Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā Begins Its Eighth Year

For many years, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda served as the editor-in-chief of Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā, the Hindi journal published by the Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti under Śrīpāda B.P. Keśava Mahārāja. In this 1962 article from Volume 8, Issue 1, Śrīla Prabhupāda discusses the unique qualities of the magazine, critiques the shortcomings of contemporary politics and science, and offers guidance to readers who find the magazine’s language challenging.

By the mercy of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the original foundationhead of all rasa and the complete possessor of all transcendental opulences, Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā is entering its eighth year today. The purpose of Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā is to propagate the pure message of the Bhāgavata which is true in all three phases of time, and to bring about the supreme welfare of the world. Without the practice and propagation of the message of the Bhāgavata, the existence of true happiness and peace in the world is as impossible as flowers blooming in the sky. In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the divine message of the Lord that was revealed from the lotus mouth of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī is beneficial for all, and is worthy of being served:

etan nirvidyamānānām* icchatām akuto-bhayam

yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ harer nāmānukīrtanam*

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. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.11)

Those who desire any object of this world or the next — that is, the devotees — as well as those who, having experienced the miseries of worldly life, have become detached from it; those who aspire for heaven or the fearless state of liberation (mokṣa), and even the self-satisfied yogīs (ātmārāma) — for all of them, the previous ācāryas have declared that the threefold practice of hearing (śravaṇa), chanting (kīrtana), and remembering (smaraṇa) the names, qualities, and pastimes of Śrī Hari is both the supreme means and the supreme goal. Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā also conveys this very same message to the world.

In the material world, numerous types of magazines are being published. What to speak of political magazines, there is an abundance everywhere of magazines dealing with social, cultural, medical, worldly, international, religious, economic, and geographical subjects — as well as countless others dedicated to sense enjoyment, luxury, and the world of cinema. But the one and only true purpose of human life is to attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the root of all auspiciousness, and thereby make one’s life successful. However, modern human society, being completely absorbed in the accumulation and enjoyment of material sense objects, has become averse to its actual welfare — namely, self-realisation and devotion to the Supreme Lord. Among all living beings, the human form of life is the most superior. He is eligible for spiritual realisation, yet — although by nature he is Brahman, full of spiritual consciousness — he identifies himself with the gross material body, composed of the three modes of material nature, and thus considers himself to be suffering from various bodily afflictions. Thinking himself to be Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, English, Russian, American, Chinese, and so on, he has completely neglected self-realisation and discarded the knowledge of the soul. Therefore, although the great leaders of the world are trying to establish equality and unity among nations, they are failing in their efforts. At the same time, the opposite result of their efforts is visible – hatred is spreading everywhere, and the clouds of war are hovering all around.

For example, the present government of India is attempting to establish peace and happiness in the country by abolishing the ancient varṇa and āśrama system — the very foundation of Indian culture — and replacing it with a classless society. But at the same time, various factions such as the Congress, Communists, Socialists, Dravidar Kazhagam, Akali, Jan Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha, Praja Socialist, Swatantra Party, and others have arisen, and instead of uniting the country, they are mostly contributing to its further disintegration. All these factions, being hungry for power, have become enemies of one another. If hatred is to be removed from the world and true equality established in its place, then the sole purpose and relevance in the world is that of Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā.

Because Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā alone gives instruction to human society in the true spirit of equality — teaching that one should see with equal vision the learned and gentle brāhmaṇa and the cāṇḍāla, or outcaste — thus cultivating in the reader the qualities of a real paṇḍita, a learned person endowed with spiritual knowledge and humility. Many noble individuals who nurture this sentiment are gradually becoming subscribers to Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā, which is greatly encouraging for us, and we hope they will continue to do so in the future as well.

The Lord and Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā are non-different. One who is a knower of the truth (tattva-vit), who possesses firm faith, understands the principle of knowledge to be the essential substance. The meaning of śraddhaya-jñāna (knowledge through faith) is that the Name and the Named — both are elements of śraddhaya-jñāna; in other words, they are non-different. In the world of duality, the name and the named are different. Here, the name ‘water’ and the object denoted by that name — that is, the word ‘water’ and the actual substance water — are distinct. One does not obtain water merely by uttering the word ‘water’. When one is thirsty, merely uttering the name ‘water’ does not quench the thirst. For that, the actual substance called ‘water’ is required. However, in the case of the non-dual Absolute, His name, form, qualities, pastimes, and associates are not distinct from one another. He who Svayaṁ-Bhagavān is the same as His name.

