Canto Five / CHAPTER TWELVE

Conversation Between Mahārāja Rahūgana and Jada Bharata

From the Brahma-samhitā we understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes (sarva-kārana-kāranam). Rishabhadeva was the direct incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. His son, Bharata Mahārāja, who was now acting as the brāhmana Jada Bharata, had received his body from the cause of all causes. Therefore he is addressed as kārana-vigrahāya.

The conditioned soul has a body full of dirty things — bones, blood, urine, stool and so forth. Nonetheless, the most intelligent men in this material world think they are these combinations of blood, bone, urine and stool. If this is so, why can’t other intelligent men be made with these ingredients, which are so readily available? The entire world is going on under the bodily conception and creating a hellish condition unfit for any gentleman’s living. The instructions given to King Rahūgana by Jada Bharata are very valuable. They are like the medicine that can save one from a snakebite. The Vedic instructions are like nectar and cool water for one suffering from scorching heat.

The Vedic literature instructs: tasmād gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuh śreya uttamam. An intelligent man must be very inquisitive to know the transcendental science deeply. Therefore one must approach a guru, a spiritual master. Although Jada Bharata explained everything to Mahārāja Rahūgana, it appears that his intelligence was not perfect enough to understand clearly. He therefore requested a further explanation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34): tad viddhi pranipātena paripraśnena sevayā. The student must approach a spiritual master and surrender unto him fully (pranipātena). He must also question him in order to understand his instructions (paripraśnena). One should not only surrender to the spiritual master but also render loving service unto him (sevayā) so that the spiritual master will be pleased with the student and explain the transcendental subject matter more clearly. A challenging spirit before the spiritual master should be avoided if one is at all interested in learning the Vedic instructions in depth.

Formal inquiries and answers about the bodily conception do not constitute knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Knowledge of the Absolute Truth is quite different from the formal understanding of bodily pains and pleasures. In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Krishna informs Arjuna that the pains and pleasures experienced in relation to the body are temporary; they come and go. One should not be disturbed by them but should tolerate them and continue with spiritual realization.

After analyzing the material bodies of the palanquin carrier and the palanquin passenger, Jada Bharata concludes that the real living force is the living entity. The living entity is the offshoot or offspring of Lord Vishnu; therefore within this material world, among moving and nonmoving things, the real principle is Lord Vishnu. Due to His presence, everything is working, and there are actions and reactions. One who understands Lord Vishnu as the original cause of everything is to be understood to be perfectly situated in knowledge. Although he was falsely proud of being a king, King Rahūgana was not really situated in knowledge. Therefore he was rebuking the palanquin carriers, including the self-realized brāhmana Jada Bharata. This is the first accusation Jada Bharata made against the King, who was daring to talk to a learned brāhmana from the flimsy ground of ignorance, identifying everything with matter. King Rahūgana argued that the living entity is within the body and that when the body is fatigued the living entity within must therefore be suffering. It is clearly explained in the following verses that the living entity does not suffer due to the body’s fatigue. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives an example of a child heavily decorated with ornaments; although the child’s body is very delicate, he does not feel fatigue, nor do the parents think that his ornaments should be taken away. The living entity has nothing to do with bodily pains and pleasures. These are simply mental concoctions. An intelligent man will find the original cause of everything. Material combinations and permutations may be a matter of fact in worldly dealings, but actually the living force, the soul, has nothing to do with them. Those who are materially upset take care of the body and manufacture daridra-nārāyana (poor Nārāyana). However, it is not a fact that the soul or Supersoul becomes poor simply because the body is poor. These are the statements of ignorant people. The soul and Supersoul are always apart from bodily pleasure and pain.

