CC - Madhya - chapter 8
namaskara kaila raya, prabhu kaila alingane
dui jane krsna-katha kaya rahah-sthane
Ramananda Raya approached Lord Sri Caitanya and offered his respectful obeisances, and the Lord embraced him. Then they began to discuss Krsna in a secluded place.
PURPORT
The word rahah-sthane, "in a secluded place," is very significant. Talks about Krsna and His pastimes--especially His pastimes in Vrndavana and His dealings with the gopis--are all very confidential. They are not subject matter for public discussion because those who have no understanding of the transcendental nature of Krsna's pastimes always commit great offenses, thinking Krsna to be an ordinary human being and the gopis ordinary girls. Following the principle of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who never discussed the dealings between Krsna and the gopis publicly, devotees in the Krsna consciousness movement are enjoined not to discuss the pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana in public. For the general public, sankirtana is the most effective method to awaken Krsna consciousness. If possible, one should discuss the principles enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed this principle very strictly and discussed the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita with learned scholars like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Prakasananda Sarasvati. However, He taught the principles of the bhakti cult to students like Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, and He discussed with Sri Ramananda Raya the topmost devotional dealings between Krsna and the gopis. For the general populace, He performed sankirtana very vigorously. We must also follow these principles in preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world.
TEXT 57
prabhu kahe,----"pada sloka sadhyera nirnaya"
raya kahe,----"sva-dharmacarane visnu-bhakti haya"
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Ramananda Raya to recite a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the ultimate goal of life. Ramananda replied that if one executes the prescribed duties of his social position, he awakens his original Krsna consciousness.
PURPORT
In this connection, Sri Ramanujacarya stated in the Vedartha-sangraha that devotional service is naturally very dear to the living entity. Indeed, it is life's goal. This devotional service is supreme knowledge, or Krsna consciousness, and it brings detachment from all material activity. In the transcendental position, a living being can perfectly acknowledge the superiority of serving the Supreme Lord. The devotees attain the Supreme Lord only by devotional service. Having such knowledge, one engages in his occupational duty, and that is called bhakti-yoga. By performing bhakti-yoga, one can rise to the platform of pure devotional service.
A great saint, the father of Srila Vyasadeva, Parasara Muni, has specifically mentioned that devotional service to the Lord can ultimately be awakened in human society by the discharge of duties in accordance with the varnasrama system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instituted varnasrama-dharma to give human beings a chance to return home, back to Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, who is known in the Bhagavad-gita as Purusottama--the greatest of all personalities--personally came and declared that the institution of varnasrama-dharma was founded by Him. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.13):
catur-varnyam maya srstam
guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam
viddhy akartaram avyayam
Elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gita (18.45-46) the Lord says:
sve sve karmany abhiratah
samsiddhim labhate narah
sva-karma-niratah siddhim
yatha vindati tac chrnu
yatah pravrttir bhutanam
yena sarvam idam tatam
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
siddhim vindati manavah
Human society should be divided into four divisions--brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra--and everyone should always engage in his occupational duty. The Lord says that those engaged in their occupational duty can attain perfection simply by rendering loving devotional service to the Lord while executing their particular duty. Actually the modern ideal of a classless society can be introduced only by Krsna consciousness. Let men perform their occupational duty, and let them give their profits to the service of the Lord. In other words, one can attain the perfection of life by discharging one's occupational duty and employing the results in the service of the Lord. This method is confirmed by great personalities like Bodhayana, Tanka, Dramida, Guhadeva, Kapardi and Bharuci. It is also confirmed by the Vedanta-sutra.
TEXT 58
varnasramacara-vata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha
nanyat tat-tosa-karanam
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varnas and asramas."
PURPORT
This is a quotation from the Visnu Purana (3.8.9). As stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya: "The purport is that one can realize life's perfection simply by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13):
atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
"O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties [dharma] according to caste divisions and order of life, is to please Lord Hari."
