BHAGVAT THIS ACHINTYA-BHEDABHEDA—SIMULTANEOUS ONENESS AND DIFFERENCE— BETWEEN THE SEER AND THE SEEN - IS THE PERFECT PHILOSOPHY PROPOUNDED BY LORD SHRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU , 20TH JULY

BHAGVAT THIS ACHINTYA-BHEDABHEDA—SIMULTANEOUS ONENESS AND DIFFERENCE— BETWEEN THE SEER AND THE SEEN - IS THE PERFECT PHILOSOPHY PROPOUNDED BY LORD SHRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU  

TRANSLATION

Bali Maharaja, along with all the priests, acharyas and members of the assembly, observed the Supreme Personality of Godhead's universal body, which was full of six opulences. That body contained everything within the universe, including all the gross material elements, the senses, the sense objects, the mind, intelligence and false ego, the various kinds of living entities, and the actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattam sarvam pravartate: Krshna is the origin of everything. Vasudevam sarvam iti: Krshna is everything. Mat-sthani sarva-bhütani na caham teshv avasthitam: everything rests in the body of the Lord, yet the Lord is not everywhere. 

Mayavadi philosophers think that since the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, has become everything, He has no separate existence. Their philosophy is called advaita-vada. Actually, however, their philosophy is not correct. 

Here, Bali Maharaja was the seer of the Personality of Godhead's universal body, and that body was that which was seen. Thus there is dvaita-vada; there are always two entities—the seer and the seen. The seer is a part of the whole, but he is not equal to the whole. The part of the whole, the seer, is also one with the whole, but since he is but a part, he cannot be the complete whole at any time. This achintya-bhedabheda—simultaneous oneness and difference—is the perfect philosophy propounded by Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

GITA-SHLOKA-4.5, A DEVOTEE CAN AT ONCE UNDERSTAND THE INFALLIBLE CONDITION OF THE LORD, WHEREAS A NONDEVOTEE OR A DEMON CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE. CONSEQUENTLY GITA CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY DEMONIC BRAINS, 20th July

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!

PURPORT

In the Brahma-samhita we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there:

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca

vedesu durllabham adurllabham atma-bhaktau

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.

(Bs. 5.33)

"I WORSHIP THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, GOVINDA [KRSNA], WHO IS THE ORIGINAL PERSON—ABSOLUTE, INFALLIBLE, WITHOUT BEGINNING, ALTHOUGH EXPANDED INTO UNLIMITED FORMS, STILL THE SAME ORIGINAL, THE OLDEST, AND THE PERSON ALWAYS APPEARING AS A FRESH YOUTH. SUCH ETERNAL, BLISSFUL, ALL-KNOWING FORMS OF THE LORD ARE USUALLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE BEST VEDIC SCHOLARS, BUT THEY ARE ALWAYS MANIFEST TO PURE, UNALLOYED DEVOTEES." 

It is also stated in Brahma-samhita:

ramadi murttisu kala-niyamena tisthan

nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu

krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(Bs. 5.39)

"I WORSHIP THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, GOVINDA [KRSNA], WHO IS ALWAYS SITUATED IN VARIOUS INCARNATIONS SUCH AS RAMA, NRSIMHA AND MANY SUB-INCARNATIONS AS WELL, BUT WHO IS THE ORIGINAL PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD KNOWN AS KRSNA, AND WHO INCARNATES PERSONALLY ALSO."

In the Vedas also it is said that the Lord, although one without a second, nevertheless manifests Himself in innumerable forms.

He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes color yet still remains one.

ALL THOSE MULTI-FORMS ARE UNDERSTOOD BY THE PURE, UNALLOYED DEVOTEES, BUT NOT BY A SIMPLE STUDY OF THE VEDAS: vedesu durllabham adurllabham atma-bhaktau.

DEVOTEES LIKE ARJUNA ARE CONSTANT COMPANIONS OF THE LORD, AND WHENEVER THE LORD INCARNATES, THE ASSOCIATE DEVOTEES ALSO INCARNATE IN ORDER TO SERVE THE LORD IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.

