The subject of today’s discourse is “Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma”. You know, wherever there is dharma there is some rule. An object may be animate, it may be inanimate, it may be human, it may be animal, but everything will have to follow a certain dharma. Nobody, no entity, can go beyond the jurisdiction of dharma. Oxygen follows a certain dharma, gold is guided by a certain dharma, a cow is guided by a certain dharma, a human is also guided by a certain dharma.

And what is dharma? You see, in the greater sense dharma means Bhágavata Dharma, and that is the dharma to be followed by humankind. What is the root meaning of dharma? The root verb dhr plus the suffix man equals dharma. Dharma means “holding entity”, “controlling entity”; dharma means svabháva, “characteristic property”. Dhryate dharma ityáhuh sa eva Paramah Prabhuh – “The holding entity, the containing entity, the controlling entity, is dharma. So for each and every living being, dharma is the Supreme Lord.” You will have to follow the dictates of dharma.

You see, the order of dharma, the dictates of dharma, are above all. Suppose a physician says, “As a human, you require animal protein for your health;” but suppose dharma says, “No, a human should not take carnal food;” then in that case you will have to follow dharma and not the physician, because the order of dharma is above all other orders. Dharma is the highest Lord, the highest authority.

Sukhaḿ váinchati sarvo hi
Tacca dharma samudbhútah;
Tasmáddharma sadákárya
Sarvavarńae prayatnatah.

[All living beings long for happiness. Dharma originates from that innate propensity. Hence dharma should always be observed meticulously by all people.]

You know, so far as people’s mental condition is concerned, one person is a shúdra, another person is a vaeshya, another a kśatriya, another a vipra and still another a sadvipra. People are classified as above according to their mental fitness, not according to complexion or birth. It has been clearly stated by Lord Krśńa that varńa [mental colour, psychological type] is decided not according to birth but according to action and attribution – Cáturvarńyaḿ mayá srśt́aḿ guńakarma vibhágashah – “According to guńa and karma (attribution and action) it is decided.”

Everybody wants happiness, and this desire for happiness has enabled humans to come in contact with dharma and to discover dharma. They have not invented dharma, they have only discovered it, because dharma was there before the creation of the human being. Humans cannot invent it, humans can only discover it. Its presence, maybe, was unknown to humans in the beginning.

Tasmáddharma sadákarya sarvavarńae prayatnatah. So for all varńas, whether a person is mentally a shúdra or a vaeshya or a kśatriya or a vipra – dharma is a must.

Now Bhagaván Krśńa says,

Sarvadharmán parityajya
Mámekaḿ sharanaḿ vraja;
Ahaḿ tváḿ sarvapápebhyo
Mokśayiśyámi máshucah.

[Set aside all other dharmas and take shelter in Me alone; I will save you from all sin, have no fear about that.]

What do the words sarvadharmán [“all dharmas”] denote? Just now it has been said that each and every entity has its peculiar dharma. It will have to follow that dharma. Now, so far as this expressed world is concerned, we may divide dharma into three broad categories.

One may be termed vastu dharma. It is a dharma that belongs to all created beings, animate or inanimate, oxygen or monkey. According to this vastu dharma you have to keep a particular gas or a particular medicine under certain climatic conditions, otherwise it will be destroyed. You will have to follow that rule. The substance will be produced at a certain temperature, and it will be used at a certain temperature; it will be found not everywhere, but only in certain environments. These conditions are all part of vastu dharma. At a particular temperature iron will become liquid, at a particular temperature iron will turn into gas. These things are all part of vastu dharma.

The second category is jaeva dharma – the dharma for living beings and elevated objects. They are to take food, they are to see, they are to die, and they are to maintain their families. These things are all part of jaeva dharma. For this jaeva dharma they are to follow certain codes. (It has already been explained that vastu dharma also has certain codes which scientists know and which are dealt with in books on physics and chemistry. If one doesn’t follow those codes, one will not be able to utilize those vastus (material objects). You know the dharma of electricity, so you have to follow certain codes if you want to utilize electricity. You cannot go beyond those codes. You may say that those codes are vastu shástra. Physics is a vastu shástra, chemistry also is a vastu shástra.) Similarly with jaeva dharma, you have to follow certain shástras. You cannot go beyond the codes of those shástras [scriptures].

