Srimad Bhagavatam Course. Session 3

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevāyā, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevāyā, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevāyā, Jan Madhyasyaayat Omvayat Tarataścarchespa Vigyasvarat, Te Nibhrahmachridāyādikavayamuhyanti yātsūraha, Te Jovarīmhridāmyat āvinimayoyatratri sarga mriṣa, Dhamnasvenasadhanirastakuha kam satyamparam dhimahi, satyamparam dhimahi, satyamparam dhimahi. Dharma projitakaithavotra paramonirmatsaranam satam vedyam vastava matravastu shivadam tapotrayon muvanam śrīmad-bhābhāgatam maha-muṇī-kṛte-kīm-vāpāra-riśvara hṛdya-sādhyā-varūdhyā-tetrakṛti-bhiṣu-śruṣu-bhiṣṭhīstāt-kṣanāt yam pravrajānta-manupetam apetakṛtyam dvāipāyano virākātara-juhāvā putreti-tam-maitayotara-vogī-nedus tam-sārvabhūta-hridayam munimāna-tosmi Narayanam namaskhrityanaram chayvanarotamam devim sarasvatim yasam tatuvjaya mudhirayet. Yantakh pravishyam amavachim imam prasuktam sanjivayat akilashaktidara svadhamna. Annyam shahasta charanashravana tva ghadim pranannamabhagavate purushvayatubhyam. Svasyastu vishvasyakalah prasidatam dayantubhutani shivam mithodiya manaschabhadram vajatatadokshadja. Aveshyetamnaumati rapyahaituki. Hare Krishna, so I'm very happy to be with all of you again after Goro Purnima festival. And we continue with our contextual study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when we are trying to keep the context in mind to understand the meaning, the deeper meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam, which sometimes may be lost when we lose the context or understood not correctly. And to prepare ourselves for this understanding, I'm first doing the very short review of the ideas of Tattva Sandarbha. Tattva Sandarbha is the treatise of Srila Jeevaga Swami, where he laid the foundation of understanding of Srimad Bhagavatam. Several times I mentioned that Gaudiya Vaishnava Siddhanta is entirely based on Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam is the main pramana. And to explain, to make the exposition, elaborate exposition of Siddhanta, first Śrīla Jīla Goswami lays the foundation for this by analyzing, preliminarily analyzing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam why it is the main pramāna and what is there in the book. And that's exactly what we are doing. We are coming to the end. We will need yet another session before we will cover all the material of Tattva Sandarbha. So that will be the penultimate session on this introductory topic. But already in this introduction we are covering a lot of material which prepares us to understand Srimad Bhagavatam. Anyway, without further introduction we will go with our lesson plan. So first I traditionally answer the question and then we will talk a little bit why do we need to study so much philosophy after all the Hare Krishna movement, should we just chant Hare Krishna and dance in Kirtan and dance our way back to Godhead as Prabhupada sometimes would say and then I will derive certain conclusions from Vyasa Samadhi. We already covered this material in the last session in a little rushed manner. So today we will briefly repeat the ideas in this section of Srimad Bhagavatam. And then we will come directly to Tattva Sandharva, how Sri Jeeva Goswami explains vishaya or the subject matter of Srimad Bhagavatam. And how he suggests that Srimad, not suggest, but how he explains Srimad Bhagavatam delineates this subject matter in two completely different ways. It's a very interesting point. And if we will have enough time, we will speak about one approach of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to explain the main subject matter of the book. Second one will be the next session. And if we have enough time, I will also explain Samanvaya, how Srimad Bhagavatam is summarizing amazing in a very amazing way, synthesizing in a very amazing way all the ideas of Vedic culture. So that's the plan for today's class. And by tradition, we will chant two verses from Krishna Lila Stava by Sanat Nagaswami. Asadu sadutadayin Atiniccio chataraka Hanamunca kadhachinmam Premna hrit katayoh spura O Simad Bhagavatam, O giver of saintliness to the unsaintly O uplifter of the very fallen Please do not ever leave me Please become manifest upon my heart and my throat, accompanied by pure love of Krishna. In other words, Siva Sanatangaswami is praying, let me always recite Srimad Bhagavatam and always remember beautiful ideas of Srimad Bhagavatam. MADEKA VANDAMAT SANGIN MADGURO MANMAHADHANAH MAN NISTARAKAMAT BHAGYA MADANANDA NAMOS TU TE This is his obeisances to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who is his only friend. So now, as usually very interesting questions from Deva-Shrī Radhika Devidasi. She is asking that Maharaja stated that Samadhi is becoming one with the object of knowledge. And then he described how Vyasadeva actually saw Krishna, Ishvara Maya, shying away, the suffering Jiva etc. If Vyasadeva was here the observer, how do we understand the becoming one with the object of knowledge? Some explanation of this aspect of Samadhi would be very helpful. Basically, what is Samadhi? Dhyana, Dharana Dhyana, Druva no Smriti and ultimately Samadhi. There are different stages of concentration when we concentrate our mind on some object. And according to the level of our concentration, when all other thoughts are completely eliminated, then this object becomes our mind. There is nothing else within our mind, just the object of our meditation. We still remain separate, we are not merging into this object. But in one sense we're becoming one with this object because we're completely absorbed in this object, because our mind is in the object. So our mind or our consciousness is completely drawn to this object and concentrated on this object. So we don't lose at this point our individual existence. We can never lose it. We still remain the consciousness, but our consciousness takes the shape or form of this object and therefore we can understand it in a much deeper way. So that's basically what it is. We never talk about merging. Srila Prabhupada didn't like this merging business. So, yeah, actually there are two questions which are completely similar, so I will answer this question of Kush at the end, when similar question is asked. And this is the second question from her. With regards to the different stages of bhakti, you mentioned that sadhana bhakti, conscious endeavor is required. Why is it that despite all our endeavors and having full desire to turn towards Krishna, we still cannot do this and have attachment to enjoyment and the material things? What is it that stops the seamlessness of our desire and reconnecting with Krishna? You can describe it differently, but the problem is that we do have desire to turn our consciousness towards Krishna, But we have other desires as well. And other desires, they turn, they pull us in different directions. So this is the difficulty of stage of sadhana when we have two forces. one force is pulling us towards Krishna, we already feel his attractiveness to a certain extent, but not so pronouncedly. But at the same time, we still have on subconscious level a lot of attachment and attraction which is pulling us in opposite direction. The desire which you are talking about is only conscious desire. But conscious part of our psyche is a very small part of it. It's like an iceberg. Iceberg has very little part outside, which is outside of water. Most of it is inside the water. In the similar way, subconscious desires which are a result of our experience in this material world, pulling us in different directions. And therefore we have to really apply force to make this conscious desire stronger. Otherwise subconscious desire will drag us down. So that's what it is, basically karma which is still very strong and which is pulling us down. And another very interesting and tricky question. Hearing about all the qualities of Krishna, I believe them. But at the same time, my mind flinches because what I am hearing, i.e. he removes sorrows, is not matching with what I am perceiving in the material world, i.e. devotees and their sorrows and pain. How can we convince our mind when our perceived reality is different from the words of the Absolute Truth? So let's analyze this statement from Tatva Sandarva by Jyva Goswami. Sorry, I'm not going to interrupt you, but we cannot see the screen right now. Oh, you cannot see the screen? No, we can see you only. I know you can see me, I don't know why. It was working, but it stopped working. You can see the screen? They say they can see the screen. I cannot see your screen. But I don't know. Okay. I can see. But I don't know why you need to record the whole place recording the right way. I'm sorry for the interruption. Okay, no problem. So shall I continue? Everybody, it looks like everybody's seen except me, but I'm recording. So my wonder is if it's recording with the power or not. So I don't know what did I do or what did I change? Oh, I think I know. I see now. Okay. Now I can see it too. So hopefully it's recording. I'm sorry, Maharaj. Okay. So, Silajiva Gaiswami, by explaining the point of Prayodjuna, he says, why Bhagavan is our Prayodjuna? Why do we have to strive to come closer to God? and he makes four points he lists four reasons why first because he's concerned with our well-being and it manifests very vividly that he's always instructing people coming himself, giving