So all these you will find in Kṛṣṇa. That is the significance of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this material world so nobody could excel Him in any of these opulences. Nobody. So far richness is concerned, He exhibited His richness with His (indistinct). He married 16,108 wives, and each wife had a palace, and the palace did not require light. It was bedecked with valuable jewels, so at night the light from the jewels will illuminate the rooms. Can you imagine such house? (laughter) And not only that, that He married 16,000 wives and He was apart from them, no. With each wife He was present. With some wife He is talking, with some wife He is playing, with some wife He is looking after the children. In this way Nārada travelled all the houses, all the palaces, he saw Kṛṣṇa is there engaged. This is called opulence. So far power is concerned, there were so many fights with Kṛṣṇa, nobody could conquer.
Palace (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
It is very easy to understand. In the Vedas also, it is said eko nārāyaṇa āsīt: "Before the creation only there was Nārāyaṇa." In the Catuḥ-śloki Bhāgavata also it is said, aham evāsam evāgre (SB 2.9.33/34/35/36). So before creation there was Kṛṣṇa. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, it does not mean Kṛṣṇa was alone. Kṛṣṇa means with His form, with His pastimes, with His paraphernalia, with His entourage, everything. When we speak of king, it does not mean king is alone. As soon as we speak of king, we must understand the king, king's kingdom, king's secretaries, king's ministers, king's queen, king's palace, so many things. Similarly, when the Vedas says that eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, "Before creation there was only Nārāyaṇa." So Nārāyaṇa with His paraphernalia, with His expansion... Nārāyaṇa has expansion in the spiritual world, vaikuṇṭha jagat, innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. You have seen the picture. Innumerable. We have given only twenty-four names, but there are innumerable.
So here is śāstra, Bhagavad-gītā. Hṛṣīkeśa. We have already explained one day. Here also, again we are explaining. Hṛṣīkeśa. Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is there. He never leaves from Vṛndāvana. He is there. Why? Here also. Just like we see, a very rich man, a very influential man, the president, he lives in his... The Queen, she is in the Buckingham Palace. But she cannot go at the same time anywhere and everywhere. No. She is in, packed up in Buckingham Palace. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Therefore He is Hṛṣīkeśa. Try to understand the distinction between Kṛṣṇa and others. Kṛṣṇa is goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Ātma-bhūta. This ātma-bhūta is Hṛṣīkeśa. He is giving intelligence. The more you become purified, the more you get direct instruction from Hṛṣīkeśa. This is the point. So how you can become purified? Purified means no more influenced by the modes of material nature.
o he made an aeroplane by yogic power, a big town. Not this 747. The 747 is the biggest plane, but not like this. A big town with lake, with palatial building, maid-servants, servants, and that big plane went all round the universe. He showed all the planets to his wife. This is yogic power. This is yogic power. So where is that yogi? So here, Yogeśvara. All these mystic powers can be attained by ordinary man if he wants, there is process. But Kṛṣṇa is the master of all yogic power, Yogeśvara. So who can get victory? Kṛṣṇa can do anything. Just like we sing every day. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Giri-vara. People may take it that Kṛṣṇa is fond of some gopīs, but they do not take care of the Kṛṣṇa's other business. As soon as the gopīs are in danger, he can lift the Govardhana Hill, Giri-vara-dhārī. That is Kṛṣṇa.
So I do not know why foolish people, they do not understand what is God. Everything is there. And He comes also, personally. Not only the God's name, address, activities, and everything is there, but He comes personally also. He proves Kṛṣṇa. He proved that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Kṛṣṇa was present, He proved all these things. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). He proved. He had sixteen thousand wives, and each wife, a big palatial building of marble, bedecked with jewels and gardens with pārijāta flowers. These are description. Nobody can maintain sixteen thousand wives in sixteen thousand palaces. Not only that, not that if He enters in one palace, He lives with one wife, the other wives are vacant. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. And with each wife He was living comfortably. Each wife had ten children. And those children also had each ten children, grandsons. In this way, Kṛṣṇa's family was more than one crore, Yadu-vaṁśa.
So these are opulences: wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—six things. Anyone who possess all these six opulences in full, He is God. That is the definition of God. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, He showed His opulence, opulences, in full. Opulences in full. Of course, we have got all these historical records about Him. Now, so far His wealth is concerned, He had 16,108 wives. And for each of them, for each of them, He built a palace. And all those palaces were so nicely built that there was no need of electricity or light. It was bedecked with jewels. So day and night, they were blazing. You see? So these description are there. But if we forget that, that He is God, then this will be something like story, that "How a man can marry sixteen thousand wives? How He...?" But we should always remember that He is God. He is all-powerful. And for no other person such historical records are there, only for Kṛṣṇa. So in strength also nobody could conquer Him.
Kṛṣṇa says, "After leaving this body, he does not come to this perplexities of material world." Mām eti, "He comes to Me." "Me" means His kingdom, His paraphernalia, His associates, everything. If some rich man or some king says, "All right, you come to me," that does not mean that he's impersonal. If a king says, "Come to..." means that he has got his palace, he has got his secretary, he has got his nice apartment, everything is there. How he can be imperson? But he says only, "Come to me." This "me" means everything. This "me" does not mean impersonal. And we get information from Brahma-saṁhitā, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). So He's not impersonal. He's raising cows, He's with hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, His friends, His paraphernalia, His kingdom, His house, everything is there. So there is no question of impersonalism. Yes.
So when Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa was present, He actually showed by His activities, by His behavior, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example—it may be unbelievable, but these are in the history of Kṛṣṇa—that Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Now, it is unbelievable. We cannot maintain even one wife, but He maintained 16,108 wives, and each wife had big palatial buildings. This description we have got. So that means so far riches are concerned, Kṛṣṇa showed that there is no second comparison in the whole history of the world that one is maintaining sixteen thousand wives and each wife has got special palace. These descriptions are there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and, by all the authorities of Vedic knowledge. Formerly, during Kṛṣṇa's time, there were authorities like Vyāsadeva, like Nārada. They also accepted that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And you will find in the Tenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna, after understanding Kṛṣṇa, he expressed his opinion, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). He accepted.
Not only one goddess of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... (Bs. 5.29), hundreds of thousands of Lakṣmīs. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He had 16,108 Lakṣmīs in Dvārakā. That is Nārāyaṇa. And each Lakṣmī was given big palatial building made of marble and bedecked with jewels. So there was no need of light. Such nice marble palaces. And each queen was given ten children, and it is not that that sixteen thousand queens were crying and Kṛṣṇa is only with one queen. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms, and He was living with each queen. That is Nārāyaṇa. Why Nārāyaṇa should become daridra? Nārāyaṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña... He's the supreme bhoktā, enjoyer. So He's unlimited. Therefore He's unlimited enjoyment. That is Kṛṣṇa. He showed it when He was present. Why sixteen thousand wives? If He could have sixteen millions of wives, still, they were not perfect. Because He's unlimited. So these things we have to understand.
