A Response to Bose Saheb’s Questions

In the article entitled Bose Saheb’s Letter and Questions, published on page 116 of the 3rd issue of the 1st year of Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, several questions have been raised. Having read it, I felt a specific desire to give my answers to them, and therefore I submit the following. The readers and the questioner himself will all kindly forgive my faults and shortcomings by virtue of their own good qualities. It may be hoped that if, through the medium of Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, such an exchange of questions and answers results in iṣṭa-goṣṭhī (devotional discussions), it will bring auspiciousness to everyone.

First Question: Human beings are by nature Vaiṣṇavas. If someone engages in activities that are not desired by the Creator, then he is a non-Vaiṣṇava and is known as an Asura. But what is the significance of the expression ‘śuddha-Vaiṣṇava’ (pure Vaiṣṇava) found in Vaiṣṇava texts? Will an impure Vaiṣṇava, in other words, a non-Vaiṣṇava, also be called a Vaiṣṇava? Why is this intermediate form of expression used?

The answer to the questioner’s first query may be given as follows:

It is not only the human race, but rather all living entities who are, by their very constitutional nature, Vaiṣṇavas. Among all the forms that are seen in every species of life, the seed-giving father of them all is Śrī Bhagavān, and the mother is material nature, which is the great Brahman (mahad-brahma). Therefore, what else can the children of the Lord be except naturally born Vaiṣṇavas?

When Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī Prabhu, while in the holy dhāma of Vārāṇasī, asked Śrī Gaurasundara about the constitutional nature (svarūpa) of the living being, Śrīman Mahāprabhu, citing evidence from the Padma Purāṇa, explained that the living entity is the kṣetrajña – designated superior energy (parā-śakti). He then arrived at the conclusion, jīvera svarūpa haya, kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa (‘The constitutional nature of the living entity is that he is Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servant’). Thus, since Kṛṣṇa is the original and prime Personality of the viṣṇu-tattva, all who are Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servants are, by their very constitutional nature, Vaiṣṇavas.

In the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself has determined the truth concerning jīva-tattva in the following way:

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind. (Bhagavad-gīta 15.7)

All the expansions by which the Lord Himself manifests Himself as His own plenary portions (svāṁśa) – such as prabhāva, vaibhava, vilāsa, and so forth – are all aṁśas, kalās, and other manifestations of the viṣṇu-tattva. And then there is the jīva-tattva. In the svāṁśa–tattva (the category of plenary expansions), the Lord’s own transcendental identity remains fully present. But in the vibhinnāṁśa (separated parts), in place of the Lord’s identity, the jīva’s own intrinsically established identity manifests.

Those souls whose intrinsically established identity has not undergone distortion are the eternally perfected liberated souls (nitya-siddha mukta-jīvas), whereas those in whom such distortion has occurred are the conditioned souls (baddha-jīvas). In both of these conditions, conditioned and liberated, the soul is unborn, eternal, everlasting, primeval, and indestructible.

In the conditioned state, the living being, being seized by material nature, has his constitutional Vaiṣṇava nature obscured. Centring his activities upon the mind and with the help of the material senses, he wages war against material nature. But material nature is so powerful that, while fighting against her, it is the living entity himself who is defeated.

A living entity thus engaged in this struggle is called an Asura, or one bewildered by māyā.

When, by the result of some good fortune, the living entity comes to understand that his desire to fight with material nature and become her enjoyer is a deluded condition, then he surrenders at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the controller of both material nature and the living being. When surrender to the Supreme Lord takes place, material nature, or māyā, no longer torments the living entity through the three modes of material nature. The living entity then once again attains the liberated state. Such a life characterised by surrender is regarded as the living entity’s transcendental state, Vaiṣṇava state, or Brahmī state.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te

This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (Bhagavad-gītā 7.14)

With the intention of delivering the living entity who has been seized by material nature, when the spiritual master, who is exceedingly dear to the Lord and who is a knower of the truth (tattva-jñānī), bestows his mercy upon a living being who is submissive, inquisitive, and devoted to service, then, after considering that person’s qualification, he teaches karma-yoga to one qualified for fruitive activities, jñāna-yoga to one qualified for impersonal knowledge, and bhakti-yoga to one qualified for devotion. Certainly, however, the object and ultimate goal of all the yogas is devotion and the supreme abode, Śrī Viṣṇu.

The definition of pure devotion is as follows:

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

One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service. (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11)

Those who, being free from all kinds of material desires, and whose devotion is uncovered by jñāna and karma, engage favourably in the practice of exclusive devotion beginning with hearing, are pure devotees, or pure Vaiṣṇavas. But such pure Vaiṣṇavas are rare even among millions upon millions of liberated souls. Only when one attains complete realisation of the truth concerning the Supreme can one be counted in the category of a pure Vaiṣṇava.

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

Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavour for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. (Bhagavad-gītā 7.3)

Among millions upon millions of karmīs, one jñānī is superior; and among millions upon millions of jñānīs, one mukta (liberated soul) is superior. Similarly, among millions upon millions of liberated souls, even one pure devotee is rare. This is the kind of teaching that we have received from Śrīman Mahāprabhu.

