Prabhupada together with devotees: Oṁ namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

Nitai: (recites verse word for word with devotees responding; then line by line twice with devotees responding)

anarthopasamaṁ sakṣad
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasyajanato vidvaṁs
cakre satvata-saṁhitam
[SB 1.7.6]

[break] "The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyasadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth."

Prabhupada:

anarthopasamaṁ sakṣad
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasyajanato vidvaṁs
cakre satvata-saṁhitam
[SB 1.7.6]

Vidvan. Vid means vetti veda vido jñane. Vid means jñana, knowledge. So one who has knowledge... Knowledge means ultimately to understand the originally source of everything. Janmady asya yataḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. This is knowledge, to... Everyone is... The scientists, the philosophers, everyone is searching out what is the original cause. Just like modern scientists. They are searching out what is the original cause of life. That is good enquiry. But because they are surrounded by anarthas, they cannot know it. That is called maya. So long one is illusioned by the maya he cannot have perfect knowledge. This subject matter has been discussed in the previous verse. It is said, yaya sammohito jivaḥ;. Before that, the one verse is that Vyasadeva, the vidvan... Vyasadeva is addressed here as vidvan, full knowledge. So he was unhappy even after compiling Vedanta-sutra. He was not very happy. So under the instruction of his guru, Narada Muni, he wanted to compile the last contribution to the human society, a commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhaṣyayaṁ brahma-sutraṇaṁ vedartha-paribrṁhitam. This, in every chapter, at the end, it is said, brahma-sutra-bhaṣye: "The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the commentary on the Brahma-sutra or Vedanta-sutra." Vedanta means the ultimate knowledge. Veda means knowledge; anta means the last contribution. So under the instruction of Narada Muni, Vyasadeva first of all made his life perfect. Yes. How he made his life perfect? Because if you write books without any perfection, that will not be effective. One has to become perfect before he writes some books. Just like nowadays especially in the western countries they write any rascal ideas under the name of philosophy or science, "Perhaps," "It may be." That is not the system in the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization, people, those who are advanced in Vedic knowledge, they'll write. Vedic knowledge is called sruti, and if you write following the principles of sruti, then it is smrti.

sruti-smrti-puraṇadi-
pañcaratra-vidhiṁ vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
[Brs. 1.2.101]

That is the advice, instruction, given by Rupa Gosvami. "Without reference to the sruti, without reference to the smrti, Puraṇa and pañcaratriki-vidhi, if you pose yourself as a great devotee of Krṣṇa, that is simply disturbance." This is the instruction of Rupa Gosvami, the, I mean to say, what is called, development, developer of this Vrndavana development, under whose instruction. So when Narada instructed that "You write something which will help people to understand the Supreme," then he engaged himself in bhakti-yoga because you cannot understand the supreme truth without engaging yourself in devotional service. Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Only through devotion, submission, surrender you can understand Krṣṇa, not by your so-called scholarship or research work, no. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Krṣṇa never said, "By cultivating knowledge, speculative knowledge, one can understand Me," no. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. So therefore Vyasadeva engaged himself in bhakti-yoga to understand the Supreme Truth. That is stated,

bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak praṇihite 'male
apasyat puruṣaṁ purṇaṁ
mayaṁ ca tad-apasrayam
[SB 1.7.4]

So he visioned two things, that one, puruṣam... Apasyat puruṣaṁ purṇam. Puruṣa, perfect, purṇam, complete. We are trying to become puruṣa or Bhagavan, but we are not perfect. The Bhagavan means purṇam. Ṣaḍ-aisvarya-purṇaḥ;. Complete. So we cannot accept anyone as Bhagavan unless he is purṇam. Ṣaḍ-aisvarya-purṇaḥ;. That is Krṣṇa. Ṣaḍ-aisvaryaiḥ; purṇo ya iha bhagavan [Cc. Adi 1.3]. So by bhakti-yoge, bhakti-yogena, by practicing... That is called meditation. Meditation means to find out the Supreme Complete Person. That is called meditation, not that anything you meditate, any nonsense. No, that is not meditation. Meditation is described, dhyanavasthita. Dhyanavasthita, engaged in meditation. Tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ; [SB 12.13.1]. Yogis, they by meditation, tries to find out the Supreme Person who is within everyone. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. So by meditation to find out the supreme Paramatma within yourself, that is called yoga practice. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ; [SB 12.13.1]. This is yogi. So that yoga is perfect when you see Krṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

yoginam api sarveṣaṁ
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo maṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ;
[Bg. 6.47]

