Text 18
vāraṇendraṁ puraskṛtya
brāhmaṇaiḥ sasumaṅgalaiḥ
śaṅkha-tūrya-ninādena
brahma-ghoṣeṇa cādṛtāḥ
pratyujjagmū rathair hṛṣṭāḥ
praṇayāgata-sādhvasāḥ
Translation
They hastened toward the Lord on chariots with brāhmaṇas bearing flowers. Before them were elephants, emblems of good fortune. Conchshells and bugles were sounded, and Vedic hymns were chanted. Thus they offered their respects, which were saturated with affection.
Purport
The Vedic way of receiving a great personality creates an atmosphere of respect, which is saturated with affection and veneration for the person received. The auspicious atmosphere of such a reception depends on the paraphernalia described above, including conchshells, flowers, incense, decorated elephants, and the qualified brāhmaṇas reciting verses from the Vedic literatures. Such a program of reception is full of sincerity, on the part of both the receiver and the received.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj :
So, in the material world, we have various types of objects. Of course, everything is classified by gunas and for auspiciousness generally we don’t want to display tamoguna and Rajoguna. We would display Sattva guna and of course we also know that by choosing different gunas and objects in different gunas we also take up that particular guna.
As Rupa Goswami explains in Nectar of devotion, people are like Spatikas, crystals.So this Spatika itself has no color,but if we put it near a red flower, it looks red. Put it near a blue flower, it looks blue. So, people are like Spatikas. They go near a Tamoguna person, they become Tamoguna. They go near a Sattva guna person, they become Sattva guna.
So therefore, he says that the wise man chooses his association very carefully because he will get affected by that. Of course, in terms of devotion, you associate with materialists, you become materialistic. You associate with devotees, you become devotional.
So, association is a very powerful influence on us. So, in the material world, within the Vedic system, they try to at least surround themselves with Sattvic items. So, the scriptures define which are the auspicious items.
So, those are considered to be items that you would surround yourself with and all the other items would be things which would put you in the lower guna. So, we don’t associate with those things.
On our own, we don’t really know what is the nature of an object. But then of course, by experience sometimes, we learn this object is good, this is bad, etc. and the scriptures, they tell us that we don’t have to experiment too much.
So, the Vedas, they praise certain objects. For instance, they will praise water and we see that water takes a very important place in all spiritual practices.
Sometimes, we have these Adivas ceremonies. So, we show various objects. So, these are the auspicious objects.
So, we will show turmeric, for instance, or kumkum, or a mirror, or here, we have a conch shell. So, these are shown to create auspiciousness.
Similarly, if one is following scriptures very nicely, then when one wakes up in the morning, one should see auspicious objects. So, one should see a cow. One should see fire, the Homa fire. One should see a full pot of water. This is the whole list of things that you should see in the morning, make your morning auspicious. In terms of devotion, we transform that and say, okay, what you should see in the morning, you should see the Supreme Lord.
So, therefore, we have darshan of the deity. So, in this way, certain objects in the world are designated as auspicious and to show those objects is considered to be a sign of respect. That is why we do the arati ceremony also.
Of course, logically, the Lord is all auspicious. He doesn’t need anything to make him auspicious. We offer these things to show our own devotion. So, in the material world, of course, these objects are there and for anyone who is in high position, respectable, then you offer these items. The Supreme Lord is not an ordinary living entity or even a king or whatever, but we follow the same procedures and therefore, we have rules.
You offer this, you don’t offer that, that and that and in this way, we offer devotional service to the Lord. Of course, someone may object, well, I don’t have any of these items, so what should I do? Ultimately, the items themselves are not so important because as Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, you have to offer everything with devotion.
Otherwise, I don’t accept it. So, in Deity worship, if you don’t have the items, then there is a provision. You can think of offering the item and instead you offer water. So, if you don’t have anything, then you can simplify everything, but at least the respect is due. Of course, maybe you don’t have water. So, then the ultimate form of worship is Manasa Puja.
You worship in the mind. So, how do we worship in the mind? We offer the same items, but mentally. So, you don’t have anything, you offer flowers in the mind, you offer Camara with the mind, you offer fan with the mind, jewels with the mind and the Lord is equally satisfied with that. So, of course, all these things in Deity worship are defined what you should offer.
So, there is a story told of the Brahmana and he was very poor. No means of doing worship at all , but then he heard a lecture and the speaker said that actually you could just do everything in your mind if you don’t have anything. You do it all in your mind and the Lord is very satisfied.