Those who have not yet attained such a state of pure devotion, but who nevertheless have surrendered to the Lord for some reason or other, are the four kinds of pious souls who are inclined toward devotion.

catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ su-kṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha

O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me – the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute. (Bhagavad-gītā 7.16)

The pious devotees who are inclined toward devotion and who are distressed, or seekers of wealth are called karma-miśra (mixed with fruitive work), while the inquisitive and the knowers are called jñāna-miśra (mixed with knowledge). Therefore, neither of these can be pure devotees. Nevertheless, all of them are qualified, through gradual development, to become pure devotees or pure Vaiṣṇavas.

All such mixed devotees or mixed Vaiṣṇavas should be understood to be distinct from those belonging to the category of Asuras. If those belonging to the class of Asuras become distressed or seek wealth, they do not take shelter of the Supreme Lord. Rather, being deluded by māyā, they become mūḍhas (‘fools’) and, through ignorance, become narādhamas (‘the lowest among men’). Therefore, the category of Asuras and the category of Vaiṣṇavas should be understood to be distinct. Even such mixed Vaiṣṇavas are millions upon millions of times superior to the Asuras who are inimical toward the Supreme Lord. Every devotee of Viṣṇu is indeed a Deva, and an Asura is the opposite.

viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras-tadviparyayaḥ

A devotee of Viṣṇu is remembered as divine; an Asura is the opposite. (Padma Purāṇa)

oṁ tad-viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ

The Devas always behold that supreme abode of Viṣṇu. (Ṛg Veda 1.22.20)

Those belonging to the class of Asuras are never designated as either pure Vaiṣṇavas or mixed Vaiṣṇavas.

Although every living being is, by his very constitutional nature, a Vaiṣṇava, being overpowered by māyā he thinks himself to be a non-Vaiṣṇava, or, becoming filled with other desires, he tries to identify himself by means of various designations. But those who have realised their constitutional nature see both themselves and everyone else as the eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. They know:

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema sādhya kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, the living entity naturally awakens. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.107)

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. (Bhagavad-gītā 5.18)

For one who is a constitutionally perfected Vaiṣṇava, seeing everyone as a Vaiṣṇava is natural. A pure Vaiṣṇava has love for the Lord, friendship with pure Vaiṣṇavas, compassion toward mixed Vaiṣṇavas, and indifference toward the Asuras who are inimical to Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas. It is precisely through such conduct that the equal vision of pure Vaiṣṇavas is manifested. By the performance of the scripturally enjoined duties, purification of the heart is attained. By purification of the heart, one attains knowledge of Brahman, and by knowledge of Brahman, after attaining the brahma-bhūta state, one obtains pure devotion or parā-bhakti.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realises the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me. (Bhagavad-gītā 18.54)

We shall discuss this parā-bhakti later.

In the Vaiṣṇava world, or in the transcendental abode, there can be no such thing as a compromise or ‘middle-path’ expression. Just as there is no room for compromise in the world of material science, similarly, in the transcendental realm, which is governed by spiritual knowledge and realised wisdom, there is no question of compromise or a negotiated settlement.

Those who have not entered the transcendental realm, or who have not obtained the audience of the lotus feet of a spiritual master who has heard the Vedic revelation and is firmly established in Brahman, are the very ones who concoct a spiritual compromise and, concluding, “Tum bhī acchā, ham bhī acchā” (“You are right, and I am also right”), become deprived of the truth. Just as, in the world of material science, a spade is simply called a spade, so also in transcendental science, whatever a person actually is, that is exactly what he is called.

According to the judgment of the scriptures, there are many categories and gradations –  devotees, non-devotees, material devotees, transcendental devotees, mixed devotees, pure devotees, neophyte devotees, intermediate devotees, topmost devotees, etc.

Similarly, if one sets aside this spiritual knowledge and realised wisdom – that is, if one disregards the injunctions of the Śruti, Smṛti, Purāṇas, and the Pāñcarātrika regulations – and attempts to understand the truths of religion in a merely general and simplistic way, one often becomes a prākṛta-sahajiyā (materialistic devotee), and such people simply create disturbances.

Therefore, by resorting to such compromise language, transcendentalists will never agree to bargain away or negotiate the conclusions of transcendental knowledge and realised wisdom.

Śrī Abhaya-caraṇa De
(Editor – Back To Godhead)

[The respected respondent is a worthy subscriber to our Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā. There is no doubt that the manner in which he has answered the questioner’s first question will be of particular benefit to both the questioner and our readers. We therefore offer our grateful thanks to the author for this contribution. We hope that we shall also receive from him answers to the remaining questions. In any case, Śrī Gauḍīya will discuss this subject further from time to time.  – Editor]

Translated into English by Swami Bhaktivijñāna Giri

• Preaching Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Dharma Outside Bengal by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā Begins Its Eighth Year by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• A Letter to the Editor of the Navbharat Times by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• The Divinity of Śrī Caitanyadeva by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Śrī Caitanyadeva and Communism by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭaka (Eight Stanzas of Significance) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Vṛndāvane Bhajana (Worship in Vṛndāvana) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Grantha Samālocanā (A Book Review) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Grow More Food! by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Vairāgya Nāṭaka – A Comedy Drama by Śrīla Prabhupāda
• Become Guru! by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Dharma and the Modern World by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Religiosity – Real and Apparent by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Kṛṣṇa – The Supreme Vedāntist – by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda