|
Jéva-sevä and Jéve-dayä Service to the Jéva and Compassion upon the Jéva by Çré Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé Mahäräja for better transliteration of Sanskrit into English]
Most people do not finely differentiate between the two words, “jéva-sevä” and “jéve-dayä”. Usually a person fails properly to understand the
distinguishing characteristics of jéva-seva and jéve-dayä, and therefore ends up with an understanding that is completely
opposite to the truth. In this world many people cherish the desire to be
celebrated as “a great thinker”, “magnanimous”, “benevolent”, “a well-wisher of
the society” and “a well-wisher of the world”; but because such people do not
properly understand this subject, the culmination of all their efforts is like
the labor of animals. The people of the world are so engrossed in their bodily
comforts and in fulfilling their selfish desires that if
even a scent of an attitude to serve others is perceived in someone, it is
greatly appreciated. Service to others (para-sevä) is a virtue;
however, if it becomes the deceiving of others (para-chalnä), it can
never be praise worthy. Simply applying the label “service” to acts of deception
and propagating them as ‘service’, does not make them service in the true
sense. Will the thoughtful and civilized human society of the twentieth century
not consider this fact just once? In the terms “para-sevä” and “para-upakära”, the word “para” means “topmost”. In other
words it means Paramätmä-Viñëu. Thus the word “para” refers
only to service to Paramätmä, the topmost entity. In one sense,the jéva is
also para (superior); however, as long as
he has anarthas he is bound by the three modes of nature. yayä sammohito jéva ätmänaà tri-guëätmakam paro ’pi manute ’narthaà tat-kåtaà cäbhipadyate Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.7.5) Due to this external energy, the living entity, although transcendental
to the three modes of material nature, thinks himself
to be a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.
To render service to the jéva who has
been conditioned from a time without beginning, whose consciousness is covered
by the three modes of mäyä and who is distracted from his
constitutional nature, is to render service to his condition plagued by anarthas. In other words service is rendered to enable him to fulfill his
enjoying propensity. Many considerations are inseparably tied to the concept of sevä. First, one has to consider whether or not the entity to whom
service is to be rendered is in fact sevya, an object worthy of worship; in other words, is he prabhu-tattva, the supreme worshipable reality? Second, service entails
pleasing the object of service in a manner that is favourable to him. And
third, one must consider the state of consciousness of the servant (sevaka) himself. Is the jéva who
has been averse to his constitutional nature and who has been covered by the
three modes of material nature from a time without beginning, in fact prabhu-tattva? Will increasing the pleasure of one who possesses anarthas bring auspiciousness to him? And
what benefit will the sevaka, who is trying to bring pleasure
to others, derive from these acts? By answering these questions in an impartial
manner we can observe that the term jéva-sevä is itself not even logical. The jéva is never prabhu-tattva. ‘mäyädhéça’ ‘mäyä-vaça’ – éçvare-jéve
bheda hena-jéve éçvara-saha kaha ta’ abheda Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 6.162) The Lord is the master of all
potencies, and the living entity is their servant. That is the difference between Lord and the living entity. However, you
declare that the Lord and the living entities are one and the same. The terms sevyäbhimäna (possessing the ego of being the object of service), sevakäbhimäna (possessing the ego of being the
servant) and seväbhimäna (possessing the ego of
being one who renders service), are meaningless if they are used in relation to
one who is bound by mäyä and
if they are put into practice by offering that person sense enjoyment. To
render service to debauchees, thieves, cheaters, donkeys, horses, trees and
creepers, etc. is nothing but supplying sense enjoyment
to jévas who are bound by mäyä. None of these
entities is sevya, or prabhu-tattva. A debauchee and a thief are both bound by mäyä. It is true that by providing a
debauchee with a woman or by
giving a thief another’s wealth, one renders service to them by furnishing them with
sense enjoyment. However,
it is also true that these persons will achieve only perpetual inauspiciousness, and by their association other jévas will surely suffer as well. Rendering service to a jéva bound by mäyä – that
is, providing him with sense enjoyment, however well it may be dressed up –
results only in the suffering of other jévas. This is because
trying to satisfy the senses of a particular jéva bound by mäyä results in inauspiciousness for that jéva as well as
in suffering for many other jévas. In regard to jévas who are in the stage of bondage, the term jéva-sevä (service to living entities)
does not apply, yet the term jéve-dayä (compassion upon other living entities) is credible. And in
relation to jévas who are in the liberated stage, vaiñëava-sevä
is possible. But acting for the satisfaction of the jéva in his bound stage, while he
still has anarthas, cannot be
termed real sevä. Only compassion (dayä) can be shown to such a person. Moreover, we cannot show dayä to a liberated soul (mukta-puruña) – someone to whom we
should render service. The term jéva-sevä is irrational, but the terms guru-sevä, vaiñëava-sevä and çiva-sevä are completely reasonable. To
render service to or please the senses of guru and the Vaiñëavas is essential. To serve those who are liberated
from this world and to show compassion towards those who are bound to it are indeed
çuddha-sanätana-dharma, or the jéva’s unalloyed
eternal occupation. The jéva bound
by mäyä is not Prabhu (Master).