So, the Brahmana was very happy because this is the way in which he could worship even though he didn’t have any items. Moreover, in his mind he could offer anything. So, he sat down in meditation and began to offer everything. So, he performed a whole worship just as we were on the altar by offering Asana, Argya, bathing the Deity, dressing the Deity, placing them on a throne. But he was not limited so he could offer water in gold pots. He could offer the finest clothes and the most precious jewels. and he did this all in his mind. At the end of the worship, near the end of the worship, there is Naivedya making a food offering. So, he got some payasam, sweet rice. and he is holding the pot and taking it to offer to the Deity. But his thumb happened to go into the sweet rice and the sweet rice was very hot and his thumb got burned and when his thumb burned, he kind of woke up out of his meditation and then he saw his thumb was burned.
So, it is said in that story that the Supreme Lord and Lakshmi in Vaikuntha were laughing, but as a result of that devotion, Vishnu took him to Vaikuntha.
So, the point is that he made an offering to the Lord. He served the Lord by offering different items. They were not material at all because he was doing everything in his mind and most important, mind is also material but most important was he had devotion and thus the Lord accepted it. So, therefore we have to give respect to the Lord and to show that respect, then we offer things to the Lord.
So, here they are chanting Vedic hymns of praise. They are blowing conch shells. They are offering flowers, etc. But most important in the last line says it was pranaya, very great affection for the Lord. So, of course, respect is important. But more than respect, the affection is important.
So, the people of Dwaraka had great affection for Krishna and this was expressed through these various items. Of course, people will say, well, I don’t have anything. I can’t also meditate because my mind is uncontrolled.
So, alternative offering without any meditation which will satisfy the Lord is Nama Sankirtanam. Even if we can’t offer flowers, even if we can’t do deity worship, even if we don’t have conch shells and flowers or whatever, we chant the name, the Lord is completely satisfied.
So, the Lord provides all sorts of methods by which we can express our devotion. We can offer items as in deity worship. We can do it mentally or we can simply chant the name. The benefit of the name is that even if there is no devotion, it still has an effect. So, later in the Bhagavatam, in Canto 6, it says that even if you are falling off a cliff or you are getting beaten by dacoits or you are getting bitten by a snake and you happen to chant the name of the Lord, very good, the Lord is going to save you. So, such chanting is enough to get rid of your karmas.
But if we want prema, then we should chant with devotion. So, this is the easy process by which we can advance and therefore recommended by Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the people of Kali Yuga. So, our Goswamis, of course, do not reject all these other items.
Sankirtana is there, the main item, but we can do everything else as well. But if we do all these other items, there must also be Nama Sankirtana. So, that is the most auspicious of all and it is completely non-material.
Hare Krishna.
Q&A
1) In the beginning of the class, you were explaining that there are different items, which is a different bonus. You were saying that there are items which are auspicious that we offer to the Lord. So, the question is that we see in the material world there is always contamination. So, how this item is auspicious? Because in every item there is a contamination. How can you say that, that item is auspicious?
Ultimately, everything in the material world is material. Therefore, it is not auspicious. All we can do is speak of relative auspiciousness. So, Gunas are there, ultimately all material, all bondage, but Sattva Guna is better. Sattva Guna leads to peaceful mind, so you can meditate, so you can understand I am Atma, not the material body. So, items in the material world which incurs Sattva are relatively auspicious compared to other items.
Of course, because you also offer everything to Krishna, it becomes spiritual, not Sattva Guna. So, we get the flower off. So, things are according to Gunas, then they have their qualities, preferable things should be in Sattva.
Even then, there is relative cleanliness and dirtiness, and therefore the items should be clean in Sattva Guna. Everything has to be purified. So, even if it is Sattvic, we have to purify it by different methods.
Of course, even then, it is not really pure, because it is still material. But, it is the best we can do in the material world, so we offer that Sattvic item which has been purified properly to the Lord. That is the only way we can offer things in the material world, with devotion.
2) Your explanation is that if one does not have anything to worship, one can do the Manasa Puja. So, in the same way, in Iskcon we have many devotees who are living in different places, in different areas. But, normally it is said that one should live in the Dhama. This is one of the 5 important Angas (5 angas which are important out of 64 angas). So, the question is that, living in the Dhama , can he live in the Dhama mentally? But, the problem is that meditation is for some time,temporary- it is not for always.
But, if one lives in the Dhama , he is living always, because, the Dhama has its own potency So the question is “is it possible for him to get the permanent result? “.
As long as we are not in Prema, even if we are in the Dhama , there is going to be imperfection. So, if you are living in the Dhama , but you are materially contaminated, you don’t get so much effect. In fact, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, people who are materialistic, go to the Dhama , they may even live there.
They are not really living in the Dhama at all. Nevertheless, for devotees, they have some sincere attitude.
