112 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Failure and Success in Yoga 113
causeless mercy, has given us the elevator by which we can come Mahaprabhu addresses the Supreme Lord as Jagadisa. Jagat’
immediately to the platform of bhakti-yoga. That direct means is means ‘‘universe,’’ and isa means ‘‘controller.”> The Supreme
the chanting of Hare Krsna, and that is the special gift of Lord Lord is the controller of the universe, and this can be under-
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore Ripa Gosvami offers respects stood by anyone; therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu addresses the
to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, namo mahd-vadanyaya krsna- Supreme Lord as Jagadisa instead of Krsna or Rama. In the ma-
prema-pradaya te: ‘‘Oh, You are the most munificent incarnation terial world we find many controllers, so it is logical that there is a
because You are directly giving love of Krsna. To attain pure love controller of the entire universe. Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not
of Krsna, one has to pass through so many stages of yoga, but pray for wealth, followers, or beautiful women, because these are
You are giving this love directly. Therefore You are the most material requests. Usually, people want to be very great leaders
munificent.”’ within this material wcerld. Someone tries to become a very rich
As stated in the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita (18.55), man like Ford or Rockefeller, or someone else tries to become
president or some great leader that many thousands of people will

bhaktya mam abhijanati follow. These are all material demands: ‘‘Give me money. Give

yavan yas casmi tattvatah me followers. Give me a nice wife.’’ Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu

tato mam tattvato jfatva refuses to make such materialistic requests. He frankly says, ‘‘I
visate tad-anantaram don’t want any of these things.’’ He even says, mama janmani jan-

manisvare. That is, He’s not even asking for liberation. Just as the

““One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by materialists have their demands, the yogis demand liberation. But
devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not want anything of this nature. Then
Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of why is He a devotee? Why is He worshiping Krsna? ‘‘I simply
God.”’ In the other yoga systems, there must be a mixture of want to engage in Your service birth after birth.’ He does not
bhakti, but bhakti-yoga is unadulterated devotion. It is service . even pray for an end to birth, old age, disease, and death. There
without a motive. Generally people pray with some motive in are no demands whatsoever, for this is the highest platform, the

mind, but we should pray only for further engagement in devo- stage of bhakti-yoga.

tional service. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us that when Chanting Hare Krsna is also asking the Lord, ‘‘Please engage
we pray we should not pray for anything material. In the begin- me in Your service.” This is the mantra taught by Caitanya Maha-
ning, we cited Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s perfect prayer: prabhu Himself. Hare refers to the energy of the Lord, and Krsna
and Rama are names for the Lord Himself. When we chant Hare
na dhanam na janam na sundarim Krsna, we are asking Krsna to please engage us in His service.
kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye This is because our entire material disease is due to our having
mama janmani janmanisvare forgotten to serve God. In illusion, we are thinking, ‘‘I am God.
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi What is the other God that I have to serve? I myself am God.”
, Ultimately, that is the only disease, the last snare of illusion. First
*O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to of all, a person tries to be prime minister, president, Rockefeller,
enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. Ford, this and that, and when one fails or attains such a post and is
What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service still unhappy, he wants to become God. That is like becoming an

in my life, birth after birth.’ (Siksdstaka 4) In this verse, Caitanya even higher president. When I understand that the presidency
