There is a passage on the second canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam where Sukadeva Goswami describes that one who desires good children should worship the Prajāpatis, the great progenitors of the universe, one who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, one who desires money should worship the Vasus, one who desires a long life should worship the Aśvinī-kumāras, one who desires a good wife should worship the Apsarās, and so on. Even worship to the demons is recommended to one desiring victory over an enemy. How is that?
Most people have material desires, and the Vedas explain how one can fulfill his desires by worshiping a superior authority, like a demigod. In this way, one can gradually learn to submit to higher authorities, a process that may eventually bring him to the point of becoming a devotee of the Lord. However, this is a very long process and there is no guarantee that one will become a devotee by practicing it. Most demons worship Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma, but we can see that they remain envious of Lord Vishnu. Ravana for example, became very powerful by worshiping Lord Shiva, just to use this power to challenge Lord Rama.
Sukadeva Goswami concludes that although the Vedas recommend these different types of worship for the satisfaction of material desires, any person who is intelligent should worship only the Supreme Lord. This equally applies to all, no matter if one is without material desires (akāma), full of material desires (sarva-kāma), or desiring liberation (mokṣa-kāma). This is a very important verse:
While life on our planet lasts just 100 years or so, life in Swargaloka (the planetary system of the demigods) lasts for 10,000 years of the demigods (3.6 million years of our time, since 24 hours for them equals 360 earthly days). When a yogi reaches Maharloka (the next planetary system after Swargaloka), however, he can live for an entire day of Brahma or 4.32 billion years.
When the day of Brahma finishes, the fire emitted by Lord Ananta destroys all the lower planets of the universe (up to Swargaloka). Maharloka is not directly destroyed, but it becomes too hot even for the great sages who live there. The ones who are sufficiently qualified have at this point the possibility of ascending to the next planetary systems (Janaloka, Tapoloka, or Brahmaloka), according to their level of qualification, where they can live longer. The lifespan in Satyaloka is extraordinarily long since it’s tied to the life of Lord Brahma.
Although Brahma lives for 311.04 trillion years, his life is divided into two parardhas or two halves. This is mentioned in SB 3.11.34 and a few other references. In his commentary to SB 3.11.37, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura mentions that at the end of the first half of the life of Brahma, the Universe is completely destroyed (including Brahmaloka) and all the great sages living there have to enter the body of Maha-Vishnu and wait to the reborn in the next Kalpa.
In this way, the lifespan in Brahmaloka is only half of the 311.040 trillion years of the total life of Brahma, or 155.52 trillion years. Not too bad still… 🙂
“In that planet of Satyaloka, there is neither bereavement, nor old age nor death. There is no pain of any kind, and therefore there are no anxieties, save that sometimes, due to consciousness, there is a feeling of compassion for those unaware of the process of devotional service, who are subjected to unsurpassable miseries in the material world.” (SB 2.2.27)
We have thus the following life expectancies for the inhabitants of the different planetary systems:
In the second chapter of the 2nd canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, there is a description of the process of leaving one’s body through the process of mystic yoga. By this process, a yogi can choose where he wants to go after leaving his body. Naturally, this process is very difficult in the age we live, but in the Srimad Bhagavatam, we find descriptions of many great personalities who followed this process while leaving their bodies. As Srila Prabhupada explains:
“In olden days such practice was very common for the transcendentalist, for the mode of life and character in those days were favorable. But in modern days, when the influence of Kali Age is so disturbing, practically everyone is untrained in this art of bodily exercise. Concentration of the mind is more easily attained in these days by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The results are more effective than those derived from the inner exercise of the life air.”
The first consideration for leaving one’s body in the process of mystic yoga is the time and place. In the Bhagavad-Gita (8.23-26) the Lord describes the appropriate moments for one to leave his body, but in BG 8.14 He clearly states that one who is advanced in devotional service does not need to be concerned with such details. Sukadeva Goswami concludes one that should not be perplexed about the proper time or place, focusing instead of advancing on the process of devotion. Leaving at an opportune moment is not as important as one’s being a successful yogī who can quit his body as he likes.
The next consideration is the process itself. One should comfortably sit without being disturbed and, regulating the life air, control the senses using the mind. The next step is to merge his mind into the self by using one’s purified intelligence, and then merge the self into the Superself (Paramatma). By this process, one attains the stage of labdhopaśānti, where there is full bliss and cessations of all material hankerings.
