Chapter 2

The Lord in the Heart

Futility of Fruitive endeavor Vs Path of Bhägavata-dharma (Texts 1-7)

1) Example of regaining one’s pure consciousness and one’s constitutional service by
meditating on Viräö-rüpa (the topic which was explained in chapter one) – Example quoted
here is of Brahmäjé
• From Brahmä to ant, all living entities are apt to forgetfulness of their constitution
• Human life offers a chance to revive one’s pure consciousness and eternal relationship
with the Lord, which can be done by beginning to meditate on viräö-rüpa and
following Çrémad-Bhägavatam
• Removal of forgetfulness is followed by vyavasäya-buddhi (Ref.Bg.2.41 – resolute
determination) which leads to loving service
• Living entities are assisting hands and legs of Supreme Lord meant to render a
particular pattern of loving service to the lord
• The service of Brahmä is the sample of service in liberation distinguished from the so-
called altruistic services full of mistakes and forgetfulness
Lesson 1 – Liberation is never inaction, but service without human mistakes

Link 1 to 2 – Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé affirms that Mahäräja Parékñit, in the last stage of
life, should not desire to transfer himself to the so-called heavenly planets, but should
prepare himself for going back home, back to Godhead

2) Material world does not provide any happiness – Do not keep false hopes, focus on
reviving one’s pure consciousness (as told in text one)
2a.Vedic sounds are often bewildering – They often bewilder the intelligence to meaningless
things like heavenly kingdom
2b. Heavenly pleasures are illusory – No tangible happiness

Link 2 to 3 – The bhägavata-dharma, or the cult of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, is perfectly

distinct from the way of fruitive activities, which are considered by the devotees to be merely
a waste of time. Text 3 lays down the path of devotees

3) Path of Bhägavata-dharma
3a. Endeavour only for the minimum necessities of life while in the world of names
• Futile to make plans to be comfortable and secure in material world
o Analogy – Any moment wasted by mundane planning cannot be replaced by
millions of gold coins

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 • Illusory advancement of material civilization is a jugglery of names only, a bewildering
creation of material elements under different modes
o Analogy – Names are as insignificant as a babble of sea waves
o Example of insignificance of names – Historical persons under effect of
flickering time
3b. Be intelligently fixed and never endeavor for unwanted things – It is ‘Hard labor for
nothing’
• Association of sense gratifiers is suicidal policy
o Çukadeva Gosvämé never met Mahäräja Parékñit (during his royal days), till the
later felt the necessity
• Material advancement of civilization is ‘Civilization of demons’
• Inspite of any difficulty in plain living and high thinking, do not budge an inch from
the stark determination
• Follow principle of’ best use of bad bargain’ – Use human life for self realization

Link 3 to 4 – For a transcendentalist, the mode of activities is explained in the next çloka
4) Transcendentalists do not believe in unnecessarily increasing the necessities of life –
“When there are ample earthly flats to lie on, what is the necessity of cots and beds? When one can use his own
arms, what is the necessity of a pillow? When one can use the palms of his hands, what is the necessity of
varieties of utensils? When there is ample covering, or the skins of trees, what is the necessity of
clothing?”Translation
• Animals have healthy lives without investing any intelligence to increase bodily
comforts
• Of course, that does not indicate us to revert to animal life, but we must use our
intelligence for progressive march of human civilization through arts, science, poetry,
philosophy
o Thereafter use all reserve human energy for self-realization
o Realize the nullity of material phenomenon, as passing phantasmagoria
• No need of comforts – Example of great sages who gave immerse literatures, sitting
under a tree (e.g. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé and Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé)
• Sanätana-dharma is designed to help us get into the habit of renunciation at an early
or later stage

Link 4 to 5 – If one is not accustomed to abiding by the life of renunciation and self-
abnegation from the beginning, one should try to get into the habit at a later stage of life as
recommended by Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé, and that will help one to achieve the desired
success

5) Renounced order is not meant for begging as parasites – Are there no torn clothes lying on the
common road? Do the trees, which exist for maintaining others, no longer give alms in charity? Do the rivers,
being dried up, no longer supply water to the thirsty? Are the caves of the mountains now closed, or, above all,
does the Almighty Lord not protect the fully surrendered souls? Why then do the learned sages go to flatter
those who are intoxicated by hard-earned wealth? Translation

