Teachings of the Nine Yogendras to Mahäräja Nimi on Bhägavata- Dharma, or 1 ä Çré as part of Närada Muni’s Teachings to Çré Vasudeva, the Father of Krsna (Canto 11, Chapters 2-5) the Science of Pure Devotiona l Service,

2 Lesson 1: Q1) What is the supreme good? Q2) What are the nature and characteristics of the three classes of the bhägavatas? (Chapter 2) Lesson 4: Q7) Pastimes of the God’s incarnations? Q8) The destination of the non- devotees? (Chapters 4 and ) Lesson 2: Q3) What is the nature of Krsna’s mäyä? Lesson 2: Q3) What is the nature of Krsna’s mäyä? Q4) How to transcend His mäyä? (Chapter 3, Verses 1-33) Lesson 3: Q5 and Q6) Explain the transcendental situation of the Lord, and the process of karma-yoga (Chapter ) Lesson 5: Q9) The names, forms and the process of worship of the four yugävatäras (Chapter ) King Nimi’s Nine Questions to the Nine Yogendras on Bhägavata Dharma (Canto 11, Chapters 2-5)

Mahäräja Nimi’s Nine questions to the Nine Yogendras ( ) What is the supreme good (2.30)?  answers in What are the nature and characteristics of the three classes of the bhägavatas in terms of their religious principles (dharma), natural proclivities (svabhäva), behavior (äcara), speech (väkya) and external symptoms (lakñana) of a Vaiñëava devotee (bhägavata) ( 2.44)?  What is the nature and activities of the illusory potency (mäyä) of the Lord (3.1)?  (Contd) 3

Mahäräja Nimi’s Nine questions…(Contd) How can even a foolish materialist become free from mäyä’s insurmountable grip (3.17)?  Explain the transcendental situation of the Supreme Lord (3.34).  Explain the process of karma-yoga (3.41).  What are the pastimes of the various incarnations of God (4.1)? 

Mahäräja Nimi’s Nine questions…(Contd) What is the destination of non-devotees with their unquenchable material desires (5.1)?  What are the respective colors, forms and names of four yugävatäras, the four incarnations of the Lord, who appear in the four ages, & what is the process of worshiping each of Them (5.19)? 

Lesson 1 Q1) What is the supreme good? (30) Q2) What are the nature and characteristics of the three classes of the bhägavatas? (44) 6

Q1) What is the supreme good? (30) Çré Kavi answers (33-43) The process of bhägavata- dharma, or pure devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, recommended by the Lord Himself. 7

Bhägavata-Dharma & Its Glories   The most confidential religious principle established by the Lord as stated in Bg and SB, and to be understood by paramparä, or disciplic succession as propagated by the 12 mahäjanas, or great persons. ( ; )   Beginning with hearing and chanting of the holy name of the Lord (6.3.22)   By its understanding, one immediately becomes free from all sinful reactions, material contamination, and fear. Even the most fallen souls can rise to the highest perfectional stage (12, 33, 37, ; Contd) 8

Bhägavata-Dharma & Its Glories (Contd) In accordance with one’s acquired nature (three modes), whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence, or purified consciousness, one should offer to the Supreme (36). Removes the root cause of one’s material existence that is avidyä, or ignorance of his spiritual identity and forgetfulness of the Supreme  mäyä, or the 3 modes of material nature  bewildered mind and intelligence  dehätmä- buddhi, or bodily conception of life  attachment to body, family and possessions (38-40) 9

Bhägavata-Dharma… (Contd) Should cultivate seeing Krsna and His expansions all around him (material manifestation of the Lord as virät-rüpa)  help advance in KC (41) Analogy of simultaneous satisfaction, nourishment and relief from hunger one derives with each morsel of food: Bhägavata-dharma = satisfaction, experience of the Supreme Lord = nourishment, and material detachment = relief from hunger (42) Thus pure ds unto the Lord is the only means of ultimate good fortune for the soul. The Supreme Lord, being pleased by such service, offers His own self to the devotee. 10

Q2) What are the nature and characteristics of the three classes of the bhägavatas? (44) Çré Havir answers (45-55): The three classes of the bhägavatas, or devotees Mahäbhägavata, or the topmost Madhyama-adhikäri, or the intermediate Kaniñta-adhikäri, or the neophyte (Contd) 11

Mahäbhägavata, or the topmost devotee: Definition (45) The most advanced devotee sees within everything the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Krsna. Consequently, he sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and understands that everything that exists is eternally situated within the Lord. 12

13 Madhyama-adhikäri: Definition (46) The madhyama-adhikäri is a devotee who worships the SPG as the highest object of love, makes friends with the Lord’s devotees, is merciful to the ignorant and avoids those who are envious by nature.

14 Kanistha-adhikäri: Definition (47) A person who is very faithfully engaged in the worship of the Deity in the temple, but does not know how to behave toward devotees or people in general is called a präkrta-bhakta, or a materialistic devotee.

Mahäbhägavata, or the topmost devotee: Characteristics Although the topmost devotee may come to the intermediate level for preaching purpose, he is not necessarily on the lower platform, since he may display these symptoms for the Lord’s mission (46). Being empowered by the Lord, he inspires and gives success to the intermediate, who follows in his footsteps, and elevates the neophyte to the intermediate platform (45). He does not get bewildered by the inevitable miseries of material existence simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Lord (49; Contd) 15

The topmost devotee: Characteristics (Contd) Having taken exclusive shelter of the Lord, plans for enjoying sex life, social prestige and money cannot develop within his mind. Thus he is free from all false pride and always remember that he is a humble servant of the Lord (50, 51). He is fully satisfied and peaceful within himself regardless of his material conditions. This is because he would place the Lord’s cooling, jewel-like lotus feet within his heart (52, 54). 16

The intermediate devotee: Characteristics Although the intermediate devotee is eager to preach to the innocent conditioned souls, his discrimination in avoiding the atheistic to protect himself against possible pollution due to association does not at all show a lack of mercy (46). Unlike the topmost, the intermediate cannot at any time perceive the Supersoul in everyone’s heart (46) When fully mature, he becomes attracted to the topmost devotee and is awarded such glimpse in his heart by Lord’s grace (45). 17

The neophyte devotee: Characteristics (47) Being puffed-up by his own ceremonial worship, the neophyte cannot imagine that anyone is more pious or religious than he  cannot understand the intermediate or the topmost He is infatuated by the material qualifications of so- called materialistic persons  attracted by material opulence  disturbed if more advanced devotees criticize the non-devotee of the Lord. He sees ds merely as the religious aspect of life, but thinks life has many enjoyable and worthwhile nondevotional aspects. 18