(Continued)

 

Chapter 18

Pilgrim with a Purpose

 

Ajamila continued: "I am a shameless cheater who has killed his brahminical culture. Indeed, I am sin personified. What am I in comparison to the all-auspicious chanting of the holy name of Lord Narayana?

"I am such a sinful person, but since I have now gotten this opportunity, I must completely control my mind, life, and senses and always engage in devotional service so that I may not fall again into the deep darkness and ignorance of material life.

"Because of identifying oneself with the body, one is subjected to desires for sense gratification, and thus one performs many kinds of pious and impious acts. This is what constitutes material bondage. Now I shall disentangle myself from my material bondage, which has been caused by the Supreme Lord's illusory energy in the form of a woman. Being a most fallen soul, I was victimized by the illusory energy and have become like a dancing dog led around by a woman's hand. Now I shall give up all lusty desires and free myself from this illusion. I shall become a merciful, well-wishing friend to all living entities and always absorb myself in Krsna consciousness.

"Simply because I chanted the holy name of the Lord in the association of devotees, my heart is now becoming purified. Therefore I shall not fall victim again to the false lures of material sense gratification. Now that I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, I shall no longer identify myself with the body. I shall give up the false conceptions of 'I' and 'mine' and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Krsna."

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Because of a moment's association with devotees--the Visnudutas--Ajamila detached himself from the material conception of life with determination. Thus free from all material attraction, he immediately started for Hardwar. There he took shelter at a Visnu temple, where he executed the process of bhakti-yoga. He controlled his senses and fully applied his mind in the service of the Lord. Thus Ajamila fully engaged in devotional service, and in this way he detached his mind from the process of sense gratification and became fully absorbed in thinking of the form of the Lord.

When his intelligence and mind were fixed upon the form of the Lord, Ajamila once again saw before him four celestial persons. He could understand that they were those he had seen previously, and thus he offered them his obeisances by bowing down before them.

Upon seeing the Visnudutas, Ajamila gave up his material body at Hardwar on the bank of the Ganges. He regained his original, spiritual body--one appropriate for an associate of the Lord. Accompanied by the order-carriers of Lord Visnu, he then boarded an airplane made of gold. Passing through the airways, he went directly to the abode of Lord Visnu, the husband of the goddess of fortune.

Because of bad association, Ajamila had given up all brahminical culture and religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he had stolen, drunk liquor, and performed other abominable acts. He had even kept a prostitute. Thus he had been destined to be carried away to hell by the

order-carriers of Yamaraja. But he was immediately rescued simply by a glimpse of the chanting of the holy name Narayana.

Therefore one who desires freedom from material bondage should adopt the process of chanting and glorifying the name, fame, form, and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand. One cannot derive this benefit from other methods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge, or meditation in mystic yoga, because even after following such methods a person will take to fruitive activities again, unable to control his mind, which is contaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and ignorance.

Because this very confidential historical narration has the potency to vanquish all sinful reactions, a person who hears or describes it with faith and devotion is no longer doomed to hellish life, regardless of his having a material body and regardless of how sinful he may have been. Indeed, the Yamadutas do not approach him even to see him. After giving up his body, he returns home, back to Godhead, where he is very respectfully received and worshiped.

While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if a person faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, what doubt is there that he will return to Godhead? (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.34-49)

 

Determination

 

The holy name of God is all-auspicious. Therefore for one who constantly practices chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, there cannot be any inauspiciousness. Just by chanting, one is put into an auspicious condition of life perpetually.

Those engaged in broadcasting the holy name through the Krsna consciousness movement should always consider what their position was before they came and what it is now. They had fallen into abominable lives as meat-eaters, drunkards, and woman-hunters, performing all kinds of sinful activities, but now they have been given the opportunity to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Therefore they should always appreciate this opportunity. By the grace of the Lord we are opening many branches, and the members of this movement should use this good fortune to chant the holy name of the Lord and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. They must be conscious of the difference between their present conditions and their past conditions and should always be very careful not to fall from the most exalted life of Krsna consciousness. Every devotee of Krsna should have this determination. Devotees have been elevated to an exalted position by the mercy of Krsna and the spiritual master, and if they remember that this is a great opportunity and pray to Krsna that they will not fall again, their lives will be successful.

Being fully Krsna conscious, Ajamila settled the debts he had accrued due to his sinful activities, and he was filled with determination to continue chanting the holy name of the Lord, Narayana: "If I continue chanting the holy name of the Lord," he thought, "I will always be engaged in the highest welfare activities for the benefit of all living entities, and I shall be very peaceful." Because he was now purified of all sinful reactions, Ajamila realized that Krsna was dictating from within his heart that his duty was to become every living entity's well-wisher.

 

Everyone's Friend

 

The devotees of the Lord are very kind. They preach Krsna consciousness for the welfare of the general public, and thus they are friends to all living entities. Others cannot be the well-wishers of all. The politicians, for example, engage in so-called service of their countrymen, but they are not the true friends of everyone in the land, because although they may serve the interests of their fellow men, they do not look after the interests of the animals. In this way they discriminate. A devotee is a friend to every living entity, whether man, animal, insect, or plant. A devotee is not willing to kill even an ant, but a nondevotee will mercilessly send animals to the slaughterhouse and in the same breath declare himself the friend of everyone.

Krsna, God, is the best friend of every living entity. He is equal to everyone. He is not only the friend of the residents of Vrndavana--the gopis, His parents, the cowherd men and boys, the cows--but He is everyone's friend, because everyone is part and parcel of Him. So Krsna loves everyone unlimitedly. And Krsna's devotees inherit the superexcellent loving qualities of Krsna. Therefore they are truly the friends of everyone.

