And when we speak of sanātana-dharma we must take it for granted on the authority of Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya that it has no beginning, nor any end. The word religion is a little different from sanātana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith. Faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change the faith afterwards and adopt another faith. But sanātana-dharma means which cannot be changed, which cannot be changed. Just like water and liquidity. Liquidity cannot be changed from water. Heat and fire. Heat cannot be changed from fire. Similarly, the eternal function of the eternal living entity, which is known as sanātana-dharma, cannot be changed. It is not possible to change. We have to find out what is that eternal function of the eternal living entity. When we speak of sanātana-dharma therefore, we must take it for granted on the authority of Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya that it has no beginning nor any end. The thing which has no end, no beginning, must not be any sectarian thing or limited by any boundary.
Afterwards (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
There are thirty-three krores of devatās in the higher planetary system. They are all Viṣṇu-bhakta. They will abide by the orders of Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava. Just like Indra. He is devatā. There was fight between Hiraṇyakaśipu and the Indra's party. So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was defeated, naturally the... Afterward, if the other party is defeated, the victorious party makes some, so many aggression, especially aggression of women. That is still current. Innocent women, they are very much harassed after the war by the victorious party. You know, the soldiers are given freedom to rape the women. And plunder the property. So many things they have. So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was defeated, all the devatās, they did not make such aggression, but the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu—Kāyadhu, I think—she was arrested by Indra and was taken. She was crying, just usual, woman. But she was being dragged by Indra.
If there's any more questions, we'll take them after the next, this chant now. So just like my spiritual master is inviting that if you want to further understand this philosophy, you can discuss with us, and we have got many volumes of books. But you may not be very philosophically inclined. But anyone can experience Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness just by chanting this simple mantra with the names of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And now, for concluding the formal part of the program, we're going to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and invite you all to join in and experience Kṛṣṇa in the form of His name, this transcendental sound. Just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with us, and then afterward, if there are more questions or you want to see our literature, we have so many books, we can do that. But for now, please, for a minute make an experiment in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by chanting this mantra. (devotee, first Revatīnandana then Nanda-kumāra, leads kīrtana and Prabhupāda chants along.
You have simply to prepare that foodstuff in a nice way so that you can offer to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Your process of eating or your process of securing ingredients for eating, or your cooking, nothing is stopped. Only, only thing is required that instead of cooking for yourself for the satisfaction of your tongue, you please cook it for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. And take the prasādam afterwards.
Now, take for example the other day we had some feasting. We cooked it nicely and offered Kṛṣṇa, and then you took. What was the difficulty there? Was there any difficulty? So many gentlemen, you are present here who partook of that prasādam. How nicely it was prepared and how we enjoyed. So is yajña a very difficult thing? So it is not at all difficult. Simply we have to adopt the principles. That's all. And if we adopt that principle... Here it is clearly said that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ. Santa means these things are arranged by pious men and devotees of the Lord. Ordinary men, they don't care: "What is this nonsense yajña? Let us go to the hotel and take to our palatable things."
Artificially we are practiced to things. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating, we do not practice it from the beginning of our birth. Just after birth the child, the baby, requires little honey or little milk, not the meat. But afterwards, the parents or the guardians are teaching how to eat meat. This is not our human business. Human teeth is meant for eating fruits and grains. That is scientific. Our teeth is made in that way. So anyway, meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, as soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, these four pillars of sinful life is immediately broken.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Indian man (2): We have listened to you very attentively and I have no doubt that the audience have learned much which is, could be practiced to help us in some way to realize what we are and to realize God. Now, if God Himself comes to teach to someone in this world, and if he has learned from God directly and he is satisfied that he has learned, that he has understood, can he, a few minutes afterwards, forget that he has received instruction from God and can he depart in a very ridiculous way from God, from what God has taught him in person?
Prabhupāda: Ridiculous way? What is that "ridiculous"?
Indian man (2): If I have read...
Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all correct yourself. What is that "ridiculous way"?
