Divinity and Divine Service

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:1. text and purports.

vyäsa uväca
iti sampraçna-saàhåñöo
vipräëäà raumaharñaëiù
pratipüjya vacas teñäà
pravaktum upacakrame
SYNONYMS
vyäsaù uväca—Vyäsa said; iti—thus; sampraçna—perfect inquiries; saàhåñöaù—perfectly satisfied; vipräëäm—of the sages there; raumaharñaëiù—the son of Romaharñaëa, namely Ugraçravä; pratipüjya—after thanking them; vacaù—words; teñäm—their; pravaktum—to reply to them; upacakrame—attempted.
TRANSLATION
Ugraçravä [Süta Gosvämé], the son of Romaharñaëa, being fully satisfied by the perfect questions of the brähmaëas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.
PURPORT
The sages of Naimiñäraëya asked Süta Gosvämé six questions, and so he is answering them one by one.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:2. text and purports.

süta uväca
yaà pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kåtyaà
dvaipäyano viraha-kätara äjuhäva
putreti tan-mayatayä taravo ’bhinedus
taà sarva-bhüta-hådayaà munim änato ’smi
SYNONYMS
sütaù—Süta Gosvämé; uväca—said; yam—whom; pravrajantam—while going away for the renounced order of life; anupetam—without being reformed by the sacred thread; apeta—not undergoing ceremonies; kåtyam—prescribed duties; dvaipäyanaù—Vyäsadeva; viraha—separation; kätaraù—being afraid of; äjuhäva—exclaimed; putra iti—O my son; tat-mayatayä—being absorbed in that way; taravaù—all the trees; abhineduù—responded; tam—unto him; sarva—all; bhüta—living entities; hådayam—heart; munim—sage; änataù asmi—offer obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Çréla Süta Gosvämé said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Çukadeva Gosvämé] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyäsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyäsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, “O my son!” Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.
PURPORT
The institution of varëa and äçrama prescribes many regulative duties to be observed by its followers. Such duties enjoin that a candidate willing to study the Vedas must approach a bona fide spiritual master and request acceptance as his disciple. The sacred thread is the sign of those who are competent to study the Vedas from the äcärya, or the bona fide spiritual master. Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé did not undergo such purificatory ceremonies because he was a liberated soul from his very birth.
Generally, a man is born as an ordinary being, and by the purificatory processes he is born for the second time. When he sees a new light and seeks direction for spiritual progress, he approaches a spiritual master for instruction in the Vedas. The spiritual master accepts only the sincere inquirer as his disciple and gives him the sacred thread. In this way a man becomes twice-born, or a dvija. After qualifying as a dvija one may study the Vedas, and after becoming well versed in the Vedas one becomes a vipra. A vipra, or a qualified brähmaëa, thus realizes the Absolute and makes further progress in spiritual life until he reaches the Vaiñëava stage. The Vaiñëava stage is the postgraduate status of a brähmaëa. A progressive brähmaëa must necessarily become a Vaiñëava, for a Vaiñëava is a self-realized, learned brähmaëa.
Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was a Vaiñëava from the beginning; therefore, there was no need for him to undergo all the processes of the varëäçrama institution. Ultimately the aim of varëäçrama-dharma is to turn a crude man into a pure devotee of the Lord, or a Vaiñëava. Anyone, therefore, who becomes a Vaiñëava accepted by the first-class Vaiñëava, or uttama-adhikäré Vaiñëava, is already considered a brähmaëa, regardless of his birth or past deeds. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu accepted this principle and recognized Çréla Haridäsa Öhäkura as the äcärya of the holy name, although Öhäkura Haridäsa appeared in a Mohammedan family. In conclusion, Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was born a Vaiñëava, and, therefore, brahminism was included in him. He did not have to undergo any ceremonies. Any lowborn person—be he a Kiräta, Hüëa, Ändhra, Pulinda, Pulkaça, Äbhéra, Çumbha, Yavana, Khasa or even lower—can be delivered to the highest transcendental position by the mercy of Vaiñëavas. Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was the spiritual master of Çré Süta Gosvämé, who therefore offers his respectful obeisances unto Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé before he begins his answers to the questions of the sages at Naimiñäraëya.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:3. text and purports.

yaù svänubhävam akhila-çruti-säram ekam
adhyätma-dépam atititérñatäà tamo ’ndham
saàsäriëäà karuëayäha puräëa-guhyaà
taà vyäsa-sünum upayämi guruà munénäm
SYNONYMS
yaù—he who; sva-anubhävam—self-assimilated (experienced); akhila—all around; çruti—the Vedas; säram—cream; ekam—the only one; adhyätma—transcendental; dépam—torchlight; atititérñatäm—desiring to overcome; tamaù andham—deeply dark material existence; saàsäriëäm—of the materialistic men; karuëayä—out of causeless mercy; äha—said; puräëa—supplement to the Vedas; guhyam—very confidential; tam—unto him; vyäsa-sünum—the son of Vyäsadeva; upayämi—let me offer my obeisances; gurum—the spiritual master; munénäm—of the great sages.
TRANSLATION
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him [Çuka], the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyäsadeva, who, out of his great compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience.
PURPORT
In this prayer, Çréla Süta Gosvämé practically summarizes the complete introduction of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the natural supplementary commentary on the Vedänta-sütras. The Vedänta-sütras, or the Brahma-sütras, were compiled by Vyäsadeva with a view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the natural commentary on this cream. Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was a thoroughly realized master on the Vedänta-sütra, and consequently he also personally realized the commentary, Çrémad-Bhägavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross completely over nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge.
There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No materialistic creature—be he the great Brahmä or an insignificant ant—can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness, but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore the materialistic world is called the darkest region of God’s creation. Yet the unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to get out. Unfortunately they are so foolish that they do not want to escape. Therefore they are compared to the camel who relishes thorny twigs because he likes the taste of the twigs mixed with blood. He does not realize that it is his own blood and that his tongue is being cut by the thorns. Similarly, to the materialist his own blood is as sweet as honey, and although he is always harassed by his own material creations, he does not wish to escape. Such materialists are called karmés. Out of hundreds of thousands of karmés, only a few may feel tired of material engagement and desire to get out of the labyrinth. Such intelligent persons are called jïänés. The Vedänta-sütra is directed to such jïänés. But Çréla Vyäsadeva, being the incarnation of the Supreme Lord, could foresee the misuse of the Vedänta-sütra by unscrupulous men, and, therefore, he personally supplemented the Vedänta-sütra with the Bhägavata Puräëa. It is clearly said that this Bhägavatam is the original commentary on the Brahma-sütras. Çréla Vyäsadeva also instructed the Bhägavatam to his own son, Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé, who was already at the liberated stage of transcendence. Çréla Çukadeva realized it personally and then explained it. By the mercy of Çréla Çukadeva, the Bhägavata-vedänta-sütra is available for all those sincere souls who want to get out of material existence.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the one unrivaled commentary on Vedänta-sütra. Çrépäda Çaìkaräcärya intentionally did not touch it because he knew that the natural commentary would be difficult for him to surpass. He wrote his Çäréraka-bhäñya, and his so-called followers deprecated the Bhägavatam as some “new” presentation. One should not be misled by such propaganda directed against the Bhägavatam by the Mäyäväda school. From this introductory çloka, the beginning student should know that Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the only transcendental literature meant for those who are paramahaàsas and completely freed from the material disease called malice. The Mäyävädés are envious of the Personality of Godhead despite Çrépäda Çaìkaräcärya’s admission that Näräyaëa, the Personality of Godhead, is above the material creation. The envious Mäyävädé cannot have access to the Bhägavatam, but those who are really anxious to get out of this material existence may take shelter of this Bhägavatam because it is uttered by the liberated Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé. It is the transcendental torchlight by which one can see perfectly the transcendental Absolute Truth realized as Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:4. text and purports.