Just 50 years ago, the conclusions given in the Vedas seemed very distant from scientific conclusions. The conclusions of the Vedas remained the same for thousands of years, but just recently, with the evolution of scientific theories, the different branches of modern science started coming to conclusions that are similar to the Vedas. In other words, the Vedas and modern science were further apart 50 years ago than they are now because, at the time, scientific theories were not evolved enough to experimentally confirm what the Vedas say.
Take for example the idea of multiple universes existing simultaneously given in the Vedas. Although the idea of multiple universes has existed for a long time in the field of science fiction, it started gaining serious traction in scientific circles only in the 1980s, with the development of inflationary cosmology. Alan Guth (1981), for example, suggested that the rapid expansion of the early universe could lead to the creation of multiple, bubble-like universes. The multiverse theory gained further traction in the 1990s and 2000s, as the string theory evolved.
Many speculate that different universes may not be only the stage for different events, but also have different physical laws, and that consequently most of them may not offer the conditions for the appearance of life. This is something we can only speculate about, since it’s not possible to for us to visit any other universe. According to the Vedas, however, all the different material universes are similar, and life is present everywhere because the conditions in each universe are not the result of chance but of a conscious design.
Different universes are not exactly the same, some universes are bigger and more complex than others, and the material manifestations of each universe may be different, but they share the same basic organization and physical laws. The Vedas offer us descriptions of some of these other universes, which helps us to understand them. In the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, for example, there is a description of the saga of Gopa Kumara in search of the Absolute Truth. The events described in the book happened a very long time ago, in a different cycle of creation and in a different universe, but we can notice that it describes people and planets, just like we have here. We can thus see that all universes follow the same basic process of development, although they vary in terms of complexity.
When we think about matter we think about atoms, but Srimad Bhagavatam explains it in a different way, focusing on the practical aspects of material experience. It explains how the material experience, as well as the tools we use to experience it, are created.
According to the Vedas, all material objects are a combination of the five material elements:
1- nabha or ākāśa (space, or ether) 2- anila or marut (air) 3- tejas or agni (fire, light and electricity) 4- ambha or āpas (water and liquids) 5- pṛthvī or bhūḥ (earth, including all the other gross elements)
These elements are created together with the senses that can experience them. There is no point in having eyes if there are no forms to be seen, there is no point in having ears if there are no sounds to be heard, etc. Similarly, there would be no point in form, sound, and taste existing if there were no one to experience them, therefore, they come together. From the moment sound is created, the possibility of hearing such sounds (the sense of hearing) is created, when forms are created, the possibility of seeing such forms (vision) is created, and so on.
Nabha, the element ether mentioned here is not connected with the disproven theory of the luminiferous ether from past centuries, nor is it just a vacuum, like in space. The Vedic conception of ether is a subtle element that serves as a fabric or support for all the other material manifestations. Ether is everywhere and pervades everything. It sustains all forms of matter and energy, just like the canvas used to make a painting. Everything starts with this fabric of ether, and everything else exists on top of it.
In the second canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, there is a description of the process of meditation in the universal form. Is it something we should practice? Why is this recommended in the Srimad Bhagavatam?
This is a process for ones who have material desires, or are in a gross level of consciousness and are thus not capable of accepting the personal form of the Lord.
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered: One should control the sitting posture, regulate the breathing process by the yogic prāṇāyāma and thus control the mind and senses and with intelligence apply the mind to the gross potencies of the Lord [called the virāṭ-rūpa].” (SB 2.1.23)
In this process, one meditates on the different components of the universal creation as well as different planetary systems and demigods as different parts of the form. Sukadeva Goswami describes that the Universal Form is composed of the phenomenal material world as a whole, wherein past, present, and future of material time are experienced.
The Pātāla planetary system constitutes the bottoms of the feet, and the heels and the toes are the Rasātala planets. The ankles are the Mahātala planets, and His shanks constitute the Talātala planets. The knees are the planetary system of Sutala, and the two thighs are the Vitala and Atala planetary systems. The hips are Mahītala, and outer space is the depression of His navel. Visible planets, such as the sun and the moon are situated in His chest, His neck is the Mahar planets, His mouth is the Janas planets, and His forehead is the Tapas planetary system. The topmost planetary system, known as Satyaloka, is the head.
