Ocean of Nectar: Kaliyuga An Extremely Degraded Age | His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Archives

1. Kaliyuga An Extremely Degraded Age

Uddhava knew that Krishna was going to leave the planet and he wanted to leave with Krishna as well but Krishna had requested Uddhava to stay and rather go to Badarikäçrama because Kaliyuga was going to begin. Kaliyuga is an extremely degraded age so it was not recommended to stay here during this time.

“The Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, replied to Uddhava's prayerful entreaty that he be allowed to return with Him to His abode. Kåñëa advised Uddhava to take to the renounced order of sannyäsa, and when Uddhava showed interest in more elaborate instructions, the Lord further described the avadhüta's account of his twenty-four spiritual masters. After hearing Uddhava's prayerful request to be taken back with Him to the spiritual world, Lord Kåñëa informed him that He was indeed desirous of returning to His own personal abode because the purpose of His descent had been successfully fulfilled and the misfortunes of Kaliyuga would soon beset the earth. He thus advised Uddhava to take up sannyäsa by fixing his mind upon Him and establishing himself in theoretical and realized transcendental knowledge. The Lord further instructed Uddhava that while remaining untouched by contamination and compassionately disposed to all beings, he should begin wandering throughout this temporary world, which is simply the combined manifestation of the Lord's illusory energy and the imagination of the living entities.”Chapter Summary.

Krishna described this material nature as His illusory energy and the imagination of the living entities.

“O saintly Uddhava, in the near future I will abandon this earth. Then, being overwhelmed by the age of Kali, the earth will be bereft of all piety.”SB 11.7.4 translation.

“My dear Uddhava, you should not remain here on the earth once I have abandoned this world. My dear devotee, you are sinless, but in Kaliyuga the people will be addicted to all types of sinful activities; therefore do not stay here.”SB 11.7.5 translation.

“Now you should completely give up all attachment to your personal friends and relatives and fix your mind on Me. Thus being always conscious of Me, you should observe all things with equal vision and wander throughout the earth.”SB 11.7.6 translation.

Krsna’s Repeats the Same Instruction

It is clearly visible that, repeatedly Krishna is giving us the same instruction to become absorbed in His thoughts, Him and being conscious of Him and that is the meaning of Krishna Consciousness. When we are Krishna Conscious then the illusory energy cannot do anything to us. However, when Krishna is forgotten or rejected, then the illusory energy will take control over us resulting in us being caught up in the bodily concept of life. Being situated in the bodily concept of life, the material perception is developed. This material perception will lead us to illusory attachments and suffering.

Two identities exist which are the spirit soul and the body. The question remains to which of these identities should we place our focus on? The soul or the body? If we focus on the soul this consciousness would lead us to Krishna. If we focus on the body this consciousness would lead us to the material world.

Is This Material World Real?

“My dear Uddhava, the material universe that you perceive through your mind, speech, eyes, ears and other senses is an illusory creation that one imagines to be real due to the influence of mäyä.”SB 11.7.7 translation extract.

We think that the material world is real but in fact it is not real, rather it is the imaginary projection that has been established by the influence of Maya. “The illusory creation that one imagines to be real due to the influence of mäyä.” In a sense it is real but as real as an illusion or reflection. One cannot deny the existence of the reflection but it would be a mistake to perceive the reflection as reality. An example to illustrate this point is that of a tree. The tree is real and from the reflection of a tree one cannot get what is expected from a tree. If I am hungry and I see a fruit in the reflection of a tree, can this satisfy my hunger? In order for my hunger to be satisfied I would be required to get the fruit from the real tree and eat it. This is how this material nature is illusory. There is a difference between the Mayavadis and the devotees. Mayavadis think that this material nature is Mita or false but as devotees, our understanding is that material nature is always real but as a reflection. To become entangled in the reflection would be a mistake. If we become entangled in the reflection then we would never be able to approach the real truth.

