ke vayaáš nÄma-rĹŤpÄbhyÄáš
yadubhiḼ saha pÄášá¸avÄḼ
bhavato âdarĹanaáš yarhi
hášášŁÄŤkÄášÄm iveĹituḼ
As the name and fame of a particular body is ďŹnished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly, if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the PÄášá¸avas and Yadus, will end at once.
ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam 1.8.38
KuntÄŤdevÄŤ is quite aware that the existence of the PÄášá¸avas is due to ĹrÄŤ KášášŁáša only. The PÄášá¸avas are undoubtedly well established in name and fame and are guided by the great King Yudhiᚣášhira, who is morality personiďŹed, and the Yadus are undoubtedly great allies, but without the guidance of Lord KášášŁáša all of them are nonentities, as much as the senses of the body are useless without the guidance of consciousness. No one should be proud of his prestige, power, and fame without being guided by the favor of the Supreme Lord. The living beings are always dependent, and the ultimate dependable object is the Lord Himself. We may, therefore, invent by our advancement of material knowledge all sorts of counteracting material resources, but without being guided by the Lord all such inventions end in ďŹasco, however strong and stout the reactionary elements may be.
As soon as an important man dies, his name and form become unimportant, even though he may have been a big scientist, politician, or philosopher. As long as we are alive our name, form, and activities are glorious, but as soon as the life is gone the body is but a lump of matter. When an important man is alive he may have so many guards, and no one can go before him or touch him, but when the same man is dead and lying on the ďŹoor, one may kick him in the face, and practically no one will care. After the disappearance of the soul, the body of the important man has no value. And what is that soul? It is the energy of KášášŁáša, and therefore it is part and parcel of KášášŁáša. So when the energy is withdrawn â that is, when KášášŁáša is not there â the body becomes unimportant.
KášášŁášaâs energy and KášášŁáša Himself are not different (Ĺakti-Ĺakti-mator abhedaḼ). The sun, for example, is energetic, and the sunshine is energy. As long as the sunshine is present the sun is present, and if the sun were not present the sunâs energy would also not be there. The energy and the energetic must both exist. Although the MÄyÄvÄdÄŤ philosophers do not accept the energetic but only the impersonal energy, we must accept both the energy and the energetic.
While the energy works, the energetic remains aloof, just as the sunshine spreads everywhere while the sun itself remains apart. Similarly, there is energy working throughout the cosmic manifestation. The cosmic manifestation consists of earth, water, ďŹre, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego. These eight material elements are separated material energies (me bhinnÄ prakáštir aᚣášadhÄ), and we can understand that behind these energies there must be an energetic source. For example, we are using electric power, but behind this power are the powerhouse and the engineer. Rascals do not understand this. They simply see the power of this cosmic manifestation, but they do not understand that behind this power is the powermaker, the source of power. Therefore KášášŁáša comes and says, âI am the powermaker. I am behind this power.â
KášášŁáša Himself personally comes because we do not have the eyes to see KášášŁáša and cannot understand Him. When we contemplate the form of God, we think that because God created millions and millions of years ago, He must be a very old man. Therefore God personally comes before us so that we can see what He is. This is His kindness. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ (4.7):
yadÄ yadÄ hi dharmasya
glÄnir bhavati bhÄrata
abhyutthÄnam adharmasya
tadÄtmÄnaáš sášjÄmy aham
âWhenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion â at that time I descend Myself.â
God comes to this world in person, He leaves behind His instructions like those of Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, and He leaves behind His devotees who can explain who God is, but still we are so stubborn that we do not accept God. This is foolishness. In Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ those who do not accept God are called mĹŤá¸hÄḼ â rascals and fools.
