# Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.18–19

*Type: Srimad-Bhagavatam Dated: April 9th 1971 Location: Bombay Audio file: 710409SB-BOMBAY.mp3*

**Prabhupāda:**

> ...āndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
> cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

["I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance."]

> śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
> svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

["When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?"]

> vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
> śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
> sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
> śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

["I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the *gopīs,* headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā."]

> he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
> gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

["O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the *gopīs*, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."]

> tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
> vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

["I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa."]

[break—Hindi] *...nirviśeṣa avyakta,* impersonal feature.

[break] Impersonal. The manifestation of this material world is the impersonal feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And His personal feature is situated in everyone's heart as Paramātmā. Therefore it is said here, *alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam* *SB* 1.8.18. Although Kṛṣṇa, or God, is outside and inside, still, He is not visible. Still, He is not visible. *Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām.* He is inside and outside, but still, He is not visible.

Not visible to whom? Not visible to the ordinary persons who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For them He is not visible. Although He is inside and outside, still, He is not visible. *Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām* *SB* 1.8.18*. Sarva-bhūtānām* means all these ordinary living entities, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa, or God, either within or outside. Why?

Kṛṣṇa says also in the *Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ* [*Bg*. 7.25]: "I am not visible to everyone because there is a curtain which is covering the eyes of the ordinary persons, *yoga-māyā,*" just like the cloud covering the eyes to see. One cannot see the sun in complete or in full vision when there is cloud. Similarly, *māyā, yoga-māyā,* has created a cloud on account of which we cannot see God.

But the same eyes can be also, I mean to say, purified. The same eyes. Just like you have got cataract, you cannot see, you become blind. But if the cataract is operated, then your vision is again revived. So you can see. Ordinarily, you cannot see God, either inside or outside. *Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahiḥ* *SB* 1.8.18. Although we say that God is there within, God is outside, but why you cannot see? Because we are not devotees. But as soon as you become a devotee, you become a lover of God, or Kṛṣṇa, then you can see.

Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere. He says, *antar bahir avasthitam.* The *Brahma-saṁhitā* says,

> premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
> santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
> yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
> govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[*Bs. 5.38*]

*Premāñjana-cchurita.* By *prema... Prema* means love. The ointment of love, when it is smeared over the eyes, then those who are devotees, *santaḥ,* saintly persons, they can see always Kṛṣṇa within his heart. *Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti. Antaḥ.*

And *bahiḥ,* so far experience, that he sees everything. One who is lover of God, he can see Kṛṣṇa in everything. Whatever he sees, he sees Kṛṣṇa there, because he knows that "This thing is produced out of Kṛṣṇa's energy." Take for example a flower. A devotee sees a flower produced by Kṛṣṇa's energy. He sees the beauty of flower, appreciating Kṛṣṇa's artistic sense. When he hears the sweet voice of a bird, he immediately understands that "Kṛṣṇa is speaking so nicely through this bird." This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everywhere he sees. *Antar bahiḥ.*

So if one comes to this platform to understand Kṛṣṇa or to see Kṛṣṇa within and without... [break] ...by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who will see Kṛṣṇa within and without always, twenty-four hours. Nothing; he will see nothing. The others, they will simply say, "Where is God? God is dead. Can you show me God?" Such persons will never be able to understand what is God, because they want to see God by challenging. That is not possible. God is not visible by challenge; simply by love and surrender. Then God can be seen. *Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam* *SB* 1.8.18.

Therefore *śāstra* says that *alakṣya... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim* [*Nārada Pañcarātra*]: "If one has come to the point of worshiping the Supreme Lord, there is no more necessity of undergoing severe austerities and penances." Because others, *karmīs* and *yogīs,* for their sense gratification, *karmīs, jñānīs* and *yogīs*, they have to undergo severe austerities. But the *bhakta,* somehow or other he can, if he simply learns how to love Kṛṣṇa, then he hasn't got to undergo severe austerities and penance. Immediately he is released. Because that is the perfectional stage.

If you live in Kṛṣṇa, always loving... Just like the *gopīs.* The *gopīs,* they learned how to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all. They never underwent any severe austerities like the great saintly persons going to Himalaya and pressing their nose and something. No, never did. Their only business was how to love Kṛṣṇa. Automatically. Without any... Of course, that stage is not easily obtained, but the *śāstra* says if you come to that stage, simply to love Kṛṣṇa, then you are on the highest platform of blissful life.

*Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu* [*Bs.* 5.38]*. Santaḥ,* those who are devotees, they are twenty-four hours seeing God. That is to be... That is the highest stage of perfection. And by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, one can be brought to this platform, how to love Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours without any cessation.

But others, they cannot see. Why they cannot see? *Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam* *SB* 1.8.19: because their eyes are covered by a curtain created by *māyā. Māyā. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ* [*Bg*. 7.15]. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said. They are very much proud of their knowledge, advancement of knowledge, scientific knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa says, *māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ.* Their knowledge has been taken away by *māyā. Apahṛta* means taken away. Here also, the same thing, Kuntī says, *māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā. Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā adhokṣajam avyayam.* They cannot see Adhokṣaja.

Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is also known as Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. *Akṣaja. Akṣa* means direct perception. Just like we sometimes say, "Can you show me? Can you show me?" So the answer is, "Whether you have got eyes to see?" God, or Kṛṣṇa, cannot be seen by these eyes. So Adhokṣaja. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Adhokṣaja. *Adhaḥ. Adhaḥ* means down, made down, or defeated.

Your sense perception will be defeated if you want to realize by God by your imperfect sense perception. That is not possible. It will be defeated. *Adhaḥ akṣaja. Akṣaja* means *akṣa. Akṣa* means eyes. Just like we say, "Can you show me?" You cannot see. Because *māyā-javanikācchannam,* by the *māyā* there is a curtain. What can you see? Just like we are very much proud of seeing, but we are seeing because there is light. If the light is taken away, you cannot see.

So your seeing power is conditional. Your seeing power is conditional. You cannot see God in that way. Only if you develop love of God, then you will be able to see always, twenty-four hours, Kṛṣṇa. This is the science. *Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā.* Because the *javanikā,* the curtain is there, created by *māyā,* therefore everyone is *ajñā. Ajñā* means foolish, without any knowledge.

> māyā-javanikācchannam
> ajñādhokṣajam avyayam
> na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā
> naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā

[*SB 1.8.19*]

*Mūḍha-dṛśā. Mūḍha. Mūḍha* means the same, ass, those who are seeing like ignorant or ass. What is the example? Just like an actor, theatrical actor, playing on the stage. A child, he is seeing somebody acting, but the child has forgotten that his father is acting. Because the father has dressed in a different way and he's a different posture, playing on the stage, although the child is sitting amongst the audience, he cannot understand that "He's my father playing." Because he hasn't got the understanding. It may be that who is elderly than me, that means one who is advanced his knowledge, he can see. Or the mother can say, "Oh, don't you see your father is playing there?"

So although the child and the mother is there, one cannot see; other can see. That means one who has got knowledge, he can see. One who hasn't got knowledge, he cannot see, although God is everywhere. God is everywhere. Everywhere. *Na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā* *SB* 1.8.19*. Naṭo. Naṭo* means the theatrical actor. When he is dressed just like an actor, the foolish man cannot see him. *Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā.*

> tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ
> munīnām amalātmanām
> bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ
> kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ

[*SB 1.8.20*]

Others, those who are *paramahaṁsa...* How... Kṛṣṇa does not become visible, because He is visible only to the *paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa* means the supreme position of a human being. That is called *paramahaṁsa.*

There are... You know, according to Vedic system, there are *brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra* and *brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa.* The eight stages. The *sannyāsī* is to be supposed the first-class stage. So amongst the *sannyāsa* stage also, there are four stages: *kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya* and *paramahaṁsa.* Not that all *sannyāsīs* on the equal status.

The first status is *kuṭīcaka. Sannyāsa* means one has to give up the relationship with family. So in the beginning of stage, because he is newly entered in the *sannyāsa* life, it is not possible for him to give up immediately his village or... Of course, when there was systematic *sannyāsa* system, that anyone had to take *sannyāsa* at a certain stage.

Nowadays there is... *Sannyāsa,* accepting *sannyāsa* life, is also forbidden, because nobody can actually follow strictly the rules and regulations. And neither anybody has got any inclination to accept *sannyāsa.* Therefore in this age *sannyāsa* is sometimes forbidden. *Kalau pañca vivarjayet* [*Cc*. *Ādi* 17.164].