This spirit of kṣatriya was prevalent even, say, three hundred years ago in India. There was a king, Yasomanta Sena. He was the commander-in-chief of Emperor Aurangzeb. So in one fight, he was defeated and came back to his home. So his wife heard that "My husband has been defeated. He's coming back home." So she asked the caretaker to close the door of the palace. So when Yasomanta Sena came there, he saw that his palace door is closed. Then he sent message to the queen that "Why you have closed the door? I have come home." So messenger came and informed that "The king has come. So he is asking to open the door." The queen replied, "Who is king? Yasomanta Sena. No, no. Yasomanta Sena cannot come being defeated. Yasomanta Sena either he conquers the battle or he lays down his body there dead. So the man who has come, he must be somebody pretender. He is not King Yasomanta Sena." So she refused to open the door. This is the spirit of kṣatriya spirit.
There is a story of Jaḍa Bharata. Jaḍa Bharata, a brāhmaṇa boy whose name was Jaḍa Bharata. He was formerly the emperor of this world. His name was Mahārāja Bharata. And by his name now India is called Bhāratavarṣa. Formerly this whole planet was named as Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, this planet was named as Ilāvṛtavarṣa, long, long years, millions of years before. But Jaḍa Bharata, he also lived ātma-rati, self-satisfied. In the beginning of his spiritual life he left this world, a very young age. When he was only twenty-four years old he left his wife, children, and kingdom. It is not joke. An emperor with beautiful young wife, small children, and palace—he left everything. There are many instances like that.
So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa proved. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was present amongst ourselves, from the history we can see that... If we have to believe the history, then He was in full in everything. He was full in everything. So far as a householder also, when Lord Kṛṣṇa displayed His capacity as a householder... You will be surprised. Perhaps most of you know that He married 16,108 wives. Sixteen thousand... So somebody may be surprised that "How a person can marry 16,108 wives?" Yes. A ordinary person like us or a little more strong person, that is not possible. But when the word omnipotency is applied... God is called omnipotency, so for Him nothing is impossible. So if we have to believe the history, then Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives, and He built 16,108 palaces also, well-decorated, fully equipped, all-marble palaces. And there was no need of light. The palaces were so nicely decorated with jewels that the light focused by the jewels, that will illuminate the house. And another thing—He was present in every house simultaneously. Sixteen thousand wives and sixteen thousand houses—He was present in sixteen thousand expansions by Himself. So that is called opulence. These are the opulences. So Lord Kṛṣṇa was full.
So there is evidence of authority. And practically, if we believe the śāstras, the scriptures, authorities, then see who can be more powerful than Kṛṣṇa, who can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa, who can be more famous than Kṛṣṇa? Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years before, but His knowledge, which He gave us in the shape of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, still it is worshiped. It is worshiped not only by the Hindus or the Indians, but this Bhagavad-gītā is read all over the world. In your country there are at least fifty kinds of different editions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhagavad-gītā) written by different American thoughtful men. Similarly you'll find in England, in Germany, in France, in, I mean to say, all other countries you'll find hundreds of editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Just see who can be more famous and who can be more wise than Kṛṣṇa? There are many other evidences if we believe śāstra. That Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives, and He provided each one of them with big palaces and each one of them had ten children, and from ten children there were many other children also.
So aiśvaryasya. And when He was present, He showed His riches. Nārada Muni wanted to see how Kṛṣṇa is managing His sixteen thousand wives, 16,108 wives. So when Nārada Muni came, he entered each and every palace. There were 16,108, all marble palaces, bedecked with jewels. There was no need of electricity or light at night, all the palaces were so bedecked with jewels. And the furnitures were made of ivory and gold. Opulences. The gardens were full of pārijāta trees. And, not only that, Nārada Muni saw that Kṛṣṇa was present with each and every wife and He's doing..., He was doing different types of business also. Somewhere He was sitting with His wife, children. Some..., somewhere marriage ceremony was going on of His children. Somebody... So many, all. Not one kind of engagement. So this is called opulence, riches. Not that possessing a few tolās of gold, one becomes God. No. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), suhṛdam... Kṛṣṇa declares that "I am the supreme enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. "I am the proprietor of the planets." That is richness. Power. So far strength and power is concerned, Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old, on the lap of His mother, He killed so many demons.
Although we have got the desire, but limited power to enjoy. The unlimited enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like we want to enjoy life, family life. We marry one wife. Or, in some countries, more than one wife—two, three, four. But when Kṛṣṇa married, He married 16,108. So... And sixteen thousand wives were given sixteen thousand palaces. And each wife got ten children. And Kṛṣṇa also expanded Himself into 16,108. That is God. For us, it is very difficult to maintain even one wife at the present moment. This is the difference. Just try to understand what is the meaning of this word bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence. This is one of the opulences, richness. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He was so rich that He could maintain sixteen thousand queens in sixteen thousand very costly palaces, made of marble, the furnitures made of ivory, and the beds were made of silk, and each and every room was decorated, bedecked with jewels, glittering jewels, so that at night there was no need of electricity or lamp. These descriptions are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of Kṛṣṇa's palace, Kṛṣṇa's sixteen thousand wives, Kṛṣṇa's expansion into sixteen thousand forms. This is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means unlimitedly potential. That is Bhagavān.
A cat, a dog also eat, and we are also eating. They are eating in their standard and we are eating in our standard. Sometimes we are eating less than their standard. So eating, the satisfaction of eating, anything you eat the pleasure is the same. A hog is eating stool. He's enjoying the pleasure of eating. And a human being eating very nice palatable food, he's also enjoying the same pleasure. There is no difference. Similarly sleeping also, similarly sex life. A dog is enjoying sex life on the street, and the king is enjoying sex life in the palace. But the pleasure is the same. Similarly defense. If you attack one animal, he knows how to defend himself. He has got also nails and jaws. A tiger or a dog or a cat, if you attack he knows how to defend himself. We may defend with atomic weapon, but the business is the same, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ...
Somebody worship Viṣṇu, somebody worship Śiva, somebody worship Brahmā, somebody worship the sun. Just like the Parsis, they worship the sun. I think I am right. So they also can be concluded as Hindus, and actually, they came from Persia. When there was Muhammadan disturbance, they fled from their country and came to India. That is the history. So these five gods are especially recommended and worshiped. So Kṛṣṇa is considered in the Viṣṇu category; therefore in the English dictionary it is said as "one of the gods." They're under the conception, foreigners, that "Hindus, they have got many gods." But actually, that is not fact. There are... Many gods means... Just like "god-ly," because they are servants of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in royal palace, even the servants are dressed with royal garments. Similarly, the chief servants of Kṛṣṇa, like Indra, Candra... Sūrya is also servant. Candra, that is also servant. Indra is also servant.
It is practical. Not that we are. There are millions and billions followers of Kṛṣṇa in India. Not only ordinary followers. Just like many great stalwarts, educationists, I mean to say, saintly person like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, great educated and learned scholars, they have accepted. Lord Caitanya has accepted. And... There are so many others also. And there are millions and millions of temples of Kṛṣṇa. They are being worshiped by millions and billions of devotees still. Still, if you go some Kṛṣṇa temple in South India, you'll find thousands of thousands of people always assembled. You have no imagination. You see? In Jaipur temple, Jaipur temple, the king's palace... Within the king's palace there is Jaipur temple. So whenever you go in that Jaipur temple, you'll find at least one thousand men assembled. At least. If you go Jagannātha Purī, you'll find at least two thousand men, daily coming and going. If you go to Vṛndāvana, you'll find at least five thousand men, daily coming and going. So... And in Vṛndāvana itself there are five thousand temples. Out of that only seven or eight temples are very big temples. In other words, each and every house is Kṛṣṇa temple. So it is not that... Somebody asked me, "How many there are in India Kṛṣṇa conscious people?" Oh, the Kṛṣṇa conscious men in India, at least, the Hindus, oh, they are ninety percent, at least, all Kṛṣṇa conscious.
