The Nectar of Devotion

—
Vṛndāvana
Vṛndāvana,, October 19, 1972

Pradyumna:: (reading) "...happiness immediately terminates with his body

Pradyumna
as long as his life, as soon as his life is over. Death is therefore taken as the
representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the
presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the pre-
sence of God in the shape of death."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This point we have discussed last night that everyone can
see God. To see God is not very difficult job. There are so many points des-
cribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. For the devotees, those who are serious about
seeing God, they can see God. God is present everywhere. And God Him-
self, Kṛṣṇa, is describing, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-
sūryayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]. So everyone drinks water. Now Kṛṣṇa says, "The taste of
the water, I am." So who has not tasted the water? Everyone drinks water at
least four times, five times. So as soon as you drink water, the taste of the
water is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am this." Kṛṣṇa has described Himself in so
many ways. "Amongst the trees, I am this. Amongst the aquatics, I am this.
Amongst the nonmovable, I am this." So why not see God in that way? The
atheist class of men, they say, "Can you show me God?" So why don't you
see God? Why you close your eyes? If you have got eyes to see, you can see
God everywhere.

Those who are saintly devotees, they are seeing God, Kṛṣṇa, in every mo-
ment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadai-
va hṛdayeṣuvilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become saintly person by your
austerities, penances, then you can see God in every step. Otherwise, if you
think that "I cannot become saintly person," yes, nobody can become
saintly immediately. It requires time. But so long you are material person
you can see God also in the water. You drink water. You can see God. You
can see sunshine. God is there. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So who has not
seen the sunshine? Who has not seen the moonshine? So therefore if you
have seen moonshine, if you have seen sunshine, you have seen God.
 But especially those who are impersonalists, they can see God in that
way. Śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. There are descriptions in the Seventh
Chapter, how you can see God in your common dealings. Still, if you do not
see God, then you can see, you must see one day God at the time of your
death. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]. Death is God. So the atheist
class men, just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who always challenges God, in spite of
so many things wherein we can see God, they deny to see God; therefore
God comes before them as death. So everyone has to meet death. So God is
there. And you are seeing. But because we are atheist class of men, we are
denying, "There is not God." So Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu says that, "After
all, you have to meet with God at the time of death. So before death, why
don't you see God in so many ways?" That is Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. The
science of devotional service which is giving you indication how to see God
always and everywhere. Go on reading.

Pradyumna:: "Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the

Pradyumna
atheist class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional
service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of
death. At death everything is finished, and one has to begin a new chapter
of life in a new situation, perhaps higher or lower than the last one. In any
field of activity, political, social, national or international, the results of our
actions will be finished with the end of life. That is sure. Bhakti-rasa,howe-
ver, the mellow relished in the transcendental loving service of the Lord,
does not finish with the end of life. It continues perpetually and is therefore
called amṛta, that which does not die, but exists eternally."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Rasa. Rasa means mellow. Everything we have, there is

a rasa. Without rasa, we do not deal in anything. So this material rasa or
mellow, which we relish in our daily dealings... Suppose our dealings with
wife, children, friends or others, enemy also. There is a rasa. When we kill
our enemy, there is also some pleasure rasa. When we see something
ghastly... In European and Western countries, they want to see some
ghastly things in the television. So they enjoy rasa. There is some rasa,re-
lishment. Otherwise, how they are all day, practically, they are sitting befo-
re the television and seeing?

So there are twelve kinds of rasas. Five kinds of rasa, we generally expe-
rience. The dealings between servants and master, dealings between friend
and friend, dealings between mother and the child, dealings between lover
and the beloved, dealings between the enemy and enemies. So many ways,
there are, on the whole, twelve kinds of rasa. And the, all the rasasare there
in Kṛṣṇa. Akhila-rasāmṛta. Akhila-rasa. He's the reservoir of all pleasure.
Even in ghastly behavior, a man is killing another man, there is some enjoy-
ment by killing. Just like Bhīma. When he killed Duryodhana, he immedia-
tely sucked the blood of Duryodhana's heart. So there was some pleasure.
Because Duryodhana insulted them so many ways. And they were, espe-
cially Bhīma was finding out the opportunity when he'll, he would enjoy
the rasa by killing Duryodhana. So all, in all our dealings, directly or indi-
rectly, there is some rasa.

