Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 10.01.2019 morning, Sofia)

In the beginning of the creation, when Brahma had to start his work of arranging the whole universe, he started to meditate. From this example you should learn that if you have to start something great – duty, service, endeavor in your life – better to meditate at the beginning. First think, then act. Because if you first act, then you will be sorry for that. More thinking – victory; less thinking – failure.
So, Brahma started to do this meditation as a penance. And what is the result of a proper meditation? A vision. You will understand something, something will be revealed to you. Many times we are lost in our life, we don’t know what to do, what to choose, where to go, etc., even if we are very actively performing. When you feel that something is wrong, you have to take your time. Instead of the euphoria of action, better stop and meditate. Because when we are active, it gives a good feeling – we don’t think, just do, it is like a flow. But sometimes it takes all of our mindfulness and therefore it is necessary to stop and meditate: what is our condition, what about our life, etc. Then we might receive revelation – to have better choices, to understand the situation. And this happened to Lord Brahma as well – after his meditation he got this revelation, which is summarized in the Brahma Samhita. So, if you study this, you enter into the meditation of Brahma.
And then, what was next after this vision, after this complete understanding? After that he started to glorify Krishna-Govinda. Meditation, revelation, glorification. So, which one is the first of these hymns? Ishvarah paramah krishnah/ sat-chit-ananda-vigrahah/ anadir adir govindah/ sarva-karana-karanam[1].
This you have to learn, my dear ones. This you have to learn! Why? I’ll tell you why. Because if you are invited to give a lecture, some people might think that maybe you are not such an expert in this field. Yet if you start your speech with such a quotation: “My dear brothers and sisters, today I came to you with a message: ishvarah paramah krishnah…” – everybody will be astonished. But apart from jokes, this you have to memorize, because it gives a full conclusion of our approach, of our spiritual service.
Ishvarah paramah; ishvara is ‘a Lord, a supervisor’. So He is the supreme supervisor, ishvara parama, the param ishvara; and this ishvarah paramah is krishna – Krishna is the Supreme supervisor. And what is His nature, what is the nature of this absolute authority? This is sat-chit-ananda, plus vigraha – that is eternal, conscious and blissful person, vigraha in this sense means ‘person’. So we commit ourselves to the personal aspect of God – sat-chit-ananda-vigrahah.
Anadir adir; adi means ‘first’, anadi means so much first that there is nothing before Him, no other beginning before Him – this is anadi. We don’t find the beginning, there’s no beginning. Then what is on the other pole of this time scale? One is no beginning, then the other is no end, correct. Anadir adir govindah – Govinda is the first-first, the supremely first. Sarva-karana-karanam; sarva means ‘all’, karana means “cause” – He is the cause of all causes.
This is the exposition of Brahma Samhita. First Brahma declares there is God, Krishna. But in which aspect is He there? As Govinda – so it is very meaningful.

(to be continued)

1.  Brahma Samhita 5.1