näräyaëaà namaskåtya
naraà caiva narottamam
devéà sarasvatéà vyäsaà
tato jayam udérayet
SYNONYMS
näräyaëam—the Personality of Godhead; namaù-kåtya—after offering respectful obeisances; naram ca eva—and Näräyaëa Åñi; nara-uttamam—the supermost human being; devém—the goddess; sarasvatém—the mistress of learning; vyäsam—Vyäsadeva; tataù—thereafter; jayam—all that is meant for conquering; udérayet—be announced.
TRANSLATION
Before reciting this Çrémad-Bhägavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Näräyaëa, unto Nara-näräyaëa Åñi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvaté, the goddess of learning, and unto Çréla Vyäsadeva, the author.
PURPORT
All the Vedic literatures and the Puräëas are meant for conquering the darkest region of material existence. The living being is in the state of forgetfulness of his relation with God due to his being overly attracted to material sense gratification from time immemorial. His struggle for existence in the material world is perpetual, and it is not possible for him to get out of it by making plans. If he at all wants to conquer this perpetual struggle for existence, he must reestablish his eternal relation with God. And one who wants to adopt such remedial measures must take shelter of literatures such as the Vedas and the Puräëas. Foolish people say that the Puräëas have no connection with the Vedas. However, the Puräëas are supplementary explanations of the Vedas intended for different types of men. All men are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The Puräëas are so divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and gradually regain their lost position and get out of the hard struggle for existence. Çréla Süta Gosvämé shows the way of chanting the Puräëas. This may be followed by persons who aspire to be preachers of the Vedic literatures and the Puräëas. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the spotless Puräëa, and it is especially meant for those who desire to get out of the material entanglement permanently.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:5. text and purports.

munayaù sädhu påñöo ’haà
bhavadbhir loka-maìgalam
yat kåtaù kåñëa-sampraçno
yenätmä suprasédati
SYNONYMS
munayaù—O sages; sädhu—this is relevant; påñöaù—questioned; aham—myself; bhavadbhiù—by all of you; loka—the world; maìgalam—welfare; yat—because; kåtaù—made; kåñëa—the Personality of Godhead; sampraçnaù—relevant question; yena—by which; ätmä—self; suprasédati—completely pleased.
TRANSLATION
O sages, I have been justly questioned by you. Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord Kåñëa and so are of relevance to the world’s welfare. Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.
PURPORT
Since it has been stated hereinbefore that in the Bhägavatam the Absolute Truth is to be known, the questions of the sages of Naimiñäraëya are proper and just, because they pertain to Kåñëa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth. In Bhagavad-gétä (15.15) the Personality of Godhead says that in all the Vedas there is nothing but the urge for searching after Him, Lord Kåñëa. Thus the questions that pertain to Kåñëa are the sum and substance of all the Vedic inquiries.
The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds, beasts and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual questions and answers. In the morning the birds in the nest become busy with questions and answers, and in the evening also the same birds come back and again become busy with questions and answers. The human being, unless he is fast asleep at night, is busy with questions and answers. The businessmen in the market are busy with questions and answers, and so also the lawyers in the court and the students in the schools and colleges. The legislators in the parliament are also busy with questions and answers, and the politicians and the press representatives are all busy with questions and answers. Although they go on making such questions and answers for their whole lives, they are not at all satisfied. Satisfaction of the soul can only be obtained by questions and answers on the subject of Kåñëa.
Kåñëa is our most intimate master, friend, father or son and object of conjugal love. Forgetting Kåñëa, we have created so many objects of questions and answers, but none of them are able to give us complete satisfaction. All things—but Kåñëa—give temporary satisfaction only, so if we are to have complete satisfaction we must take to the questions and answers about Kåñëa. We cannot live for a moment without being questioned or without giving answers. Because the Çrémad-Bhägavatam deals with questions and answers that are related to Kåñëa, we can derive the highest satisfaction only by reading and hearing this transcendental literature. One should learn the Çrémad-Bhägavatam and make an all-around solution to all problems pertaining to social, political or religious matters. Çrémad-Bhägavatam and Kåñëa are the sum total of all things.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:6. text and purports.

sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokñaje
ahaituky apratihatä
yayätmä suprasédati
SYNONYMS
saù—that; vai—certainly; puàsäm—for mankind; paraù—sublime; dharmaù—occupation; yataù—by which; bhaktiù—devotional service; adhokñaje—unto the Transcendence; ahaituké—causeless; apratihatä—unbroken; yayä—by which; ätmä—the self; suprasédati—completely satisfied.
TRANSLATION
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
PURPORT
In this statement, Çré Süta Gosvämé answers the first question of the sages of Naimiñäraëya. The sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part so that fallen people or the people in general might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human being. One is called the pravåtti-märga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivåtti-märga, or the path of renunciation. The path of enjoyment is inferior, and the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is superior. The material existence of the living being is a diseased condition of actual life. Actual life is spiritual existence, or brahma-bhüta [SB 4.30.20] existence, where life is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Material existence is temporary, illusory and full of miseries. There is no happiness at all. There is just the futile attempt to get rid of the miseries, and temporary cessation of misery is falsely called happiness. Therefore, the path of progressive material enjoyment, which is temporary, miserable and illusory, is inferior. But devotional service to the Supreme Lord, which leads one to eternal, blissful and all-cognizant life, is called the superior quality of occupation. This is sometimes polluted when mixed with the inferior quality. For example, adoption of devotional service for material gain is certainly an obstruction to the progressive path of renunciation. Renunciation or abnegation for ultimate good is certainly a better occupation than enjoyment in the diseased condition of life. Such enjoyment only aggravates the symptoms of disease and increases its duration. Therefore devotional service to the Lord must be pure in quality, i.e., without the least desire for material enjoyment. One should, therefore, accept the superior quality of occupation in the form of the devotional service of the Lord without any tinge of unnecessary desire, fruitive action and philosophical speculation. This alone can lead one to perpetual solace in His service.
We have purposely denoted dharma as occupation because the root meaning of the word dharma is “that which sustains one’s existence.” A living being’s sustenance of existence is to coordinate his activities with his eternal relation with the Supreme Lord Kåñëa. Kåñëa is the central pivot of living beings, and He is the all-attractive living entity or eternal form amongst all other living beings or eternal forms. Each and every living being has his eternal form in the spiritual existence, and Kåñëa is the eternal attraction for all of them. Kåñëa is the complete whole, and everything else is His part and parcel. The relation is one of the servant and the served. It is transcendental and is completely distinct from our experience in material existence. This relation of servant and the served is the most congenial form of intimacy. One can realize it as devotional service progresses. Everyone should engage himself in that transcendental loving service of the Lord, even in the present conditional state of material existence. That will gradually give one the clue to actual life and please him to complete satisfaction.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:7. text and purports.

väsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaù prayojitaù
janayaty äçu vairägyaà
jïänaà ca yad ahaitukam
SYNONYMS
väsudeve—unto Kåñëa; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; bhakti-yogaù—contact of devotional service; prayojitaù—being applied; janayati—does produce; äçu—very soon; vairägyam—detachment; jïänam—knowledge; ca—and; yat—that which; ahaitukam—causeless.
TRANSLATION
By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.
PURPORT
Those who consider devotional service to the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa to be something like material emotional affairs may argue that in the revealed scriptures, sacrifice, charity, austerity, knowledge, mystic powers and similar other processes of transcendental realization are recommended. According to them, bhakti, or the devotional service of the Lord, is meant for those who cannot perform the high-grade activities. Generally it is said that the bhakti cult is meant for the çüdras, vaiçyas and the less intelligent woman class. But that is not the actual fact. The bhakti cult is the topmost of all transcendental activities, and therefore it is simultaneously sublime and easy. It is sublime for the pure devotees who are serious about getting in contact with the Supreme Lord, and it is easy for the neophytes who are just on the threshold of the house of bhakti. To achieve the contact of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa is a great science, and it is open for all living beings, including the çüdras, vaiçyas, women and even those lower than the lowborn çüdras, so what to speak of the high-class men like the qualified brähmaëas and the great self-realized kings. The other high-grade activities designated as sacrifice, charity, austerity, etc., are all corollary factors following the pure and scientific bhakti cult.
The principles of knowledge and detachment are two important factors on the path of transcendental realization. The whole spiritual process leads to perfect knowledge of everything material and spiritual, and the results of such perfect knowledge are that one becomes detached from material affection and becomes attached to spiritual activities. Becoming detached from material things does not mean becoming inert altogether, as men with a poor fund of knowledge think. Naiñkarma means not undertaking activities that will produce good or bad effects. Negation does not mean negation of the positive. Negation of the nonessentials does not meant negation of the essential. Similarly, detachment from material forms does not mean nullifying the positive form. The bhakti cult is meant for realization of the positive form. When the positive form is realized, the negative forms are automatically eliminated. Therefore, with the development of the bhakti cult, with the application of positive service to the positive form, one naturally becomes detached from inferior things, and he becomes attached to superior things. Similarly, the bhakti cult, being the supermost occupation of the living being, leads him out of material sense enjoyment. That is the sign of a pure devotee. He is not a fool, nor is he engaged in the inferior energies, nor does he have material values. This is not possible by dry reasoning. It actually happens by the grace of the Almighty. In conclusion, one who is a pure devotee has all other good qualities, namely knowledge, detachment, etc., but one who has only knowledge or detachment is not necessarily well acquainted with the principles of the bhakti cult. Bhakti is the supermost occupation of the human being.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:8. text and purports.

