Perfection of Yoga
''A devotee becomes accustomed to serving the Supreme Lord by purification of his senses. In other words, the yoga principles of meditation are required as long as one is not situated in pure devotional service.''............
Question: What is the Difference Between Nirbija-Yoga, or Lifeless Yoga, and Sabija-Yoga, or Living Yoga??...........
Prabhupada: Here it is clearly mentioned that meditation, which is an action of the mind, is not the perfect stage of samädhi, or absorption. In the beginning the mind is employed in attracting the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in the higher stages there is no question of using the mind. A devotee becomes accustomed to serving the Supreme Lord by purification of his senses. In other words, the yoga principles of meditation are required as long as one is not situated in pure devotional service. The mind is used to purify the senses, but when the senses are purified by meditation, there is no need to sit i
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(The destruction of this body is not his destruction. The real destruction is that when we lose our spiritual consciousness, we lose our identity. That is destruction) 
"The destruction of this body is not his destruction. The real destruction is that when we lose our spiritual consciousness, we lose our identity. That is destruction. That is destruction, that now, in our material conception of life, we are practically destroyed because, destroyed in this way, because as spiritual being, I have got my eternal life, I have got my blissful life, I have got my knowledge, full knowledge, but here I am living in a wretched condition that my life is not eternal, I am not blissful, and I am not in full knowledge.
So don't you think that we are already destroyed? We are thinking that, "I am very much advancing in civilization," but unless you revive your original life of eternity and full knowledge and bliss, you should know that you are not advancing; you are being defeated by the il
(Just like love is never one-sided. Love is reciprocation. Reciprocation. Similarly, although God is great, He becomes a devotee of the devotee)
"Just like we become devoted, similarly, God also becomes devoted to us. You don't think that one-sided devotion. No. Just like love is never one-sided. Love is reciprocation. Reciprocation. Similarly, although God is great, He becomes a devotee of the devotee.
He takes pleasure in that way. It is clearly stated that, "I also try to devote Myself for his service." As we take pleasure in serving God, similarly, God also takes pleasure by serving the devotee. That is reciprocation."
(Those transcendental qualities again revive themself by this process: śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. As you purify your heart by this process of hearing transcendental messages from Godhead, as your heart becomes purified, those transcendental qualities automatically develop)
"Those transcendental qualities . . . you have got the list, twenty-six qualities of the devotee. Those are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities are in God as well as in the living entity. But when the living entity comes in contact with material nature, those transcendental qualities are covered by the material qualities.
So they are not manifested. But as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, those transcendental qualities automatically develop. Because they are already there. It is stated that kṛṣṇa . . . what is that? The idea is that these qualities are already there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya (CC Madhya 22.107). These qualities are not acquired. The transcendental qua
(He says: "I am neutral, but still, I cannot deviate Myself from My devotee who is always thinking of Me." This is His admission)
"Those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they always see Kṛṣṇa. Always see Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, as the devotee sees always Kṛṣṇa, similarly Kṛṣṇa also always sees that devotee. This is reciprocation. Although He is neutral . . . He says: "I am neutral, but still, I cannot deviate Myself from My devotee who is always thinking of Me." This is His admission"
("If you dovetail . . . dovetail your activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become liberated from all reactions, either good or bad." Transcendental. Because in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you are not achieving any future reactionary resultant . . . your place will be transcendental. You will be transferred to the spiritual world)
"So every action has got its reaction. That we can experience in this material world, that if we eat more, the reaction will be that for two days there will be indigestion. Similarly, this material world is so situated that every action has got its reaction. But Kṛṣṇa says that if you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for Kṛṣṇa, then there will be no reaction. Śubhāśubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣyase karma-bandhanaiḥ. In the Fourth Chapter we have discussed that what sort of work we shall do.
That is prescribed. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Karma-bandhanaḥ means you become bound up by the resultant reaction. But if you act for yajñār
(What God wants? God wants that make everyone God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. He sends His son. He sends His books. He comes Himself. That is His mission. He wants that all these suffering living entities, they should become Kṛṣṇa conscious and be happy. God wants it.)
"We should be in love of God means, "Oh, God has supplied us so many things. Why not?" Therefore pure devotees, they like to supply God. They want to become order-supplier of God, not to make God as order-supplier. What God wants? God wants that make everyone God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. He sends His son. He sends His books. He comes Himself. That is His mission.
