Because Droṇācārya would not die if he is not affected with some lamentation. So Kṛṣṇa asked Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that "You go because you are recognized truthful, Dharmarāja. So when you will say, this is also false, he will believe." But Yudhiṣṭhira hesitated, "How can I tell lie?" He disobeyed the order of Kṛṣṇa, and he wanted to become very truthful. For this reason he had to see hell. So in the mundane consideration there are so many things, right and wrong. So long you are on the mundane platform, you have to obey all these right and wrong. But in the spiritual platform, when it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa... He is above all this duality. He is Absolute. So even if He says to do something wrong... Because He cannot say anything which is wrong. God is all-good. If you discriminate God's order from the mundane platform, then you will be misguided. Anyone who has got firm and fixed up faith that whatever God does, whatever God orders, even from mundane calculation it may be wrong, that is right... That is absolute understanding.
For this reason (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So his actual duty was to fight with the enemy. They were offering fight. For a kṣatriya there are some obligations. If somebody challenges that "I want to fight with you," a kṣatriya cannot deny. If somebody challenges, "Yes, I want to bet with you, gambling," a kṣatriya cannot deny. And for that reason, the Pāṇḍavas lost their kingdom. The other side, his cousins, offered them, that "All right, let us come to betting." So betting, the bid was they offered the kingdom. "Now, if you, if you," I mean to say, "defeated, if you are defeated, then you lose your kingdom." So they lost their kingdom. Then the next, next offer was that "If you are defeated, you lost your wife." So they lost their wife. And similarly, they were put: "Now, this time, if you are defeated, you have to go to the forest for twelve years." So there was a great plan behind them, and the Pāṇḍavas were defeated in so many ways, and they were harassed, embarrassed for not less than twenty years.
It may be painful for one day or two day, but if you practice, it is no longer painful. So one should not give up the practice of taking bathing early in the morning because it is severe cold. That is not. Similarly, in the summer season, because it is scorching heat, one should not decide that "We shall stop cooking." Because in the kitchen it may be too hot, but for that reason we cannot give up cooking. Similarly, all the rules and regulation that are there, it may be painful, but we cannot give it up. We have to learn how to tolerate. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, the good descendant of Bharata Mahārāja, you try to tolerate this." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, therefore, just to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how one should be tolerant. He has said, tṛṇād api sunīcena: "Just you become humbler than the grass." Just like one grass so many people are trampling over.
When it was newly born, when I was a child, oh, very new, good-looking child. Everyone is kissing and everyone is working. Now I am becoming old and nobody cares. You see? So this is the function of this material nature. Even if you make a very good adjustment, gradually it will glide down to the lowest status. Therefore it requires a periodical adjustment. For that reason, the Supreme Lord or His representative comes.
That is explained here that paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) "For protecting the saintly persons and for vanquishing the," I mean to say, "unfaithful unbelievers and for establishing real function of the living entities," dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge, "I come down, not only once, but many times, in many millenniums," and that is the function of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Just like we are moving, man, animals. But there are certain other things, just like trees, mountains. They do not move. So moving or unmoving. But everyone is being controlled by the laws of nature. Carācaram. Cara means moving; acaram means not moving. Hetunānena kaunteya: "Because I am on the background," kaunteya, "my dear Arjuna, for this reason..." Hetunānena kaunteya.
- mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
- sūyate sa-carācaram
- hetunānena kaunteya
- jagad viparivartate
- (BG 9.10)
Jagat, the progressive world, is parivartate, changing. In so many ways they are changing. This is the fact.
Again plan made, again frustrated. But still, they will go on plan-making, but they will never accept the actual truth. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ: (BG 7.15) "Their knowledge has been taken away by the energy of māyā." Māyā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Why māyā is taking away? Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken this principle, to deny God. That's it. Only for this reason, for this fault only, the māyā is acting so severely. Māyā will never allow such person to understand the real truth. They will go on making plan-making, it will be frustrated, again plan-making, again frustrated, again frustrated.
Suppose I am accustomed to smoke or to drink. If I give it up, there will be certainly little inconvenience. But for the better cause, I have to suffer voluntarily. That is called tapasya. Nobody will die if he does not get facility for illicit sex or enjoying intoxicants and meat-eating. Nobody will die. All the members of Kṛṣṇa conscious society, they have given up. But for that reason we are not dying. It is not difficult. Simply we have to accept in the beginning there may be little inconvenience, but when you come to the platform, there is no inconvenience. So if we actually want to be cured from this diseased condition of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, we have to abstain from this sinful life. So it is not difficult. It requires little knowledge. As it is said, jñāna-tapasā, little knowledge and little austerities. Then you become purified, and mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ, you can go to the spiritual nature, the kingdom of God.
