By the proper use of intelligence one’s consciousness is expanded and ultimate expansion of consciousness is Krishna consciousness

Venue: Nagpur
Dated: 17 Jan 2015

Srimad Bhagvatam Canto 3, chapter 26 and text number 29 and 30.

“taijasat tu vikurvanad buddhi-tattvam abhut sati
dravya-sphurana-vijnanam indriyanam anugrahah” (S.B 3.26.29)

taijasat — from the false ego in passion; tu — then; vikurvanat — undergoing transformation; buddhi — intelligence; tattvam — principle; abhut — took birth; sati — O virtuous lady; dravya — objects; sphurana — coming into view; vijnanam — ascertaining; indriyanam — to the senses; anugrahah — giving assistance.

Translation and purport by Srila Prabhupada ki ………jai!

Ya! this chapter is entitled Fundamental Principles of Material Nature (SB 3.26) so these are Fundamental Principles, intelligence is one of them that’s being described here.

Translation: By transformation of the false ego in passion, intelligence takes birth, O virtuous lady, that’s the address oh! Sati. The functions of intelligence are to help in ascertaining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses.

Purport: Intelligence is the discriminating power to understand an object, and it helps the senses make choices. Therefore intelligence is supposed to be the master of the senses. The perfection of intelligence is attained when one becomes fixed in the activities of Krishna consciousness. By the proper use of intelligence one’s consciousness is expanded, and the ultimate expansion of consciousness is Krsna consciousness. Maharaj says it’s the end of this purport but I think we will take one more verse just to expand this thought further or for more elaboration.

“samsayo atha viparyaso niscayah smrtir eva ca
svapa ity ucyate buddher laksanam vrttitah prthak” (S.B 3.26.30)

Translation: Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence.

Purport: Doubt is one of the important functions of intelligence and raising questions is sign of intelligence, blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. If you accept things blindly, you could be less intelligent that’s why you are accepting things blindly. So apply your intelligence to understand, ask questions you may have some doubts also the points under discussion, so you probe deeper into the matter with the help of intelligence.
Maharaj says anyways I started talking already not finished the purport what I was just trying to say is in Vedanta Sutra also there is approach like this or commentaries of Vedanta sutra. There is vishaya and there is samsaya. Vishay is object or subject, next thing is samsaya or doubt this is purva paksha. Vishaya, samsaya, subject, doubt the is purva paksha, the opinions, prior thoughts, preliminary thoughts they are addressed and then Siddhanta is established, there is one more, five point approach, five steps, before a matter is settled or the matter is settled or subject matter is settled or understood . So vishaya, samsaya, subject and the doubt, purva paksha, siddhanta.
“pariprasnena sevaya” (B.G 4.34) Krishna has also advised
“tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya”
You approach spiritual master, spiritual authority and do what? Pariprasnena – you ask questions because you also have some doubts, doubts must be clarified otherwise doubts could act as your enemies, doubts could be your enemies and then Krishna does say- “samsayatma vinasyati” (B.G 4.40) One who remains full of doubt forever, to have doubt is good thing even sign of intelligence but to maintain those doubts not to address those doubts with the help of intelligence, then you are doomed.
Krishna says “samsayatma vinasyati” atma or person who maintain samsaya, maintaining doubts then he will be finished “samsayatma vinasyati”. So raising questions expressing doubts is a sign of intelligence. The blind acceptance of something does not give sign of intelligence doesn’t prove that you are or that person is intelligent because he is not raising questions so that his doubts could also be addressed, one becomes free from doubts. That’s why Arjuna also addressed Krishna as O! Madhusudhana, O! Killer of Madhu demon so in the comments given by Acharayas there, why he is addressing Krishna as Madhusudhan, you are killer of madhu demon now you become killer of my doubt, kill my doubt O! Madhusudhana. Sudan is killer, Madhusudhana.