These are the checks, how you can understand that who is God. God must be the proprietor of all, everything. And He must be powerful than anyone. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, nobody could conquer Him. There is not a single instance that Kṛṣṇa was defeated. So He belonged to the kṣatriya family. He identified Himself as kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas are meant for giving protection to the poor, to the weak. So He belonged to the royal family. So there were so many fightings in His so long He remained on this earth, but in no fight He was defeated. Therefore He was the most powerful. And so far His opulence is concerned, from Bhāgavatam we find that He married 16,108 wives, and every wife had a different palace. The palaces are described. And He expanded Himself into 16,108 divisions also. These things we have got in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If you believe, it is all right, but great ācāryas, great scholars of India, they have accepted this fact, that Kṛṣṇa is God.
Can you lift a one mound, or hundred pounds with your finger? "Oh, that I cannot do." That is the difference between the imitation God and real God. "Because Kṛṣṇa is saying, therefore I shall imitate and say." And because Kṛṣṇa performed rāsa-līlā... "Oh, Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives." "Oh, can you marry one and keep her very nicely in a palace?" "Oh, that I cannot do." Then how can you be Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa said so many things, wonderful, and He acted also wonderful. If you believe one thing and do not believe another thing, then it is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176). Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. I cannot believe half. If you believe, you believe full.
A devotee is seeing a palatial building, but he does not see the palatial building. He sees Kṛṣṇa. Because he knows that the ingredients of this palatial building, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), all this earth, water, air, fire, that is Kṛṣṇa's energy. From Kṛṣṇa, this earth, water, air, fire, everything has come out. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. The original source of anything, of everything, is Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).
That I have already explained several times. At night, we forget all this body. Although in daytime I identify myself that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," at night, when I sleep, I forget whether I am American, Indian, or brāhmaṇa, and kṣatriya. This is our daily experience. I am in different atmosphere. I am dreaming something. But again at daytime I forget what I dreamt at night. So sometimes we go very unknown place, very nice place, nice building, nice atmosphere. And at, as soon as the dream is over, then again I am on my bed. You see. And when I dream, I forget. I'm not in my bed, but I'm in the surrounding of palaces, of gardens. So this is our daily experience.
And within the sun, there are cities, palaces, inhabitants. Just like within this planet, there are cities, there are roads, there are so many varieties of living condition. Similarly in every planet, there is varieties of living condition. Koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. From Vedic literature we understand: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. Govinda's prabhā, Kṛṣṇa's prabhā. Illumination. Prabhā means illumination. Just like this bulb and the illumination. The illumination is broadcast all over the room. The bulb is located in a place.
We can practically see. Everyone is working with this body in Bombay city. A very poor man is also in Bombay city, and a very rich man is also there. Both of them have the same facilities to work, but we find that one man is working very hard day and night. Hardly he is getting his morsel of food. Another man, simply by going, sitting in the office, earning thousands and thousands. Why? Because the difference of the field of activities. The body is different. Because one has got a certain type of body, his destination is already there. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). We can study this thing, that somebody is living in a poor slum and another man is living in a very palatial building. So simply by endeavoring that "I shall live in a palatial building, and I shall not live in this poor slumhole," it is not possible because the destiny is there. Therefore the body is made according to our past karma, and that is called destiny. Your happiness and distress according to the body is already settled up. It is not possible by natural way to improve or disimprove it. It is already settled up.
We have seen practically. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a great personality, a great devotee of Lord Śiva also, and materially his kingdom was very much advanced. It is said that Lanka was made of gold. Actually there were many palaces. And he was a very big Vedic scholar also. But one thing, that he was against Rāma... And for this disqualification he is still described as asura, rākṣasa. So harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ mano-rathenāsato dhāvato bahiḥ. If one is not devotee of the Lord, he will simply concoct on the mental platform. So that will not make.
You may imagine. All the wealth belongs to Kṛṣṇa. When He was present on this earth, He showed it. Aiśvaryasya samagra... As much as we can comprehend, He showed. Sixteen thousand wives, sixteen thousand palaces. Who can show it? If we hear of sixteen, we become surprised. We keep one wife, and that is very difficult for us. We have to think over hundred times, "Whether I shall accept a wife to maintain?" You see? But Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand wives. But not like us, having more than wife: one wife is crying and another wife is enjoying, no. He also expanded Himself in sixteen thousand forms. Every wife is enjoying the husband. That is Bhagavān. That is Bhagavān. You try to understand Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. And if you have got more than wife, a few years after, you become impotent. But Kṛṣṇa, in each wife, He begotten ten children. "I will give you ten child." Sixteen thousand into ten, how much?
This is the version of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness among his school friends. Because he was born in a demon father's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was stopped even uttering Kṛṣṇa. He could not get any opportunity in the palace, so when he was coming to school, at the tiffin hour he would call his small friends, five years old, and he would preach this Bhāgavata-dharma. And the friends would says, "My dear Prahlāda, we are now children. Oh, what is the use of this Bhāgavata-dharma? Let us play." "No," he said, "no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: (SB 7.6.1) "My dear friends, don't say that you'll keep it aside for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness in old age. No, no." Durlabham. "We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness education."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
By mantra he can be brought into consciousness, in life. If a man is snakebitten... (aside:) He's sleeping. Why? Don't sleep and you can sleep at the end. Don't in the front. It is disturbing. Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi'. Lord Caitanya said that "I have brought the medicine." Māyā nāśibāro lāgi'. Just like the snake charmers, they chant mantra. That is factual. It is not story. One medical practitioner friend of mine, when he was student in Lucknow, he stated that there is a palace building, Satar Manji?(?) Satar Manju, in Lucknow. There is some government office. So there were several snakebite cases. Several men were killed by snakebite. So they could understand that there is a venomous snake in this building; at the opportunity he bites. So one snakecharmer was called, and one Muhammadan snakecharmer, he came, and he captured that snake and took it away.
So he was instructing daily. It is the business of saintly person, whoever comes to him, he would give him instruction about spiritual knowledge. So he was instructing Prahlāda Mahārāja's mother. But the mother, less intelligent woman... But Prahlāda Mahārāja took all the instruction and became a perfect devotee. He has admitted. When his friends inquired from him, "My dear Prahlāda, you are the son of a king and you do not go outside your palace, and we are sent here in this school, teaching. Our teacher is the same. How you have learned all these nice things?" Then he said, "My dear friends, these nice things I learned from Nārada, the same spiritual master. You require spiritual master." He then described that "The instruction was actually meant for my mother, but being woman, she has forgotten." (laughter)
So in Vedic system a husband can marry... Why others? Kṛṣṇa, He married 16,000 wives. But not like us. He was present in the house of 16,000 wives by 16,000 forms. Every, each and every wife had palatial building, establishment. Each wife had ten sons. Not that because He has married 16,000, He cannot meet all of them. No. So that is Kṛṣṇa; He is God. But even common man... Just like Kṛṣṇa's father, he had also sixteen wives. Kṛṣṇa is one wife's son. Vasudeva... Subhadrā is another wife's daughter. Balarāma is another wife's son. So in order to stop this rascaldom, that a human, I mean to say, man, he's allowed: "Marry them. Keep them nicely. Give them apartment. Give them nice food, nice dress, nice ornament. You enjoy." But rascaldom means "No, without responsibility I shall make phish, phish, phish" that's all.