different instructions, giving scriptures sending saints and prophets and so on and so forth And the second point which Kushi is asking, he removes all sorrows. But we have to understand what does it mean that he removes all sorrows, all the pains of living entities, by freeing us from illusion. It is very clearly described in Yoga Sutra and our Acharya's quote, this sutra often, that the clashes or the causes of suffering, Avidya, Smita, Ragadvesha and Abhinivesha, five causes of suffering are being removed by practicing of devotional service. But it's a gradual process. So in the beginning, especially in the sudden stage, We are not completely free from avidya, which is ignorance, from asmita, which is false ego, from raga and dvesha, from attachment and hatred, and from abhinivesha, the fear of death or absorption in this matter. But when we are practicing, we become progressively free from these causes of sufferings and progressively free from sufferings. So, everyone of us can relate to this statement because we can feel and testify on Bible or on Bhagavad Gita or on any other Holy Scripture that our sufferings have become less. Yes, we do suffer just because we still have false ego, just because we still have attachment and hatred. Who doesn't? And it's all result of ultimately the ignorance of our spiritual nature. But we are relatively much more free from it than before. And there is no doubt about it. So yes, devotees suffer, and the sufferings actually are meaningful in the lives of devotees because they help them to strengthen their conviction, their determination to be completely free from all sufferings and ultimately to destroy avidya. So that's just a condition of sadaka. Sadaka is not completely free from all the impediments, obstacles. And even Bhava Bhakta, to this level, in this effect, is not completely free from all the obstacles. Only on the level of Prema, everyone is completely free. So he removes all sorts, but gradually, not like this, not by one click. So, yeah, Damodara Priya. This question is a continuation of Kapali's question about Shravana. I heard from you that in the beginning a devotee should not hear many preachers. He should concentrate on one preacher and develop a kind of knowledge skeleton. As for me, I notice how every year I become more sensitive to hearing and don't feel like hearing from a devotee if I don't feel something really essential for me, something authentic. Also, what I noticed is that if some educational course contains classes of two or more lecturers, my mind becomes totally distorted. Could you please deliberate on the culture of hearing depending on the level of hearer and reciter and their personality traits and probably there are other important factors. Just to answer this important question very briefly, yes, in the beginning it is recommended, strictly recommended, to listen only one person who presents the scriptural truth. but then after some time you may not necessarily but you may feel the need or you may widen the scope and you may listen from other sources but it doesn't mean that you have to listen indiscriminately from anyone and everyone it basically means that you listen some other one or two or maximum three people whom you feel that they are really nourishing your bhakti and they give something which you are lacking at this moment. So it definitely doesn't refer to this indiscriminate hearing. Our hearing remains selective. Moreover, when you hear for some time, you develop the, how you say this, the taste or not the taste, the ability to discriminate the truth from untruths and therefore you become very sensitive when somebody is talking from the top of his head, of her head, when somebody is speculating. So what you are explaining, it's a very natural and very good development. yes you absolutely should become more sensitive but still you know if you feel the need you can hear some other people one, two or three besides your direct spiritual master if you feel that the bhaf which is coming from them and the information the knowledge which is coming from them, realizations which are coming from them, are helpful in your spiritual development. So it doesn't really depend on the personal, individual traits of a person. You are explaining the proper progression. You hear somebody and then you created the proper framework and this framework allows you to discriminate. And then you become sensitive and you only want to hear somebody who is really nourishing your Krishna consciousness or your bhakti. And another question from Damodara Priya. The object of love is one who cares about us. How does it relate to the eighth verse of Sikshastakam? Well, strictly speaking, we should wait till the 10th canto and 33rd chapter of the 10th canto where Krishna explains this subject matter in a very beautiful way in the verse Naparayegam Niravadya Samyujam but in brief because we may not live that long till we start explaining the 10th canto the 33rd chapter yes sometimes Krishna can neglect his devotees but he's only doing this because he knows that the only source of happiness for a devotee is love, and by abandoning or apparently abandoning a devotee, he increases the love within the heart of this devotee, and proportionately the happiness of this devotee is also increasing. The eighth verse of Shikshastakam, the culmination of Shikshastakam, is the expression of the highest ecstasy of Lord Chaitanya. ecstasy in separation. So sometimes Krishna gives us this experience of separation but only to make us happy because when the love increases our happiness increases proportionately. And from Sangita Manim If the jivas are not created then why do we discuss Srishti Lila about creation in second canto? Actually Srishti Lila is described in second canto but mostly in the third canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. And it's not about creation of Jivas. Jivas are not created. Jivas are eternal energy of the Lord and Krishna stresses again and again and again and Najayati, Imriyati, Vakvadacin, in the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Srishti Lili about the creation of this world and the creation of the bodies of the living entities, not the souls of the living entities. Aumesh Kumar. Could you please explain how to hear correctly? Again, it's a subject matter of the big class, but Srila Prabhupada puts it in a very beautiful phrase, the spiritual art of submissive hearing. Submissive means I'm humble, I don't judge. I just try to accept whatever I hear with open heart without being judgmental without doubting we can have but there are doubts and there are doubts there are vicious doubts doubts which are created by our pride and there are sincere doubts so we hear with open heart ready to accept the truth which is coming to us and that's why he calls it spiritual art of submissive healing basically we are submitting ourselves to be reformated to influence our consciousness by the words which are coming into us usually we are very protective. We try to protect our identity and mostly it's a false identity. And we remain the final judge, whatever, in the hearing process. But if we want to hear spiritual subject matter and be influenced by it, the experience, the transformation of the heart through the process of hearing. We have to become humble. We should stop being a judge and we should just open heart and accept what is coming to us and willingly and joyfully accept the transformation which are coming together with the words which we hear. There are two more questions, no, three more questions actually. How does Simad Bhagavatam reveal itself according to one's advancement in devotional practice? Does revelation like purity of the heart come gradually? Absolutely, yes. It's actually a very simple thing. Therefore it is said, Bhakti-yogi-yana-manasi samyak pranikite amale apasiat purusham purnam maya chatat apasrayam because the heart of Śrīla Vyāsadev was completely pure after meeting with Narada Muni. When he sat on the bank of Saraswati River, He concentrated his mind completely and his mind was pure, amale. Because of bhakti yoga of very high status, Srila Dhivi Goswami explains that this bhakti yogi eno manasi samyak pranihite amale, he saw in his mind, which was purified by bhakti yoga, the bhakti yoga here means prema bhakti, the level of prema which means complete total purity and in this completely crystal clear mind he saw Srimad Bhagavatam Srimad Bhagavatam was revealed to him in its entirety but you know our mind is not crystal clear it's not even clear but the more clarity we have the deeper our understanding of Srimad Bhagavatam and sometimes some flashes of realizations or revelations will come to us when we read it and we understand yes, that's what it is, this is the truth. And Nagaraja Prabhu is asking a very important question. We hear that Krishna has three energies Santaranga Shakti, Bahiranga Shakti and Tatasta Shakti. Is the Bhairanga Shakti coming directly from Krishna or Vishnu or is it a transformation of Brahma Jyoti? And is the Brahma Jyoti part of the Antaranga Shakti? No, but... So this is the answer to this question from Paramatma Sandharva. Although the Paramatma aspect of Bhagavan exists in the spiritual domain of Vaikuntha, also even that Paramatma is just a function of Bhagavan himself. For this reason Paramatma is said to be a feature of Bhagavan that pertains specifically to the cosmos. So material energy of Vahiranga