Purport (remaining): Therefore the word samsaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But then he is also faithful in beginning “pariprasnena sevaya” there is service attitude or he has faith in the person he has approached, he has faith in him. So doubting in the beginning with a faith also, he has faith. He is not doubtful and faithless, no. Doubt is welcome but being faithless is dangerous, you would not go anywhere or you would not become free from doubt if you doubt the person you have approached, so first have faith in the person that you have approached and then ask questions so that you could become free from doubts.

Doubt could be a big stumbling block anartha, anartha nirvitti. But doubting is not very favourable when information is received from the proper source. Prabhupada has already stated that in the purport. In Bhagvat Gita, Lord says that doubting the words of authority is the cause of destruction “samsayatma vinasyati”.
As described in Patanjali yoga system “pramana-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smrtyah”. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are. Very profound statement sounds just a statement but quite a statement. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are or one could understand things as they are or you could or one could understand Bhagvat Gita as it is. May be that person was not very intelligent that’s why there is dialogue between Moses in bible, Moses and the Lord. So when the Moses approached the Lord, Lord was not in the front but he considered that the Lord was there he wanted to know about the Lord. Moses is a person a historical person, he existed one time long time ago he said, “O! Lord please reveal unto me” or something like that and then Lord just said, “I am what I am” you wanted to know who I am “I am what I am, okay!” (Laughter). He said everything and he did not said nothing at the same time “I am what I am”, it’s true, right? I am what I am. He was not fully surrendered so he didn’t reveal what He is.
“param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan” (B.G 10.12)

Lord reveals things unto Arjuna very confidential things, most confidential things. “aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate” (BG 10.8) and like that he goes on and on Lord has said so much or everything in nutshell so then to understand things the subject as it is, this is the function of intelligence, by intelligence only one can understand things as they are. So with intelligence only one could understand Bhagvat gita as it is “AS IT IS” as it was, as it is, as it would be, will be, would be understood only by intelligent person or with the help of intelligence.

Somehow Srila Prabhupada had walked into the assemble of where Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur was seated on a aasan and he was addressing a group of his followers or disciples and there comes Abhay Babu and Narendra Malik. So Abhay Babu bowed down, he was offering his obeisance’s and he had not even sat, settled properly, in the middle of this obeisance’s and then sitting or settling Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati O! you, you are intelligent , you seem to be an intelligent person, you should propagate this Krishna consciousness in the English language in the western world or all over the world.

So Prabhupada was identified and described as intelligent person, you are intelligent. So that intelligent Abhay Babu understood Bhagvat Gita AS IT IS, because understanding things as they are or as it is, is a function of intelligence. And then one takes to Krishna consciousness, it is a sign of intelligence, if you takes to Krishna consciousness that is a sign that you are intelligent person otherwise less intelligent “Krsna jei bhaje sei bada catur” one who worships Krishna is catur, he is intelligent hosiyar.

And my mother was not happy (Laughter) when I took to Krishna consciousness, when I was little boy and she would bring me to the temple in the village and she used to ask me to fold your hands, fold your hands and please pray, please pray and O! What should I pray and she used to say “O! God O! Lord give me ‘intelligence’ (laughter)” please pray to the Lord for intelligence. So it may not be instantly but eventually when Lord heard my prayer (laughter) and gave me intelligence as a result I took to Krishna consciousness and mother was not happy (Laughter).

What kind of intelligence God has given you? She was not expecting that kind of intelligence. So there is a difference between intelligence and intelligence and there are lot of intelligent people also, around the world. So they posses intelligence of a kind, a kind of intelligence, it’s a kind of intelligence, but they are not intelligent because they do not take to Krishna consciousness, because they are also not understanding things ‘as they are’. The power of discrimination is a function of intelligence, power to discriminate this from that, good from bad. So materially intelligent people they also discriminate, who does not discriminate? Even a cat has intelligence and does exhibit the power of discrimination.
The cat exactly knows when to steal or drink the milk, there is a pot of milk right there the cat sits around, as if not interested in the milk (laughter) sometimes closing eyes like a yogi not interested while the owner of the milk is around the cat shows, “no! I am not interested your milk is safe don’t worry” as soon as, the lady walks away , she walks out, immediately the cat goes for the milk and drinks it all, this is the power of discrimination. Cat exactly knows what to do, when to drink when not to drink so this is also intelligence, the power of discrimination. So the intelligent people so called intelligent people of this world they discriminate, in the dry stool and wet stool, both are stools, dry and wet, take a pick, you have a choice, dry and wet fresh to go, steaming (Laughter).

