Beautiful Truths of Bhagavata 004 “Sadhus and Vaisnavas””

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

ArrayrimadBhagavatam Arrayhakti Arrayrishna Arrayaisnava Arrayhastra ArrayranthaRaja.

Srimad Bhagavatam is called the “king of all spiritual books” (Grantha Raja) for good reason. Within this triguna-free, immaculate and divine spiritual shastra, the amala purana, one will find all the sweet, majestic and beautiful truths about the sadhana and sadhya (daily practice and perfection) of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. 

In his most compassionate and wonderful shastra, Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita, Sri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja summarizes all the teachings of the six Goswamis of Vrindavana along with the key Bhagavatam verses which prove and substantiate these beautiful truths, and which the Goswamis themselves quoted in their own shastras. The same Bhagavatam verse is sometimes quoted once or twice or even four times within the Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita to highlight its importance for all devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha-Govinda Yugala.

With the grace of Sri Advaita Prabhu, Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas, we will quote some of these important Srimad Bhagavatam verses from the Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita to present the beautiful truths of Gaudiya Vaisnavism regarding Sri Krishna, Sri Radha, Bhakti Sadhana, Sri Harinama, Krishna Prema, Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas.

II. * THE BEAUTIFUL TRUTH OF SADHUS AND VAISNAVAS

1. Devotees are superior to brahmins

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha,

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ SB 7.9.10 (Cc. 2x)

Sri Prahlada said, I consider a dog-eater who has dedicated everything—his mind, words, activities, wealth and life—to Bhagavan Sri Krishna superior to a brāhmaṇa having all the twelve qualities of brahmin averse to Bhagavan. The dog-eater purifies his whole family, whereas the so-called respectable person does not.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika: This verse describes a brāhmaṇa averse to the Bhagavan Sri Govinda, with a beautiful lotus navel and feet. What else needs to be said? One should consider the absence or presence of bhakti. The dog-eater who has offered his mind, actions (īhitam), wealth (artha), words and life to Sri Krishna is far superior to a born brahmin endowed with the good qualities of knowledge, mind and sense control, shyness, tolerance, lack of envy, determination and peace. 

How is the dog-eater devotee superior? He purifies his whole family whereas a venerable Brahmin without Krishna bhakti cannot purify himself, what to speak of his family. And if a Brahmin has the 12 qualities of a Brahmin, but without Krishna bhakti, then these qualities simply make one proud.

2. Devotee Means Helping Others

etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ dehinām iha dehiṣu,

prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā

SB 10.22.35

It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with one’s life, wealth, intelligence and words.

Sri Jiva Goswamipada tika: The point is that performing selfless acts beneficial to others with one’s life airs, wealth, intelligence and words brings success in life. When acting if one cannot give life then give wealth, if not wealth then intelligence, and if not intelligence then give good instructions.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika: One should use his life to serve others.

3. A Nama Sadhaka Is Topmost

aho bata śva-paco ’to garīyān, yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam

tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā, brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te

SB 3.33.7 (Cc. 3x)

How astonishing! The outcaste who chants Your name with even the tip of his tongue becomes a guru! All those who chant your name are most respectable, and they have already performed all types of austerities, sacrifices, bathing (tirtha snanas) and Vedic study.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika: This is most astonishing (aho bata)! Krishna’s transcendental name need not be fully on the tongue, pronounced correctly or chanted more than once. Now just imagine how much effect Krishna nama will produce if one fully chants Krishna nama many times?

The outcaste who chants incompletely just one name of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is the best guru (gariyān). He becomes a qualified diksha guru empowered to teach and give mantra to others.

But one may argue, “Ok, then let the outcaste perform tapa, yajnas and Vedic study!”

To this I reply, “Such outcastes chanting Bhagavan nama have already done all this which means they have properly performed all austerities, offered oblations in the fire, bathed in all holy places, and completed their studies of the Vedas (brahma). Thus they and not others are most respectable (āryāh).

“The word anucanah means such a teacher proficient in recitation of the Vedas with its aṅgas. The words are in the past tense, whereas gṛhnanti is in the present tense to indicate that these ‘so-called dogeaters’ chant Sri Krishna Harinama in the present time, but have already completed all the other actions such as austerities. These other actions i.e. tapa, yajnas and Vedic study are no longer performed and will not be performed in the future.

“Why would they do those actions now? They have no regard for them so they are a waste of energy. One should not explain that the phrase nāma gṛṇanti, which is in the present tense, means that they (dogeaters) continuously chant Krishna nama and thus attain such exaltation. No, it means they attain their glorious position by just once chanting Krishna nama as proven in (SB 5.1.35):

sakṛd ādadīta yan nāma dheyam, adhunā sa jahāti bandham—“If one utters Sri Krishna nama only once (sakrt) then one immediately (adhuna) gives up (jahati) material bondage (bandham).” Such power is not surprising for an outcaste who has conquered his/her six senses by receiving the dust from the lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Govindadeva!”

Srila Prabhupada tika: The holy name has to be chanted to please Bhagavan Sri Krishna, and not for sense gratification or professional purpose. If this pure mentality is there, then even though a person who is born of a low family, such as a dog-eater's, is so glorious that not only has he purified himself, but he is quite competent to deliver others (i.e. as Guru) even though born in a family not following Vedic rules and regulations. The word anūcuḥ means that they (i.e. dogeaters) are qualified to be Gurus because they have already completed all these recommended acts.

For example, authorities like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Advaita Prabhu accepted Sri Haridasa, although born in a low non-vedic family, as an authority because he was offenselessly chanting Sri Harinama, and thus had already performed all kinds of austerities, sacrifices and Vedic study.

4. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja engaged his everything in Sri Krishna’s seva

sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor, vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane

karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu, śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye

mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau, tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparśe ’ṅga-saṅgamam

ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe, śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite

pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe, śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane

kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā, yathottamaśloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ

SB 9.4.18-20

To attain bhava or love for Bhagavan like the great devotees Prahlada and others, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa used his mind, senses and whole body in favorably serving Bhagavan Sri Krishna by meditating upon Krishna’s lotus feet, glorifying Bhagavan Sri Krishna, cleaning Hari’s mandira, hearing Sri Acyuta katha, taking Thakuraji Mukunda’s darshana, visiting Sri Hari’s lila-sthalis like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, touching and embracing Vaisnavas, smelling Thakuraji’s maha oil perfumes and flowers, tasting Sri Krishna’s maha tulasi, bowing down to Sri Hrshikesh and His bhaktas, and by engaging all his desires in selflessly serving Bhagavan Sri Krishna under the shelter of loving devotees fully attached glorifying Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika: These verses describe the kings’ sādhana for attaining Krishna prema. King Ambarish performed all these wonderful devotional acts with the sole desire to attain love divine devoid of material desire as seen in Prahlāda and other pure Vaisnavas.

Srila Prabhupada tika: This verse indicates that one must execute devotional service under the guidance of a devotee. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TRAIN ONESELF without guidance from the spiritual master. The first business of a devotee is to accept a bona fide spiritual master who can train him to engage his various senses in rendering transcendental service to Bhagavan Sri Krishna. If one wants to understand Bhagavan Sri Krishna in completeness, one must follow in the footsteps of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa.

Vaisnava Tattva ki jai! Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!