Text 36

tatra tatra ha tatratyair
hariḥ pratyudyatārhaṇaḥ
sāyaṁ bheje diśaṁ paścād
gaviṣṭho gāṁ gatas tadā

Translation

On His journey through these provinces He was welcomed, worshiped and given various presentations. In the evening, in all places, the Lord suspended His journey to perform evening rites. This was regularly observed after sunset.

Purport

It is said here that the Lord observed the religious principles regularly while He was on the journey. There are certain philosophical speculations that even the Lord is under the obligations of fruitive action. But actually this is not the case. He does not depend on the action of any good or bad work. Since the Lord is absolute, everything done by Him is good for everyone. But when He descends to the earth, He acts for the protection of the devotees and for the annihilation of the impious nondevotees. Although He has no obligatory duty, still He does everything so that others may follow. That is the way of factual teaching; one must act properly himself and teach the same to others, otherwise no one will accept one’s blind teaching. He is Himself the awarder of fruitive results. He is self-sufficient, and yet He acts according to the rulings of the revealed scripture in order to teach us the process. If He does not do so, the common man may go wrong. But in the advanced stage, when one can understand the transcendental nature of the Lord, one does not try to imitate Him. This is not possible.

The Lord in human society does what is the duty of everyone, but sometimes He does something extraordinary and not to be imitated by the living being. His acts of evening prayer as stated herein must be followed by the living being, but it is not possible to follow His mountain-lifting or dancing with the gopīs. One cannot imitate the sun, which can exhaust water even from a filthy place; the most powerful can do something which is all-good, but our imitation of such acts will put us into endless difficulty. Therefore, in all actions, the experienced guide, the spiritual master, who is the manifested mercy of the Lord, should always be consulted, and the path of progress will be assured.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Tenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Dvārakā.”

HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj :

So, in this purport, Srila Prabhupada discusses how the Lord acted according to the principles of dharma. Not only here, but in many places in the Bhagavatam, particularly the tenth canto, we see Krishna acting according to the principles that he has set up for the people.

Based on that, some people will attack or criticize and say, he is just acting like us. He is ordinary. He follows the rules.

He has to follow the rules like everybody else. But in the Bhagavatam and other scriptures, even Bhagavad Gita, it is clearly stated that it is Supreme Lord who makes the principles of dharma. He establishes the system of varnashrama.

He is doing all of that. So, in that sense, he is above those rules. Just as the government makes the rules or the king makes the rules for a country.

However, of course, we know that the makers of rules for a country are imperfect. So, therefore, the rules that the Lord sets up are perfect. So, in one sense, he does not have to follow, but when he comes into the material world, then he often does follow.

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains this, whatever the great man does, other people follow. Therefore, I also follow dharma for that reason, so that other people will follow. Of course, that is the general rule.

And people who do not follow, they are considered to be criminals. But even in the varnashrama system, there are some people who do not follow the rules. They are called the paramahamsas.

So, they do not belong to any varna. They do not belong to any ashrama. So, sannyasis are ashrama within the varna system, paramahamsa beyond.

Yet, this person gets the highest respect by everybody in the varnashrama system. So, this shows that the rules are there for the population in general, but at the same time, if one has got a high spiritual standard, he does not have to follow. So, they are not absolute rules.

For this reason, we often see in the Bhagavad Gita and by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself, that I do not care for dharma. I reject this whole system. So, he does not care for dharma.

He rejects this whole system. Typically, in the Bhagavad Gita, dharma is said to be connected with artha and kama. And the intelligent person should reject these things.

So, therefore, these rules of dharma and artha, kama, etc., though they are followed by everyone, the king also follows, Krishna also follows those rules, they are not absolute rules. The Bhagavad Gita also says that even if you are not a paramahamsa, but you accept bhakti, you are not obliged to follow all those rules. So, those who are very attached to following all the rules, they are shocked when they see these statements in the Bhagavad Gita.