The karmis, fruitive workers, perform sinful acts for their personal interest, killing innocent animals and becoming puffed up with their material opulence. Jnanis, those in search of liberation through knowledge of Brahman, are also interested only in themselves. But bhaktas, or devotees, are interested in the well-being of everyone. A devotee is especially merciful to the fallen, conditioned souls. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the personification of bhakti, loving devotion to God, teaching all of us how to become devotees. He is therefore called patita-pavana, or the one who delivers the fallen, conditioned souls. Anyone following in His footsteps is also patita-pavana. Ajamila was now in this same mood, and thus he thought, "Now I shall be able to become the friend of all living entities and become peaceful."

This should be the standard of determination for all Krsna conscious persons. A devotee of Krsna should free himself from the clutches of maya, and he should also be compassionate to all others suffering in those clutches. The activities of the Krsna consciousness movement are meant not only for oneself but for others also. This is the perfection of Krsna consciousness. One who is interested only in his own salvation is not as advanced in Krsna consciousness as one who feels compassion for others and who therefore propagates Krsna consciousness. Such an advanced devotee will never fall down, for Krsna will give him special protection. That is the sum and substance of the Krsna consciousness movement. Everyone is like a plaything in the hands of the illusory energy and is acting as she dictates. One should come to Krsna consciousness to release oneself and others from this bondage.

 

Association with Devotees

 

These verses lucidly explain how a living entity is victimized by his material conditioning. The beginning of illusion is to misidentify oneself as the body. Therefore the Bhagavad-gita begins with the spiritual instruction that

one is not the body but the spirit soul within the body. One can always remain conscious of this fact only if one remains pure by chanting the holy name of Krsna, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and staying in the association of devotees. This is the secret of success. Therefore we stress that one should chant the holy name of the Lord and keep oneself free from the contaminations of this material world, especially the contaminations of lusty desires for illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. With determination one should vow to follow these principles and thus be saved from the miserable condition of material existence.

The first necessity is to become freed from the bodily conception of life. Ajamila was immediately freed from the illusory bodily conception of life by hearing the conversation between the Visnudutas and the Yamadutas. The proof is that right after this incident he left his wife and children and went straight to Hardwar for further advancement in spiritual life. It is mentioned here that he took shelter in a temple of Visnu and executed the process of devotional service. Our Krsna consciousness movement has established temples all over the world for this very purpose. There is no need to travel to Hardwar. Anyone can take shelter of the temple nearest him, engage in the devotional service of the Lord, and thus achieve the highest success in life by becoming absorbed in Krsna consciousness.

If one worships the Deity of Krsna in the temple, one's mind will naturally be absorbed in thought of the Lord and His form. There is no distinction between the form of the Lord and the Lord Himself. Therefore bhakti-yoga is the easiest system of yoga. Yogis try to concentrate their minds upon the form of the Supersoul, Visnu, within the heart, but this same objective is easily achieved when one's mind is absorbed in thinking of the Deity in the temple. In every temple there is a transcendental form of the Lord, and one may easily think of this form. By seeing the Lord during the formal worship ceremony, or arati, by sacrificing one's money, time, and energy for the worship of the Deity, and by constantly thinking of the form of the Deity, one becomes a first-class yogi. This is the best process of yoga, as confirmed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gita (6.47):

 

yoginam api sarvesam

mad-gatenantar-atmana

sraddhavan bhajate yo mam

sa me yuktatamo matah

 

"Of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving serve to Me--he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." So the first-class yogi is he who controls his senses and detaches himself from material activities by always thinking of the form of the Lord.

 

Back to Godhead

 

The Visnudutas who had rescued Ajamila came before him again when his mind was firmly fixed upon the form of the Lord. They had gone away for some time to give Ajamila a chance to become firmly fixed in meditation upon the Lord. Now that his devotion had matured, they returned to take him back to Godhead. Understanding that the same Visnudutas had returned, Ajamila offered them his obeisances by bowing down before them.

Ajamila was now ready to return home, back to Godhead, and thus he gave up his material body and regained his original, spiritual body. As the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9):

 

janma karma ca me divyam

evam yo vetti tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma

naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

 

"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." The result of perfection in Krsna consciousness is that after giving up one's material body, one is immediately transferred to the spiritual world in one's original, spiritual body to become an associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some devotees go to Vaikuntha to become associates of Lord Visnu, and others go to Goloka Vrndavana to become associates of Krsna.

Spiritual airplanes from the spiritual planets, like the one that came for Ajamila, can take one back home, back to Godhead, in a second. The speed of such a spiritual airplane can only be imagined. Spirit is finer than the mind, and everyone has experience of how swiftly the mind travels from one place to another. Therefore one can imagine the swiftness of the spiritual form by comparing it to the speed of the mind. In less than even a moment, a perfect devotee can return home, back to Godhead, immediately after giving up his material body.

Such perfection is not available to anyone but devotees of the Lord. It has been seen that even after achieving so-called perfection, many karmis, jnanis, and yogis become attached to material activities again. Many so-called svamis and yogis give up material activities as false (jagan mithya), but after some time they nevertheless resume material activities by opening hospitals and schools or performing other activities for the benefit of the public. Sometimes they participate in politics, although still falsely declaring themselves sannyasis, members of the renounced order. All these activities are illusory aspects of the material world.

If one actually desires to get out of the material world, he must take to devotional service, which begins with sravanam kirtanam visnoh: chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. The Krsna consciousness movement has actually proved this. In the Western countries, many young boys and girls who had been addicted to drugs and who had other bad habits, which they could not give up, abandoned all those propensities and very seriously engaged in chanting the glories of the Lord as soon as they joined the Krsna consciousness movement. In other words, this process is the perfect method of atonement for actions performed in the modes of passion and ignorance. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.19) confirms this:

 

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah

kama-lobhadayas ca ye

ceta etair anaviddham

sthitam sattve prasidati

 

As a result of acting under the modes of passion and ignorance, one becomes increasingly lusty and greedy, but when one takes to the process of chanting and hearing about Krsna, one comes to the platform of goodness and becomes happy. As he advances in devotional service, all his doubts are completely eradicated (bhidyate hrdaya-granthis chidyante sarva-samsayah). Thus the knot of his desire for fruitive activities is cut to pieces.

