Everything becomes auspicious just by chanting Holy Name of the Lord.
Venue: Germany Bhagvat Saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Eighth Session)
Continue this is our seventh and final session. And this is 3rd chapter of the sixth canto text number 20th and 21st onwards all the way to text number 35 which is a last verse. Do we have a news from Maharaj? I had sent enquiry and invitation for him to join us around 1’o clock for half an hour or so. When we would conclude so Maharaj could himself give some final words of wisdom. Is someone on the job? So whenever earliest you know I would like to know then I will prepare myself accordingly and adjust things. OK!
“svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam
dvadasaite vijanimo dharmam bhagavatam bhatahguhyam
visuddham durbodham yam jnatvamrtam asnute” (S.B. 6.3.20-21)
So after Yamaraja has mentioned ‘dharmam hi saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ that religious principles are enacted by Supreme personality of Godhead and no one else. Now here in he is informing his Bhatah, my dear servants, bhatah. Please understand that this Dharma ‘dharmam hi bhagavat-pranitam’ Dharma given by the Lord, enacted by the Lord is understood by twelve people. Fully well they understand and they are their names have been given here. They are also popularly known as Dwadash- Bhagvatas. We normally use Bhagvata, Mahabhagvata,Bhagvata. Our Prabhupada always say ‘nityam bhagavata sevaya’ so rendering service not only to the Bhagvatam (scripture Bhagvatam) but also to person Bhagvatam. Book bhagvata and person bhagvata, Srila Prabhupad made that distinction or two meanings of Bhagavata : Person bhagvata, book bhagvata.
So here are the person bhagvatas. They are twelve so they are called ‘Dwadash’ Ekadash means elevan ‘dash’ means ten. Trayodash, Chaturdash, Panchami, Panchadash, Shodash, Saptadash, Ashtadash like that. So they are twelve of them. ‘svayambhur’, ‘svayambhuh’ bhuh means to become, svayambhuh he just became, just came into existence that’s Brahma. It was just Lord no one else and he was born. ‘svayambhuh’ that is Brahma. ‘naradah’ the world preacher, leading preacher in this word is ‘Narada’. Narayan, Narayan who always chant the name of Narayan or he always chant ‘Radhika-raman-namne narada muni bajay vina, Radhika-raman-namne’ so that Naradah. Sambhuh that is Shiva ‘ Vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh’ kumarah four Kumaras (Sanak, Sanatan, Sanat, Sanand) all the four Kumaras. ‘kapilah’ Kapila dev one who profounder of the Sankhya philosophy. ‘manuh’ they are from manuh comes manushya manus these are the rulers. Manusamhita the guideline to be followed by human race comes from them. Manvantar they are also considered ‘avataras’ incarnations manvantara-avatar. They are fourteen of them in one day of Brahma. About 72 cycles of four ages they rule this universe.
‘prahladah’ prahlad alhad dayine ‘Prahlad’ alhad means pleasure, alhad dayine in order to give alhad pleasure to Prahlad Lord appears as Narsimha. Prahlad, ‘bhismah’ the grandfather. Bhisma horrible! How could you do this! Demigods exclaimed it. You are a prince and you are taking vow of not marrying. What would happen to the dynasty? It would discontinued this is very horrible thing. They did not say this in English (laughter). They just said Bhisma meaning horrible, how could you do this! Hence his name became Bhisma. Otherwise his name was? Devatat. He was Devatat son of Ganga and Shantanu, so that Bhisma. Bali Maharaj ‘atmanivedanam’ he is known for surrendering everything to the Lord. Hey! Hey!! Don’t do this! said Shukracharya. He is asking for three steps of Land but you don’t know who he is. He will take everything away from you. So don’t make such proposal, this proposal. Shukracharya was advising his disciple Bali Maharaj. Bali Maharaj he was ready to give up such a Spiritual Master. Anything that is unfavorable to be rejected he was ready to reject. And he surrendered everything so the ‘atmanivedanam’ he became famous for surrendering everything. ‘balir vaiyasakim’ vaiyasaki that is Sukadeva Goswami, son of Vyasadeva ‘vaiyasakih’. He is also authority; he is first one to speak bhagvatam publicly. The father Srila Vyasadeva compiled the bhagvatam. The son Sukadeva Goswami became the first reciter, public-presenter of this bhagvatam.’vaiyasakih vayam’ us, twelve of us. So who is the twelfth one? He only said eleven names and yes so humble. If it was me I would have mentioned my name first and then other eleven names that is he doesn’t even mentioned his name, he just mentioned other eleven names. And he said us, so us twelve. I am also on the list, twelve of us ‘dvadasaite vijanimo’ we know dharmam bhagvatam this bhagvat dharma.
