Skip to content
-
(a) Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of spiritual realization
- Beginning of spiritual realisation – When one is trying to give up ones attachment to materialism, there is some leaning towards impersonalism.
- Advanced stage – One can understand that there are activities in spiritual life which constitute devotional service; and thus he becomes ‘attached and surrenders’ to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(b) Understanding and realization of one fully matured in knowledge
- Knows that spiritual life is full of activities, which are eternal, and blissful and not just impersonalism or voidism
- Material world is a perverted reflection of spiritual activities.
- Understand Supreme Lord as the cause of all causes and thus realizes a universal vision of Vasudeva (Sees all in relation to Lord) and this vision precipitates full surrender to Krishna as highest goal
- Realizes the dependence on Supreme Lord’s mercy
- Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of spiritual realization, therefore surrenders
o Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.14–3.15
o Ref. Chandogya Upanisad: Life is the centre of all activities in the body of a living being and not the power to speak, see or hear etc; Similarly Lord Vasudeva is the prime entity in everything and all the powers lose all importance if not related to the
Supreme Lord
o Ref. Bg. 7.17; Bg. 11.40
(a) All are magnanimous because anyone who comes to the Lord for any purpose is called a Mahatma or great soul
(b) Devotees wanting some benefit out of devotional service are accepted by the Lord – Because there is an exchange of affection
(c) Devotee in full knowledge is very dear to the Lord – Because his only purpose is to serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion
- Cannot live a second without serving the Supreme Lord
- Supreme Lord is very fond of his devotee and cannot be separated from him
- Ref. SB 9.4.68: “sadhavo hrdayam…”
(d) Conclusion of 7.17 – 7.18 : Intimate relationship between Krishna and pure devotees
- The devotees are always in My heart and I am always in their heart
- Devotee does not know anything beyond Me and I cannot forget the devotee
-
(a) All are magnanimous because anyone who comes to the Lord for any purpose is called a Mahatma or great soul
(b) Devotees wanting some benefit out of devotional service are accepted by the Lord – Because there is an exchange of affection
(c) Devotee in full knowledge is very dear to the Lord – Because his only purpose is to serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion
- Cannot live a second without serving the Supreme Lord
- Supreme Lord is very fond of his devotee and cannot be separated from him
- Ref. SB 9.4.68: “sadhavo hrdayam…”
(d) Conclusion of 7.17 – 7.18 : Intimate relationship between Krishna and pure devotees
- The devotees are always in My heart and I am always in their heart
- Devotee does not know anything beyond Me and I cannot forget the devotee
(a) Sukritinas – Defined as follows:
- Pious people
- Adherent of regulative principles of Scriptures
- Follow moral and social laws
- More or less devoted to the Supreme Lord
(b) 4 categories of Sukritinas (pious men)
- Artah – Distressed
- Artharthi – wealth seeker
- Jijnasu – inquisitive
- Jnani – One who desires knowledge of Absolute truth
(c) Are they pure devotees – No, because they have some aspiration to fulfil in exchange for devotional service
(d) Pure devotional service explained
- Render transcendental loving service favorably
- Without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculations
(e) Destiny of Sukritinas
- They follow devotional service for above 4 reasons
- In due course, they associate with pure devotees and get purified
- Achieve pure devotional service (Ref. Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.1.11)
(f) At what stage do these four Sukritinas become pure devotees
- When they are free from all material desires.
- When they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement.
(g) What is the hope for miscreants in regard to devotional service
- For them devotional service is very difficult – because their lives are selfish, irregular and without spiritual goals.
- Is there any hope any time – If by chance they come in contact with a pure devotee, they also become pure devotees.
-
(a) Sukritinas – Defined as follows:
- Pious people
- Adherent of regulative principles of Scriptures
- Follow moral and social laws
- More or less devoted to the Supreme Lord
(b) 4 categories of Sukritinas (pious men)
- Artah – Distressed
- Artharthi – wealth seeker
- Jijnasu – inquisitive
- Jnani – One who desires knowledge of Absolute truth
(c) Are they pure devotees – No, because they have some aspiration to fulfil in exchange for devotional service
(d) Pure devotional service explained
- Render transcendental loving service favorably
- Without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculations
(e) Destiny of Sukritinas
- They follow devotional service for above 4 reasons
- In due course, they associate with pure devotees and get purified
- Achieve pure devotional service (Ref. Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.1.11)
(f) At what stage do these four Sukritinas become pure devotees
- When they are free from all material desires.
- When they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement.
(g) What is the hope for miscreants in regard to devotional service
- For them devotional service is very difficult – because their lives are selfish, irregular and without spiritual goals.
- Is there any hope any time – If by chance they come in contact with a pure devotee, they also become pure devotees.
(a) Solution offered by Bhagavad-gita to surmount stringent material laws – Surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality Krishna
(b) Why intelligent and hard-working leaders do not take to this solution, although they desire to get liberation from material laws
- They pose themselves as scientists, philosophers etc. just for material gain
- They have no idea of God – They do not accept the plan or path of the Supreme Lord
- They simply manufacture their own worldly plans
- Result of such plans – They complicate the problems of material existence in their vain attempt to solve them
(c) Material energy is very powerful
- It resists the unauthorized plans of the atheists and baffle the ‘planning commissions’
- Position of material energy – It has no independent authority. Analogy: It works as the shadow moves in accordance with the movements of the object
- Power of material energy to delude jiva
o Atheist due to his godless temperament, cannot know how material energy works
o Nor can he know the plan of the Supreme Lord
o All his plans are baffled, even if they are materially learned – e.g. Hiranyakashipu and Ravana
(d) Meaning of ‘Duskritinah’ – They are atheistic plan-makers whose intelligence and efforts are misdirected (‘krti’ means meritorious work)
(e) Four categories of Duskritnas are explained in the Summarized Theme 7A below
-
(a) Solution offered by Bhagavad-gita to surmount stringent material laws – Surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality Krishna
(b) Why intelligent and hard-working leaders do not take to this solution, although they desire to get liberation from material laws
- They pose themselves as scientists, philosophers etc. just for material gain
- They have no idea of God – They do not accept the plan or path of the Supreme Lord
- They simply manufacture their own worldly plans
- Result of such plans – They complicate the problems of material existence in their vain attempt to solve them
(c) Material energy is very powerful
- It resists the unauthorized plans of the atheists and baffle the ‘planning commissions’
- Position of material energy – It has no independent authority. Analogy: It works as the shadow moves in accordance with the movements of the object
- Power of material energy to delude jiva
o Atheist due to his godless temperament, cannot know how material energy works
o Nor can he know the plan of the Supreme Lord
o All his plans are baffled, even if they are materially learned – e.g. Hiranyakashipu and Ravana
(d) Meaning of ‘Duskritinah’ – They are atheistic plan-makers whose intelligence and efforts are misdirected (‘krti’ means meritorious work)
(e) Four categories of Duskritnas are explained in the Summarized Theme 7A below