In the second canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami reveals the supreme process of self-realization: taking shelter in the sound representation of the Lord, following the instructions of spiritual authorities. This is the process recommended for all, including those who desire material enjoyment, those who are free from all desires, and the ones who are already self-realized and self-satisfied. All other processes of self-realization are ineffective in our age. Only the process of remembering the Lord constantly through His sound representation can save one from the cycle of birth and death. This can be done by directly chanting the holy names, or by reciting and hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam, as done by Sukadeva Goswami and Pariksit Maharaja.
Pariksit had asked what is the duty of one who is about to die and here Sukadeva Goswami gives the answer, which he will expand throughout the rest of the book. We may think that we have a very long life ahead, but in reality, we are all people about to die, because we can’t be sure about how long we will live. Prabhupada makes the point that due to the curse of the Brahmana, Pariksit could be sure that he was going to live for seven days, while we don’t even have this certainty. We can die at any moment, therefore we should have the same sense of urgency as Maharaja Pariksit in hearing about Krsna.
“O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge. What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.” (SB 2.1.11-12)
1- Sarga, or the primary creation, done by Lord Maha-Vishnu. 2- Visarga, the secondary creation, done by Lord Brahma. 3- Vrtti, maintenance of the universe. 4- Raksa, the sustenance of all living beings. 5- Antarani, the reigns of the Manus, who take care of the Universal affairs. 6- Vamsah, the dynasties of great kings 7- Vamsa-anucaritam, the narrations of their activities. 8- Samstha (annihilation), 9- Hetuh, the motivation for the living entities’ involvement in material activities. 10- Apasrayah, the Supreme Shelter.
Although each canto explains certain topics with more detail than others, all the 12 cantos contain explanations about all the 10 topics. Because each canto brings knowledge that is suitable for the level of understanding of the reader, we may notice that often the same topic is repeatedly explained in several cantos, but with different details, combined with other topics that help us to deepen our understanding of the first. This may sound confusing for contemporaneous readers, who would expect a book to speak about everything connected with one topic before passing to the next, but this is a scientific system for conveying transcendental knowledge.
This first chapter in the second canto is called “The First Step in God Realization” because it includes an explanation of meditation in the universal form, which is recommended for neophytes, as well as transcendentalists coming from impersonalism, who have difficulties in meditating on the personal form of the Lord. The meditation on the universal form offers a way to adjust their consciousness to the idea that the Lord has a form.
At the end of the first canto, Pariksit Maharaja asked about the way of perfection for all persons, especially for one who is about to die. What should a person hear, chant, remember, and worship? What should he not do?
What is Varnashrama? It’s actually quite simple, although dificult to implement in practice.
Just as the demigods, all human beings and other forms of life are parts of the universal form of the Lord, therefore we are supposed to serve the whole. Animals automatically execute their functions according to their natures, therefore there is no question of sin for them. Human beings however have free will. When this free will is properly applied, one becomes a pure devotee of the Lord, or at least performs his duties according to the Varnashrama system, playing his role as a teacher or intellectual dedicated to uplifting society, as an ethical politician, manager, or military man, organizing and protecting society, as an honest farmer or businessman, or simply as an honest worker. By accepting the supremacy of the Lord and executing our duties according to this divine system, we can gradually purify ourselves. The four orders are born from the Supreme Lord, and the ultimate goal of the system is to worship the Lord under the guidance of the spiritual master.
This division into four classes, with further ramifications, is a natural division that can be found in every society, from aboriginal tribes to modern countries. The reason is mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita 4.13: “According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.” These divisions are present everywhere because they were created by Krsna. Any functional society will naturally organize itself around these four basic divisions. Even communist countries (which are based on the idea of abolishing social classes) would develop this natural division over time. It is just not possible for a society to function without some form of it.
The point about the Varnashrama system is that it is based on the idea of training the members of society starting at an early age to properly perform their duties. Brahmanas are thus enlightened spiritual teachers (instead of drunkards passing as professors), Ksatriyas are saintly kings (instead of obnoxious politicians), the Vaisyas are honest businessmen who share their wealth with the other sectors of society through proper wages, charity, taxes, the Sudras are disciplined workers, and so on.
The soul of the Varnashrama system is the Brahmanas because these are the qualified educators who can train the other classes inside the Gurukula system. Without proper Gurukulas, maintained by qualified teachers, Varnashrama is just a pipe dream. We can see that at the beginning of our movement, Prabhupada emphasized that he was trying to train some qualified Brahmanas who would guide society. We can see it starts from there.