Every man should perform his occupational duty in the light of his particular tendency. According to his abilities, one should accept a position in the varnasrama institution. The divisions of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra are natural divisions within society. Indeed, everyone has a prescribed duty according to the varnasrama-dharma. Those who properly execute their prescribed duties live peacefully and are not disturbed by material conditions. The spiritual orders--brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa--are called asramas. If one executes his prescribed duty in both the social and spiritual order, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. If one neglects his duties, however, he becomes a transgressor and a candidate for a hellish condition. Actually we see that different people are engaged in different ways; therefore there must be divisions according to work. To attain perfection, one must make devotional service the center of life. In this way one can awaken his natural instincts by work, association and education. One should accept the varnasrama divisions by qualification, not by birth. Unless this system is introduced, human activities cannot be systematically executed.
The brahmanas are the intellectuals who can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are always engaged in the cultivation of knowledge. It does not matter whether one is born in India or outside India. Those who are naturally very heroic and who tend to rule over others are called ksatriyas. Those who tend to produce food by agricultural methods, protect cows and other animals and engage in trade are called vaisyas, or merchants. Those who are not sufficiently intelligent to be brahmanas, ksatriyas or vaisyas are required to serve a master and are called sudras. Thus everyone can engage in the service of the Lord and thus awaken his natural Krsna consciousness. If a society does not function according to such natural divisions, the social orders become degraded. The conclusion is that the scientific method of varnasrama-dharma should be adopted by society.
TEXT 59
prabhu kahe, "eho bahya, age kaha ara"
raya kahe, "krsne karmarpana----sarva-sadhya-sara"
The Lord replied, "This is external. You had better tell Me of some other means." Ramananda replied, "To offer the results of one's activities to Krsna is the essence of all perfection."
TEXT 60
yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusva mad-arpanam
Ramananda Raya continued, " 'My dear son of Kunti, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give in charity, and whatever austerities you perform, all the results of such activities should be offered to Me, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.' "
PURPORT
The Lord has said that the varnasrama-dharma is not properly executed in this Age of Kali; therefore He ordered Ramananda Raya to go further into the matter. Ramananda replied with this verse from the Bhagavad-gita (9.27), which instructs that while remaining in the system of varnasrama-dharma one may offer the results of his activities to Lord Sri Krsna in loving service. Naturally Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asking Ramananda Raya about the execution of devotional service. Ramananda Raya first enunciated the principle of varnasrama-dharma in consideration of materialistic people.
However, this conception is not transcendental. As long as one is in the material world, he must follow the principles of varnasrama-dharma, but devotional service is transcendental. The system of varnasrama-dharma refers to the three modes of material nature, but transcendental devotional service is on the absolute platform. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to the spiritual world, and His methods for propagating the sankirtana movement were also imported from the spiritual world. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung: golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmila kene taya. This states that the sankirtana movement has nothing to do with this material world. It is imported from the spiritual world, Goloka Vrndavana. Narottama dasa Thakura laments that mundane people do not take this sankirtana movement seriously. Considering
the position of devotional service and the sankirtana movement, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu deemed the system of varnasrama-dharma to be material, although it aims at elevation to the spiritual platform. However, the sankirtana movement can raise one immediately to the spiritual platform. Consequently it is said that varnasrama-dharma is external, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested Ramananda Raya to proceed deeper into the matter and uncover the spiritual platform.
Sometimes materialists consider Lord Visnu a material conception. Impersonalists think that above Lord Visnu is the impersonal Brahman. The impersonalists misunderstand the worship of Lord Visnu. They worship Lord Visnu to merge into His body. In order that visnu-aradhana not be misunderstood, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested that Sri Ramananda Raya proceed further and clear up the issue. Ramananda Raya quoted the verse from the Bhagavad-gita stating that the results of one's occupational duty may be offered to Lord Visnu or Krsna. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.8) it is also said:
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
"If one executes the occupational duties of varnasrama-dharma but does not cultivate his dormant Krsna consciousness, his activities are futile. His occupation simply becomes unnecessary labor."
TEXT 61
prabhu kahe,----"eho bahya, age kaha ara"
raya kahe,----"svadharma-tyaga, ei sadhya-sara"
"This is also external," Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. "Please proceed and speak further on this matter." Ramananda Raya replied, "To give up one's occupational duties in the varnasrama is the essence of perfection."