Throughout these three chapters of the sixth canto that we have been studying. Dharma is addressed as Bhagvat dharma. Bhagvatam dharmam, bhagvatam dharmam several times. So you want to give name to dharma that is bhagvat-dharma. This ‘bhagavatam dharmam vijanimah’ we know bhatah, oh! dear servants, my dutas please understand this. ‘guhyam visuddham durbodham yam jnatvamrtam asnute’ so anyone who understands or by understanding this bhavatam dharmam which is guhyam confidential, visuddham pure transcedental, durbodham not that easy to understand. But once it is understood ‘amrtam asnute’ one becomes eternal, eternally liberated. For him no more death and eternal life he attains. And in the purport Srila Prabhupada is writing in four Sampradayas the knowledge has to be understood in Parampara so these twelve persons they know Bhagvatam. And this bhagvatam is presented or the spiritual knowledge is presented the authorized paramparas lines of disciplic succession. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Brahma which is known as Brahma sampradaya, one from Shiva that is Rudra sampradaya, one from Laksmi that is Sri sampradaya and from four Kumaras is Kumara sampradaya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradayas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Purana it is said, ‘sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah’ if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless. In the present day there are many apasampradayas, apasampradaya it is not sampradaya not authorized or sampradayas which are not bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the Kumaras or Laksmi. People are misguided by such sampradayas. The sastras say that being initiated in such a sampradaya is a useless waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real religious principles.
Text 22
“etavan eva loke smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama-grahanadibhih” (S.B. 6.3.22)
etavan-t his much, eva loke smin- so they know the stated bhagvatam dharmam, ‘dharmam hi bhagavat-pranitam’ ‘dharmam hi bhagavat’ What? ‘dharmam hi bhagavat’, so now one word is. So Dharma is now been stated ‘dharmam hi bhagavat?’ You don’t know? OK. ‘dharmam hi saksad (1 bhagavat-pranitam’ OK. Confusing! Now it is straight ‘dharmam hi saksad bhagavat-pranitam’. So Dahramam mentioned there, then mentioned these are the twelve personalities they know this dharma. And now Yamaraja is mentioning, so what is this Dharma? That Lord has created, Lord has enacted. And these twelve people know dharma. So which one is it? What is it? So ‘loke smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah’ the topmost religion the best of all religions is Bhakti-yoga, performance of devotional service unto ‘bhagavati’ unto the personality of Godhead. Hmm! then only it is. Bhakti-yoga is not for any demigod or for any human being. Bhakti-yoga bhakti of ‘bhagavati’ bhakti of Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it is Dharma, that is topmost dharma ‘parah dharmah’ and again to be more specific Yamaraj says ‘tan-nama-grahanadibhih’ specially to chant His holy name is the Dharam, is the Principle of Dharma.