dharmaù svanuñöhitaù puàsäà
viñvaksena-kathäsu yaù
notpädayed yadi ratià
çrama eva hi kevalam
SYNONYMS
dharmaù—occupation; svanuñöhitaù—executed in terms of one’s own position; puàsäm—of humankind; viñvaksena—the Personality of Godhead (plenary portion); kathäsu—in the message of; yaù—what is; na—not; utpädayet—does produce; yadi—if; ratim—attraction; çramaù—useless labor; eva—only; hi—certainly; kevalam—entirely.
TRANSLATION
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
There are different occupational activities in terms of man’s different conceptions of life. To the gross materialist who cannot see anything beyond the gross material body, there is nothing beyond the senses. Therefore his occupational activities are limited to concentrated and extended selfishness. Concentrated selfishness centers around the personal body—this is generally seen amongst the lower animals. Extended selfishness is manifested in human society and centers around the family, society, community, nation and world with a view to gross bodily comfort. Above these gross materialists are the mental speculators who hover aloft in the mental spheres, and their occupational duties involve making poetry and philosophy or propagating some ism with the same aim of selfishness limited to the body and the mind. But above the body and mind is the dormant spirit soul whose absence from the body makes the whole range of bodily and mental selfishness completely null and void. But less intelligent people have no information of the needs of the spirit soul.
Because foolish people have no information of the soul and how it is beyond the purview of the body and mind, they are not satisfied in the performance of their occupational duties. The question of the satisfaction of the self is raised herein. The self is beyond the gross body and subtle mind. He is the potent active principle of the body and mind. Without knowing the need of the dormant soul, one cannot be happy simply with emolument of the body and mind. The body and the mind are but superfluous outer coverings of the spirit soul. The spirit soul’s needs must be fulfilled. Simply by cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not satisfy the bird. One must actually know the needs of the bird himself.
The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead. There is a dormant affection for God within everyone; spiritual existence is manifested through the gross body and mind in the form of perverted affection for gross and subtle matter. Therefore we have to engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord, and any occupational activity which does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and chanting the transcendental message of Godhead is said herein to be simply a waste of time. This is because other occupational duties (whatever ism they may belong to) cannot give liberation to the soul. Even the activities of the salvationists are considered to be useless because of their failure to pick up the fountainhead of all liberties. The gross materialist can practically see that his material gain is limited only to time and space, either in this world or in the other. Even if he goes up to the Svargaloka, he will find no permanent abode for his hankering soul. The hankering soul must be satisfied by the perfect scientific process of perfect devotional service.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:9. text and purports.

dharmasya hy äpavargyasya
närtho ’rthäyopakalpate
närthasya dharmaikäntasya
kämo läbhäya hi småtaù
SYNONYMS
dharmasya—occupational engagement; hi—certainly; äpavargyasya—ultimate liberation; na—not; arthaù—end; arthäya—for material gain; upakalpate—is meant for; na—neither; arthasya—of material gain; dharma-eka-antasya—for one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service; kämaù—sense gratification; läbhäya—attainment of; hi—exactly; småtaù—is described by the great sages.
TRANSLATION
All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
PURPORT
We have already discussed that pure devotional service to the Lord is automatically followed by perfect knowledge and detachment from material existence. But there are others who consider that all kinds of different occupational engagements, including those of religion, are meant for material gain. The general tendency of any ordinary man in any part of the world is to gain some material profit in exchange for religious or any other occupational service. Even in the Vedic literatures, for all sorts of religious performances an allurement of material gain is offered, and most people are attracted by such allurements or blessings of religiosity. Why are such so-called men of religion allured by material gain? Because material gain can enable one to fulfill desires, which in turn satisfy sense gratification. This cycle of occupational engagements includes so-called religiosity followed by material gain and material gain followed by fulfillment of desires. Sense gratification is the general way for all sorts of fully occupied men. But in the statement of Süta Gosvämé, as per the verdict of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, this is nullified by the present çloka.
One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification. How material gain should be utilized is described as follows.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:10. text and purports.

kämasya nendriya-prétir
läbho jéveta yävatä
jévasya tattva-jijïäsä
närtho yaç ceha karmabhiù
SYNONYMS
kämasya—of desires; na—not; indriya—senses; prétiù—satisfaction; läbhaù—gain; jéveta—self-preservation; yävatä—so much so; jévasya—of the living being; tattva—the Absolute Truth; jijïäsä—inquiries; na—not; arthaù—end; yaù ca iha—whatsoever else; karmabhiù—by occupational activities.
TRANSLATION
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.
PURPORT
The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification. In such civilization, in all spheres of life, the ultimate end is sense gratification. In politics, social service, altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in salvation, the very same tint of sense gratification is ever-increasingly predominant. In the political field the leaders of men fight with one another to fulfill their personal sense gratification. The voters adore the so-called leaders only when they promise sense gratification. As soon as the voters are dissatisfied in their own sense satisfaction, they dethrone the leaders, The leaders must always disappoint the voters by not satisfying their senses. The same is applicable in all other fields; no one is serious about the problems of life. Even those who are on the path of salvation desire to become one with the Absolute Truth and desire to commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification. But the Bhägavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only insomuch as required for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification. Because the body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative directions for satisfaction of such senses. But the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment. For example, marriage or the combination of a man with a woman is necessary for progeny, but it is not meant for sense enjoyment. In the absence of voluntary restraint, there is propaganda for family planning, but foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification. And what that Absolute Truth is is explained as follows.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:11. text and purports.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaà yaj jïänam advayam
brahmeti paramätmeti
bhagavän iti çabdyate
SYNONYMS
vadanti—they say; tat—that; tattva-vidaù—the learned souls; tattvam—the Absolute Truth; yat—which; jïänam—knowledge; advayam—nondual; brahma iti—known as Brahman; paramätmä iti—known as Paramätmä; bhagavän iti—known as Bhagavän; çabdyate—it so sounded.
TRANSLATION
Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramätmä or Bhagavän.
PURPORT
The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upaniñads, as localized Paramätmä by the Hiraëyagarbhas or the yogés, and as Bhagavän by the devotees. In other words, Bhagavän, or the Personality of Godhead, is the last word of the Absolute Truth. Paramätmä is the partial representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays are to the sun-god. Less intelligent students of either of the above schools sometimes argue in favor of their own respective realization, but those who are perfect seers of the Absolute Truth know well that the above three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views seen from different angles of vision.
As it is explained in the first çloka of the First Chapter of the Bhägavatam, the Supreme Truth is self-sufficient, cognizant and free from the illusion of relativity. In the relative world the knower is different from the known, but in the Absolute Truth both the knower and the known are one and the same thing. In the relative world the knower is the living spirit or superior energy, whereas the known is inert matter or inferior energy. Therefore, there is a duality of inferior and superior energy, whereas in the absolute realm both the knower and the known are of the same superior energy. There are three kinds of energies of the supreme energetic. There is no difference between the energy and energetic, but there is a difference of quality of energies. The absolute realm and the living entities are of the same superior energy, but the material world is inferior energy. The living being in contact with the inferior energy is illusioned, thinking he belongs to the inferior energy. Therefore there is the sense of relativity in the material world. In the Absolute there is no such sense of difference between the knower and the known, and therefore everything there is absolute.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:12. text and purports.