Arjuna is one of these devotees, and in this verse it is understood that some millions of years ago when Lord Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god Vivasvan, Arjuna, in a different capacity, was also present.

But the difference between the Lord and Arjuna is that the Lord remembered the incidence, whereas Arjuna could not remember.

THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PART AND PARCEL LIVING ENTITY AND THE SUPREME LORD.

Although Arjuna is addressed herein as the mighty hero who could subdue the enemies, he is unable to recall what had happened in his various past births.

THEREFORE, A LIVING ENTITY, HOWEVER GREAT HE MAY BE IN THE MATERIAL ESTIMATION, CAN NEVER EQUAL THE SUPREME LORD.

Anyone who is a constant companion of the Lord is certainly a liberated person, but he cannot be equal to the Lord.

THE LORD IS DESCRIBED IN THE BRAHMA-SAMHITA AS INFALLIBLE (ACHYUTA), WHICH MEANS THAT HE NEVER FORGETS HIMSELF, EVEN THOUGH HE IS IN MATERIAL CONTACT.

Therefore, the Lord and the living entity can never be equal in all respects, even if the living entity is as liberated as Arjuna.

ALTHOUGH ARJUNA IS A DEVOTEE OF THE LORD, HE SOMETIMES FORGETS THE NATURE OF THE LORD, BUT BY THE DIVINE GRACE A DEVOTEE CAN AT ONCE UNDERSTAND THE INFALLIBLE CONDITION OF THE LORD, WHEREAS A NONDEVOTEE OR A DEMON CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE.

CONSEQUENTLY THESE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE GITA CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY DEMONIC BRAINS.

Krsna remembered acts which were performed by Him millions of years before, but Arjuna could not, despite the fact that both Krsna and Arjuna are eternal in nature.

WE MAY ALSO NOTE HEREIN THAT A LIVING ENTITY FORGETS EVERYTHING DUE TO HIS CHANGE OF BODY, BUT THE LORD REMEMBERS BECAUSE HE DOES NOT CHANGE HIS SAC-CID-ANANDA BODY.

HE IS ADVAITA, WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN HIS BODY AND HIMSELF.

EVERYTHING IN RELATION TO HIM IS SPIRIT—WHEREAS THE CONDITIONED SOUL IS DIFFERENT FROM HIS MATERIAL BODY.

AND, BECAUSE THE LORD'S BODY AND SELF ARE IDENTICAL, HIS POSITION IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORDINARY LIVING ENTITY, EVEN WHEN HE DESCENDS TO THE MATERIAL PLATFORM.

THE DEMONS CANNOT ADJUST THEMSELVES TO THIS TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE OF THE LORD, AS THE LORD EXPLAINS IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE.

BHAGVAT A VAISHNAVA SHOULD POSSESS THE BRAHMINICAL QUALITIES SUCH AS SATYA (TRUTH), SHAMA (FORGIVENESS), DAMA (HUMBLE), TITIKSHA (TOLERANCE) AND ARJAVA (STRAIGHTNESS, SINCERITY AND HARMONY IN ONE'S THOUGHT, WORDS AND ACTIONS),19th July

BHAGVAT  A VAISHNAVA SHOULD POSSESS THE BRAHMINICAL QUALITIES SUCH AS SATYA (TRUTH), SHAMA (FORGIVENESS), DAMA (HUMBLE), TITIKSHA (TOLERANCE) AND ARJAVA (STRAIGHTNESS, SINCERITY AND HARMONY IN ONE'S THOUGHT, WORDS AND ACTIONS).

Extract from Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION

Although you have no knowledge, you have become a so-called learned person, and therefore you dare be so impudent as to disobey my order. Because of disobeying me, you shall very soon be bereft of all your opulence.

PURPORT

Shrila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that Bali Maharaja was not pandita-mani, or one who falsely assumes himself learned; rather, he was pandita-manya-jnam, one who is so learned that all other learned persons worship him. And because he was so learned, he could disobey the order of his so-called spiritual master. 