So, people who neglect their rules, don’t follow all the rules, they are considered to be sinful. So, they see the devotees neglecting all the rules and they say, ah, they are sinful. Devotees are sinful.

Vaishnavas are sinful. So, then the devotee may feel, well, if I don’t do all of these rules, I will be sinful. But, in the very definition of bhakti given by Rupa Goswami, there it says, jnana, karma, anavratam.

It should not be obstructed by jnana, karma, etc., this bhakti. So, how can dharma, which is established by the Lord, be an obstruction to bhakti? One is, main motivation for dharma, varnashrama system is artha and kama. So, if we practice these things and we are interested in artha and kama, this can contaminate our bhakti.

However, if we do all the rules of varnashrama but it is nishkama, we have no desire for anything, then fine. But, then someone will criticize, well, why do them at all? You are not getting anything out of these rules, no artha, no kama, why do them? Yes, we see Pandavas following all the great devotees, Ambarish following. Only reason is, they are setting an example for others.

So, just as Krishna sets an example for others by following, some of the devotees also follow. Well, if a person is qualified, he can give up everything and not follow anything also. And still, there is no problem.

However, in relation to this, it is also stated by our commentators on these verses of the nectar devotion that, you may do the activities of karma, organ or even yoga, and should do without any desire or whatever. But, if you do them thinking that if I don’t do them, I’m sinful, this is also an artha, this is a problem. So, therefore, the devotee can do these things, but he should be very unattached to doing them also.

So, the devotees, to the extent that they have to support their body and their families, etc., and follow the rules of varnashrama to that extent. But, where the rules become contradictory or they influence us with our artha and karma, etc., then they should be rejected. So, this means that the rules of dharma are relative, they are not absolute.

But, performance of bhakti is absolute. We do it and we never stop doing it. Of course, someone can say, well, look, so many people are not doing bhakti in the material world.

Yes, they’re not doing and they’re not getting any permanent results. It’s true, but we say that they’re not getting any significant results. And to do bhakti, you have to have faith.

So, we cannot force people to do bhakti also. But, the thing is that bhakti also should be incorporated into karma yoga, jnana yoga, and astanga yoga. And if it’s not, those processes are also useless.

So, in this way, bhakti is, we can say, universal and absolute. And it’s not only here with varanashram, dharma on earth, etc. It’s applicable in svarga loka, jnana loka, tapa loka, satya loka, and also in hellish planets.

Same bhakti can be done everywhere. And whether you’re in the varanashram system or outside the varanashram system, you should do bhakti. And if you’re in the varanashram system, any varna, any ashram should do bhakti.

And any age, from childhood to death, should do bhakti. Process starts from beginning of Brahma’s life and goes on until end of Brahma’s life. Bhakti is everywhere.

Brahma’s a devotee. So, everywhere in the universe, at all times, bhakti is for everybody. But bhakti also, beyond the material world, in the spiritual world, bhakti.

So, in this way, bhakti, like the Lord, is absolute. It always has good effects. Prophecy of the Lord is absolute.

Everything done by him is good for everyone. Same with bhakti. It’s good for everybody.

Everyone’s qualified into bhakti, everybody should do bhakti. So, the dharma of the material world is relative. But bhakti is the nitya dharma.

So, this of course is the very theme of the Bhagavatam. However, not only is bhakti emphasized, but it is bhakti to Krishna. And bhakti for Krishna becomes even more powerful.

So, we should be inspired by the statements of Bhagavatam that encourage us to do bhakti. Hare Krishna. 

Q & A

1) What Krishna does is absolute. But when Krishna comes, he also performs the varnashrama dharma, which is not absolute. So, how can the absolute person do something which is not absolute, but he is supposed to be absolute? 

Ans: So, whatever the Lord does is perfect, but we should understand that some of the actions are suitable for different types of people. Whatever the Lord does is perfect, but we should understand that some of the actions are suitable for different types of people.