At the time of death one is certainly bewildered because his bodily functions are disordered. At that time, even one who throughout his life has practiced chanting the holy name of the Lord may not be able to chant the Hare Krsna mantra very distinctly. Nevertheless, such a person receives all the benefits of chanting the holy name. While the body is fit, therefore, why should we not chant the holy name of the Lord loudly and distinctly? If a person does so, it is quite possible that even at the time of death he will be able to properly chant the holy name of the Lord with love and faith. In conclusion, one who chants the holy name of the Lord constantly is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt.

 

Chapter 19

Erasing All Doubts

 

King Pariksit said, "O my lord, O Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja is the controller of all living entities in terms of their religious and irreligious activities, but his order had been foiled. When his servants, the Yamadutas, informed him of their defeat by the Visnudutas, what did he reply?

"O great sage, never before has it been heard anywhere that an order from Yamaraja has been baffled. Therefore I think that people will have doubts about this that no one but you can eradicate. Since that is my firm conviction, kindly explain the reasons for these events."

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami replied: My dear king, when the order-carriers of Yamaraja were baffled and defeated by the order-carriers of Visnu, they approached their master, the controller of Samyamani-puri and master of sinful persons, to tell him of this incident.

The Yamadutas said, "Our dear lord, how many controllers are there in this material world? How many causes are responsible for manifesting the various results of activities performed under the three modes of material nature?

"If in this universe there are many judges who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize one another, and no one will be punished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize one another, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded. Since there are many different karmis, or fruitive workers, there may be different judges to give them justice, but just as one central emperor controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges.

"The supreme judge must be one, not many. It was our understanding that you are that supreme judge and that you have jurisdiction even over the demigods. Our impression was that you are the master of all living entities, the supreme authority who discriminates between the pious and impious activities of all human beings.

"But now we see that the punishment ordained under your authority is no longer effective, since your order has been transgressed by four wonderful and perfect persons. We were bringing the most sinful Ajamila toward the hellish planets, following your order, when those beautiful persons from Siddhaloka forcibly cut the knots of the ropes with which we were arresting him. As soon as the sinful Ajamila uttered the name Narayana, these four beautiful men immediately arrived and reassured him, saying, 'Do not fear. Do not fear.' We wish to know about them from your lordship. If you think we are able to understand them, kindly describe who they are."

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus having been questioned, Lord Yamaraja was very pleased with his order-carriers because of hearing from them the holy name of Narayana. He remembered the lotus feet of the Lord and began to reply. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.1-11)

 

Who's in Charge?

 

Maharaja Pariksit became astonished and asked Sukadeva Gosvami, "How is it possible for anyone to surpass the order of Yamaraja?" Nobody can supersede a warrant issued by the police magistrate. Similarly, Yamaraja is the chief of the universal "police," and he acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Yamaraja's business is to arrest all the criminal living entities and subject them to punishment in his region, Yamaloka. Sinful persons are taken there and put into various hellish conditions. The case of Ajamila, however, is exceptional. The Yamadutas were ordered to arrest him and bring him to the court of Yamaraja, but the Visnudutas released him from their grasp.

The Visnudutas' interference with the Yamadutas was apparently unlawful, but just as Lord Visnu can do anything, His messengers can likewise nullify any order in the material world. That is the power of the Supreme Lord. In the material world no one has the authority or power to check the orders of Yamaraja, but the Visnudutas acted under the higher authority of the Supreme Lord.

When the Yamadutas returned to Yamaloka, they immediately went to Yamaraja and asked, "How is it that we were checked from carrying out our duty? My dear lord, how many controllers are there? Are you the only controller, or are there many other controllers?" Less intelligent men think that a particular demigod, such as Indra, Surya, or Candra, is supreme. This is like thinking the policeman on the street is all-powerful within the state. There are so many police constables controlling the crowd in the street, but only foolish persons do not understand that above the constables are many higher officers, all the way up to the police commissioner, the governor of the state, and the president. The Yamadutas simply carried out the orders of Yamaraja, thinking him to be the supreme controller, and this was the first incident in which they were stopped from executing his orders.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that the Yamadutas were so disappointed that it was almost with anger that they asked Yamaraja whether there were many masters other than him. Furthermore, because the Yamadutas had been defeated and their master could not protect them, they were inclined to say that there was no need to serve such a master. If a servant cannot carry out the orders of his master without being defeated, what is the use of serving such a powerless master?

Because the Yamadutas had been stopped, they doubted whether Yamaraja actually had the power to punish the sinful. Although they had gone to arrest Ajamila, following Yamaraja's order, they found themselves unsuccessful because of the order of some higher authority. Therefore they were unsure of whether there were many authorities or only one. If there were many authorities who gave different judgments, which could be contradictory, a person might be wrongly punished or wrongly rewarded, or he might be neither punished nor rewarded. According to our experience in the material world, a person punished in one court may appeal to another. Thus the same man may be either punished or rewarded according to different judgments. However, in the law of nature or the court of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there cannot be such contradictory judgments. The judges and their judgments must be perfect and free from contradictions.

Actually, the position of Yamaraja was very awkward in the case of Ajamila because according to everything they had been taught by Yamaraja, the Yamadutas were right in attempting to arrest Ajamila, but the Visnudutas had baffled them. Although Yamaraja, under these circumstances, was accused by both the Visnudutas and the Yamadutas, he is perfect in administering justice because he is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he will explain what his real position is and how everyone is controlled by the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead.