What is a shástra? Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah [“That which controls the society by shásana is a shástra”]. Shásana has so many meanings. Actually shásana means “to control” and to impose the codes of discipline. Do this, don’t do this – to prescribe these dos and don’ts of life is the duty of shástra. And why does the shástra prescribe those things? For salvation and liberation shástras prescribe these dos and don’ts of life.

Then there is Bhágavata Dharma, the third category. This Bhágavata Dharma is mánava dharma [human dharma]. There is no difference between Bhágavata Dharma and mánava dharma. Human beings are to follow jaeva dharma for their physical maintenance and for a certain portion of their psychic elevation, and beyond the scope of this jaeva dharma they are to follow Bhágavata Dharma, mánava dharma. This is the actual dharma, the true spirit of the term “dharma” is in it.

Áhára-nidrá-bhaya-maethunaiṋca
Sámányametad pashubhirnaránám;
Dharmo hi teśám adhiko visheśah
Dharmena hiináh pashubhih samánáh.

[Food, sleep, fear, procreation – these are the common properties of humans and animals. But humans possess an especial dharma (Bhágavata Dharma), in the absence of which they are as bad as animals.]

This Bhágavata Dharma differentiates a human being from a beast. A human being who does not follow Bhágavata Dharma is a beast. That is, in the above shloka it has been said that he or she is a beast. But I say that he or she is worse than a beast, because the beast does not know what to do and what not to do, but a human being knows what to do and what not to do. So if a human does not follow the codes of Bhágavata Dharma, that person is worse than an animal – not pashubhih samánáh [“the same as an animal”], but worse than an animal.

Now, since this Bhágavata Dharma is a must for all human beings, a human being should follow the doctrine of Bhágavata Dharma from his or her very childhood. There should be maximum utilization of his or her human existence, human calibre, human mind, and human spirit. Dhruva says,

Kaomára ácaret prájiṋah
Dharmán Bhágavatániha;
Durlabhaḿ mánuśaḿjanma
Tadapya dhruvamarthadaḿ.

Dhruva says, that is, “A person should follow this Bhágavata Dharma, here in this world.” (The word iha means “here”, “in this world”.) “One should follow Bhágavata Dharma from one’s very childhood, because human life is rare and is very precious.” Even the devatás,⁽¹⁾ if they want to do something good or great, will have to come in human frame to work. A devatá as devatá cannot do anything good; the devatá requires a human framework. So human life is very precious, very rare; “and such life is still more rare, still more precious, if it has become successful by dint of Bhágavata Dharma, or by dint of sádhaná.” So a wise person should get initiated and should start sádhaná in his or her very childhood, or kaomára.

Lord Krśńa gave the above sermon [Sarvadharmán…] in the Bhagavad Giitá. And why the name Bhagavad Giitá?

Because it has been expressed by Bhagaván. Yá Bhagavatá giita sá giitá – “That which has been sung by Bhagaván is giitá.” Gae + kta, striyáḿ [feminine gender] t́á: the root verb gae means “to sing”, kta means “done”; that is, [the word means] “sung”. Striyáḿ t́á makes it feminine, giitá. And the derivation of the word Bhágavata is: bhaga + matup = Bhágavata. What is Bhagaván? Bhaga plus the matup suffix in the nominative case becomes bhagaván. The word is bhágavata, but in the nominative case bhagaván. And what is the meaning of bhaga? In Sanskrit bhaga has many meanings. But two of the meanings are important: one meaning is “fortune” and the other meaning is “the collection of six attributes”.

From bhaga we say bhagya or “fortune”. In Vedic Sanskrit “fortunate” was expressed as bhagadhara; dhara means “holder” and bhaga means “fortune”. The bhagadhara of old Sanskrit became bahadhara in old Persian.

From bahadhara it became bahadar in Punjabi, bahadar in Urdu and báhádur in Hindi. But the actual word is bhagadhara, it means “fortunate”.