The Only Objective for a Devotee is Krsna

“One whose consciousness is bewildered by illusion perceives many differences in value and meaning among material objects. Thus one engages constantly on the platform of material good and evil and is bound by such conceptions. Absorbed in material duality, such a person contemplates the performance of compulsory duties, non performance of such duties and performance of forbidden activities.”SB 11.7.8 translation.

This only happens when he is “bewildered by illusion perceives many differences in value and meaning among material objects.” However, for a devotee, there is only one objective and what is that? “vyavasäyätmikä buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana” BG 2.41 Service to Krishna is the only objective for a devotee with no other business. By serving Krishna every other business becomes accomplished. Someone may proclaim that he is householder and how can he serve Krishna? The answer to that question is that if you serve Krishna then all your householder responsibilities will also be fulfilled. You cook food, offer that food to Krishna, everyone can take Krishna Prasadam. You should look at your children as Krishna’s children. You should consider that everything you do is for the sake of Krishna and simultaneously all the other responsibilities will become fulfilled.

“Therefore, bringing all your senses under control and thus subduing the mind, you should see the entire world as situated within the self, who is expanded everywhere, and you should also see this individual self within Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”SB 11.7.9 translation.

We should see everything in the self and the self is within Krishna. What do we perceive? What is that? It is a projection of our consciousness. Where does the consciousness come from? The consciousness comes from the self. It is important that we should see the self as part of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“Being fully endowed with conclusive knowledge of the Vedas and having realized the ultimate purpose of such knowledge in practice, you will be able to perceive the pure self, and thus your mind will be satisfied.”SB 11.7.10 translation extract.

When we see the pure self then the mind becomes satisfied, otherwise, what is the mind doing? It is always hankering for something, always hankering for something. One becomes fully satisfied by becoming situated in the self. One would be able to perceive the pure self and thus the mind will be satisfied.

“At that time you will become dear to all living beings, headed by the demigods, and you will never be hampered by any disturbance in life.” SB 11.7.10 translation extract.

How can we achieve perfect peace and tranquillity? We can by developing Krishna consciousness in this world.

“One who is the kind well-wisher of all living beings, who is peaceful and firmly fixed in knowledge and realization, sees Me within all things.” SB 11.7.12 extract. One should see Krishna in everyone’s heart and in everything.

“Such a person never again falls down into the cycle of birth and death.”SB 11.7.12 extract. But then Uddhava said “My dear Lord, You alone award the results of yoga practice, and You are so kind that by Your own influence You distribute the perfection of yoga to Your devotee.” SB 11.7.14 extract. Here the yoga means Bhakti.

Thus You are the Supreme Soul who is realized through yoga, and it is You who are the origin of all mystic power. For my supreme benefit You have explained the procedure for giving up the material world through the process of sannyäsa, or renunciation.”SB 11.7.14 extract. Here, Uddhava, like Arjuna is surrendering himself to Krishna.

“Therefore, O Lord, feeling weary of material life and tormented by its distresses, I now surrender unto You because You are the perfect master. You are the unlimited, all-knowing Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose spiritual abode in Vaikuëöha is free from all disturbances. In fact, You are known as Näräyaëa, the true friend of all living beings.” SB.11.7.18 translation.

In the purport it has been mentioned, “No one can claim to be a self-made man because everyone works with the body and mind awarded by material nature. By the laws of nature there is always anxiety in material existence, and terrible tragedies periodically harass the conditioned souls. Here Uddhava points out that only Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead, is a proper master, friend and shelter for the conditioned souls. We may be attracted by the good qualities of a particular man or demigod, but we may later discover discrepancies in that person's behavior. Therefore Kåñëa is described as anavadyam. There are no discrepancies in the personal conduct or character of the Personality of Godhead; He is eternally faultless.” Krishna is eternally faultless and whatever He does is perfect and for the benefit of all.