In this world there must be measures for controlling the living entities. Sastra, or scripture, is meant for controlling civilized men. From this word comes the word sisya, meaning disciple, or one who voluntarily accepts the control or guidance of the spiritual master. Those who are not gentle must be controlled by astra, or weapons. The police force needs guns and clubs to control the thieves and rogues of society.

The Yamadutas inquired from their master whether there are different departments of justice for different types of men. In the material world a person is contaminated by some combination of the three qualities of nature--goodness, passion, and ignorance--and he conducts his activities accordingly. Symptoms of one chiefly under the influence of the mode of ignorance are laziness, excessive sleeping, and uncleanliness. The main symptom of one chiefly under the influence of the mode of passion is a strong desire to exploit material nature and other living entities for one's own sense enjoyment. And the chief symptom of one under the influence of the mode of goodness is knowing things as they are. To such a person, everything is revealed in its proper way.

The Yamadutas suggested, "There may be many controllers of people in the different modes of nature, but who is the chief controller, and how are his actions carried out? As far as we know, you are the controller of everyone." In governmental management there may be departmental officials to give justice to different persons, but the law must be one, and that central law must control everyone. The Yamadutas could not imagine that two judges would give two different verdicts in the same case, and therefore they wanted to know who the supreme judge is. The Yamadutas were certain that Ajamila was a most sinful man, but although Yamaraja wanted to punish him, the Visnudutas excused him. This was a puzzling situation that the Yamadutas wanted Yamaraja to clarify. The Yamadutas had thought that Yamaraja was the only person in charge of administering justice. They were fully confident that no one could counteract his judgments, but now, to their surprise, his order had been violated by the four wonderful persons from Siddhaloka. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura suggests that the Yamadutas may have said to Yamaraja, "We think that your absolute power of controlling is finished, because four very wonderful personalities checked us from executing our duty, which you gave us."

Visvanatha Cakravarti also remarks that the Yamadutas may have wanted to bring the Visnudutas before Yamaraja. If Yamaraja could then have punished the Visnudutas, the Yamadutas would have been satisfied. Otherwise, they desired to commit suicide. Before pursuing either course, however, they wanted to know about the Visnudutas from Yamaraja, who is also omniscient.

 

Submissive Inquiry

 

The Yamadutas said, "We wish to learn from you what are the actual facts regarding this incident. If you think that we shall be able to understand, please enlighten us." This is the way of inquiring submissively from superiors. Not challenging. We shall always find that Maharaja Pariksit, Arjuna, and anyone else executing this process of spiritual enlightenment inquires with humble submission and a mood of service. Merely because we put a question to our superior does not mean that he is obliged to answer us. Sometimes he may refuse if we are not able to comprehend the answer. We cannot demand. Inquiry, submission, and service are the way to knowledge. Whenever Maharaja Pariksit questioned Sukadeva Gosvami, he said very submissively, "If you think that I shall be able to understand, please answer this question."

Before Yamaraja replied to the Yamadutas, he first remembered the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Just as the subordinate puts the question to his superior with a submissive attitude, similarly, the superior is not proud, boasting, "Yes, I can answer your question!" He remembers the lotus feet of the Lord and prays, "Whatever You help me to speak, I'll answer." As long as the teacher is not proud and the disciple is not disobedient, puffed up, or impudent, they can exchange spiritual questions and answers. One should not inquire in a challenging mood, and the one who answers should remember the lotus feet of the Lord so that the right answer will be given.

Yamaraja was very pleased with his servants because they had chanted the holy name of Narayana in his dominion. Yamaraja has to deal with men who are all sinful and who can hardly understand Narayana. Consequently, when his order-carriers uttered the name of Narayana, he was extremely pleased, for he is also a Vaisnava.

 

Chapter 20

Under One Master

 

Yamaraja said, "My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Candra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahma, Visnu, and Siva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth.

"Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Personality of Godhead binds all men with the ropes of His words in the Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct orders of human society (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra). In fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord by offering Him presentations according to their respective activities.

"I, Yamaraja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirrti; Varuna, the god of the waters; Candra, the moon-god; Agni, the fire-god; Lord Siva; Pavana, the god of the air; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun-god; Visvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marici and the other great rsis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Brhaspati and the great sages headed by Bhrgu, are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of nature, namely passion and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who under illusion merely speculate to know God?

"As the different limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, so the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascertain the real situation of the Supreme Lord." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.12-16)

 

One Supreme Controller

 

The Yamadutas suspected that there was a ruler even above Yamaraja. To eradicate their doubts, Yamaraja immediately replied, "Yes, there is one supreme controller above everything." Yamaraja is in charge of some of the moving living entities, namely the human beings, but the animals, who also move, are not under his control. Only human beings have consciousness of right and wrong, and among them only those who perform sinful activities come under the control of Yamaraja. Therefore although Yamaraja is a controller, he is only a departmental controller of a few living entities. There are other demigods who control many other departments, but above them all is one supreme controller, Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah: the supreme controller is Krsna. Others, who control their own departments in the affairs of the universe, are insignificant in comparison to Krsna, the supreme controller. As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (7.7), mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: "My dear Dhananjaya [Arjuna], no one is superior to Me." Therefore Yamaraja immediately cleared away the doubts of his assistants, the Yamadutas, by confirming that there is a supreme controller above all others.

In this material world, everyone is controlled by the laws of nature, regardless of who he is. Whether one is a human being, a demigod, an animal, a tree, or a plant, one is controlled by the laws of nature, and behind this natural control is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna confirms this in the Bhagavad-gita (9.10): mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram. "The material nature is working under My direction and producing all moving and nonmoving beings." Thus the natural machine works under Krsna's control.