Now, the other meaning of the word bhaga is:

Aeshvaryaiṋca samagraḿ viiryaḿca yashasah shriyah;
Jiṋána vaerágyaiṋca śańáḿ bhaga iti smrtah.

[Bhaga is a collection of six attributes: aeshvarya, viirya, yasha, shrii, jiṋána, and vaerágya.]

Bhaga is a collection of six attributes. Number one is [in turn a collection of] all the occult powers: ańimá, laghimá, mahimá, ishitva, vashitva, etc.

Number two, viiryam, denotes “command”. Bhagaván should have command over the general public, because He is to guide them; that is why He should have command over them. In Urdu “command” is hukumat.

Then there is another word, yasha; it means “reputation”. One should remember, here “reputation” has been used both in the extremely positive and in the extremely negative sense. There is positive reputation and there is also negative reputation. Lord Shiva came to this world about 7000 years ago; even now there are many who are His admirers, there are many others who are His opponents. The Iyers in South India will say, “Oh! Lord Shiva was great;” the Iyengars will say, “No, Lord Shiva was not great.” Lord Krśńa came about 3500 years ago; even now you will see there are so many admirers and so many opponents of Krśńa. That is, when Táraka Brahma comes, the entire intellect of the world gets polarized – one north pole, another south pole; one admirer, another opponent. There were the gopabálákas [cowherds] of Vrindavana who loved Krśńa very much, and there were Kansa, Putana Raksasi, Bakasur and Aghasur who were His deadly enemies. So during Krśńa’s time there was polarization.

Now let the word shrii be defined and explained. What is the meaning of the word shrii? It means “attraction” or “charm”. Sha + ra – ii = shrii. In very old Vedic language there was only one sa, dantya sa [dental “s”], and that was pronounced by touching the teeth from inside. But from the Dravidians (old inhabitants of India), the Aryans (who came from Central Asia) learned the use of tálavya sha [palatal “s”] and múrdhanya śa [cerebral “s”]. Dantya sa is the acoustic root of the sentient principle, or sattvaguńa; that is, it is the biija mantra of sattvaguńa. Tálavya sha is the acoustic root of the mutative principle, that is, rajoguńa. It is the biija mantra of rajoguńa. Múrdhanya śa is the acoustic root of the static principle, it is the biija mantra of tamoguńa. Now, ra is the acoustic root of energy. (Remember, when a binding principle functions within the arena of matter then it is known as energy, otherwise it is to be known as principle. A guńa becomes balam [energy] when functioning within the scope of matter. It (balam) cannot function without matter.) And the [suffix] ii makes this word feminine.

So the entity that has the charm of the mutative principle and the activating faculty of energy is shrii; actually shrii means “attraction”, “charm”; rather, “attraction and stamina”.

And what is the meaning of jiṋánam? It means the subjectivization of external objectivity. When the external objectivity is subjectivized by you, then you have acquired jiṋánam of that entity, of that object. But for this subjectivization there should be three entities – the knowing entity, the subject; the known entity, the object; and the activating faculty that connects subject with object. So for jiṋánam three entities are prerequisites – the knower, the known, and the activating faculty.

There may be a defect in the knower; there may be a defect in the emanation of the known; or there may be a defect in [the] activating faculty, or jiṋána-kriyá. So in the case of this jiṋánam or jiṋána-kriyá, there is every possibility that it will be imperfect due to certain distortions. But what is actual jiṋána? Actual jiṋána means the complete assimilation of external objectivities. It is átmajiṋána, and in this jiṋána there is no scope for distortion, because in the case of átmajiṋána the three entities mentioned above will not remain. The knower and the known are the same entity in the case of átmajiṋánam. When you know that you yourself are the knower, the jiṋátá, and you yourself are the known, there will remain no linking faculty; so all the three entities – the known, the knower and the activating faculty – become one in the case of átmajiṋánam (complete assimilation of external objectivities). But in the case of the other jiṋánam, as already found, there remain three entities. So átmajiṋánam is the only jiṋánam, it is the proper knowledge; it is, in the true sense of the term, jiṋána.