*Hare Kṛṣna Hare Kṛṣna Kṛṣna Kṛṣna Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare*

If this transcendental Name were separate from the Lord Himself, then a pure devotee endowed with innate spiritual taste would not become choked with emotion, with his hair standing on end, and seemingly mad by chanting that Name. By chanting the Holy Name, the realised devotee beholds the Lord – who is non-different from His Name – directly. Sometimes he laughs, sometimes he cries, and sometimes he makes everyone around him weep. At times he dances, at times he sings the Holy Name aloud in a raised voice, and sometimes, seemingly mad, he rolls on the ground. Thus, from the conduct of the devotees and the evidence of the scriptures, it has been conclusively established that the Lord and the Bhāgavatam are non-different. When the Lord remains unmanifest before us in His personal form, at that time He manifests as the book Bhāgavata and the devotee bhāgavata. Therefore, one should respect the book Bhāgavata and the devotee bhāgavata as manifestations of the Lord’s prakāśa-vigraha and follow their instructions. By doing so, one attains supreme auspiciousness in the form of God realisation.

Not a single word of the Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā is a product of the imagination of a conditioned soul. Each and every word of it is of the nature of śabda-brahma, transcendental sound. That is because those words have been received through the disciplic succession. Śabda-brahma originates from Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself and is sung by His dear devotees — the great mahājanas such as Brahmā, Nārada, Śambhu, Kapila, the Kumāras, Manu, Prahlāda, Bhīṣma, Janaka, Bali, Śukadeva, and Yamarāja. Flowing from their lotus mouths, it spreads throughout the world by means of the guru-disciple succession. *Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā *brings this very śabda-brahma closer to those persons possessing faith. Therefore, when Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā, being non-different from the Lord, enters the home of a faithful person, it gives the same transcendental joy as if the Supreme Lord Himself had personally entered.

People who pursue religiosity, economic development, sense-gratification, and liberation often fail to properly understand the real aim of human life. The school of ordinary fruitive workers think that by performing prescribed duties in accordance with religious principles one attains wealth, and by acquiring wealth, all material desires can be fulfilled. Only after the fulfilment of material desires does one begin to prepare for liberation. Upon the so-called completion of such practice, one believes that by becoming one with the Lord of Lakṣmī, one merges into Him and experiences endless, uninterrupted bliss. He refers to that endless, uninterrupted bliss as brahmānanda — the joy of merging into the impersonal Brahman. However, he does not realise that the so-called infinite and uninterrupted bliss of brahmānanda is like a mere drop of water in comparison to the limitless ocean of sevānanda (the bliss of serving the Lord). For those who are immersed in that ocean of transcendental service to the Lord, the pleasures of religiosity, economic development, sense-gratification, and even liberation appear utterly insignificant. Śrī Bhāgavata Patrikā arrives in every home carrying the message of that eternal sevānanda**.**

On the cover page of Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā, the image of the mṛdaṅga is depicted. Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā is itself the bṛhat–mṛdaṅga, whose sweet and grave sound resounds far and wide, across the nation and abroad, declaring: “Sense enjoyment is condemned! It is condemned!” Therefore, one should give up all sense enjoyment and attain the bliss of devotional service to the Supreme Lord—only then can this rare human birth be made successful. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself has declared, sarva–dharmān parityajya māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (“Abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender unto Me alone”). What happiness lies in the service of the Supreme Lord can only be realised by rendering that very service.