Now, in our material dealings, the rasas are temporary. They'll be finis-
hed. As soon as this body is finished, the rasa is also finished. Just like we
love somebody, any way, either as friend or as child or as husband or as lo-
ver, friend, so many ways. But these rasa will be finished as soon as this
body's finished. I have got some affectionate dealings with my sons. But as
soon as the son dies, or I die, the rasa is finished. But if you deal in the sa-
me way with Kṛṣṇa, who is the reservoir of all rasas, it will continue. If you
love Kṛṣṇa as a friend in this life, if you develop your conscious-
ness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as friend of Kṛṣṇa's, then tyaktvā dehaṁ pu-
nar janmanaiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9], when you go to Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā deham, gi-
ving up this body, then you go there as Kṛṣṇa's friend.

Just like Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī's described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrī-

mad-Bhāgavatam: itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁpara-
daivatena, māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa kṛta-puṇya-
puñjāḥ [SB10.12.11]. The boys who were playing with Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gos-
vāmī says that after many, many births accumulation of pious activities...
Because you cannot develop devotional service without pious
life. Yeṣām anta-gataṁpāpam. If you want to become associate with Kṛṣṇa,
then you cannot act as a sinful man. Just like a criminal is not allowed to co-
me out of the jail. He has no freedom. Similarly, if we act sinfully in this life,
then we'll have to remain within this material world, one body after
another. So we, we have to give up sinful activities. Therefore we forbid our
students, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Becau-
se these are the pillars of sinful life. So we have to give up these things to ac-
celerate our promotion to devotional service. We cannot go on doing this
and that at the same time. It is something like that, you ignite fire and pour
water. It will be useless attempt. If you want to burn the fire blazing, don't
put water on it. Keep it dry. Similarly, if you want to advance in Kṛṣṇa cons-
ciousness, then you cannot indulge in sinful activities. And when you are
proved that you are no more sinful, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, one who has
become freed from the reaction of sinful life, yeṣām anta-
gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇi...

You have to do something. So if you engage yourself twenty-four hours

in pious activities, pious activities in goodness, that is also tainted. But
when you actually engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, as
we were discussing this morning, the verse, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-
yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam... [SB 1.2.7]. So even if we are ac-
customed to sinful activities on account of bad habits, still, we can engage
ourself in devotional service of Vāsudeva. So those who are sincerely devo-
tee of Vāsudeva, sometimes due to their past habits, may commit somet-
hing sinful, not knowingly, but habituated; that is excused
by Kṛṣṇa. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. But not wilfully.
Wilfully, if we commit some sinful activities, that can be excused once, twi-
ce, but not thrice. then you'll be punished. Therefore a devotee should not
commit wilfully any sinful activities in order to keep himself always fit in
devotional service. He should try to keep himself steady, without commit-
ting any sinful actions. The primary sinful activities are described, and we
try to follow. And if we chant sixteen rounds and keep ourself always aloof
from the sinful activities, then it is certain, niścayāt, utsāhān dhairyāt, niś-
cayāttat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-
saṅge ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥprasidhyati.

If you want to advance in devotional service, then you should be enthu-

siastic, utsāhān, dhairyāt, with patience, and niścayāt, you should be assu-
red that "Because I'm following strictly the direction of my spiritual master
and śāstras, certainly I shall meet Kṛṣṇa." Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. By fo-
llowing the rules and regulations, sato vṛtteḥ, always trying to be honest
and sādhu-saṅga... [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. The sādhu-saṅga is very important.
Therefore we have created this internal society, International Society so
that actually it is happening. People are coming to our society, in our cen-
ters, and after one week, automatically he takes a bag and beads and shaves
himself. Automatically. Sādhu-saṅga is very... Association of sādhu. Soli-
tary bhajana, executing devotional service in a solitary place, is not possible
for the neophyte devotees. It is meant for the advanced devotees. If, from
the very beginning, without executing the regulative principles, if one wants
to execute devotional service in a solitary place, it will be simply disturbing,
and he must fall down. There are so many examples, even in
this Vṛndāvana. So we should not imitate. We must, vidhi-mārga. The regu-
lative principles must be followed. Then when you are mature, then we can
sit down in a solitary place. Otherwise it is not possible. Then. You read.

Pradyumna:: "This is confirmed in all Vedic literatures. The Bhagavad-gītā-

Pradyumna
says that a little advancement in bhakti-rasa can save the devotee from the
greatest danger, that of missing the opportunity for, of human, for human
life."

Prabhupāda: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Just li-
ke Ajāmila. Ajāmila, when he was young, he was executing devotional servi-
ce just like a pure brāhmaṇa under the direction of his father, but when he
was young, he was captivated by prostitute and fell down, became a thief,
drunkard, and cheater. So many ways his life became sinful. But at the end
of his life, when he was just going to die, he simply chanted "Nārāyaṇa". His
youngest son's name was Nārāyaṇa. So when the Yamadūtas, the messen-
gers of Yamarāja... [break] ...carrying him. So he thought that his youngest
son, because he was beloved, would save him. So he chanted, not chanted,
he called his youngest son, Nārāyaṇa. Immediately he remembe-
red Nārāyaṇa. Because in the beginning he was a devotee of Nārāyaṇa. So
immediately, because he remembered Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa immediately
sent His messengers to take him back to Vaikuṇṭha. So therefore this is the
instance. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyatemahato bhayāt. Go on.