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the highest perfection of life. Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, impersonal effulgence. Just like the sunshine. Then localized sun, the sun globe. Then further, if you able to enter the sun globe, you'll find there is a predominating deity. There are also cities and palaces—everything, just like this planet. But this planet is made prominently of earth, and that planet is one of the elements, material elements, earth, water, fire, air. So if this planet is made of earth, why not other planet made of fire? What is the scientific reason to deny it? Because I cannot live in the fire, it does not mean other living entities cannot live there. There are different kinds of living entities. Just like you cannot live within the water, within the ocean, but there are other living entities... Just like fish.
So in three stages, Kṛṣṇa is there: in the past, present and future. Therefore He knows everything. If, under my direction, something is going, going on, I have created something, it is maintained, and it is destroyed, I am seeing, or I am ordering, then I am always existing. I know when it is created, when it is maintained and when it is destroyed. So Kṛṣṇa knows past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone. Kṛṣṇa means there is another kingdom. Just like when we speak of a king, it means the king is not alone. There is queen, there is palace, there is bodyguard, there is secretary, there is commander in chief, so many things. Just like in England, there is Queen Elizabeth. It does not mean that Queen Elizabeth is alone. She has got so many paraphernalia. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, His friends, His mother, His father, His cowherd, cows, His Vṛndāvana... So many things. That is another variety. And here this material world, this variety, this variety is imitation of that variety. And that variety is eternal. This variety is created, maintained and destroyed. But in the middle, the point, Kṛṣṇa, He is ever-existing.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Hṛta-jñānāḥ, hṛta-jñānāḥ, those who have lost their intelligence. They are influenced by their lust and greediness. They worship different demigods to get some material temporary benefit. Therefore they are called naṣṭa-buddhi. His real problem is how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death, but he doesn't care that. He thinks, "Oh, now I am living in this way. If I live in a palatial building, then my problem is solved." That is not your problem, solution of the problem. That is not solution. But people are very much enamored by this temporary material elements. Therefore they are called by Kṛṣṇa as naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, hṛta-jñānāḥ. They're actual knowledge is lost. Real thing is... Just like in the jail. The same example: the boy was given a little relief. Instead of breaking stone, he was allowed to type in the office. That does not mean his problem is solved. His problem is solved when he's out of the prison. That is. But that the superintendent of police cannot give. That will be given by the government. Similarly, if we want to get relief from this prison house of material existence, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No other method will relieve us.
So here... Of course, it appears that Nārada Muni was not of that kind of dāsī-putra. Ordinary dāsī-putra. Because the such dāsī, or the maidservant, they do not come out for common service. They remain within the palace. So the point is that Nārada Muni in his previous life was not very recognized family, neither brāhmaṇa nor nothing of the sort. Still, he became next life the Nārada Muni. And what is the cause? What... The cause is, nirūpito bālaka eva yoginām: "I was appointed a boy servant of the devotees." The importance is that devotee is so important that if anyone renders a little service, then he becomes elevated to the spiritual life. What bālaka... Bālaka means there was a boy. "You, boy, bring me this," or "Do this. Just wash my cloth," or "Just set up my bedding." Like that. This much servant. Or "Wash this dish." So the devotional service is so powerful, by doing this... This will be described later on, that simply by doing this little service to the yoginām, he was so blessed that next life he became Nārada. This point is very important point. That is being explained.
So counteraction. This is military science. Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. And military science also, one of the part of the Vedas, Dhanur Veda. It is called Dhanur Veda—how to utilize dhanuḥ. Dhanuḥ means bow and arrows. Similarly Āyur Veda. Āyur Veda means medical science, how to protect the āyuḥ. Because the body is perishable, so in the Vedic knowledge, everything is there to guide the human society. It is stated in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Nigama means Veda, and that is kalpa-taru. Nigama kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam. It is compared with the tree. What kind of tree? Desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taroḥ. Kalpa-taru. The kalpa-taru can be found in the spiritual world, not in this material world. The spiritual world is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. What is that? Kalpa-taru, cintāmaṇi kalpa-taru. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-taru. In the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana, it is described that the houses, palaces, in that land, spiritual land, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is made of cintāmaṇi, cintāmaṇi kalpa-taru.
Even during the time of Mahārāja Candragupta, emperor, he had a brāhmaṇa minister, prime minister, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. He was not taking a single farthing as salary. When once explanation was called for from Cāṇakya Paṇḍita by Candragupta, immediately he resigned. "You cannot call any explanation. Then I resign." And he was living in a cottage, not that palatial building. He was living in a cottage. That was the system. Brāhmaṇa lived very humbly. He was not poor. Not that they are poor men. They were so rich that when Viśvāmitra approached Mahārāja Daśaratha, immediately he vacated his seat and welcomed, "Sir, sit down here." So respectful. This is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas would not accept any comfort, but the kṣatriyas would be very, very glad to give all comforts to the brāhmaṇas. In our śāstra, brāhmaṇa-bhojana, it is recommended that brāhmaṇas should be invited to take prasāda. Now they have manufactured daridra-bhojana or daridra-nārāyaṇa-bhojana. They have made daridra-nārāyaṇa. But that is not Vedic culture. Vedic culture is to find out qualified brāhmaṇa, sages, sannyāsīs. They would refuse, but still they'll fall down, "Please come, take some prasāda." This is Vedic culture. Brāhmaṇa's position is very, very exalted. Now, since after the battle of Kurukṣetra, they have become brahma-bandhus. The example is here, brahma-bandhu.
So this is Kuntī's realization. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ... (SB 1.8.26). Therefore for spiritual advancement, if one is interested, they should not be too much attached to material things if you want to advance in spiritual life. Janmaiśvarya... Because this will be entanglement. The more and more we shall think, "This is mine. This is mine." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is illusion. Nothing belongs to him, but by illusion, he will think, "This is mine. This is mine." Just like we have got this nice, grand building in this district. If we think, "This is my building" or "My building," then there will be mishap. My Guru Mahārāja said. Personally he said that "When we were living in a rented house, if we could collect two hundred, three hundred rupees... We were living very nicely at Ultadanga. And since then—Jayavidatta has given us this marble palace, Gauḍīya-Maṭha—there is friction between our men. 'Who will occupy this room? Who will occupy that room? Who will be proprietor of room?' " Tīrtha Mahārāja... Kuñjabābā was giving one tablet, that "This is..." Everyone is planning in different way. So Guru Mahārāja said... He was personally instructing me that "If I could sell this marble of this temple, and secure some money, and if I could print some books, that would have been better. That would have been better."