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 • Definition of parasite – According to the dictionary, a parasite is a sycophant who lives
at the cost of society without making any contribution to that society
• Duties of Renounced order
o Contribute something substantial and not just depend on householders. One of
first contributions can be some literary contribution
ƒ e.g. Gosvämés held discourses and gave immense literatures
o Accepting alms from householders is for tangible benefit of all the donor
o Have full dependence and firm faith and conviction on Supreme Lord as the
maintainer. Get torn cloth, fruits from trees, water from river etc. and no fear
of jungle animals (e.g. Srila Haridäsa Öhäkura)
• How to achieve such fearlessness for renunciation
o Purify one’s existence to achieve a state of fearlessness, where one always feels
the presence of lord
ƒ How to purify – By discharging prescribed duties according to one’s
varna and ashrama
ƒ But how to be fix in our prescribed duties – By faithful aural reception
of Vedic instructions and assimilation of the essence of Vedic
knowledge by devotional service to the Lord

Link 5 to 6 – What to do, after being fixed in ultimate goal as told in text 3 to 5?
After renunciation, what is the positive course of action?

6) Render service unto the Supersoul, the ultimate goal of life

• Living entities’ constitution of ‘servitude’ is misdirected to illusory affairs (mirage in
desert)

Link 6 to 6a – Why service to Him only? – Because (6a and 6b):

6a. He is the Almighty Personality of Godhead, eternal and unlimited
• Worshipping supreme means serving the substance and not the illusion
6b. By worshiping Him, one can end the cause of conditional state of existence
• Bhagavad-gétä suggests this same truth in 18.65 man-manä bhava mad… and 18.61
éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà….
• Analogy: Mother is always affectionate to the child, even when he grows up; similarly
Lord always accompanies us
• One should search out for that Lord in the heart and learn about Him in the temples
• Condemnable foolish attempts for peace and prosperity by blind leaders in a Godless
civilization
Lesson 6 – If we want at all to end this anomaly of a godless civilization, we must follow
the principles of revealed scriptures like the Çrémad-Bhägavatam and follow the instruction
of a person like Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé who has no attraction for material gain

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7) Only Foolish gross materialists will neglect this process – “Who else but the gross materialists
will neglect such transcendental thought and take to the nonpermanent names only, seeing the mass of people
fallen in the river of suffering as the consequence of accruing the result of their own work?” Translation
• Analogy: Demigod worshippers are like animals who follow the herdsman even
though they are taken to the slaughterhouse
• Humans not engaged in the transcendental thought will automatically absorb in non
permanent names (Idle mind is devil’s workshop)
• ‘River of suffering’ indicates that whole material world is a place of suffering, A, B or C
class prisoners

Process of Meditating on Supersoul, higher than meditation on viräö-rüpa

(Texts 8-14)
8) Meditation on the Supersoul is the suggested path here
• He resides in the region of heart and about eight inches long
• Form suggested here is Janärdana form – As indicated by the arrangement of hands
• Varied situations of 4 hands leads to 24 forms of localized Personality of Godhead,
who are worshiped in different parts of planetary systems, and they have their
spiritual planet in the spiritual sky

Link 8 to 9 – Young Lord with four hands is nicely decorated as explained below in text
9, 10 and 11

9-11) The beauty of the Supreme Lord is described –

His mouth expresses His happiness. His eyes spread like the petals of a lotus, and His garments, yellowish
like the saffron of a kadamba flower, are bedecked with valuable jewels. His ornaments are all made of gold,
set with jewels, and He wears a glowing head dress and earrings Translation 9
His lotus feet are placed over the whorls of the lotuslike hearts of great mystics. On His chest is the
Kaustubha jewel, engraved with a beautiful calf, and there are other jewels on His shoulders. His complete
torso is garlanded with fresh flowers Translation 10
He is well decorated with an ornamental wreath about His waist and rings studded with valuable jewels on
His fingers. His leglets, His bangles, His oiled hair, curling with a bluish tint, and His beautiful smiling face
are all very pleasing Translation 11

Important points from purports of 10 and 11

• Ornaments, flowers and clothings and all other decorations of the lord are identical
with the body of the lord; not made of material ingredients
• Çukadeva Gosvämé describes every part of His transcendental beauty, to teach the
impersonalists, very clearly about the form of the Supreme Person

12) Çrémad-Bhägavatam affirms concentrating the mind on the factual form of the lord,
and not just impersonal meditation
• Ref Bg 12.5 categorizes impersonal meditation as very troublesome