This is guru's business. Not that because in the śāstra it is said that guru should be honored as Kṛṣṇa, as bhagavān, therefore guru will think, "I have become bhagavān." No. That is māyāvāda. The disciple will offer as respect, as much respect he offers to Kṛṣṇa, to guru. That is the śāstric injunction. For that reason the real guru will not think that "I have become Kṛṣṇa." Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. By the mercy of guru, you get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. If, if guru approves, that "Here is a nice devotee," then Kṛṣṇa accepts, "Yes, here is a nice devotee."
So therefore yasya prasādād, our business is to please guru. If he is satisfied, then Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes satisfied, because he is the agent. That is very easy to understand. Suppose you are working in office, your immediate boss the superintendent, if he is pleased, that means the managing director is also pleased.
Why such things take place, that a learned man becomes foolish without understanding Kṛṣṇa? Because āsuraṁ bhāvam, because he has accepted the atheistic principle, "There is no Kṛṣṇa. There is no God." Only for this reason, in spite of educational qualification, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. And because he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore he cannot take to devotional service. These are the descriptions. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). But there are certain jñānīs who are actually sincere to know the Absolute Truth. Such persons, even they may be misled in one life or two lives, three lives, but at the end they come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Here it is said that māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ.
If you want to live just like animal, simply within the sphere of eating, sleeping and mating and defending, that will not solve your problem of life. Dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣaḥ.(?) You are elevated from animal life only for this reason, that you can take up this line of action, Hare Kṛṣṇa. The animal cannot take up. So don't miss this chance. If I instruct a dog, "My dear dog, please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," it is not possible for him. But for a human being—never mind in whichever country he is born and whatever religion he's professed... That doesn't matter. This Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare is for everyone. It is not very difficult. So take up this.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
We should not be attracted by the preyas. Preyas. But modern education is so nasty that they encourage preyas. Especially in the, not in this country, everywhere. That boys and girls are not checked, rather encouraged, encouraged in the matter of immature sex life. Preyas. They want it, "All right, do it, take tablets and enjoy." This is dangerous. For this reason, the generation are becoming degraded, because they are not aiming at the śreyas. They are simply aiming at the preyas, immediate pleasing thing. They do not know that immature sex life spoils the brain, spoils strength. Everything is spoiled. In student life, brahmacārī system is very nice. If he keeps brahmacārī without any sex life, then his brain becomes very potent. He can remember, memory becomes very sharp, bodily sense becomes very solid. In this way his life becomes very solid for future śreyas. But that is not being taught at the present moment. But here the ṛṣis, the great sages, they are asking, puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. Tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi, "Kindly describe what we should accept."
Why this botheration? No, this is not botheration. There is pleasure. This is not botheration. Botheration means when I cannot maintain my wife, I cannot maintain children, then it is bother. Otherwise everyone wants that I live in a nice family home with my children, wife and good income, "I shall be very happy". For this reason one takes the risk marrying. There is pleasure there. Therefore God is never alone. He wants to enjoy pleasure with His sons, family members. We belong to God's family member, but because we are out from God's kingdom All these living entities that we are seeing within this material world, we cannot imagine how many living entities are there. How many universes are there. There are millions and trillions of universes, and each and every universe, there are millions and trillions of planets, and each planet there are millions and trillions of living entities.
Therefore brāhmaṇa, the symbol of sattva-guṇa, they are Vaiṣṇavas. Formerly, in each and every home of a brāhmaṇa, there was Viṣṇu worship. A brāhmaṇa cannot worship any other demigods except Viṣṇu, because Viṣṇu is in the charge of the sattva-guṇa and brāhmaṇa is also in the sattva-guṇa. So Viṣṇu asya devatā. For this reason brāhmaṇa's another title is Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava. Or brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita.
So on account of the three guṇas, there are three types of Vedic literatures. Not directly śruti, but smṛti, the purāṇas, they are divided into three divisions: sāttvika-purāṇa, rājasika-purāṇa and tāmasika-purāṇa. Śiva Purāṇa, Devī Purāṇa, they are sāttvika, rājasika. Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa, they are sāttvika-purāṇas. The whole scheme is that everyone, every living entity within this material world, they are infected. That we have discussed.