Therefore I am so much after books. If we forget our position, if we become pound-shilling man, property man, then Kṛṣṇa will be finished, because Kṛṣṇa is akiñcana-gocara. Therefore we should always remember that we possess this nice house not for our comfort, but people will come because they are not accustomed. If we would have invited people, "Come and sit down on this Māyāpur ground," no, there was no possibility. Therefore we must possess Kṛṣṇa's temple very nice so that people will come, and we shall preach. That is philosophy, not that because we have got this nice house, therefore we should be very much attached. Attachment must be there—for Kṛṣṇa's service. The temple must be very cleansed. The establishment must be very nice. What for? For attracting devotees. This is the purpose, not for our personal benefit. That is the way. My Guru Mahārāja introduced these big, big palaces, temple.
Now, when they were brought at home, not that 16,000 wives will have to wait for 16,000 nights to meet Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into 16,000 forms, and constructed 16,000 palaces, and establishment, on each palace... The description is there in the... That is Bhagavān. So those rascals, they cannot understand. They criticize Kṛṣṇa, that: "He was very lusty. He married 16,000 wives." Even if He's lusty, He's unlimitedly lusty. Because He's unlimited. Why 16,000? If He would marry 16,000,000s of wives still it is imperfect. That is Kṛṣṇa.
So Nārada came to see. "Kṛṣṇa has married 16,000 wives. How He's dealing with them, let me see." So he, when he came here, he saw in 16,000 palaces, Kṛṣṇa is acting differently. And somewhere He's talking with His wife. Somewhere He's playing with His children. Somewhere He's getting marriage ceremony of His sons and daughters. So many, 16,000 ways He's engaged. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, although... Just like He was playing just like ordinary child. But when Mother Yaśodā wanted to see His mouth open, whether He has eaten earth, dirt, He showed within the mouth all the universes. So this is Kṛṣṇa. Although He is playing just like ordinary child, ordinary human being, but when there is need, He shows His Godly nature.
So when Kṛṣṇa was present, who could compete Him with His opulence? He had 16,108 wives, not loitering in the street, but each and every wife had big, big marble palaces, all marble palaces. Furniture with ivory, ivory and silk, and frames, all golden, garden with pārijāta, so many things. The... And not one palace, two palace. Sixteen thousand palaces. And Nārada was surprised: "What Kṛṣṇa is doing with sixteen thousand wives?" In each and every palace he entered, and he saw Kṛṣṇa is engaged in different way. Somebody is taking care of the children; somebody... Somewhere He is arranging for the marriage of His son and daughter. Somewhere He is engaged in other sixteen thousand..., in the sixteen thousand palaces, in sixteen thousand engagements, and queens. So this is called opulence, aiśvarya. Who can show this? And Kṛṣṇa showed it personally.
Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.)
- tāṁ bāḍham ity upāmantrya
- praviśya gajasāhvayam
- striyaś ca sva-puraṁ yāsyan
- premṇā rājñā nivāritaḥ
- (SB 1.8.45)
Translation: "Thus accepting the prayers of Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, the Lord subsequently informed other ladies of His departure by entering the palace of Hastināpura. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King Yudhiṣṭhira, who implored Him lovingly."
Prabhupāda: So the capital of the world empire is called Hastināpura or Gajasāhvaya. Gaja and hasti means elephant. Maybe there were many elephants, because formerly the kings, they used to keep many, many horses, elephants. Still, in New Delhi they have taken, kept some token elephants in the rājyapal bhavan(?), or the President's house. So formerly there was one king, and the capital was Hastināpura. The king of Hastināpura was ruling all over the world. There was one flag. These are mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There were not many states, and the world was under one culture, Vedic culture.
Pradyumna: "...accepting the prayers of Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, the Lord subsequently informed other ladies of His departure by entering the palace of Hastināpura. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King Yudhiṣṭhira, who implored Him lovingly."
Prabhupāda:
- tāṁ bāḍham ity upāmantrya
- praviśya gajasāhvayam
- striyaś ca sva-puraṁ yāsyan
- premṇā rājñā nivāritaḥ
- (SB 1.8.45)
So this verse... All the ladies of the palace... It is natural for ladies. When there is separation, they cry. So they were shedding tears, but Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked them to stop, not to cry, because it may be inauspicious. Kṛṣṇa was going home, and everyone should give Him farewell, a smiling face. But they could not do so. That was not possible. They were feeling so much of Kṛṣṇa's separation that they were crying, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked them not to cry.
There is no comparison of Kṛṣṇa's opulences. I have several times given the example. Say, in the human society there is marriage. So Kṛṣṇa married 16,800 wives. And for each wife a palace, marble palace, bedecked with jewels, and the furniture made of ivory and gold, and bed and curtains, they're all made of silk. So... And the... Not only palace, but also garden attached to the palace. And the flower trees, pārijāta flower. The pārijāta flower was brought from the heaven. This pārijāta flower is not visible in this world. From heavenly planet Kṛṣṇa brought it. His wife Satyabhāmā, He requested... He... Both of them, Satyabhāmā and Kṛṣṇa, went to the heavenly planet. So generally woman, they are after something. So (laughs) (she) requested the husband, "Kṛṣṇa, I want this flower." "All right." So He gave her one flower. So He also told, "Why the flower? I shall take the tree so that you'll get flower daily." So when He was doing so, Indra came. Indra is the king of heavenly planet. "No, Sir, you cannot do that. (laughter) You cannot take this tree to the lower planet. No, I cannot allow."
That's it. Everything is cycle. If you execute your prescribed duties as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya, or as a śūdra, as a brahmacārī, as a gṛhastha, as a vānaprastha, or as a sannyāsī... Divisions are there. Division must be there. Just like government. For executing nicely the governmental business, there are so many departments. Not that one department, only king, queen. Then government... Why the government is spending so much money, maintaining so many building? Simply queen's palace, that Buckingham, that is sufficient? No. There must be departments. So these are departments, this brāhmaṇa, this kṣatriya, the vaiśyas, the śūdras. Just like in your body there are departments. This department, brain, head. Therefore it is called head, head office, head office. Why do you refer to the head office? It has come from this head. Why Godhead? The Supreme Godhead, the Supreme. Therefore we say, "Godhead. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior person than Me." So the divisions required. The divisions required.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- nyarundhann udgalad bāṣpam
- autkaṇṭhyād devakī-sute
- 5niryāty agārān no 'bhadram
- iti syād bāndhava-striyaḥ
- (SB 1.10.14)
Translation: "The female relatives, whose eyes were flooded with tears out of anxiety for Kṛṣṇa, came out of the palace. They could only stop their tears with great difficulty. They feared that tears would cause misfortune at the time of departure."
Prabhupāda:
- nyarundhann udgalad bāṣpam
- autkaṇṭhyād devakī-sute
- niryāty agārān no 'bhadram
- iti syād bāndhava-striyaḥ
- (SB 1.10.14)
You can practice this diacritic mark. English transliteration is there. It is not very difficult. Simply if you practice twice, thrice, four times, it will come exactly, the pronunciation. You have to learn the diacritic marks. Then it will be all right. Word meaning.