He wants that all these suffering living entities, they should become Kṛṣṇa conscious and be happy. God wants it. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated. So if you wants to supply the want of God, God wants it. If you become yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious and try to serve God by spreading this mission all over the world, that is the best service. That
(You are so brilliant that immediately on your appearance the darkness is dissipated. Immediately." They are so much, I mean to say, glowing, their body, in Vaikuṇṭha)
"You are so brilliant that immediately on your appearance the darkness is dissipated. Immediately." They are so much, I mean to say, glowing, their body, in Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore in the Upaniṣad it is said that in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in the spiritual sky, there is no need of sun, moon.
The planets and the bodily effulgence of the inhabitants, they are all glowing. So on account of everything glowing in the spiritual world, there is no necessity of sunshine or moonshine or electricity. They are self-effulgent."
(That is called ananta. It is increasing. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they are also in pleasure. Gopīs are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. So they are increasing their pleasure. There is no decrease)
"That is unlimited enjoyment, without any stoppage. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam (CC Antya 20.12). Simply increasing, increasing. There is no decrease. That is called ananta. It is increasing. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they are also in pleasure. Gopīs are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. So they are increasing their pleasure. There is no decrease. In the material world there is no question of increasing; it is decreasing. That is the difference.
Therefore, those who are yogīs, they are also enjoying. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is real happiness, which increases. Which decreases, that is not real happiness. That is illusion. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmana. Cit, that is spiritual, spiritual ānanda. Really we want ānanda, happiness,
(Avatāra means who comes down from the spiritual world)
"Actually, avatāra . . . this Sanskrit name is avatāra. Avatāra means who comes down from the spiritual world. Avatāratī. Avatāratī means descends. Descends. They are not born of this material energy. They descend from the spiritual world."
("If you always constantly think of Puṇḍarīkākṣa, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu," yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ, "he becomes externally and internally śuci, purified)
"Similarly, we living entities, part and parcel of God, we are as pure as God. Kṛṣṇa, God, is pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra. So similarly . . . pavitra means without material contamination. That is pavitra. So the . . .
apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ
(Garuḍa Purāṇa)
This is the process, that you may be pure or impure. Material condition means impure, contaminated, conditioned. So to get out of this contaminated condition, the śāstra says, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam: "If you always constantly think of Puṇḍarīkākṣa, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu," yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ, "he becomes externally and internally śuci, purified."
(Prabhupada Lecture, Decemb
(The soul is more valuable than the sun, because the sun is, after all, a matter, and the soul is spirit. Therefore the vast difference of value. You cannot revive the life of a dead body by thousands of suns' heat. It is not possible)
Prajāpati: "Spirit soul, it is also luminous like that?"
Prabhupāda: "Yes. . . . is luminous, how it is keeping your body warm? As soon as it goes away, immediately cold. Immediately cold. Finished. All temperature finished. These are the evidences."
Rūpānuga: "It is said that the soul glows with a light brighter than a thousand suns. In the Vedas? It is stated that the soul glows with a light brighter than a thousand suns. Yes?"
Prabhupāda: "I do not remember. Maybe. (break) The soul is more valuable than the sun, because the sun is, after all, a matter, and the soul is spirit. Therefore the vast difference of value. You cannot revive the life of a dead body by thousands of suns' heat. It is not possible. It can burn, but it cannot give
(They have named you "bright-faced." Why? You are naturally very beautiful, but they understand, your countrymen, that you have become more beautiful by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact)
"Just like in your country they are very much satisfied by seeing your face. They have named you "bright-faced." Why? You are naturally very beautiful, but they understand, your countrymen, that you have become more beautiful by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact.
(aside:): You can sit down there. This is disturbing.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that naturally it will make you beautiful—not morose—beautiful face. That is the sign of spiritual advancement. By the face you'll understand that, "Here is a man who is spiritually advanced." Pratyakṣam avagamaṁ dharmyam (BG 9.2). This process of spiritual consciousness can be directly perceived.
It is not theoretical, "Oh, I am a very great devotee." No. Simply theoretical understanding, "I am a great devotee . . ." From the very face
(Because He is God, He will take your everything. (laughs) Once you agree to offer something, then He will take yourself also." God is very intelligent. Once you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no way out. You cannot go out. (laughter))
"Just like there is a nice story, Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja, he became a very strong king, and he . . . nowadays, as in the modern age, we find a strong government or a strong king, he simply tries to conquer other countries. Formerly they were able to conquer other planets also. They were so powerful. So this Bali Mahārāja became so powerful that he conquered many of the higher planets of the demigods, so he became a disturbing element.
So God, as incarnation of Vāmanadeva, He . . . Bali Mahārāja was also a grandson of a great devotee, Prahlāda Mahārāja. He had that blood of devotional blood. He had some devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa also. But at the same time he was king. He was conquering life. He was making disturbance like that.
