Maha-bhagavata (Conv and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"maha-bhagavata" |"maha-bhagavatas"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

His love is Kṛṣṇa, enormous, but not sentiment. If anyone wants to talk with him, "Yes, come on." That is uttama-adhikārī, mahā-bhāgavata.

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

So our love for Kṛṣṇa should be so strong that we don't care for anything. But for preaching if somebody challenges, yes, we are prepared to talk. That is authority. That is uttama-adhikārī. His love is Kṛṣṇa, enormous, but not sentiment. If anyone wants to talk with him, "Yes, come on," That is uttama-adhikārī, mahā-bhāgavata. So this is the position. Now something is in your hand—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That was my plan that I shall carry this baggage and give it to the Americans and they will distribute. That was my plan, therefore I came to America. So now you are so many boys, young boys, you have understood. So do it and give me relief. I remain in the background. Let me finish my Bhāgavata Purāṇa and those who are assisting in the writing, I'll be there (indistinct).

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Prahlāda Mahārāja was astonished, "What is this enemy and friend?" because he is maha-bhāgavata. This is materialism. This is materialism.

Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: Nationalism?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nowadays nationalism is very prominent, and we don't find this nationalism.

Dr. Patel: Now they are going to rationalism.

Prabhupāda: Rationalism is required, not nationalism. No. This nationalism... The Americans and the Russians, they are enemies and friend only on this principle. Prahlāda Mahārāja was astonished, "What is this enemy and friend?" because he is maha-bhāgavata. This is materialism. This is materialism. (aside:) Jaya. Why one should be treated as enemy and as friend? Everyone is servant of God. (break) He is going on at night also?

Devotee (2): No, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: Intelligence is above the mind. Intelligence controls the mind.

Devotee (3): And steady intelligence, that is acquired by hearing? We can keep our intelligence steady by hearing?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (3): But as soon as we stop hearing then the intelligence...

Prabhupāda: Mind is disturbed.

Devotee (3): Then the mind will take over.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If the mind is not controlled by intelligence, then it will disturb. Then the senses will be disturbed, agitated. Then you are bound up by karma. Unrestricted sense gratification means karma-bandhana, bound up by the laws of karma. And bound up by the laws of karma means repetition of birth and death in different species. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). Different bodies means resultant action of karma. So if you want to save yourself from this resultant action of karma, then the first thing is to control the mind. That is yoga system, to control the mind. But one who has got intelligence, he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the mind is automatically controlled. Yogīnām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatāntarātmanā (BG 6.47).

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Of course, their vision, mahā-bhāgavata... Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughs) That is very beautiful.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

Revatīnandana: Heaps of pious activities.

Prabhupāda: Ah, heaps of, yes. (break) ...Mahāprabhu, He immediately gives how to love and serve Kṛṣṇa, because this Kali-yuga, they will not be able to follow the regulative principles and become elevated. So He is therefore mahā-vadānyāya. He is giving a process-immediately, if followed, he becomes a lover of Kṛṣṇa and His service, immediately. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). (break)

Revatīnandana: ...circumambulating you, Prabhupāda, paying respects.

Prabhupāda: Of course, their vision, mahā-bhāgavata... Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughs) That is very beautiful.

Revatīnandana: You mean the music?

Prabhupāda: No, no. That black.

Revatīnandana: Yes, it's very nice. He has blue eyes and big black body.

Devotee: Blue eyes?

Revatīnandana: Yes. It's amazing. If you look closely you will see...

Pañcadraviḍa: The gopīs, they didn't like very much being instructed by Uddhava?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That was dry for them. They asked Uddhava, "Bring Kṛṣṇa. We don't want you any more..." (break) What is his name? That...? Tapomāyā. Tapa... He never sees whether it is watered. He is in charge of agricultural department? Where is Jayapatāka? He never sees. One man should be in charge to see things are being done.

So two things are there always, two sides. One for the mahā-bhāgavata, one for the ordinary kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī. So in the temple it is to be supposed generally for the madhyama-adhikārī and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī especially.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...so glorious. Glorious. He's glorious. That's all right. But kaniṣṭha-adhikārī will imitate his behavior, but he is not fixed up. Therefore it is not good for him. He is forbidden. This is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He's forbidden to hear from a nondevotee.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They will commit so many mistakes and they'll take it for granted. Just like this "Nitāi-Gaura, Rādhe-Śyāma." That is avoided for kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. There are so many mistakes, rasābhāsa. So two things are there always, two sides. One for the mahā-bhāgavata, one for the ordinary kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī. So in the temple it is to be supposed generally for the madhyama-adhikārī and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī especially. So in the temple we should not...