 

Under the Control of Varna and Asrama

 

Apart from other living entities, a living being in the human form of body is meant to be controlled by the Vedic injunctions in terms of the divisions of varna and asrama, the social and spiritual classes. Otherwise he cannot escape punishment by Yamaraja. The point is that every human being is expected to elevate himself to the position of a brahmana, the most intelligent man, and then one must transcend that position to become a Vaisnava. This is the perfection of life. The brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras can elevate themselves by worshiping the Lord according to their activities (sve sve karmany abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah). The divisions of varna and asrama are necessary to insure the proper execution of duties and peaceful existence for everyone, but everyone is directed to worship the Supreme Lord, who is all-pervading (yena sarvam idam tatam). If one thus follows the Vedic injunctions by worshiping the Supreme Lord according to one's ability, his life will be perfect. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13) confirms this:

 

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha

varnasrama-vibhagasah

svanusthitasya dharmasya

samsiddhir hari-tosanam

 

"O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging one's prescribed duties (dharma) according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead." The varnasrama institution offers the perfect process for making one eligible to return home, back to Godhead, because the aim of every varna and asrama is to please the Lord. One can please the Lord under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, and then one's life is perfect. The Supreme Lord is worshipable, and everyone worships Him directly or indirectly. Those who worship Him directly get the results of liberation quickly, whereas the liberation of those who serve Him indirectly is delayed.

The words namabhir vaci in verse 13 (namabhih--by different names; vaci--to the Vedic language) are very important. In the varnasrama institution, there are different names--brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasi. The vak, or Vedic injunctions, give directions for all these divisions. Everyone is expected to offer obeisances to the Supreme Lord and perform duties as indicated in the Vedas.

 

Controlled by Three Modes of Nature

 

Men and other living entities within this cosmic manifestation are controlled by the three modes of nature. For the living entities controlled by the base qualities of nature--passion and ignorance--there is no possibility of understanding God. Even those in the mode of goodness, like the many demigods and great rsis described in these verses, cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, only one who is situated in devotional service to the Lord, and who is thus transcendental to all material qualities, can understand Him (bhaktya mam abhijanati).

Ordinary philosophers can never know the Lord. The great devotee Bhismadeva confirms this in the following statement to Maharaja Yudhisthira (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.16):

 

na hy asya karhicid rajan

puman veda vidhitsitam

yad-vijijnasaya yukta

muhyanti kavayo 'pi hi

 

"O king, no one can know the plan of the Lord, Sri Krsna. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered." No one, therefore, can understand God by speculative knowledge. Indeed, by speculation one will be bewildered.

 

Directed by the Supersoul

 

Although the different parts of the body do not have the power to see the eyes, the eyes direct the movements of the body's different parts. The legs move forward because the eyes see what is in front of them, and the hand touches because the eyes see touchable entities. Similarly, every living being acts according to the direction of the Supersoul, who is situated within the heart. The Lord Himself confirms this in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15): sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. "I am sitting in everyone's heart and giving directions for remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness." Elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gita (18.61) it is stated, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati: "The Supreme Lord, as the Supersoul, is situated in the heart." The living entity cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul. The Supersoul is acting at every moment, but the living entity cannot understand the form and activities of the Supersoul by manipulating his senses. The example of the eyes and the bodily limbs is very appropriate. If the limbs could see, they could walk forward without the help of the eyes; but that is impossible. Although one cannot see the Supersoul in one's heart through sensual activities, His direction is necessary.

 

Chapter 21

Confidential Knowledge

 

Yamaraja continued: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient and fully independent. He is the master of everyone and everything, including the illusory energy. He has His form, qualities, and features, and similarly His order-carriers, the Visnudutas, or Vaisnavas, who are very beautiful, possess bodily features and transcendental qualities almost like His. They always wander within this world with full independence.

"The Visnudutas are worshiped even by the demigods and are very rarely seen. They protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons, and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.

"The real religious principle is enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great rsis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain this principle, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the demons, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas, or Caranas.

"Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami, and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.

"Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.

"My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord! The greatly sinful Ajamila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he was chanting the Lord's holy name. Nevertheless, by chanting the holy name of the Lord he remembered Narayana, and thus he was immediately saved from the ropes of death.

"Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if a person chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajamila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Narayana.

"Because they are bewildered by the Supreme Lord's illusory energy, Yajnavalkya, Jaimini, and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot know the confidential religious system of the twelve mahajanas. They cannot understand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas--especially the Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Rg Veda--their intelligence has become dull. Thus they are busy collecting the ingredients for ritualistic ceremonies that yield only temporary benefits, such as elevation to Svargaloka for material happiness. They are not attracted to the sankirtana movement; instead, they are interested in religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation.

"Considering all these points, therefore, intelligent men decide to solve all problems by adopting the devotional service of chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart and who is a mine of all auspicious qualities. Such persons are not within my jurisdiction for punishment. Generally they never commit sinful activities, but even if by mistake or because of bewilderment or illusion they sometimes commit sinful acts, they are protected from sinful reactions because they always chant the Hare Krsna mantra.

"My dear servants, please do not approach such devotees, for they have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Lord, and therefore Lord Brahma and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them.

"Paramahamsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord's lotus feet. My dear servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahamsas, and who are attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.

"My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krsna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.17-29)

 

The Protectors

 

Yamaraja was describing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, but the order-carriers of Yamaraja were very eager to know about the Visnudutas, who had defeated them in their encounter with Ajamila. Yamaraja therefore stated that the Visnudutas resemble the Supreme Personality of Godhead in their bodily features, transcendental qualities, and nature. In other words, the Visnudutas, or Vaisnavas, are almost as qualified as the Supreme Lord. Yamaraja informed the Yamadutas that the Visnudutas are no less powerful than Lord Visnu. Since Visnu is above Yamaraja, the Visnudutas are above the Yamadutas. Persons protected by the Visnudutas, therefore, cannot be touched by the Yamadutas.

