1.2.22 – 1.2.29

1. SrimadBhagavatam 1.2.22 – 1.2.29

2. Based on the teachings ofHis Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ~ Founder Acharya ~ International Society for Krishna Consciousness

3. Seeking the Blessings of Guru, Gauranga & All the Assembled Vaishnavas

4. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam1.2.4 nārāyaṇaḿnamaskṛtya naraḿ caiva narottamam devīḿsarasvatīḿvyāsaḿ tato jayamudīrayet TRANSLATION Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇaṚṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.

5. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam 1.2.18 naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaḿbhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavatinaiṣṭhikī TRANSLATION By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

6. Section Themes • 1.2.22 – Conclusion of Text 1.2.16 – 21 (The glories of the Devotional Service) • 1.2.23 - 29 – Who is the object of the Devotional Service • 1.2.23 - 25 – The Worship of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva • 1.2.26 - 27 – Worship of Viṣṇu-Tattvavs Other demigods • 1.2.28 - 29 – Vāsudeva is the actual object of worship

7. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam1.2.22 ato vai kavayo nityaḿ bhaktiḿparamayāmudā vāsudevebhagavati kurvanty ātma-prasādanīm TRANSLATION Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.

8. What is the speciality of devotional service onto Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa? • The facility for intimate personal contact as in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord at Vrajabhūmi. • Hence higher transcendentalists are more attracted towards Lord Sri Krsna. • Lord Krsna is svayaḿ-rūpathe original form of godhead and all other forms are his plenary portions and integrated parts. • As confirmed in Brahma Samhita – • īśvaraḥparamaḥkṛṣṇaḥ… • Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. • rāmādi-mūrtiṣukalā-niyamenatiṣṭhan… • I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṇa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiḿha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.

11. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.23 sattvaḿ rajas tamaiti prakṛter guṇās tair yuktaḥparaḥpuruṣaeka ihāsya dhatte sthity-ādayehari-viriñci-hareti saḿjñāḥ śreyāḿsitatrakhalusattva-tanor nṛṇāḿsyuḥ TRANSLATION The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣhṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness.

12. This verse confirms that Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa, by His plenary parts, should be rendered devotional service. • Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, they are the principal directors of the three gunas, hence called gunavatara(The qualitative forms of the Lord). • Brahma: • Is the deity of rajas (passion). • The prison house of the material world is created by Brahmā under instruction of the Personality of Godhead. i.e., creation is made possible by the goodness of Viṣṇu • Vishnu: • The Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is the puruṣa-avatāra known as KṣīrodakaśāyīViṣṇuor Paramātmā. • In charge of sattva-guna activities. • Maintenance of the material world is done by Viṣṇu. • He is manifested by His millions and billions of integrated forms and separated forms • Mahesvara (Siva): • Is the deity of ignorance. • At the end of a kalpa (Brahma’s Life) the whole thing is destroyed by Śiva.

13. What is UlitmateBenifit ? • To get liberated from this prison house of material existence, which is full of miseries like repetition of birth, death, disease and old age. • How to get the Ultimate Benefit? • By Worship of Lord Krishna or his Plenary Parts (Vishnu-tattva) through devotional service. • Why only Vishu and not Brahma / Shiva? • Worship of Viṣhṇu: • Because Lord Vishu is the source of everything. • He’s creator of the secondary creator (Brahma). • In fact he creates the modes of nature, through which Brahma does his creation. • However, he never comes under the influence of the mode of nature. • He controls the modes of material nature. • Except for Vishnu, NO other Demigod can release the souls from the Material existance. • Pure transcendentalists worship the form of goodness, Viṣṇu, in his various forms by rendering devotional service. Only by such worship they get liberated from the miseries (repetition of birth, death, disease and old age) of the material world. • Worship of Brahmā& Śiva: • Materialists and the foolish human beings predominated by the Modes of Passion & Ignorance worship Brahmā and Śiva respectively. • By such worship they get some relative facilities for temporary relief in the material world. • But they can never get liberated from the miseries repetition of birth, death, disease and old age) of the material world

14. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam1.2.24 pārthivāddāruṇodhūmas tasmādagnistrayīmayaḥ tamasastu rajas tasmāt sattvaḿyadbrahma-darśanam TRANSLATION Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And fire is still better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of superior knowledge [through Vedic sacrifices]. Similarly, passion [rajas] is better than ignorance [tamas], but goodness [sattva] is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth.