In killing the demons, they get benefit. So, the Lord establishes dharma in the material world for the people who are not qualified for bhakti. So, if they can’t follow bhakti, then at least they should follow dharma, karma yoga.

So, for those without bhakti, we can say dharma is absolute. So, for those without bhakti, we can say dharma is absolute. And if you don’t do it, then you are really condemned.

But if you do bhakti, then you don’t have to do the dharma. So, the rules are there and they are beneficial for the people in general. So, Prabhupada often says, anyone who is civilized should be following the varnashrama systems.

In that sense, absolute for certain type of people. When you use the term absolute, absolute means it should be good for everybody. When you say absolute, it means it’s good for everybody.

But when someone takes up the direct bhakti, those who are materialistic, they might not appreciate it. Well, we can say the absolute aspect of varnashrama is it has to include a little bhakti. If it doesn’t, it’s useless.

So, it’s the bhakti that gives us an absolute nature. And because of the inclusion of a little bhakti, hopefully, those people who follow the system will eventually become devotees and do bhakti. Because of the inclusion of a little bhakti, hopefully, those who follow the system will eventually become devotees and do bhakti.

2) Is there any difference of the result? If we do bhakti, pure bhakti, and we also do karma, organ or yoga, but it is not obstructive, doesn’t cover the bhakti, fine. Then it’s pure bhakti still. Same result.

Ans: So, many great devotees were doing this, kings were doing this, following dharma, but they were also doing bhakti. There was no fault in their following their dharma of being a king or whatever. Because they were completely unattached to it.

So, they get the same result. 

Qn 3) So, in our scriptures, it is mentioned that after leaving this body, the earthly planet, he goes to the hell or heaven to suffer or enjoy his previous deeds. So, after exhausting his punya or sinful reactions, he takes birth in this earthly planet. And after taking birth also, he has to undergo the reactions like deformities in the body as blind, deaf, ugly, etc.

So, why should he undergo two times punishment in hell as well as in this earth? Does his karma doesn’t become zero? And after coming here also, they are saying that you are suffering due to past misdeeds. Please clarify. 

Repeating the Question to maharaj (He is undergoing his punishment in the hell and as well as after taking birth in the earthly planet also, he’s having some sufferings like blind, deaf.)

So, the number of our karmas cannot be counted. So, some of the severe karmas get expended by hellish punishment, but still we’ve got billions of other karmas. So, we have to take birth again. So, in this life, we will expend some karmas, we still have piles more, plus we do more activities, we’re making more karmas. So, we keep going on like this. So, we keep accumulating more karmas, but still our karmas don’t get expended.

4) The question is that why does he undergo two times punishment in the hell and as well as after taking birth in the earthly planet also, (he’s having some sufferings like blind, deaf.)

So, some are very severe sinful activities, for that you get the hellish punishment.

5) There’s also different kinds of sanyasis, paramahamsas and different. So how can I understand what their level and this and that is? 

So there are technically four types of sanyasis.

Of course, these grades are not much followed. Even 500 years ago, probably, or 1,000 years, they weren’t really followed so much. But there’s four grades of sanyasis.

So they are one of the ashramas within the Varnashrama system. And for each class, there are rules. So they act in a certain way, they dress in a certain way, they do certain things.

And by that, we can recognize them as being sanyasis. One who reaches the highest stage of sanyasa then gives up everything and you can’t recognize him anymore. He’s no longer, we don’t know whether he’s sanyasi or whatever.

Doesn’t wear orange cloth, doesn’t carry a water pot, doesn’t have any key lock, nothing. So that is the person who is beyond the Varanasi system. In the Gaudiya sampradaya, then the Babaji is like that.

He doesn’t have any orange cloth, no danda, nothing, no sign of sanyaas or grihastha or anything. They don’t have any dandam, no laws or regulations. They live their life in any way.