2. Questions and Answers

Q: What is the purpose of Krishna speaking like that to Uddhava, I assume at that stage he is a self realised soul and it seems like basic philosophical points?

A: Devotees, although self realised may still be discussing about Krishna. Self realised does not mean that the mind stops. At the stage of self realisation, it is not to be understood that everything ends there. The mind and consciousness continues, so what would the consciousness do? Devotees would have discussions about Krishna and through these discussions they derived joy. There are two aspects pertaining to this matter, one is for their own pleasure and an example to illustrate this point is that Sanatana Goswami asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “Who am I and why am I suffering by the illusory influence of the three modes of material nature?”Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied “It is not that you do not know the answer because you are self realised but to confirm it you are asking Me this question. You do know but in order to churn the joy out of the realisation you are asking this question” The other aspect is for the benefit of others. Uddhava is self realised, however if the self realised souls are interacting with the Lord and do not ask questions then how would the living entities, conditioned souls get an opportunity to understand?

Q: An intelligent conditioned soul may ask similar questions, one may argue?

A: Yes, so the answer is there in Srimad Bhagavatam. Actually, everyone would be confronted with these questions and for their benefit Krishna has given the answers. Krishna is making Uddhava an agent or medium as He had done to Arjuna, not that Arjuna was bewildered. Arjuna, due to the influence of Yoga Maya acted as if he was bewildered.

Q: And when his arrow was shaking?

A: It’s all real, an example to illustrate this point is a good actor, when he plays a role does he remain as himself or does he become that character that he is playing? Similarly, it’s not the acting but Yoga Maya’s influence is such that it becomes real. Arjuna was feeling that way and the symptoms were there, his body was shaking and his Gandiva bow was falling out of his hand.

Q: What’s the difference between his experience of that happening and say an ordinary conditioned soul if he was in a similar situation and he was experiencing those things?

A: The ordinary entity’s living condition would not be like that in relation to Krishna rather his condition like that would be when he lost someone or something. His bewilderment would be material whereas Arjuna’s bewilderment was spiritual.

Q: A different feeling in the heart?

A: The feeling would be similar but the purpose and objective is different. One is with Krishna in the centre and the other is with his body and relatives in the centre. A simple consideration would be that if they had not asked these questions then what would have happened to us? If they had not asked the questions would Krishna have explained? If Krishna had not explained we would have never came to know. Another example to illustrate this point was when Vidura asked Maitreya Rsi questions when in reality Vidura was far superior to that of Maitraya Rsi’s. Vidura was a pure devotee whereas Maitraya Rsi was at that time on the platform of meditation yet Vidura was asking questions and Maitraya Rsi was answering them.

Q: How did Uddhava leave the earth planet?

A: I did not hear of anything pertaining to Uddhava leaving the planet. Krishna had asked him to stay and then he advised Maitraya Rsi to instruct Vidhura.

3. Srila Prabhupada's Appreciation

Caitanya Mahaprabhu made an amazing prediction that this Krishna consciousness movement will spread all over the world to every town and village which Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself did not accomplish. One of the characteristics of Krishna is that He wants to glorify His devotee even more. He made this amazing arrangement Himself but to distribute it all over the world He reserved the credit for a very dear devotee and that devotee is Srila Prabhupada. It is because of Srila Prabhupada that we are all here today. If Prabhupada did not come to preach and if he had not made this arrangement then where would we all be?

(Excerpt from a lecture given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami dated 13th June 2013 at Bhaktivedanta Manor)

4. Guru Maharaja’s Instructions

Service to Krishna is the only objective for a devotee with no other business. By serving Krishna every other business becomes accomplished;

You should look at your children as Krishna’s children. You should consider that everything you do is for the sake of Krishna and simultaneously all the other responsibilities will become fulfilled.

(The content of this E-magazine is based on a Lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami entitled “Krsna’s Instructions to Uddhava” on 23rd March 2014, Lenasia, South Africa.)

(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Dasi)

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