As far as charity is concerned, one should give fifty percent of his earnings to some good cause. And what is a good cause? It is that which is conducted in terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not only a good cause, but it is the best cause. Because Kṛṣṇa is good, His cause is also good. Thus charity should be given to a person who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to Vedic literature, it is enjoined that charity should be given to the
brāhmaṇas.
This practice is still followed, although not very nicely in terms of the Vedic injunction. But still the injunction is that charity should be given to the
brāhmaṇas.
Why? Because they are engaged in higher cultivation of spiritual knowledge. A
brāhmaṇa
is
supposed to devote his whole life to understanding Brahman. A
brahma-jana
is
one who knows Brahman; he is called a
brāhmaṇa.
Thus charity is offered to the
brāhmaṇas
because since they are always engaged in higher spiritual service, they have no time to earn their livelihood. In the Vedic literature, charity is also to be awarded to the renouncer of life, the
sannyāsī.
The
sannyāsīs
beg from door to door, not for money but for missionary purposes. The system is that they go from door to door to awaken the householders from the slumber of ignorance. Because the householders are engaged in family affairs and have forgotten their actual purpose in life-awakening their Kṛṣṇa consciousness-it is the business of the
sannyāsīs
to go as beggars to the householders and encourage them to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. As it is said in the
Vedas
, one should awake and achieve what is due him in this human form of life. This knowledge and method is distributed by the
sannyāsīs
; hence charity is to be given to the renouncer of life, to the
brāhmaṇas
, and similar good causes, not to any whimsical cause.
Yaśaḥ
, fame, should be according to Lord Caitanya, who said that a man is famous when he is known as a great devotee. That is real fame. If one has become a great man in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and it is known, then he is truly famous. One who does not have such fame is infamous.
All these qualities are manifest throughout the universe in human society and in the society of the demigods. There are many forms of humanity on other planets, and these qualities are there. Now, for one who wants to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa creates all these qualities, but the person develops them himself from within. One who engages in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities, as arranged by the Supreme Lord.
Of whatever we find, good or bad, the origin is Kṛṣṇa. Nothing can manifest in this material world which is not in Kṛṣṇa. That is knowledge; although we know that things are differently situated, we should realize that everything flows from Kṛṣṇa.
Bg 10.6
TEXT 6
TEXT
maharṣayaḥ sapta pūrve
catvāro manavas tathā
mad-bhāvā mānasā jātā
yeṣāṁ loka imāḥ prajāḥ
SYNONYMS
maharṣayaḥ-
the great sages;
sapta-
seven;
pūrve
-before;
catvāraḥ-
four;
manavaḥ-
Manus;
tathā-
also;
mat-bhāvāḥ-
born of Me;
mānasāḥ-
from the mind;
jātāḥ-
born;
yeṣām
-of them;
loke-
the planets;
imāḥ
-all this;
prajāḥ-
population.
TRANSLATION
The seven great sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] are born out of My mind, and all creatures in these planets descend from them.
PURPORT
The Lord is giving a genealogical synopsis of the universal population. Brahmā is the original creature born out of the energy of the Supreme Lord known as Hiraṇyagarbha. And from Brahmā all the seven great sages, and before them four other great sages, named Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana, and Sanatkumāra, and the fourteen Manus, are manifest. All these twenty-five great sages are known as the patriarchs of the living entities all over the universe. There are innumerable universes and innumerable planets within each universe, and each planet is full of population of different varieties. All of them are born of these twenty-five patriarchs. Brahmā underwent penance for one thousand years of the demigods before he realized by the grace of Kṛṣṇa how to create. Then from Brahmā, Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana, and Sanatkumāra came out, then Rudra, and
then the seven sages, and in this way all the
brāhmaṇas
and
kṣatriyas
are born out of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmā is known as
pitāmaha,
the grandfather, and Kṛṣṇa is known as the
prapitā-maha,
the father of the grandfather. That is stated in the Eleventh Chapter of the
Bhagavad-gītā.
(Bg. 11.39)
Bg 10.7
TEXT 7
TEXT
etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ ca
mama yo vetti tattvataḥ
so 'vikalpena yogena
yujyate nātra saṁśayaḥ
SYNONYMS
etām-
all this;
vibhūtiṁ-
opulence;
yogam ca-
also mystic power;
mama-
of Mine;
yaḥ-
anyone;
vetti-
knows;
tattvataḥ-
factually;
saḥ-
he;
avikalpena-
without division;
yogena-
in devotional service;
yujyate-
engaged;
na-
never;
atra-
here;
saṁśayaḥ-
doubt.
TRANSLATION
He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.
PURPORT
The highest summit of spiritual perfection is knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one is firmly convinced of the different opulences of the Supreme Lord, he cannot engage in devotional service. Generally people know that God is great, but they do not know in detail how God is great. Here are the details. If one knows factually how God is great, then naturally he becomes a surrendered soul and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord. When one factually knows the opulences of the Supreme, there is no alternative but to surrender to Him. This factual knowledge can be known from the descriptions in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
and
Bhagavad-gītā
and similar literatures.
In the administration of this universe there are many demigods distributed throughout the planetary system, and the chief of them are Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the four great Kumāras and other patriarchs. There are many forefathers of the population of the universe, and all of them are born of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the original forefather of all forefathers.
