly claimed by some propaganda-mongers. Everything is full of sense and logic, and the exchange of views between the master and disciple is possible only when the reception is submissive and real. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that one should receive the teaching of Lord Caitanya with intellect and full senses so that one can logically understand the great mission.
In the impure state of a living being, the various senses are fully engaged in mundane affairs. If the ear is not engaged in the service of the Lord by hearing about Him from Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, certainly the holes of the ear will be filled with some rubbish. Therefore the messages of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be preached all over the world very loudly. That is the duty of a pure devotee who has actually heard about them from the perfect sources. Many want to speak something to others, but because they are not trained to speak on the subject matter of Vedic wisdom they are all speaking nonsense, and people are receiving them with no sense. There are hundreds and thousands of sources for distributing mundane news of the world, and people of the world are also receiving it. Similarly, the people of the world should be taught to hear the transcendental topics of the Lord, and the devotee of the Lord must speak loudly so that they can hear. The frogs loudly croak, with the result that they invite the snakes to eat them. The human tongue is especially given for chanting the Vedic hymns and not for croaking like frogs. The word asatī used in this verse is also significant. Asatī means a woman who has become a prostitute. A prostitute has no reputation for good womanly qualities. Similarly, the tongue, which is given to the human being for chanting the Vedic hymns, will be considered a prostitute when engaged in chanting some mundane nonsense.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
So in this verse we have condemnation of the senses used for the wrong purposes. So the ear if it is not used to hear about the glories of the Lord becomes useless. So that is compared here to the ear holes of a snake. So in other words the snake has no ears [Laughs]. So you can’t hear. So if you are hearing nonsense it is equivalent to not hearing at all. And if the tongue and voice are not used to glorify the Lord, that is kirtan, then it is like the croaking of a frog.
So of course, normally the senses in the material world are used for material benefits and we simply end up in ignorance and accrue karma. However if we employ them with connection to the Lord, with devotion, we don’t get karma. We don’t have any material effect. On the contrary, by doing so we destroy all karma, we destroy all ignorance. Furthermore not only we destroy the ignorance and karma, but we develop prema. So this looks very mysterious. The senses give us prema, but the senses also give us ignorance. So of course, the logic would be stop the senses and then you stop your ignorance and you stop your karma. So that is the process used in Astanga Yoga as previously was described and in Jnana. Because it is difficult to stop the senses, the yogi or the jnani isolate themselves so they don’t get access to all sorts of sense objects for the senses. And then they have to practice controlling the senses.
So the Vedic scriptures describe these processes and they also describe the result. You can stop your senses, you can stop your mind and then you end up in Samadhi. So the scriptures describe, you can destroy all of your karma and you can get liberation. So the scriptures do not deny that. You can get liberation by stopping all your senses and doing yoga or jnana. But the person doesn’t get prema. And furthermore the process is very difficult. So in Bhagavad Gita chapter 12 Krishna says it is full of suffering.
So the alternative process is engage the senses in devotion. So in Bhagavad Gita for instance Krishna describes the activities of the devotees, he is constantly discussing about the Lord, chanting His glories and remembering the Lord. So the question becomes how can those senses which cause us ignorance and karma destroy ignorance and karma? And the answer is they are focused on the Supreme Lord with devotion. That’s what makes the senses operate differently.
So that is why Prabhupada in the second line of the purport says it is the transcendental dynamic force of the spirit soul. You use your senses etc. Behind that is the force and devotion of the Jiva. So when the Jiva has devotion and then employs the senses in serving Krishna, the senses do not give us a negative effect. So they give twofold effect. They destroy the karma and the ignorance which is the result of Jnana and Yoga. However in addition to that and more important for the devotee is that Jiva develops spiritual senses. And not just with his material senses serving, he eventually develops spiritual senses to serve the Lord.
