Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.16-18/Teachings of Lord Kapila, the son of Devahuti

by Sri Srimad Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami

on Oct.28, 1988 in San Francisco, CA

“So these verses are extremely important for making a deeper understanding and also commitment to our even day to day activity of devotional life. It is said that unless one is freed from, it’s called, kama and lobha, kama means this lusty desire, lobha means greedy, greedy desire, so unless these are purified from the mind it will be extremely difficult to be engaged in any steady type of devotional service. So this is the background of Krsna conscious activity. You can say that I’m trying to become a devotee but this is the foundation where to start with, where to start that devotional activity. So this kama/lobha, the root cause of being attracted to kama and lobha is that the living entity is somehow so much under the influence of the modes of material nature, especially raja guna and tamo guna, the passion and ignorance. When passion and ignorance dominate a person then he is generally, the symptoms are like this kama and lobha, attraction to kama and lobha, kama means lusty desires and lobha means greedy desires. So these are very strongly mentioned here. So, by practice of devotional process, devotional service, one must try to be purified of these attractions. That is actually the background. One’s mind must become purified. In that pure state, when the mind becomes purified from kama and lobha, then what happens is that then he transcends all these material hankerings and he’ll be situated properly.  So he’s no more influenced by either happiness or distress, in other words he’s becoming equipoised. The mind becomes very steady. That is the beginning platform of Krsna consciousness. So unless we can’t even do that then we are far, far, far and long, long, we are long, long behind or far, far behind our practice of Krsna consciousness. Then what is the result? It says, once one begins that as the basic foundation. Tada purusam atmanam. At that time the soul can see himself to be transcendental to material existence. In other words the quality of atma is called svayam-jotir. Svayam jotir means self-effulgent. He’s shining. The self is shining. This atma, the nature of atma is shining with this transcendental consciousness. But the pure nature of the atma can only be visible, can only be understood, can only realized when you are completely free from kama and lobha, these lusty desires and greedy desires. When we are free from the influence of the lower modes of material nature then one can see the self, that means when one is becoming self-realized and becomes liberated. At that time he sees that the soul is transcendental to material existence and always self-effulgent and never fragmented. Never fragmented means akhanditam.  Akhanditam means never fragmented. Animanam means he’s very infinitesimal. He’s very small. Although he’s very small but at the same time it is also very very self-effulgent. So that is the nature of the spirit. About the nature of the spiritual element called the atma. The symptoms of the atma. The symptoms of the atma, each one of them, svayam jotir, self-effulgent and also it has free will, consciousness. It wants to be completely independent, free will. So these are some of the properties of the atma. So when the soul sees that way, that he’s self-effulgent, he’s pure, completely free from any type of material contamination then he will be able to see things proper. When the atma sees, when the self sees that way it’s called self-knowledge then at that time jnana vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana. Jnana vairagya yuktena, then by the practice of knowledge and renunciation in devotional service so one will see things, everything, in the right perspective and also he becomes indifferent to material existence. So this is how we control the material desires, how we transcend the influence of these material desires. Then the material influence acts less powerfully upon him; in other words, when one is practicing Krsna consciousness with knowledge and bhakti, jnana vairagya yuktena , bhakti yuktena catmana.  So, we have to practice devotional with knowledge. We cannot blindly practice Krsna consciousness. When we practice blindly Krsna consciousness it has some benefit but it is not very lasting. So in order to have a lasting benefit of Krsna consciousness we must have some knowledge. So what is that knowledge? That knowledge is about the science of the self, atma jnana. Knowledge of the spiritual element, the spiritual being, what is the function of the self and why I’m suppose to practice Krsna consciousness. I have to ask that, what is the necessity of becoming a devotee of Krsna, what is the use of it? The answer will be that by knowledge, by having knowledge about the nature of atma then you will be convinced that the nature of the atma is to be an unalloyed servant, an unalloyed servant of the Supreme. Jivera svarupa hoya, Krsnera nitya dasa. We must be convinced that we are an eternal servant of Krsna. When we become completely convinced with that principal, with that maxim, or with that axiom, then you can see things properly so that the other, many other factors in this world will not be able to influence, in other