15. This verse indicate how mode of goodness is better than the mode of passion & Ignorance, by giving us analogy of how Fire is better than the smoke & wood. • Tamas: The uncivilized state of life, or the life of the lower animals, is controlled by the mode of tamas. • Rajas: The civilized life of man, with a passion for various types of material benefits, is the stage of rajas. The rajas stage of life gives a slight clue to the realization of the Absolute Truth in the forms of fine sentiments in philosophy, art and culture with moral and ethical principles. • Sattva: Higher stage of material quality, which actually helps one in realizing the Absolute Truth. • So one has to rise to the platform of the mode of goodness (sattva) so that one can be eligible for the devotional service of the Lord and can come to realize the Absolute Truth. • How can one get to the platform of Sattva? • By the expert direction of the spiritual master • What is the mistake? • To consider that worship of any quality or any form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally beneficial. • Why is it a mistake? • Except Viṣṇu, all separated forms ( Brahma / Shiva) are manifested under the conditions of material energy, therefore the forms of material energy cannot help anyone to rise to the platform of sattva, which alone can liberate a person from material bondage.

16. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam 1.2.25 bhejiremunayo 'thāgre bhagavantamadhokṣajam sattvaḿviśuddhaḿkṣemāya kalpanteye 'nutāniha TRANSLATION Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.

17. The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. • The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. • Laws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of Godhead, and except for the mahājanas, or the authorized agents of the Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion.. • There are twelve particular agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them render transcendental service unto Him. • Persons who desire their own good may follow these mahājanas and thus attain the supreme benefit. • In a sense, the three forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu& Śiva are one, How? • Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa acts through them to create, maintain &destroy the world.

18. Therefore the Great sages knowing that the lord is beyond the modes of material nature worship him to attain the ultimate benefit. • Who are those great Sages? • Twelve Mahajans who know the purpose of religion and render transcendental service on to the Lord. • Following the foot steps of these Mahajans, one attains supreme benefit. • SrilaJivaGoswami Explains • In Paramatma-Sandarbha, anuccheda11: • Brahmā, & Śiva are the partial expansions of the Supersoul. • One should strive to find that Supersoul to attain liberation. • In SkandaPurana : • Lord Viṣhṇu binds & Unties the soul with ropes of birth & death. • Hence, worship of Lord Viṣhṇu Awards Liberation. • Why Passion is superior to Ignorance? • Passion can lead one to goodness, but ignorance can not. • Passion can let one come closer to seeing the Supreme. However , it is agitating and troublesome so it does not allow us to see the supreme.

19. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam1.2.26 mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān hitvābhūta-patīnatha nārāyaṇa-kalāḥśāntā bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ TRANSLATION Those who are serious about liberation are certainly non-envious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu and His plenary portions.

20. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa, who is the original person of the Viṣṇu categories, expands Himself into 2 different categories namely integrated plenary portions (Vishnu-Tattva) and separated parts and parcels (Jiva-Tattva).

21. Who is pāṣaṇḍī? • One who classify the Viṣṇu-Tattvas in the same categories with the Jivat-Tattvas. • In the age of Kali many foolish persons commit such unlawful offenses and equalize the two categories. They become an offender by the name pāṣaṇḍī.

22. Who rejects the worship of other demigods? • Those who are very serious about liberation. • In general the highly qualified brāhmaṇas situated in the mode of goodness reject the worship of both horrible and attractive features of these demigods. • Why do they rejects the worship of other demigods? • Because they know that the demigods can award the worshipers some temporary benefits only, and not the ultimate one (Liberation from material condition). • The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmā, the supreme of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone. Example: Hiraṇyakaśipu underwent a severe type of penance to become eternal in life, but his worshipful deity, Brahmā, could not satisfy him with such blessings. • Because the demigods are themselves unable to get liberation, and what to speak of giving liberation to their devotees. • And more over like other living entities the demigods are liquidated at the time of the annihilation of the material structure. • How do they regard the demigods? • They have no grudges against the mode of worship of other demigods. • They have all respect for other demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Kāla-bhairava or Mahākālī, because they very well know that those horrible features of the Supreme Lord (demigods) are all different servitors of the Lord under different conditions.