(You have to follow the footprints of ācārya. Not only in the . . . everywhere, the footprints of ācāryas are followed. Just like in your country you are following the footprints of Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, that is the way. Or any ācārya. Because the ācārya, they come here to teach us about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That is their business)
"Therefore the Vedic literature says that you have to follow the footprints of great ācāryas. Ācārya means great devotees who come to teach the people in general about God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is called ācārya. He behaves in his life how? To think of Kṛṣṇa, and he teaches his students about that.
He is called ācārya. Acinoti śāstrāṇi. He knows the purport of the scriptures, and he behaves in his life and he teaches his student in that way. He is called ācārya. So we have to . . . in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Thirteenth Chapter you have read it that ācāryopāsanam. Ācāryopāsanam. You have to approach an ācārya. T
(They are thinking, "I'm so busy." But that busy-ness is also dream, just like a man sleeping and dreaming that he is very busy)
"Actually, the conditioned soul in this material world, they are sleeping. Therefore Vedas says, uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14), that "You rascal, you are why sleeping?" They are not sleeping. They are thinking, "I'm so busy." But that busy-ness is also dream, just like a man sleeping and dreaming that he is very busy.
So this kind of life is condemned. Therefore the Veda says: "Get up! Get up! Now you have got this . . ." Prāpya varān nibodhata: "You have got this human form of life. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. You try to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Try to understand your relationship and act accordingly. Then your life will be successful. Otherwise you are wasting your time."
(Sound is all-pervading, that is a fact, scientific fact. If that sound is potent, then it can penetrate even this material sky and go to the spiritual sky and go to Kṛṣṇa directly. That sound is Hare Kṛṣṇa)
"So the sound is all-pervading. You'll find sound . . . beginning from the sky to the earth, you'll find sound, all-pervading. In the sky, there is sound. You have got experience. In the fire there is sound, in the air there is sound, in the earth there is sound, (taps) every metal, wood. You take everything, there is sound. So Brahman means all-pervading.
But this transcendental sound . . . just like your radio message, television sound, they cannot go beyond this earthly planet, utmost. But there is sound which can penetrate the whole universe and go to the spiritual world. Sound is all-pervading, that is a fact, scientific fact. If that sound is potent, then it can penetrate even this material sky and go to the spiritual sky and go to Kṛṣṇa directly. That sound is Hare
(If at the end of his life he simply remembers Kṛṣṇa, that is natural. Whatever you practice whole life, that will come out at the time of your death. That is natural)
"One gentleman in Calcutta, he was a very big businessman, and he was dealing in shares. So at the time of death he was crying, "Kamarhati, Kamarhati shares." Kamarhati shares at that time was very popular to the people. So at the time of his death the result will be that he might have taken his birth as a rat in the Kamarhati mill. It is possible. By the time of death, whatever you think, that will carry you to a type of body.
Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Anyone whoever begs from Kṛṣṇa any benefit, any type of things he requires from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gives him: "All right. You are thinking like rat, you become a rat. You are thinking like a tiger, you become a tiger. You are thinking like a devotee, you become a devotee. You are thinking of Me, please come to Me." That's all. Simple trut
(My Guru Mahārāja used to say that, "There is no scarcity in the world. The only scarcity is that people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. Otherwise there is no scarcity.")
"One should try for that thing which is not obtainable either in the higher planetary system or lower planetary system. Because everywhere the food, shelter, sex life and protection is there, in every planet. But the only want is that one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that, "There is no scarcity in the world. The only scarcity is that people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. Otherwise there is no scarcity." He has declared like that."
Śrimad-Bhagavatam 1.12.12
तत: सर्वगुणोदर्के सानुकूलग्रहोदये ।
जज्ञे वंशधर: पाण्डोर्भूय: पाण्डुरिवौजसा ॥ १२ ॥
tataḥ sarva-guṇodarke
sānukūla-grahodaye
jajñe vaṁśa-dharaḥ pāṇḍor
bhūyaḥ pāṇḍur ivaujasā
Synonyms
tataḥ — thereupon; sarva — all; guṇa — good signs; udarke — having gradually evolved; sa-anukūla — all favorable; grahodaye — constellation of stellar influence; jajñe — took birth; vaṁśa-dharaḥ — heir apparent; pāṇḍoḥ — of Pāṇḍu; bhūyaḥ — being; pāṇḍuḥ iva — exactly like Pāṇḍu; ojasā — by prowess.
Translation by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Thereupon, when all the good signs of the zodiac gradually evolved, the heir apparent of Pāṇḍu, who would be exactly like him in prowess, took birth.
Purport by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Astronomical calculations of stellar influences upon a living being are not suppositions, but are factual, as confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Every living being is controlled by the laws of nature at every minute, just as a citizen is controlled by the