6) Yesterday, according to the Vaishnava calendar, it was Bahulashtami. So, in Krishna’s period, when Krishna appeared in Dwapara Yuga, so at that time Radhakund and Shyamkund manifested. So, now during Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s period, according to Haribhakti Vilas, in the last 16th chapter, there’s this reference Maharaj. So it states that on the 8th day of the waning moon of Kartik month, that is on Bahulashtami day, Radhakund reappeared. Because when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went there, it reappeared on that day.

On the 8th waning moon day of Kartik month, that is the Bahulashtami, on that day Radhakund reappeared. Because it was lost over the period of time, it reappeared on that day when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went there. So does it make sense to even celebrate it on Bahulashtami day during the Kartik month? Because many devotees have this doubt.

One can celebrate it, but it’s actually not the appearance of Radhakund that appeared at a different time, actually in the springtime sometime. Thank you Maharaj. Online questions.

Hare Krishna Maharaj. Dandavit Pranam. You are servant Guru Kripa Mayadas.

7) We see that as we intensify bhakti, there seems to be an increase in reactions of karmic activities. Can we see that the increase of karmic reactions is directly proportional to increased bhakti? 

Well, it should be the opposite.

The more we do bhakti, the more we destroy karma. Thank you Maharaj. The next question is from Bhakta Ram Prabhu.

8) How to follow the Varnashrama Dharma just for namesake, without being affected? 

We perform Varnashrama Dharma without any motive of Artha, Dharma, Karma or Moksha. Fine. We can do it.

Then it is still pure. But we should not be attached to it. Because if we are attached to it and think we don’t do it, it is sinful.

That also becomes impurity in our bhakti. We should not be attached to Varnashrama Dharma. If we think that if we don’t do Varnashrama Dharma, we will be sinful, it will affect our bhakti.

9) How do I know that my bhakti practice is good enough to stop following Varnashrama Dharma regulations? 

Well, as I said, we don’t necessarily have to give up the Varnashrama duties.

At the same time, we should not just give them up as an excuse because we are lazy. So we say, I am a bhakti devotee. I don’t have to take bath.

That is just laziness. On the other hand, if we are trying to do bhakti and we have to take a bath and we have to chant mantras and bathe in a certain river and not take tap bath and do all this and follow all the rules according to scriptures, and if we don’t do that, we are sinful, then that is considered to be an anarta. Of course, who is asking the question, which rules of Varnashrama are you supposed to be following? Are you attached to or whatever? What are you following? So typical rules would be do pancha maha yagnas, do tarpanas, do sandhyavandana every day. Do your shraddha rites. Yeah, so these are Varnashrama duties. 

10) Can we call Krishna when we are in trouble? Is it against bhakti?   

Yeah, I think I explained this before. In the definition it says anyabhilashitasunya.  In general, other desires should be avoided in pure bhakti. Can we call Krishna when we are in trouble? Is it against bhakti? In general, other desires should be avoided in pure bhakti. So when in danger, then you can call out to Krishna.

But we don’t want to be calling out every day for material reasons. Then it becomes impurity. 

11) Which type of jnana obstructs bhakti? 

Jnana means knowledge. Knowledge of bhakti, knowledge of Krishna is an anga of bhakti.

It doesn’t obstruct. It is necessary for bhakti. The jnana which obstructs bhakti is impersonal jnana.

Study Upanishads to merge in Brahman and get liberation. Study Upanishads to merge in Brahman and get liberation. 

12) People who are worshipping Paramatma, they reach which particular planet after they die? 

If they worship Paramatma as yogis, they can realize Paramatma. But generally those people doing yoga actually want to merge into Paramatma.

But generally those people doing yoga actually want to merge into Paramatma. Thank you Maharaj. One last question from Sharmila Mataji.

13) Who is better, an impersonalist or a demigod worshipper?

Well, they are both considered to be avoided by the devotees. 

Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam Ki.. Jai ! Srila Prabhupad Ki.. Jai !! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj Ki.. Jai !!