But if you ask that "Why you have taken *sannyāsa*?" or "You have got some *sannyāsīs,*" this *sannyāsa* is not *karma-sannyāsa.* This *sannyāsa* is devotion, Vaiṣṇava *sannyāsa.* Vaiṣṇava *sannyāsī* means anyone who gives up everything and devotes simply his time for pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is also *sannyāsa.*

It is recommended in the *Bhagavad-gītā: sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ* *Bg.* 6.1: one who is working, *anāśritaḥ karma-phalam,* without any desire to enjoy the fruits of his activity. These *sannyāsīs,* they are working for Kṛṣṇa; they have no desire to make any profit out of it. Other *sannyāsīs,* they are making any profit. They want *mukti, mokṣa.* But these *sannyāsīs,* they do not want even *mokṣa.*

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the ideal *sannyāsī,* He says, *mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī* [*Cc. Antya* 20.29, *Śikṣāṣṭaka* 4]. He never claimed that "I may not have any more birth." *Mokṣa* means one who hasn't got to take birth of this material body. That is called *mokṣa.* So Vaiṣṇava *sannyāsī,* they do not want even *mokṣa.* Therefore they have no demand. So that *sannyāsī* is different from the ordinary *sannyāsī.*

Ordinary *sannyāsī,* he has demand. He wants *mukti.* But Vaiṣṇava *sannyāsī,* either he is in *sannyāsī* dress or in not *sannyāsī* dress, simply because his aim and object is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is *sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma.* He has no shelter of the work that he is doing for Kṛṣṇa. Not that "I shall work in this way, and there will be good result, and I will enjoy it." Other *sannyāsīs,* they are thinking like that: "I will go austerities and penances severely. I shall go to Himalayas and execute the very rigidly all the principles of *sannyāsa.* But as a result of this, I will get liberated, *mukti.*" Therefore he has got demand.

So that *sannyāsī* and this *sannyāsī* is different. *Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti, sa sannyāsī.* So this *sannyāsī* can be accepted even in *gṛhastha* life, even in householder life. Because in one sense, all these boys and girls who are working for Kṛṣṇa, they have no other desire, they are all *sannyāsīs,* because they have no desire to achieve any result out of their work. The only thing they want: the *kṛṣṇa-bhakti,* how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. They are engaged in preaching work because they want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja* *Bg.* 18.66. They are teaching all over the world the same principles, the same philosophy, that "Please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa and you will be happy." That is their message. They have no other message. Therefore *anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryam karoti.* They are all *sannyāsīs.*

So out of... Of course, because Lord Caitanya accepted this *sannyāsa,* so we are maintaining that system. But actual point of *sannyāsa* is not *mukti,* but satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is *sannyāsa,* how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, how Kṛṣṇa's representative will be satisfied. Because we have to work under Kṛṣṇa's representative. Anything we work, if we want to be expert, then we have to work under some expert. Therefore we accept* guru.*

We do not serve Kṛṣṇa directly; we accept *guru*. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ** ***. The principle is *guru* is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and if we work under *guru* and if we can satisfy, then Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is very easy to understand. Suppose in office you are working under some officer. You have no, I mean, acquaintance with the proprietor, but your pay, your promotion will be considered by the proprietor on the recommendation of this officer. When the officer will say, "Yes, this man has worked very nicely," then your increment of pay and your promotion immediately will be accepted by the proprietor.

Therefore *śāstra* says, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ.* If you can satisfy your spiritual master, then you must know that you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa, you are working under him, so if he says, "It is all right," Kṛṣṇa says, "It is all right," although you have never seen Kṛṣṇa. And *yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi.* And if the spiritual master says, "Oh, you are doing nothing" then your all spoiled, all labor is spoiled. *Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi.* You have no other shelter.

So this *paramahaṁsa* stage is... We have come to explain *paramahaṁsānām.* Here it is said, *tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām* *SB* 1.8.20*. Amalātmanām. Amala* means without any dirty things. *Paramahaṁsa* means without any... What is that dirty thing? The dirty thing is to have any slight desire for enjoying this material body. That is called dirty thing. *Amalam.* Everyone is *samala. Samala,* with dirty things.