So when that spiritual body with the spiritual senses is fully manifested, then that Jiva attains Prema. So how is this possible? We know that association is very important. If you associate with materialist, you become materialistic. If you associate with a person who likes to drink, you also become a drunkard [Laughs]. If you associate with a person who likes to eat, you also eat a lot. If you associate with a sattvic person, you become sattvic. If you associate with a devotee, you become devotional. So the practice of Bhakti is to associate with Krishna. And what is Krishna? Krishna is a person with a form, qualities and activities. So by doing Bhakti and associating with Krishna, we also develop a form with senses and activities. But Krishna’s form, qualities and activities are all spiritual. So the Jiva also develops form, qualities and activities which are fully spiritual. So this process works because there is a connection with the Supreme Lord. And the Supreme Lord is full of all inconceivable Shaktis.
So, we have already described that Bhakti is a Shakti of the Lord, which is from the internal energy of the Lord. So, when the Jiva expresses Bhakti, he is actually employing this Bhakti Shakti of the Lord. The more he serves the Lord purely, the more he develops this Shakti. So, at a certain point, he attains Bhava. And Bhava is described as a manifestation of the Hladini and Samvit Shaktis of the Lord.
So, the Jiva who has Bhava is quite different from a materialistic Jiva, because he has this internal energy of the Lord also with him. So, with that internal energy of the Lord, obviously, the Jiva can manifest his spiritual body, spiritual senses, rasa, etc. So, ultimately, Bhakti is very, very effective because it is actually the spiritual Shakti of Krishna. So, it is this Shakti which resides in the Jiva. But it does not manifest nicely until we get to Bhava. So, that is why we distinguish Bhava from Sadhana Bhakti. But, when we are doing Sadhana Bhakti, it does not mean there is no Shakti of the Lord there, Bhakti itself is still there. But, it is not manifested fully.
So, a devotee who has a little bit of the Shakti of the Lord, not fully manifested, he can also spread that to other people. So, this is why the devotees do preaching work, because they are spreading that Shakti to others. Of course, Prabhupada in the purport also mentions, it is not like an electrical charge. So, many devotees think that when they take initiation, suddenly they get some little charge there. Perhaps, it’s in the fire. Maybe, it’s in the beads. Maybe, it’s in the name. But then, Prabhupada said, actually, what is transmitted is knowledge. Krishna spoke, Arjuna received. So, in other words, the main function of a Guru is to give knowledge to a disciple. That knowledge itself is also Bhakti. That is also the internal energy of the Lord.
So, we know that the Samvit Shakti means the knowledge Shakti. So, scripture itself is Samvit Shakti. So, if a devotee imparts scripture to others, then he is conveying the Samvit Shakti of the Lord. So, in this way, the devotees of the Lord function on behalf of the Lord and they function in a superior way if they have more purity. Just as electricity travels through wire. But we cannot make wire out of wood or rocks. Or rope. We need a good conductor. So, the scripture revealed by a materialist is like rope or stone or whatever. It doesn’t convey anything [Laughs].
So, the scientists discovered that copper wire conducts electricity very good. So, those who are devotees, those who are practicing pure Bhakti, they convey this Shakti of the Lord nicely. Of course, we have even better conductors. So, I think silver is a better conductor than copper. So, if you use silver wire instead of copper wire, light will burn brighter [Laughs]. So, similarly, if the devotee is pure, then of course, more Shakti is conveyed. But nevertheless, all the devotees, to some degree, are conveying the Shakti of the Lord. So, because they are good conductors, then we have to give proper respect. And it is by giving them proper respect that we can receive the knowledge nicely. So, this is the way in which we can receive the mercy of the Lord through the instructions.
So, we can say that the wire conducts the electricity, but unless you turn the switch on, then the light bulb doesn’t light up. So, as Prabhupada said, when the reception is submissive and real, then we get the current flowing, like turning the light on. When one is submissive, then one’s own senses and intelligence are receptive. So, this is the process by which we can counteract everything in the material world and get prema, and that is engaging our senses for Krishna.