The whole material world is going on, impelled by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Generally. Sattva-guṇa is very little. Especially in this age, practically there is no sattva-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa also, very little. Tamo-guṇa predominant. For this reason, śāstra says in this age most people are śūdras because there is scarcity of sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇas' activities and kṣatriya, practically nil. There is no protector. Kṣatriya means one who protects from injury kṣata, kṣatriya, trāyate, one who protects people from being injured. Therefore the kṣatriya class, they were royal families, and the brāhmaṇas, they were meant for giving spiritual education. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. And the vaiśyas, they were meant for trading, agriculture and cow protection. As the kṣatriyas were interested, entrusted for protecting the citizens, similarly the vaiśyas were entrusted for protecting the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44).
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- ṛṣibhir yācito bheje
- navamaṁ pārthivaṁ vapuḥ
- dugdhemām oṣadhīr viprās
- tenāyaṁ sa uśattamaḥ
- (SB 1.3.14)
Translation: "O brāhmaṇas, the ninth incarnation of the Lord, prayed for by sages, was King Pṛthu, who cultivated the land to yield various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and attractive."
Prabhupāda: So this refers to King Pṛthu, Mahārāja Pṛthu. So his father's name was King Veṇa. And his father's name was... I don't remember. Perhaps Aṅga, like that. So the Veṇa's father married one woman. She was the daughter of Death, means the family was not very good. So as a result of this marriage, a son was born, whose name was Veṇa, who came out to be first-class rogue. So the father of Veṇa wanted to reform him in so many ways, but he could not. The son was not to be corrected. So the father became disgusted, and one day he left home without any knowledge of the family members or the officers and king. He left.
There is chance. Every... Just like Bharata Mahārāja. He began Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but by chance he, at the time of death, he was too much affectionate with a deer cub and he become a deer in the next life. So although it is degraded life, still, he did not forget that "For this reason I have become now deer." So he was very cautious. He was keeping company... Just like here. We have got dogs. They are keeping company with devotees. That is very nice. His dog life also be coming perfect. It may be some pious man. Somehow or other, it has become dog. Now he has... Kṛṣṇa has given them the association of the devotees. He's eating prasādam. He's chan... He's hearing, chanting. He's giving some service to the devotees. So they are not in vain. They are not in vain. No. They, they're acquiring.
"You rascal scholar, philosopher, scientist, don't manufacture anything. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That's all. You become master." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You become master. You can teach others. A spiritual master. That's all. And if, whatever little success I have got—only for this reason. I have never said anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa. I never said, "In my opinion." I never said. You are so many students. I never said that to you. What is my opinion? One should know, "What is the value of my opinion? I am imperfect being." This is called tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. If one thinks, "Oh, I am big scholar. I am this. I am that," you are rascal. You have to simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. But for your understanding you can make research work.
In the animal life, or other than human life, we had worked so much only for morsel of food, day and night, working. But still the food is there. Simply avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Avidyā. This material world is full of ignorance. So therefore our endeavor should be how to come out of this ignorance. Tasyaiva hetoḥ. For that reason, we should work only. How to come out of this ignorance, that "I am this material body. I have to work day and night, and then I shall get my food, and I shall live." This is ignorance. Tasyaiva hetoḥ pra...
So this ignorance, this life of ignorance we have passed in the, I mean to say, the forms other than the human being. Animal life, bird's life, beast's life. Now this life should be peaceful, calm and quiet. And jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, simply for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. That should be the business. Simply. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Simply sit down. Just like we are sit down.
So evaṁ kṛṣṇa sakhaḥ kṛṣṇo. Arjuna's name is Kṛṣṇa Sakha, and he is also called sometimes Kṛṣṇa, because Arjuna's bodily feature was almost similar to Kṛṣṇa's bodily feature. So, he was morose, being separated from Kṛṣṇa, and his elder brother was suggesting whether he was morose for this reason or that reason or this reason. Actually, he was unhappy on account of being separated from Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, not only Arjuna, all of us, we are also, as Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, he is also a living entity, we are also living entity. So we are also unhappy, because we are separated from Kṛṣṇa. These modern philosophers or scientists, they may suggest that they may go on thinking otherwise that they can improve the world situation in their own way, but that is not possible. We are unhappy on account of being separated from Kṛṣṇa. They do not know that. Just like a child, a child is crying, nobody can say why he is crying, but actually a child is generally in crying condition being separated from the mother.
Gargamuni: Page one. "Similarly, in the Second Canto, the post-creation cosmic manifestation is described. The different planetary systems are described in the Second Canto as different parts of the universal body of the Lord. For this reason, the Second Canto can be called "The Cosmic Manifestation." There are ten chapters in the Second Canto, and in these ten chapters the purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the different symptoms of this purpose are narrated. In the first chapter the glories of chanting are described and the process of meditation on the universal form of the Lord by the neophyte devotees is hinted. In the first verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī replies to the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who asked him about one's duty at the point of his death. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was glad to receive Śukadeva Gosvāmī and he was proud of being a descendant of Arjuna, the intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa. Personally, he was very humble and meek, but he expressed his gladness that Lord Kṛṣṇa was very kind to the sons of Pāṇḍu, or his grandfathers, especially his own grandfather Arjuna. And because Lord Kṛṣṇa is always pleased with His family, therefore at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization."