So although he especially lived in the palace for the benefit of his elder brother, still, so long he lived, it was a very pleasing time for all of them. Because he was living not as a dull or dumb man. He was speaking about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore everyone was feeling very happy. (reads purport:) "Saintly persons like Vidura must be treated as well as a denizen from heaven." "As well as a denizen from heaven." Yes. If any saintly person comes at home, formerly this was the system. In our childhood we have seen. Many saintly persons used to come, and my father used to receive them very nicely, some of them. Still, the system is if you go to any Indian village and... I mean to say, those who are sannyāsīs, saintly person, they are received very well. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was touring in South India, so many brāhmaṇas were coming to invite him. That is the system. He hasn't got to bother for his food or shelter any place. That is the system.
So Vidura, he was a saintly person. He was received by the Pāṇḍavas and treated just like denizens. (reads:) "In those days denizens of heavenly planets used to visit homes like that of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and sometimes persons like Arjuna and others used to visit higher planets." We get information. Arjuna also went to the heavenly planets, and persons from heaven, when there was big yajñas, sacrifice, they used to come and visit Indra, Candra. And sometimes person like... (reads:) "Nārada is a spaceman who can travel unrestrictedly not only within the material universes but also in the spiritual universes." Wherever he wanted, he could go. He can go. He's still living. Not that... (reads:) "Even Nārada used to visit the palace of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and what to speak of other celestial demigods." It is only the spiritual culture of the people concerned that makes interplanetary travel possible, even in the present body. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira therefore received Vidura in the manner of reception offered to the demigods. This example means demigods were visiting.
"Mahātmā Vidura had already adopted the renounced order of life, and therefore he did not return to his paternal palace to enjoy some material comforts. He accepted out of his own mercy what was offered to him by the Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, but the purpose of living in the palace was to deliver his too much materially attached elder brother, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Dhṛtarāṣṭra lost all his state and descendants in the fight with Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and still, due to his sense of helplessness, he did not feel ashamed to accept the charity and hospitality of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira." Suppose you create some enemy, always fought with your enemy. So if you accept his hospitality and live there, thinking that "I am living very comfortably," it is not very good sense.
There also it is said that vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa because you are very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge. No. Vedeṣu durlabham, it is very difficult. But adurlabham, He is very cheap unto His devotees. He is very cheap. Like Vidura. Vidura invited Him, and Kṛṣṇa did not to go Arjuna's house..., I mean to say, Duryodhana's house, very palatial building. Vidura, a cottage, so He went there. And Vidura being in ecstasy was offering Him some banana. So he was so overpowered by ecstasy that instead of giving the fruit banana, he was giving the skin, and Kṛṣṇa was eating. So when he came to his senses he saw that "I have given only the skin, and Kṛṣṇa is eating." So this is bhakti. This is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Kṛṣṇa can eat anything, either you give the pulp or skin, He can eat anything because He is all powerful and everything is equal to Him.
So Arjuna, Bhīma and others, they took different types of services in the house, palace, of Mahārāja Virāṭa. So he was appointed as a dancing master, teacher, to the daughter Uttarā. Just see. Arjuna was a great warrior, and he was expert dancing master also. So when it was disclosed that "These servants, they are the Pāṇḍavas. They remained here as ordinary servant," so Mahārāja Virāṭa was very much pleased, that "Such exalted persons are living in my house incognito." So he offered Uttarā to Arjuna, that "You marry my daughter. You have taught her dancing." So Arjuna said, "How can I marry her? I am teacher, and she is my disciple. She is my daughter. How can I marry her?" Then Arjuna said that "If you want to keep this daughter in our family, I have got a grown-up son, sixteen years old." That means Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā, this Subhadrā, Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Subhadrā. So Subhadrā was married to Arjuna, and the son was Abhimanyu. So Uttarā was married to Abhimanyu. And the son was Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Abhimanyu was just married and the war was declared.
One Bharata is Lord Rāmacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Mahārāja Daśaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty. His name is also Bharata. And another Bharata was the son of King Ṛṣabhadeva, by whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So he is addressing Parīkṣit Mahārāja as the descendant of King Bharata, Bhārata." He bhārata. You have to talk and hear about sarvātmā, the Supersoul who is sitting in everyone's heart, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences." Bhagavān, this word, every word, suggests volumes of meaning. And Hari: "who can take away all your sufferings." Īśvara: "and He is the controller, supreme controller."
There(fore) Prahlāda Mahārāja said to his class friends... Prahlāda Mahārāja was a great devotee. He learned spiritual knowledge from Nārada from the womb of his mother. So he decided that "I shall live a spiritual life." So although he was king's son, a very powerful king's son, he was not interested anything with spiritual, er, material. He decided. So from the childhood, he was trying to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Where he should get opportunity? He was a child of five years old, and king's son, locked up within the palace. So he was taking opportunity in the school. As soon as he go to the school, and the teachers are out, he'll stand up on the bench and speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A five-year-... You have seen the picture. So he was advising, "My dear friends"—they were all five years, four years old—"now take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha: (SB 7.6.1) "This kaumāra, this age, from the very beginning of life, you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." He was advising. They, they were all asuras. They were asking, "Why Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Let us play now, jump like monkey." So he was not... "No, no. Let us take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." "Now, why we should take Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Now, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "Oh, it is very valuable. This human form of life is very valuable." Because in this life only you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not in the body of cats and dogs. That is not possible. Or trees.
So Kṛṣṇa, as kṣatriya, proved how much strong He was, how much able He was, that He married sixteen thousand wives, and for each wife, separate establishment, separate servants, separate house, separate palace. Everything separate. Not that "I marry only. Therefore I have no responsibility." Not like that. That is Kṛṣṇa, ideal. He married 16,108, but He had 16,108 palaces, big big palace. And palace all made of nice, what is called, marble, and decorated with jewels. The... Kṛṣṇa's house, there was no need of this light. The jewels were glittering. These are description in the Bhāgavata. And the furnitures were married of ivory. That is Kṛṣṇa's house. And the garden, compound, pārijāta flower. Then is that sufficient? A woman will be satisfied simply with this palace, nice palace, and...? No. He expanded Himself into 16,108 Kṛṣṇas. Each and every wife is able to receive her husband individually. So anyway, you cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa, neither you can do like that, neither you can marry sixteen thousand, but you can marry—that is Vedic civilization—more than one wife. Because every female must be married, so where are so many husbands? So therefore polygamy was allowed, but the man who marries, he must be able to maintain the wife very nicely. That is Hindu, or Vedic civilization. That is kuṭumba, kuṭumba-bharaṇa, maintaining the family.
Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) it is stated that even a person who has failed in the proper discharge of yoga practice is given a chance to take birth in the house of devout brāhmaṇas or in the houses of rich men like kṣatriya kings or rich merchants. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was more than that because he was a great devotee of the Lord since his previous birth, and as such he took his birth in an imperial family of the Kurus, and especially that of the Pāṇḍavas. So from the very beginning of his childhood he had the chance of knowing intimately the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa in his own family. The Pāṇḍavas, all being devotees of the Lord, certainly venerated family Deities in the royal palace for worship. Children who appear in such families fortunately..."