In other words he is not sevya-tattva, the supreme
worshipable reality. Many who hear this conception will reveal their loyalty to
the opinion of the Bäulas [one of the
sahajiyä sects],
in their attempt to deceitfully present the jéva as sevya-tattva and to thus try to proclaim the
conditioned soul to be Näräyaëa. Those who follow the incorrect conception of the Bäulas,
consider the state of Lord Näräyaëa, who is the controller of mäyä, to be the same as the state of those jévas who are bound by mäyä. Thus they name the living entities
jéva-näräyaëa (“living entity Näräyaëa”), daridra-näräyaëa (“poor Näräyaëa”), açva-näräyaëa (“horse Näräyaëa”), måga-näräyaëa (“deer Näräyaëa”), manuñya-näräyaëa (“human Näräyaëa”) and so forth. They preach that the satisfaction
of two mundane objects, the body and mind, is indeed service to Näräyaëa. The
terms daridra-näräyaëa, manuñyanäräyaëa and so forth are as illogical and dishonest as saying “My clay
pot is made of gold”. Simply adding the names “Näräyaëa” or “Éçvara” to the
name of a jéva cannot convert that jéva into prabhu-tattva; rather, it makes him a hypocrite. yas tu näräyaëaà devaà brahma-rudrädi-daivataiù samatvenaiva vék ñeta sa päñaëòé bhaved dhruvam Hari-bhakti-viläsa (1.17) An atheist (päñaëòé) is one who considers great demigods such as Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva to be equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Näräyaëa. Çréman Mahäprabhu declares: yei müòha kahe – jéva éçvara haya ‘sama’ seita ‘päñaëòé’ haya, daëòe täre yama Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 18.115) A foolish person who says that
the Supreme is the same as the
living entity is an atheist (päñaëòé), and he becomes subject to punishment by Yamaräja,
the superintendent of death. Daridratva, the state of poverty, is not the same as näräyaëtva, the state of being Bhagavän (prabhutattva). Rather,
the state of poverty is completely devoid of näräyaëtva. A deer and a human are not the controllers of mäyä. Rather,
they are controlled by mäyä. Näräyaëa
is constantly situated as the indwelling Supersoul within the poor, within animals and within humans; however
the poor, the animals and humans cannot be regarded as Näräyaëa. The external
covering of mäyä leads
one to perceive a living entity as poor, as an animal or as a human. Only when
this covering and the influence of mäyä’s “throwing potency” are dispelled,
can one clearly witness the real existence of the indwelling witness (Näräyaëa)
and the eternal nature of the pure jévätmä, who is an aàça or part of Näräyaëa. Guru and Vaiñëavas are not affected
by the influence of the external potency of Näräyaëa; therefore they are
liberated (mukta), pure (çuddha) and eternal (nitya). To render constant service to them is indeed the jéva’s eternal engagement. Guru and Vaiñëavas are not in the category
of ordinary jévas. As long as a jéva is seen to be conditioned, it is obligatory to show him compassion.