The *karmī, jñānī, yogī,* everyone is infected with dirty things. Why? The *karmīs,* they want that "I shall be elevated in the heavenly planet and I shall enjoy there in the Nandana-kānana, and beautiful wife, beautiful women." That is their ambition. As the people are working very hard here—everyone wants very comfortable life with good bank balance, good house and good wife, good children. That is their ambition. That is *karmī.* They have no other ambition.

Similarly, *jñānī.* When the *jñānī* sees that his good wife, good family, good money and good house is nonsense... "It will not stay, but for some years I can enjoy. Then it will be all vanquished." They are *jñānīs.* They know how things are happening. Therefore they want *mukti.* But there is still want, that "Now I have given up all this. I don't want this material happiness.

Now I shall merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Because Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, so if I become one with Him, then I shall enjoy, supreme." The same enjoyment spirit is there, to merge into the Supreme. It is in a different way only. The *karmīs* are directly trying to enjoy sense enjoyment. They are indirectly wanting another kind, another higher status of sense enjoyment.

So similarly, the *yogīs* also, they want to play some jugglery, magic. If they can achieve one of the... There are eight kinds of *yoga-siddhis.* There are many... You will find they are showing some *yoga-siddhi,* and people are after that. People, foolish people, they are thinking that he is God. If you can create something by jugglery...

Suppose I am sitting here. I make like this, and immediately I produce something, golden pot. Oh, immediately thousands of people will come: "Oh, here is God. Here is God." Because he has produced a cup, golden cup which is worth, say, two thousand rupees, therefore he has become God. There are many persons, merchants, they are producing two thousand rupees every moment. Then why he is not God? But the foolish people, they have no sense. They are captivated by these jugglery, *yoga-siddhi.*

So *yoga-siddhi,* I mean to say, this jugglery, *yoga-siddhi* magic, captivates foolish persons. So they want *yoga-siddhi.* If some foolish persons gather, then he gets sense enjoyment. That is another type of sense enjoyment. So therefore in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* it is said that *bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta* [*Cc.* *Madhya* 19.149]. They are not *paramahaṁsas.*

*Paramahaṁsa...* Here it is stated that *bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham. Tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām. Amalātmanām* means when there is no more dirty things. The *karmīs,* they have got dirty things, sense enjoyment. The *jñānīs,* they have got also dirty things. One may say that "*Mukti* is dirty thing?" Yes. According to Vaiṣṇava calculation it is dirty thing, because Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he said, *kaivalyaṁ narakāyate.*

*Kaivalyam* means to become one with the Supreme, *mukti.* He said, "It is exactly like hell." *Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate* [*Caitanya-candrāmṛta* 5]*:* "And these heavenly planets," the domain, or the objective, of the *karmīs,* "that is like flower in the sky." And *durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate.*

*Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī.* The *yogīs,* their first business is... They get so much *yoga-siddhi* because first business is *indriya-saṁyama. Yoga-siddhi* is not obtained easily. One has to practice it. And the first practice is controlling the senses. *Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate.*

So anyway, our point is that *paramahaṁsa* means one who has no such dirty things in the heart, *bhukti-mukti-siddhi.* All, they are dirty things. *Bhukti* means material enjoyment, *mukti* means to become..., to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord, and *siddhi* means *yoga-siddhi.* So they are all dirty things. So such dirty..., a person with such dirty things, he is not *paramahaṁsa.* He may be a *sannyāsī,* but he's not a *paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa* means who has no dirty things.

> anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
> jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
> ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
> śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

[*Brs.*1.1.11]

So all the *bhaktas,* those who are pure devotees, he is *paramahaṁsa.*

So Kṛṣṇa comes to teach this highest science of devotion to make people *paramahaṁsas.* Not these dirty *karmīs, jñānīs* and *yogīs*. Kṛṣṇa's business is... Therefore Kṛṣṇa, first condition, says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam* *Bg.* 18.66: "Just you surrender unto Me and I shall make you a *paramahaṁsa.*" Then you will be able to see always Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much.

[break] ...*pūrṇam,* a man is disturbed with all these dirty things, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. *Paramahaṁsānām.* So it is rather difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa.

> manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
> kaścid yatati siddhaye
> yatatām api siddhānāṁ
> kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

[*Bg. 7.3*]

But we are trying to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the direction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So it may be possible by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is a very difficult subject matter. [end]