Prabhupāda: People still, in India, those who are rich men, they have got their family temple Deities. One temple is there in Kanpur. The family members, they are very rich. The rule is that if the family members do not come in the temple to offer obeisances to the Deity, they'll be fined. The mother, the head of the family... Mother is still living. She has imposed this law, that "Any of my children or grandchildren, if he or she does not visit the temple, then according to this rule, this fine should be realized from them." So if somebody misses to go in the temple one day, the priest presents the bill: "Sir, you have been fined five rupees." (Laughter) So they pay. Yes. So we should also enforce that rule. Anyone who is not attending maṅgala-ārati should be fined. (laughter) And the fine should be that he must sell one Kṛṣṇa book. (laughter) Is that all right?
And who can maintain sixteen thousand wives? One cannot maintain even one wife. This is called urukrama. Great activities. Not that Kṛṣṇa remained one, and He had sixteen thousand wives. No. He also expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms so that no wife may be displeased. His wife... If I am one, and if I have got many wives, so everyone will be displeased. He provided sixteen thousand palaces, and in each palace, there were many thousands of servants and maidservants, and each wife was blessed with ten sons. This is called urukrama, great activities. Lord Rāmacandra, He killed Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was so powerful that all the demigods in higher planetary systems, they were all afraid of him. He became so powerful. And Rāvaṇa's brother, he reigned in Mexico, Brazil. Brazil. And there was subway from Ceylon to Brazil. We get information from Rāmāyaṇa. Such powerful demons. Who can make now subway from one country into another country? They can make subway from one city to another, utmost.
Pradyumna: (reads synonyms) Translation: "Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as a result of wholehearted attraction for Lord Kṛṣṇa, was able to give up all deep-rooted affection for his personal body, wife, children, palace, animals, horses, and elephants, treasury house, friends and relatives, and his undisputed kingdom."
Prabhupāda: So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Upadhārya matiṁ kṛṣṇe. So it is a great sacrifice. It is not like that, dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa. No. It is above. People are generally become religious to get some material benefit. Dharma artha. And as soon as he gets material benefit, he enjoys his senses, kāma. Dharma artha kāma. And when he fails to satisfy his senses, then he wants to become one with the supreme. That's mokṣa. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is above these four principles, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Therefore one can give up, immediately. Just like sometimes Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name India is called Bhārata-varṣa. He also gave up. He gave up his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years. Young wife, young, nice children, big, whole empire. And it is said that he gave up everything just like one gives up his stool, evacuates. Immediately goes away. So he gave up. So this is actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we become completely free from any material possession, any material possession.
It is very difficult. But just see, here Parīkṣit Mahārāja, due to his association with his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he understood... He, according to his instruction, he gave his mind and everything to Kṛṣṇa and he gave up the idea of enjoying his wife, children, palace, kingdom, or animals, and so many things. So it is little difficult also. But by Kṛṣṇa's grace, if we continue regularly these Kṛṣṇa consciousness rules and regulations, then automatically we shall be disinterested. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). These are not to be artificially attained. You cannot give up your wife, children, kingdom, artificially. Artificially, if you give up, then you will again fall down. Artificially, I give up my wife, and then I seek another's wife. This is nonsense. This is nonsense. This is falldown. When you are actually mature, then you give up. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was mature. From the very childhood, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. So when he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa, he took it as an opportunity, "Now give up everything. Let me go back to home, back to Godhead." This is the philosophy. Thank you. (end)
Our business is we want to sell books, not to make money. Now, if you simply take it formally... Hayagrīva has taken the formality. We have to keep some cows. Never mind we are to take payment from others. That is not cow protection. Cow protection means just like Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is tending the cows. He is going, taking the cows personally from His royal palace going to the forest whole day, working there. Is it not, cowherds boy? And taken some little fruit, mother, whatever mother has given. They are playing that. So this is cow protection, not that "Somebody will give money and we shall keep some third class cows and feed there and become cow protector." We must tend the cows very nicely so that they give us sufficient milk. And with that milk we shall live. "No, because we are giving protection to cow, you send money for the cows and the cow protectors, and earn money there and give us money. We shall eat nicely and sleep." As soon as this practice is going on, then next will be: "Give me some LSD, give me something else." This will go on. We don't want that.
If He is all-powerful, what is the difficulty for Him to lift a mountain? If He is all-strong, then where is the difficulty to maintain sixteen thousand wives? Why sixteen thousand? If He maintains sixteen millions of wives, still, it is insufficient. Because if we say "All potency, all-powerful, all-good," then to maintain sixteen thousand wives with sixteen thousand palaces and all the palaces made of first-class marble and gold and jewels, and the furnitures are made of ivory... These are description. That is God. Why we shall accept a nonsense God simply having a big beard or some...? You see? No. We don't accept. We accept real God. What is the purport?
Here it is only perverted reflection. Here the beauty... Just like the beauty is described there, bhrājiṣṇu. Bhrājiṣṇu, all glowing. Lasad-vimāna. Lasat, brilliant. There is also aeroplane, but not this tin aeroplane. You see? There the airplanes are made of jewels and gold, brilliant. And their beauty. There also men, women there are, not that simply men devotees, no. But the men and women, they are creation. The both sexes are there, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So nothing is different from here, but they are permanent, real. Here everything are temporary and false. This is the difference. Everything, there is also tree, there is also flower, there are also palaces, there are aeroplanes, there are chariots, men, women, but they are real, and here it is unreal.
Pradyumna: "The four Vedas, namely Ṛk, Sāma, Yajur and Atharva, are present there personally to advise the Lord. The sixteen energies headed by Caṇḍa are all present there. Caṇḍa and Kumuda are the two first doorkeepers, and at the middle door there are the doorkeepers named Bhadra and Subhadra, and at the last door there are Jaya and Vijaya. There are other doorkeepers also, named Kumuda, Kumudākṣa, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Śaṅkukarṇa, Sarvanetra, Sumukha, etc. The palace is well decorated and protected by the above-mentioned doorkeepers."
Prabhupāda: So everything in detail you'll find, the kingdom of God, the nature of that atmosphere, the devotees, the inhabitants. Everything is there clearly. So the festival today is murdered.(?) The festival? (sound of heavy rain in background?)
Sudāmā: I don't think it will take place because it is supposed to be held in a large park.
Śyāmasundara: It is very wet. Shall we go to Hawaii today?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? (laughter)
Kardama Muni. So Kardama Muni, the wife, a king's daughter, but she was serving the husband, and... The yogi, in a cottage he was living, and she was king's daughter, princess. So working, working, she became very skinny. So Kardama Muni took (com)passion upon her that "This girl has come to me. She is not in a comfortable position." So by his yogic power, he created big palatial house, many servants, maidservants, garden, everything. Not only that. Kardama Muni created one airship. It was just like a small city. The modern airship—they have prepared 747—can carry about five hundred passengers. Of course, very big. But Kardama Muni created an airship just like a small city. In that airship there was nice lake and palaces and garden, and not only that, the airship traveled all over the universe. They could not make any airship to go to the moon planet. But Kardama Muni, by his yogic power, he created an airship which could go to all the planets. This is yogic power. Aṇimā laghimā prāpti. All kinds of siddhi, material siddhi. Whatever he likes, he can do. That is yoga-siddhi. Not simply pressing the nose and making some gymnastic. One must gain the yogic siddhi. By the, by the siddhi-yogī, he can do everything he likes. He can become smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest. Whatever he likes he can get immediately in hand. Wherever he likes, he can go. That is yoga-siddhi.