If they live there permanently, obviously, then they have a continual effect of the Dhama . But, of course, not everybody can live in the Dhama , for various reasons. So, Jiva Goswami says, well, if you can’t live there, then you meditate on the Dhama .But, of course, we cannot meditate all the time on the Dhama , because we are doing so many things all day long. So, of course, the real alternative to everything is Nama Sankirtana. You can’t meditate all the time, but you can chant the holy name all the time. That will have the effect of living in the Dhama also.
3) It is mentioned by Bhaktivinoda Thakur that mental chanting or Manasik Japa doesn’t have any offense.,but other than the Manasik Japa, we do loud chanting, they may have some offenses, if not done purely. So, could you please explain that?
Well, whether it is loud or Manasik, there can still be offense.
So, we have the ten aparadhas, and whether you are chanting loudly or softly, you can still have the same aparadhas. .
4) So basically if there is one person who is very sincere and attentively chanting, reading Prabhupada books, but he is formally not initiated, then will that person go back to Godhead?,because they say, without Guru, you can’t enter the spiritual world. If a person is following all the rules and regulations very sincerely, but he is not formally initiated, not taking Diksha, so will that person go back to Godhead?
If you can’t get initiated, you cannot go back to Godhead? Where does it say that? Does it say that anywhere? I don’t think it says that anywhere.
Except in Pancaratra, it will say that. Yeah. If you don’t get initiated, you go to hell or something like that. So that’s a Pancaratra statement. For us, chanting the holy name takes you to Prema. That’s all and it’s not dependent on Diksha.
5) You told about association. So, association, like when we associate, how do we get to know like what kind of devotee he is like advanced or elevated? How can we know and how can we take their association? Like how do we identify which type of person to associate? How do we identify the person? Those who are Kanishta’s, they cannot detect anything.?
They don’t know. So those who are Madhyama’s, they are defined by the ability to make distinctions. So the Madhyama avoids non devotees, associates with devotees and he gives instruction to the Kanishta’s, those who are inferior in terms of their Bhakti and he also serves those who are superior. So to do that, they have to have the ability to make some distinctions. That ability may not be perfect, Nevertheless, they have to make this attempt at distinguishing. Of course, they can also consult with other devotees.
Ultimately, by their own experience, then they can understand what is most favorable for their advancement. Just as the example is given of growing a plant from seeds and we have to have a little knowledge in order to make the plant grow properly and to do that, we can also get advice from other devotees. We take the advice and we follow it. If it doesn’t grow anyway, bad advice, must be bad advice. Follow other advice and then it grows. So we take that association.
6) When someone practices Krishna Consciousness, in the beginning he is in Kanishta Adhikari. So while practicing, he comes to the Madhyama Adhikari. So the question is, “is there any chance for the Madhyama Adhikari to come back again to Kanishka Adhikari?. If there is any chance, what is the cause for that chance?”.
So the quality of the Kanishta is, he does not take association of devotees. So a person who is seriously practicing Bhakti, can leave Bhakti, stop the association, stop practicing Bhakti, etc. That is usually due to Asat Sangam, bad association. and that bad association usually leads to Aparadha. and this will weaken the Bhakti.
Sub question: Will the Madhyama Adhikari also become a Kanishta?
Yeah, even if he is a Madhyama, and if he commits Aparadha , whoever has bad association, he may become a Kanishka, or maybe even an Atheist, who knows.
7) How to chant with Bhakti. Mind is material and mind will never remember Krishna. It only goes to illusion and remember the material situation which Is not real. So how to get out of this illusion and chant with bhakti?
Not only the mind is material, the eye is material, everything is material.So when you see, you are seeing material things, you are not seeing anything spiritual. However, we can engage material mind, material senses in Bhakti. We do so with faith and devotion, then we get a spiritual effect, even though these instruments are material.
But it requires practice. As Krishna says to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita, yes, mind is uncontrollable, whatever, but you have to practice.
Like the senses are compared to the wild horses. But you can also train horses. Like you have dogs, you can train the dog, so he is not so wild.
So the mind and the senses can be brought under control. But it requires practice.
8) Is attachment and sangathiyam the same, or are they different?
Well, it depends on the uses of words in the Sanskrit. Of course, sanga can mean attachment or association. But in terms of material energy, attachment is bad, material attachment, material sanga is bad. But then, of course, we have the other attachment, attachment to Krishna. That’s good. and we have association with the devotees. That is good.
9 ) As devotees, we interact with other devotees, and sometimes because of their impurities, it has negative influence on us. Should we still continue to associate with such devotees because there is always some misunderstanding, or shall we just do Nama Sankirtanam and read Prabhupada books and get prema and avoid such association?
In terms of association, as I said, we choose the association. So we choose that association which is favorable for our devotional development. If it’s not favorable, then we avoid that.
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam Ki.. Jai ! Srila Prabhupad Ki.. Jai !! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj Ki.. Jai !!