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12a. Acknowledging His extensive benedictions – His extensive benedictions in the form of
Lord’s magnanimous pastimes and glowing glance of His smiling face
12b. Must concentrate on this transcendental form of the lord.
• This is the process of bhakti-yoga – “The process of meditation recommended herein is bhakti-
yoga, or the process of devotional service after one is liberated from the material conditions”Purport –
This is possible at nivåtta stage (When one is freed from material necessities)
o Bhakti-Yoga fulfills purpose of Jïäna-yoga which is meant to make us ‘nivåtta’
• Liberation from material concepts is called anartha-nivåtti , grossest of which is sex
desire
o Manifestations of sex desire in various forms –
ƒ Union of male and female which further leads to unnecessary
accumulations
ƒ Various political, social and altruistic engagements
ƒ Three Categories – profit, adoration and distinction
• Analogy: Bhakti-yoga removes all sex desire (Like hungry man feels satisfied after
food)
o This is because Bhakti produces knowledge and detachment
• Giving up sex desire is a must – Çukadeva Gosvämé while explaining alternatives for
bare necessities (texts 3-5) does not suggest any alternative for sex satisfaction
• Purification means giving up sex desire, by gradually meditating on the form of the
Lord, starting from Lord’s lotus feet (Do not jump to Tenth Canto)

Lesson 12 – The conclusion is that those who are still entrapped by sex indulgence should
never progress to meditation above the feet of the Lord; therefore recital of Çrémad-
Bhägavatam by them should be restricted to the First and Second Cantos of the great
literature

Link 12 to 13 – How to meditate?

13) Gradually purify intelligence – Gradually advance in meditation by fixing on different
limbs of the lord, starting from lotus feet
• Çrémad-Bhägavatam recommends process of meditation on personal form, one can
practice meditating on the deity form
• Gradually advance from lotus feet. Do not jump to the smiling face (which is
represented by rasa-lila in Çrémad-Bhägavatam)
• ‘Purification of intelligence’ is seen as detachment from sense gratification

Link 13 to 14 – Those who are too engrossed in sense gratification cannot be allowed to
participate in arcanä or to touch the transcendental form of the Rädhä-Kåñëa or Viñëu Deities.
For them it is better to meditate upon the gigantic viräö-rüpa of the Lord, as recommended in
the next verse. The impersonalists and the voidists are therefore recommended to meditate
upon the universal form of the Lord, whereas the devotees are recommended to meditate on
the Deity worship in the temple

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14) Meditate on Viräö-rüpa, if personal meditation not possible – A system for less
intelligent neophyte
• Meditation on God, either personal or impersonal, revives all Godly qualities and
removes all misconceptions about one’s constitution; whole world appears to him
happy and peaceful

Process of leaving the body by a successful yogi and achieving Kingdom of

God (Texts 15-32)
15) Yogic way of leaving the body
15a. Successful yogi does not need to seek opportune moment to leave his body –
“whenever the yogé desires to leave this planet of human beings, he should not be perplexed
about the proper time or place……………... [Translation]”
• Mixed devotees, alloyed with fruitive actions or empiric philosophical speculation
require an opportune moment (as mentioned in Bg.8.23-26)
• Pure devotees do not need to worry about opportune moment – Easily obtains the
mercy of lord (Bg. 8.14)
15b. How to prepare – “……….should comfortably sit without being disturbed and,
regulating the life air, should control the senses by the mind.[Translation]”
• Successful yogi controls the senses by engaging the mind completely in transcendental
loving service.

16) Further yogic process to be followed, in preparation for death

16a. Manipulate the mind by good and unalloyed intelligence – “Thereafter, the yogé should
merge his mind, by his unalloyed intelligence, into the living entity, and then merge the
living entity into the Superself” Translation
• Training the mind :
o Materialistic absorbed mind acts for material advancement of knowledge, even
resulting in discoveries of destructive powers e.g., nuclear weapons
o Mind acting under spiritual urge takes us back to Godhead
• ‘Unalloyed intelligence’ refers to perfect intelligence of rendering service unto the lord
o Conditioned living entity is always the servant of his circumstances, but still
always remain unhappy (Unsatisfied)
• Merging mind and intelligence in service of lord implies merging mind and
intelligence and soul in the Lord – Because being Absolute, the Lord and His service
are the identical
16b. Full bliss attained in pure unalloyed state only – “And by doing this, the fully satisfied
living entity becomes situated in the supreme stage of satisfaction” Translation
16c. By higher engagement and bliss (stage of labdhopaçänti), one can cease all material
hankerings