Devotional service beginning with the chanting of holy name of the Lord is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society. Dharmam bhagvatam, real religious principles are Bhagvat dharma. The principles prescribed in Srimad Bhagvatam itself or Bhagvad Gita. The Preliminary study of Bhagvatam, Bhagvad-Gita Prabhupad describing that as Preliminary study of Bhagvatam. So it’s part of, they are together, two together, one preliminary introductory study and then the main scripture Bhagvatam. ‘sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje'(S.B. 1.2.6) so in the beginning of Bhagvatam also this dharma has been described as ‘sa vai pumsam paro dharmo’ dharma is parodharam. What is parodharma? What is the topmost dharma? ‘bhaktir adhoksaje’ here the word ‘bhagavati’ has been used ‘bhakti-yogo bhagavati’ this verse says which Yamaraja has said and earlier in Bhagvatam the parodharma, topmost dharma, ultimate dharma was described as ‘yato bhaktir adhoksaje’. So Adhoksaje and bhagavati is the same thing. Adhoksaje- transcendental, Adhoksaje. And then Prabhupada is quoting such a religious system begins with tan-nama-grahana, chanting of the holy name but there are other processes ‘sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam’. So this is navvidha, nine processes of devotional service. After chanting the holy name of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy, one gradually sees the form of the Lord, the pastimes of the Lord and the transcendental qualities of the Lord. This way one fully understands the situation of the Personality of Godhead, OK! Next verse.
“namoccarana-mahatmyam hareh pasyata putrakah
ajamilo pi yenaiva mrtyu-pasad amucyata” (S.B. 6.3.23)
Yes, he said ‘dharmam hi saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ dharmam is enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and then these are the twelve people, they know dharam. Then he says, the Supreme dharma is ‘bhakti-yogo bhagavati’. Devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and specially chanting is Dharma ‘namagrahna’. And after stating that much ‘tan-nama-grahanadibhih’ Yamaraj says, ‘namoccarana-mahatmyam hareh pasyata’ just see! Just see!! The greatness the Mahatmya, the significance of namoccarana, utterance of the holy name. Now you understand ‘putrakah’ my dear children. He is addressing Yamadutas as Putrakah, my children. Children mean just small boys, newly born or not you don’t know too much. You are just children! You are just children, so you should take note of the glories of Holy name of Hari. ‘pasyata’ do you see now? And you were shown this in fact ‘ajamilo pi yenaiva mrtyu-pasad amucyata’ and that’s the reason. Now you should understand Ajamila was amucyata, was liberated, mrtyu-pasad you went there with the ropes in your hands. You have tied him, you are dragging him. But that’s the time he performed best of all the Dharmas. He chanted the holy name of the Lord and that’s it, he was liberated. Do you know see the glories the potency of holy name? ‘namoccarana-mahatmyam pasyata putrakah’ just see my boys. Understand, take note of this. There is no need to conduct research into the significance of the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra, Prabhupada writes. There is no need to conduct any research, no. The history of Ajamila is sufficient proof of the power of the Lord’s holy name and the exalted position of a person who chants the holy name incessantly. And same thing has been stated. That song ‘dina-hina jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo, tara sakshi jagai madhai , tara sakshi jagai madhai’. Dina-hina, dina- they were poor, hina- their consciousness has been fallen, condemned as they were ‘dina-hina jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo’ Harinaam can uddhar, can elevate lift the people.
By hearing this statement you may ask what is a proof? Can you prove it? And the song says, its by Narottam Das Thakur that ‘tara sakshi’ the example, the witness, the proof is Jagai Madhai. Life of Jagai and Madhai. The way Jagai and Madhai were liberated, rescued. And eventually they became great Vaishnav devotees of the Lord. So these Jagai and Madhai is proof. And so that is five hundred years ago, much older history. Ajamila is yet another proof and do you know any other proof? Mrigaari-the hunter, ‘Mriga-ari’ he was enemy of the animals. You should not say ‘Mrig-hari’, some devotees say ‘Mrig-hari’. No! ‘Mrig-ari’. Ari means demon. Mrigaari is the example. Any other? Valmiki. Why going that far? Who? Prostitute who came to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Yes! Anyone else? There are thousands. If you want proof there are thousands proofs. We are just saying here is one from Ramayan times, here is another one from satyayug, another one from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and another one. But then Srila Prabhupad’s times initiated five thousands disciples that was a proof. Then so many others thousands and thousands. So it’s not the thing of just past but during present times a first-hand experience of all of us the changes the revolution that has taken place in our consciousness with us. We have taken a U-turn, hundred eighty degrees it is said. This is because of ‘harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha’ Srila Prabhupada is quoting the verse in the purport.