King Rahūgana was proud of being king, and he felt he had the right to control the citizens as he liked, but actually he was engaging men in carrying his palanquin without payment, and therefore he was causing them trouble without reason. Nonetheless, the King was thinking that he was the protector of the citizens. Actually the king should be the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For this reason he is called nara-devatā, the Lord among human beings. However, when a king thinks that because he is the head of the state he can utilize the citizens for his sense gratification, he is in error. Such an attitude is not appreciated by learned scholars. According to the Vedic principles, the king should be advised by learned sages, brāhmanas and scholars, who advise him according to the injunctions given in the dharma-śāstra. The duty of the king is to follow these instructions. Learned circles do not appreciate the king’s utilizing public endeavor for his own benefit. His duty is to give protection to the citizens instead. The king should not become such a rogue that he exploits the citizens for his own benefit.

It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that in Kali-yuga the heads of government will be plunderers and thieves. These thieves and plunderers take the money and property of the public by force or connivance. Therefore it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rājanyair nirghrinair dasyu-dharmabhih. As Kali-yuga advances, we can see that these characteristics are already visible. We can certainly imagine how deteriorated human civilization will be by the end of Kali-yuga. Indeed, there will no longer be a sane man capable of understanding God and our relationship with Him. In other words, human beings will be just like animals. At that time, in order to reform human society, Lord Krishna will come in the form of the Kalki avatāra. His business will be to kill all the atheists because ultimately the real protector is Vishnu, or Krishna.

The Lord incarnates and sets things in order when things are mismanaged by so-called kings and heads of government. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Of course this takes many years, but the principle is there. When the king or governmental head does not follow the proper principles, nature deals out the punishments in the forms of war, famine and so forth. Therefore if the governmental head is not aware of life’s goal, he should not take charge of ruling the people. Actually the supreme proprietor of everything is Lord Vishnu. He is the maintainer of everyone. The king, the father, and the guardian are simply representatives of Lord Vishnu, empowered by Him to look after the management and maintain things. It is therefore the duty of the head of the state to maintain the general populace in such a way that people will ultimately know the goal of life. Na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi vishnum. Unfortunately the foolish governmental head and the general populace do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to understand and approach Lord Vishnu. Without this knowledge, everyone is in ignorance, and all society is crowded with cheaters and cheated.

In the Brahma-sūtra it is said: tad-ananyatvam ārabhambhana-śabdādibhyah (2.1.14). This cosmic manifestation is a mixture of matter and spirit, but the cause is the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.20) it is said: idam hi viśvam bhagavān ivetarah. The entire cosmic manifestation is but a transformation of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because of illusion, no one can appreciate that God is nondifferent from the material world. Actually He is not different, but this material world is simply a transformation of His different energies; parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. There are also other versions of this in the Vedas: sarvam khalv idam brahma. Matter and spirit are all nondifferent from the Supreme Brahman, Bhagavān. Lord Śrī Krishna confirms this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.4): me bhinnā prakritir ashtadhā. The material energy is Krishna’s energy, but it is separated from Him. The spiritual energy is also His energy, but it is not separated from Him. When the material energy is engaged in the service of the Supreme Spirit, so-called material energy is also transformed into spiritual energy, just as an iron rod becomes fire when placed in contact with fire. When we can understand by an analytical study that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes, our knowledge is perfect. Simply understanding the transformations of different energies is partial knowledge. We must come to the ultimate cause. Na te viduh svārtha gatim hi vishnum. The knowledge of those who are not interested in knowing the original cause of all emanations is never perfect knowledge. There is nothing in the phenomenal world that is not produced by the supreme energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aromas from the earth are different scents manufactured and used for different purposes, but the original cause is the earth, nothing else. A waterpot made of earth can be used to carry water for some time, but ultimately the pot is nothing but earth. Therefore there is no difference between the pot and its original ingredient, earth. It is simply a different transformation of the energy. Originally the cause or primary ingredient is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the varieties are only by-products. In the Chāndogya Upanishad it is stated: yathā saumy ekena mrit-pindena sarvam mrinmayam vijñātam syād vācārambhanam vikāro nāmadheyam mrittikety eva satyam. If one studies the earth, he naturally understands the by-products of the earth. The Vedas therefore enjoin, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evam vijñātam bhavati (Mundaka Upanishad 1.3): if one simply understands the original cause, Krishna, the cause of all causes, then naturally everything else is understood, although it may be presented in different varieties. By understanding the original cause of different varieties, one can understand everything. If we understand Krishna, the original cause of everything, we do not need to separately study the subsidiary varieties. Therefore from the very beginning it is said: satyam param dhīmahi. One has to concentrate one’s understanding on the Supreme Truth, Krishna or Vāsudeva. The word Vāsudeva indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāham teshv avasthitah. This is a summary of phenomenal and noumenal philosophy. The phenomenal world depends on the noumenal existence; similarly, everything exists by virtue of the potency of the Supreme Lord, although due to our ignorance the Supreme Lord is not perceived in everything.

