The Messenger From Vaikuntha

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada

Question

Everything I know is based on my experience of this world. So how will I know about anything that is transcendental?

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: 


It is true that in our present state it is very difficult for us to perceive something transcendental. But it is also true that there is a way of knowing these things. If we have friends and relatives in a faraway place, then a messenger will bring us their news.

Question:

But the messenger does not come to everyone, does he?

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: 


Those who are not visited by the messenger are very unfortunate. But there is one thing — you will see that the messenger will definitely bring the news to those who are really hankering for it.

Question:

How will we recognize the messenger from Vaikuntha? How will we know which message is true and which is not?

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: 


If my prayer is sincere, then by the mercy of the omniscient God everything will be revealed. One who wants to be educated will only come to know an educated person by the kindness of the latter. The Supreme Lord, who is in my heart, will help me in every way; all I have to do is depend on him.

In this world there are two ways of gathering knowledge. One is to know things by experiencing them in this world. Another is to understand that the experience of this world is incomplete and insufficient. Therefore, to gather the knowledge that belongs to another world we have to completely surrender ourselves to a saint who has descended from that world and hear from him.

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 

So they are soma-pah. Soma is a kind of beverage. Just like in this material world we have got different kinds of liquors. It is not intoxicating, but there is mention. Here in the Bhagavad-gita it is also mentioned, soma-pah, soma-rasa. And in Srimad-Bhagavatam we get information that in the moon planet they also drink this soma-rasa. But the soma-rasa is not an intoxicant. It is a different thing. Here it is said, soma-pah puta-papah. One who will drink the soma-rasa, he will be freed from sinful reaction. Just the opposite. Here, just like when we become intoxicated, we become addicted to so many sinful actions, it is soma-pah. When we drink soma-rasa, it is just the opposite. We become freed from all sinful reaction.

That soma-pah is recommended here also.

So either they try to go to other planets, or they manufacture here soma-pah, soma-rasa. Of course, at the present moment we have no such facility. But from Bhagavad-gita it is understood that there was a method.

Anyway, the process is mentioned, described in the Vedic literature, trai-vidya.

Trai-vidya means Vedas. There are three kinds of knowledge in the Vedas, trai-vidya:

karma-kanda,

upasana-kanda, and

jnana-kanda.

Karma-kanda means this, how we can adjust to material happiness or material living very nicely. That is called karma-kanda.

And then upasana-kanda. Upasana-kanda means how to worship the Supreme Lord or the demigod or different types of… There are demigods. The demigods are living beings like us, but they are very powerful. So that upasana-kanda, worship of different demigods is also mentioned there in the Vedas. That is called upasana-kanda.

And jnana-kanda. Jnana-kanda means knowledge, philosophical.

So therefore Veda is known as trai-vidya, trayi. Trayi means three kinds of knowledge there are. So the persons who are more or less materialists — they are not transcendentalists — they take shelter of this Vedic trai-vidya, three kinds of knowledge. And to prepare themselves to be transferred in other planets they become freed from all sinful reaction.

As I have several times mentioned that your standard of living in America is very nice. So others, people from other parts, they also try to come here and settle here. But you have got restriction, visa department. There is restriction department. You do not allow. So similarly, if you want to go to the moon planet, then you have to qualify yourself. You have to obtain the visa. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita.

yanti deva-vrata devan

pitrn yanti pitr-vratah

bhutani yanti bhutejya

 yanti mad-yajino ‘pi mam^[1]

So any planet, wherever you want to go… Of course, you may try to go there by sputnik but we have no such mention in the sastras that you can manufacture some machine and you can go there. You have to qualify yourself. You have to qualify yourself. Just like even  there is machine, jet plane, still, you require the visa to enter into America or any other country, similarly, even if you can manufacture some machine, although it is not possible, but you have to qualify yourself to be a resident in the better planets.

So those who are after going to the better planets, sun planet, moon planet, and heavenly planet… There are many. Svargaloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, Maharloka. They are in Sanskrit names.

So here it is mentioned, trai-vidya soma-pah puta-papah. They, after preparing themselves to be transferred in other planets, they become free from all sinful reaction. The higher planet, as you go, you have to become free from sinful action. The lower grade life and higher grade life in this material world means those who are proportionately less sinful, they are promoted to higher planets.

You cannot be free from sinful reaction in this material world. There will be some portion, some percentage. So the higher grade life and lower grade life means those who are proportionately greater sinful, they have got lower grade life, and those who have got greater pious life, they get higher grade life in higher planets, in Brahmaloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka.

^[1] Bhagavad-gita 9.25

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