One who is trying to find out Krṣṇa within himself... Krṣṇa is there. So you have to be qualified to see Him. That is required. That is called bhakti-yoga. In Brahma-saṁhita it is said, premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ; sadaiva hrdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. That is not possible simply by gymnastic. One has to develop transcendental love for Krṣṇa. Premañjana-cchurita. When your eyes are anointed with love of God, then you can see Him within yourself twenty-four hours. Sadaiva hrdayeṣu vilokayanti. This is not difficult for understanding because anyone you love, you always think of him, you always feel his presence, so why not of Krṣṇa? That is not difficult. Therefore Krṣṇa is teaching. To develop this love for Krṣṇa, he says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "Simply you think of Me," man-manaḥ;, "you become devotee of Me," mad-bhakta, "worship Me," mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru. So we are expending so much money for installing Krṣṇa-Balarama here. What is this purpose? The purpose is that you will be able to see Him present in this temple, and therefore you can think of Him. That is very natural. If you see the Deity always, then you get His picture impressed within your mind, and if you always think of Him, then you see Him within your mind. Man-manaḥ;. That is not difficult. And this Deity is not different from Krṣṇa. For devotee, He is Krṣṇa Himself, identical. We are spending so much money, lakhs, not for worshiping a statue. That is not very intelligent. But sakṣad-krṣṇa. Therefore the temple is sanctified; the process is going on to cleanse our mind. Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. In this way, when the mind is cleansed of all dirty things, then you can think of Krṣṇa.

So that will be explained, anartha upasamaṁ sakṣat. So Vyasadeva first of all made his life perfect. How? Bhakti-yogena. by practicing bhakti-yoga. And bhakti-yoga means manasa. Manasa vaca karmaṇa. Here it is said, manasa. Manasa, that is very nice bhakti-yoga, always thinking of Krṣṇa, sa vai manaḥ; krṣṇa-padaravindayoḥ; [SB 9.4.18], as Ambariṣa Maharaja did. Always Ambariṣa Maharaja fixed up his mind at the lotus feet of Krṣṇa. So here also, Vyasadeva, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale [SB 1.7.4], when the mind was completely cleansed, then he saw. What he saw? Apasyat. Apasyat means "he visioned, he saw," puruṣaṁ purṇam, "the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead." And maya. He saw also maya, mayaṁ ca tad-apasrayam, maya on the back side, back side. So in this way he made his life first of all perfect, then he wrote this Srimad-Bhagavatam after becoming perfect. Therefore you will find in Srimad-Bhagavatam, each word is transcendental. Each word is full of meaning and transcendental knowledge because the writer, the composer of this transcendental book, is Vyasadeva. He is perfect, Vedavyasa, perfect in Vedic knowledge.

So there are mayas of different kind. Krṣṇa's maya... Parasya saktir vividhaiva... Maya means potency. So from the Vedic knowledge we can understand that Krṣṇa has many types of potencies, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhav... [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. because He has to execute so many affairs, this material world, spiritual world, and just imagine so big universe. There are innumerable universes, and each and every universe there are so many planets, so many different kinds of living entities, and He has to manage everything. Therefore He is called Paramesvara. Paramesvara means the supreme controller. And Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita, sarvasya cahaṁ hrdi sanniviṣṭaḥ; [Bg. 15.15]. "I am living in everyone's heart." Now, imagine. There are innumerable universes, and each and every universe, there are innumerable planets, and in each and every planet, there are innumerable towns and cities, and each and every town, there are innumerable living entities, and Krṣṇa has to manage all of them. That is Krṣṇa. Mattaḥ; smrtir jñanam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. Krṣṇa has to act in such a way that whatever we are doing, that is under the direction of Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa says mattaḥ; smrtiḥ;. Just like in the morning you get up and immediately you understand that you were sleeping, "Now I have got to do so many things." So wherefrom this memory comes? Krṣṇa says mattaḥ;, "from Me." So just imagine how Krṣṇa is busy. So this maya as described here, apasyat puruṣaṁ purṇaṁ mayaṁ tad-apasrayam. Maya means his meaning, that will be explained in the next verse—which is controlling this material world, that maya. Mayaṁ ca tad-apasrayam.