Those who follow the atomic theory think that the protons and electrons of atoms combine in such a way as to bring all material existence into being. However, the scientists fail to discover the cause of atomic existence itself. Under these circumstances, we cannot accept that the atom is the cause of the universe. Such theories are advanced by unintelligent people. According to real intelligence, the real cause of the cosmic manifestation is the Supreme Lord. Janmādy asya yatah: He is the original cause of all creation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8): aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate. Krishna is the original cause. Sarva-kārana-kāranam: He is the cause of all causes. Krishna is the cause of atoms, the material energy.

(Bg. 7.4)

The ultimate cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and only those in ignorance try to find out other causes by posing different theories.

The temporary manifestations and varieties within this material world are simply creations of material nature under various circumstances: prakriteh kriyamānāni gunaih karmāni sarvaśah. The actions and reactions carried out by the material nature are sometimes accepted as our scientific inventions; therefore we want to take credit for them and defy the existence of God. This is described in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27), ahankāra-vimūdhātmā kartāham iti manyate: due to being covered by the illusory external energy, the living entity tries to take credit for the differentiated creations within the material world. Actually all these are being created automatically by the material force set in motion by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the ultimate cause is the Supreme Person. As stated in Brahma-samhitā:

He is the cause of all causes, the ultimate cause. In this regard Śrīla Madhvācārya says: evam sarvam tathā prakritvayai kalpitam vishnor anyat. evam prakrityādhārah svayam ananyādhāro vishnur eva atah sarva-śabdāś ca tasminn eva. Actually the original cause is Lord Vishnu, but out of ignorance people think that matter is the cause of everything.

Things are contemplated on the ephemeral or external platform, but actually this is not the truth. The actual protector and shelter of everyone is Brahman, the Supreme, not the king.

The actual protectress is the material nature, but Vishnu is her Lord. He is the Lord of everything. Lord Janārdana is the director both externally and internally. He is the cause of the function of words and what is expressed in all sound.

Lord Vishnu is the resting place of the entire creation: brahmano hi pratishthāham (Bg. 14.27). On Brahman, everything is resting. All the universes are resting on the brahmajyoti, and all the planets are resting on the universal atmosphere. In each and every planet there are oceans, hills, states and kingdoms, and each planet is giving shelter to so many living entities. They are all standing on the earth of feet and legs, torso and shoulders, but actually everything is resting ultimately on the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore He is known ultimately as sarva-kārana-kāranam, the cause of all causes.

In Caitanya-caritāmrita it is said: yad advaitam brahmopanishadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā. The impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Absolute Truth consists of the bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ya ātmāntaryāmī purusha iti so ’syāmśa-vibhavah. What is known as ātmā and antaryāmī, the Supersoul, is but an expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sad-aiśvaryaih pūrno ya iha bhagavān sa svayam ayam. What is described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete with all six opulences, is Vāsudeva, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is nondifferent from Him. Great learned scholars and philosophers accept this after many, many births. Vāsudevah sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhah (Bg. 7.19). The wise man can understand that ultimately Vāsudeva, Krishna, is the cause of Brahman, and Paramātmā, the Supersoul. Thus Vāsudeva is sarva-kārana-kāranam, the cause of all causes. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The real tattva, Absolute Truth, is Bhagavān, but due to incomplete realization of the Absolute Truth, people sometimes describe the same Vishnu as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā.