tac chraddadhänä munayo
jïäna-vairägya-yuktayä
paçyanty ätmani cätmänaà
bhaktyä çruta-gåhétayä
SYNONYMS
tat—that; çraddadhänäù—seriously inquisitive; munayaù—sages; jïäna—knowledge; vairägya—detachment; yuktayä—well equipped with; paçyanti—see; ätmani—within himself; ca—and; ätmänam—the Paramätmä; bhaktyä—in devotional service; çruta—the Vedas; gåhétayä—well received.
TRANSLATION
The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedänta-çruti.
PURPORT
The Absolute Truth is realized in full by the process of devotional service to the Lord, Väsudeva, or the Personality of Godhead, who is the full-fledged Absolute Truth. Brahman is His transcendental bodily effulgence, and Paramätmä is His partial representation. As such, Brahman or Paramätmä realization of the Absolute Truth is but a partial realization. There are four different types of human beings—the karmés, the jïänés, the yogés and the devotees. The karmés are materialistic, whereas the other three are transcendental. The first-class transcendentalists are the devotees who have realized the Supreme Person. The second-class transcendentalists are those who have partially realized the plenary portion of the absolute person. And the third-class transcendentalists are those who have barely realized the spiritual focus of the absolute person. As stated in the Bhagavad-gétä and other Vedic literatures, the Supreme Person is realized by devotional service, which is backed by full knowledge and detachment from material association. We have already discussed the point that devotional service is followed by knowledge and detachment from material association. As Brahman and Paramätmä realization are imperfect realizations of the Absolute Truth, so the means of realizing Brahman and Paramätmä, i.e., the paths of jïäna and yoga, are also imperfect means of realizing the Absolute Truth. Devotional service, which is based on the foreground of full knowledge combined with detachment from material association and which is fixed by the aural reception of the Vedänta-çruti, is the only perfect method by which the seriously inquisitive student can realize the Absolute Truth. Devotional service is not, therefore, meant for the less intelligent class of transcendentalist. There are three classes of devotees, namely first, second, and third class. The third-class devotees, or the neophytes, who have no knowledge and are not detached from material association, but who are simply attracted by the preliminary process of worshiping the Deity in the temple, are called material devotees. Material devotees are more attached to material benefit than transcendental profit. Therefore, one has to make definite progress from the position of material devotional service to the second-class devotional position. In the second-class position, the devotee can see four principles in the devotional line, namely the Personality of Godhead, His devotees, the ignorant and the envious. One has to raise himself at least to the stage of a second-class devotee and thus become eligible to know the Absolute Truth.
A third-class devotee, therefore, has to receive the instructions of devotional service from the authoritative sources of Bhägavata. The number one Bhägavata is the established personality of devotee, and the other Bhägavatam is the message of Godhead. The third-class devotee therefore has to go to the personality of devotee in order to learn the instructions of devotional service. Such a personality of devotee is not a professional man who earns his livelihood by the business of Bhägavatam. Such a devotee must be a representative of Çukadeva Gosvämé, like Süta Gosvämé, and must preach the cult of devotional service for the all-around benefit of all people. A neophyte devotee has very little taste for hearing from the authorities. Such a neophyte devotee makes a show of hearing from the professional man to satisfy his senses. This sort of hearing and chanting has spoiled the whole thing, so one should be very careful about the faulty process. The holy messages of Godhead, as inculcated in the Bhagavad-gétä or in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, are undoubtedly transcendental subjects, but even though they are so, such transcendental matters are not to be received from the professional man, who spoils them as the serpent spoils milk simply by the touch of his tongue.
A sincere devotee must, therefore, be prepared to hear the Vedic literature like the Upaniñads, Vedänta and other literatures left by the previous authorities or Gosvämés, for the benefit of his progress. Without hearing such literatures, one cannot make actual progress. And without hearing and following the instructions, the show of devotional service becomes worthless and therefore a sort of disturbance in the path of devotional service. Unless, therefore, devotional service is established on the principles of çruti, småti, puräëa or païcarätra authorities, the make-show of devotional service should at once be rejected. An unauthorized devotee should never be recognized as a pure devotee. By assimilation of such messages from the Vedic literatures, one can see the all-pervading localized aspect of the Personality of Godhead within his own self constantly. This is called samädhi.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:13. text and purports.

ataù pumbhir dvija-çreñöhä
varëäçrama-vibhägaçaù
svanuñöhitasya dharmasya
saàsiddhir hari-toñaëam
SYNONYMS
ataù—so; pumbhiù—by the human being; dvija-çreñöhäù—O best among the twice-born; varëa-äçrama—the institution of four castes and four orders of life; vibhägaçaù—by the division of; svanuñöhitasya—of one’s own prescribed duties; dharmasya—occupational; saàsiddhiù—the highest perfection; hari—the Personality of Godhead; toñaëam—pleasing.
TRANSLATION
O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Human society all over the world is divided into four castes and four orders of life. The four castes are the intelligent caste, the martial caste, the productive caste and the laborer caste. These castes are classified in terms of one’s work and qualification and not by birth. Then again there are four orders of life, namely the student life, the householder’s life, the retired and the devotional life. In the best interest of human society there must be such divisions of life, otherwise no social institution can grow in a healthy state. And in each and every one of the abovementioned divisions of life, the aim must be to please the supreme authority of the Personality of Godhead. This institutional function of human society is known as the system of varëäçrama-dharma, which is quite natural for the civilized life. The varëäçrama institution is constructed to enable one to realize the Absolute Truth. It is not for artificial domination of one division over another. When the aim of life, i.e., realization of the Absolute Truth, is missed by too much attachment for indriya-préti, or sense gratification, as already discussed hereinbefore, the institution of the varëäçrama is utilized by selfish men to pose an artificial predominance over the weaker section. In the Kali-yuga, or in the age of quarrel, this artificial predominance is already current, but the saner section of the people know it well that the divisions of castes and orders of life are meant for smooth social intercourse and high-thinking self-realization and not for any other purpose.
Herein the statement of Bhägavatam is that the highest aim of life or the highest perfection of the institution of the varëäçrama-dharma is to cooperate jointly for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä (4.13).

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:14. text and purports.

tasmäd ekena manasä
bhagavän sätvatäà patiù
çrotavyaù kértitavyaç ca
dhyeyaù püjyaç ca nityadä
SYNONYMS
tasmät—therefore; ekena—by one; manasä—attention of the mind; bhagavän—the Personality of Godhead; sätvatäm—of the devotees; patiù—protector; çrotavyaù—is to be heard; kértitavyaù—to be glorified; ca—and; dhyeyaù—to be remembered; püjyaù—to be worshiped; ca—and; nityadä—constantly.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.
PURPORT
If realization of the Absolute Truth is the ultimate aim of life, it must be carried out by all means. In any one of the above-mentioned castes and orders of life, the four processes, namely glorifying, hearing, remembering and worshiping, are general occupations. Without these principles of life, no one can exist. Activities of the living being involve engagements in these four different principles of life. Especially in modern society, all activities are more or less dependent on hearing and glorifying. Any man from any social status becomes a well-known man in human society within a very short time if he is simply glorified truly or falsely in the daily newspapers. Sometimes political leaders of a particular party are also advertised by newspaper propaganda, and by such a method of glorification an insignificant man becomes an important man—within no time. But such propaganda by false glorification of an unqualified person cannot bring about any good, either for the particular man or for the society. There may be some temporary reactions to such propaganda, but there are no permanent effects. Therefore such activities are a waste of time. The actual object of glorification is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created everything manifested before us. We have broadly discussed this fact from the beginning of the “janmädy asya” [SB 1.1.1] çloka of this Bhägavatam. The tendency to glorify others or hear others must be turned to the real object of glorification—the Supreme Being. And that will bring happiness.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:15. text and purports.

yad-anudhyäsinä yuktäù
karma-granthi-nibandhanam
chindanti kovidäs tasya
ko na kuryät kathä-ratim
SYNONYMS
yat—which; anudhyä—remembrance; asinä—sword; yuktäù—being equipped with; karma—reactionary work; granthi—knot; nibandhanam—interknit; chindanti—cut; kovidäù—intelligent; tasya—His; kaù—who; na—not; kuryät—shall do; kathä—messages; ratim—attention.
TRANSLATION
With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?
PURPORT
The contact of the spiritual spark with material elements creates a knot which must be cut if one wants to be liberated from the actions and reactions of fruitive work. Liberation means freedom from the cycle of reactionary work. This liberation automatically follows for one who constantly remembers the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead. This is because all the activities of the Supreme Lord (His lélä) are transcendental to the modes of the material energy. They are all-attractive spiritual activities, and therefore constant association with the spiritual activities of the Supreme Lord gradually spiritualizes the conditioned soul and ultimately severs the knot of material bondage.
Liberation from material bondage is, therefore, a by-product of devotional service. Attainment of spiritual knowledge is not sufficient to insure liberation. Such knowledge must be overcoated with devotional service so that ultimately the devotional service alone predominates. Then liberation is made possible. Even the reactionary work of the fruitive workers can lead one to liberation when it is overcoated with devotional service. Karma overcoated with devotional service is called karma-yoga. Similarly, empirical knowledge overcoated with devotional service is called jïäna-yoga. But pure bhakti-yoga is independent of such karma and jïäna because it alone can not only endow one with liberation from conditional life but also award one the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Therefore, any sensible man who is above the average man with a poor fund of knowledge must constantly remember the Personality of Godhead by hearing about Him, by glorifying Him, by remembering Him and by worshiping Him always, without cessation. That is the perfect way of devotional service. The Gosvämés of Våndävana, who were authorized by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu to preach the bhakti cult, rigidly followed this rule and made immense literatures of transcendental science for our benefit. They have chalked out ways for all classes of men in terms of the different castes and orders of life in pursuance of the teachings of Çrémad-Bhägavatam and similar other authoritative scriptures.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:16. text and purports.