Hari-śauri: We should just listen to whatever the ācāryas have...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: I remember once before, a few years ago, you sent a letter out saying that no one should try to compose songs or...

Prabhupāda: Yes. I do not encourage. What they will compose? They have no realization. But they're speaking something about Kṛṣṇa. That's his beginning. Just like a child, he speaks half-broken. That is not language. It has no meaning. But still the child, "Ah, ah, you are so nice. You are so nice." Because he's trying to speak something. "Papa, mama." And mama is... Not that his words are complete.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Prahlāda Mahārāja underwent so much persecution. He was never disturbed, because he was confident that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection. Never mind." That is another position. Mahā-bhāgavata. We are kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs. We have to worship Deity.

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Guest (1): No, that is, mean... Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.

Prabhupāda: We cannot bring Prahlāda Mahārāja in ordinary thing.

Guest (1): No, that's true. That theory is: Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.

Prabhupāda: Prahlāda Mahārāja underwent so much persecution. He was never disturbed, because he was confident that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection. Never mind." That is another position. Mahā-bhāgavata. We are kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs. We have to worship Deity.

arcāyām eva haraye

pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

We are in the prākṛta stage. We cannot go to the stage of Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Guest (1): No, that is very difficult. That is very, very difficult.

Prabhupāda: Not difficult, but it requires elevation. So we should not imitate.

Guest (1): No, I mean desires... Just like your idol worship. Idol worship is not actually fruitless or anything. It's only to imagine God in it and just to have the concentration.

Preacher, even if he's mahā-bhāgavata, he comes to the second stage. Just like Guru Mahārāja. He's mahā-bhāgavata, but still he had to come to the second stage. He had to take precaution. That is natural.

Room Conversation -- February 10, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: Like child, bāliśa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They should be trained up. And dviṣatsu, envious. Four division. So four divisions you have to treat in different ways. Prema, Lord, prema, love. Maitrī, friendship with devotees. Kṛpā bāliśu, those who are innocent, the kṛpā. Let them learn. And upekṣā. As soon as come to the dviṣat, no cooperation. Keep aloof. So when we try to keep aloof from the envious, that is not our enviousness. That is just to avoid trouble for preaching work. Not that we hate them. But because... When you avoid a snake, it does not mean I hate the snake, but because he is harmful we have to take precaution. This is the statement of Bhāgavatam. And when you are in the mahā-bhāgavata stage, first-grade, that time, paramahaṁsa, nobody's enemy, nobody's friend. Everyone... That we cannot imitate. It is not... Preacher, even if he's mahā-bhāgavata, he comes to the second stage. Just like Guru Mahārāja. He's mahā-bhāgavata, but still he had to come to the second stage. He had to take precaution. That is natural. There are so many enemies of...

Jayapatākā: We were remembering how Nitāi had been poisoned, Nitāi and Yogānanda are your disciples. They were recently poisoned.

Prabhupāda: Hm. By whom?

1968 Correspondence

The gurus from nature's study are accepted as such on the principle that an elevated person in Krishna Consciousness does not accept anyone as disciple, but he accepts everyone as expansion of his guru. That is very high position, called Maha-bhagavata.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 26 April, 1968:

The statements of Thakura Bhaktivinode are as good as scriptures because he is liberated person. Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord; but anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. The gurus from nature's study are accepted as such on the principle that an elevated person in Krishna Consciousness does not accept anyone as disciple, but he accepts everyone as expansion of his guru. That is very high position, called Maha-bhagavata. Just like Radharani, sometimes thinks a subordinate of hers as her teacher, to understand devotion of Krishna. A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession. It is the injunction of the sastras that anyone who sees the Deity in the Temple as made of wood or stone, or considers the acaryas and gurus as ordinary common men, and discriminates Vaisnavas or devotees as belonging to a certain group or caste, are called hellish. Your question about Bon Maharaja in relation with his disciple is very intelligent and intricate, and we shall discuss at long when we meet.