words you’ll be able to overcome this influence of material nature. So, in other words, here Lord Kapila is instructing to His mother Devahuti about the science of devotion, what is the meaning of devotional life, what is the purpose of devotional science, what is the purpose of being engaged as a servant of God, Krsna. So this is it. When one becomes freed from the influence of this kama and lobha, lusty desires and greedy desires, then one will be situated properly. At that time one can see one’s nature properly. This is svayam jotir, self-effulgent. Also at that time he’ll know that my duty is to serve Krsna. He’ll be convinced, yes, my actual function, the function of the soul is to actually completely surrender to Krsna, to serve Krsna, under all circumstances. That knowledge comes, jnana vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana. Then we practice Krsna consciousness with knowledge, this bhakti, bhakti yoga with knowledge and then you can transcend these influences of material nature and be situated properly. We have to come at least to that platform and try to at least, somehow or other, try to get a glimpse of that nature , the nature of the self, because otherwise becoming Krsna conscious and remaining for 15 years, 20 years may not give much understanding. That’s why blindly working running here and there, that is not the solution because we can see so many devotees come and go. How many devotees come? At least maybe 90% gone or maybe 98%. Hardly 2% left is the remnants. That’s because we are not practicing this understanding. We are not trying to have at least the basic background. We must practice this Krsna consciousness with some knowledge. Jnana vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana.  If we have at least this basic, this fundamental knowledge of Krsna consciousness then no matter what happens to you you’ll be always engaged in devotional service and you’ll not run away, you’ll not go away from the Krsna consciousness movement.  You’ll not be again no more attracted to any type of material this so-called happiness because you know that actually the nature of the self is to experience this called sat-cit-ananda state of consciousness, this eternity, knowledge and happiness. That you can only get by this jnana vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana. When you practice devotional service with knowledge and renunciation then you’ll be able to experience that supreme happiness, that complete ananda, that happiness you’ll experience but the moment we again are attracted to material nature means that I don’t have the proper understanding. In order to have a lasting understanding of Krsna consciousness we have to mold our activity in such a way that whatever we are doing should be a way to increase our understanding of Krsna consciousness. Application, practical application of Krsna consciousness.  In order to do that Krsna has given us our propensity. Our propensity to do some service. So that is why guna karma, guna means quality, karma means activity, so that guna karma actually is a way to increase our knowledge of jnana vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana. But that guna karma must be engaged in Krsna’s service. So suppose, for example, if someone is very good in collecting Laksmi, or in gathering Laksmi, so of course if that collection is a way to increase sense gratification then it should be abandoned. Why should you collect/gathering because that will make you more entangled in material life. But if we turn it around and if we engage that in Krsna’s service then it becomes – why should I be affected just by collecting money? You have the propensity, because that propensity is given by Krsna, everyone is given some propensity.  For example, I like writing or I like reading and so writing and reading then we can write about Krsna, we can read about Krsna and in that way that guna karma that Krsna has given me I can use and engage that properly. But if I read something nonsense or I write something nonsense simply because I can write some nice English then it’s not engaged properly. Everything can be engaged in Krsna’s service if it is understood. The purpose of Krsna consciousness. Then what is more important is that we should also know the schedule of our work since we live in a missionary society. Our society is strictly based on the propagation of Krsna conscious activities and since we live in a community then I also must be disciplined. I just cannot do anything that I want. In that way we all must be disciplined, we all must behave properly. Simply because you have a certain propensity you can’t be indifferent to anything else. So that is also required because we live in a community. In other words, engaging our propensity in Krsna’s service and knowing the time and circumstances then we all become happy in our Krsna conscious activity. We can all help each other that way. But if you are just indifferent and do some other projects or when you are living together then it becomes somehow– it doesn’t enthuse others. We have to be a little sensitive of the feelings of each other and also try to schedule our activities in such a way that I do not become a disturbance to others. So that way we can all help each other and increase our Krsna conscious activities so that the mission will become successful.