23. Who worship the Vishnu-Tattvas? • Those who are very serious about liberation from the material conditions of life. • In general the qualified brāhmaṇas worship the viṣṇu-tattvas represented by the śālagrāma-śilā, and some of the higher castes like the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas also generally worship the viṣṇu-tattvas. • Why do they worship the Vishnu-Tattvas? • Because they very well know that none other than Vishnu is mukti-pāda, (Giver of Liberation from the material conditions of life)

24. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam1.2.27 rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ sama-śīlābhajantivai pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ TRANSLATION Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny

25. In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20- 23) it is clearly said, that those who are mad after material enjoyment approach the different demigods for temporary benefits, which are meant for men with a poor fund of knowledge. • BG[7.20] - Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures. • BG[7.21] - I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity. • BG[7.22] - Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone. • BG[7.23] - Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.

26. Prabhupada recommends the following : • If one is serious about going back to Godhead, there is no need to worship demigods of whatsoever category, because the demigods are but servants of the Lord and as such, they are duty-bound to supply necessities of life in the form of water, light, air, etc. • Accept only to the point of bare necessities of life and not more or less than that. • Never increase the depth of material enjoyment. • If so, we get bound more and more to the miseries of material existence. • Aim of life - End the miseries of life and not to increase them. • By Viṣṇu worship one can derive benefit in this life as well as in life after death. • Forgetting these principles, foolish people who are after more wealth, more wives and more children worship various demigods. • Perversity of religion. Bhāgavat-dharmavsKaitava-dharma. • Example: Lord Krsna stopped Indra’s worship and advised the residents of Vraja to worship by their business and to have faith in God. • So one should carefully execute occupational service with faith in God in the proper way, and worship the Supreme Lord by the fruits of one's hard labor for existence and that will lead one gradually on the progressive march back to Godhead.

27. ŚrīmadBhāgavatam1.2.28-29 vāsudeva-parāvedā vāsudeva-parāmakhāḥ vāsudeva-parāyogā vāsudeva-parāḥkriyāḥ vāsudeva-paraḿjñānaḿ vāsudeva-paraḿtapaḥ vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parāgatiḥ TRANSLATION In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is ŚrīKṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.

28. * Vāsudeva/ Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship is confirmed in these two ślokas. Vāsudeva-parāvedā - The ultimate purpose of Vedas is to know Lord Krsna • All the revealed scriptures are prepared by the Lord through His incarnation in the body of ŚrīlaVyāsadeva, just to remind the fallen souls, conditioned by material nature, of ŚrīKṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. • Sum and substance of all the Vedas - Establishing one's relationship and ultimately reviving our lost loving service unto Him. • Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham[Bg. 15.15]. • By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. • The verdict of all the Vedic literatures - No demigod can award freedom from material bondage • However, Impersonalistswho have no information of the Personality of Godhead minimize the omnipotency of the Supreme Lord and put Him on equal footing with all other living beings, and for this act such impersonalists get freedom from material bondage only with great difficulty. • They can surrender unto Him only after many, many births in the culture of transcendental knowledge. • BahunamJanmanamantheJnanavan Mam Prapadyanthe…. BG[7.19] • After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare

29. Vāsudeva-parāmakhāḥ - The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Lord Krsna • Another name of Vāsudeva is Yajña (sacrifice), and in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that all sacrifices and all activities are to be conducted for the satisfaction of Yajña, or Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead. • BhoktaramyagnaTapasam… BG[5.29] • A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries. • Even in the beginning of any Karma-Kanda rituals they recite the names of Lord Vishnu. Because Lord Vishnu is the ultimate beneficiary and all such sacrifices are also meant for realizing the truth about Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva-parāḥkriyāḥ – All frutive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only • Kriya means varnasrama-dharma, everyone is engaged in his own work. • Brahmanais engaged in his own work. Ksatriya is engaged in his own work. • svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saḿsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam SB[1.2.13] • All the activities should be done for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. It doesn't matter whether you are brahmana or a ksatriya or a vaisya or a sudra. • Just try to see by your work whether Krsna or Vasudeva is being satisfied