Yamaraja has described the qualities of the Visnudutas to convince his own servants not to be envious of them. Yamaraja warned the Yamadutas that the Visnudutas are worshiped with respectful obeisances by the demigods and are always very alert to protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from natural disturbances, and from all dangerous conditions in this material world. Sometimes the members of the Krsna consciousness society are afraid of the impending danger of world war and ask what would happen to them if a war should occur. In all kinds of danger they should be confident of their protection by the Visnudutas or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Krsna Himself confirms in the Bhagavad-gita (9.31): kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. "O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes."

Material danger is not meant for devotees. This is also confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.58): padam padam yad vipadam na tesam. In this material world there are dangers at every step, but they are not meant for devotees who have fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The pure devotees of Lord Visnu may rest assured that the Lord will protect them, and as long as they are in this material world they should fully engage in devotional service by preaching the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krsna, namely chanting Hare Krsna and the other aspects of Krsna consciousness.

 

Direct Connection with Krsna

 

When challenged by the Visnudutas to describe the principles of religion, the Yamadutas had said, veda-pranihito dharmah: "The Vedic literature defines religious principles." They did not know, however, that the Vedic literature contains ritualistic ceremonies that are not transcendental but are meant to keep peace and order among materialistic persons in the material world. Real religious principles are nistraigunya, above the three modes of material nature, or transcendental. The Yamadutas did not know these transcendental religious principles, and therefore when prevented from arresting Ajamila, they were surprised.

Materialistic persons who attach all their faith to the Vedic rituals are described in the Bhagavad-gita (2.42), wherein Krsna says, veda-vada-ratah partha nanyad astiti vadinah: "The supposed followers of the Vedas say that there is nothing beyond the Vedic ceremonies." Indeed, there is a group of men in India who are very fond of the Vedic rituals, not understanding the meaning of these rituals, which are intended to elevate one gradually to the transcendental platform of knowing Krsna (vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah). Those who do not know this principle but who simply attach their faith to the Vedic rituals are called veda-vada-ratah.

Herein it is stated that the real religious principle is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Krsna states that principle in the Bhagavad-gita (18.66): sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. "Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me." That is the real religious principle everyone should follow. Even though one follows the Vedic scriptures, one may not know this transcendental principle, for it is not known to everyone. To say nothing of human beings, even the demigods in the upper planetary systems are unaware of it. This transcendental religious principle must be understood from the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly or from His special representative, as stated in these verses.

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna refers to bhagavata-dharma as the most confidential religious principle (sarva-guhyatamam, guhyad guhyataram). Krsna says to Arjuna, "Because you are My very dear friend, I am explaining to you the most confidential religion." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: "Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me." One may ask, If this principle is very rarely understood, what is the use of it? In answer, Yamaraja states herein that this religious principle is understandable if one follows the parampara system of Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, and the other standard authorities. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahma, one from Lord Siva, one from Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumaras. The disciplic succession from Lord Brahma is called the Brahma-sampradaya, the succession from Lord Siva (Sambhu) is called the Rudra-sampradaya, the one from the goddess of fortune, Laksmiji, is called the Sri-sampradaya, and the one from the Kumaras is called the Kumara-sampradaya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradayas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Purana it is said, sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah: if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra, or initiation, is useless.

At present there are many apasampradayas, or un-bona fide sampradayas, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the Kumaras, or Laksmi. People are misguided by such sampradayas. The sastras say that being initiated into such a sampradaya is a waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand real religious principles and surrender to Krsna.

Real religious principles are bhagavata-dharma, the principles described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam itself or in the Bhagavad-gita, the preliminary study of the Bhagavatam. What are these principles? The Bhagavatam (1.1.2) says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: "In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there are no cheating religious systems." In other words, everything in the Bhagavatam is directly connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavatam (1.2.6) further says, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje: "The supreme religion is that which teaches its followers how to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the reach of experimental knowledge." Such a religious system begins with tan-nama-grahana, chanting the holy name of the Lord. After chanting the holy name and dancing in ecstasy, one gradually sees the transcendental form of the Lord, the qualities of the Lord, and the pastimes of the Lord. In this way one fully understands the situation of the Personality of Godhead.

One can come to this understanding of the Lord, however, only by executing devotional service. As Krsna states in the Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: "One can understand Me as I am only by devotional service." If a person is fortunate enough to understand the Supreme Lord in this way, the result is that after giving up his material body he no longer has to take birth in this material world (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti). Instead, he returns home, back to Godhead. That is the ultimate perfection. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (8.15):

 

mam upetya punar janma

duhkhalayam asasvatam

napnuvanti mahatmanah

samsiddhim paramam gatah

 

"After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection."

 

Evidence in Support of Chanting the Holy Name

 

There is no need to conduct research into the significance of the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. The history of Ajamila is sufficient proof of the power of the Lord's holy name and the exalted position of a person who chants the holy name incessantly. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised,

 

harer nama harer nama

harer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva

nasty eva gatir anyatha

 

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." (Brhan-naradiya Purana 3.8.126) In this age, almost no one can perform all the difficult ritualistic ceremonies for becoming liberated. Therefore all the sastras and all the acaryas have recommended that in this age one simply chant the holy name. That will bring one all perfection.

In the assembly of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's father, Haridasa Thakura confirmed that simply by chanting the Lord's holy name a person is liberated, even if he does not chant completely inoffensively. Smarta-brahmanas and Mayavadis do not believe that one can achieve liberation in this way, but the truth of Haridasa Thakura's statement is supported by many quotations from the Vedic literature.