This is our thesis. This is actually the thesis given from here. The teaching of Lord Kapila about how we should become fixed up in our duty, this is our duty. There’s no reason why one should be completely like in anxiety. When we learn how to become a little sober there’s no need to be overwhelmed by or worried about, too much worried about certain things or too much in anxiety. That is not in line with Krsna consciousness. That we have to learn by practice. Jnana vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana.

In summary then, we have come to the Krsna consciousness movement, so once you have come to the Krsna consciousness movement it is almost essential, it is a necessity that we try to understand the fundamental background of Krsna consciousness. We are given certain duties, Deity worship or cooking or even collecting, these things. These are all actually, if we can analyze very properly, these are nothing but applications of Krsna consciousness. Whatever the instructions are given in the Gita and Bhagavatam we are trying to apply it in our day to day activity. It is a practical application of Krsna consciousness. If this becomes a burden, if we think that this type of application is becoming a burden, if we are thinking like that, that means that we are not able to understand Krsna consciousness to a significant degree. Of course that doesn’t mean that one must…let’s say collecting money, that one must always collect, collect, collect without doing anything else. It’s not like that like. It’s just part of it. Part of the daytime, that according to my propensity I do my basic – we have to finish our basic morning duty and everything and only after that, after finishing all the basic things then we try to apply our Krsna conscious understanding. It’s not that, oh, here our Malati is collecting; it’s not that you have to give up everything including mangal arati simply because I’m collecting, no! We have to do everything, the basic foundations. Going out and collecting is just nothing but application of Krsna consciousness what they have learned. So that could be 2 hours, 3 hours, 5 hours, according to time and circumstances. That is just practice of Krsna consciousness, application. Even in the process of doing that if there doesn’t come enough, then there’s no need to be in anxiety because you’ve tried your best, that is more important. You have surrendered to Krsna, you have given everything to Krsna so that mood- but in the process of, for example, one day you are not able to gather much according to your expectation but that doesn’t mean you have to be completely upset and the whole next day completely worried and in anxiety. It should not be like that. Rather, we should pray to Krsna, yes, my dear Lord you kindly guide me and give me the strength and understanding so that maybe in the next day I can do a little better, like that. So that way the mind should become very sober and it should become very controlled and very regulated. It’s not that you go for today and hammer away for 5 hours, tomorrow 0 hours or the next day sleep 24 hours. It’s not like that. But rather, we do it in a regulated way, a routine way.  It’s called tapasya. Some discipline. So we schedule in such a way that the basic Krsna conscious background is not hampered.  My practice is not hampered by any other type of activity and then application of Krsna consciousness could be applied without any difficulty. That’s why let us schedule in such a way that everything goes on properly. That understanding comes from these 3 verses. Three verses read every day. These 3 verses and it will give you….This is given by Lord Kapila to Mother Devahuti. Just by understanding this basic principle, jnana-vairagya yuktena, bhakti yuktena catmana, a very important verse. That means we have to practice Krsna consciousness with knowledge. It is not only collecting, it is like going to the university, just like we are doing a program on Sunday, this is also a Krsna conscious program. Who can tell that this is something (?) like outside? We can explain how this book on science and religion will be a very important catalyst to start thinking about Krsna or to think about spiritual life. Scientific knowledge can be engaged in trying to find the higher principles, the higher goal in life. So that way, we are inviting these important people to spread the consciousness that we must be engaged in such activities. Like these important people are coming and we are cooking nice prasadam so that they can be influenced by our prasadam at least and even if they can’t appreciate the book in the beginning but they can appreciate nice prasadam. So that way it’s a variety. The prasadam program is there, somebody will speak and books will be there and various types of people from various backgrounds i.e.; some devotees, some scientists, some scholars, some friends so we gather together. It is an important function of our mission spreading Krsna consciousness. So like that, things should be arranged in such a way, timely arranged, in such a way that the message is received well by those people who are coming there. So all these things are required. If we organize, or if we conduct our program, or engage in our activity in that way then everything will become successful. In other words, there’s no need to be in anxiety. Why should one be so much worried about it?

It is very important that we learn the very basic fundamental background of Krsna consciousness. You should not be angry about anything else and should not be in so much anxiety about things that might not happen according to your wish. It is bound to happen, we live in this material world, you can see these ups and downs. We should be able to take it in such a way that we don’t lose our Krsna conscious understanding. In that way we learn very carefully because everybody is an important member of our society. It’s not that one member is more important than another. Everyone is important. Even a child who comes to the Krsna consciousness movement is very important. We don’t say that he’s a better devotee than me, no, everyone is important, everyone is the best devotee. Once one comes to the movement and engages his or her activities in Krsna consciousness then that’s the best people we have. Throughout the world people are very expert in finding faults and criticizing others. Everybody is expert. But how many people are actually very saintly minded, sober minded?  Saintly means people who are sober minded. There aren’t very many. Very few.  Krsna consciousness is a program for being educated in that way. We have to become educated to become saintly. At the same time, we also try to imbibe those qualities. We have to acquire those qualities. Those qualities are this: jnana-vairagya yuktena, bhakti  yuktena catmana. Otherwise it’s very easy to speak, to talk. Oh, you must no become angry, oh, you must not be in anxiety. But Malati will be immediately in anxiety as soon as something doesn’t happen, completely in a second. As soon as something like that happens then someone should remind you, what are you doing? The Bhagavat says don’t do like that. Otherwise even if somebody doesn’t tell you then you should try to remember to control these activities. Then it will become a lot better. Then you won’t get upset and then things will become very very sober and natural. Then you will experience great happiness in Krsna consciousness, you’ll begin to experience how nice of a thing it is, a wonderful thing. To become a Krsna conscious person, to become a devotee of Krsna.

