Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya
In this chapter Sri Krishna gradually moves to the level of Samadhi. There are different levels of Samadhi,
Samadhi
Samprajnata Samadhi:
Ekagrata(Mind focused)
- Savitarka Samadhi: on object
- Savicara Samadhi: on thought
Asamprajnata Samadhi:
Nirodha (Mind stopped)
As we discussed five levels of mind control:
Five states in mind control:
- Mudha (deluded, as in sleep, laziness or dullness)
- Kshipta (agitated, as in stress or mania)
- Vikshipta (distracted, as in a lecture in a noisy environment),
- Ekagrata (concentrated, as in a serious student revising an hour before the exam)
- Niroddha (controlled, as in a devotee absorbed in samadhi, the trance of love)
Samadhi is not like digital 0 & 1, it is analog Yogis progress it gradually. Yogis progresses deeper and deeper into Samadhi, so there are different kinds of Samadhi,
Samprajnata Samadhi means actually the mind is focused and the mind is calm it is focused on one particular thing generally our mind is wandering over dozens of things but at the level of Samprajnata Samadhi the mind is focused on one thing and after being focused on one things the mind moves forward, onwards, eventually the mind at material level stops, when the mind stops that is called Asamprajnata Samadhi
E.g. television example the attention was caught up in television.
Within material world there are so many illusion but Sri Krishna has manifests like Deity, Holy name, when we fix our mind in these manifestation of Sri Krishna that is Samadhi.
When the mind is Asamprajnata Samadhi that means the mind is stopped, so e.g. instead of looking at one thing on TV this person stopped looking TV he turned away from TV and looks elsewhere. So that is a higher level. Why is that higher level because at that level, one is not at all connected to illusion so mind is stopped, so there is Samprajnata and Asamprajnata. Samprajnata means the mind is conscious of material level of reality but within material level of reality the focus is on spiritual concept. Whereas on Asamprajnata level mind is turned away from material reality and focused on spiritual reality. So with in the 5 levels Samprajnata is at the level of Ekagrata, the mind is focused where as Asamprajnata the mind is stopped when one turns inwards,
Samadhi
Samprajnata Samadhi:
Ekagrata(Mind focussed)
- Savitarka Samadhi: on object
- Savicara Samadhi: on thought
Asamprajnata Samadhi:
Nirodha(Mind stopped)
Savitaraka Samadhi means an external object which is used to focus the mind. So external object may be, one may start fixing the mind on the tip of nose (6.13) OR may be middle of eyebrow. Or one may look at some external Yantra. So there can be various things on which one focuses on, when one is trying to focus, the essential principle is one wanted to move from lower level reality which is material level of reality to higher level of reality which is spiritual reality. So if an external object helps one in concentrating that way one can use that. So this is not considered a very high level of concentration, because one requires an external object to concentrate. That is Savitaraka.
Now beyond that one may take an internal conception to focus on, so here the focus is on thought, realities are at three level physical, mental and spiritual.
So if one uses a physical reality as a focal point that is savitaraka Samadhi, so one moves forward and takes object as mental level reality that means one takes a thought or a conception and focuses on that e.g. thinking about image of Sri Krishna so it is not a revelation coming from spiritual level it is a conception that we are trying to have in mind this is Savichara, so is it that thoughts are bad, no it is not bad but at current level of conception even the thought which we have is material and when one is having material thought one cannot be at spiritual level of consciousness. So Savichara Samadhi means one is at mental level of conception. And one is not necessarily at spiritual level of conception. But one choose a mental conception one chooses a thought for contemplation that helps us to go inwards, that helps one to raise consciousness higher, so this is Svichara Smadhi. So all these what we are discussing here is largely from Patanjali Sutra.
So next one is level where one doesn’t need a physical object or mental object but directly spiritual object that is the higher level of Samadhi when one attains it is called Perfection within yogic path.
So yogas chit vriti nirodha…that is the principle of yoga. Chita Vrithi is movement of consciousness, stopping is nirodha, material movement of consciousness stops, this is understanding of progressive perfection in the path of Yoga.