Prabhupāda: This is confirming the statement of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required, Guru and Kṛṣṇa, to advance in the spiritual realization or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here it is, Kṛṣṇa is pleased in the family of the Pāṇḍavas.
Even though decorated with the signs of a devotee, a person addicted to smoking, drinking or illegitimate sex with women cannot have all the above-mentioned ecstatic symptoms. But it is seen that sometimes these symptoms are willfully imitated, and for this reason Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī accuses the imitators of being stonehearted men. They are sometimes even affected by the reflection of such transcendental symptoms, yet if they still do not give up the forbidden habits, then they are hopeless cases for transcendental realization.
When Lord Caitanya met Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya of Kavaur on the bank of the Godāvarī, the Lord developed all these symptoms, but because of the presence of some nondevotee brāhmaṇas who were attendants of the Rāya, the Lord suppressed these symptoms. So sometimes they are not visible even in the body of the first-class devotee for certain circumstantial reasons.
We have become so dull. One can avoid birth, death, old age... Because Kṛṣṇa says the soul, the spirit soul, ātmā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "It does not die, it does not take birth." And actually, we are experiencing birth and death, old age and disease. Still, we are not alert. No intelligence. For this reason, Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he, the first question was, "My dear Lord, some way or other, You have dragged me to Your lotus feet, but I am inquiring from You that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, 'What is my actual position? Why am I forced to suffer these three kinds of miserable life of material condition?' " Nobody's inquire, inquiring.
So therefore these discussions which are going on, that is only for how to get liberation from the four principles of material condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is called mokṣa. Mokṣa, or liberation. So the... It is just like beating the dead horse. Nobody is interested about mokṣa.
"Their so-called knowledge has no value because the essence of knowledge is taken away by the illusion." "Now why you say? They are educated. No, their knowledge has been taken away? Why? What is the reason?" The reason is āśuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ: "They have taken to the nonsense philosophy of godlessness." That's it. For this reason their so-called education, university education, degrees, are simply illusion of māyā.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung one song, jaḍa-vidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava. This material education without God consciousness is expansion of the influence of māyā. Jaḍa-vidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. They are simply impediments in the matter of advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tomāra bhajane bādhā. Anitya saṁsāre. And why? Now, result of godless material education means that anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā. We are already illusioned.
We have to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Otherwise we will be bewildered. And for that reason you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa or His representative to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will also be bewildered.
So if we can understand Kṛṣṇa, that these activities of Kṛṣṇa, divyam..., janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9), divine, and they are not ordinary activities. If we can understand it, immediately we become liberated. Simply if we can understand the activities of this Kṛṣṇa's dancing with the gopīs, they are divyam, they are not ordinary. Just like here also a young man wants to dance with many young girls; it is not like that. And because people cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, and if they hear about the dancing of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, they take it the concession, "Now let us dance with young girls." And they are going to hell. Therefore you have to learn from the proper person about Kṛṣṇa's activities.
So speculative knowledge cannot be perfect. Just like we are sitting here. If there is some sound on the roof... Now we are, say, one hundred persons sitting here. We can speculate that "This sound may be for this reason." That, all of them, may be imperfect, and if somebody says from the roof that "This sound was caused for this reason," that is perfect. That is perfect because he has got direct experience. That I was speaking in the evening, that you have to accept Bhagavad-gītā by this āmnāya-patha. Tattva āmnāyam. Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that this bhagavad-bhakti-yoga or Bhagavad-gītā yoga... That is a yoga. Yoga means which connects, and viyoga means which disconnect. So we are now disconnected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now we have to connect again our relationship. That is called yoga. That yoga is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, and aṣṭāṅga-yoga, and at last bhakti-yoga.
Therefore śāstra says that don't bother about these thing. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). For that reason, one should work, which is not obtainable by wandering, bhramatām upary adhaḥ. Upary adhaḥ. What is that? That thing is that purifying your existence. Tasyaiva hetoḥ, for that reason. Purifying means, as we have discussed many ślokas, we are now covered by this material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, and our endeavor should be how to purify. Tapo divyam. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Just to purify our existence. And as soon as we purify our existence, yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. Brahma-sukha. Brahman means the largest or eternal. Here the sukha, or happiness, is not brahma-sukha; that is material sukha. Therefore, in another place it is said, ramante yoginaḥ anante (CC Madhya 9.29). The yogis, those who are yogis... Yogi especially means bhakta-yogī. They also enjoy. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. That is unlimited enjoyment, without any stoppage. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam.