He had no fear of any condition of material existence. Anyone cared for by Lord Vishnu does not need to care about anyone else. Thus Bali Maharaja could never be bereft of all opulences. The opulences offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not to be compared to the opulences obtained by karma-kanda. In other words, if a devotee becomes very opulent, it is to be understood that his opulence is a gift of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such opulence will never be vanquished, whereas the opulence achieved by one's fruitive activity may be vanquished at any moment.

Extract from Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION

Bali Maharaja's wife, known as Vindhyavali, who was decorated with a necklace of pearls, immediately came and had a large golden waterpot brought there, full of water with which to worship the Lord by washing His feet.

TRANSLATION

Bali Maharaja, the worshiper of Lord Vamanadeva, jubilantly washed the Lord's lotus feet and then took the water on his head, for that water delivers the entire universe.

TRANSLATION

At that time, the residents of the higher planetary system, namely the demigods, the Gandharvas, the Vidyadharas, the Siddhas and the Charanas, all being very pleased by Bali Maharaja's simple, nonduplicitous act, praised his qualities and showered upon him millions of flowers.

PURPORT

Arjavam—simplicity or freedom from duplicity—is a qualification of a brahmana and a Vaishnava. A Vaishnava automatically acquires all the qualities of a brahmana.

A Vaishnava should possess the brahminical qualities such as satya, shama, dama, titiksha and arjava. There cannot be any duplicity in the character of a Vaishnava. When Bali Maharaja acted with unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, this was very much appreciated by all the residents of the higher planetary system.

TRANSLATION

The Gandharvas, the Kimpurushas and the Kinnaras sounded thousands and thousands of kettledrums and trumpets again and again, and they sang in great jubilation, declaring, "How exalted a person is Bali Maharaja, and what a difficult task he has performed! Even though he knew that Lord Vishnu was on the side of his enemies, he nonetheless gave the Lord the entire three worlds in charity."

Why Guru is given more importance than even Lord #Blog0065

Why Guru is given more importance than even Lord

राम तजूँ पै गुरु न विसारूं गुरु के सम हरि कूँ न निहारूँ

I would prefer to leave Lord rather than my Guru

हरि ने जन्म दियो जग माहीं गुरु ने आवागमन छुटाहीं

Lord of course gave me birth but my Guru made me overcome cycle of birth and death

हरि ने पाँच चोर दिये साथा गुरु ने लई छुडाय अनाथा

Lord equipped me with 5 enemies (Lust, anger, greed, attachment, envy) but my Guru made me get rid of all these vices

हरि ने कुटुम्ब जाल में घेरी गुरु ने काटी ममता बेरी

Lord encircled & attached me in my family circles but my Guru cut the threads of attachment

हरि ने रोग भोग उरझायो गुरु जोगी करि सबै छुटायौ

Lord trapped me in disease and luxury whereas my Guru made me free of all these

हरि ने कर्म मर्म भरमायो गुरु ने आतम रूप लखायौ

Lord bound me in my karma cycle but my Guru gave me self-realisation

हरि ने मो सूँ आप छिपायो गुरु दीपक दै ताहि दिखायो

Lord hid himself from me whereas my guru revealed Him to me by his light

फिर हरि बंध मुक्ति गति लाए गुरु ने सबही भरम मिटाये

God provisioned my binding to the world as well as liberation but my guru actually removed my illusion

'चरनदास' पर तन मन वारूँ गुरु न तजूं हरि कूँ तजि डारूँ

So, Sahjo Bai sacrifices everything for her guru Charan Das

(This is Sahjo Bai, a pure devotee’s, vani) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P94t2U6Uh0w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXDzrOVrRKI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ-wsU6oZ0o

GOD SAYS “TO THOSE WHO ARE CONSTANTLY DEVOTED AND WORSHIP ME WITH LOVE, I GIVE THE UNDERSTANDING BY WHICH THEY CAN COME TO ME”,18th July

Bhagvat  best charity is where everything is sacrificed for the sake of God. God says “To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me”. Devotees who actually engage in devotional service with faith and love are inspired by God

TRANSLATION

O best of the brahmanas, certainly the great demoniac kings who were never reluctant to fight enjoyed this world, but in due course of time everything they had was taken away, except their reputation, by which they continue to exist. In other words, one should try to achieve a good reputation instead of anything else.