Srimati Radharaṇi is also maya, yoga-maya, and Durga is also maya, expansion of Radharaṇi. But Durga's business is different than Radharaṇi's business. Durga's business is yaya sammohito jivaḥ;, to keep the living entities covered not to become awakened to Krṣṇa consciousness. That is maya's duty. So Vyasadeva saw this maya, this maha-maya, who is keeping the living entities under the cover of illusion. So it is said, "This maya." "He saw the Supreme Person, and back of that Supreme Person he saw this maya." Which maya? Yaya sammohito jiva: "that maya which is keeping the living entities in illusion." What is that illusion? That is also here: yaya sammohito jiva atmanaṁ tri-guṇatmakam [SB 1.7.5]. Tri-guṇa, tri-guṇa means the sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So, under the influence of maya, we are identifying with the different guṇas or qualities of this material world. So sattva-guṇa, yes, sattva-guṇa is the brahminical qualification. So one is thinking that "I am brahmaṇa." One is thinking, who is under the control of rajo-guṇa, "I am kṣatriya." Or in other words, this is, this identification, is all over the world. Now you may not think, "I am brahmaṇa," but you may think, "I am American." Or I may think, "I am Indian." There is some sort of identification. And therefore the whole world is full of anarthas, unnecessary, unnecessary thing. I am not brahmaṇa; I am not Indian; you are not American; you are not kṣatriya; or... This is all false identification. So this is the work of maya, that all the living entities they are under certain impression that "I am this. I am this." And this "I am this. I am that," they cannot make any solution.

They have created the United Nations, but there is no solution because everyone is under the grip of the maya, material energy, and they are simply creating problems. This is their business. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanaṁ tri-guṇatmakam [SB 1.7.5]. Atmanam. I am spirit soul, but I do not belong to these material qualities; still, I am thinking, atmanaṁ tri-guṇatmakam. One cannot go beyond these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, or mixed. Three into three equal to nine, and again mix, nine into nine equals eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of living entities under the impression that "I am this; I am plant; I am fish; I am mosquito; I am man; I am demigod; I am tiger; I am Indian; I am American." In this way there are 8,400,000's of different types of identification. Therefore we find so many forms of life. Atmanaṁ tri-guṇatmakaṁ manute. Yaya... This is all the work of maya, to keep us under certain impression. And we work under certain impression and create another situation, and we get, "tatha dehantara-praptiḥ; [Bg. 2.13]." Now, this life, if I create a situation like a dog, then I will get the body of a dog. That's all. Or if I create a situation like the demigod, then I can go to the heavenly planets. But if I create a situation that "I am eternal servant of Krṣṇa," then you go to Krṣṇa. This is wanted. This is Krṣṇa consciousness movement. Create a situation. Don't create a situation that "I am this. I am that." Simply create a situation that you completely understand that "I have no other business than to advance in Krṣṇa consciousness, and my only duty is to serve Krṣṇa." This is wanted. That is called anartha upasamam.

Because we have created so many problems under the impression of different guṇas... "I am this. I am that." To become sannyasi, that is also another problem. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that "I am not a brahmaṇa. I am not a sannyasi. I am not a brahmacari I am not a grhastha. I am not a kṣatriya." All "not, not." "I am not this, I am not this. My only identification is that I am eternal servant of Krṣṇa." Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is required. So how this position you can attain, that is described in the next verse, anartha upasamaṁ sakṣad bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. This is the remedy. Anartha, these are all anarthas. So long I will think, "I am this; I am that," "I am this; I am that," or even if you think that "I am big gosvami" or big brahmaṇa, that is also anartha. That is also anartha.

