ŚB 2.2.27: Satyaloka is very near to Vaikuṇṭha Planet | Rus-Split | 7.7.92 | Gopal Krishna Goswami

Since there's not much time for the class these days, I'm going to go straight to the— I'm going just to read the words once and go straight to the word meanings. I'm going straight to the word meanings. Naam. Naam. Never. Yaakṛhā. Om Agyānātmi Nandātiyāgyānāṁ Jñānāśarakaḥ Kākṣermeṇaṭaṇīnātāṁ Vṛdhlāvidvamāḥ. Actually, there was one more paragraph of Prabhupāda's purport I gave to them. So we were trying like last year's, I think. We didn't read it. Ayyata shoko na jārānam hetyo nārthena ko kṛṣṇa-radey pūlaḥ cecchato dāhār te payā nendam edam rānta-bhūḥ pāpārāvāmi dārjanāḥ. So Śrīkadeva Gosvāmī in this verse is describing the position of satya-dhoka. Satya-loka, as we explained yesterday, is also known as Brahmaloka because Lord Brahma resides on this planet. It is said in the Bhāgavatā, avān manasa gochara. That means that the Satya-loka cannot be described with our material sense. This Satya-loka, the residence of Lord Brahma, is almost as good as Vaikuntha. It's not Vaikuntha, but almost as good as Vaikuntha. And it is explained that this Satya Loka is approximately 1,870,000,000 miles above the sun, and the Satya Loka is only polka, 209 million miles below the Vaikuntha planet. Actually, from a material angle, 209 million miles between here, you say, oh, I can't even comprehend that part. But when you're talking about distances in the planetary system, this is nothing. So in this verse it is being explained that in Satya Loka, in Satya Loka there is no serious misery or old age or death. Now life in Satya Loka is definitely better than any of the material planets, but being elevated in Satya Loka— is also not the ultimate solution or the ultimate goal. Because eventually all the planets do get destroyed. Now in the purpose of this verse, Prabhupāda's making many significant points that we would like to present to all of you. The first point that Prabhupāda makes is that the foolish materialists do not take advantage of the knowledge that is revealed in the Vedic scriptures. We see that there are many academic scholars, many individuals are materially very, very qualified, but instead of accepting the Vedic teachings as they are, they use the Vedic teachings and give their own interpretation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na mām dṛṣṭhitvam mūraḥ prapadendu na ādama māyāya pārtā-jñānaśrambhāvanā śrī-dhārā. That those māyāya pārtā-jñāna, that's referred to those category of works. Intellectually well-equipped, but they don't accept the supremacy of God. They use the words of God to give their own interpretation. Therefore, one should receive this Vedic knowledge as it is coming down through the disciplic succession. And if you accept this knowledge through the disciplic succession as it is, then one will derive full benefits about the greatness of this Vedic knowledge. Just like if one takes the medicine according to doctor's prescription If you take the doctor's medicine according to the prescription, the medicine works. But if you dilute it, then it will not work. So in the purport, Prabhupada also points out the history of the Bhāgavad-gītā. If we were to ask in this class how long, when was the Bhāgavad-gītā spoken, most of you wouldn't answer it was spoken 5,000 years ago. But as Prabhupada says in the purport, this knowledge was first given to the Sankarīvāsava. This is revealed in the opening lines of the 4th chapter, where Kṛṣṇa gives the history of the Bhāgavad-gītā. So the understanding is that this knowledge was given by the Lord to Vivasvan. Vivasvan in turn gave it to Manu, and then Manu gave it to Ikṣvāku. And Ikṣvāku is the head of the dynasty in which Lord Rāma-chandra later on appeared. Ikṣvāku is the king of the earthly planet. And forefather of the Raghu dynasty, in which Lord Rāmachandra later on appeared. So this knowledge was by Kṛṣṇa to Vivasvan. It was spoken over 100 million years ago. But from Vivasvan to Manu, this knowledge was spoken at the beginning of Kṛṣṇa Yuga. This point is revealed in the Mahābhārata. In the Mahābhārata, it is said that on this earthly planet This knowledge was spoken at the beginning of Treta Yuga. Therefore, it is roughly estimated that this knowledge is 2,500,000 years old on this earthly planet. You may want to know how we have come up to this figure of 2,500,000, because when you use this figure in your preaching, some people may question the source. So Treta Yuga lasted for 1.2 million years. And Dvarpa Yuga lasted for 800,000 years. So 1.28 and 800,000 totals to 2 million and 5,000 years of Kali Yuga have passed by. So on this earthly planet, please remember, we are not talking about the time when the Lord revealed this knowledge to Vivasvan. We are only talking about from the time that Vivasvan gave to Manu, the father of mankind. This knowledge is 2 million, This small knowledge is more than 2 million years old. Therefore, this knowledge is very, very ancient. And if we take advantage of this ancient philosophy, then one can free oneself from the misery of material existence. Why was the Bhagavad-gītā spoken? Why was the Vedic knowledge spoken? It was all spoken to relieve mankind of one misery. As long as we make a material arrangement,, there will always be anxiety and misery. Therefore, one should receive this authentic knowledge from the proper source and practice it. Then one will get full benefit. Why did Krishna? Krishna