çuçrüñoù çraddadhänasya
väsudeva-kathä-ruciù
syän mahat-sevayä vipräù
puëya-tértha-niñevaëät
SYNONYMS
çuçrüñoù—one who is engaged in hearing; çraddadhänasya—with care and attention; väsudeva—in respect to Väsudeva; kathä—the message; ruciù—affinity; syät—is made possible; mahat-sevayä—by service rendered to pure devotees; vipräù—O twice-born; puëya-tértha—those who are cleansed of all vice; niñevaëät—by service.
TRANSLATION
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Väsudeva.
PURPORT
The conditioned life of a living being is caused by his revolting against the Lord. There are men called deva, or godly living beings, and there are men called asuras, or demons, who are against the authority of the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gétä (Sixteenth Chapter) a vivid description of the asuras is given in which it is said that the asuras are put into lower and lower states of ignorance life after life and so sink to the lower animal forms and have no information of the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. These asuras are gradually rectified to God consciousness by the mercy of the Lord’s liberated servitors in different countries according to the supreme will. Such devotees of God are very confidential associates of the Lord, and when they come to save human society from the dangers of godlessness, they are known as the powerful incarnations of the Lord, as sons of the Lord, as servants of the Lord or as associates of the Lord. But none of them falsely claim to be God themselves. This is a blasphemy declared by the asuras, and the demoniac followers of such asuras also accept pretenders as God or His incarnation. In the revealed scriptures there is definite information of the incarnation of God. No one should be accepted as God or an incarnation of God unless he is confirmed by the revealed scriptures.
The servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of God are called mahätmäs, or térthas, and they preach according to particular time and place. The servants of God urge people to become devotees of the Lord. They never tolerate being called God. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu was God Himself according to the indication of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. People who knew Him to be God addressed Him as God, but He used to block His ears with His hands and chant the name of Lord Viñëu. He strongly protested against being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. The Lord behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take pleasure in being addressed as God.
The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the Lord. The Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gétä (18.69) that no one is dearer to Him than one who risks everything to preach His glory. By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:17. text and purports.

çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëaù
puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù
hådy antaù stho hy abhadräëi
vidhunoti suhåt satäm
SYNONYMS
çåëvatäm—those who have developed the urge to hear the message of; sva-kathäù—His own words; kåñëaù—the Personality of Godhead; puëya—virtues; çravaëa—hearing; kértanaù—chanting; hådi antaù sthaù—within one’s heart; hi—certainly; abhadräëi—desire to enjoy matter; vidhunoti—cleanses; suhåt—benefactor; satäm—of the truthful.
TRANSLATION
Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramätmä [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
PURPORT
Messages of the Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa are nondifferent from Him. Whenever, therefore, offenseless hearing and glorification of God are undertaken, it is to be understood that Lord Kåñëa is present there in the form of transcendental sound, which is as powerful as the Lord personally. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, in His Çikñäñöaka, declares clearly that the holy name of the Lord has all the potencies of the Lord and that He has endowed His innumerable names with the same potency. There is no rigid fixture of time, and anyone can chant the holy name with attention and reverence at his convenience. The Lord is so kind to us that He can be present before us personally in the form of transcendental sound, but unfortunately we have no taste for hearing and glorifying the Lord’s name and activities. We have already discussed developing a taste for hearing and chanting the holy sound. It is done through the medium of service to the pure devotee of the Lord.
The Lord is reciprocally respondent to His devotees. When He sees that a devotee is completely sincere in getting admittance to the transcendental service of the Lord and has thus become eager to hear about Him, the Lord acts from within the devotee in such a way that the devotee may easily go back to Him. The Lord is more anxious to take us back into His kingdom than we can desire. Most of us do not desire at all to go back to Godhead. Only a very few men want to go back to Godhead. But anyone who desires to go back to Godhead, Çré Kåñëa helps in all respects.
One cannot enter into the kingdom of God unless one is perfectly cleared of all sins. The material sins are products of our desires to lord it over material nature. It is very difficult to get rid of such desires. Women and wealth are very difficult problems for the devotee making progress on the path back to Godhead. Many stalwarts in the devotional line fell victim to these allurements and thus retreated from the path of liberation. But when one is helped by the Lord Himself, the whole process becomes as easy as anything by the divine grace of the Lord.
To become restless in the contact of women and wealth is not an astonishment, because every living being is associated with such things from remote time, practically immemorial, and it takes time to recover from this foreign nature. But if one is engaged in hearing the glories of the Lord, gradually he realizes his real position. By the grace of God such a devotee gets sufficient strength to defend himself from the state of disturbances, and gradually all disturbing elements are eliminated from his mind.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:18. text and purports.

nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñu
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
bhagavaty uttama-çloke
bhaktir bhavati naiñöhiké
SYNONYMS
nañöa—destroyed; präyeñu—almost to nil; abhadreñu—all that is inauspicious; nityam—regularly; bhägavata—Çrémad-Bhägavatam, or the pure devotee; sevayä—by serving; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; uttama—transcendental; çloke—prayers; bhaktiù—loving service; bhavati—comes into being; naiñöhiké—irrevocable.
TRANSLATION
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhägavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.
PURPORT
Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bhägavatas. There are two types of Bhägavatas, namely the book Bhägavata and the devotee Bhägavata. Both the Bhägavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhägavata is as good as the book Bhägavata because the devotee Bhägavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhägavata and the book Bhägavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhägavatas. Bhägavata book and person are identical.
The devotee Bhägavata is a direct representative of Bhagavän, the Personality of Godhead. So by pleasing the devotee Bhägavata one can receive the benefit of the book Bhägavata. Human reason fails to understand how by serving the devotee Bhägavata or the book Bhägavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these are facts explained by Çréla Näradadeva, who happened to be a maidservant’s son in his previous life. The maidservant was engaged in the menial service of the sages, and thus he also came into contact with them. And simply by associating with them and accepting the remnants of foodstuff left by the sages, the son of the maidservant got the chance to become the great devotee and personality Çréla Näradadeva. These are the miraculous effects of the association of Bhägavatas. And to understand these effects practically, it should be noted that by such sincere association of the Bhägavatas one is sure to receive transcendental knowledge very easily, with the result that he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. The more progress is made in devotional service under the guidance of the Bhägavatas, the more one becomes fixed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The messages of the book Bhägavata, therefore, have to be received from the devotee Bhägavata, and the combination of these two Bhägavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:19. text and purports.

tadä rajas-tamo-bhäväù
käma-lobhädayaç ca ye
ceta etair anäviddhaà
sthitaà sattve prasédati
SYNONYMS
tadä—at that time; rajaù—in the mode of passion; tamaù—the mode of ignorance; bhäväù—the situation; käma—lust and desire; lobha—hankering; ädayaù—others; ca—and; ye—whatever they are; cetaù—the mind; etaiù—by these; anäviddham—without being affected; sthitam—being fixed; sattve—in the mode of goodness; prasédati—thus becomes fully satisfied.
TRANSLATION
As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
PURPORT
A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhüta [SB 4.30.20] or ätmä-nandé, or the state of self-satisfaction. This self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied ätmänandé is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul.
The soul’s activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the position of Väsudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or çuddha-sattva. Only in this çuddha-sattva state can one always see Kåñëa eye to eye by dint of pure affection for the Lord.
A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee, however educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively both the Lord and His devotee are one and the same.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:20. text and purports.