Actually gosvami means who has control over the senses. Svami means the control over the senses. That is required. We have to control over the senses and identify ourself that "I do not belong to anything of this material infection, but I am eternally servant of Krṣṇa." Jivera svarupa haya nitya... [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This is called svarupa-upalabdhi. This is called self-realization. This is called mukti. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the definition of mukti has been given that muktir hitva anyatha rupam. Anyatha rupam. I am identifying now myself as this and that. "I am American; I am Indian; I am brahmaṇa; I am gosvami; I am this, that..." No. This is all anarthas, unwanted. So therefore hitva anyatha rupam. We are living under the impression of something else. Hitva means when we give up this wrong impression. And sva-rupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ;, when you are situated in your original position, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean anything else. This is the definition of mukti.

You keep yourself in your original position. So our original position is part and parcel of Krṣṇa. We are part and parcel of the body of Krṣṇa. The brahmaṇa is the mouth of Krṣṇa, and the kṣatriyas are the arms of Krṣṇa. The vaisyas are the abdomen of Krṣṇa, and the sudras are the legs of Krṣṇa. Mukha-bahuru-padebhyaḥ; jajñire catvaro varṇa vipradayo guṇair prthak. The... Nobody should be hated. Just like in your body your leg is as important as your head, especially of Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is advaya-jñana, absolute. We may make some difference from head to leg. Leg is less important, head is... No. But Krṣṇa's any part is as important as other part. So you become the part of... You are already. But if you come to realize that you are part and parcel of Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa's body, so either you act as Krṣṇa's leg or as Krṣṇa's head, there is no difference. There is no difference. Here in the material world we have misunderstood that "Because I am head, therefore I shall hate the legs." Why? We first of all offer tulasi and flower to the legs of Krṣṇa, not to the head. The bhakti-yoga begins from the lotus feet of Krṣṇa. So how you can say the legs of Krṣṇa are inferior than the heads of Krṣṇa? This is called anartha. So if we enter into the process of bhakti-yogam, these anarthas will go out.

Therefore it is recommended here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that anartha upasamaṁ sakṣad bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you engage yourself in transcendental loving service of the adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Person who is beyond your sense perception. That is called adhokṣaja. So you have to engage yourself in the service of Adhokṣaja, bhakti-yoga. Then this anartha, this misunderstanding that "He is such and such. I am such and such," this will be finished, no more. That is called paṇḍita. Paṇḍitaḥ; sama-darsinaḥ; [Bg. 5.18]. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmaṇe gavi hastini, suni caiva sva-pake [Bg. 5.18]. When your anarthas will be finished and you will see every living entity as part and parcel of Krṣṇa, that is called real Brahman realization. Part and parcel of Krṣṇa every one of us. So we shall not only engage ourself as part and parcel of Krṣṇa in His service, but also we shall try to engage others because they are also part and parcel of Krṣṇa. Why should we eliminate them? That is Vaiṣṇavism. That is Krṣṇa consciousness. And that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. So... And that mission is to be started from India, Bharata.

bharata-bhumite haila manuṣya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

So the Indians especially, they have got the opportunity to learn these Vedic sastras and realize his self and introduce this Krṣṇa consciousness throughout the whole world. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. And all acaryas, they do like that. That is the business of real acarya. So bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. So this is very important thing because it is said, lokasya ajanataḥ;: "These foolish men, they do not know that their problems can be solved only by this bhakti-yoga, Krṣṇa consciousness." They do not know it. Lokasya ajanataḥ;. Therefore vidvan... Vyasadeva is vidvan. He is the first-class vidvan. Cakre satvata-saṁhitam. This saṁhita means Vedic literature for enlightening people. So every Vaiṣṇava's duty is that you make your life first of all perfect by understanding your real position and preach this cult because lokasyajanataḥ;: all people throughout the whole world, they are ajanataḥ;. Ajanataḥ; means they do not know anything. Although very proud... They think that having some material advancement of life, that is perfection. No. Ajanataḥ;, muḍha. That is not perfection. That is not perfection. Perfection is muktiḥ; sva-rupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ;, to be situated in his own original position. That can be done anywhere. Bhakti-yoga can be practiced any part of the world, as it is experienced practically. What is bhakti-yoga?