explains, because in course of time the knowledge was lost. In order to re-establish the true method, he had to speak this knowledge again to Arjuna. And why was Arjuna selected? Because he was an unalloyed devotee and friend of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, Arjuna was selected to be the recipient of this great philosophy. Therefore, Prabhupāda says in one of the purports of the Gītā, that just like Kṛṣṇa had to speak the Bhāgavad-gītā again to establish the true meaning of the Gītā, so similarly Prabhupāda has translated the Bhāgavad-gītā because most of the translations, the real meaning has been distorted. Hence, to present the true meaning of the Bhāgavad-gītā, Prabhupāda had to re-translate, Prabhupāda had to present an authorized translation of the Gītā. So in your preaching, when you tell the people this knowledge is over 2 million years, then Prabhupāda in the purport also points out qualified brāhminā is not on the basis of birth. Qualified brāhminā is on the basis of qualification. Therefore in the Sākuntita, Kṛṣṇa said Jñātarvāṇa-māyā-sesṭham guṇa-karma-vibhāgataḥ. Guṇa, guṇa means quality. According to one's quality, one becomes the brahmin, śātri, or vaiśya, sudra. So brahmana means you are trained by a bona fide spiritual master in the principles of austerity, truthfulness, cleanliness, mercifulness. Brahmana must be trained in these four essential ingredients of religion. Therefore, a Vaiṣṇava, actually a Vaiṣṇava is even higher than a brahman. All of you are trying to become Vaiṣṇavas. We haven't become Vaiṣṇavas, but we are trying to become Vaiṣṇavas. By practicing the process of devotional service as it is coming down through the disciplic succession, one can become a brahmana. That's one kind of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means one is working exclusively for the pleasure of the Lord. And one is also concerned about the unhappiness of others. Therefore, he engages in preaching work. So by following these rules and regulations that have been coming down through the disciplic succession, one can advance on the spiritual path. In the purport that we did not read, Prabhupada makes a point that the Vedic literature enables us or teaches us to establish a relationship with the Lord. It is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that the Vedic scriptures help us to understand our relationship with God, and understanding and executing this phalāgrī is the highest wealth that one can cultivate in the human form of life. So the highest wealth in the human form of life is not the accumulation of material assets or the accumulation of material power. All these things get destroyed with the passage of time. It's the accumulation of love of God So from a material perspective, your devotees may have no bank balance and you may be traveling in metros into the Mercedes cars, but you devotees are the real millionaires of this country because you are trying to develop love of God. This is the only wealth that travels with the individual. Therefore, as Prabhupada says in the purport, if materialists attempt to find happiness but not succeed, just like if somebody hopes to find water in the desert, it will not succeed. Therefore, we cultivate the spiritual knowledge and make people aware of the spiritual knowledge. That is exactly why Prabhupāda pushed book distribution. That is why Lord Caitanya put the preaching effort, because through these endeavors the ignorance of mankind can be destroyed and one can be reminded about his constitutional position. So we are not even— the devotees are not even interested in going to any of the material planets. Even though Satya-loka is very nearby, Kṛnta-loka is the highest spiritual planet, the devotees are not interested in going there. Nor are the devotees even interested in going to the spiritual planet. Then what are they interested in? Are they desireless? Yes, they are desireless. They're considered desireless because, with their thought, because their desires are consistent with those of the Lord. And because their desires are consistent with the Lord, it is considered desireless. So the devotee's desire is to please the Lord and to serve the Lord. So in that regard, heaven and hell are both alike. Devotee only prays, my dear Lord, please just engage me in service and give me one benediction that I may never forget you. Because when you forget the Lord, that is the most unfortunate position to be in. So whether in hell or heaven, devotee is absorbed in meditation on the Lord, and it is this meditation that enables one to advance further. So to summarize the verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing in this verse the position of Satya Loka. And he described— actually, this Satya Loka, as we said, is also known as Brahman Loka in other parts of the scriptures, because this is where Lord Brahmā resides. And as I said, that the Satya Loka is very nearby Kuntala planet, only about 209 million miles away. And, uh, The inhabitants of Satya Loka do lead a comfortable life, but the ultimate goal is not Satya Loka. That is, the ultimate goal of the devotee is to serve the Lord without constraint whether or where he's going to go. If Kṛṣṇa wants, the devotee will go to hell. If he wants, maybe even serve Him in heaven. Wherever Kṛṣṇa wants, the devotee is willing to serve. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So I don't have time for questions. There's only 1 minute left. And, uh, Lama Lama Ale Ale.