And when a jéva is seen to be liberated, it is
necessary to serve him. Mahä-bhägavatas look upon all with equal vision – a cow, a horse, an ass and a
dog eater– and they see everyone as a Vaiñëava. With this knowledge they engage
in rendering service to everyone. In their vision they do not imagine or impose
transcendence upon mundane phenomena. For instance, they do not see the poor as
Näräyaëa, humans as Näräyaëa or the deer as Näräyaëa. This is the misconception
of the Bäulas or the Mäyävädés. Mahä-bhägavatas do not imagine the jévätmä to be Näräyaëa; therefore they
do not render transitory service to the covering of mäyä or to the phenomena of the mundane body and mind, which is
nothing but the transformation of mäyä’s “throwing
potency”. Their sevä is eternal and their ego as a
servant of Bhagavän is also eternal. What depth of knowledge and intelligence do those persons
possess who create chaos in the name of jéva-sevä or imagine that service to “poor Näräyaëa”, “human Näräyaëa” and
“deer Näräyaëa” is real service, and in so doing try to establish themselves as
great benevolent religious leaders and philanthropists before the ignorant
masses of the world? Thoughtful people can easily see through this. However,
these fashionable arguments can weaken even wise thinkers within human society
and cause them to be deluded by these ordinary matters. Çré Bhägavata does not mention
anything about jéva-sevä. Its message is to render service unto Çré Hari, guru and Vaiñëavas and have
compassion upon the conditioned souls. In the example of King Bharata, Çré Bhägavata
shows us that the great åñi Bharata brought obstacles to his own path of self-realisation
and to his supreme auspiciousness by serving a jéva in the conditioned state who had the body of a deer. By
denouncing such jéva-sevä, Çré Bhägavata informs us of the conceptions
of devotees who are madhyama- and uttama-bhägavatas. éçvare tad-adhéneñu bäliçeñu dviñatsu ca prema-maitré-kåpopekñä yaù karoti sa madhyamaù Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.46) A madhyama-bhägavata is one who loves Éçvara, is friendly towards His bhaktas, shows mercy towards those who are ignorant of bhakti, and neglects those who are inimical to Éçvara or His bhaktas. sarva-bhüteñu yaù paçyed bhagavad-bhävam ätmanaù bhütäni bhagavaty ätmany eña bhägavatottamaù Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.45) One who sees his own bhagavad-bhäva, ecstatic mood of attraction towards Çré Kåñëacandra, in the hearts of all jévas (sarva-bhüteñu) and sees
all beings within Kåñëacandra is an uttama-bhägavata. sthävara jaìgama dekhe nä dekhe tära mürti sarvatra haya nija iñöa-deva-sphürti Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 8.274) The mahä-bhägavata certainly sees everything that is moving and non-moving, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, wherever he looks he sees the manifestation of the form of his most worshipable Lord. A madhyama-adhikäré Vaiñëava should render service to one who is an uttama-adhikäré, and he should do so for the uttama-adhikäré’s happiness and satisfaction. The madhyama-adhikäré Vaiñëava should care for him in every respect, even rendering
menial service to him; but he should not try to satisfy the senses of the conditioned
souls, because by this he will gain no eternal welfare or auspiciousness either
for himself or for others. We have to always keep in mind that when the ätmä’s eternal relationship with Kåñëa is awakened, the sole object of
the ätmä’s eternal function – which is service (sevä) – is Çré
Hari, guru and Vaiñëavas. In other words,
service should be rendered to the independent, pure form of Bhagavän in
Vaikuëöha (bhägavatasvarüpa) and to Bhagavän’s expansions (tad-rüpavaibhäva), but
not to the bound jévas or to
the external energy (pradhäna). Because we have forgotten our svarüpa and lack transcendental intelligence, the service we perform with
the body and mind is synonymous with enjoyment based on gratifying the mundane
senses. The object of such service is not Bhagavän and His expansions; rather,
it is the conditioned soul and the material energy. Neither of these is a pure,
conscious entity of Vaikuëöha. Presently
the consciousness of the conditioned soul is averse to Kåñëa. To redirect that
consciousness toward Kåñëa is to show the jéva the highest form
of compassion. Jéva-sevä is never possible. In other
words, the function of the jéva’s transcendental
senses can never be used to provide sense pleasure to the conscious entities who are covered by non-reality or ignorance. Rather, the
function of his transcendental senses is to constantly be engaged in executing
service for the pleasure of Éçvara, the Lord of the entire conscious and
non-conscious creation, and to His consort Içvaré. This is a fact. The terms jéve-dayä and vaiñëava-sevä are logical and bestow supreme auspiciousness. Çréman Mahäprabhu
displayed the ideal of this jéve-dayä and vaiñëava-sevä. By
performing kértana of
Bhagavän’s glories, amandodaya-dayä, or pure
compassion which never diminishes at any point in time and which never gives
negative results, is shown to an unlimited number of bound jévas. And by rendering service to the Vaiñëavas who are performing kértana in a way that is favourable in
every respect, the soul’s function fully awakens. By personally preaching bhägavata-kathä from village to village and by engaging His devotees as
preachers, Mahäprabhu presented the example of amandodaya-dayä. Furthermore He also
demonstrated the ideal of service to Vaiñëavas who are constantly engaged in kértana. We have to always remember that if we transgress the teachings
of Çrémad-Bhägavatam and Çréman Mahäprabhu by becoming engrossed in modern opinions
born of mental speculation, we will in fact be
deceived of service to Bhagavän. After hearing a lengthy discourse on jéva-sevä we should not go on to become Mäyävädés, Bäulas, präkåta-sahajiyäs or cit-jaòa-samanvyavädés (persons who equate
transcendence with worldliness) and thus deviate from the genuine path. May jéve-dayä and vaiñëava-sevä be our sole ideal. May jéve-dayä, näme-ruci and vaiñëavasevä be our sole guiding principles.
![[BVML Home Page]](../grfx/bml_logo.gif){kind=logo}
 Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Page
|
