View source for When we agree to serve only, not to be served. Not to accept service from others, but to serve others - that is real liberation

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[[Category:When]]
[[Category:Agree]]
[[Category:Serve]]
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[[Category:A Devotee's Service to God is Never Hampered]]
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[[Category:Real]]
[[Category:Liberation]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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When we agree to serve, not to be served, that is liberated person. When we agree to serve only, not to be served. Not to accept service from others, but to serve others—that is real liberation. But here the material disease is that everyone is making plan, "How others will serve me." This is called māyā. This is called māyā. Māyā means that artificially we want to be served. That is not possible. When we agree to serve . . . as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us the path of liberation, jīvera svarūpa hoy nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa, this is our position. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.
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[[Vanisource:730714 - Lecture BG 01.13-14 - London|730714 - Lecture BG 01.13-14 - London]]
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So try to understand the position of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is nārāyaṇaḥ para, transcendental, paraḥ avyaktāt. That is puruṣottama-yoga in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa has said: "Anyone who has understood Me," ajam avyayam, ajam, "I never take birth in this material world, neither I am deteriorated by material contact—he knows Me perfectly." That is called puruṣottama. Puruṣa uttama. Uttama. Uttama means "not of this material world." Ut. Ut means above, and tama means this darkness. So ut-tama means "above this darkness." So uttama puruṣa. Puruṣa uttama.

Puruṣa, we are also . . . puruṣa means enjoyer. Prakṛti means enjoyed. So actually, we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛti. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat ([[Vanisource:BG 7.5 (1972)|BG 7.5]]). Apareyam, these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.4 (1972)|BG 7.4]]), earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, these are separated energies, material energies of Kṛṣṇa. They are also prakṛti. As this material world is prakṛti, similarly, there is another prakṛti, Kṛṣṇa gives information. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. But that is parā-prakṛti. So we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛtis. Although by materially dressed we appear to be puruṣa, actually, we are not puruṣa. Just like if you dress one woman like a man, that does not mean she has become man. She is woman.

Similarly, we are puruṣa in the sense that we are trying to imitate the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. We are trying to become imitation Kṛṣṇa. Just like so many rascals, they declare that "God. I am God." That is the last snare, Māyāvāda. First of all we try to become enjoyer, like the head of the family man or a minister or this and that, so many. Everyone is trying to become head, enjoyer. And at last, being baffled in every respect, he wants to become God. This is the last snare of māyā. Nobody can become God. He is Puruṣottama and we are prakṛtis. Artificially, how we can become enjoyer? Prakṛti means enjoyed. Enjoyer and . . . predominator and the predominated.

So jīva-bhūta, we jīvas, we are all prakṛti. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. All living entities . . . Viṣṇu-tattva is puruṣa-tattva, and we are śakti-tattva, śakti, energy, marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa. So energy is prakṛti. So prakṛti is not puruṣa. So Māyāvāda philosophy is wrong. They pose them as so 'ham. So 'ham, "I am the same." How you can be same? In the śāstra it is said that, "You living entity, you are prakṛti." How you can become same, you puruṣa? This is mistake.

How prakṛti, how a woman can become man? Artificially one can become. Here also, so-called woman, they are also puruṣa. They are thinking puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Everyone. Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Puruṣa attitude. Everyone wants to be served. Nobody wants to serve. This is the material conception of life.

So when we agree to serve, not to be served, that is liberated person. When we agree to serve only, not to be served. Not to accept service from others, but to serve others—that is real liberation. But here the material disease is that everyone is making plan, "How others will serve me." This is called māyā. This is called māyā. Māyā means that artificially we want to be served. That is not possible. When we agree to serve . . . as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us the path of liberation, jīvera svarūpa hoy nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa, this is our position. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

So when we engage ourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa . . . the whole Bhagavad-gītā is spoken on this basis. Arjuna was artificially declining to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight, and Arjuna was putting so many reason, how he could fight and kill the other side, who are his kinsmen, who are nephews, who are brothers, grandfather? This argument were being put. So that means he refused to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is material condition.

He was thinking in his own terms. He wanted to enjoy the family members, the so-called nephews, brothers that, "If they are killed, then what is the use of my this kingdom?" Everyone . . . (break) . . . but people thinks that "I get kingdom. I enjoy myself." That is condition. But a liberated soul will take the kingdom, but it will be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is liberated.

In this way we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's fame, Kṛṣṇa's associates, Kṛṣṇa's activities—all divyam, transcendental. They are not material. Therefore it is mentioned here, divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 1.14 (1972)|BG 1.14]]). Divyau śaṅkhau. The śaṅkha used by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, they are not ordinary śaṅkha.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
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