This Bhāratavarṣa is under the name of Mahārāja Bhārata. His life is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, how he gave up his wife, children, kingdom, everything, and he lived alone in the forest, Pulastya, Pulaha-āśrama. But still, māyā is so strong, he became attached to a small deer. And for that reason, he had to wait for his liberation three lives.
So the spiritual life is very delicate. We have to conduct the spiritual life very cautiously. Little deviation may create great havoc. Great havoc means again material life. And material life means suffering, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ, always in fearfulness. So long we are in this material life, there must be fearfulness. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. That is described here. Kālam eke yato bhayam.
These things do not strike even their dull brain, that "If ātmā... I am ātmā. I am the soul. I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. But that means I will have to accept another body. But is this very good job? Why not seek after our original position, when there is no more change of body?" This question does not arise even. But it is very easy. For that reason, Bhagavad-gītā is there. Everyone can avoid this birth and death. That is the business of human life, how to stop... Jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ (BG 2.56). Everything is there. This is the aim of life. But not... We are under this false ego, "I am this body." And some of us in the modes of goodness... That is also another kind of bondage: "I am brāhmaṇa. I am very learned scholar." But... That's all right, but still you have to go further, above the brahminical stage, not simply become proud of having nice birth, full of knowledge and learning. That is not sufficient.
Why the million? If you rise your temperature to 107 degrees, then finished your life. These are practical.
So because Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa. He's apāpa-viddham. No contamination can touch Him. But for that reason you cannot say, you cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa and you cannot say that "No contamination can touch me." No. That is not possible. Therefore the whole life, our this human form of life, is a chance to purify so that we may approach. At least, if we get that fifty-five, fifty degrees, fifty parts or fifty fractional portions of God's quality, even in minute quantity, then we can approach God. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12). Pavitra, pavitra means purity. So "You are, Kṛṣṇa, You are the supreme pure." So because we are trying by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are trying to approach Kṛṣṇa...
Just like Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni traveled within this universe and beyond this universe within one year. That statement is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There was a misunderstanding between him and a devotee, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. So for that reason he had to travel. He was attacked, and out of the fear of his life he had to travel to go from one planet to another, one planet to another to save his life. Ultimately, he had to go to the Viṣṇu planet. He was so powerful. And it is said that this space travel covered by Durvāsā Muni took only one year. So yoga practice is so... That is also a kind of freedom. We do not know what is freedom. Liberation, I am speaking on the point of liberation. But he was also not liberated, that Durvāsā Muni, although he could travel from one planet to another, another, another, even up to Viṣṇuloka.
Without vegetables, without food grains, you cannot live. It is simply for the tongue. Tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. Simply for this tongue, little only. He cannot live simply on meat unless he's an animal exactly. He has to take vegetable, food grains, butter. These are milk products. Otherwise he has no chance to live. But for the tongue's sake he's taking little piece of meat, and for that reason, we have to maintain thousands and thousands of slaughterhouse. This is our position.
Therefore tā'ra madhye jihvā ati. Simply for the tongue we are committing so much sinful activities and becoming implicated because implication means there is no God consciousness, no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Two things are there: one is God, and one is the repetition of birth and death. There is no third way. Either you take God... This chance... This is a chance. This human form of life is a chance. Either you go back to home, back to Godhead, or go to hell. I think Christians also, they say.
Then He teaches, "No. On account of death of the body, the soul does not die. The soul simply changes another body. That's all." This is the first instruction. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). For that reason you cannot kill. It is not that Kṛṣṇa was encouraging killing. No. Duty. When there is fight, there is killing. You cannot avoid it. Just like the soldier. What is the duty of the soldier? Kill as many as possible the enemies. But the same soldier, if he comes back home and kills some of his men or countrymen and he is arrested and in the court, he is ordered to be hanged, and if he pleads that "I am a soldier. In the battlefield I have killed so many persons, and now I have killed one man. Why you are ordering me to be hanged?" What will be the answer of the court? The answer that "You cannot kill on principle. But you can kill on the superior order. You cannot kill by your whims."
So it is to be understood that all living entities who have come to this material existence... This material existence means this is a life which is not permanent. Why it is not permanent? It is not permanent for this reason: that we are given a chance. This material manifestation, creation of this material world, and let loose the living entities. These are all statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mama yonir mahad-brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadāmy aham. The history of creation, as we learn from the Vedic literature, that after creation of this material world, the living entities are impregnated... Just like a man constructs a nice house or takes a very nice apartment and begets children in the womb of his wife, similarly, the material nature is the mother, and the father is God, and we are all children. These are the Vedic literature description.