sravaṇaṁ kirtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ;
smaraṇaṁ pada-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dasyaṁ
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

Sravaṇam. First business is sravaṇam. You can hear. Whom? Viṣṇu, not nonsense talks. Viṣṇu, Krṣṇa you hear. So you can hear anywhere. There is no specific mention that it can be heard in such and such place. You can anywhere. But a holy place like Vrndavana, the hearing has got a special effect. So here we are establishing this mantra. And you foreigners, you have taken some interest. I am very much pleased. So constantly come here and hear about Krṣṇa. This is the pastimious place of Krṣṇa, Vrndavana. So make your anarthas vanquished. Anartha upasamaṁ sakṣ... Everything we have done, simply anartha, without any meaning. But if we say, people will criticize us that "Why you are utilizing motor car ? Why you are utilizing aeroplane?" But our tactic is we can utilize any so-called anartha in the service of Krṣṇa. That is our tactics. That means you have created some anartha, but we can engage even this anartha in the service of Krṣṇa and make it meaningful. That is our business. So it requires time. But at least things unnecessarily encumbered... We are encumbered with so many unnecessary thing. So our so-called necessities of life will decrease. Anartha upasamam . Although we are riding on motor car, we don't think it is essential. But those who are captured by the civilization, they think it is essential. That is the difference. Anasaktasya viṣayan.

Our process is that if we have to preach, so we have to go to United States. So if there is aeroplane, why shall I waste my time? Let us accept this thing. So we don't deprecate the material advancement. But we simply warn that "Don't forget Krṣṇa simply for the matter of material advancement." This is Krṣṇa consciousness. We don't discourage you. We don't discourage you, but when you have invented something material, utilize it for Krṣṇa. Anasaktasya viṣayan. Don't be attached to the motor car. But utilize it for going fast for preaching work, that's all. This is required. This is Rupa Gosvami's advice. Don't die for want of motor car. But if you get the opportunity to go faster then walking, you should utilize it. Nirbandhaḥ; krṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairagyam ucyate. This is required, that everything engaged in Krṣṇa's service. That is called yukta-vairagya. Not phalgu-vairagya. Rupa Gosvami says, "Motor car is material; therefore we should not touch it"—this is phalgu-vairagya. That is stated by Rupa Gosvami that

prapañcikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ;
mumukṣubhiḥ; parityago
vairagyaṁ phalgu kathyate

Prapañcikataya buddhya. "Because it is material advancement, I therefore... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithya. This world is mithya. This, any material thing, is mithya." No. It has got some relationship with Krṣṇa. That is to be seen. What is that? What is this motor car? It is material. But what is this material? Bhumir apaḥ; analo vayuḥ; khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinna me prakrtir aṣṭadha. Where they have got this metal? This iron, wood, metal, everything, they have got from Krṣṇa. Therefore it has got relationship with Krṣṇa. Now, when it is manufactured, use it for Krṣṇa. That is yukta-vairagya. So we do not hate anything, material advancement. We can utilize everything for Krṣṇa's service. Our only preaching is that "Don't forget Krṣṇa." That is our business. And if you have got a special talent, utilize it for Krṣṇa.

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ; srutasya va
sviṣṭasya suktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ;
avicyuto 'rthaḥ; kavibhir nirupito
yad-uttamasloka-guṇanuvarṇanam
[SB 1.5.22]

Now, if somebody criticizes you that "Why you are using this material ener...?" We don't see anything material. As soon as they say... This manufactured instrument, that is also Krṣṇa's energy. We have to see to it that it is Krṣṇa's energy, it is made from Krṣṇa's energy, and it should be utilized for Krṣṇa. This sense required. This sense is called Krṣṇa consciousness. So if you take to bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, the anartha, things which are not wanted, anartha, or problems, the problems of the world, will be mitigated. Anartha upasamaṁ sakṣad bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. People do not know it. Lokasya ajanataḥ;. Therefore we have to teach them. That is Krṣṇa consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)

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