Shakti is the energy of Paramatma, or Vishnu as you say. He is Shakti. Shakti of Paramatma and therefore Paramatma, three forms of Vishnu control material energy. So it's coming not directly from Krishna but from Krishna's expansion. And we know that even Vishnu doesn't touch material energy directly. He only glances over it. But it's his energy and his glance becomes Shambhu or Shiva. And Shambhu or Shiva, it's Vishnu himself who is in contact with material energy. But it's not Brahmadjyoti because Brahmadjyoti doesn't have energy by definition. Brahmadjyoti is energy in one sense. So it's not Brahmadjyoti. And as I said, Premamanjari asked the same question as Kushi, how the four verses of Yasadeva's trance related to Chaturshloki in the second canto. So here are the Chaturshloki of second canto, And we can see the same pattern with some changes. In the first verse, Aham evasam evagre nandiat yatsad asad param paschad aham yat etat cha yo vayshishyeta sosmyaham, the Sambhanta Gyana Bhagavan is explained. Aham evasam evagre. He says, Aham, Aham, Aham. Three times he says, aham, aham, aham. I am Bhagavan. I am Sambanda. I am the source of everything. And this is what Shilavyasadev saw in his trance. Apashyat Purusham Purnam. He saw this Purna Purusha or Bhagavan, who is speaking this verse. So in the second verse, Maya and Jiva and material energy is described in this Chatur Shlokhi of Srimad Bhagavatam. Please know that this is Maya which is not really... When you see something and you see it's disconnected from the truth, please know this is Maya and this Maya has two features. Yatha Abhaso, Yatha Tamaha. Tamaha means material energy and Abhas means tiny Jiva soul conditioned by material energy. So practically the same is explained in the second verse of Yasadeva's Trans. Anartapashamam, no, what is this verse? The second verse? So the function of Maya and the conditioned Jivas are explained in the second verse. So we can see very clear correlation. The essential message is the same. Now, the fourth verse of Chattu Shloki, third verse and fourth verse are reversed in order. In the third verse of Chattu Shloki, Prayodhana is being described. Actually, very amazing state of love when we become unified with the object of our love. and at the same time remain separate. This philosophy of Achinti Beda, Abedatattva is being described in this verse. Like the Mahabhuta, big elements, they enter into all the different things or creations of this world, but at the same time they remain separate. In the same time, the Jiva and the Supreme Lord, they become unified, but at the same time, they remain separate. And this condition of unity and at the same time separation constitutes the experience of love. Shila Jivigaswami wrote an amazing commentary on this verse, but when we will come to this, we will describe this. And the last verse of Chattu Shlokhi, It describes sadhana. and the sadhana is described in the third verse of Śrīla Vyāsadeva's trance and also in the fourth verse of Śrīla Vyāsadeva's trance when you constantly hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Krishna Parama Purushet Bhaktiru Padhyate Pumsam Sokha Moha Bhaya Paha So, Prayodhana and the practice is also described in the fourth verse. So, there is a correlation, very clear correlation and the same message. If we know very clearly that Samadhi Tattva is a description of God and His energies, and its description of material energy and jiva, which is controlled by material energy. That's sambanda. And then prayodhana is a very elevated state of consciousness, the most desired and the most blissful state of consciousness. And here in this chaturvshloki of Srimad Bhagavatam, And the determination to perform sadhana is very much stressed. Yatsyat sarvatra sarvada. All the time, everywhere. Anvaya vya terekha bhyam. Directly and indirectly. You have to ask, what is this tattva? You have to search for this tattva. So it's a different take or different description. Sīla Vyāsadev's Samadhi is more or less the description of what he saw, according to these three categories of Sambandha, Bide and Prayodhana. And Čatukhslogi of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the explanation of these tattvas. It's much deeper, and therefore the commentaries to these verses are extremely philosophical and long. But preliminary understanding of reality in sin through the point of view of pure consciousness are being described in trance of Vyasa Dev. So that's it. And we come to our first topic for today, class. why do we need to study so much philosophy? I think this question may come into our mind when we hear so much description of Sambandha Bidei, Prayodhana again, Sambandha Bidei, Prayodhana, Transofya Sadev, Chattu Shloki, Sriman Bhagavatam. Shouldn't we just serve Krishna and loudly chant his holy name? Isn't it just the Yuga Dharma? and I remember I was being criticized severely that I stress so much studying and many devotees told me it's just jnana it's not our past, it's not bhakti yoga bhakti yoga basically means Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna or whatever it is, whatever conception you may have for some perhaps practical service so to defend this position and to defend this course I don't know if it's required I wanted to give a gift to you it's a beautiful quote from Bhaktisiddhanta Vani Vaibhav which is actually very relevant to our present day situation in ISKCON the Kirtan culture widespread in Bengal had sprung from Lord Chaitanya's propagating Harir Namaeva Kevalam, misunderstanding of which had led to under-emphasis of the importance of Shravana, hearing Hari Katha, studying Srimad Bhagavatam. But Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Srasvati revealed that Hari Katha is the Svarupa Shakti of Harinam. Just as Krishna is properly worshipped, not alone, but with his Svarupa Shakti, Sri Radha, recitation of Harinama is incomplete and improper unless accompanied by hearing Harikatha. This is an amazing statement. So, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is very heavy. He says, it's incomplete. You may chant Harinam, you may chant so many kirtans, but if it's not accompanied properly by hearing Harikatha and understanding the philosophy, it's incomplete and improper. He stated that whenever Harikatha is spoken as a tirtha, wherever. Harikatha is spoken as a tirtha and that Harikatha is the guardian of genuine sadhus in the world where everything is around one is ready to become an enemy and to attack the unprotected. He says, Harikad-ha is the protection from Maya, from the attacks of Maya. Because it makes our mind stronger, we will see it next, while quoting Srila Prabhupada. Moreover, he stressed that taste for and faith in Harikad-ha is the very root of Hari-seva. So if we don't have taste and if we don't have faith in Harikatha, we will not really be able to serve, including service of the Holy Name. The changing of the Holy Name will become some sort of sense enjoyment, you know, just nice discotheque and nice musical. and here what I wanted to really discuss a little bit in the beginning of this class is the verse from the second chapter of Adhivila Chaitanya Chiritamrita Siddhanta Balea Chiti Nakara Alas you should never become lazy Alas by studying Siddhanta The mind should never revolt or should never be lazy to study Siddhanta. Iha vayte krishnalagi sudrida manas. Because when you do it, your mind will naturally be attached to Krishna or will be very fiercely attached to Krishna. Sudrida manas. You will be very much attached to Krishna because the mind will be strengthened by these deliberations on Siddhanta. And this translation of Śrīla Prabhupāda, sincere students should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial. For such discussions strengthen the mind, subrīdha, very much strengthen. Thus one's mind becomes attached to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. So you can only think about Kṛṣṇa if you strengthen your mind by this. And I'll read, there are three slides with the excerpts from purport, wonderful purport Srila Prabhupada wrote. He said that ultimately we need to change the heart. And he says to create such a change of heart, conclusive discussion about Sri Krishna and his potencies are absolutely necessary. And then he says false devotees, it basically means prakritasahajis and prakritasahajaic tendencies within our heart, lacking the conclusion of transcendental knowledge, saying that artificially shedding tears will deliver them. Similarly, other false devotees saying that studying books of previous acaryas is unadvisable, like studying dry empiric philosophies. But Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, following the previous acaryas, has inculcated the conclusions of the scriptures in the six theses called Satsandarābha. False devotees who have very little knowledge of such conclusions fail to achieve pure devotion for want of zeal in accepting the favorable directions for devotional service given by self-realized devotees. Let me explain. This is a very important point. Why do we study? Why should we apply our mind again and again and again? Because when we study again and again and again, we will develop eagerness to practice bhakti. The practice of our bhakti will become much more powerful because of this process of studying śāstra. And when our practice will become powerful, the realizations which we will get also will become more impressive for us and perhaps for others, but that's not so important. So, basically, they fail to achieve pure devotion for want of zeal in accepting favorable directions for devotional service. We will be just, you know, lukewarm. Like in Bible, Jesus Christ, he condemns lukewarm people. You are not cold and you are not really warm. You are lukewarm. So lukewarm practice of Krishna consciousness does not give us real results. But this zeal is coming when we apply our mind and when we really understand in a very tangible way how important it is for us to achieve this lofty goal of Krishna consciousness. Yeah, so, yeah, so that's, I guess that's it, yes. So that's wonderful purport of Srila Prabhupada. And then from Srila Jivigaswami, very interesting also point. So one point which was made by Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, he says, Hari Katha is Svarabh Shakti of Harinam. And you cannot worship Harinam without worshiping his Shakti, as much as you cannot worship Krishna without worshiping Kradharani. Srila Prabhupada makes a beautiful point according to this verse, that only the real eagerness will develop in the heart only if you strengthen your mind by applying it to studying Siddhanta philosophy. And Srila Dzhvi Goswami makes another point, also very interesting. He is in the same Tatva Sandarbha in Anuchedha 48, which we are somewhat studying very superficially, while explaining the fourth verse of Śrīla Vyāsadeva's trance, Samādhi. Yasyamvāi Shruyamāna Yam. Śrīla Dzīvika Swāmi writes, There are countless persons whose hearts have been imprinted with and transformed by thousands of spiritual statements such as Krishna stu bhagavan svayam, but Krishna is the original personality of Godhead, or who subscribe to the same opinion, having gleaned it through the authority of the simple succession, parampara. For all these persons, Krishna becomes the most immediate object of perception as soon as they merely hear his name. This is the third very important point which Srila Jiva Goswami makes. he says that when we hear again and again and again scriptural statements, the statements become imprinted within our heart. And the statements itself, the words of scriptures, gradually transform our heart to such an extent it can be done either through hearing the scriptural statements or through us being in a particular parampara and serving to this particular mission. But again, we will hear these statements again and again and again. And he says that when this transformation of the heart, which Srila Prabhupada also talks about in purport to the previous verse, when this transformation of the heart takes place, as soon as we hear Krishna we see Krishna on a certain level and moreover Srila Jiva Goswami says as soon as we hear Kri it's enough to hear not Krishna, just Kri we become completely entrailed and intrigued and Krishna manifests in his holy name. So that's the result. If we hear again and again and again, Krishna is the supreme lord, he is the possessor of all the energies, and we are little tiny jivas who are bewildered by Maya, ultimately, our chanting will become much more powerful, and it will bring desired results. So, as I said, But I want in the beginning to repeat the main conclusions of Vyasadev's trance because we were little rushed at the end of our previous class. And I was saying again and again and again, very important point, which I want to repeat here, it's actually depicted in the second slide, that if we know Sambanda, we can derive Abhideya. Abhideya, or the process, the practice, which is most important. Sambanda is important, but its importance lays in how much our practice becomes powerful and pure. So, if we know very clearly Sambanda and we have very strong faith in Sambanda, then our Abhidaya will become pure and it is derived from Sambanda. They are totally interconnected. And when our Abhidaya or process or practice becomes very strong, then Prayodjuna will also become very tangibly visible to us. So if we know that the ultimate reality is Bhagavan and we already belong to him and how beautiful he is, how he is performing his lily in the spiritual world, his Parampurusha and how we are consumed by this material energy, we will want to practice it. And the practice is just hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, hearing these topics again and again and again, from the first canto till the twelfth canto and coming back. And then the Prayajana will become a natural result. So this is what is depicted here. Sambanda plus Abhideya. Not just Abhideya, not just repeating the chanting of the holy name, but very clear understanding of who is this Krishna, whose name we are chanting, will help us to achieve Prayodjuna. Hopefully, I am preaching to myself here. And so this is the conclusions of Vyasadava Samadhi. why Sīla Jīvika Swami analyzes it with so much scrutiny, these four verses or five verses or actually six verses. There are a couple more verses after that. Just to lay the foundation, as I said, for understanding of Srimad Bhagavatam. This is what the author has seen. This is the vision of the author. this is his essential message. Tatparya means the essential message or general context. We are talking about contextual study of Srimad Bhagavatam, so we have to keep this understanding, very important, significant, and simple understanding, which is derived from Vyasa Deva's trance in our mind, while we are studying any lila of Srimad Bhagavatam. So that's the essential message or general context of Srimad Bhagavatam. And basically it means that there is God, He is absolute, He is absolute truth, and Jivas are independent, and they are dependent on Him, but they are trying to manifest their independence, and that is the source of their sufferings and problems, and to overcome this we just should hear Srimad Bhagavatam and naturally our mind will gradually, gradually turn towards the Lord. So that's why Srila Jivigaswami explains it with such scrutiny. And, you know, hopefully you all know these verses by heart, Bhakti Yogena Manasi, how Srila Vyasadev saw purusham purnam, And Maya, another energy of the Lord. He saw Purushampurnam, Purusha with all his energies, basically means spiritual energies and material energy, which is hiding away behind his back and how this Maya is bewildering Jiva. It means that Jiva is conscious, but by mistake, Atmanam Trigun Atmakam Jiva thinks that he is belong to this material world Paroti, he is Parah, he is transcendental but still Humanite because he is conscious he thinks that I am Trigun Atmakam and therefore Anarka or suffering comes into his life that's the cause of suffering and Shilavya Sadev saw the direct means, sakshat, anarthupashamam sakshat, how to mitigate all these anarthas or sufferings, bhakti yoga madhoxajit. That's bhakti yoga to adhoxajit, bhakti yoga as a sadhana. And then for he, chakras, sattvatasamhitam, he created this beautiful Srimad Bhagavatam. for them and for himself. I explained. Chakra means also for himself. He created. Yasyam Vaisruyam Anayama And if we constantly, constantly, for a long time, hear that bhakti naturally appears within our heart or manifests within our heart and as a side effect, shoka, moha, baya, apaha, that our grief, bewilderment or illusion and fear will go away by this process. And another verse which is included into this, the famous Atmarama shloka. Atmarama shchamunayoni granta apurukrame. Kurvayantahaytukim bhaktim hitambuta gunoharihi. So for those who are learning shlokas, this is the next shloka to be memorized, very important shloka, which basically means that all kinds of different people who achieve very high level of spiritual realization, on whatever level they are, they become attracted by the beautiful qualities of Hari, of Krishna, of personality of Godhead. And it means that whoever you are, whether you are very highly developed transcendentalist or just bhaktar who has come to our temple from the street, you should just hear Srimad Bhagavatam and ultimately your heart will be attracted towards this. So this is the conclusions, just to repeat. So Bhagavan Purushan Purnam, it means that he has all the energies. Purnam means all the energies are there, internal, external and marginal. This is all what is there. There is nothing else in the existence. realm of spiritual existence, realm of material existence, and the intermediate existence of jiva, who is conscious but at the same time prone to be attracted by material energy. So, and, but Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krishna, that's Krishna, He is Purushampurnam, but he has many, many different expansions. And every expansion of Sri Krishna is dependent on him. But he is independent. He is the only independent reality. Therefore, he is called Purushampurnam or Krishna Paramapurusha. He is Paramapurusha. And Jiva Soul is different. That's a very important conclusion. Jiva's soul is different and will never become Bhagavan. Hopefully by now you are all convinced that you will never become Bhagavan. If you still doubt about it, please go back to Srimad Bhagavatam and read it again. They will never become one with Him. Maya is the external energy which is deluding, has the deluding potency. It has this ability because we want to be deluded. There's a beautiful verse written by Pushkin, a great Russian poet. He says, it's not very difficult to cheat me because I'm happy to be cheated. be cheated. So it's not very difficult for Maya to illusion us or to delude us because they're happy to be deluded. But Maya is the servant, ultimately the servant of Bhagavan and Maya cannot influence Bhagavan. That's very important because all this Mayavadi nonsense that Bhagavan becomes bewildered by Maya and becomes jiva is just completely, doesn't make any sense. So Maya cannot influence Bhagavan. She is Mayamchad Tad Apashre. She is behind him. She cannot even come in front of him. and there is a process of surrender and how this process of surrender is being accomplished just by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. So this is an amazing thing you know you don't have to force yourself just just hear Srimad Bhagavatam and ultimately you will surrender because you will have this beautiful vision of beautiful Bhagavan and willingly and very happily you surrender to Him. Because this is the ultimate purpose of Srimad Bhagavatam to describe the beauty of Sri Krishna. Not Krishna but Sri Krishna, beautiful Krishna. Krishna with His beautiful spiritual energies and the most beautiful of which is Srimadiradharani. So why do we surrender? Because we feel bliss. It's amazing, we do feel bliss. Little bliss, but still we do feel bliss. But the real bliss of bhakti is much higher than the bliss of Brahman realization, Brahmananda. Therefore, even Atmaramas, according to this tense verse, Atmaramas Chamunayo, are being attracted when they hear about the qualities and pastimes of the Lord. And prayodjuna is to attain love of God, and this is the mature fruit of all our endeavors. And of course the sadhana bhakti. This fruit can only be bestowed upon us. We cannot really achieve this fruit as we are used to achieve something in this world. We have to understand that it is given to us by mercy of Bhagavan, but still we can do something. And that's the beauty of bhakti yoga. Still, there is a responsibility upon our shoulders, but ultimately the fruit will be given to us if we are humble and tolerant and ready to respect everyone and are not very eager to gain respect ourselves. And only bhakti can completely eliminate all the sufferings of samsara, of bondage of us. Soka moha, baya paha. The very fact that devotional service, which is executed by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, deprives us, or not deprives us, frees us from all kinds of fear, means that all the bondage is eradicated. No bondage left. We are completely free souls, no fear, as Śrīla Prabhupāda would say. I feel no fear. I am Abhāyācara Naravinda, the one who becomes fearless by taking shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. And a very important point of this is that devotion is supremely independent like Bhagavan, and hence it does not require the support of any other method. You can just hear Srimad Bhagavatam, it's enough. Well, you have to take care of your body and so many other things which we have to do, but ultimately to achieve the ultimate result, hearing of Srimad Bhagavatam is enough because this is the essence of bhakti. Bhakti starts from Sravana. So that's the brief conclusion or brief repetition of the previous class to make it clear. And here is very important and interesting point. Now, the next point which Śrīla Jīva Goswami makes in Tattva Sandharva is that how Śrīla Bhagavatam himself or itself describes, or Śrīla Vyāsadev himself describes the subject matter of Śrīla Bhagavatam. And obviously it is described in the shloka, which we already to a certain extent studied when we described Anubandha Chetustaya, the second shloka of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharma praoji takai tava otra paramo nirmā saranam satam. So what can we understand from this? Dharma praoji takai tava otra paramo nirmā saranam satam. Here, Sīla Vyāsadev is explaining the qualification of the hearer. The real miracle of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will take place when we purify our heart from Matsāriya. Matsāriya basically means competitiveness. the desire to feel superiority over other people and therefore subconsciously we are trying to put them down so that's Matsari before we become Nir Matsaram and Satam become established in truth we will never be able to understand this prema dharma which is described in Srimad Bhagavatam. And then he says, Vediyam. What is Vediyam? What is to be known from Srimad Bhagavatam? Vediyam basically means the subject matter which is to be known. And he says, Vastavam Atravastu Sivadam. This is Vastavam Vastu. What should be known from Srimad Bhagavatam Vastavam Vastu. Vastu means reality. But here it's very interesting. It's not just reality, it's real reality. What we should understand from Srimad Bhagavatam is Vastavam Vastu. It basically means real reality. We will explain what it means. And this real reality, Sivadam, it's very beneficial. It's very auspicious. It brings auspiciousness within our heart. In other words, it brings very positive experience, blissful experience. And on the other side, Tapatrayon Mulanam, it eradicates all the suffering from our heart. All the three kinds of suffering. So these two effects of knowing Vastavam Vastum. That's the subject matter described by Śrīla Vyāsadev. That's the sutra, what is Vishayā of Śrīmad Bhagavatam. And the rest of the verse is describing the process, which we will not talk about. So this is Vedyam, what is to be known. And what is Vāstava Vāstu? Why he says real reality? very simple Sanskrit please listen very carefully it's little philosophical and therefore little difficult especially for those who are in India because it's already late in India and everyone wants to sleep those who just got up in California they may be still fresh here in this beautiful Bhagavatam the reality is to be known in its supreme transcendental capacity Paramarthabhutam he gives this adjective to the word Vastu Vastu means reality but real reality means the supreme transcendental reality, the full capacity of this world vastu. Not reality reduced merely to categories of material substance, dravia, guna, etc., as taught by the Vaisheshikas and others. So it's very interesting. There are many schools of Indian philosophy, and every school of Indian philosophy, first of all describes the subject matter. What is the subject matter? And every school of Indian philosophy or for this matter every school of philosophy Western, Eastern, Chinese, Japanese or Indian they study reality. Of course, Mayavadis says they also study they say we study reality of Brahman and we want to discriminate it from illusion. Nobody says we are studying illusion. What is the point of studying illusion? So everyone is studying vastu. But the understanding of vastu is different in different schools. Like Vaiseshikas, who are the greatest among the philosophers in describing this material world. It's unanimously accepted among the philosophers that Vaiseshika Sutra, especially the combination of Nyaya and Vaiseshika, this combined school, describes very beautifully the seven padarthas of reality. Dravyaguna, etc. I think I... yeah. Dravyaguna, Karma, Samaya, Samanya, Vicesha, Samavaya and Abhava. This is the seven Padartas, these seven categories of reality which describe everything in this material world. But unfortunately, they describe Vastu, the reality. but this description of reality is not real reality. Why? What is the difference between vastu and vastava vastu or avastava vastu and vastava vastu? The real reality and not exactly real reality. Vastava vastu is unchanging reality. The reality which will never change. And Avastava Vastu is Jagat. And everyone else, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Yoga, they are mostly describing and studying Avastava Vastu, the changeable reality. Or material science for this matter, or so many different philosophers, They see something which is available to our senses, and they study this, because it's real, and they study this, and they say, this is the reality. So, from the very beginning, Silavyasadev claims, here is the book, which will describe Vastava Vastu, the completely independent, transcendental reality, totally transcendent towards temporary reality which we have. In other words, there is reality. This world is real, but it's not 100% real because it's temporary. But there is eternal reality. And this eternal reality is vasto-o-vasto. So that's already explained. And now, here's a very interesting point. Please listen very carefully. It's easier to say, it's easier said than done. We can claim, you know, now let us study Vastavu Vastu, transcendental reality. How do we study? We know how to study Avastavu Vastu, by our senses. we can manipulate it we can develop so many different methods and methodologies you know all this genetic engineering and telescope, microscope so many different things we can develop because we know it's available to our senses how do we understand vasta or vasta which is by definition transcendental and which is by definition independent, which we cannot svayam evas puratyada. How to understand this? But Sīmad Bhagavatam claims this. It's a very loud claim, very big claim. Here is vasto, vasto, and we will explain to you. It's very beautiful. Sīla Jīva Gosvami, it's his genius. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, by taking this statement, he says, here how Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains us Vāstava Vāstu, by two ways. There are two general ways of explaining transcendental reality. One way is called Vyāstinirdesha, or description of transcendental reality by comparing the nature of this transcendental reality with the nature of our consciousness. Because our consciousness and the consciousness, the super consciousness, the supreme consciousness, which is this Vastava Vastu, have the same nature. They have differences, but they have the same nature. So, one way how Simad Bhagavatam explains this, by showing the similarities between the nature of our consciousness, which is available to us, which we know, and the nature of Supreme Consciousness. The qualities which we have, the tendencies which we have, they are all tendencies of the Supreme not all of them and Srimad Bhagavatam explains this is one approach one very beautiful approach we will talk a little bit about this in more details so this is one approach again it's a beautiful way of describing something which is by definition undescribable transcendental reality cannot be described by words cannot be understood by mind but still to a certain extent by looking inside we can understand the nature of this vasta of vastu this is one approach which is taken by Srila Vyasadev or Srila Sukadev Goswami and Srila Bhagavatam and there is another approach the first approach is called Vyasti Nirdesha or the description Nirdesha through Vyasti, through analysis of of how you call this micro and micro this is of our atomic consciousness and another one is Samasti Nirdesha the description through the deliberation on this universe, which is again available to our senses. Understanding that this universe is the reflection of the supreme transcendental consciousness of Vastava Vastu, which created this world. So this is two approaches employed in Srimad Bhagavatam. One by analyzing the nature of atomic consciousness which we have, looking inside and analyzing the tendencies, looking in other people and seeing it and understanding ultimately the eternal and unchangeable nature of our consciousness. and in this way understanding the unchangeable reality of Vastava Vastu. And another way how Srimad Bhagavatam is trying to impress upon us or explain to us the nature of this Vastava Vastu is by explaining the nature of this creation and how God who created, it's not a correct word, but who created this world, you can say, manifest in this world. So the first approach we will briefly describe today. And the second approach is actually the description of the ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam. Because these ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam is the description how Srimad Bhagavatam explains the reality and how he connects this reality with the transcendental reality. and explains how this, the nature of transcendental reality by explaining the nature of the universe and our situation in this universe. So that's... Again, sorry. The PowerPoint is taking one slide, others told me that, sorry about that. So, have you changed your slides because it has been the same for several... I don't know. Nothing changed in my condition. What about this? Is it better? This is 1 to 11? Yeah. This is 1 to 11? Yes. We will not see before. Now we can see it. Okay. So, when we come to the first approach, This is Jiva Goswami's explanation. He states that the second verse of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sīla Vyāsadev claims that this is what is it? How is it? goes? dharmaprajita kaita otra paramon nirmatsaranam satam vediyam vastavam atravastu sivadam What is to be known from this book is Atra, in this book, Vedyan, what is to be known, Vastavam Vastu. And Śrīla Jīva Gāsvāmī says, here how Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam starts explaining it. He quotes this very famous verse from the first kanto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, He says, what is this Vastavam Vastu? Vastavam Vastu is non-dual consciousness. Gyanam Advayam. Here the word Gyanam does not mean knowledge as we usually translate this word. Here the word jnanam means consciousness or ability to know. Consciousness as the capacity or ability to know outside world and consciousness as the nature of the soul. And this consciousness is advayam, it's non-dual. And this is tattva. From the very beginning, Sutta Goswami says, the purpose of human life is to know tattva. And what is tattva? Tattva is jnana madvaya, non-dual consciousness. And this non-dual consciousness presents itself to us in three forms. Immediately he contradicts himself, apparently contradicts himself. He says, jnana madvayam, non-dual consciousness, and then he says, three forms. This is non-dual, means one, and then immediately says, brahma, paramadma, and bhagavan, it is shabdhya te. But he says, it is shabdhya te, it is called. The tattva is one, consciousness is one. The fundamental consciousness, which is underlying this nature, and which we know ourselves because we're all hopefully conscious living entities, if we're not completely drunk and dull, but this non-dual consciousness is called or is revealed to different persons in a different way. Different people see it differently, therefore it is Shabdhyate, it is called, somebody calls it Brahman, somebody calls it Paramatma, somebody calls it Bhagavan, Somebody calls it, I don't know, Sai Baba or something like this. So, yes, so consciousness is the most fundamental reality, background of existence. And Vastovam Vastov has this nature, pure consciousness. but it is also conscious like the sun, which is made of light, but also illuminates everything. So, therefore, it's called here Gyanam. Gyanam is the capacity to know. So, Vastavam Vastu is not only pure consciousness. Mayavadis say Brahman is just consciousness, pure consciousness. We don't say it's pure consciousness. We say it's pure consciousness, but we say that it's pure consciousness which has the ability to be conscious. This is pure spirit, it's only consciousness, nothing else, but it has the ability to be conscious of something. Well, you can ask what you have to be able to be conscious of something if you are alone. No, you are not alone. You have your energy. You are conscious of your energy and the play between the supreme vasto-o-vasto, supreme consciousness and his energy is the reality. So, it's very important that from the very beginning, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains that this is Vedanta, this is Vedantic philosophy. Every other philosophy, there are six philosophies in Yaya Vaisesika, and you know, there are billions of different philosophies. every philosopher in the West is trying to create his ism. But in Vedas it's simple. It's Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purvimamasa, Uttaravimamasa, Vedanta. But every other philosophy except for Vedanta says, does not stress, does not emphasize, does not even state that the reality is one, that it is advaya. Every other philosophy from the beginning of Nyaya Sutra there are, as far as I remember, sixteen different padarthas, sixteen different categories of reality, Vaiseshika, seven different categories of reality. Sankhya, two different categories of reality. Dual philosophy. Yoga accepts basically Sankhya as its philosophy. There is Purusha and Prakriti. Purvami Mamsa, definitely not Advaita. Only Vedanta says the cause of everything is one. there cannot be two causes of everything to understand the deepest reality and therefore it's vasto or vasto yes we see variegatedness and that's real and other philosophers study this but if you go deeper you will have to even philosophically it will be necessary for you to understand yes Ultimately the reality is one. And what is this reality? Material scientists, they agree, reality is one. What is this reality? This reality is cross-matter. There's nothing else according to them. If you are a consistent materialist, they say that everything else is just dependent on matter, everything else is just the by-product of matter. Consciousness is not really real. Only matter is real, consciousness is the byproduct or manifestation or epiphenomenon of matter. Now some very advanced and very progressive modern scientists, they say, they start for studying the nature of consciousness the nature of brain and neurophysiological activities and they understand that no, no, consciousness is fundamental but at best they can come to understanding that either again there are two fundamental realities consciousness and matter or again at the very best there is this some impersonal consciousness which is fundamental and matter is the byproduct that's the different varieties but we say no, no this advaya jnan tattva only in the beginning stages manifests itself as brahman as pure consciousness, impersonal consciousness, and this is not complete understanding of this Advaya Gyanatattva. Paramatma is much more complete and Bhagavan is the most complete. So the very first, very important point of this verse is that they are called, it means that different people by using or applying different methods of studying this Vastava Mvastu come to different conclusions or different understandings. So our understanding of Vastava Mvastu non-dual consciousness depends on the method of condition. Very important point. If we apply Jnana we will understand vasto-um-vasto as Brahman. And inevitably, because of this method, it's like quantum mechanics. Depending on the observer, you get the results. Results depend