So this is very nice. These verses…Actually this whole chapter is very, very important for all of us. We can learn so much. This third canto contains everything that needs to be understood. All the materials for our preaching. Everything is here in the third canto. First canto, second canto, third canto that’s enough. Once we have the very good material of these 3 cantos, we can conquer the world because no one can defeat you. Even the Bhagavad Gita. So this very important. You read every day at least this “Devotional Service” and try to apply this either while going out or staying here and then your mind will become very sober. You can control things. Your senses can be controlled. Then everything will be alright. There will no problem.

My time is very limited here this time. But at the same time the important timing has come. Unless things are done according to time and circumstances, even if we do something it doesn’t have much effect. Knowing that, we have to utilize our time in such a way that there’s maximum utility of activity. Now we are in a state of transition here since we are planning to go to Berkeley, at least the BI part, so our minds should become much more vigilant and see things from the other side also.

Prabhupada’s Centenial Festival I think from the BI point of view, we are very few in number in the movement. BI devotees are very few. But then our project is very big. Our project is very big. Conferences of this nature. It involves a lot of actions. We can’t afford to lose time in worrying about it. Whether things don’t come out, that doesn’t bother me so much but we must try our best, we must try our best. Whether it comes out good or bad, that’s up to Krsna. Our part, we should try our best. This is the motto. We should work for the next 8 years. This is ’86, no sorry, this is now ’88, so in ’96, only 8 years more. Let’s work hard. After 8 years we’ll become very old. That’s sufficient! If we can live for 8 years, that’s more than sufficient. Do our duty for Prabhupada. So far as I’m concerned these 8 years are very, very significant. Try your best. If one can remain without getting married it is much better today. Never think about getting married, again. It is much better because when one gets married, especially in our society today, they can get divorced in one year, this and that, and get so much in anxiety. So why do you put that again in that type of idea?

(Question) Even for a woman? The same thing?

(Sripada) For everyone! (laughs)  (Another devotee answers) It has to be, because a woman requires a man.

(Sripada) There’s so much trouble. Why give yourself trouble? There are so many Christians that are called nuns. Mother Teresa has a lot of nuns who’s doing a lot of nice service. We also have many nice devotees. But sometimes they change these things and become completely bewildered. Especially if the husband becomes good then that’s one thing but hardly there’s any good husband either so everybody is in great anxiety. Instead of putting yourself in anxiety just remain fixed up in your service and do a little service. Do nice cooking and give a lot of prasadam to so many living entities and in that way life can be much more meaningful as well as more enthusiastic. Let’s make very nice plans for doing nice service.

Now in India I saw that in Vrndavana…Vrndavana is actually very nice during the Kartika because everything is sober because all the (?) pilgrims come there. It is very nice. And if our devotees, even if we can’t go every year, but we should make some plan that…we should not be so miser about money. To think that we have no money, no money like that, but we should make some plan for making money so that we can go to Vrndavana and spend at least some time. In that way we have to re-charged with spiritual enthusiasm because there are certain places that give special enthusiasm. Just like re-charging a battery. When you charge a battery when it is too much used then you dry up so you need to be re-charged. That you can get. If we plan in such a way, a nice way, that even if you cannot go every year at least in a reasonable time scale you should be able to. In that way you are looking forward, yes, I’m going to Vrndavana in 2 years, like that, in that way you become always enthusiastic. Similarly, putting on any preaching program, we should have some nice plan. That in about a month I’m going to invite about 5 people for a very nice program, slide show, chanting , bhajans, very important guests, friends like that. Not day to day but some plan. That way you’re looking forward. Just like I’m planning to have a temple, building a temple and looking forward that someday, I don’t know if I will be able to do it but at least I’m planning. That makes one enthusiastic. Either trying to gather some Laksmi or intelligence, like that. But at least you’re thinking is that I’m going to do this as my duty. We should be always planning something. Planning is as important as execution. Your mind should always be engaged properly. Planning makes you engaged. Suppose we are going to have a preaching program in Sonoma County. What is it? Is there a county called Sonoma? In a month or something like that. And we make plans. And then we are going to do a program in somebody’s house …Just like our Malati, you don’t have to collect every day. Someday there might be some friends you meet there in that collection. Take her name and address and say that we are a spiritual group and someday we would like to come to your house. Maybe a little chanting and bring some prasadam for you because you have given such a nice donation today. Like that, it can become a very nice preaching program and then make an engagement and in a month or so make a telephone call and then she will be so happy that, “Oh,yes this is that nice lady that I gave about $10. she has come now with this bhajan group. Prasadam.” So like that. You don’t have to tell a lie all the time.  END