Átmajiṋánaḿ vidurjiṋánaḿ jiṋánányanyáni yánitu;
Táni jiṋánávabhásáni sárasyanaeva bodhanát.

“Átmajiṋánam is true knowledge, others are the distortions of knowledge, the shadow of knowledge, or you can say the umbra and penumbra of knowledge; hence they are not proper jiṋána.”

Vi – ranj + ghaiṋ = vaerágya. Another faculty of bhaga is vaerágya. Do you know what vaerágya is?

Whenever you come in contact with different objects, physical or mental, under the spell of physical pabulum or mental pabulum, those objects have pictorial colours. Those colours may or may not be visible, but the colours are there. Similarly, whenever you come in contact with any thing, or any external object, those objects have their peculiar acoustic waves also, and those acoustic waves may or may not be audible, but those waves are there. Now when a sádhaka, by dint of his sádhaná, establishes mental equilibrium – a mental equipoise – then what happens? The sádhaka remains in this world and does all his or her mundane duties with mundane objectiv[ities], but the sádhaka’s mind is never assailed by the colours of those entities. Since his or her mind is not affected or assailed by those entities, then we will say that that sádhaka has established himself or herself in vaerágya. Vaerágya does not mean “renunciation”. That is a defective explanation and interpretation of the term vaerágya. You should remain in this world and do your duty with a balanced mind. So the collection of these six faculties – all the occult powers, command, reputation, charm, self-knowledge and mental equipoise – are known as bhaga, and the owner of this bhaga is Bhagaván.

Now, Bhagaván Krśńa says, “You leave aside all other dharmas.”⁽²⁾ All other dharmas are vastu dharmas and jaeva dharma. You need not do anything for vastu dharma, because it is automatic. Nor need you do anything for jaeva dharma, because it is automatic. You feel hungry before a meal, so you feel the urge to satisfy your hunger; you feel thirsty before drinking water, and that is why you try to quench your thirst. You need not do anything particularly for that purpose. But for Bhágavata Dharma you have to do. That is why it has been said above, “Ensconce thyself in Me, come under My [shelter], that is, follow the path of Bhágavata Dharma.”

What is Bhágavata Dharma? It has already been said that Bhágavata Dharma and mánava dharma are the same thing. A person, in human framework, must follow Bhágavata Dharma, otherwise it is not a person, it is an animal in human framework.

In another discourse, I already explained that there are three essentialities in Bhágavata Dharma – vistára (expansion), rasa (flow), and sevá (service). Everybody wants expansion. Now for this psychic expansion one is to do spiritual sádhaná. It is the speciality of the human mind, and also of all other minds, that it takes the form of its object. Now, the Cosmic Puruśa is the object, so naturally the mind will also become like Him. Brahmavid Brahmaeva bhavati [“One who realizes Brahma becomes Brahma”].

So the first essentiality of Bhágavata Dharma is vistára. To quench this thirst for vistára, one is to do sádhaná regularly, and this sádhaná will expand the person’s mental arena. In this way a day is sure to come when the person’s mind will become one with the Cosmic Mind. This is called vistára.

The second essentiality is rasa. Rasa means “flow”. You know, whether there is any expression or not, in the Cosmic Citishakti there is a never-ending flow. That flow has no curvature. It moves on just like a straight line. This Citishakti is known as Shiva, also. (When the Citishakti is the Transcendental Entity, Its activating power is Its innate principle. Now when the innate principle or binding principle or activating principle gets the chance to create something concrete, then the Citishakti is known as Shiva. When within the transcendental scope of the Citishakti the activating force does not get the scope to create something concrete, in that case the Citishakti is known as Parashiva, and the nucleus of this Parashiva is known as Ádishiva. For Shiva the English term will be the “Attributed Consciousness”, for Parashiva the “Non-Attributed Consciousness”, and for Ádishiva the “Supreme Noumenal Subjectivity”.) Now in the case of Shiva, that is, in the case of this expressed universe, there is force, there is wave, but those waves are not straight waves. They are not straight lines. There are curvatures in those waves due to the influence of the binding principles of Mahámáyá [the Supreme Operative Principle]. But in the case of Parashiva, the movement is there, but it is in a straight line. So wherever there is Shiva, wherever there is the Cognitive Faculty, wherever there is Citishakti, there must be flow, there must be rasa. That is why it has been said for Him that He is sarvadyotanátmaka akhańd́a cidaekarasah – an “all-vibrating, unbroken flow of cognition”.