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Link 16c to 17 – Text 17 explains how transcendental stage differs from the material
existence

17) Transcendental state of Supreme Bliss (labdhopaçänti) is described

17a. No supremacy of devastating time, which controls even the celestial demigods
• Time controls even Brahmä, and its effects are seen as birth, old age, disease, death
17b. No influence of material modes, false ego, material Causal Ocean or material nature
present
• Effect of material modes is often seen as variety of changing bodies
• False ego implies “I am the lord of all I survey”
o Analogy: Moths falling into fire
• In pure state, based on surrender, one sees supreme Väsudeva as all in all (B.g.7.19)
• Two types of transcendentalists – Impersonalist and personalist
o Only bhakti yoga can take one to spiritual planets, karma yoga and Jïäna-yoga
can take one at the most to effulgent Brahmäjyoti (platform of eternity and
knowledge)

18) Pure devotees are focused on the ultimate goal of life

18a. Knowing the supreme situation of Lord’s abode, they avoid everything godless
• Lord’s abode – Bhagavad-gétä introduces us to spiritual planets (e.g.Bg.15.6 mad-
dhama)
• Avoiding everything godless – Pure devotees do not care for any mundane creature,
but live in complete harmony with the Lord as only dependable friend and well-
wisher
18b. Avoiding any perplexities, they worship the lotus feet of Lord at every moment in
perfect harmony with the lord
• They do not create perplexities of understanding transcendence but are free of all
misconceptions like
o Wasting time in discussing what is Brahman and what is not
o Falsely thinking of themselves as one with Lord
o No existence of God separately or no God at all
o Living beings are themselves God
o God incarnates by taking material body
o A class who posses devotees but at heart maintain the idea of salvation and
becoming one with Brahman
o Çré Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura calls these people durätmäs (crooked souls)
in the dress of mahätmäs
Lesson 18 – Such nondevotees and debauchees are completely excluded from the list of
transcendentalists by the presentation of this particular verse by Çukadeva Gosvämé

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 • Correct understanding of paraà padam
o Vaikuëöha as the supreme residential place
o Even Brahmjyoti is paraà padam, because resting on Supreme Lord (Ref. Bg.
14.27)
• Practical situation of pure devotees – Sees everything in relation with the Lord and
engages in His service
o Specific disturbance by durätmäs (crooked souls) – To maintain transcendental
form of the Lord as something material

19) Final stage is described before leaving the body

19a. Maturity in realization – “By the strength of scientific knowledge, one should be well
situated in absolute realization and thus be able to extinguish all material desires”
• Freedom from all material desire as an important factor (Bg. 18.54)
o Childish attempts of material scientists to conquer the laws of material nature
are exhibition of material desires based on false ego
• Fixed in scientific knowledge, one understands his position as a servitor, and
cooperates with the supreme lord
19b. Giving up material body by lifting life air upwards – “One should then give up the
material body by blocking the air hole [through which stool is evacuated] with the heel of
one's foot and by lifting the life air from one place to another in the six primary places”
[Translation]

• Move the life air up, through 6 primary places – Navel, Abdomen, Heart, Chest ,
Palate, eyebrows and finally to cerebral pit.
• Modern people are untrained in this physical endeavour for spiritual perfection and
the only way is chanting of Holy names ( Easier and more effective)

20) An intelligent Bhakti yogi should search out the six circles of movements of life airs,
in a meditative mood

21) Final moments of passing away – Process of giving up all material connection and
returning back home back to Godhead is recommended here
21a. Maintain the aim – Push the life air between eyebrows and block all seven outlets and
maintain the aim for going back to Godhead
• Seven outlets of the life air are two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth
o For common man, life air passes through mouth
o Yogi generally releases life air through cerebral hole – This is the sure sign of a
great devotee's leaving the material connection
21b. Fulfill this criteria of ‘no material desires’ and leave – If he is completely free from all
desires for material enjoyment, he should then reach the cerebral hole and give up his
material connections, having gone to the Supreme
• Only by strength of higher taste, one can be freed from material desires

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 o Thus proves voidism as a dangerous propaganda which can increase one’s
attachment to matter
o Only devotees, by strength of Paraà dåñövä (higher taste), can have complete
knowledge of ‘param’ or the supreme spiritual abode
• Akuëöha-dåñöiù signifies that, only one whose aim is fixed on personal association of
Godhead in spiritual word can give up all material connection (even while living in
material world)