Now in Bhakti understanding also there is smadhi, for devotee the samadhi does not need to have cessation of physical or mental level, that may be there but that is not the essential point, the essential point is not cessation of point at physical or mental level but it is the stimulation of activity at devotional level. That means devotee starts perceiving higher reality and not just perceiving but participating at higher reality, perceiving here means able to see in lila even from this world although those might be happening in spiritual world, but some time exalted devotees were also able to participate in these lila’s although physically it looked as if they were in this world e.g. Rupa Goswami boiling milk. Rupa Goswami laughing in the past time of Sri Sri Radha Krishna where Smt Radha Rani wanted to pluck the flower Krishna lifted Her and then left Her hanging, Smt Radha rani was fearful and asking for help and Sri Krishna was laughing seeing this pastime Srila Rupa Goswami started laughing when a Varista Vaishanava was passing by that area who happens to be a lame he was walking with limp and he thought that Rupa Goswami laughing at me and he got upset by that, why he is laughing at me and as soon as that Vaishanava got upset Roopa Goswami trance broke, and he was thinking that was the wonderful pastime and what happen and he tried to meditate but that didn’t happen then he understood that probably I have done something which has displeased devotees and because of this my vision of pastime went off, he consulted Sanatana Goswami and Sanatana Goswami told that you invite all Vaishanava for feast whoever does not come that is the Vaishanava who is displeased, you find out and then you go and seek forgiveness, this way he came to know about him and he went and asked what has happened and then that Vaishanava revealed his heart then Rupa Goswami said no-no I was not laughing at you and he explained the whole situation was clarified so this is perception of higher reality. For a devotee samadhi is not just disconnection from physical and mental level of reality it is stimulation activation of spiritual reality. Then next is not just perception but also participation that means a devotee not only perceive the pastime of Krishna but also see his role in that and the devotee participate in that past time also.
Another pastime when Raghunath Das Goswami was sick and Vaidhaya told because of over eating he was sick….so what has happened at spiritual level that has also effected at material level, the body got upset.
In NOD it is described Manas Puja where a devotee try to serve Sri Krishna by offering Khir in mind… and his finger got burn …what is happening is because of devotional contemplation, what is happening at higher level is also manifested at lower level, so the point is for a devotee Samadhi is not just passive meditation, it is active not just perception but active participation.
This is seen in Lord Chaitanya pastimes…His transcendence can be seen at three level, one level is perception Lord Chaitanya was walking on road and he saw Sri Krishna in Jagannath Vallabh Garden and he run leaving all other devotees, charge away with full speed, to embrace Sri Krishna and when he reach there Sri Krishna has disappeared and he would faint. This is not imagination actually Sri Krishna is present and a devotee got glimpse of Sri Krishna. This is also Samadhi. Sometimes Lord Chaitanya will participate in Sri Krishna’s pastime, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu jumped in sea his body got completely changed, the participation in the pastime has not only have small effect like indigestion or finger burn but all joints in His body has become disjoined or sometime he become like Kurma avatar… devotee will become frightened to see such transformation .
Bhakti Vinod Thakur has talked about Sahaj Smadhi which is by practice of Bhakti Yoga, sometimes Srila Prabhupada has exhibited these although most of the time he will maintain so that he don’t go in ecstasy but some time ecstasy will take him. These were also shown by Gopis and foremost by Smt. Radha Rani. Mentioned in SB by Bramar Gita (10 Canto 46 & 47 Ch), when Uddava came…these Bhava exhibited can be achieved in Gaudiya Vaishnava line…generally the idea is that God is the giver and we are the receiver but nowhere this kind of things are mentioned in any religion where Sri Krishna told Gopis that I am indebted because of your service and I cannot pay it. This is the kind of Samadhi we get when we steadily practice and come to perfection in this line.
- 10-32: From practice to perfection in yoga
- 10-32 defines how one will achieve perfection when one is practicing yoga.
- 16-23: Realization of Paramatma
Bg 6.18
yadā viniyataṁ cittam
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate
nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo
yukta ity ucyate tadā
Word for word:
yadā — when; viniyatam — particularly disciplined; cittam — the mind and its activities; ātmani — in the transcendence; eva — certainly; avatiṣṭhate — becomes situated; nispṛhaḥ — devoid of desire; sarva — for all kinds of; kāmebhyaḥ — material sense gratification; yuktaḥ — well situated in yoga; iti — thus; ucyate — is said to be; tadā — at that time.