God exists, and Godâs energy also exists, so if we cannot see God we can at least see His energy. We may not see the electric powerhouse and the engineer within it generating power, but we use electricity in so many ways. Therefore we should inquire where this electricity comes from. This is intelligence, and if one inquires in this way he will eventually ďŹnd the powerhouse itself. Similarly, if one studies further to ďŹnd out who is running the powerhouse, one will ďŹnd a human being. Although the electricity is impersonal and even the powerhouse is impersonal, the man behind everything is a person. Similarly, God is a person. This is a logical conclusion. How can He be impersonal? That which is impersonal has no intelligence. We have invented so many very wonderful machines, but the machines are not intelligent. The intelligence belongs to the operator. Therefore KášášŁáša says, mayÄdhyakᚣeáša prakáštiḼ sĹŤyate sa-carÄcaram: âYou are seeing the energy displayed in the wonderful actions and reactions of this material cosmic manifestation, but donât think that they are working independently. No, I am behind them.â
KášášŁáša further says:
mayÄ tatam idaáš sarvaáš
jagad avyakta-mĹŤrtinÄ
mat-sthÄni sarva-bhĹŤtÄni
na cÄhaáš teᚣv avasthitaḼ
âBy Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.â (Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ 9.4) That which is avyakta, unmanifested, also has mĹŤrti, a form. The sky, for example, is avyakta, unmanifest, but it also has a form â the round form of the universe. If we go to the ocean, there also we shall ďŹnd a form, like that of a big circle. Without form there is nothing; everything has form, even that which is supposedly impersonal.
Therefore the idea that everything is zero or impersonal is foolish. Behind the impersonal feature and the so-called voidness is the supreme form â KášášŁáša. ÄŞĹvaraḼ paramaḼ kášášŁášaḼ sac-cid-Änanda-vigrahaḼ. The word ÄŤĹvara means âcontroller.â Nature is not controlling itself; the real controller is KášášŁáša. IcchÄnurĹŤpam api yasya ca ceᚣášate sÄ. The Brahma-saášhitÄ (5.44) says that Prakášti, or DurgÄ â the deity of material nature â is working under the direction of Govinda, KášášŁáša. How is she working? Just like a shadow. Below our hand is its shadow, and as our hand moves, the shadow moves. Behind all manifestations there is motion. I have sometimes given the example of the shunting of the big cars in a railway line. The engine gives the motion and pushes one car, which then pushes another and another, and so on. Similarly, who set up the motion of the cosmic manifestation? That original motion-giver is KášášŁáša.
Now KuntÄŤdevÄŤ says, âWe PÄášá¸avas have become famous, and people say that we are very important. Why? Because You are our friend.â KášášŁáša was the friend of the PÄášá¸avas and speciďŹcally the friend of Arjuna, and therefore Arjuna was a great and valorous warrior. But KuntÄŤdevÄŤ knew, âPeople say, âOh, the PÄášá¸avas are such great warriors and heroes,â but what is the value of my sons, the PÄášá¸avas?â Similarly, the Yadu dynasty was famous because KášášŁáša took His birth in that family. But KuntÄŤdevÄŤ says, ke vayam: âWhat are we? What is our value?â Ke vayaáš nÄma-rĹŤpÄbhyÄm: âWe have our name and form, but without You it is all useless. It has no value.â
People do not understand this. They are very proud of having a nice body and a nice name. They think, âI am American,â âI am Indian,â âI am German,â and so on. But what is all this? These are simply bogus names and bogus forms with no value.
If we subtract KášášŁáša, everything is zero. This is a fact, but people are such rascals that they do not understand this fact. But who can deny it? The American body or Indian body may have a good name, but if it has no consciousness, what is its value? No value. Therefore it is said:
bhagavad-bhakti-hÄŤnasya
jÄtiḼ ĹÄstraáš japas tapaḼ
aprÄášasyeva dehasya
maášá¸anaáš loka-raĂąjanam
âFor a person devoid of devotional service to KášášŁáša, his birth in a great family or nation, his knowledge of revealed scripture, his performance of austerities and penance, and his chanting of Vedic mantras are all like ornaments on a dead body. Such ornaments simply serve the concocted pleasures of the general populace.â (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 3.11)
We all have consciousness, but what is this consciousness? It is KášášŁáša consciousness. We have forgotten KášášŁáša, and therefore we simply say âconsciousness,â but really âconsciousnessâ means KášášŁáša consciousness, because without KášášŁáša we cannot have consciousness. Without the sun, how can there be sunshine? Therefore we say âsunshine,â and not just âshine.â Similarly, âconsciousnessâ means KášášŁáša consciousness. This requires a little intelligence to understand, but devotees like KuntÄŤ have this intelligence and understanding. Therefore KuntÄŤ says, âThe PÄášá¸avas and Yadus are so important, but what is actually our value?â
Because KášášŁáša is bidding farewell, KuntÄŤ laments, âYou will go, and we shall not be able to see You. What then will be the value of our name and fame?â Bhavato âdarĹanaáš yarhi hášášŁÄŤkÄášÄm iveĹituḼ. She gives the example that without KášášŁáša they would be like the senses without life. In this material world we desire sense enjoyment, but without KášášŁáša or without KášášŁáša consciousness there is no possibility of sense enjoyment. We may have strong arms and legs, but when there is no consciousness â when there is no KášášŁáša consciousness â we cannot even utilize them. An intelligent person, therefore, knows that without KášášŁáša his senses have no value, and therefore he becomes a devotee. He rightly concludes that because there is an intimate relationship between the senses and KášášŁáša, as long as the senses are active it is oneâs duty to use the senses in the service of KášášŁáša. This is bhakti.