Hare Krishna!
Q & A :
1.) Maharaj you were saying that when one gets prema, then his spiritual body is fully manifest. In Bhava its little bit manifest. So what do you mean by it? Because this spiritual body is not creation of something it is coming from the Lord’s Sandhini shakti but how this manifesting without any creation?
So, everything spiritual is eternal. So, bhakti is eternal, the forms are eternal in the spiritual world. Bhava is eternal, prema is eternal. So, it is described that we don’t create bhava by sadhana, but it is just simply manifested through sadhana. So, nitya-siddhasya, it is nitya-siddha.
Of course, we may assume that if it is nitya-siddha, we always have prema. But if we always have prema, then we wouldn’t be here in the material world [Laughs]. So, that is why it says, you know by the mercy of Guru and Krishna, you get the seed of bhakti, and that develops into prema, so it wasn’t there before in one sense. But nevertheless, bhakti is eternal, but it is not necessarily in the jiva permanently. And then that develops into bhava, which is ultimately eternal, so it is not created. So, simultaneously with the development of bhava, and we can say non-different from it, is the spiritual body with the spiritual senses. You cannot have bhava unless you have some perception, so you have to have senses, etc.
So, like the bhava, the spiritual body also has to be eternal. So, it cannot be created when you get bhava, it simply manifests like the bhava. So, if that body is eternal, but when we are in the material world, we don’t have it, where did it come from [Laughs]? So, it is like bhakti itself. We don’t have bhakti now, but we get bhakti when we start the process with faith. Where did it come from? So, it comes from the spiritual world, it comes from Krishna Himself. Of course, we could ask, well, how does it exist? They are already separate from us [Laughs]. But, we cannot, with our material logic, understand the existence of everything in the spiritual world.
So, in one section of commentary on Bhagavatam, Jiva Goswami, I think it is the third canto something, maybe second canto, third canto, there he describes the spiritual world and then he says that there are these forms of the people serving the Lord there. So, then he says that the jivas who go there, receive one of those forms. So, it forms similar to the ones who already are there in the jivas or whatever. So, somehow they manifest. So, somehow they exist eternally with Krishna [Laughs].
2.) So, it is said, I think Krishna sandarbha also brings this point, that this spiritual body is like a giving a gift to the soul who is doing sadhana. Its like a gift due to his devotion. So, that means this body is ever existing, it’s there.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: With the Lord.
Devotee: With the Lord. But now, according to the bhava or prema or devotion, that body is given to the conditioned soul.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah. So, the state of bhava with hladini and samvit shaktis cannot exist unless there is a body to go with it. So, they are bound up together. So, we say the appearance of bhava means the appearance of a spiritual body. Because bhava means you have a relationship with Krishna and Dasya or Sakhya. To do that, you need a body. You have to serve the Lord in that body. So, the two things go together and they manifest. But they are eternal. It is eternal.
3.) Maharaj, in Harinama Cintamani and Jaiva Dharma, it’s written that we have to get the age, name, form and what bhava, what relationship we have, that also developed in that level or which level?
So, if you develop bhava, then bhava actually means a sthayi bhava, which could be santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya. So by bhava stage, you develop your relationship and simultaneous, as I said, you cannot separate that from your body. So, if you’re in madhurya rasa, obviously you get a gopi body, but if you’re in sakhya, you get a cowherd boy body, but that will manifest in bhava also, simultaneous with your bhava state. So, in raganuga sadhana bhakti, there is a process of pre-selecting your form. Yes. So, it’s not your actual spiritual form, but becomes your form, because you concentrate on it, because what you think of you become. So, you think of the cowherd boy, cowherd boy, cowherd boy, you become a cowherd boy, you think of gopi, gopi, gopi, you become a gopi [Laughs].