Link 21 to 22 – What about those whose material desires are not yet exhausted?
22) Fate of a yogi with material desires – “He has to take away with him materially molded
mind and senses” [Translation]
• Residents of Brahmaloka and Dhruvaloka are naturally gifted with eightfold mystic
powers (study eight siddhis mentioned)
• To be eager to have a direct experience of these material planets is a sign of less
intelligent transcendentalist. These siddhis are a sign of desire to lord over.
• Only by purification from materialistic mind and senses, one can enter into the
kingdom of God

Link 22 to 23 – Transcendentalist with no material desires can have unrestricted

movements

23) Transcendentalists are concerned with spiritual body only

23a. They can have unrestricted movements within and beyond the material worlds
• Can move in higher zones, like Mahar, Janas , Tapas and Satyaloka , in material world.
• Can move in Vaikuëöha also e.g. Durväsä Muni and Närada Muni
• This is possible by the strength of devotional service, austerities, mystic powers and
transcendental knowledge
23b. Fruitive workers or gross materialists can never move in such an unrestricted manner
• Scientists attempt to mechanically reach other planets is futile
o Heavenly planes can be approached by virtuous activities only
o But never possible to go beyond Svarga or Janaloka by mechanical or even
materialistic fruitive activities, either gross or subtle

24) Yogi’s journey to Brahmaloka is explained here (till text 26)

™ First he passes over the milky way
™ Then to Vaiçvänara, the plane of deity of fire (for freedom from all contamination)
™ Finally he meets Lord Hari in pole star region (Çiçumära area)

25) Journey from Çiçumära to Maharloka –Çiçumära is the pivot for turning of complete
universe

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 • It is called navel of Viñëu (Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu)
• Maharloka is an area of saints like Bhågu – Duration of life is 4.3 x 109 solar years

26) Yogi transfers to Satyaloka at the time of final devastation (end of Brahmä’s life)
• Life in Satyaloka is 15.48 x 1012 years
• Vedic way of understanding these cosmic facts is more authentic than the modern
scientific way (although common man has choice to accept either) because:
o Vedic understanding is accepted by äcäryas who are faithful and learned men
o These äcäryas are free from all the defects of conditioned souls

27) Exalted Descriptions of planet of Satyaloka

27a. Free from bereavement, old age or death, no pain of any kind, no anxieties
27b. Residents are compassionate sympathizers (this is the only pain or anxiety) – Feeling of
compassion for those suffering souls, unaware of the process of devotional service
• Foolish men of materialistic temperament do not take advantage of successive
authorized knowledge
o Make plans to be happy in this world which is only an illusory concept
• Process of assimilating knowledge
o Not understood by academic scholarship
o Approach a bonafide authority to learn
o Become a Brahmäna to qualify for Vedic literature, e.g. a lawyer should first
qualify as a graduate (analogy)
ƒ A qualified Brahmäna is one who has undergone strict training under
the guidance of bonafide spiritual master
• Intelligent warns the unintelligent not to make illusory plans in material world

28) Process of giving up false egoistic conceptions of material body, after reaching
Satyaloka
• Three different types of perfection in Satyaloka, depending on how they have attained
this place
o One who has attained by dint of pious activities – He attains places in terms of
his comparative pious activities
o One who has attained by dint of viräö or Hiraëyagarbha worship, is liberated
along with liberation of Brahmä
o One who has attained by devotional service – He penetrates into different
coverings of the universe to ultimately disclose spiritual identity as explained
here and in subsequent verses
• Seven-fold coverings of the universe
o Each covering is ten times bigger than previous
o Water of causal ocean beyond the coverings is spiritual and different from
material watery portion covering the universe

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 o Watery covering of the universe is the false egoistic covering of all living
entities
• Identifying with subtle body
o The gradual process of liberation from the material coverings, one after
another, as mentioned herein, is the gradual process of being liberated from
false egoistic conceptions of the material gross body, and then being absorbed
in the identification of the subtle body till the attainment of the pure spiritual
body in the absolute realm of the kingdom of God
• Sridhar Swami explains the cosmic phenomenon, which extends diametrically for 4
billion miles
o Total cosmic phenomenon explained – A portion of material nature, initiated
by the Lord is called mahat-tattva, a portion of mahat-tattva is false ego, whose
one portion is vibration of sound, whose one portion is turned into forms,
which constitute power of electricity or heat. Heat produces smell of aroma of
earth, and gross earth is produced by such aroma
o After this , coverings of universe begins – First stratum is 80 million miles, and
each of the next one is tent times more than previous one
o Fearless devotee cross all that and reaches the absolute atmosphere to attain
spiritual identity