We have no other business, simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore anyone who joins with us even for a moment, even for a few minutes, still, it is so powerful that it can help you to save you from the greatest danger.
For this reason the temple is situated. In the temple generally ordinary man, woman, they come to see the Deities, hear the chanting, and sometimes play some instrument. All these help him progressing toward devotional service. Niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgī yair iha. Śrīdhara Svami says, bhaktiḥ svalpāpi punāti: "Bhakti, devotional service, is so nice that even it is done very little, still it purifies." Just like fire. Even a small fire can burn wherever it is placed. Tasya guṇeṣu rāga-mātram asti na tu janānām. Śrīdhāra Svāmī says, "Simply a little attraction for Kṛṣṇa, not full knowledge even, simply a little attraction, can purify one from all sinful reaction."
Still, they are claiming that "I am born in higher family." Naṣṭa-sadācāra dāsyāḥ sam... And why he was lost of his good behavior? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-duṣitaḥ: because he was contaminated by that illicit sex life. And at the present moment a gentleman keeps woman and goes there, and still, he passes on as brāhmaṇa. He does not know that he has fallen down. (Hindi) For this reason the present Hindu society is so degraded.
So for his sinful activities he saw fierceful features of these order-carriers, or Yamadūta. That is going on. If one is not offender, then he has no chance even to see the Yamadūta. But because willfully or nonwillfully he was engaged in sinful activities, associating with the prostitute, and for maintaining the prostitute he was planning so many sinful activities, cheat and take others' money and enjoy, for that reason, he had to see. And if he remains pure, he hasn't got to see. This is the difference.
So regular resultant action of sinful life, one has to. Just like Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was advised by Kṛṣṇa that "You go to Droṇācārya and tell him the lies." "What is that?" "Now, tell him that 'Your son Aśvatthāmā is dead.' " Because Droṇācārya had some benediction that unless he is shocked by the death of his son, he will never die. So Kṛṣṇa had to take this diplomatic, because it is politics.
Harikeśa: Translation: "For this reason, a person who is fully competent to distinguish wrong and right while keeping himself in material existence, bhavam āśritaḥ, must endeavor for achieving the highest goal of life so long the body is stout and strong and is not embarrassed by the dwindling condition of life."
Prabhupāda:
- tato yateta puruṣaḥ
- ksemāya bhavam āśritaḥ
- śarīraṁ pauruṣaṁ yāvan
- na vipadyeta puṣkalam
- (SB 7.6.5)
So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that people are engaged for improving economic condition. He has cancelled that tat prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur vyayaḥ param. Prahlāda Mahārāja derides that "These people who are simply wasting time for improving material condition, āhāra-nidrā-bhayaṁ maithun, they are not at all intelligent, because simply wasting time, valuable time."
They are simply wasting time. Vimara-cetaḥ (?). Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, I am not very much anxious for me because I have no trouble. As I have learned to chant Your glories, so anywhere I am happy simply by glorifying Your activities. But I am unhappy for this reason: when I see that these rascals simply for little material happiness, they are working so hard." Tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "They have forgotten You." Vimukha cetasam. They think that "What is the use of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Vimukha. And what is required? Māyā-sukhāya. For few years to live in material comforts, bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, they are manufacturing so many big, big skyscraper building, nice road, nice car. Māyā-sukhāya. In Western countries there is very... We are also imitating in India like Bombay city and others, bharam udvahato, gorgeous arrangement. And what for? For living for a few years.
"My dear Lord, I am very poor man. Please give me some money." Dharma, artha. And what he will do with money? Kāma: "I shall satisfy my senses." This is going on.
So Kṛṣṇa gives them. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). It is not that Kṛṣṇa does not give... Kṛṣṇa satisfies always. For this reason, it is recommended that even if you have got some lusty desires to fulfill, still, you go to Kṛṣṇa and He will satisfy it. Don't go to other demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānā yajanty anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Generally people go to other demigod for fulfilling their lusty desires: "Mother, Goddess Kālī, I am very great devotee of you. Kindly allow me to eat meat." That's all. Mother says, "All right, bring one black goat and offer me and then take prasādam." This is meant for the meat-eaters. The purpose is to restrain him. Instead of purchasing meat from the slaughterhouse, the śāstra says, "All right, you meat eat in this way."