Indian man (2): If after receiving good education you act contrary to that education.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, you've..., we've been reading your Caitanya-caritāmṛta comments, and in the Seventh Chapter and Eighth Chapter, that you've been emphasizing very much this mantra,
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
- prabhu-nityānanda
- śrī-advaita gadādhara
- śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
You've asked your disciples to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra at least sixteen times round on the beads. Can this mantra also be chanted afterwards, in addition, also on the beads?
Prabhupāda: No, no. I have advised that, that śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, this Pañca-tattva, must be chanted, but that is kīrtana, and this is japa. Sixteen rounds, it is called japa. So, kīrtana, when there is chanting, if you chant the Hare..., śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu, then it becomes very clear. There will be no offense. So therefore our process is, first of all chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, er, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvās..., you get some strength, then chanting, very..., it will be easy.
Three days before. And I was so much full of anxiety, that "Where to get...? We are arranging, we are issuing invitation card, and there is no Deity. Where is the installation?" But you'll be surprised to know that some Indian gentleman came just on the three days before: "Sir, we have got a Deity. You can take." So Mukunda and myself went, immediately brought the Deity. And nobody knew this afterwards, but we got surprisingly.
So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. If you are actually sincere to the service of Kṛṣṇa, then He has got agents everywhere. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat. He has got hands and legs everywhere. Wherever He will order, the things will come. Simply we have to become sincere; then everything is there. Read the purport.
Pradyumna: "Therefore the drinking of wine and intoxication are not unknown to them. Sometimes they were put into trouble for indulging in intoxication. Once the sons of Kuvera fell in the wrath of Nārada for being intoxicated, but afterwards they regained their original forms by the grace of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is goodness. One may be intoxicated. When he comes to his senses that "This is not good," then he is godly. That is the difference. But the demon cannot understand that. They continue. Just like our devotees. They are all godly. Because they had some bad habits, it doesn't matter. But they have given up. That is difference between the demons and the devotees. A devotee understands what is what and he does according to the direction of God. Therefore he is demigod. And the demons, they will never agree. That is the difference. Yes?
Nitāi: "Then he posted Vajra, the son of Aniruddha, grandson of Lord Kṛṣṇa, at Mathurā as the king of Śūrasena. Afterwards Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed a Prājāpatya sacrifice and placed in himself the fire for quitting household life." (SB 1.15.39)
Prabhupāda: So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira first of all appointed his grandson, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the emperor of the whole world. Then he distributed... (break) ...or only intimate families, because Kṛṣṇa's family, Yadu dynasty, and this Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's family, Kuru dynasty, they were related in so many ways by marriage. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's mother, Kuntī, belonged to the Yadu dynasty—means Kṛṣṇa's aunt, Kṛṣṇa's father's sister. Similarly, Arjuna's wife Subhadrā..., here is Subhadrā, she became the wife of Arjuna, sister of Kṛṣṇa. So there were so many family relationships, Kṛṣṇa's family and the Kuru family. Kṛṣṇa was not present. Therefore Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was taking care of the children, grandsons.
"All right, then you bring him back, you live here. I am leaving this place. I am leaving this place." Then they said, "No, Sir, we shall not raise this question anymore." So when Choṭa Haridāsa found it impossible to again go into the assembly of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he found it a hopeless life. Then he went to Triveṇī and committed suicide. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu knows everything. Sometimes afterward He inquired that "What about Choṭa Haridāsa?" Somebody said, "Sir, You rejected him. Out of disappointment he has committed suicide." "Oh, that's nice." Just see how strict. "That's nice." He never expressed any sympathy: "Oh, I rejected this person and he has committed suicide. Oh." No. He said, "Oh, that's nice. That's all right." He said like that. This is one thing.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Guest (3): Lord Kṛṣṇa preached Bhagavad-gītā in battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and it is afterwards written by Vyāsadeva.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (2): Is the Vyāsadeva got it out of his meditation, or how the actual thing which was conveyed to Arjuna was again in real thing took a shape in Bhagavad-gītā?