Pradyumna:: "The rasas derived from our feelings in social life, in family life
Pradyumna
or the greater family of altruism, philanthropism, nationalism, socialism,
communism, etc., do not guarantee that one's next life will be as a human
being."

Prabhupāda: Yes. They do not know that. The so... There are so many welfa-
re workers. But they do not know even that there is next life. This is the po-
sition of the present civilization. Because I may be a great philanthropist,
but my next life will be according to my karma. Just like by becoming phi-
lanthropist I may do so many sinful activities. Because when one is mad af-
ter something... Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.20].When, then his
knowledge becomes bewildered. They do not care to do anything, either sin-
ful... Generally, they act sinfully. But according to our acts, karmaṇā daiva-
netreṇa [SB 3.31.1], the superior authority will examine your karma. Not
so-called philanthropism. Actually philanthropism has no meaning becau-
se, according to the law of karma...

Suppose you are suffering with some disease. So because you are being
supplied first-class medicine, there is no guarantee that your disease will be
cured. We have seen many cases. Similarly, according to Vedic conclusion,
the happiness and distress, they're destined.

Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido

na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham
[SB 1.5.18].

Duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ labhyate. Just like nobody tries to become

distressed. Everyone tries to become happy. So why distress comes? I try
for happiness. Suppose happiness comes. But I do not try for distress. Why
distress comes? We cannot explain why distress comes. You take care of all
possibilities. Still, there is distress. Why? Now, this is the destiny. If you ha-
ve to suffer some distress, you must suffer. That is called distress. So Bhāga-
vata says therefore that as you don't try for distress and it overcomes you,
similarly if you don't try for happiness, if you have got some happiness, it
will overcome you. It will come automatically. Therefore we should not try
either for happiness or for distress. We should simply try to develop
our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our business. Tasyai-
va hetoḥ prayatetakovidaḥ. A learned man should try for that only. That
means this Kṛṣṇaconsciousness.

Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ na labhyate yad bhrama-

tām upary adhaḥ. We are wandering upary-adaḥ. Upary-adhaḥ.
Upary means sometimes we are going in the higher planetary systems,
Brahmaloka, Janaloka, Satyaloka, sometimes going downward, Tala, Atala,
Vitala, Pātāla, Rasātala. Or sometimes higher species of life, sometimes lo-
wer species of life. In this way, we are wandering according to our kar-
ma. This is material existence. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says,

ei rūpe bhramāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
 [Cc. Madhya 19.151]

A living entity is wandering in this way, sometimes on the higher level, so-
metimes on the lower level, but he's changing one chapter, another, one
chapter, another. That is not very good, to repetition of birth and death. So
a living entity if he's very fortunately, fortunately he meets some good asso-
ciation, good devotees, then his life changes.

ei rūpe bhramāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is a process to give

chance everyone. Just like we are holding this meeting. It is a chance given
to everyone to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to learn about devotional service. And if it
attracts him, if he says, "Yes, it is nice," then it is called śraddhā. So śradd-
hā, by repeated hearing, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-seva-
nam [SB 7.5.23]. If we hear repeatedly, then we develop our dor-
mant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In everybody there is dormant Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness. So that is also stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-
bhaktisādhya kabhu naya. Kṛṣṇa bhakti is there. It is not artificially we ac-
quire it. It is already there. But we are in the forgotten stage. Therefore, by
repeated hearing, it is awakened. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. If
we
hear Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare/Hare Rāma Hare Rā-
maRāma Rāma Hare Hare, then śuddha-citta. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārja-
nam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The, the heart, the mirror of the heart, will be clean-
sed. And as soon as it is cleansed, we awaken, we remember, "Oh, I am eter-
nal." Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This
remembrance comes, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." And when he un-
derstands that he's eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and he engages himself in that
service, then immediately he becomes liberated.