30. Vāsudeva-parāyogā - Yoga is for realizing Lord Krsna • Yoga means to get connected / unite with the Supreme Lord. • Yoga is not meant for health sake. But people are so much absorbed in the bodily concept of life, everything they want with this, in connection with this body, so that they can have more sense gratification. That's all. Instead of vasudeva-parayogah, they are doing sarira-parayogah. • The process, however, includes several bodily features such as āsana, dhyan, prāṇāyāma…, and all of them are meant for concentrating upon the localized aspect of Vāsudeva represented as Paramātmā. • By performing proper Yoga one will get Paramātmā realization, but that is partial realization of Vāsudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one realizes Vāsudeva in full. • But by ill luck most yogīs are stranded by the powers of mysticism achieved through the bodily process. • Ill-fated yogīs are given a chance in the next birth by being placed in the families of good learned brāhmaṇas or in the families of rich merchants in order to execute the unfinished task of Vāsudeva realization. • If such fortunate brāhmaṇas and sons of rich men properly utilize the chance, they can easily realize Vāsudeva by good association with saintly persons. But unfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again by material wealth and honor, and thus they practically forget the aim of life. • Yoginamapisarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47] • And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me — he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.

31. Vāsudeva-paraḿjñānaḿ - Lord Krsna is the supreme knowledge • What is jñāna? • According to Bhagavad-gītā there are eighteen items in culturing knowledge. • By such culture of knowledge one becomes gradually prideless, devoid of vanity, nonviolent, forbearing, simple, devoted to the great spiritual master, and self-controlled. • By culture of knowledge one becomes unattached to hearth and home and becomes conscious of the miseries due to death, birth, old age and disease. • Culture of knowledge leading one to the transcendental plane of meeting Vāsudeva is real knowledge. And all culture of knowledge culminates in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. • BahunamJanmanamantheJnanavan Mam Prapadyanthe…. BG[7.19] • After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare • Therefore, Vāsudeva is the ultimate aim in culturing all different branches of knowledge. • What is ajñāna? • Physical knowledge in its various branches which is aimed to satisfy the senses, which means prolongation of the term of material existence and thereby continuance of the threefold miseries is called ajñāna, or the opposite of real knowledge. • Om AjnanaTimirnadasyaJnanajanaShalakayChakshurunmilithamenaTasmai Sri GuraveNamaha…. • I offer my humble obeisance unto my dear spiritual master who with pure spiritual knowledge has illuminated my consciousness which was blinded by the darkness of nescience.

32. Vāsudeva-paraḿtapaḥ- All severe austerities are performed to know Lord Krsna. • Tapasya: Means voluntary acceptance of bodily pains / inconveniences to achieve some higher end of life. • What is not real Tapasya? • Example: Rāvaṇaand Hiraṇyakaśipu underwent a severe type of bodily torture to achieve the end of sense gratification • Sometimes modern politicians also undergo severe austerities to achieve some political end. • These austerities are classified as modes of passion and ignorance. passion and ignorance cannot end the miseries of life. Hence these are not considered as tapasya. • What is real Tapasya? • yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam BG [9.27] • Whatever austerities you perform - do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me. • So one should accept voluntary bodily inconvenience for the sake of knowing Vāsudeva because only that will end the threefold miseries of the conditioned life. • Example: Vasudevaand Devakī,, underwent penances to get Vāsudeva as their son. • Therefore if any austerities have to be done, they must be done to achieve the end of knowledge, Vāsudeva.

33. Vāsudeva-paro dharmo– To render loving service unto Lord Krsna is Supreme Dharma • Who defines the Dharma / Religious principles? • Dharmamtusaksadbhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19} • Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead • What is the real religious principle? SB[6.3.20-21] • Bhāgavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love him without any contamination by the modes of material nature. It’s very difficult for ordinary humans to know & understand. • Who knows the real religious principles? SB[6.3.20-21] • Lord Brahmā, BhagavānNārada, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahūti], SvāyambhuvaManu, PrahlādaMahārāja, JanakaMahārāja, Grandfather Bhīṣma, BaliMahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and I myself know the real religious principle • How to know & understand the most confidential religious Principles SB[6.3.20.21] purport? • Yamarājastates that the true religious principle is understandable only if one follows any of the four paramparā system. • Svanusthitasyadharmasyasamsiddhirhari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. • Following varṇāśrama, one should simply accept such religious principles that will lead ultimately to the devotional service of the Lord. One may perform a particular occupational duty according to his position in the social order, but if by executing his duty one does not come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all his activities are in vain. Anything that does not lead to the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be avoided. • Sarva-dharmānparityajya BG[18.66] • One should give up all other duties and surrender unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa

34. Vāsudeva-parāgatiḥ: To attain Lord Krsna is the Supreme Goal of Life. • Aim of Life: • Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa’s innumerable forms are made possible by His various energies. • His energies are also multifarious, and His internal energies are superior and external energies inferior in quality. Bhagavad-gītā(7.4-6) as the parā and the aparāprakṛtis. • So His expansions of various forms including the living entities which take place via the internal energies are superior forms, whereas the expansions which take place via the external energies are inferior forms. • The living entities who are expanded by His internal potency are eternally liberated persons, whereas those who are expanded in terms of the material energies are eternally conditioned souls. • Therefore, all culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence that is acting upon usi.e. ,external energy of the Lord, and just to change the quality of the influence, we must endeavor to cultivate spiritual energy. • In BG is said that those who are mahātmās, or those whose minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, are under the influence of the internal potency, and the effect is that such broadminded living beings are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord without deviation. • That should be the aim of life. And that is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. • How should one engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord? • anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaàjïäna-karmädy-anävåtam änukülyenakåñëänu- çélanaàbhaktiruttamä • . "One should render transcendental loving service to Supreme Lord Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.“ By this one can attain the supreme goal of life, Lord Sri Krsna.

35. Conclusion of this section 1.2.22 - 1.2.29: • SutaGowami explains that Hari, Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, Supreme personality of Godhead and is beyond the modes of material nature even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the material world and therefore instructs that those serious about liberation should worship only Vāsudeva through devotional service, for he is the supreme goal of life. How is the Lord Krsna situated transcendentally even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the material world? • The following example will clear that matter more explicitly. In the prison house there are the prisoners and the managers of the prison house. Both the managers and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the king. But even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is not bound by the laws of the prison house. The king is therefore always transcendental to the laws of the prison house, as the Lord is always transcendental to the laws of the material world.

36. References • http://www.prabhupadavani.org • http://www.romapadaswami.com • http://www.iskcondesiretree.org • Bhurijanaprabhu’sSrimadBhagavatam Overview lecture on 1.2.22-1.2.29 • Unveiling His Lotus Feet – HG BhurijanaPrabhu

37. All glories to SrilaPrabhupada!

38. One should culture knowledge in the following way:(1) One should become a perfect gentleman and learn to give proper respect to others.(2) One should not pose himself as a religionist simply for name and fame.(3) One should not become a source of anxiety to others by the actions of his body, by the thoughts of his mind, or by his words.(4) One should learn forbearance even in the face of provocation from others.(5) One should learn to avoid duplicity in his dealings with others.(6) One should search out a bona fide spiritual master who can lead him gradually to the stage of spiritual realization, and one must submit himself to such a spiritual master, render him service and ask relevant questions.(7) In order to approach the platform of self-realization, one must follow the regulative principles enjoined in the revealed scriptures.(8) One must be fixed in the tenets of the revealed scriptures.

39. (9) One should completely refrain from practices which are detrimental to the interest of self-realization.(10) One should not accept more than he requires for the maintenance of the body.(11) One should not falsely identify himself with the gross material body, nor should one consider those who are related to his body to be his own. (12) One should always remember that as long as he has a material body he must face the miseries of repeated birth, old age, disease and death. There is no use in making plans to get rid of these miseries of the material body. The best course is to find out the means by which one may regain his spiritual identity.(13) One should not be attached to more than the necessities of life required for spiritual advancement.(14) One should not be more attached to wife, children and home than the revealed scriptures ordain.(15) One should not be happy or distressed over desirables and undesirables, knowing that such feelings are just created by the mind.

40. (16) One should become an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, ÇréKåñëa, and serve Him with rapt attention.(17) One should develop a liking for residence in a secluded place with a calm and quiet atmosphere favorable for spiritual culture, and one should avoid congested places where nondevotees congregate.(18) One should become a scientist or philosopher and conduct research into spiritual knowledge, recognizing that spiritual knowledge is permanent whereas material knowledge ends with the death of the body.These eighteen items combine to form a gradual process by which real knowledge can be developed. Except for these, all other methods are considered to be in the category of nescience. SrilaBhaktivinodaThäkura, a great äcärya, maintained that all forms of material knowledge are merely external features of the illusory energy and that by culturing them one becomes no better than an ass. This same principle is found here in Sri Isopanisad. By advancement of material knowledge, modern man is simply being converted into an ass. Some materialistic politicians in spiritual guise decry the present system of civilization as satanic, but unfortunately they do not care about the culture of real knowledge as it is described in the Bhagavad-gétä. Thus they cannot change the satanic situation. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjl0NrHdcmA