Prabhupāda: That you have no intelligence to understand. But what is given by Vyāsadeva, that is accepted by all the ācāryas. We are not so learned as you are, but we follow the ācārya. And it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, ācāryopāsanam. You must follow the ācāryas, the Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then you'll get the real answer. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who follows the ācārya, he knows." Others, they do not know. So you cannot question "Why? How Vyāsadeva wrote?" That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sañjaya says vyāsa prasāda. How one can understand? By the mercy of Vyāsadeva. So we have to see. Instead of criticizing in that adverse way, we have to follow the ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. So you'll find Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have accepted in that way. So what is the use of our questioning? We should follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Otherwise it is not possible.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: I must speak.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But please, you can speak afterwards. Please sit down.
Prabhupāda: You have already spoken. Don't take the whole time. Let others question.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Others also want to see Kṛṣṇa. Are there any other questions please?
Girl: How can we stop speculating?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How can we stop speculating?
Prabhupāda: Stop speculation? Don't manufacture ideas. You take what Kṛṣṇa says. Then it will automatically stop. Speculation, the question of speculation comes when you do not accept what Kṛṣṇa says. If you accept Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says, then there is no scope of speculation. That is our movement, that "Accept Kṛṣṇa's teachings as it is. Don't speculate; then it is lost." This is our movement. Kṛṣṇa says that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything. Everything emanates from Me." If you accept, then it is all right. And if you speculate, you can do that, but our movement is to accept Kṛṣṇa.
General Lectures
Madhudviṣa: If you'd like to be patient for a second, we'll have questions and answers and we can ask about the philosophy that we're talking about. (more yelling from audience) The people that want to listen in an orderly fashion are waiting to hear the meeting continue, and those who want to ask questions can please have respect for them and let us continue with the lecture, and then we'll have questions and answers afterwards.
Prabhupāda: What is this?
Madhudviṣa: They are simply talking about violence.
Prabhupāda: They are not prepared to hear. So let them question and answer.
Madhudviṣa: So our spiritual...
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: In all species there is sex life, so why...
Śyāmasundara: But it isn't satisfying ultimately. The satisfaction dwindles immediately afterward. So he says that this is a trick by the will just to perpetuate the species.
Prabhupāda: So why there is a trick?
Śyāmasundara: I think that by this sex life I will be satisfied. That is a trick of the will. I find I am not satisfied by it.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: And simply the race goes on, the species goes on.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's nice; that's all right. He must be given a point, or a goal, that here he will be satisfied. Where is that goal?
Hayagrīva: Comte conceives the worship of woman as preparatory for the worship of mankind at large. He says, "The worship of woman begun in private and afterwards publicly celebrated is necessary in man's case to prepare him for any effectual worship of humanity," and that "Only man is the supreme being. It must not, however, be supposes that the new supreme being is like the old, merely a subjective result of our powers of abstraction. Existence in the true sense can only be predicated of humanity."
Prabhupāda: What is the idea?
Hayagrīva: That man is all there is.
Prabhupāda: Huh? Can you explain what is the idea expressed in this sentence?
Hayagrīva: He wants to do away with the Catholic religion and institute the worship of humanity, or the worship of man. He says that everything else is abstraction, is speculation, and that only man is the..., man is the only existence in the true sense. Atheism.
Purports to Songs
Prabhupāda: Biphale, janama goṅāinu. Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. Goṅāinu.
Pradyumna: Goṅāinu. Goṅāinu?
Prabhupāda: Yes. So shall I give the meaning also?
Pradyumna: Afterwards, I guess. Oh, this is the first verse? Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu.
Prabhupāda: Janama goṅāinu. This is first line. Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu. The next line: manuṣya-janama pāiyā. M-a-n-u-s-y-a.
Pradyumna: Manuṣya.
Prabhupāda: Janama. J-a-n-a-m-a. Pāiyā, p-a-i-y-a.
Pradyumna: Pāiyā.
| Page Title: | Afterwards (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 06 of May, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=17, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 17 |