Liberation, mukti,... Mukti means to be situated in his own constitutio-

nal position. That is mukti. So our constitutional position is eternal servi-
torship of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, jīverasvarūpa haya nit-
ya kṛṣṇera dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. So if we can simply understand
that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Let me again engage, be engaged in
Kṛṣṇa's service," and if he's actually engaged, then immediately he's libera-
ted. So devotees are already liberated. Those who are actually serious. Muk-
ti svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Hitvāanyat-
hā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the definition of mukti. Muk-
ti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. We are acting at the present moment anyat-
hā. Anyathā means somebody's thinking that "I am the maintainer of this
family. I am the minister of this state. I am this. I am that." So many. Upād-
his. So when we give up these designations, then that is mukti. Sarvopādhi-
vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena-nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].And so long we
are designated, we don't care for Kṛṣṇa, we care for society, friendship, love,
country, philanthropism, this "ism," that "ism," that is our bondage.

If you serve Kṛṣṇa, then naturally you serve everything. Yathā taror mū-
la-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ [SB 4.31.14]. If you ser-
ve Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa gives you opportunity to serve everyone. That is... Just
like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he served Kṛṣṇa. Even his atheist father was delive-
red. Because he happened to be the father of a Vaiṣṇava. So to ser-
ve Kṛṣṇa is the best service to the nation, to the family, to self, to everybody.
This is the secret of success. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If
you simply serve Kṛṣṇa, then all other duties are very well performed. You
are no longer debtor to any other obligation. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-
nṛṇāṁpitṝṇām [SB 11.5.41]. We have got so many obligations: to the demi-
gods, to the sages, to the forefathers, to the ordinary human beings, living
entities. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Here we get immunity
from all the obligations. Sarvātma-
nā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtyakartam. These are the
śāstric injunctions. So simply by discharging devotional service, loving de-
votional service unto Kṛṣṇa, you become free from all obligations, there is
no more obligations. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇasays,

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi...
[Bg. 18.66]
If you take to Kṛṣṇa seriously, if you surrender, then He gives you protec-
tion from the reaction of so many obligations. Go on.

Pradyumna:: "We prepare our next life by our actual activities in this pre-
Pradyumna
sent life. A living entity is offered a particular type of body as a result of his
action in the present body."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.

1]. Our next life means according to the karma, activities, in this life.
They're judged at the point of death. The, our activities are judged and then
we are given opportunity by the laws of nature to be carried in another mot-
her's womb to get another gross body. We have got two kinds of bodies, the
gross body and the subtle body. When this gross body is stopped working,
the subtle body works. We have got experience every night. When you are
lying down on bed, you are dreaming. You have gone somewhere else from
your room and you are acting. That means the subtle body is acting. Simi-
larly, when this body's stopped, nobody works, no more working, or the ma-
chine is broken, then, at that time, the subtle body carries you to another
machine. This body is machine. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. This is
stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is yantra. So just like your car, you are dri-
ving one car, the car is stopped for some reason. It is no more working.
Then what do you do? You get down. You get another car. Similarly, when
this body's not working, then you give up this body; you take another body.

Now, taking another car means as you are paying for it. If you are paying
very lump sum, you can a better car. But if you cannot pay, then you have to
accept a low grade car. Similarly, the price means according to your kar-
ma,you are offered a
car. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Prakṛti.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
[Bg. 18.61]
Māyā creates a car for you, a carrying conveyance, this body. So that conve-
yance is according to karma. So if you act piously in this life, then next life
you get good body. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā [Bg. 14.18]. Sattva-
sthā. If you are in goodness, then, in the modes of goodness, then you are
promoted to higher standard of life. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāmadh-
ye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And if you are in passion, then you remain here.
And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And if you are ignorant, then you go to ani-
mal life or lower grade of life. This is the law of karma. But instead of im-
proving your karma, karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra, fruitive activities, if you take to
devotional service and simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then you are
no longer within the influence of this good work or bad work. You are trans-
cendental. Immediately after death, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma nai-
ti[Bg. 4.9], you are no more subjected to this gross body... [break]

...understand Kṛṣṇa. You can understand Kṛṣṇa simply by chan-

ting HareKṛṣṇa mantra. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Simply by
your service attitude, to serve Kṛṣṇa, beginning with the tongue. It is very
wonderful. But utilizing your tongue, you can achieve Kṛṣṇa very easily. By
the tongue. By the tongue, if you simply chant, without any offen-
se, HareKṛṣṇa mantra, and by the tongue, if you simply taste Kṛṣṇa prasā-
dam, and by the tongue, if you speak about Kṛṣṇa, yāre dek-
ha tāre kaha kṛṣṇaupadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128], you understand Kṛṣṇa. The
three business of the tongue. Tasting the prasādam, chan-
ting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and preaching about Kṛṣṇa. By these three things
you understand Kṛṣṇa, and as you understand Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ pu-
nar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9],you are transferred to the spiritual king-
dom.

Thank you very much. (end)