In the Vedas it has been said, Rasa bae sah [“The Supreme Entity is the embodiment of the flow of bliss”]. What is His speciality? He is a flow, a rasa, and His devotees were able to dance according to the rhythm of that rasa. Devotees always dance, either physically or mentally, according to a certain rhythm, a certain chandá. So the devotees dance according to the rhythm of His flow. And Parama Puruśa, Krśńa – Ádishiva as the hub, as the Noumenal Subjectivity – is in the centre, and the devotees, all human beings of the entire universe, of Hariparimańd́ala, dance around Him according to those rhythms. In the centre or the hub Parama Puruśa exists, and His devotees are dancing around Him according to the rhythms of the waves emanated from His body. It is the rásaliilá of Parama Puruśa, it is the rásaliilá of Bhagaván Krśńa – the dancing in tune with the rasa, or Cosmic flow.

Vistára was the first item of Bhágavata Dharma, and the second one is rasa. Through kiirtana, while dancing, you enjoy that Cosmic rasa, and you attain vistára through dhyána and japa as you learn from your ácárya.

The third factor of Bhágavata Dharma is sevá. You know that there are two words, sevá and vyavasáya. The meaning of vyavasáya is “business”. Business is always mutual. If you want one kilo of sugar you will have to pay for it: you give something and they will give you sugar. So business is mutual, not unilateral. But sevá [service] is always unilateral; you give something in sevá but take nothing in return. This is sevá. In the advertisements of certain business concerns, you can find written: “We have been serving the nation for fifty years.” No, no, that is not sevá, it is vyavasáya, because they are being paid for it. The railways are not rendering service to you, because you are paying for your journey by train. If it were unilateral, then only could you have accepted it as service. You should understand clearly the difference between sevá and vyavasáya, between service and business.

Your relationship with Parama Puruśa is that of sevá. Now in sevá, while doing your sádhaná in your mental arena, in your psycho-spiritual arena, or mentally while you are uttering the incantation or repeating it, you should mentally serve your object of adoration, or object of meditation. Simply uttering the mantra won’t suffice; mentally you should serve Him. Again, in this world of physicality you are to serve Náráyańa physically – Náráyańa in the form of people in deep [trouble]. This is service, selfless service. Service always is selfless, because it is unilateral; it is not mutual, but one-sided.

So vistára, rasa and sevá – these are the three essentialities for Bhágavata Dharma. Bhágavata Dharma is a must for every human being. This Bhágavata Dharma one should practise from one’s very childhood.

Lord Krśńa also advised people to follow this Bhágavata Dharma only. And to follow Bhágavata Dharma, you are also to follow the shástra of Bhágavata Dharma. You are to follow Yama and Niyama, you are to follow the code of discipline, you are to attend Dharmacakra weekly. These are all codes of discipline as prescribed by Bhágavata Dharma. You must follow these codes. There cannot be any concession in this respect, rather concession is dangerous. Atha yogánushásanam. “One must follow anushásanam. One must follow the code of discipline.” One may be a king or may be a very poor man, but the code of dharma is equally applicable to all. In this matter, nobody can claim any special concession or favour. Lord Krśńa says, “You follow me, that is, you follow my word, follow Bhágavata Dharma, because you are a human being.”

What is the meaning of Krśńa? Krś means “to attract”. So Krśńa means “One who attracts the whole creation”. He is the nucleus of the entire Cosmological order.

Another meaning of krśńa is [krśibhuh]. It means “I exist because He exists.” So He is called Krśńasvarúpa. A fish exists because water exists. In that sense, water is krśńa for a fish. Why does a fish exist? Because water exists. Similarly, all living beings exist because He exists. That is why He is Paramasvarúpa for all. This is the real meaning of the word Krśńa. He says: “You leave all other dharmas, give up all other isms, you just follow me, you just follow Bhágavata Dharma, because you are a human being.” Lord Krśńa again says, “Suppose you are a sinner, you are a degraded person, your past was black; even then, if you follow Me, I will liberate you from all the fetters of all sins – all the reactive momenta. I am with you, I am to help you, I am to liberate you.”

Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák;
So’pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhanát.

[If even the most wicked people worship Me with a concentrated mind, I will liberate them from the three bondages.]

You know, sinners are of different standards. A pickpocket and a murderer are not of the same standard. Sinners belong to different standards. Now sudurácára means “the worst sinner”; such a person is even hated by other sinners – is the sinner of sinners. Yet, “If even a sudurácára takes the shelter of Parama Puruśa” – bhajate mámananyábhák – “ensconces himself or herself in Me, surrenders at My altar” – “then that person also will be freed from the bondage of sin” – so’pi pápavinirmuktah. He or she will definitely be freed from the reactive momenta of all sins. “He or she will be freed from all the bondages of bhava”⁽³⁾ – mucyate bhavabandhanát. Then that person will become one with Me, will be in Me. A devotee must remember that for him or her, there is only one dharma, and that is Bhágavata Dharma. Through this dharma he or she is taking the shelter of Parama Puruśa. In the past, it may be that that person was a sinner or may be that that person was very good; but that question does not arise here; that person is to take shelter in Parama Puruśa. So a devotee has no other dharma but to take shelter in Him.

One should know the story of when Krśńa once became very ill. He was treated in so many hospitals; there were so many blood tests and urine tests. He was treated in Mathura hospital, in Dwaraka hospital, in Indrapastha hospital, and in many other hospitals, but doctors failed to cure Him. Then the devotees approached Him gracefully: “Oh, Lord, we have failed, the physicians have failed, now You prescribe some medicine.”

Krśńa said, “I need only one medicine. If the foot-dust of my devotees is collected and I get a chance to touch that dust with My head, only in that case will I be cured. The carańarajah of my devotees – if that is touched by My head, then only will I be cured.”

Hearing this, the bhaktas said, “No, no, no, we cannot give our foot-dust to you, how can we give our foot-dust to Lord Krśńa? It will be a great pápa, it will be the action of a sinner, we will be sinning then. No, no, we cannot do it, we cannot, that will be our mahápápa [great sin].”

Then everybody approached Maharshi Narada, because he can settle the unsettled facts and can also unsettle the settled facts. So he was the most efficient man for this purpose. He went everywhere from America to Russia, from China to Japan, just to collect a single iota of foot-dust. But everybody replied to him, “No, no, it will be mahápápa, we cannot do it.”

Then Maharshi Narada approached the vrajabálákas of Vrindavana. They were very plain and very simple village boys and devotees of Krśńa. They said, “Oh! Krśńa said this? He wants our foot-dust? Yes, yes, take it, take it, take it. Let our Lord be cured first.”

Narada then cautioned the boys, “Do you know it will be mahápápa for you?” The boys replied, “Let there be mahápápa, but let our Lord be cured first. You see, Maharshi Narada, we do not know whether we are actually devotees or not. But today let there be an experiment. Let the dust be touched, and if He is cured, then well and good; and if not, it will be proved that we are not devotees. But what is the harm if you take the dust? Let our Lord be cured. We don’t know pápa or puńya – we know only the Lord. We are ready to live in naraka, hell, if the Lord is there in naraka. We are not ready to go to svarga, heaven, if the Lord is in naraka.”

This is the proper mentality of a devotee. Devotees do not consider pápa or puńya. They only know the Lord. And everyone should remember this fact.

Footnotes

(1) Devatás, in the literal sense, are the vibrational expressions emanating from the Macrocosm. Figuratively they are gods and goddesses, who in mythology crave human birth. The author also sometimes used the word in a poetic way to denote devayonis, or “luminous bodies”, beings whose bodies have no solid factor or liquid factor. –Eds.

(2) Sarvadharmán parityajya, quoted previously. –Eds.

(3) That part of one’s saḿskáras which carries one to the next life. –Eds.