In the passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam under discussion, for example, Yamaraja says, "It should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions." In his commentary on this verse, Sridhara Svami gives the following quotation: sayam pratar grnan bhaktya duhkha-gramad vimucyate. "If one continually chants the holy name of the Lord with great devotion morning and evening, one will become free from all material miseries." Another quotation confirms that a person can achieve liberation if he hears the holy name of the Lord continually, every day, with great respect: anudinam idam adarena srnvan. Another quotation says,

 

sravanam kirtanam dhyanam

harer adbhuta-karmanah

janma-karma-gunanam ca

tad-arthe 'khila-cestitam

 

"One should always chant and hear about the wonderful activities of the Lord, one should meditate upon these activities, and one should endeavor to please the Lord." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.27) Sridhara Svami also gives the following quote from the Puranas: papa-ksayas ca bhavati smaratam tam ahar-nisam. "One can become free from all sinful reactions simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Lord day and night." Finally, he quotes from the chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam under discussion (6.3.31):

 

tasmat sankirtanam visnor

jagan-mangalam amhasam

mahatam api kauravya

viddhy aikantika-niskrtam

 

"The chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe."

All these quotations prove that one who constantly engages in chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, along with descriptions of His fame, form, and activities, is liberated. As stated wonderfully in verse 24, etavatalam agha-nirharanaya pumsam: simply by uttering the name of the Lord, one is freed from all sinful reactions.

The word alam in this verse indicates that simply uttering the holy name of the Lord is sufficient. There is no need of any other process. Even if a person chants imperfectly, he becomes free from all sinful reactions.

The liberation of Ajamila proves this power of chanting the holy name. When Ajamila chanted the holy name of Narayana, he did not precisely remember the Supreme Lord; instead, he remembered his own son. At the time of death, Ajamila certainly was not very clean; indeed, he was famous as a great sinner. Furthermore, one's physiological condition is completely disturbed at the time of death, and in such an awkward condition it would certainly have been very difficult for Ajamila to have chanted clearly. Nevertheless, Ajamila achieved liberation simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Therefore, what is to be said of those who are not sinful like Ajamila? It is to be concluded that with a strong vow one should chant the holy name of the Lord--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--for thus by the grace of Krsna one will certainly be delivered from the clutches of maya.

The chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is recommended even for persons who commit offenses, because if they continue chanting they will gradually chant offenselessly. Then, by chanting Hare Krsna without offenses, one increases his love for Krsna. As stated by Lord Caitanya, prema pum-artho mahan: one's main concern should be to increase one's attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to increase one's love for Him.

Since one may easily achieve the highest success by chanting the holy name of the Lord, one may ask why there are so many Vedic ritualistic ceremonies and why people are attracted to them. Yamaraja answers this question in the passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam under discussion. Unfortunately, unintelligent people are bewildered by the grandeur of Vedic yajnas, and thus they want to see gorgeous sacrifices performed. They want Vedic mantras chanted and huge amounts of money spent for such ceremonies. Sometimes we have to observe the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies to please such unintelligent men. In 1975, when we established a large Krsna-Balarama temple in Vrndavana, we were obliged to have Vedic ceremonies performed by brahmanas because the inhabitants of Vrndavana, especially the smarta-brahmanas, would not accept Europeans and Americans as bona fide brahmanas. Thus we had to engage brahmanas to perform costly yajnas. As these yajnas were being performed, the members of our Society performed sankirtana loudly with mrdangas, and I considered the sankirtana more important than the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. The ceremonies and the sankirtana were going on simultaneously. The ceremonies were meant for persons interested in Vedic rituals for elevation to heavenly planets (jadi-krta-matir madhu-puspitayam), whereas the sankirtana was meant for pure devotees interested in pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We would simply have performed sankirtana, but then the inhabitants of Vrndavana would not have taken the installation ceremony seriously. As explained here, the Vedic performances are meant for those whose intelligence has been dulled by the flowery words of the Vedas, which describe sacrifices intended to elevate one to the higher planets.

Especially in this age, sankirtana alone is sufficient. If the members of our temples in the different parts of the world simply continue sankirtana before the Deity, especially before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they will remain perfect. There is no need of any other performances. Nevertheless, to keep oneself clean in habits and mind, Deity worship and other regulative principles are required. Srila Jiva Gosvami says that although sankirtana is sufficient for the perfection of life, worship of the Deity in the temple must continue so that the devotees may stay clean and pure. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura therefore recommended that one follow both processes simultaneously. We strictly follow his principle of performing Deity worship and sankirtana along parallel lines. This we should continue.

 

The Jurisdiction of Yamaraja

 

In this regard, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura quotes the following verse from the prayers of Lord Brahma (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.29):

 

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-

prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi

janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno

na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

 

The purport is that even though one is a very learned scholar of the Vedic sastras, he may be completely unaware of the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His name, fame, qualities, and so forth, whereas one who is not a great scholar can understand the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he somehow or other becomes a pure devotee of the Lord by engaging in devotional service. Therefore in verse 26 Yamaraja says, evam vimrsya sudhiyo bhagavati: those who engage in the loving service of the Lord become sudhiyah, intelligent, but this is not so of a Vedic scholar who does not understand Krsna's name, fame, and qualities. A pure devotee is one whose intelligence is clear; he is truly thoughtful, because he engages in the service of the Lord--not as a matter of show but with love, with his mind, words, and body. Nondevotees may make a show of religion, but it is not very effective, because although they ostentatiously attend a temple or church, they are thinking of something else. Such persons are neglecting their religious duty and are punishable by Yamaraja. But a devotee who commits sinful acts unwillingly or accidentally, because of his former habits, is excused. That is the value of the sankirtana movement.

In effect, Yamaraja warned his servants, "My dear servants, henceforward you must stop disturbing the devotees. The devotees who have surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord and who constantly chant His holy name are praised by the demigods and the residents of Siddhaloka. Those devotees are so respectable and exalted that Lord Visnu personally protects them with the club in His hand. If you approach such devotees, He will kill you with that club. What to speak of you, if even Lord Brahma or I were to punish them, Lord Visnu would punish us. Therefore do not disturb the devotees any further."