evaà prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataù
bhagavat-tattva-vijïänaà
mukta-saìgasya jäyate
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; prasanna—enlivened; manasaù—of the mind; bhagavat-bhakti—the devotional service of the Lord; yogataù—by contact of; bhagavat—regarding the Personality of Godhead; tattva—knowledge; vijïänam—scientific; mukta—liberated; saìgasya—of the association; jäyate—becomes effective.
TRANSLATION
Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.
PURPORT
In the Bhagavad-gétä (7.3) it is said that out of many thousands of ordinary men, one fortunate man endeavors for perfection in life. Mostly men are conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus they are engaged always in lust, desire, hankerings, ignorance and sleep. Out of many such manlike animals, there is actually a man who knows the responsibility of human life and thus tries to make life perfect by following the prescribed duties. And out of many thousands of such persons who have thus attained success in human life, one may know scientifically about the Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa. In the same Bhagavad-gétä (18.55) it is also said that scientific knowledge of Çré Kåñëa is understood only by the process of devotional service (bhakti-yoga).
The very same thing is confirmed herein in the above words. No ordinary man, or even one who has attained success in human life, can know scientifically or perfectly the Personality of Godhead. Perfection of human life is attained when one can understand that he is not the product of matter but is in fact spirit. And as soon as one understands that he has nothing to do with matter, he at once ceases his material hankerings and becomes enlivened as a spiritual being. This attainment of success is possible when one is above the modes of passion and ignorance, or, in other words, when one is actually a brähmaëa by qualification. A brähmaëa is the symbol of sattva-guëa, or the mode of goodness. And others, who are not in the mode of goodness, are either kñatriyas, vaiçyas, çüdras or less than the çüdras. The brahminical stage is the highest stage of human life because of its good qualities. So one cannot be a devotee unless one at least qualifies as a brähmaëa. The devotee is already a brähmaëa by action. But that is not the end of it. As referred to above, such a brähmaëa has to become a Vaiñëava in fact to be actually in the transcendental stage. A pure Vaiñëava is a liberated soul and is transcendental even to the position of a brähmaëa. In the material stage even a brähmaëa is also a conditioned soul because although in the brahminical stage the conception of Brahman or transcendence is realized, scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is lacking. One has to surpass the brahminical stage and reach the vasudeva stage to understand the Personality of Godhead Kåñëa. The science of the Personality of Godhead is the subject matter for study by the postgraduate students in the spiritual line. Foolish men, or men with a poor fund of knowledge, do not understand the Supreme Lord, and they interpret Kåñëa according to their respective whims. The fact is, however, that one cannot understand the science of the Personality of Godhead unless one is freed from the contamination of the material modes, even up to the stage of a brähmaëa. When a qualified brähmaëa factually becomes a Vaiñëava, in the enlivened state of liberation he can know what is actually the Personality of Godhead.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:21. text and purports.

bhidyate hådaya-granthiç
chidyante sarva-saàçayäù
kñéyante cäsya karmäëi
dåñöa evätmanéçvare
SYNONYMS
bhidyate—pierced; hådaya—heart; granthiù—knots; chidyante—cut to pieces; sarva—all; saàçayäù—misgivings; kñéyante—terminated; ca—and; asya—his; karmäëi—chain of fruitive actions; dåñöe—having seen; eva—certainly; ätmani—unto the self; éçvare—dominating.
TRANSLATION
Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master.
PURPORT
Attaining scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead means seeing one’s own self simultaneously. As far as the identity of the living being as spirit self is concerned, there are a number of speculations and misgivings. The materialist does not believe in the existence of the spirit self, and empiric philosophers believe in the impersonal feature of the whole spirit without individuality of the living beings. But the transcendentalists affirm that the soul and the Supersoul are two different identities, qualitatively one but quantitatively different. There are many other theories, but all these different speculations are at once cleared off as soon as Çré Kåñëa is realized in truth by the process of bhakti-yoga. Çré Kåñëa is like the sun, and the materialistic speculations about the Absolute Truth are like the darkest midnight. As soon as the Kåñëa sun is arisen within one’s heart, the darkness of materialistic speculations about the Absolute Truth and the living beings is at once cleared off. In the presence of the sun, the darkness cannot stand, and the relative truths that were hidden within the dense darkness of ignorance become clearly manifested by the mercy of Kåñëa, who is residing in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul.
In the Bhagavad-gétä (10.11) the Lord says that in order to show special favor to His pure devotees, He personally eradicates the dense darkness of all misgivings by switching on the light of pure knowledge within the heart of a devotee. Therefore, because of the Personality of Godhead’s taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain in darkness. He comes to know everything of the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach. Perfect knowledge is called paramparä, or deductive knowledge coming down from the authority to the submissive aural receiver who is bona fide by service and surrender. One cannot challenge the authority of the Supreme and know Him also at the same time. He reserves the right of not being exposed to such a challenging spirit of an insignificant spark of the whole, a spark subjected to the control of illusory energy. The devotees are submissive, and therefore the transcendental knowledge descends from the Personality of Godhead to Brahmä and from Brahmä to his sons and disciples in succession. This process is helped by the Supersoul within such devotees. That is the perfect way of learning transcendental knowledge.
This enlightenment perfectly enables the devotee to distinguish spirit from matter because the knot of spirit and matter is untied by the Lord. This knot is called ahaìkära, and it falsely obliges a living being to become identified with matter. As soon as this knot is loosened, therefore, all the clouds of doubt are at once cleared off. One sees his master and fully engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, making a full termination of the chain of fruitive action. In material existence, a living being creates his own chain of fruitive work and enjoys the good and bad effects of those actions life after life. But as soon as he engages himself in the loving service of the Lord, he at once becomes free from the chain of karma. His actions no longer create any reaction.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:22. text and purports.

ato vai kavayo nityaà
bhaktià paramayä mudä
väsudeve bhagavati
kurvanty ätma-prasädaném
SYNONYMS
ataù—therefore; vai—certainly; kavayaù—all transcendentalists; nityam—from time immemorial; bhaktim—service unto the Lord; paramayä—supreme; mudä—with great delight; väsudeve—Çré Kåñëa; bhagavati—the Personality of Godhead; kurvanti—do render; ätma—self; prasädaném—that which enlivens.
TRANSLATION
Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.
PURPORT
The speciality of devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Lord Çré Kåñëa is specifically mentioned herein. Lord Çré Kåñëa is the svayaà-rüpa Personality of Godhead, and all other forms of Godhead, beginning from Çré Baladeva, Saìkarñaëa, Väsudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Näräyaëa and extending to the puruña-avatäras, guëa-avatäras, lélä-avatäras, yuga-avatäras and many other thousands of manifestations of the Personality of Godhead, are Lord Çré Kåñëa’s plenary portions and integrated parts. The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore Lord Sri Kåñëa is the original form of Godhead, and He is the last word in the Transcendence. Thus He is more attractive to the higher transcendentalists who participate in the eternal pastimes of the Lord. In forms of the Personality of Godhead other than Çré Kåñëa and Baladeva, there is no facility for intimate personal contact as in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord at Vrajabhümi. The transcendental pastimes of Lord Çré Kåñëa are not newly accepted, as argued by some less intelligent persons; His pastimes are eternal and are manifested in due course once in a day of Brahmäjé, as the sun rises on the eastern horizon at the end of every twenty-four hours.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:23. text and purports.