And to make it more specific, particularly in Madhurya Rasa, then they have this particular process developed by Dhyanacandra Goswami, in which the Guru gives you a particular identity as a Manjari in a certain group, with a certain service, a certain complexion, a certain dress, etc. And with that, then you serve Krishna in meditation. But it may be given by a particular Guru or whatever, but it could also develop spontaneously within yourself. And if you don’t follow that process, then still, you get a spiritual body, you go to the spiritual world.
So those that worship Vishnu in Sri Sampradaya, then they go to the spiritual world and get a spiritual body. But they never meditated on their spiritual body, on this form or that service or whatever. They go to the spiritual world and get a form anyway [Laughs]. So that method of meditating on your form is a way of speeding up the process of somewhat.
4.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Maharaj, we also hear this, like, just mechanically by moving our senses, we cannot get Prema. Only a pure devotee can give Prema because he has it. Like, then what is the use of doing sadhana, like struggling to do sadhana?
So a Prema Bhakta can give Prema, but he doesn’t always give Prema. So Narada Muni came to Dhruva, he came to Prahlad, they didn’t immediately give Prema. They did sadhana or whatever. So bestowing Prema is rare, Kripa Siddhi is rare. And even the Prema Bhaktas are rare. So we cannot depend on that process to get Prema [Laughs]. So the knowable process is Sadhana.
5.) But as Prema Bhakta has a Prema, he can give the Prema to the conditioned soul, but the way of getting the Prema is a Sadhana, can you say? The way of getting the Prema from the Prema Bhakta is Sadhana?
So the power of the Prema Bhakta is such he gives mercy to a person who has done no Bhakti, he can get Prema. Or if he is just beginning Bhakti, he gives mercy and they can also get Prema. If a person is on Bhava, then he can give mercy to a person who is practicing Bhakti and he can bring them up to Bhava.
6) Is there an example that a Prema Bhakta is giving directly Prema to a Bhakta without Sadhana?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah. Yeah, well like Mrgari the hunter.
Devotee: Three months he did Sadhana.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah, but he got the mercy of Narada Muni, so three months he got Bhava. But he started with no practice.
Devotee: But still he started chanting some name, but three months he did, and within three months he got Bhava. So it’s still the Sadhana. I’m saying that is there any example in the scriptures or Puranas, you know, that getting Prema from the Prema Bhakta without doing any Sadhana directly, just you get this Prema.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Without doing anything, I can’t think right now. Of course Krishna when he kills the demons, he can get Prema. So Kripa Siddhi can be from Krishna or Narada Muni. When Krishna kills the demons, he can get Prema.
Devotee: You see, Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell in the ocean, you know. Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell in the ocean, you know, in the ocean, and fishermen caught him. Whoever caught him, they got the Prema. We can say as an example.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Yeah, yeah.
7.) Maharaj, why I asked this question is, you have mentioned, just by doing Sadhana, the senses get spiritualized but the emphasis is not on only a pure devotee can give Prema, but the emphasis on, we hear this statement just by doing mechanically, moving the senses, we cannot attain Bhakti, not necessarily Prema, you can say Bhakti. But you have mentioned, just by doing this, our senses get spiritualized. That’s why I ask. Just by doing Sadhana, our senses get spiritualized, is what you have mentioned, Maharaj. But we also hear this statement, just by mechanically moving our senses, we cannot attain Bhakti.
Yeah, so Bhakti means… Bhakti means we use the senses, but also ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ. So it’s not mechanical. Because we have faith, and with faith we are engaging our senses without any other desire than the desire to please Krishna.
8.) Maharaj, you have mentioned also this, Maharaj, purity of a devotee. So what defines this purity, Maharaj? Is it without Anartha, or like what is it the purity defines?
So, of course, the ultimate pure devotee is a person in Prema. But we define pure Bhakti as Sadhana, Bhava and Prema. So then when we say pure devotee, it could mean any of these categories. But a person in Sadhana and even in Bhava, they have Anartha. But it is not so prominent as to contaminate the Bhakti.