So Caitanya Caritamrita says “yei bhalo yei manda yei sab brahm” those who stay in Mayapur then bhalo bhalo this is good bhalo, not good dull so this kind of discrimination mundane material discrimination bhalo-manda yai sab brahm, this all illusion, both illusion. So under the spell of illusion materially intelligent people discriminate good from bad but then both infact bad thing or take a pick between hell and heaven they would prefer to going to heaven but what is that, not very intelligent decision “ksine punye martya-lokam visanti “ (B.G 9.21) at one points all the pious credit would be exhausted and you are back to square one you come back again, not very intelligent thing to do. So this whole religion, religious mantra and this whole worshipable objects and all that to go to heaven big chunk of the dharma, dharmic principles, the process just to go to heaven.

But not very intelligent thing, to do, to go to the heaven because the heaven is bhalo –good and the hell is bad this kind of discrimination because they both are bad that’s why Krishna says “sarva-dharman parityajya” (B.G 10.66) Dharma that makes heaven as your destination that’s not very intelligent thing to do, that’s why abandon reject it. “mam ekam saranam vraja” surrender unto me.

“Kamais tais tair hrita jnanah prapadyante anya-devatah” (B.G 7.20) Krishna also says those who surrender unto others, other demigod “Kamais tais tair hrita jnanah” their intelligence is stolen by ‘kama’- the lust, as a result they surrender unto others Demigods. ‘alpa-medhasam’ – less intelligent, Lord says – those who worship Demigods and they want to go to heaven they are alpa medhasam, medha- means intelligent and alpa- means less so less intelligent. They are less intelligent they go for Demigod worship and they want to go to heaven and this is all karmakanda. This is dharma part of Vedas but karmakanda section- pious activities or yagya performances so this is less intelligent thing they are not intelligent karmakanda party is not intelligent party, less intelligent.

Ofcourse materially intelligent people atheists or scientists they are even lower grade then comes karmakanda party they also less intelligent then the materialistic and then spiritualists. But karmakanda “karmakanda jnana kanda keval visayer bhanda” karmakanda jnanakanda is visayer bhanda- it is a pot of poison not very intelligent thing to do to drink a pot of poison.

“manushya-janama paiya, radha-krishna na bhajiya, janiya suniya visha khainu”. Our Acharyas say you have attained this rare human form of life, “manushya-janama paiya, radha-krishna na bhajiya” but you are not worshiping Radha and Krishna. So than what are you doing “janiya suniya visha khainu” you are only drinking poison or even poisonous vapours you are inhaling the smoke, he may be thinking by smoking I live life king size, live life king size, got that part? Living life of what size? King size life, you live, you live how? By smoking particular brand of they are advertising like this. I keep saying this from time to time. I read that advertisement that says live life king size you smoke our cigarette and then when we drove further I read one more sign that says cancer hospital this way (Laughter).

So just now we are living our life king size and next thing is cancer hospital this way or you are in I.C.U intense care unit – what a lifestyle. So not very intelligent thing to do, so not very intelligent person would go for that glamor or that dazzle or that advertisement is cheating but very intelligent people they know, how to get you? How to brainwash you? How to sell there product? They know your weaknesses, they are very intelligent people, these advertisement industry. They know your weakness and then they advertise things, they tell you just they have truth and you are cheated because you are not very intelligent and don’t understand things as they are you don’t get the full picture. You only think of action but reaction part you don’t think of.
The shake hand is good; beginning is good but then comes the slap (Laughter). To buy product you pay some price, suffering that comes that’s free, free suffering is free its part of the package (Laughter).

“ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya na tesu ramate budhah” (B.G 5.22 ).

Budhah- budhiman, ‘na tesu ramate budhah’ Intelligent person ‘na tesu ramate’ he doesn’t indulge in those acts. ‘ ady-antavantah’ there is a beginning but soon there is an end very miserable, terrible horrible way there is an end. You initiated you began a project any sense gratificatory project but soon it will be suffering misery. ‘ ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga’ bhoga is there is some enjoyment is there, senses coming in contact of sense object ‘ye hi samsparsa-ja’ ja – means giving birth. Senses coming in contact with the sense objects something takes birth that’s bhoga enjoyment takes birth but then He says ‘duhkha-yonaya eva te ‘ that very source that gave you enjoyment will give you misery next moment or next day or one of these days will be misery suffering ‘duhkha-yonaya eva te’.

So complete picture the coin as both sides, so like that the world is full of ‘dvandva’ dvandvatmak the world is dvandvatmak- full of this dual nature, hell and heaven, you get both happiness and distress, you get both, what else? (answer) day and night both, birth and death you get both, honor-dishonour you get both, winter and then soon it will be summer giving some relief you get bored. So like that there could be hundreds and thousands of items that could be put in this list, this dvandva list -dual nature. So it’s not a very intelligent adi and anta- beginning and ending, beginning and ending also, you began enjoying what is to be expected? this enjoyment is going to end but you begin enjoying and you keep enjoying and keep enjoying and keep enjoying all the time only enjoying this only possible, when we are beyond this happiness-distress, day-night and like that hell-heaven, victory-defeat, loss-gain, KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS is beyond. Krishna is beyond Krishna consciousness is beyond its an eternal happiness, constant happiness, happiness forever, no beginning no end it is beyond this, that is why Krishna says “dvandvatito vimatsarah” (B.G 4.22) advised to Arjun ‘dvandvatit’, Arjun go beyond keep going go higher go beyond go beyond ‘dvandvatit’ go beyond this happiness-distress, beginning-ending, hell-heaven like that man-women, local and-westerner.

So we were talking about karmakanda this jnanakanda materialistic people are certainly less intelligent but even so called religious people they take to religion but they take to karmakanda demigod worship and they go all the way upto heaven which is close to Vaikuntha, Vaikunth is closer from heaven but then they fall down again. So this is not very intelligent thing to do those practices, those religious practices, karmakanda but then this jnanakanda is also advaitvad. So the Lord has addressed them or described them also as less intelligent. “avyakta vyakti mapanam manyate mam abuddhaya” the impersonalists mayavadis advaitvadis the practitioners of jnanakanda so much into jnana, but their jnana is in fact ajnana, their knowledge is ignorance, they yet do not have the complete picture. So they manyate they think they consider, Krishna says they only consider, what all they consider that “avyakta vyakti mapanam” – the God is infact ‘avyakta’- unmanifest. He is all-pervading, He is bright effulgence brahmajyoti, He is Brahma avyakta, but then they think from this avyakta brahma effulgence, sometimes they had this photographs also, the pictures we get to see. They says ‘om…….’ this is in the background somewhere ‘om……..’ this person who is now playing flute what is his origin ‘om…….’ some impersonal avyakta unmanifest, he is playing flute. “manyate mam abuddhaya” the less intelligent, again talking about less intelligent, think that way ultimately ‘I am what I am’ (Laughter) alright I am all pervading Brahman and then occasionally I take a form.

“avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam” ( B.G 9.11)
Krishna says they are fools rascals they think this way that I take form and that form is not an eternal form but that form is temporary that form is there now but soon it will merge back again into its original existence. So it is jnanakanda and that is also described as “mama abuddhaya” less intelligent people think like this. So the materialist’s pure unalloyed materialists they are certainly less intelligent the karmakanda practitioners are less intelligent they want to go to heaven and even impersonalists are less intelligent.