PURPORT
A brahmana may renounce his family and accept sannyasa. Others also--ksatriyas and vaisyas--may also give up their families and take to Krsna consciousness. Such renunciation is called karma-tyaga. By such renunciation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. But this renouncing of one's activities to Krsna is not uncontaminated and is therefore on the material platform. Such activities are considered within the material universe because, according to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they refer to the material universe and are therefore external. To correct this, Ramananda Raya recommended that one take to the renounced order of life in order to transcend material activities. This is supported by the following verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.11.32).
TEXT 62
ajnayaivam gunan dosan
mayadistan api svakan
dharman samtyajya yah sarvan
mam bhajet sa ca sattamah
Ramananda Raya continued, " 'Occupational duties are described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them, he can fully understand their qualities and faults and then give them up completely to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person is considered a first-class man.'
TEXT 63
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
"As stated in scripture [Bg. 18.66], 'After giving up all kinds of religious and occupational duties, if you come to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and take shelter, I will give you protection from all of life's sinful reactions. Do not worry.' "
PURPORT
In this connection, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami instructs in his book Manah-siksa (2):
na dharmam nadharmam sruti-gana-niruktam kila kuru
vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanu
He has thus enjoined that we should not perform religious or irreligious activities as prescribed in the Vedas. The best course is to engage always in the service of Lord Krsna and Radharani. That is the perfection of everything in this life.
Similarly, in Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.29.46) it is said by Narada Muni:
yada yasyanugrhnati
bhagavan atma-bhavitah
sa jahati matim loke
vede ca parinisthitam
"When one actually takes to the loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he gives up all duties in the material world, as well as all duties prescribed by the Vedic literature. In this way one is fixed in the service of the Lord."
TEXT 64
prabhu kahe,----"eho bahya, age kaha ara"
raya kahe,----"jnana-misra bhakti----sadhya-sara"
After hearing Ramananda Raya speak in this way, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again rejected his statement and said, "Go ahead and say something more." Ramananda Raya then replied, "Devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge is the essence of perfection."
PURPORT
Devotional service mixed with non-Vedic speculative knowledge is certainly not pure devotional service. Therefore Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in his Anubhasya preached that self-realization following the execution of ritualistic ceremonies is in the neutral stage between liberation and conditioned life. It is the place beyond this material world in the river Viraja, where the three modes of material nature are subdued or neutralized in the unmanifest stage. However, the spiritual world is a manifestation of spiritual energy and is known as Vaikunthaloka, "the place where there is no anxiety." The material world, known as brahmanda is the creation of the external energy. Between the two creations--the material creation and the spiritual creation--is a river known as Viraja as well as a place known as Brahmaloka. Viraja-nadi and Brahmaloka are shelters for living entities disgusted with material life and inclined to impersonal existence by way of denying material variegatedness. Since these places are not situated in the Vaikunthalokas, or the spiritual world, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proclaims them to be external. In the Brahmaloka and Viraja-nadi, one cannot conceive of the Vaikunthalokas. Brahmaloka and Viraja-nadi are also attained after difficult austerities, but in these realms there is no understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendental loving service. Without such spiritual knowledge, simple detachment from material conditions is but another side of material existence. From the spiritual point of view, it is all external. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected this proposal, Ramananda Raya suggested that devotional service based on philosophy and logic is a more advanced position. He therefore quoted the following verse from the Bhagavad-gita (18.54).
TEXT 65
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
Ramananda Raya continued, "According to the Bhagavad-gita, 'One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.' "
PURPORT
In the Bhagavad-gita (18.54) it is said that a person who accepts the theory of monism--being always engaged in empiric philosophical discussions about spiritual life--becomes joyful and is relieved from all material lamentation and hankering.
At that stage, one is equipoised. He sees all living entities as spiritual beings. After attaining this elevated stage, one can attain pure devotional service. The conclusion is that devotional service mixed with ritualistic fruitive activity is inferior to spiritual service based on empiric philosophic discussion.