Traditionally, Gurukulas are small schools maintained by a Brahmana family, where the children of nearby houses are educated in a protected family environment. A Brahmana, together with his wife accepts the responsibility of educating a few children and teaches each one according to their natures. The main characteristic of this system is that there is an affective bond, the children are educated by the couple just like their own children.
The main reason Gurukulas have largely failed in our movement up to now is that we often lack qualified teachers, and that’s something that is not produced very easily. As we get more qualified Brahmanas in our movement, and more of them start to perform their natural role as teachers, the system may start working, and when somehow all the members of society are properly trained, the system can work properly, resulting in a prosperous and spiritually enlightened society.
We often think of Brahmanas as devotees trained to perform fire sacrifices and other ceremonies, but this is just a very small subsection of what a Brahmana is. Brahmanas are the natural teachers and spiritual masters of all other orders. The qualities of the Brahmanas are listed by the Lord (in the 17th chapter of the 11th canto) as peacefulness, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple straightforwardness, devotion to the Lord, mercy, and truthfulness.
Often we relate being a Ksatriya with having power, influence, many wives, and so on, but this is not what means to be a Ksatriya. The main characteristic of Ksatriyas is their capacity and dedication to protect others, both in the material and spiritual sense. This characteristic, which comes from a positive influence of the mode of passion makes them fit to rule society. The qualities of the Ksatriyas are described as dynamic power, bodily strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity, great endeavor, steadiness, devotion to the brāhmaṇas, and leadership.
It’s said that the means of subsistence for all are generated from the thighs of the universal form of the Lord. The real means of subsistence are grains and other types of food, which should be distributed to all members of society. This power of maintenance is embodied by the Vaisyas, who take charge of producing food and wealth to maintain the whole society. The natural qualities of the Vaisyas are listed as faith in Vedic civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the Brāhmaṇas, and perpetual desire to accumulate more money.
From the legs of the universal form come the Sudras, who satisfy the Lord by menial service. The Sudras lack the special qualities and initiative of the other classes, but they support the whole society through their honest labor. Their qualities are listed as service without duplicity to the Brāhmaṇas, cows, demigods, and other worshipable personalities, and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions that most of us didn’t receive training in any of the four classes, therefore we should at first try to develop the qualities of a Sudra, and from there see if we have the natural inclination for developing the higher qualifications of any of the other three classes.
The Lord lists the qualities of persons who are not trained in the Varnashrama system as dirtiness, dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger, and hankering, which are indeed very common nowadays.
In opposition, the basic qualities for all members of the Varnashrama system (including Sudras and Vaisyas) are nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others, as well as freedom from lust, anger, and greed.
The idea is that we need to first develop this basic set of qualities, then the qualities of a Sudra, and from there see where we can go.
It is not possible to establish Varnashrama as just a set of rules, it is necessary to somehow elevate the people to the necessary standard of consciousness. As long as we are dirty, dishonest, faithless, quarreling, lustful, angry, and so on, there is no question of developing a functional Varnashrama society. It becomes possible only when we become first purified by hearing about the Lord and singing His glories. As mentioned in SB 5.18.12, one who develops firm devotion to the Lord manifests the qualities of the demigods, such as religion, knowledge, and renunciation.
The process of hearing about Krsna and chanting His name can thus help us to develop basic human qualities, and from there establish a proper society based on spiritual values. The process of establishing Varnashrama thus passes through first becoming Krsna conscious. Once we, as devotees, develop the saintly qualities that are expected from our spiritual practice, our communities can gradually evolve into places where devotees behave honestly and cooperate. From this, we will have an opportunity to develop a functional Varnashrama system, based on qualified individuals.
An idea that is prevalent in modern educational psychology to promote higher levels of education and thinking is Bloom’s Taxonomy, based on six stages of thinking, going from the very basic, just memorizing information, all the way to creating new ideas and concepts based on information previously studied.
It offers a framework for analyzing and evaluating concepts, processes, procedures, and principles, rather than just remembering information. In other words, it teaches the students how to go deeper in their studies and understand and apply what they are learning. This is a technology that can be very useful when we study the sastras, bringing us from the level of just reading information, to the level of being able to understand and apply it.
Reaching the higher stages can help us a lot in better understanding and finding practical applications for the spiritual knowledge we are studying. Still better is that the advanced levels of thinking are more efficient methods of study, in other words, they help us to learn things faster than the lower levels.