Intelligent party is “jnanavan mam prapadyate” (B.G 7.19) the person who is truly in knowledge, knowledgeable ‘mam prapadyate” they surrender unto me they come to me and so that’s a vaishnav, the devotee of Krishna. So one should be using intelligence to understand things as they are or to understand Bhagvat gita as it is, understand Krishna the Personality of Godhead as He is. There is Brahma, there is Paramatma and there is also Bhagvan. And Bhagvan the Personality of Godhead with all opulence’s He is source of Paramatma, He is the source of Brahmajyoti, Brahma effulgence. So understanding these things is sign of intelligence.

So we will complete the purport: By intelligence only one can understand whether or not he is the body, the study to determine whether ones identity is spiritual or material begins in doubt. Question about ‘AM I THIS BODY?’ this is a question, a doubt ‘am I this body’. When one is able to analyse his actual position the false identification of the body is detected. So when you have the power of discrimination because you have a proper intelligence, fully evolved intelligence with that you are analysing and you understand this is body and this is spirit.

With the help of intelligence you could understand, discrimination between body and the soul this is ‘viparyasa’ this is a Sanskrit term when false identification is detected then real identification can be understood, right? That’s what we call ‘naiti naiti ..not this not this not this not this’ oh! This one, this is analytical study it’s called Sankhya yoga. This is matter, this is matter, matter, this is sprit, this is demigod, this is demigod, this is demigod, this is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Real understanding is described here as niscayah, today’s verse talks of niscayah or proved experimental knowledge is niscayah. You have come to conclusion niscayah. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. So false knowledge and real knowledge, Isopanishad also says you should be well verse with avidya and vidya. You should know maya in order to know Krishna also, this is maya, this is maya, this is maya and this is Krishna.

So when we understand Krishna we also understand maya or when we understand maya, then we go for Krishna. So this is complete knowledge, knowledge of vidya, knowledge of knowledge and knowledge of ignorance, you know what ignorance is and then you are knowledgeable person. You know what ignorance is, what knowledge is. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. By experimental or proved knowledge, one can understand that he is not the body but spirit soul.

Smrti means “memory,” and svapa means “sleep.” these are the words or terms from this verse svapa and smrti are there, sleep is also necessary to keep intelligence in working order. That’s why Krishna says one who sleeps too much or too little cannot be yogi. Yogis are intelligent you have to be intelligent or sleep has a role to play to keep your intelligence sharp when you have not slept properly or enough then your brain doesn’t function you go crazy infact, you do not sleep, night after night, after night, night you don’t sleep, you cannot function and materially. So as sadhakas practitioners of Krishna consciousness they have to get a proper sleep but too much sleep is cultivating ignorance sleeping means ignorance, you are ignoring God, you are ignoring Krishna. He exists but you are just ignoring, there are so many ways by which you just ignore him. Sometimes people say he just ignored me you know, ignored me, we were in the same party…he just ignored me, just ignores me, he doesn’t pay any attention to me, he doesn’t approached me, didn’t say hello to me, didn’t shake hand with me, he just ignored. You understand the meaning of ignorance.. As if I don’t exist, he just ignored me.

So those who are ignorant basically what they are ignoring, they are ignoring the Lord, they are ignorant of the Lord, they are ignorant of the existence of the Lord. From that ignorance one becomes ignorant. So sleep is what? Its state of ignorance, you are ignoring the Lord. Six Goswamis of Vindavana, they would hardly sleep ignoring the Lord, sleep is ignorance of Lord, how could I just ignore him, want to be conscious of Lord, I want to be Krishna conscious, conscious of the Lord, if I would just sleep I will be ignoring him. So they would just keep staying awake “kaupina-kanthasritau” (Sri Sri Sad-goswami-astaka) wearing just most minimum clothes kaupina loin cloth, kantha – some tattered quilt it’s translated as tattered, some kaupina loin cloth, bodily maintenance is over, don’t have to go for shopping those shirts made in England tailored and matching, so much thought is gone into this business. Dead body and the decoration of the dead body.