To use an example I have given many times, suppose in an assembly one ďŹnds a hundred-dollar note that has fallen from someoneâs pocket. If one takes that note and puts it in oneâs own pocket, one is a thief because that note does not belong to him. This is called bhoga, false enjoyment. Then again, someone else may think, âOh, why shall I touch it? It belongs to someone else. Let it remain there. I have nothing to do with it.â This is called tyÄga, renunciation. So although the hundred-dollar note is the same, one person is trying to enjoy it while another is trying to give it up. But both of them â the bhogÄŤ and the tyÄgÄŤ â are fools.
The bhogÄŤs are the karmÄŤs, those who are working very hard to exploit the resources of the material nature, like the scientists, for example, who are doing research to further such exploitation. Their intention, actually, is to steal. On the other hand, the tyÄgÄŤs, those who are unable to steal, have a âsour grapesâ philosophy: âOh, these things are useless. There is no need of them.â Mostly, of course, people are bhogÄŤs; that is, they are trying to use everything to enjoy sense gratiďŹcation. But still there are those who are bafďŹed in sense gratiďŹcation and who therefore say, âNo, no, we donât need these things.â
Continuing the example, however, when a hundred-dollar note is found, the person who acts most properly is the one who takes it and says, âSomeone has lost this note. Let me ďŹnd its owner.â Upon returning that note, one renders real service. One who takes the note for himself and one who leaves the note where it is are both useless. Similarly, the bhogÄŤ and tyÄgÄŤ are both useless. But the bhakta, the devotee, knows that everything belongs to KášášŁáša and should therefore be offered to KášášŁáša. This is real service.
Everything belongs to KášášŁáša. What is the body? It is a combination of material elements â earth, water, ďŹre, air, and the subtle, psychological elements mind, intelligence, and false ego. KášášŁáša claims, âAll these eight elements are My separated energy.â Then how are the body and mind ours? Although I claim that the body is mine, I do not even know how it is working. A tenant in an apartment may pay rent and somehow or other occupy the apartment and enjoy its utilities, although he may not actually know how the heat and tap water are working. Similarly, although we do not know the details of how the body works, we are using this body, which actually belongs not to us but to KášášŁáša. This is the real fact. The body consists of the senses and the mind, and therefore the senses and mind also belong to KášášŁáša.
I am a spiritual soul, but I have been given the opportunity to utilize a certain type of material body. Because I wanted it, KášášŁáša is so kind that He has given it to me. Ye yathÄ mÄáš prapadyante tÄášs tathaiva bhajÄmy aham. If one wants the body of a king, KášášŁáša will give it; if one follows the prescribed method, one will get the body of a king. And if one wants the body of a hog so that one may eat stool, KášášŁáša will give one that kind of body also. But now, in the human form of life, one should understand, âEverything belongs to KášášŁáša, so why am I hankering to satisfy this body which is supposedly mine? Rather, now that I have this body, let me serve KášášŁáša.â This is intelligence, and this is bhakti.
HášášŁÄŤkeáša hášášŁÄŤkeĹa-sevanaáš bhaktir ucyate: bhakti means to use hášášŁÄŤka, the senses, in the service of HášášŁÄŤkeĹa, KášášŁáša, the master of the senses (tvayÄ hášášŁÄŤkeĹena hášdi sthitasya yathÄ karomi). Because I wanted some sense gratiďŹcation, forgetting that everything actually belongs to KášášŁáša, I have been given this body, which is a facility for sense gratiďŹcation. But the senses have no value without KášášŁáša, and therefore the natural conclusion is that the senses belong to KášášŁáša. Therefore, since I have these senses, why not use them for KášášŁášaâs satisfaction? This is bhakti.