sattvaà rajas tama iti prakåter guëäs tair
yuktaù paraù puruña eka ihäsya dhatte
sthity-ädaye hari-viriïci-hareti saàjïäù
çreyäàsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nåëäà syuù
SYNONYMS
sattvam—goodness; rajaù—passion; tamaù—the darkness of ignorance; iti—thus; prakåteù—of the material nature; guëäù—qualities; taiù—by them; yuktaù—associated with; paraù—transcendental; puruñaù—the personality; ekaù—one; iha asya—of this material world; dhatte—accepts; sthiti-ädaye—for the matter of creation, maintenance and destruction, etc.; hari—Viñëu, the Personality of Godhead; viriïci—Brahmä; hara—Lord Çiva; iti—thus; saàjïäù—different features; çreyäàsi—ultimate benefit; tatra—therein; khalu—of course; sattva—goodness; tanoù—form; nåëäm—of the human being; syuù—derived.
TRANSLATION
The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world’s creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmä, Viñëu and Çiva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viñëu, the form of the quality of goodness.
PURPORT
That Lord Çré Kåñëa, by His plenary parts, should be rendered devotional service, as explained above, is confirmed by this statement. Lord Çré Kåñëa and all His plenary parts are viñëu-tattva, or the Lordship of Godhead. From Çré Kåñëa, the next manifestation is Baladeva. From Baladeva is Saìkarñaëa, from Saìkarñaëa is Näräyaëa, from Näräyaëa there is the second Saìkarñaëa, and from this Saìkarñaëa the Viñëu puruña-avatäras. The Viñëu or the Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is the puruña-avatära known as Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu or Paramätmä. Brahmä is the deity of rajas (passion), and Çiva of ignorance. They are the three departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world. Creation is made possible by the goodness of Viñëu, and when it requires to be destroyed, Lord Çiva does it by the täëòavanåtya. The materialists and the foolish human beings worship Brahmä and Çiva respectively. But the pure transcendentalists worship the form of goodness, Viñëu, in His various forms. Viñëu is manifested by His millions and billions of integrated forms and separated forms. The integrated forms are called Godhead, and the separated forms are called the living entities or the jévas. Both the jévas and Godhead have their original spiritual forms. Jévas are sometimes subjected to the control of material energy, but the Viñëu forms are always controllers of this energy. When Viñëu, the Personality of Godhead, appears in the material world, He comes to deliver the conditioned living beings who are under the material energy. Such living beings appear in the material world with intentions of being lords, and thus they become entrapped by the three modes of nature. As such, the living entities have to change their material coverings for undergoing different terms of imprisonment. The prison house of the material world is created by Brahmä under instruction of the Personality of Godhead, and at the conclusion of a kalpa the whole thing is destroyed by Çiva. But as far as maintenance of the prison house is concerned, it is done by Viñëu, as much as the state prison house is maintained by the state. Anyone, therefore, who wishes to get out of this prison house of material existence, which is full of miseries like repetition of birth, death, disease and old age, must please Lord Viñëu for such liberation. Lord Viñëu is worshiped by devotional service only, and if anyone has to continue prison life in the material world, he may ask for relative facilities for temporary relief from the different demigods like Çiva, Brahmä, Indra and Varuëa. No demigod, however, can release the imprisoned living being from the conditioned life of material existence. This can be done only by Viñëu. Therefore, the ultimate benefit may be derived from Viñëu, the Personality of Godhead.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:24. text and purports.

pärthiväd däruëo dhümas
tasmäd agnis trayémayaù
tamasas tu rajas tasmät
sattvaà yad brahma-darçanam
SYNONYMS
pärthivät—from earth; däruëaù—firewood; dhümaù—smoke; tasmät—from that; agniù—fire; trayé—Vedic sacrifices; mayaù—made of; tamasaù—in the mode of ignorance; tu—but; rajaù—the mode of passion; tasmät—from that; sattvam—the mode of goodness; yat—which; brahma—the Absolute Truth; darçanam—realization.
TRANSLATION
Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And fire is still better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of superior knowledge [through Vedic sacrifices]. Similarly, passion [rajas] is better than ignorance [tamas], but goodness [sattva] is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth.
PURPORT
As explained above, one can get release from the conditioned life of material existence by devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. It is further comprehended herein that one has to rise to the platform of the mode of goodness (sattva) so that one can be eligible for the devotional service of the Lord. But if there are impediments on the progressive path, anyone, even from the platform of tamas, can gradually rise to the sattva platform by the expert direction of the spiritual master. Sincere candidates must, therefore, approach an expert spiritual master for such a progressive march, and the bona fide, expert spiritual master is competent to direct a disciple from any stage of life: tamas, rajas or sattva.
It is a mistake, therefore, to consider that worship of any quality or any form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally beneficial. Except Viñëu, all separated forms are manifested under the conditions of material energy, and therefore the forms of material energy cannot help anyone to rise to the platform of sattva, which alone can liberate a person from material bondage.
The uncivilized state of life, or the life of the lower animals, is controlled by the mode of tamas. The civilized life of man, with a passion for various types of material benefits, is the stage of rajas. The rajas stage of life gives a slight clue to the realization of the Absolute Truth in the forms of fine sentiments in philosophy, art and culture with moral and ethical principles, but the mode of sattva is a still higher stage of material quality, which actually helps one in realizing the Absolute Truth. In other words, there is a qualitative difference between the different kinds of worshiping methods as well as the respective results derived from the predominating deities, namely Brahmä, Viñëu and Hara.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:25. text and purports.

bhejire munayo ’thägre
bhagavantam adhokñajam
sattvaà viçuddhaà kñemäya
kalpante ye ’nu tän iha
SYNONYMS
bhejire—rendered service unto; munayaù—the sages; atha—thus; agre—previously; bhagavantam—unto the Personality of Godhead; adhokñajam—the Transcendence; sattvam—existence; viçuddham—above the three modes of nature; kñemäya—to derive the ultimate benefit; kalpante—deserve; ye—those; anu—follow; tän—those; iha—in this material world.
TRANSLATION
Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.
PURPORT
The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Laws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of Godhead, and except for the mahäjanas, or the authorized agents of the Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion. There are twelve particular agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them render transcendental service unto Him. Persons who desire their own good may follow these mahäjanas and thus attain the supreme benefit.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:26. text and purports.

mumukñavo ghora-rüpän
hitvä bhüta-patén atha
näräyaëa-kaläù çäntä
bhajanti hy anasüyavaù
SYNONYMS
mumukñavaù—persons desiring liberation; ghora—horrible, ghastly; rüpän—forms like that; hitvä—rejecting; bhüta-patén—demigods; atha—for this reason; näräyaëa—the Personality of Godhead; kaläù—plenary portions; çäntäù—all-blissful; bhajanti—do worship; hi—certainly; anasüyavaù—nonenvious.
TRANSLATION
Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viñëu and His plenary portions.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa, who is the original person of the Viñëu categories, expands Himself in two different categories, namely integrated plenary portions and separated parts and parcels. The separated parts and parcels are the servitors, and the integrated plenary portions of viñëu-tattvas are the worshipful objects of service.
All demigods who are empowered by the Supreme Lord are also separated parts and parcels. They do not belong to the categories of viñëu-tattva. The viñëu-tattvas are living beings equally as powerful as the original form of the Personality of Godhead, and They display different categories of power in consideration of different times and circumstances. The separated parts and parcels are powerful by limitation. They do not have unlimited power like the viñëu-tattvas. Therefore, one should never classify the viñëu-tattvas, or the plenary portions of Näräyaëa, the Personality of Godhead, in the same categories with the parts and parcels. If anyone does so he becomes at once an offender by the name päñaëòé. In the age of Kali many foolish persons commit such unlawful offenses and equalize the two categories.
The separated parts and parcels have different positions in the estimation of material powers, and some of them are like Käla-bhairava, Çmaçäna-bhairava, Çani, Mahäkälé and Caëòikä. These demigods are worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or ignorance. Other demigods, like Brahmä, Çiva, Sürya, Gaëeça and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guëa) of material nature worship only viñëu-tattvas. Viñëu-tattvas are represented by various names and forms, such as Näräyaëa, Dämodara, Vämana, Govinda and Adhokñaja.
The qualified brähmaëas worship the viñëu-tattvas represented by the çälagräma-çilä, and some of the higher castes like the kñatriyas and vaiçyas also generally worship the viñëu-tattvas.
Highly qualified brähmaëas situated in the mode of goodness have no grudges against the mode of worship of others. They have all respect for other demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Käla-bhairava or Mahäkälé. They know very well that those horrible features of the Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under different conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the forms of Viñëu because they are serious about liberation from the material conditions. The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmä, the supreme of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Hiraëyakaçipu underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his worshipful deity, Brahmä, could not satisfy him with such blessings. Therefore Viñëu, and none else, is called mukti-päda, or the Personality of Godhead who can bestow upon us mukti, liberation. The demigods, being like other living entities in the material world, are all liquidated at the time of the annihilation of the material structure. They are themselves unable to get liberation, and what to speak of giving liberation to their devotees. The demigods can award the worshipers some temporary benefit only, and not the ultimate one.
It is for this reason only that candidates for liberation deliberately reject the worship of the demigods, although they have no disrespect for any one of them.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:27. text and purports.