29) After surpassing false egoistic conceptions of material gross body, one has to surpass
subtle coverings – “Subtle objects of different senses”
• Beyond the sky, are the subtle coverings, resembling the elementary coverings of
universe
• The gross coverings are a development of partial ingredients of the subtle causes

30) Then he enters the plane of egoism, beyond gross and subtle covering
30a. First, he merges the mode of passion and ignorance, in this point of neutralization, and
thus reaches egoism in goodness
30b. Then, all the egoism is merged in mahat-tattva, and he comes to pure self-realization
• Pure self-realization requires perfect purification of the mind by becoming fixed in
conviction of being the eternal servitor (vasudeva-sattva) (Para 1)
• Such gradual process is not viable for present age, because no awareness and training
in yoga principles, and inconducive lifestyle (Para 2)
• Lord Chaitanya teaches the process of watering the seed of Bhakti, and being careful
of weeds and offenses (Para 3-4)
o Some of the mentioned weeds – Actually these weeds are material enjoyment,
merging of the self in the Absolute without separate individuality, and many
other desires in the field of religion, economic development, sense enjoyment
and emancipation.
o There are many other weeds, like disobedience to the tenets of the revered
scriptures, unnecessary engagements, killing animals, and hankering after
material gain, prestige and adoration

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31) Finally achieving the perfection
31a. Only possible by purified soul – Purified soul attain the “Perfection of associating with
the Personality of Godhead in complete bliss and satisfaction in his constitutional state”
31b. Never returns back – “Whoever is able to renovate such devotional perfection is never
again attracted by this material world, and he never returns”
• ‘gatià bhägavatém’ perfection does not refer to impersonal Brahamajyoti, but to the
personal association of the Lord (devotees only aspire for this perfection ) –Para 1
• No return from Lord’s personal association, but expected fall down from liberation,
either liberation of impersonal Brahmajyoti or of causal ocean (Para 2)
o Causal ocean or impersonal Brahmajyoti does not offer any superior substitute
for enjoyment
ƒ Analogy: Fishes of rivers come back to rivers
o Supporting Ref. Bg.8.15 – No return from Lord’s service , devotee has no
attraction even for jïäna or yoga (Para 3)
• Important of ‘çäntam’ & ‘änandam’ – Only devotee can have two important
benediction of peace and satisfaction, neither impersonalist nor mystic yoga (Para 4)
• Attainment of love of God means freedom from all other attractions (to be rich man,
religious man, to be God, etc.) (Para 5)
o Pure devotional service, implies “a learned labor of love” for the sake of
devotee’s lovable object, the personality of Godhead
o Only pure devotional service grant such love of Godhead (Study Para 6)

32) Çukadeva Gosvämé proves his description to be authentic – Because it was all
according to Vedic version, and is the eternal truth and it was personally, given by Lord
Kåñëa to Brahmäjé
• Vedic versions corroborate the version of Çrémad-Bhägavatam
• Process of receiving Vedic knowledge
o Not by erudite scholarships or fashionable interpretation of mundane scholar
o Accept the version of Vedas based on authorized disciple succession
• Two ways of reaching spiritual sky – Directly reaching kingdom of God or gradual
process through higher planets

Direct Devotional Service as the Most Auspicious means (Texts 33-37)

33) Çukadeva Gosvämé recommends Bhakti-yoga as the only absolute and auspicious
means of deliverance form the grip of material existence
• Jïäna, yoga and all other allied disciplines are not independent in delivering the
performer, they are to help one reach the Bhakti-yoga
Lesson 33 – Çréla Çrédhara Svämé and all other äcäryas, like Jéva Gosvämé, agree that
bhakti-yoga is not only easy, simple, natural and free from trouble, but is the only source
of happiness for the human being

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Link 33 to 34 – Çukadeva Gosvämé substantiates his statements by the conclusion of
higher Vedic authority Lord Brahmä

34) Brahmä also supports the same opinion – Even Brahmä, after scrutinizing Vedic study
concludes that attraction for Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa is the highest
perfection of religion (Ref. Bg. 18.66 & SB 1.2.6)

Link 34 to 35 – Brahmä & Çukadeva Gosvämé’s authority is there, but what about a
common man ? How can he actually perceive the Supreme Lord by reason & perception?