on the observer, on the consciousness of observers. So in the same way, it's of course a very gross misrepresentation of quantum physics, but because everyone thinks it's like this, I repeat it. So, it's basically, depending on how you approach the absolute reality, the reality will reveal itself to you in three different ways. So, Jnana Yoga reveals Brahman only such aspect of absolute truth. incomplete and therefore it is compared with us being very far away from the object of our investigation and we only see very vague image of what we see, the mountain which is very far away, we only see something it exists, sad, but we don't really know what it is we cannot say anything about it because it's just the only quality which we can see from that far away by the method of dhyana is that exists, it exists. Nothing else we can say. Even this we can say not with a lot of assurance because as soon as we say it exists means there is it and existence. So there is duality there. But anyway, so when we use the Ashtanga Yoga which reveals Paramatma. And Paramatma is the combination of Chit aspect and Sat aspects, these two aspects. Paramatma exists, but Paramatma has consciousness in a real sense. It is conscious. It has the desires, it has will, it has ability to create and this is much more complete understanding of this Advaya Jyan Tattva. And only the method of Bhakti Yoga reveals this Advaya Jyan Tattva, non-dual consciousness, in full, full manifestation of absolute truth while revealing the third aspect of reality, Sat Chita Nananda. only bhakti is adequate method to investigate the absolute truth and to understand it in its Ananda feature because it's there already in the initial philosophy And therefore, all the methods are helping us to experience not only sat, not only chit, but also ananda aspects of it. And Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati confirms this. This is also a very beautiful quote. As an object is perceived differently by different senses. so the absolute truth of the one appears in three forms the three however should not be considered actually different it has already been described that possessor of the material and spiritual energy cannot be perceived simply through impersonal knowledge impersonal knowledge does not give you the eyes to see the possessor of spirit Although through the combined features of Sat and Chita aspect, the Supreme Lord's mastery over illusory energy, or Paramatma aspect, and verigatedness of Vaikuntha is found. So, this is the next level when we strive for liberation in Vaikundhava, understanding the Paramatma feature of the Lord. The Supreme Lord fully manifests only through the combination of Sat-Chit and Ananda aspects. The fullness of the expanded pastimes of the energy and energetic. Basically, that's what it is. And Bhagavatam is the description of these pastimes of energy and energetic. And Srila Prabhupada explains basically the same thing in the teachings of Lord Kapila. So now, the question is, how is it Advaya? What does it mean, Advaya Tattva? First of all, okay, we understood. This is not... Sometimes even Prabhupada calls these different features, but they're not really features, it's just different understandings of the same reality. Tattva is one. But how we can understand this tattva? And if we say that this tattva has energy, how is it one? Immediately, this is the conundrum of Mayavadis. When they say Maya, Maya means it's not one. If there is Brahman and there is Maya, then how is it one? It's already two. And therefore they have to say, but Maya is not real. How is not real? It doesn't exist. No, it exists. No, you cannot say it doesn't exist and you cannot say it does exist. So therefore they are called Mayavadis. They have to juggle words to explain how one Brahman, why Maya is there, how Maya appears there. So we are followers of Vedanta, which is Advaitavada. Advaita in the proper sense of this world. So how it is Advaita? How, what meaning do we include? And how, what is the meaning which is in Srimad Bhagavatam, Vyasadev and Sukadev Goswami, what is the meaning of this Advaya Gyan Tattva? So Srila Jiva Goswami explains this. Why it is Advaya? First of all, because it is svayam siddha, tadrisha atadrisha, tattva antara abhavata. There is no other reality tattva, either similar or dissimilar, that is self-existent. In other words, it is Advaya Gyan, consciousness, because Bhagavan and his energies is Svayam Siddha, he is self-existent. Everything else may exist, but they are not self-existent, they are derivation or some creation of this self-existent reality. So we don't deny that there is something else. Something else exists. But this something else does not have an independent reality. It is derived from the only one Svayam Siddha reality, self-existent, independent reality. That's one understanding. In other words, you know, sometimes people, atheists, they ask this foolish question, you know, okay, God created this world. Who created God? Nobody created God. He is svayam siddha. He is self-existent. And this self-existent reality, only one. And therefore, advaya gyan tattva. Another aspect why we say that it's Advaita is Sva-Shakti Eka Sahayatvat. Sahayatvat because it is being held only by his own Shakti. Why it is independent reality? Why it is only one reality? Why it is non-dual reality? because he doesn't need anyone else who will help him to do what he wants to do. His own Shakti, he is totally independent, he only depends on his own Shakti. And therefore he is one, it's his energies. He is the only shelter of... that's another answer to this. And basically it means that, yeah, anyway, I already explained these two aspects of consciousness. It basically means that consciousness, this Advaya Gyan Tattva, fundamental consciousness, is only one reality and everything else is done by his own energy, by his own ability to do something. And it basically means that he is the sum total of existence, of reality, and whatever he wants will manifest itself. It's just the field. And, yeah. Paramashrayam tatvina tasam asiddhacvača these potencies have no existence without it as their absolute foundation basically means that everything else may be his potencies but they cannot exist independently on him if he would withdraw himself everything would disappear immediately energies exist they are his energy and they do not have independent existence. Basically, this is the three aspects of non-dual consciousness. Why it is non-dual? Because it is the only one self-existent reality because all energies are his energies and because his energies do not exist independently without his shelter. And also ultimate reality, the nature of this Advaya Gyantatva is it must be blissful. So, yeah, this is the explanation of this non-dual consciousness is the field of all possibilities. This is how it works. You know, what is this reality? why did I put this sentence here because when people like Joe Dispenza or modern days impersonalists who understand the fundamental nature of consciousness like this famous book Secret and you know, all this kind of people who are teaching you how to meditate and manifest they all say what is consciousness? You can listen, there are some interesting people like Bernardo Kastrup who says that one philosopher and scientist who explained that this field of consciousness and this is the field, the consciousness is filled. This is the maximum which they can understand. That this non-dual consciousness is like a field and when we intend, the power of our intention, the power of our meditation can manifest from this field of all possibilities, whatever we want. This is proven. This is reality. Some people, they meditate. Of course, not everyone is very successful. But there is a lot of people who are of this opinion. Positive thinking. Just think positively. Everything will become positive. Everything will... So, here, this is what Sīla Jīva Goswami is explaining. we have this experience that by our meditation, by our intention, we can realize something. so basically the non-dual consciousness which has the same nature as our atomic consciousness has this field of his energy and of course he unlike us can manifest whatever he likes from this field of consciousness because it's his energy We are trying hard to manifest Mercedes Benz car before it will become very expensive in America due to the tariffs of Trump. But it may not come in time in our meditation. But in case of Krishna, it works. but to a certain extent we know how it works in our reality and this is one of the descriptions which is there in Srimad Bhagavatam that the consciousness is like a field of all possibilities and this non-dual Advaya Gyan Tattva Bhagavan he has Achintya Shakti and by his Achintya Shakti, inconceivable energy. He can manifest because it's his energy and he can manifest anything from this energy. And we can understand that consciousness is eternal. This is the first and immediate understanding which every one of us has is that I don't change. My body changed, but I don't change. It's very, I mean, sometimes it's very difficult for me to understand that I'm already an old man. I don't feel like. But because I don't change. I, my consciousness does not change. And therefore, this Advaya Jantatva has the same eternal nature. has the nature of observer who absorbs the changes without undergoing the changes. In the same way as we are observing the changes which