rajas-tamaù-prakåtayaù
sama-çélä bhajanti vai
pitå-bhüta-prajeçädén
çriyaiçvarya-prajepsavaù
SYNONYMS
rajaù—the mode of passion; tamaù—the mode of ignorance; prakåtayaù—of that mentality; sama-çéläù—of the same categories; bhajanti—do worship; vai—actually; pitå—the forefathers; bhüta—other living beings; prajeça-ädén—controllers of cosmic administration; çriyä—enrichment; aiçvarya—wealth and power; prajä—progeny; épsavaù—so desiring.
TRANSLATION
Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny.
PURPORT
There is no need to worship demigods of whatsoever category if one is serious about going back to Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gétä (7.20,23) it is clearly said that those who are mad after material enjoyment approach the different demigods for temporary benefits, which are meant for men with a poor fund of knowledge. We should never desire to increase the depth of material enjoyment. Material enjoyment should be accepted only up to the point of the bare necessities of life and not more or less than that. To accept more material enjoyment means to bind oneself more and more to the miseries of material existence. More wealth, more women and false aristocracy are some of the demands of the materially disposed man because he has no information of the benefit derived from Viñëu worship. By Viñëu worship one can derive benefit in this life as well as in life after death. Forgetting these principles, foolish people who are after more wealth, more wives and more children worship various demigods. The aim of life is to end the miseries of life and not to increase them.
For material enjoyment there is no need to approach the demigods. The demigods are but servants of the Lord. As such, they are duty-bound to supply necessities of life in the form of water, light, air, etc. One should work hard and worship the Supreme Lord by the fruits of one’s hard labor for existence, and that should be the motto of life. One should be careful to execute occupational service with faith in God in the proper way, and that will lead one gradually on the progressive march back to Godhead.
Lord Çré Kåñëa, when He was personally present at Vrajadhäma, stopped the worship of the demigod Indra and advised the residents of Vraja to worship by their business and to have faith in God. Worshiping the multidemigods for material gain is practically a perversity of religion. This sort of religious activity has been condemned in the very beginning of the Bhägavatam as kaitava-dharma. There is only one religion in the world to be followed by one and all, and that is the Bhägavata-dharma, or the religion which teaches one to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and no one else.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:28-29. text and purports.

väsudeva-parä vedä
väsudeva-parä makhäù
väsudeva-parä yogä
väsudeva-paräù kriyäù

väsudeva-paraà jïänaà
väsudeva-paraà tapaù
väsudeva-paro dharmo
väsudeva-parä gatiù
SYNONYMS
väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paräù—the ultimate goal; vedäù—revealed scriptures; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paräù—for worshiping; makhäù—sacrifices; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paräù—the means of attaining; yogäù—mystic paraphernalia; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paräù—under His control; kriyäù—fruitive activities; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; param—the supreme; jïänam—knowledge; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; param—best; tapaù—austerity; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paraù—superior quality; dharmaù—religion; väsudeva—the Personality of Godhead; paräù—ultimate; gatiù—goal of life.
TRANSLATION
In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.
PURPORT
That Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship is confirmed in these two çlokas. In the Vedic literature there is the same objective: establishing one’s relationship and ultimately reviving our lost loving service unto Him. That is the sum and substance of the Vedas. In the Bhagavad-gétä the same theory is confirmed by the Lord in His own words: the ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to know Him only. All the revealed scriptures are prepared by the Lord through His incarnation in the body of Çréla Vyäsadeva just to remind the fallen souls, conditioned by material nature, of Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead. No demigod can award freedom from material bondage. That is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. Impersonalists who have no information of the Personality of Godhead minimize the omnipotency of the Supreme Lord and put Him on equal footing with all other living beings, and for this act such impersonalists get freedom from material bondage only with great difficulty. They can surrender unto Him only after many, many births in the culture of transcendental knowledge.
One may argue that the Vedic activities are based on sacrificial ceremonies. That is true. But all such sacrifices are also meant for realizing the truth about Väsudeva. Another name of Väsudeva is Yajïa (sacrifice), and in the Bhagavad-gétä it is clearly stated that all sacrifices and all activities are to be conducted for the satisfaction of Yajïa, or Viñëu, the Personality of Godhead. This is the case also with the yoga systems. Yoga means to get into touch with the Supreme Lord. The process, however, includes several bodily features such as äsana, dhyäna, präëäyäma and meditation, and all of them are meant for concentrating upon the localized aspect of Väsudeva represented as Paramätmä. Paramätmä realization is but partial realization of Väsudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one realizes Väsudeva in full. But by ill luck most yogés are stranded by the powers of mysticism achieved through the bodily process. Ill-fated yogés are given a chance in the next birth by being placed in the families of good learned brähmaëas or in the families of rich merchants in order to execute the unfinished task of Väsudeva realization. If such fortunate brähmaëas and sons of rich men properly utilize the chance, they can easily realize Väsudeva by good association with saintly persons. Unfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again by material wealth and honor, and thus they practically forget the aim of life.
This is also so for the culture of knowledge. According to Bhagavad-gétä there are eighteen items in culturing knowledge. By such culture of knowledge one becomes gradually prideless, devoid of vanity, nonviolent, forbearing, simple, devoted to the great spiritual master, and self-controlled. By culture of knowledge one becomes unattached to hearth and home and becomes conscious of the miseries due to death, birth, old age and disease. And all culture of knowledge culminates in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Väsudeva. Therefore, Väsudeva is the ultimate aim in culturing all different branches of knowledge. Culture of knowledge leading one to the transcendental plane of meeting Väsudeva is real knowledge. physical knowledge in its various branches is condemned in the Bhagavad-gétä as ajïäna, or the opposite of real knowledge. The ultimate aim of physical knowledge is to satisfy the senses, which means prolongation of the term of material existence and thereby continuance of the threefold miseries. So prolonging the miserable life of material existence is nescience. But the same physical knowledge leading to the way of spiritual understanding helps one to end the miserable life of physical existence and to begin the life of spiritual existence on the plane of Väsudeva.
The same applies to all kinds of austerities. Tapasya means voluntary acceptance of bodily pains to achieve some higher end of life. Rävaëa and Hiraëyakaçipu underwent a severe type of bodily torture to achieve the end of sense gratification. Sometimes modern politicians also undergo severe types of austerities to achieve some political end. This is not actually tapasya. One should accept voluntary bodily inconvenience for the sake of knowing Väsudeva because that is the way of real austerities. Otherwise all forms of austerities are classified as modes of passion and ignorance. passion and ignorance cannot end the miseries of life. Only the mode of goodness can mitigate the threefold miseries of life. Vasudeva and Devaké, the so-called father and mother of Lord Kåñëa, underwent penances to get Väsudeva as their son. Lord Çré Kåñëa is the father of all living beings (Bg. 14.4). Therefore He is the original living being of all other living beings. He is the original eternal enjoyer amongst all other enjoyers. Therefore no one can be His begetting father, as the ignorant may think. Lord Çré Kåñëa agreed to become the son of Vasudeva and Devaké upon being pleased with their severe austerities. Therefore if any austerities have to be done, they must be done to achieve the end of knowledge, Väsudeva.
Väsudeva is the original Personality of Godhead Lord Çré Kåñëa. As explained before, the original Personality of Godhead expands Himself by innumerable forms. Such expansion of forms is made possible by His various energies. His energies are also multifarious, and His internal energies are superior and external energies inferior in quality. They are explained in the Bhagavad-gétä (7.4–6) as the parä and the aparä prakåtis. So His expansions of various forms which take place via the internal energies are superior forms, whereas the expansions which take place via the external energies are inferior forms. The living entities are also His expansions. The living entities who are expanded by His internal potency are eternally liberated persons, whereas those who are expanded in terms of the material energies are eternally conditioned souls. Therefore, all culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence that is acting upon us. For the present, we are all being controlled by the external energy of the Lord, and just to change the quality of the influence, we must endeavor to cultivate spiritual energy. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is said that those who are mahätmäs, or those whose minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the service of Lord Kåñëa, are under the influence of the internal potency, and the effect is that such broadminded living beings are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord without deviation. That should be the aim of life. And that is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. No one should bother himself with fruitive activities or dry speculation about transcendental knowledge. Everyone should at once engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Nor should one worship different demigods who work as different hands of the Lord for creation, maintenance or destruction of the material world. There are innumerable powerful demigods who look over the external management of the material world. They are all different assisting hands of Lord Väsudeva. Even Lord Çiva and Lord Brahmä are included in the list of demigods, but Lord Viñëu, or Väsudeva, is always transcendentally situated. Even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the material world, He is still transcendental to all the material modes. The following example will clear that matter more explicitly. In the prison house there are the prisoners and the managers of the prison house. Both the managers and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the king. But even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is not bound by the laws of the prison house. The king is therefore always transcendental to the laws of the prison house, as the Lord is always transcendental to the laws of the material world.