(Bhāg. 1.2.11)

From the very beginning, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, satyam param dhīmahi: we meditate on the supreme truth. The supreme truth is explained here as jñānam viśuddham satyam. The Absolute Truth is devoid of material contamination and is transcendental to the material qualities. It gives all spiritual success and liberation from this material world. That Supreme Absolute Truth is Krishna, Vāsudeva. There is no difference between Krishna’s inner self and outward body. Krishna is pūrna, the complete whole. There is no distinction between His body and soul as there is between ours. Sometimes so-called scholars, not knowing the constitutional position of Krishna, mislead people by saying that the Krishna within is different from the Krishna without. When Krishna says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām namaskuru, so-called scholars advise the reader that it is not the person Krishna to whom we must surrender but the Krishna within. So-called scholars, Māyāvādīs, cannot understand Krishna with their poor fund of knowledge. One should therefore approach an authorized person to understand Krishna. The spiritual master has actually seen Krishna; therefore he can explain Him properly.

(Bg. 4.34)

Without approaching an authorized person, one cannot understand Krishna.

Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss can be bestowed upon anyone by a pure devotee. Vedeshu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. One cannot attain the perfection of spiritual life simply by following the directions of the Vedas. One has to approach a pure devotee: anyābhilāshitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy-anāvritam. By the grace of such a devotee, one can understand the Absolute Truth, Krishna, and one’s relationship with Him. A materialistic person sometimes thinks that simply by executing pious activities and remaining at home one can understand the Absolute Truth. That is denied in this verse. Nor can one understand the Absolute Truth simply by observing the rules and regulations of brahmacarya (celibacy). One only has to serve the pure devotee. That will help one understand the Absolute Truth without fail.

The symptoms of pure devotees are described in this verse. The pure devotee is never interested in material topics. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has strictly prohibited His devotees to talk about worldly matters. Grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe: one should not indulge in talking unnecessarily about news of the material world. One should not waste time in this way. This is a very important feature in the life of a devotee. A devotee has no other ambition than to serve Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Krishna consciousness movement was started to engage people twenty-four hours daily in the service of the Lord and in His glorification. The students in this institution engage in the cultivation of Krishna consciousness from five in the morning to ten at night. They actually have no opportunity to waste their time unnecessarily by discussing politics, sociology and current events. These will go their own way. A devotee is concerned only with serving Krishna positively and seriously.

The incident herein described is very significant. In a previous verse it is stated, vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhishekam: one cannot attain perfection without smearing the dust from the lotus feet of an exalted devotee on his head. If one always follows the orders of the spiritual master, there is no question of falling down. As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post, he immediately falls down. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatih kuto ’pi. If the spiritual master is considered an ordinary man, the disciple surely loses his chance to advance further. Despite a very rigid life in devotional service, Bharata Mahārāja did not consult a spiritual master when he became overly attached to a deer. Consequently he became strongly attached to the deer, and, forgetting his spiritual routine, he fell down.

In Bhagavad-gītā (2.40) it is said: svalpam apy asya dharmasya. It is certainly a great fall to go from human life to animal life, but in the case of Bharata Mahārāja or any devotee, devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (8.6): yam yam vāpi smaran bhāvam tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time of death, by nature’s law the mind is absorbed in a certain type of thinking. This may lead one to animal life, yet for a devotee there is no loss. Even though Bharata Mahārāja received the body of a deer, he didn’t forget his position. Consequently, in the body of a deer he was very careful to remember the cause of his downfall. As a result, he was given a chance to be born in a family of very pure brāhmanas. Thus his service to the Lord never went in vain.

To become liberated from material bondage, one must give up the association of worldly people and accept the association of devotees; positive and negative processes are mentioned in this regard. Through the association of devotees, one develops Krishna consciousness, which is dormant within. This Krishna consciousness movement is giving this chance to everyone. We are giving shelter to everyone who is serious about progressing in Krishna consciousness. We arrange for their lodging and board so that they can peacefully cultivate Krishna consciousness and return home, back to Godhead, even in this life.