9.) Maharaj, we are saying that when one does Sadhana, his senses get spiritualized. So senses getting spiritualized and manifesting spiritual body, both are same and different.
No, because we know that at a certain point, even a Prema Bhakta who has a body, he gives up that body. And it’s quite different from his spiritual body. And then he goes to the spiritual world in his spiritual body. So there he has senses in the material body, which are no longer giving material effects. But they are completely differentagain from the form of the spiritual senses and spiritual body that he has serving Krishna directly. So that’s why we call them spiritualized senses as opposed to spiritual senses.
10.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Vishwamitra has fallen down from his position because he is not having spiritual senses, because of material senses. Is the understanding correct, Maharaj? He has fallen down on the attraction of Menaka.
He had Prema? No. Yeah, he was up in like Svarga or something. So it wasn’t spiritual.
11.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. What does it mean exactly? Surrender to the Lord means. Does only a Brahmachari can achieve this? What is the main problem that general people can’t achieve this and what is the solution, Maharaj?
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says surrender. So, there is a particular definition of six qualities, doing what is favourable, avoiding what is unfavourable, being very humble and whatever, offering everything to the Lord, depending on the Lord completely for His protection, etc. So there are six factors that constitute that surrender. And of course, one of the major factors there is one considers oneself completely dependent on the Lord. So in Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, one group depends only on that one, mainly on that surrender as their preliminary [Laughs] anga of Bhakti [Laughs]. Only anga of Bhakti maybe we can say. Jiva Goswami also in Bhakti Sandarbha, places that to be the first anga of bhakti because without that surrender, feeling of surrender you really cannot practise the other angas.
12.) What is the main problem, Maharaj, that general people can’t be able to achieve this surrender to the Lord.
The main problem is that everybody wants to get their own enjoyment in the material world.
13.) Maharaj, how can we identify a bhakta Bhagavatam? Is there any categories?
Well, we should apply the definition given by Rupa Goswami in Nectar of devotion. Either a person is following the definition or not following the definition.
14.) Hare Krishna Maharaj, thank you for a very wonderful session. We often hear about the importance of association with like-minded devotee, at the same time, there are many devotees and speakers available today from different Sampradayas. And even the Gaudiya vaishnava Sampradaya, there are many different speakers and perspectives. How should we understand the benefit of associating specifically with the like-minded devotees? And how to decide whom we should primarily hear and take guidance while still maintaining respect for the devotees?
So we have to give respect to all living entities. But particularly we give the respect to those following the process of pure bhakti. And they will be within the four Sampradayas. But if we choose to follow Lord Caitanya, then we make our association mainly with people following Lord Caitanya. So if we choose Krishna as the ultimate goal, then if we associate with people worshipping Vishnu, it’s not going to work [Laughs]. So according to one’s goals, then one selects the proper association.
15.) Maharaj, books like Nectar of Instruction verse 5 and Jaiva Dharma emphasizes that we should associate with Uttama Adhikaris. If these Uttama Adhikaris are so rare, then why are we given these instruction? Can we say that Uttama Adhikaris are becoming rarer because we are moving further away from the time of Lord Caitanya? Or is there any other reason?
I don’t think it says anywhere that you only associate with Uttama Adhikaris in Nectar of Devotion or Bhagavatam or Jaiva dharma. I don’t think it ever says that. Of course, it is always favourable for one’s spiritual development to seek the highest type of devotee one can get. And, of course, the Uttama Adhikari who is in Prema is rare. And in Bhagavatam it is described that Uttama Adhikari doesn’t distinguish between devotee and demon, he sees everybody is devotee so he doesn’t preach [Laughs]. So even if he does exist, then he is not going to be preaching. Therefore, the most available persons are the Madhyama devotees.
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!!! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj ki jai!!! Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!! Nitai Gaura Premanande Hari Haribol!!!