After warning the Yamadutas in this way, Yamaraja then indicates who is to be brought before him. He specifically advises the Yamadutas to bring to him materialistic persons attached to household life merely for sex. As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.45), yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham: people are attached to household life only for sex pleasure, which is very insignificant. They are always harassed in many ways by their material engagements for making money to maintain their families, and their only happiness is that after working very hard all day, at night they sleep and indulge in sex. Yamaraja specifically advises his servants to bring these persons to him for punishment and not to bring the devotees, who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of the Lord, who are equal to everyone, and who try to preach Krsna consciousness out of sympathy for all living entities. Devotees are not liable to be punished by Yamaraja, but persons who have no information of Krsna consciousness cannot be protected by their material life of so-called family enjoyment. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.1.4) says,

 

dehapatya-kalatradisv

atma-sainyesv asatsv api

tesam pramatto nidhanam

pasyann api na pasyati

 

Materialistic persons complacently believe that their nations, communities, or families can protect them, unaware that all such fallible soldiers will be destroyed in due course of time.

In conclusion, one should try to associate with persons who engage in devotional service twenty-four hours a day. Then one can come to know the purpose of human life, which is to please Lord Visnu. Varnasrama-dharma is also meant for that purpose. As stated in the Visnu Purana (3.8.9):

 

varnasramacaravata

purusena parah puman

visnur aradhyate pantha

nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

 

Human society is meant to follow strictly the varnasrama-dharma, which divides society into four social divisions (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra) and four spiritual divisions (brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa). Varnasrama-dharma easily brings one nearer to Lord Visnu, who is the only true objective in human society. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: unfortunately, however, people do not know that their self-interest is to return home, back to Godhead, or to approach Lord Visnu. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah: instead, they are simply bewildered by Krsna's external, illusory energy. Every human being is expected to perform duties meant for approaching Lord Visnu. Therefore Yamaraja advises the Yamadutas to bring him only those persons who have forgotten their duties toward Visnu. One who does not chant the holy name of Visnu or Krsna, who does not bow down to the Deity of the Lord, and who does not remember His lotus feet is punishable by Yamaraja. In summary, all avaisnavas, persons unconcerned with Lord Visnu, are punishable by Yamaraja.

 

Chapter 22

The Glories Of the Holy Name

 

[Then Yamaraja, considering himself and his servants offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord:] "O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaisnava such as Ajamila. O Narayana, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajamila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You."

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear king, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.

One who constantly hears and chants the holy name of the Lord and hears and chants about His activities can very easily attain the platform of pure devotional service, which can cleanse the dirt from one's heart. One cannot achieve such purification merely by observing vows and performing Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.

Devotees who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of Lord Krsna do not care at all for material activities, which are performed under the three modes of nature and which bring only misery. Indeed, devotees never give up the lotus feet of Krsna to return to material activities. Others, however, who are addicted to Vedic rituals because they have neglected the service of the Lord's lotus feet and are enchanted by lusty desires, sometimes perform acts of atonement. Nevertheless, being incompletely purified, they return to sinful activities again and again.

After hearing from the mouth of their master about the extraordinary glories of the Lord and His name, fame, and attributes, the Yamadutas were struck with wonder. Since then, as soon as they see a devotee, they fear him and dare not look at him again.

When the great sage Agastya was residing in the Malaya Hills and worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I approached him, and he explained to me this confidential history. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.30-35)

 

Yamaraja Prays for Pardon

 

Lord Yamaraja took upon himself the responsibility for the offense committed by his servants. If the servant of an establishment makes a mistake, the establishment takes responsibility for it. Although Yamaraja is above offenses, his servants, practically with his permission, went to arrest Ajamila, which was a great offense. The nyaya-sastra confirms, bhrtyaparadhe svamino dandah: "If a servant makes an offense, the master is punishable." Taking this seriously, Yamaraja, along with his servants, prayed with folded hands to be excused by the Supreme Lord, Narayana.

 

Achieving Perfection

 

We should note that although Ajamila chanted the name of Narayana imperfectly, he was delivered from all sinful reactions. The chanting of the holy name is so auspicious that it can free everyone from the reactions of sinful activities. However, as we have mentioned several times before, no one should conclude that he may continue to sin with the intention of chanting Hare Krsna to neutralize the reactions. Rather, one should be very careful to remain free from all sins and never think of counteracting sinful activities by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, for this is another offense. If by chance a devotee accidentally performs some sinful activity, the Lord will excuse him, but one should not intentionally perform sinful acts.

One may very easily practice chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord and thus become ecstatic in spiritual life. The Padma Purana states,

 

namaparadha-yuktanam

namany eva haranty agham

avisranti-prayuktani

tany evartha-karani ca

 

Even if one chants the Hare Krsna mantra offensively, one can nullify these offenses by continuously chanting without deviation. One who becomes accustomed to this practice will always remain in a pure transcendental position, untouchable by sinful reactions.

A devotee's duty is to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. One may sometimes chant with offenses and sometimes without offenses, but if one seriously adopts this process, he will achieve perfection, which cannot be achieved through Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of atonement. Persons who are attached to the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies but do not believe in devotional service, who advise atonement but do not appreciate the chanting of the Lord's holy name, fail to achieve the highest perfection. Devotees, therefore, being completely detached from material enjoyment, never give up Krsna consciousness for Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Those who are attached to Vedic ritualistic ceremonies because of lusty desires are subjected to the tribulations of material existence again and again.

Since this incident, the Yamadutas have given up the dangerous behavior of approaching devotees. For the Yamadutas, a devotee is dangerous.