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
My Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, whenever he got some time he used to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And he predicted that the whole world like to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and for this reason they'll learn Bengali. Therefore, following his footsteps, I have kept the Bengali character and tried to give the literary meaning of each word of the Bengali poem. This is, of course, Sanskrit. This book is full of Sanskrit verses. Some of them are composed by the author himself, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and some of them are quoted from various literature, Vedic literature.
So the author is accepting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, agaty-eka-gatim. Agati. Agati means... Gati means movement, and gati means also destination. So agati. At the present moment, especially in this age of Kali, people are not moving. Moving means... We are moving. This moving is not very good. Moving means material movement.
Now, gokula, gokula dhāma-'vibhu' kṛṣṇa-sama. Because the Lord is absolute, therefore His name, His fame, His qualities, His form, His associates, His paraphernalia—everything absolute, nondifferent. God and God's name, nondifferent. God and God's place, nondifferent. And for that reason, when Kṛṣṇa comes, the Absolute, the Vṛndāvana, the place where He descends, that is nondifferent. Actually you can see that, that Vṛndāvana-dhāma, that place is a small spot of land, say about eighty-four miles area, but any person, and however atheistic he may be, and however nonsense he may be, if he goes to that place, he'll feel Kṛṣṇa's presence. Still. Still, simply by going there, he'll at once change his mind that "Here is God." He'll accept it. Still. If you like, you can go to India and you can see, make an experiment.
Festival Lectures
You surrender unto Me." But He could force Arjuna to surrender, or anybody, because He is Supreme Lord. But that force He does not apply because He has given us little independence. Therefore, if He forces, then His gift of independence is misused from His side. We are misusing our, that gift of independence, but for that reason, Kṛṣṇa cannot withdraw your independence. Just like you are independent citizen. You are... If somebody misuses that independence, he becomes a criminal, but still, the independence continues. You are criminal. You are punished. Again you are set free. That means you are given again independence. But again if you misuse, then again you are put into prison. Similarly, if the state cannot withdraw your independence, then what is the meaning of this independent country? How God can withdraw the independence He has given to you? That He will not withdraw. It is up to you to use your independence properly.
So Lord Kṛṣṇa for this reason has appeared. He wants to call the conditioned souls back to Godhead. He wants us to realize that He is the source of the whole universe, He is the owner of the universe, He is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme knower of everything, and that we are always welcome to associate with Him by the grace of His devotees, by the grace of a spiritual master. And so He has appeared, and we are now celebrating the Janmāṣṭamī day, the day when Lord Kṛṣṇa came to this conditioned plane out of His own transcendental power, with His full spiritual potency, in order to reveal the supreme nature of sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal knowledge, consciousness, and bliss, to all the conditioned souls so that they might be attracted to Him, and so that they might come out of the miseries of material existence and of ignorance. At this particular time in the world it is very much necessary that all people hear about Kṛṣṇa and that they should become attracted to chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, to hearing about Kṛṣṇa's wonderful pastimes.
Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is all right. He is gosvāmī. He is brāhmaṇa." That is the contribution, say, within hundred years. That is the contribution. And for this reason he had to face so many vehement protests from this brāhmaṇa class gosvāmīns. He... They conspired to kill him. Guru Mahārāja told me personally. Others... Because, by his grace, when I used to meet alone, he used to talk so many things. He was so kind that he used to talk so many things with me. So he personally told me that "These people, they wanted to kill me. They collected 25,000 rupees and went to the police officer in charge of that area, that 'You take this 25,000 rupees. We shall do something against Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. You don't take any step.' " He could understand that they want to kill him. Just like in your country also, the polit..., Kennedy, was killed. You know. He wanted to kill.
We are simply canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." We have to show our example, how we are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, how we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, how we are going on the street for vibrating Kṛṣṇa's name, transcendental name. Now we are distributing Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. As far as possible, our business is to induce persons how he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. For that reason, you can make your plan, because that is Kṛṣṇa's plan. But that should also be sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Don't make your own manufactured, concocted plan. Therefore, to guide you, a Kṛṣṇa's representative required. That is spiritual master.
So there is a huge plan and huge scheme. Therefore we have to follow the footsteps of the mahājanas. As it is stated here, that dvādaśaite vijānīmo dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ. He said that "We, the selected mahājanas, representatives of Kṛṣṇa, we know what is bhāgavata-dharma, what is Kṛṣṇa dharma." Dvādaśa. Dvādaśa.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So we shall advise according to Bhagavad-gītā that "Make your life very simple, plain living, but the thinking should be very high." Plain living and high thinking. So thinking is that "I am the soul. I am not this body. I am eternal. I am changing only body. And due to change of body I am suffering." For this reason, the śāstra says,
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
If anyone is living on the bodily concept of life, ātma-buddhiḥ tri-dhātuke... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ śarīre, tri-dhātu, kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This body is a bag. Actually it is a bag. So long the soul is there, it is useful. As soon as the soul is not there, it is nothing but a bag of skin and bones. That's all.