The general argument of the common man is that since the Lord is not visible to our eyes,
how can one either surrender unto Him or render transcendental loving service unto Him?
To such a common man, here is a practical suggestion given by Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé as to
how one can perceive the Supreme Lord by reason and perception

35) Common man can also perceive the presence of Lord in the heart, in our acts of
seeing and taking help from the intelligence
• Lord, who is not perceivable to material senses, is only revealed in response to a
practical service attitude, by Lord’s mercy
• Pure devotee can perceive the Lord’s presence always and everywhere – He can
perceive that intelligence is the form-direction of the Paramätmä plenary portion of
Personality of Godhead
• Common man can also realize the presence of Paramätmä in everyone as follows:
o By little intelligence, one can perceive one’s self identification, and how he is
different from the body (all the bodily parts are his, but he is not those bodily
parts, he is different)
ƒ So First Conclusion – Living entity is the seer and sees besides himself
all other things (This indicates different between seer and seen)
o By little intelligence, we can also readily agree that living beings has no power
to see or to move independently, It depends on various forms of energy
supplied to us in various combinations, e.g.
ƒ Our ten senses and three subtle senses, and all sense objects are
products of inexhaustible permutation and combination of forms taken
by natural energy
ƒ Second Conclusion – So we, as seers, are spiritual and, senses and sense
objects are material – Spiritual quality of seer manifest in our
dissatisfaction with limited state of materially conditioned existence
• Less intelligent argument – “Matter becomes animate after some organic
development”
o Refutation – ‘No matter has ever developed the power of seeing or moving in
any part of the world in history’
• Role if intelligence – Intelligence ‘like some higher authority’ gives one direction to
see, to move, to eat or do anything

Bhakti Vaibhav Canto 2 Chapter 2  Page 13 
 
 o Without direction of intelligence, one becomes a deranged man
o Living being depends on direction of intelligence or a supreme being; it is just
like a father giving direction to his son(analogy)
o Third Conclusion – The higher authority, who is present and residing within
every individual living being, is the Superself
• We have the freedom, to either take advantage of guidance of superself in form of
intelligence, and realize ‘I am not this body’ or choose to remain in false material
identification
• Superself and self are not on equal level – Former gives direction, and latter follows
the direction
• Fourth Conclusion – Three different identities, matter, spirit and superself, they are
all dependent on Supreme Personality of Godhead
o Superself in heart is only a partial representation of Supreme Lord, because the
Supreme cannot be just a order supplier in the heart
• Realization of superself by the individual self, Puruñottama is the beginning of self-
realization, and by the progress of such self-realization, one is able to realize the
Supreme Personality of Godhead by intelligence, by the help of authorized scriptures,
and, principally, by the grace of the Lord
Lesson 35 – So if we stick to our determination and pray for the mercy of the director of
intelligence sitting within the same bodily tree, like a bird sitting with another bird (as
explained in the Upaniñads), certainly the purport of the revealed information in the Vedas
becomes clear to our vision, and there is no difficulty in realizing the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Väsudeva

36) Conclusion of Çukadeva Gosvämé to Mahäräja Parékñit – Essential that every human
being hear about, glorify and remember the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead always
and everywhere
• Importance of word ‘tasmät (therefore) – This verse begins like this, because in
previous verses, Çukadeva Gosvämé has already explained sublime method of Bhakti-
yoga as most auspicious path of salvation
• All nine method of bhakti are equally potent, but hearing is the most important
function of bhakti-yoga
Lesson 36 – Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by
any of the methods of practice
• Importance of hearing
o Vyäsadeva compiled all literatures, to facilitate hearing
o Special duty of human being – To hear and glorify the Lord everywhere and
always
o Hearing Vedic literature will save humans from hearing rubbish impious sound
vibration
• Hearing is solidified by the process of chanting

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 o Hearing convinces one about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, and
thus one becomes enthusiastic about glorifying
o Since Lord is all-pervading, glorify Him everywhere and all time (no restriction
of time and place) – Only way to desired peace and prosperity
o This is called sanätana-dharma or bhägavata-dharma