So so much human resources are invested in this business and solidifying the existence of this body. O! I am this body, I am this body, I am this body and the decoration of the body take photograph, take photograph (laughter). Okay my family members, family photo, it’s my family. So the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, infact they were the big personalities they were ministers in Hussein Saha’s kingdom but as they came in contact with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they had very little association at Ramkeli. One time Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went out of his way infact to give association to Rupa and Sanatana and Vallabha also they were three brothers and Jiva goswami was small child that time.

This Rupa and Sanatana, they were big ministers and they just spent just little time “sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga—sarva-sastre kaya / lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya”. Lord has gone there as Sadhu as a devotee and little association and sidhi and there is perfection. “lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya” these great souls Rupa and Sanatana “tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat” quickly-‘tyaktva’ they rejected, abandon, kicked, speedily-‘turnam’, ‘asesa-mandala-pati’ their wealth, they were aristocratic they had palace and tons of gold coins those were not papers bills (Laughter) not much value, real gold coins big piles. “tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat” ‘thuu…’ they spit at all that and joined Krishna consciousness instantaneously, joined Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

And then they were “bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya” and then they were protecting, they became protectors ‘bhutva dina-gana’ dina-gana- poor people, poor in consciousness, there is poverty of consciousness, they are lacking consciousness, the whole world is poor, poor are poor and rich are also very poor. So those who were dina, dina-gana, they became masters or protectors of these fallen people, poor in consciousness, Karunaya out of their kindness or their mercy, they were being merciful to all the people. But for their livelihood “kaupina-kanthasritau” they were big-big ministers prime ministers but gave up everything and “kaupina-kanthasritau” and what about their thoughts or consciousness, they had Gopibhava their consciousness is like gopi. “gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur” the nectar how much? Abdhi- ocean, full of nectar of Gopibhava, gopi like consciousness, gopi like thoughts, ocean full of thoughts broad-minded, big-hearted and ‘magnau’ – they became absorbed in these thoughts ‘muhur’ – all the times.

“vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau” we offer our obeisance’s unto these six Goswamis of Vrindavana ,Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Raghunath das, Raghunath Bhatta and Jiva Goswami. So this consciousness of thoughts of devotees of the Lord and then there is no bodily concept, sleeping is wasting of time why should I sleep. They had to be forced please please take some rest and for us please get up! (Laughter) 12 hours its 9:30, please get up you much be hungry atleast to eat, get up and eat again and sleep again (Laughter).

As if a Kumbhakarna program he used to get up one when he was hungry he used to get up and when his belly is full, he is sleeping again. Two programs eating and sleeping. And they would eat to sleep, eat and sleep. Some people eat to live and some people just live to eat. Things are also there some people just eat so that they could just survive, to keep the body and soul together, they would eat. Some sleep, sleep is also necessary, to keep your intelligence sharp. We cannot imitate six goswamis practically they were not bodies; they were acting like souls, like all the souls in the spiritual sky. And infact they were those kinds of spiritual souls, manjaris and gopis they were. If there is no sleep the brain cannot work nicely. In Bhagvat Gita it is specially mentioned that the person who regulates eating, sleeping and other necessities of the body in the proper proportion becomes very successful in yoga practices, yoga process. These are the some of the aspects of the analytical study of intelligence as described in both the Patanjali yoga system and the Sankhya yoga system of Kapildev in Srimad Bhagvatam. Any question?

Question: If mind is defeating intelligence what to do?
Answer: Practice makes man perfect women also (laughter) if mind is defeating intelligence that means we are not practiced enough. Failure is pillar of success, so you can review this situation, may be you were defeated but not as badly as before you almost won but last moment you were fall flat. So like that every time Krishna says ‘abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grihyate’ (B.G 6.35) vairagya –cultivate detachment and practice try to get rid of this, get rid of this never give up don’t give it up. Pray to the Lord for strength, my mother also used to pray. So you are intelligent but not sharp so you can sharpen the tool, take some time to sharpen the tool. Then Lord also “dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te” (B.G 10.10) He says I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.