These are some of the opulences of the Supreme Lord. When one is firmly convinced of them, he accepts Kṛṣṇa with great faith and without any doubt, and he engages in devotional service. All this particular knowledge is required in order to increase one's interest in the loving devotional service of the Lord. One should not neglect to understand fully how great Kṛṣṇa is, for by knowing the greatness of Kṛṣṇa one will be able to be fixed in sincere devotional service.
Bg 10.8
TEXT 8
TEXT
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
SYNONYMS
aham
-I;
sarvasya
-of all;
prabhavaḥ
-source of generation;
mattaḥ
-from Me;
sarvam
-everything;
pravartate
-emanates;
iti
-thus;
matvā
-knowing;
bhajante-
becomes devoted;
mām
-unto Me;
budhāḥ-
learned;
bhāva-samanvitāḥ
-with great attention.
TRANSLATION
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
PURPORT
A learned scholar who has studied the
Vedas
perfectly and has information from authorities like Lord Caitanya and who knows how to apply these teachings can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything in both the material and spiritual worlds, and because he knows this perfectly he becomes firmly fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. He can never be deviated by any amount of nonsensical commentaries or by fools. All Vedic literature agrees that Kṛṣṇa is the source of Brahmā, Śiva and all other demigods. In the
Atharva-veda
it is said, "yo
brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti: pūrvaṁ yo vai vedāṁś
ca gāpayati sma kṛṣṇaḥ."
"It was Kṛṣṇa who in the beginning instructed Brahmā in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past." Then again it is said,
"atha puruṣo ha vai nārāyaṇo 'kāmayata prajāḥ sṛjeya ity upakramya."
"Then the Supreme Personality Nārāyaṇa desired to create living entities." Again it is said:
nārāyaṇād brahmā jāyate, nārāyaṇād prajāpatiḥ prajāyate, nārāyaṇād indro jāyate, nārāyaṇād aṣṭau vasavo jāyante, nārāyaṇād ekādaśa rudrā jāyante, nārāyaṇād dvādaśādityāḥ.
"From Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā is born, and from Nārāyaṇa, the patriarchs are also born. From Nārāyaṇa, Indra is born, from Nārāyaṇa the eight Vasus are born, from Nārāyaṇa the eleven Rudras are born, from Nārāyaṇa the twelve Ādityas are born."
It is said in the same
Vedas: brahmaṇyo devakī-putraḥ:
"The son of Devakī, Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme Personality." Then it is said:
eko vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na īśāno nāpo nāgni samau neme
dyāv-āpṛthivī na nakṣatrāṇi na sūryaḥ sa ekākī na ramate tasya
dhyānāntaḥ sthasya yatra chāndogaiḥ kriyamāṇāṣṭakādi-saṁjñakā
stuti-stomaḥ stomam ucyate.
"In the beginning of the creation there was only the Supreme Personality Nārāyaṇa. There was no Brahmā, no Śiva, no fire, no moon, no stars in the sky, no sun. There was only Kṛṣṇa, who creates all and enjoys all."
In the many
Purāṇas
it is said that Lord Śiva was born from the highest, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the
Vedas
say that it is the Supreme Lord, the creator of Brahmā and Śiva, who is to be worshiped. In the
Mokṣa-dharma
Kṛṣṇa also says,
prajāpatiṁ ca rudraṁ cāpy aham eva sṛjāmi vai tau hi māṁ na vijānīto mama māyā-vimohitau.
"The patriarchs, Śiva and others are created by Me, though they do not know that they are created by Me because they are deluded by My illusory energy." In
Varāha Purāṇa
it is also said,
nārāyaṇaḥ paro devas tasmāj jātaś caturmukhaḥ tasmād rudro 'bhavad devaḥ sa ca sarvajñatāṁ gataḥ.
"Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him Brahmā was born, from whom Śiva was born."
Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of all generations, and He is called the most efficient cause of everything. He says that because "everything is born of Me, I am the original source of all. Everything is under Me; no one is above Me." There is no supreme controller other than Kṛṣṇa. One who understands Kṛṣṇa in such a way from a bona fide spiritual master and from Vedic literature, who engages all his energy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becomes a truly learned man. In comparison to him, all others, who do not know Kṛṣṇa properly, are but fools. Only a fool would consider Kṛṣṇa to be an ordinary man. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be bewildered by fools; he should avoid all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations on
Bhagavad-gītā
and proceed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness with determination and firmness.
Bg 10.9
TEXT 9
TEXT
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
SYNONYMS
mat-cittāḥ-
minds fully engaged in Me;
mat-gata-prāṇāḥ-
lives devoted to the service of Kṛṣṇa;
bodhayantaḥ-
preaching;
parasparam-
among themselves;
kathayantaḥ ca-
talking also;
mām-
about Me;
nityam-
perpetually;
tuṣyanti-
are pleased;
ca-
also;
ramanti-
enjoy transcendental bliss;
ca-
also
.
TRANSLATION
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
PURPORT
Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Their talks are solely on the transcendental subjects. The symptoms of the pure devotees are described in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Kṛṣṇa, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.
In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that transcendental position, they can relish the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode. Lord Caitanya likens transcendental devotional service to the sowing of a seed in the heart of the living entity. There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout the different planets of the universe, and out of them there are a few who are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee and get the chance to understand devotional service. This devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown in the heart of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing and chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering. The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters into the
brahmajyoti
effulgence in the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky also that plant grows more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, the supreme planet of Kṛṣṇa. Ultimately, the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and rests there. Gradually, as a plant grows fruits and flowers, that plant of devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the form of chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is fully described in the
Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
It is explained there that when the complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact with the Supreme Lord.