take place in our body, as Krishna explains in Bhagavad Gita, in the same way the non-dual consciousness, Krishna is just observing the changes which are taking place in his energy. He is not being changed, and therefore he is Vastava Vastu. He is unchangeable reality. Energy may change, reality doesn't change. Vastava Vastu doesn't change. Consciousness doesn't change. And therefore, this consciousness is non-dual. That's the implication of this. And this is how Srila Jiva Goswami explains the first approach of Srimad Bhagavatam to impress upon mass the nature of God of consciousness. Okay, so this was a very, yeah, brief explanation of the first approach. I didn't get into details. Now, because it's already late, I do not, well, I can actually go very briefly through this next section. Just to finish this, no need to go into it, because it's a separate topic for today's class. It's just to glorify Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how beautiful Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is samanvaya, synthesis of all Vedic scriptures. Actually, if we impartially study Vedic culture, Vedic philosophy, all beautiful different scriptures, different ways of describing reality, and then come or find by chance, by good luck, Srimad Bhagavatam, we will be amazed how beautifully and harmoniously Srimad Bhagavatam synthesized everything in one book. everything is there and I will show it so basically how he made this synthesis he made this synthesis according to Shilajiva Goswami by just by stating two important statements in two verses and Shilajiva Goswami takes these two verses as foundational verses for all our Siddhanta. One we just heard, Vādāntita tattva vidas tattva mīyajgyanam advayam, reality is one and it is consciousness. We have monistic philosophy, we are spiritual monists, there is only one reality but it has different manifestations through different energies but it's his energy and what is this the highest manifestation of this reality Krishna stu Bhagavan Svayama. Everything else, Amsha Kala of this Purusha, Advaya consciousness, but Krishna is Bhagavan Svayama. These two verses are enough for us to understand whole Srimad Bhagavata. But these two verses we have to understand very, very clearly. So, Samanvaya, the word Anvaya, just to finish this, I may take five more minutes, not more than this. So, andvaya in Sanskrit means understanding of true meaning. Anuaya. To put it in proper perspective, literally. To place it systematically or to understand, to grasp the meaning. So, samandvaya means perfect understanding. to which one may come after careful deliberation when we place everything in its place. So this is the definition from Govinda Bhashya from Shila Baladev Yadavushin Commentary on Vedanta Sutra. So just for fun, let's remember. Silavya Sadev did amazing, absolutely amazing, absolutely unparalleled thing. 5,000 years ago, he took all different Upanishads, which are completely, seemingly disjointed, which has very different ideas, and he placed it in a very harmonious whole in the form of Vedanta Sutra. If we really objectively look, look Upanishads, read Upanishads separately, become totally bewildered and confused by all these different statements, and then open Vedanta Sutra, we will be amazed. no author is being read and studied and commented upon who has created something 5000 years back usually after 10-20 years nobody reads, if somebody is really genius, we may read his writings after 100 years or 120 years or 200 years maximum Nobody is interested in reading something. Vyasadeva did this amazing synthesis, really amazing. He reconciled different disciplines of Vedic spiritual science. But Simad Bhagavatam is even more beautiful than Vedanta Sutra. Vedanta Sutra is amazing. It's actually impossible what he did. He did it. But Simad Bhagavatam is much more amazing. because he did something much more impossible. So different Vedic ideas which are there in Vedic culture. Vedas worship different demigods. So there's different hymns in different Vedas. Vedas speak about different avatars, expansions, amsas, gunas, manvantaras, etc. where they speak about Lila, how this creation of this world is Lila of the Lord. Where they speak about Vedanta, speak about Upanishads, how everything is unified. There are Pancharatra Agamas which explain the processes, Tantra, how to approach the Supreme Reality, which manifests through vyuhas, chaturvyuhas. Vedas describe cosmology and cosmogony, cosmogony or whatever. They describe the nature of time, they describe the concept of karma and reincarnation of the soul, they describe different paths, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga, They describe Sankhi and Yoga. They describe Varnashramadharma and Smriti Shastra. They describe Natya Shastra and explain the theory of Rasa. And they describe the Vedic theory of sound and mantra meditation and all kinds of techniques. And all these totally different descriptions of reality find their place when they viewed as a part of Lord Svarupa, Lord Vishnu Svarupa presented to us in the form of Srimad Bhagavata. so Shilavyasadev when he saw this in Samadhi the revelation of reality when he saw this amazing beautiful picture of reality he realized how everything comes in place how everything could be described in a very harmonious way and this is Shimat Bhagavatam Shimat Bhagavatam is Svarupa of the Lord and this is explained, this is perhaps the last verse which I will explain, there are few others which I will not touch we will start next class from this so we are already coming to the next next topic which is Samastin Nirdesha or description of Vastava Vastu through describing this universe and through synthesizing all different aspects of reality revealed in different scriptures of Vedic canon. So it is all reflection or manifestation of Bhagavan's personal form. and Simad Bhagavatam why it is the synthesis of all these ideas of all these theories of all these different rules and everything because it describes the personal form of Bhagavan and in the personal form of Bhagavan everything finds its proper place and therefore Bhagavan is Samanvaya and Simad Bhagavatam explains this Samanvaya, synthesis of all the ideas So let's read this beautiful verse and finish today's class. Upon his chest, the almighty, almighty, unborn personality of Godhead bears the kostubo gem, which represents the pure spirit soul. Actually, it's the sum total of all the souls. Krishna keeps all the spirit souls, all the sparks next to his heart in the form of Kostuba gem and therefore Kostuba gem is multicolored so many different varieties of tiny atomic spirit souls are there and it's in his form, it's a part of his Svarupa the spirit souls are there part of Svarupa, of Bhagavan. Along with Srivatsa Mark, and of course we know Srivatsa Mark is the goddess of fortune, or Sri, his opulent energy, the energy of beauty, opulence, and the energy of wealth, basically, which is direct manifestation of his gems, expansive effulgence. Basically, all the vibhutis, all the beautiful, opulent and attractive manifestations of this world is the expanse of his effulgence of these jewels which he has, Srivatsa and Kostuba. His flower garland is his material energy comprising various combinations of the modes of nature, like different colors of the flowers in the garland. In the same way, this material nature is just his flower garden. His yellow garment is the Vedic meters, all the different poetic meters which is employed by Vedic hymns and Vedic hymns. And his sacred thread, which he has, the Brahman thread, Janeyu, The syllable Om composed of three sounds. So that's why the syllable Om has this very peculiar shape and form. In the form of his two shark-shaped earrings, which is again eternal part of his Svarupa, it's not something which he puts on every morning. They're always with him and his ears. The Lord carries the processes of Sankhya and Yoga. Sankhya and Yoga are there in His earrings. And His crown, bestowing fearlessness on the inhabitants of all the worlds, is the supreme position of Brahma Loka. So, this is one description of Bhagavan's form. And basically, Srimad Bhagavatam is Bhagavan's Svarupa, which we will explain in detail in the beginning of the next class. So, again, to recapitulate, the new material which we learned today is that Srila Jiva Goswami at the end of Tattva Sandharva explains that Srimad Bhagavatam explains Vastava Vastu, and that's the subject matter, and this Vastava Vastu could be understood in two different ways. One way to understand Vastava Vastu, which is eternal reality or real reality, is by looking at our consciousness which has the same nature. And by looking at us to understand that I am eternal, I don't die, I am not changeable, but my energy changes, something which belongs to me may change. So this is one very important understanding of relationship between the Vastava Vastu and his energy. And another way of understanding the Vastava Vastu is by looking around and attributing the different aspects of reality to the original Svarupa of Bhagavan. and this is definitely described several times in Srimad Bhagavatam itself, how we should relate or interact with different aspects of reality, understanding that ultimately by dealing with God Himself who is Vastu or Vastu, the source of everything and the most beautiful personality with whom we ultimately have to fall in love. Thank you very much.