TEXT 66
prabhu kahe,----"eho bahya, age kaha ara"
raya kahe,----"jnana-sunya bhakti----sadhya-sara"
After hearing this, the Lord, as usual, rejected it, considering it to be external devotional service. He again asked Ramananda Raya to speak further, and Ramananda Raya replied, "Pure devotional service without any touch of speculative knowledge is the essence of perfection."
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in his Anubhasya commentary says that this stage--devotional service mixed with speculative knowledge--is also external and not within the jurisdiction of pure devotional service as practiced in Vaikunthaloka. As soon as there is some conception of materialistic thought--be it positive or negative--the service is not spiritual. It may be free from material contamination, but because there is mental speculation the devotional service is not pure and freed from the contamination of material life. A living entity who wants to be completely pure must be above this material conception. The negation of material existence does not necessarily mean spiritual existence. After material existence is negated, spiritual existence--namely sac-cid-ananda--still may not be manifest. Until one comes to the stage of actually understanding one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, he cannot enter into spiritual life. Spiritual life means becoming detached from material life and engaging in the loving service of the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore asked Ramananda Raya to explain something transcendental to devotional service mixed with speculative knowledge.
A pure devotee is completely surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord, and only by his love does he conquer Krsna, who cannot be conquered by anyone. Krsna always stands victorious over everything. No one can conquer Him. One can attain the stage of pure devotion simply by fully surrendering. This is next corroborated by Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.3), wherein Lord Brahma, defeated by the potency of Sri Krsna, fully surrendered unto the Lord.
TEXT 67
jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam
Ramananda Raya continued, "Lord Brahma said, 'My dear Lord, those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name, form, pastimes and qualities. They should completely follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and animal slaughter. Surrendering themselves fully with body, words and mind, they can live in any asrama or social status. Indeed, You are conquered by such persons, although You are always unconquerable.' "
TEXT 68
prabhu kahe,----"eho haya, age kaha ara"
raya kahe, "prema-bhakti----sarva-sadhya-sara"
At this point, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "This is all right, but still you can speak more on the subject." Ramananda Raya then replied, "Ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all perfection."
PURPORT
In this connection, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya says that after hearing Ramananda Raya, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho haya, age kaha ara. This means that this is the process accepted in devotional service, but there is something more than this. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested him to explain what was beyond. Simply executing the duties of all varnas and asramas is not as good as offering all the results of one's activities to the Lord.
When one gives up all fruitive activity and fully surrenders to the Lord, he attains sva-dharma-tyaga, wherein he abandons the social order and takes to the renounced order. That is certainly better. However, better than the renounced order is cultivation of knowledge mixed with devotional service. Yet all these activities are external to the activities of the spiritual world. There is no touch of pure devotional service in them. Pure devotional service cannot be attained by empiric philosophy, nor can perfection be attained simply by good association. Devotional service by self-realization is a different subject matter. It is untouched by fruitive activity, for one surrenders the results of activities to the Lord, abandons prescribed duties and accepts the renounced order of life. Such devotional service is situated on a higher platform than that of empiric philosophical speculation with a mixture of bhakti. This is verified by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11):
anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
"One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service."
Devotional activities, however, sometimes appear to be impure in the neophyte stage, but in the mature stage they are completely pure, or free from material activity. Therefore Ramananda Raya replied after hearing the last statement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: prema-bhakti--sarva-sadhya-sara. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu actually accepted this verse (jnane prayasam) as the basic principle of perfection. One has to practice this principle in order to make further progress. When further progress is actually made, one comes to the platform of ecstatic loving service to the Lord. This first stage is technically called sadhana-bhakti, or devotional service in practice. The result of sadhana-bhakti must be ecstatic love, attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is also called prema-bhakti. In the neophyte stage, sadhana-bhakti includes faith, association with devotees, and practicing devotional service. Thus one is freed from all unwanted things.
One then becomes fixed in devotional service and increases his desire to act in devotional service. Thus one becomes attached to the Lord and His devotional service.
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