PURPORT

In this regard, Chanakya Pandita (Chanakya-shloka 34) also says, ayusham kshana eko 'pi na labhya svarna-kothibhim. 

THE DURATION OF ONE'S LIFE IS EXTREMELY SHORT, BUT IF IN THAT SHORT LIFETIME ONE CAN DO SOMETHING THAT ENHANCES HIS GOOD REPUTATION, THAT MAY CONTINUE TO EXIST FOR MANY MILLIONS OF YEARS. 

BALI MAHARAJA THEREFORE DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER'S INSTRUCTION THAT HE DENY HIS PROMISE TO VAMANADEVA; INSTEAD, HE DECIDED TO GIVE THE LAND ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE AND BE EVERLASTINGLY CELEBRATED AS ONE OF THE TWELVE MAHAJANAS (balir vaiyasakir vayam).

TRANSLATION

O BEST OF THE BRAHMANAS, MANY MEN HAVE LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES ON THE BATTLEFIELD, BEING UNAFRAID OF FIGHTING, BUT RARELY HAS ONE GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO GIVE HIS ACCUMULATED WEALTH FAITHFULLY TO A SAINTLY PERSON WHO CREATES HOLY PLACES.

PURPORT

Many kshatriyas have laid down their lives on the battlefield for their nations, but hardly a person can be found who has given up all his property and his accumulated wealth in charity to a person worthy of the gift. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (17.20):

"THAT GIFT WHICH IS GIVEN OUT OF DUTY, AT THE PROPER TIME AND PLACE, TO A WORTHY PERSON, AND WITHOUT EXPECTATION OF RETURN IS CONSIDERED TO BE CHARITY IN THE MODE OF GOODNESS." 

Thus charity given in the proper place is called sattvika. 

And above this charity in goodness is transcendental charity, in which everything is sacrificed for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 

Vamanadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had come to Bali Maharaja for alms. How could one get such an opportunity to give charity? Therefore, Bali Maharaja decided without hesitation to give the Lord whatever He wanted. One may get various opportunities to lay down his life on the battlefield, but such an opportunity as this is hardly ever obtained.

TRANSLATION

Shri Shukadeva Gosvami continued: Thereafter, the spiritual master, Shukracharya, being inspired by the Supreme Lord, cursed his exalted disciple Bali Maharaja, who was so magnanimous and fixed in truthfulness that instead of respecting his spiritual master's instructions, he wanted to disobey his order.

PURPORT

The difference between the behavior of Bali Maharaja and that of his spiritual master, Shukracharya, was that Bali Maharaja had already developed love of Godhead, whereas Shukracharya, being merely a priest of routine rituals, had not. Thus Shukracharya was never inspired by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to develop in devotional service. As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (10.10):

"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

Devotees who actually engage in devotional service with faith and love are inspired by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vaishnavas are never concerned with ritualistic smarta-brahmanas. Shrila Sanatana Gosvami has therefore compiled Hari-bhakti-vilasa to guide the Vaishnavas, who never follow the smarta-vidhi. 

Although the Supreme Lord is situated in the core of everyone's heart, unless one is a Vaishnava, unless one is engaged in devotional service, one does not get sound advice by which to return home, back to Godhead. Such instructions are meant only for devotees. Therefore in this verse the word daiva-prahitam, "being inspired by the Supreme Lord," is important. 

Shukracharya should have encouraged Bali Maharaja to give everything to Lord Vishnu. This would have been a sign of love for the Supreme Lord. But he did not do so. On the contrary, he wanted to punish his devoted disciple by cursing him.