Sharanagati

Question of Lilavatar: Gurudev, in Bhagavad Gita (6.13-14) it was mentioned concentration on the tip of the nose, could you comment on that?

Tirtha Maharaj: Our nose is the part of our body that we poke into something. And the yogi should not only control the body and the mind, but also the nose. Don’t poke your nose into so many things. This is one symbolical understanding about focusing on the tip of the nose.

Control of the nose is not a joke. Why? Because the smell, the olfactory system is very much connected to the most basic biological functions. What is smell? This is a very strong source of information. If you look around, the whole animal world is functioning under the smell. Sorry to say, but what do the dogs do when they meet? They start to smell certain parts of the body of the other dog, located at the back. That means smell is very much connected to the multiplication. If somebody is sick, for example and he is losing the smell, his capacity to taste will also decrease. And in many cases his sexual appetite will also decrease – it is connected, our body is connected. Because the smell will give you the proper information – where to find a partner for multiplication. Therefore Chanel and Gucci they make a very strange job, because in one way they try to hide the natural smell of the body and at the same time they try to ignite your fire (опитват да ви палят фитилите).

What is the most smelling element on this planet Earth? Musk. And what is the musk?

Giridhari: Secretion from Tibetan bull.

Tirtha Maharaj: Well, it’s a deer, Tibetan deer. So, this is sexual information of this Tibetan deer. I don’t remember exactly the numbers, but one milligram of this secretion is enough to fill up one million cubic meters of air with its smell. It’s incredible! Plus it’s a nice smell, which is important.

Smell also gives the information whether things are proper, in good condition or not. You smell the food, you smell if it is proper or not. And just imagine, in this consumers’ society we have come to the platform where you can buy certain types of milk that can be preserved for one year. What is that? That means nothing alive. So, we should use our smell as a source of information. We are not like dogs smelling the back side of the other. But in order to engage our olfactory system we offer incense to the Supreme. Maybe I am a little outdated, I think nobody writes love letters anymore. Because, you know, in the romantic ages love letters were infused with some flowers or some fragrance – to tell that ‘I love you!’ And whenever you feel that same smell, you will remember: ‘Ah! It’s him! It’s her!’ They did not invent the smelling SMS yet. But, developers, attention!

So, smell gives you the information. And if you offer incense to the Supreme, it will also remind you of this connection, of these offerings. And the olfactory system is very primeval; it’s a very ancient system. If you examine your senses, you will see that all the other senses convey information in a very complicated way, not directly. While the molecules of the smelling element are directly infused in your olfactory system and achieve the brain. So this is very basic information. Therefore it is necessary to use the best incense in our temples, to strengthen this imprint: ‘Whenever I enter the temple, yes, this is the incense!’ And it works! Once in Budapest I entered a tram and I smelled: ‘Devotee!’ But I knew that our devotees are not riding that tram. So I had to look and finally I had seen a kanti-mala. So, this is so basic information, smell. Therefore, use the best incense. And use ghee for cooking, because that is very close to musk.

Yet another explanation is that it’s not only seven chakras that we have, but there are practically innumerable chakras or subtle secondary and third level energy centers of your body. One is situated on the tip of the nose. And why it is suggested that a yogi should have the eyes half open? Because if you close your eyes, very easily you fall asleep. But if you concentrate like this, you are more able to stay awake.

So, all our bodily functions should be connected to the Supreme. The smelling capacity, the hearing, the vision capacities, the speech, the touch – all our sensual activities can be harmonized and used in the service of Krishna. Just like the nose also.

Of course the nose is symbolic for another part of the body. Just like in the reflex therapy one part is symbolizing another and connecting to the other. So if you can control one, you can control the other. It’s very simple.