One must always remember that the Lord’s name, form, qualities, pastimes, and associates are all completely transcendental. However, the modern scientific community rejects this fact. Their assertion is that since God Himself does not exist, then the existence of His name, form, qualities, pastimes etc. is entirely imaginary – what more can be said on the matter? However, even if we accept the claims of these so-called scientists, upon thoughtful consideration we arrive at the conclusion that, despite all their efforts, scientists have still not been able to discover who the creator and controller of the universe actually is. Therefore, modern science is incomplete – what doubt can there be about that?” However, in our Vedānta and other scriptures, in order to investigate the original Creator and Controller, sūtras such as athāto brahma-jijñāsā (‘Now, therefore, let us inquire into Brahman’) and *janmādy asya yataḥ *( ‘He from whom arises the origin of this world etc.’) have first been introduced. Brahman is that Absolute Truth from whom everything is generated, in whom everything rests, and into whom everything is ultimately absorbed. For example, one may inquire, “What is the original substance of light?” Upon investigation, it is found that the source of electric light is the powerhouse. The cause of the powerhouse is hydraulic power; the cause of that is water; the cause of water is the clouds; and the cause of the clouds is the ocean and the sun. But what is the cause of the sun? That, science has not been able to explain up till now. However, the sun must also have some cause. In regards to this, science uses uncertain terms like “perhaps,” “it may be,” “possibly,” etc. When the cause of the sun itself remains uncertain, then discovering the root cause of the entire material universe is a far-fetched matter for modern science. Some of the countless stars that shine in front of us at night are each like an Earth, and on those planets and stars dwell intelligent beings – either like us, or even of a higher intelligence. Science has also now begun to accept this. Science has now also begun to accept that the lifespan of the inhabitants of those worlds is much greater than that of the beings on Earth. Now, with the help of Sputniks and rockets, efforts and plans are also underway to reach those worlds. These scientists are of the opinion that even if one were to travel at the speed of light, it would take at least 40,000 years to travel to and from those planets from the Earth. And suppose someone does manage to go to a distant planet by Sputnik and then return – what would be the condition of the Earth after 40,000 years? Who can possibly conceive of that? This is in regards to the material world. Beyond such countless millions of material universes begins the boundary of the transcendental eternal sky. This same transcendental sky is also called Paravyoma.

It is known from the Gītā that the group of worlds situated in the transcendental eternal sky is the Lord’s tripāda-vibhūti (three-fourths opulence), and the material world is His ekapāda-vibhūti (one-fourth opulence). In other words, the material creation is only a single portion. When the scientists have not yet even been able to fully understand the nature of this one-part of creation, then how will such so-called scientists (whom I call adhyakṣika, or ‘theoretical’) ever understand the full nature of creation? The meaning of ādhyakṣika is ‘those people who only accept objects perceivable by the material senses.’ But the Lord is called Adhokṣaja – that is, He is knowable through knowledge that is beyond the material senses. Therefore, when the so-called material scientists are not even able to discover many physical planets (that are perceptible by our eyes), then how will they be able to discover the worlds situated in the transcendental eternal sky, located at an even greater distance?

Thus, the experience of transcendental objects is possible only through hearing scriptures such as the Vedānta. However, in order to hear and understand the śruti (Vedas), a special qualification or eligibility is required. Ordinary people – women, śūdras, and dvija-bandhus (those who are twice-born in name only) – are unfit to hear them. Even after hearing them, they will not understand anything, or they will give some wrong interpretation which will destroy the world. However, without hearing them, knowledge of transcendental subject matters cannot be attained either. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam makes the essence of those Veda and Vedānta scriptures accessible to all by following in the footsteps of the mahājanas –  it enables everyone to hear them. By attentively hearing the transcendental message of Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā, this purpose will be fulfilled. This is the specialty of Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā compared to other magazines.

Some devoted subscribers have drawn our attention to the difficulty of the language used in Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā*.* However, our response to this is that the subject matter of the Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā is of such a nature that it is indeed somewhat difficult for devoted readers who rely solely on sensory knowledge. Therefore, the difficulty lies not in the language, but in the subject matter. The general public is familiar with the eating, drinking, and conduct of the material world, but is completely unfamiliar with transcendental subject matters. Also, by remaining engaged in material topics, it seems difficult to enter into transcendental topics even after many lifetimes. This is, in a way, a kind of impurity on the mirror of the mind. There is only one remedy to remove this impurity. That remedy is that the reader should constantly chant the Holy Name of Hari.

Hare Kṛṣna Hare Kṛṣna Kṛṣna Kṛṣna Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

By performing kīrtana of the Holy Name of the Lord, the impurities of the mind will easily be removed, and the conclusions concerning the Lord will automatically be revealed within the heart. The śruti-mantras support this fact. For those who have unwavering faith in the Lord, and the Lord’s manifestation as the spiritual master, the meaning of the scriptures becomes self-illuminated in their hearts. However, despite this, we always make an effort that the language of the Śrī Bhāgavat Patrikā will be understood by all. If our devoted readers wish to understand difficult topics by asking questions, then they can kindly correspond with us through letters. We are ready to serve them at all times. We shall endeavour to explain difficult topics as simply and clearly as possible. Knowledge of the science of the Absolute is only achieved through mutual cooperation. In the Gītā, there is a similar instruction – bodhayantaḥ parasparam (‘they enlightening one another’).

– Tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Swami Mahārāja

(Editor in Chief)

(Translated from Hindi by Mohanānanda Dāsa)