General Lectures
He gave the example, kuñjara-snānavat. The elephant takes bath very nicely in the water, and as soon as he comes on the land, he takes dust and throws over, all over the body. So what is the use of taking bath? Similarly, if I am accustomed to commit sinful activities and for that reason I confess and make some atonement, then what is the use? That is the question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He's very intelligent. If I do again and again and again the same thing and make some atonement... So in every religion there are processes of atonement, prāyaścitta. In Hindu religion also there is such thing. Every religion such thing is there. But the purpose of such atonement is to bring the man, criminal man to consciousness. He should be conscious of his sinful activities. That is the idea. Just like a child has committed some wrong and he comes to the father. The father sees that he has done something wrong. So the child confesses, "Yes, father, I have done it. Please excuse me." "All right. Excused."
Everything is sunlight. Similarly, so long you remain in the lower platform of ignorance and passion, it is very difficult to understand what is the science of God. Therefore you have to come to the platform of goodness, and there you'll understand what is sun, what is sunlight, without any interruption. So for that reason, just like you have to go by some plane, by some machine seven miles up to be completely in pure sunlight, similarly, you have to attempt... You have got... Kṛṣṇa, or God, has given you the senses, the mind, the intelligence. You have to use them. If you use them for gratifying your senses, then you go down and down and down to the animal life. And if you use them for understanding God and His kingdom and your life, your relationship, that is also possible. So both way you can use your intelligence, your mind, your senses. Both ways.
Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is the duty of the human form of life. It is a very big subject matter. So this human birth, form of life, we have got after so many evolutions: aquatics, then trees, then plants, then insects, then birds, then beasts. Then we come to the platform of this human being, especially civilized human being. And especially born in India. For this reason, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Indian people have got a special mission. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who is fortunate enough to get his birth in Bhārata-varṣa, janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra. Paropakāra. Indian, Indians are meant for doing welfare activities to others. Because in India you have got the culture which is actually human culture. Human culture means to understand God, to understand Kṛṣṇa; that is human culture. Otherwise, if you simply improve the four principles of animal life, that is not culture.
For ordinary person like us there are four defects: bhrama pramāda vipralipsā kara-ṇāpāṭava. Vipralipsā, cheating. Vipralipsā, cheating. So in the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa or self-realized person, servants of Kṛṣṇa, those who have understood Kṛṣṇa, for them there are no deficiencies. They are perfect. For this reason Kṛṣṇa gives the instruction,
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
One who has actually seen or actually realized the truth, you have to take knowledge from there. So we have to approach such person. Otherwise, if we approach some speculator, we cannot get real knowledge. So those who are speculators, they cannot understand what is God.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: In his Ethics, Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle writes, "Moral excellence is concerned with pleasure and pain. It is pleasure that makes us do base or ignoble action, and pain that prevents us from doing noble actions. For that reason," as Plato says, "men must be brought up from childhood to feel pleasure and pain at the proper things, for this is correct education." So how does this correspond to the Vedic view of education?
Prabhupāda: Vedic view of education is, actually there is no pleasure in this material world, because we may arrange for all pleasure artificially in the material world, but all of sudden one has to die. So where is the pleasure? If you make arrangement of all pleasure and all of a sudden death comes upon you, then where is pleasure? So first of all they must, if they are intelligent, they must make arrangement that they will be able to enjoy the pleasures they have created. Otherwise, where is pleasure? It is disappointment. That is going on. They are trying to become pleased by inventing so many things, but because they are controlled by some superior element, so at any moment they will be kicked out of the pleasure platform. Then where is pleasure? Therefore the conclusion should be: there is no pleasure in this material world. If one is searching after pleasure in the material world, then it is the same thing as the animal is searching water in the desert.
Purports to Songs
Why they are doing so, these animals, human animals? Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā: "They have become maddened by a false concept of the bodily life." Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā: "And for this reason they have completely forgotten their eternal relationship with Nityānanda." Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā, asatyere satya kari māni: "Such forgetful persons accept the illusory energy as fact." Asatyere. Asatya means which is not fact. In other words, it is called māyā. Māyā means which has no existence, a temporary illusion only. So such persons who have no contact with Nityānanda, they accept this illusion as fact, this illusory body as fact. Asatyere satya kori māni.
| Page Title: | For this reason (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 01 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=52, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 52 |