“etavatalam agha-nirharanaya pumsam sankirtanam bhagavato guna-karma-namnam
vikrusya putram aghavan yad ajamilo pi narayaneti mriyamana iyaya muktim” (S.B. 6.3.24)
And the Yamaraja says, ‘alam’ bas! That’s enough! That’s sufficient. The chanting of the holy name of the Lord is ‘alam’ is just sufficient for ‘aghaagha-nirharanaya pumsam’ ahga means sins nirharanaya means making people sinless sinful people becoming sinless. This is possible just by ‘sankirtanam bhagavato guna-karma-namnam’ by Sankirtana chanting the glories of the, the qualities and activities of the Lord. This is just enough ‘alam’! ‘vikrusya putram aghavan yad ajamilo pi ‘ and we saw you have seen that as that Ajamila cried out saying the name ‘narayanaeti’ ‘mriyamana’ as he was about to leave his body and his said Narayana, when he was such as sinful person ‘aghavan yad ajamilo pi’ in spite of his beings sinful, just by Chanting the name Narayan, ‘iyaya muktim’ he attained liberation. So conclusion is ‘alam’ Harinaam is sufficient. Purport Prabhupada writes, the word alam, which is used in this verse, indicates that simply uttering the holy name of the Lord is sufficient. Sridhara Swami also quotes from the Puranas, ‘papa-ksayas ca bhavati smaratam tam ahar-nisam’ papa-ksayam means you become free from sin- Papa is exhausted finished by smarnam by remembrance ‘tam’ that Lord ‘ahar-nisam’day and night. ‘Kirtaniya sada hari’ you do when you become attained this ‘papa-ksaya’. ‘punya-ksaya’ when you are free from Punya or not free. Yaa then what happens? ‘kshine punye martya-lokam visanti’ (B.G 9.21) Kshay that is same thing. Diksha ‘ksh’ is there, when you take diksha ‘divyam gyanam dadati’ when you receive transcendental knowledge by spiritual master that is ‘di’ and what is? What happened with ‘kshay’ all your sins are finished. ‘Diksha’ spiritual master gives you the knowledge ‘cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei, divya-jnan hrde prokasito’ that thing. ‘cakhu-dan dilo’ and ‘divya-jnan hrde prokasito’ that divya-jnan. One achieves ‘divya-jnan ‘ so that ‘kshay’ is there.
‘sayam pratar grnan bhaktya duhkha-gramad vimucyate’ Sridhara Svami is quoting that ‘sayam pratar’ sayam evening time pratah morning time, morning-evening ‘grnan’ one who is uttering with devotion the name of the Lord ‘duhkha-gramad vimucyate’ that person become free from ‘dukha-gram’. Gram means aggregate, collection, accumulation. ‘duhkha-gramad vimucyate’. It is concluded, Srila Prabhupada further writes, It is to be concluded that with a strong vow one should chant the holy name of the Lord — “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”— for thus one will certainly be delivered from the clutches of maya by the grace of Krishna. Then Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura his quote also has been included by Srila Prabhupada here ‘namaparadha-yuktanam namany eva haranty agham’ if you have committed so much sin before chanting and even after chanting your chanting is still offensive. So what to do? He says, ‘namany eva haranty agham’ the name only will chanting of the name only will make you free from offences. No that, you know chanting is becoming offensive now, offensive now, I am thinking now not chanting because my chanting is offensive. I am committing lot of offences so I better stop? It’s a go