Translation:
When the yogī, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence – devoid of all material desires – he is said to be well established in yoga.
yadā viniyataṁ cittam, once one has controlled his senses, here Citta refers to consciousness,
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate, one become situated at the level of atma, tiṣṭhate, situated, and the person is nispṛhaḥ, spṛhaḥ is desire, nispṛhaḥ is no desires sarva-kāmebhyo, having no hankering for any desires
yukta ity ucyate tadā, such a person is Yuka, Yukta is well situated, it is interesting Sri Krishna is used Yukta in previous verse also, and He said Yuktahara Viharas Yukta Karmas chetasa, there is another meaning of word Yukta there Srila Prabhupada has translated it as regulated, and here Srila Prabhupada has translated as well situated in Yoga. As we know word Yukta is connected with word yoga, so Yoga, Yogi, Yukta, Yukta means connected, so in verse Yukta viharas chetasa, Sri Krishna is saying while eating, sleeping , recreation while doing work one being Yuka, so yukta so this Yukta means connected. That means previous verse also means if while doing all activities one stays connected with the absolute truth then by such practice Yoga Bhavati Dukha, by such practice of yoga where yoga is not just a part time activity, yoga is a full time activity, yogi doesn’t stop ahar, Vihar, Sapna these are basic bodily requirement that has to be done, but while doing all these activity one stays Yuka, once stays connected, one remains focused on the absolute truth, in the path of Bhakti yoga that means we remember Sri Krishna. Whatever we are doing if we remember Sri Krishna then by that we stays purified, and we don’t get contaminated and because we stay connected with Sri Krishna we get further purified and we become free form all miseries, Yogo Bhavati Dhukha, and then Sri Krishna is telling in this verse what we have to do to become Yukta, if you want to stay connected with Sri Krishna you have to do these things, yadā viniyataṁ cittam
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate, yes we are doing eating we are doing sleeping but all the time we are viniyataṁ cittam, consciousness is controlled and is directed towards absolute truth, connection to the absolute truth is yuka and when we become yukta then while doing worldly activities nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo, Srila Prabhupada writes a devotees engages senses without arousing sensual desires, that means the sensual desires are the problems we can eat but it is not necessary that while eating we become agitated by sensual desires, if we are contemplating Sri Krishna and think this is Sri Krishna’s prasadam then revelation Sri Krishna Prasadam need not arouse sensual desires it can actually elevate us, so whatever service we do we cannot let ourselves agitated by sensual desire and when we can do like this then one can stay fixed in the situation of Yukta, one will stay engaged/ connected and how can one do this Srila Prabhupada again quotes, what he has quoted in 2.61 purport, SB 9.4.18 – 20, how Ambrish Maharja engages all the senses in Sri Krishna’s service.
Srila Prabhupada purport: This transcendental stage may be inexpressible subjectively by the followers of the impersonalist path, but it becomes very easy and practical for a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
What does it means? inexpressible subjectively, When impersonalist are asked what is the happiness in impersonal realisation, ultimately the idea is we have to silence all our emotions, ultimate existence is devoid of any positive activity any relationships any emotions then what is happiness? Then they said actually this happiness is anirvachaniya, it is beyond words, it is inexpressible, so actually it is not only inexpressible but it is also in many ways inexperiencible, because the happiness in impersonal realisation is very small in comparison to the happiness in devotional realisation, and it is very-very difficult for oneself to detach from matter, without connecting oneself to Sri Krishna, that is why it is a very arduous process, and it doesn’t necessarily leads to satisfactorily results, on the other hand Srila Prabhupada says for devotees it is very easy and practical, easy means yes engaging oneself in Sri Krishna’s service, it is easy it is practical, it is not that we have to think of something abstract, for the impersonalist, the only thing to think is that there is nothing to think because they think that everything is illusion, not everything is illusion even our thoughts are illusion, so then what do we do? No actually we have to think about Sri Krishna, the only thing to talk to impersonalist is that nothing to talk, only thing to do is there is nothing to do, and for many of these impersonalist only ananda is the ananda in their name, so actually this is unfortunate predicament. Brahmananda is some kind of ananda which is higher than the heavenly ananda but when compared to Bhakti ananda, we will study in NOD that there are hierarchy in various levels of ananda, and happiness of devotion is far greater than other forms of happiness. So Srila Prabhupada explains Simply abnegation is not practical, Abnegation is saying no-no, it is not practical it will not work and Srila Prabhupada says, transcendental engagement of the senses and the mind as described above is the perfect process for transcendental achievement, which is called yukta in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So here we see context specific explanation of the words (yukta), in previous verse Srila Prabhupada says Yukta means regulated, to be regulated in eating, sleeping then here he says Yukta means engage in the perfect process for transcendental achievement, that means the word Yukta has two aspects , to be well situated we have to be connected to the absolute truth and connection with the absolute truth means regulation of the interaction with the worldly objects and regulation with our worldly activities, so in 6.17 yukta refers to worldly aspects and 6.18 it refers to the connection objects so both are there in Yukta.
End of transcription.
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