Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 23.08.2016, morning, Ludasto)

Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra[1] – rejecting all materially motivated dharma ambitions. This topic discusses purely and in a very refined manner the highest truth. And this is considered to be a very precious gem in the Vedic literature. How it is – is described in the next verse.

nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam

shuka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam

pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam

muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah[2]

“O expert and thoughtful men, relish Shrimad Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Shukadeva Gosvami. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.”

A tree. Special tree, wish-fulfilling tree. Made of literature, containing divine truth. Such a special tree that will fulfill desires – kalpataru. Vedas are compared to such a desire tree. We all have different-different desires. If you approach the knowledge, the science of the Vedas, then you will be satisfied, you will be remunerated. Most of us have material desires, but some of us do have some spiritual desires as well. Therefore we have to be careful about the desire tree of the Vedas, because it will fulfill your material ambitions also. Anybody likes to cultivate gardens here? Manjari, I heard that you have one tomato. When you try to cultivate your precious one little tomato, how many weeds will start up with that?

Manjari: At least ten.

Swami Tirtha: You see, our small little tomato is our one spiritual desire. While the many weeds are the material ambitions. Therefore in spiritual gardening we have to be very careful, because sometimes it happens that we do some spiritual practice and nevertheless material ambitions will grow. Why? Because the desire tree of the Vedas will fulfill all desires, whatever you have. But then what to do? Give up all spiritual practices, because they might nourish our material ambitions? This is not my suggestion. In the previous verse we got the key, how to sit under the desire tree of the Vedas, in what consciousness, in what manner – rejecting all material ambitions concerning dharma. If you purify your willingness, then you can sit under this tree, then you will have no problems. Therefore only the expert and thoughtful men are invited – those who need this wisdom, not the knowledge. Wisdom is beyond knowledge. Knowledge is theory, wisdom is practice. That is the difference; if you have this wisdom, then you can come, you are invited. If you only have knowledge that means you have only information, no transformation has happened yet. And what is the transformation? That is the transformation of the heart, the purification of the mind and consciousness. This is the victory of dharma over adharma.

Wise and expert. Who is an expert? The one who can apply the theory. Because if you are very clever in argumentation and in formulating different theories, but you cannot drive a nail into a piece of wood, then you are zero. If you have splendid ideas how to save the whole world, but somebody is suffering by your side and you walk by, then what is the application of your wisdom? Expert also means that you have gained some experience, you are experienced. Such a person had faced many troubles, but nevertheless his or her enthusiasm is not broken. And sometimes we don’t know what a success is and what a failure is. For example, if you are an engineer of bombs, what is a success – if your bomb explodes? On the information platform this is a success. On a karmic platform this is a big disaster. Yet if on the obvious platform your bomb doesn’t explode, that’s a failure, but on the higher platform this is a real success. You could create such a weapon that doesn’t work – so nice! Expert. Expert means you are experienced. We can also say that this is a person who has realizations. But what is the topic of our experience? This is not the limited experience of material life, but experience of spiritual taste.

(to be continued)

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.1.2

[2] Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.1.3