37) Purify the polluted aim of life and achieve unlimited desired goal – “Those who drink
through aural reception, fully filled with the nectarean message of Lord Kåñëa, the beloved of the devotees,
purify the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment and thus go back to Godhead, to the lotus feet of
Him [the Personality of Godhead]”
• Polluted aim of life – Lording over material resources, and creating unwanted needs,
increases the suffering and not diminish it
• Jéva Gosvämé explain ‘kathämåtam’ as “Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the nectarean message of
the Personality of Godhead” by which lording over mentality will subside

Lesson 37 – The highest perfectional thinking for human society is suggested here by
Çukadeva Gosvämé, namely, sufficiently hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam. For men in this age
of Kali, when they have lost the perfect vision of life, this Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the
torchlight by which to see the real path

---------------------END OF CANTO 2 CHAPTER 2----------------------

Bhakti Vaibhav Canto 2 Chapter 2  Page 15 
 
 2.2 THE LORD IN THE HEART

Important Questions for memorization (Short and Long Questions)

1. Why are the Vedic sounds described as bewildering? (2)

2. List those things Çukadeva Gosvämé recommends to save us from endeavouring for
unwanted things? (4-5)
3. What is the first duty of a person in the renounced order of life? (5)
4. Give a brief description of the Paramätmä or Supersoul. (8-12)
5. Briefly describe the yogic process of leaving the body when one likes. Why does this
process supersede chosen times in Bhagavad-gétä 8.23-26? (15-21)
6. What are the special qualities of Satyaloka? (26-28)
7. How does one purify the polluted aim of life? (37)
8. Memorize themes, all purport points and lessons of texts 15-21
9. Memorize themes, all purport points and lessons of texts 31-37

Analogies

2.2.7: In the Vedas it is said that persons who are attached to demigods to the
exclusion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are like the animals who follow
the herdsman even though they are taken to the slaughterhouse.

2.2.12: As a person feels his hunger satisfied after eating each morsel of foodstuff,
he must similarly be able to see the degree to which he has been freed from sex
desire.

2.2.27: It is said that one should become a brähmaëa before one can understand
the Vedic statements, and this stricture is as important as the stricture that no one
shall become a lawyer who has not qualified himself as a graduate.

2.2.31: The impersonalists… may be compared to certain species of fish, who,

being born in the rivers and rivulets, migrate to the great ocean. They cannot stay
in the ocean indefinitely, for their urge for sense gratification brings them back to
the rivers and streams to spawn.

The Lord in the Heart   Page 16 

 
 2.2 Chapter Breakdown
Futility of Fruitive endeavor Vs Path of Bhägavata-dharma (Texts 1-7)
Çukadeva Gosvämé describes the futility of fruitive endeavour. The conditioned souls hover in
dreams of such heavenly illusory pleasures, but actually they do not relish any tangible
happiness. He thus recommends that the necessities of life be kept at a bare minimum so that
one can become fixed in devotional service, by which one can end the conditioned state of
existence.

Process of Meditating on Supersoul, higher than meditation on viräö-rüpa

(Texts 8-14)
The Lord in the heart is described. The process of meditation should begin from the lotus feet
of the Lord and progress to His smiling face. This gradual process will purify the intelligence.
The viräö-rüpa meditation (2.1.22-39) is a prerequisite to meditation on the personal form for
those who have not yet developed a sense of loving service unto the Supreme Lord.

Process of leaving the body by a successful yogi and achieving Kingdom of

God (Texts 15-32)
Çukadeva Gosvämé describes how the a successful bhakti-yogé who is able to quit his body as
he likes can purify himself of material gross and subtle bodies, extinguishing all material
desires. After pushing his life air through the cerebral hole and gradually ascending through
the higher planets, he can at last pierce the outer coverings of the universe and enter into the
kingdom of God. This process was described personally by Lord Kåñëa unto Brahmä.

Direct Devotional Service as the Most Auspicious means (Texts 33-37)

Çukadeva Gosvämé recommends direct devotional service (bhakti-yoga) as the most
auspicious means of deliverance for those who are wandering in the material universe. He
explains that Lord Kåñëa is the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that
devotional service to Him is the perfection of religion; therefore, one should hear about,
glorify and remember the Supreme Lord.

Important Topics for Discussion

• Paramätmä darçana (8-12, 35)
• World of names (3, 7)
• Minimum necessities of life (3-5)
• The importance of relishing (36-37)

Bhakti Vaibhav Canto 2 Chapter 2  Page 17