Brahm Vidya and Krishn bhakti

How does the atm-gyan, the gyani’s knowledge of the soul, take place? That happens with ‘brahm vidya’, which is a power. Once Sage Javali was going through a jungle. He saw a beautiful woman sitting next to a well, absorbed in meditation with closed eyes. He sat there for awhile.  When she opened her eyes he asked, “Who are you and what are you doing here all alone?” She said, “I am brahm vidya.” He said, “So you are brahm vidya and with your Grace people receive gyan. Then what are you doing here?”  She said, “I am Divinely contented. There is no lack in my Bliss. My name is ‘Bliss of brahm’ but I am devoid of Krishn’s Divine love. Because of this, I feel a void. I'm doing devotion so that I may attain Krishn bhakti.” This is the situation of brahm vidya, through whose Grace Gyanis become realized.

Who could be a bigger Gyani than Brahma? Yet Brahma desires the footdust of the Gopis. He says to Krishn, “Maharaj! Please give me the form of a bird or an animal in Gokul so the Gopis footdust could fall on me.” Brahma is saying this. The four sons of Brahma, the Sankadik Paramahans, are Saints from birth. They didn’t do any spiritual practice. These four brothers are naturally absorbed in the Bliss of brahm. They are all the same age and in the form of young boys.  They go wherever they wish in all the three worlds.  The Sankadik are regarded as a descension of God.

But when they went to supreme God’s abode and the breeze from the tulsi leaves placed on God’s lotus feet entered their nostrils, their Bliss of virtueless, formless, impersonal brahm ended. Every pore of their bodies became filled with Divine love. They asked for a boon from God, “Oh Krishn, please give us such devotionthat our minds remain ever-attached like bumblebees to your lotus feet. After that, if you wish, you may give us hell.” The Sankadik are asking for hell.  Who could be greater Gyanis than them?  “Give us a place in hell, but may our devotion to Youalways remain.”

Sage Narad is also a descension of God. He writes in the Narad Bhakti Darshan that those who want liberation, they too should accept bhakti. Surrender and do bhakti.  You will receive everything from bhakti, you will receive liberation and anything else you want. Other paths are very difficult to follow and their result is material. Even if you want material results, do Krishn bhakti and you will receive those automatically. You will receive without asking that which is difficult to attain and can't even be thought of by your mind.  Just do bhakti. Bhagwatam, 3/2/20.  Shaunak and other sages are saying this. Who could be greater Gyanis than they? They are saying real ears are those ears that listen to the names, virtues, Divine forms, leelas, and abodes of Krishn. Otherwise those ears are like snake holes. If the tongue doesn't chant the names, virtues and leelas of Krishn, it is like a frog. Just like frogs croak in the rainy season, “Krrrrr krrrrrr.” They keep on croaking like this.  It doesn't mean anything.  They all make different kinds of sounds. Go near a pond and listen to the sound sometime.  They all keep on croaking.  Such a tongue is just like this. If a head doesn't bow to the lotus feet of God and Guru, even if it is wearing a crown worth millions, that head is just dead weight. It is useless. Similarly if a hand is not used for the service of God and Guru, then it is like the hands of a corpse. If your feet don't benefit from going to pilgrimage places, then they are also dead. The biggest thing is that heart is made of stone if it doesn't melt in the chanting of names, virtues, leelas, and abode of Krishn, and if one doesn't shed tears or the hairs of one's body aren't standing on end. 

These are the statements of great paramhansas. Once a paramhans was passing through Braj. Krishn decided to play a joke on him. Krishn, who was 3 or 4 years old, stood naked in front of him. The paramhans saw Krishn and fainted on the spot. He had been experiencing the Bliss of brahm, not the bliss of the soul. When he regained consciousness, he shouted, “Oh travelers! Don't go that way!” Why? “There is a great danger!” What is it? Is there a riot? What has happened? Are there bullets flying? “No bullets. Such a dangerous thing is standing on the way that it gave life to the dead mind of a paramhans like me, and again made it unconscious. What will happen to all of you, who are absorbed in worldly bliss?"

Once a Gopi was sitting on the bank of the Yamuna River in the lotus posture and meditating with closed eyes. Sage Narad was passing by. He thought, “Look! She is such a beautiful girl and she has so much love for God.” He stood there and started to play on his veena saying, “Narayan! Narayan!” The Gopi opened her eyes and thought, “He seems to be Sage Narad.” She looked at Sage Narad and offered her respects to him.  Sage Narad asked, “Oh, mother! Who were you meditating upon?” She said, “Who should I be meditating on?” “Weren't you meditating on Krishn?” “Yes, I was meditating on Him.” Narad asked, “Why are you speaking so angrily?” She said, "I am trying to get Krishn out of my heart. If I could just get Him out of my heart for a little while, I could get some peace. He is in my mind 24-hours a day.”

That Krishn who the yogis try to bring into their trance for just a few seconds, this Gopi is trying to remove from her mind – just the opposite! For example there is wax. Melt it and then filter it through 100 layers of cloth to remove the impurities. Then add any color to it. After this the color can't be taken out of the wax and the wax can't be taken out of the color. Similarly when the heart melts in longing for Krishn, Krishn enters and permeates the heart in such a way that He can't come out and the heart also can't leave Krishn.