SB 04 23 12 - Bhanu Swami - 2010-06.mp3	81.6 MB
SB 04 23 12 - Jananivas Prabhu - ISKCON Mayapur 2012-01-25.mp3	26.4 MB
SB 04 23 12 - Rajhamsa Prabhu - ISKCON Juhu 2010-03-29.mp3	12.5 MB

chinnanya-dhir adhigatatma-gatir nirihas

tat tatyaje ’cchinad idam vayunena yena

tavan na yoga-gatibhir yatir apramatto

yavad gadagraja-kathasu ratim na kuryat

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:

 

When he became completely free from the conception of bodily life, Maharaja Prthu realized Lord Krsna sitting in everyone’s heart as the Paramatma. Being thus able to get all instructions from Him, he gave up all other practices of yoga and jñana. He was not even interested in the perfection of the yoga and jñana systems, for he thoroughly realized that devotional service to Krsna is the ultimate goal of life and that unless the yogis and jñanis become attracted to krsna-katha [narrations about Krsna], their illusions concerning existence can never be dispelled.

 

Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:

 

As long as one is too much absorbed in the bodily conception of life, he becomes interested in many different processes of self-realization, such as the mystic yoga system or the system utilizing the speculative empiric methods. However, when one understands that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Krsna, he realizes Krsna within everyone’s heart and therefore helps everyone who is interested in Krsna consciousness. Actually the perfection of life depends on one’s inclination to hear about Krsna. It is therefore mentioned in this verse, yavad gadagraja-kathasu ratim na kuryat: unless one becomes interested in Krsna, in His pastimes and activities, there is no question of liberation by means of yoga practice or speculative knowledge.

 

Having attained to the stage of devotion, Maharaja Prthu became uninterested in the practices of jñana and yoga and abandoned them. This is the stage of pure devotional life as described by Rupa Gosvami:

 

anyabhilasita-sunyam

jñana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena krsnanu-

silanam bhaktir uttama

 

Real jñana means understanding that the living entity is the eternal servant of the Lord. This knowledge is attained after many, many births, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.19): bahunam janmanam ante jñanavan mam prapadyate. In the paramahamsa stage of life, one fully realizes Krsna as everything: vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. When one understands fully that Krsna is everything and that Krsna consciousness is the highest perfection of life, he becomes a paramahamsa, or mahatma. Such a mahatma or paramahamsa is very rare to find. A paramahamsa, or pure devotee, is never attracted by hatha-yoga or speculative knowledge. He is simply interested in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord. Sometimes one who was formerly addicted to these processes tries to perform devotional service and the jñana and yoga practices at the same time, but as soon as one comes to the unalloyed stage of devotional service, he is able to give up all other methods of self-realization. In other words, when one firmly realizes Krsna as the supreme goal, he is no longer attracted by mystic yoga practice or the speculative empirical methods of knowledge.