So the sun planet is also material planet like this earthly planet, but it is made of fire. Just like there are so many things we have got experience. There is water, sea. There also, living being, aquatics. They are not dying. But if you are thrown into the water, you will die. But that does not mean that in the water there is no living being. There is. There are hundreds and thousands. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. We are the men population. We are only 400,000. And in the water there are 900,000's, aquatics. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁś... Everything is there is the śāstras. So... But you cannot live within the... You have got a separate body. Similarly, these so-called scientists, they are thinking that nobody can live in the sun planet. "There is no life." That is wrong. They have got a separate type of body—they can live in the fire. That is the information. There is also towns. There is also palaces. Everything is there. But they are made of fire. We cannot understand that. In the fire you cannot live. In the water you cannot live. But there are living entities. Just like you see in the beach there are crabs. They are living within the sands, but you cannot live. That does not mean in the sand there is no life. There is life. Life sarva-gaḥ. It is said life can exist everywhere, either in the fire or in the water or in the earth or in the air. We are practically experiencing. So everywhere there is life. So... But different position. As you cannot enter in this body either in the moon planet or in the sun planet, similarly, unless you are fully qualified devotee, you cannot enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. You have to live outside. You have to live outside in the brahma-jyotir. That is called aikānta.
Therefore Vedic civilization does not recommend that you waste your valuable life simply for so-called happiness or economic..., improvement of economic condition. Because it is not possible that everyone trying for improving economic condition and everyone is becoming millionaire. No. That is not possible. You cannot get more or less what you are destined to get. Otherwise everyone would have been millionaires—everyone. In Bombay there are so many. People are trying, working very hard day and night. Still, somebody is living in a very nice, palatial building and somebody is living in the Jappara, or what is that? Most abominable condition. In Bombay city. Why? Because one is destined.
Anyway, so the point is that even the queens of Kṛṣṇa, they are not ordinary woman, very exalted. So they were giving their acquaintances to Draupadī, "In this way I became a maidservant of Kṛṣṇa." You will find this in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Even the queens... Every queen possessed a big palatial building, and all the palaces were made of first-class marble, and the furnitures were made of ivory, and the beddings, and the within the room, there was no need of electrical bulb. They are set up with jewels, and they would throw the focus of light. And there was garden, pārijāta flower. You will find all these things in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And each queen had ten sons. And the sons were also married. They had sons. In this way, very, very opulent. But still, they were placing themself in the position of maidservant. They were also king's daughter, not ordinary being. So that is the Vedic conception. Of course, I do not know what is the practice here. But in Bengal this is the practice. When the son goes to marry to the bride's house, it is a custom. The mother asks the son, "My dear son, where you are going?" So the bridegroom answers, "I am going to bring one maidservant for you." This is the system.
So this princess, means daughter of Manu, she began to serve Kardama Muni. And in the yoga āśrama, it was a cottage, and there was no good food, no maidservant, nothing of the sort. So became gradually very lean and thin, and she was very beautiful, king's daughter. So Kardama Muni thought that "Her father gave me, and she is becoming deteriorated in her health, in her beauty. So as husband, I have got to do something for her." So by yoga power he constructed a big city airplane. That is yogic power. Not 747. (laughter) A such a big city, there was lake, there was garden, there was maidservant, big, big palaces, and the whole thing was floating in the sky, and he made her see all the different planets. In this way... That is stated in the Fourth Chapter, you can read it. So as a yogi he satisfied her in every respect. And then she wanted children. So Kardama Muni begot in her nine daughters and one son, with the promise that "As soon as you get your children, then I will go away. I am not going to live forever with you." So she agreed. So after getting the children out of which this Kapiladeva was one, the son, and when He was grown up He also said, "My dear mother, My father has left home. I will also leave home. If you want to take some instruction from Me you can take. Then I shall go away." So before going away He is giving instruction to His mother.
We require something, some because we have got this body. Very easy solution is given by Lord Kṛṣṇa: annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). You produce foodgrains. Why you are going to produce tools and implements and... Of course, we do not condemn. But at the sacrifice of producing foodgrains, we simply open big, big tire factory. When I go to Delhi I see, from Vṛndāvana, hundreds and thousands persons are coming from the village on cycle to go to the tire factory, Goodyear tire factory. So now eat tire instead of getting food grains. So this is misdirected civilization. Kṛṣṇa does not say that you produce tire tube. Kṛṣṇa says annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You produce anna." This is practical solution. We have therefore started in Europe and America farming. And they are very happy. In our latest Back to Godhead the description is published about our farm in France. We have got a very palatial building. We have named it New Māyāpur. What is the place?
Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives. And sixteen thousand wives, sixteen thousand palaces. And each wife, ten children. And Nārada wanted to see how Kṛṣṇa is managing these sixteen thousand wives. He wanted to visit each and every palace, and he saw that everywhere Kṛṣṇa is present. That means not that He remained one and there were sixteen thousand. Because there were sixteen thousand wives, so with each and every wife He was present. That is God. He can expand Himself. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He is all-pervading. Why sixteen thousand women? If He's omnipotent, all-powerful, then sixteen millions of wives also insufficient for Him.
So your eating and dog's eating, difference is that a dog can eat even stool, but you cannot. But you cannot. You have to arrange for palatable dishes just befitting human consumption. So there, there are different kinds of eating. But the eating principle is there, that's all. One is satisfied with stool-eating, and one is satisfied by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is the difference. And between the stool and kṛṣṇa-prasādam there are many varieties and grades, according to different kinds of... Similarly, sleeping. Sleeping also, the dog is also sleeping on the side of a street without any difficulty. And the king is sleeping on the palace, very nice apartment. And a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he's also sleeping. But there are different grades. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person is sleeping, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This can be done. If you practice this Hare Kṛṣṇa, even in sleeping you'll chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everything depends on practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). Everything we acquire by spiritual practice. Now, this dancing, this dancing... There is another kind of dancing also in the hotels. The same boys and girls are dancing. Here the boys and girls are dancing. But that two different kinds of dancing, there is much difference.
So this is jijñāsu. And to dissipate this ignorance, get out of this ignorance, one has to approach a person who is not abodha but bodha. Budhā. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, one who knows what is the destination of life. That budhā... What is that? Bhajante ananya manaso budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). So one has to approach a budhā. Therefore Lord Buddha's name is Buddha. From this bodha. He has understood everything. He was prince, and he never came out of the palace, and when he came out he saw one old man with a stick, with great difficulty walking. So inquired his servants, "What is this?" "This is old man. Everyone has to become like this." That was the inspiration of understanding. Why he should be like that? Why one should become old man? Why he should walk on sticks? So these inquiries made him Buddha, Lord Buddha, by meditation. That is his pastime. That means one should understand by nature study, why this man is diseased, why this man is old, why this man is suffering. Then bodhayantaḥ parasparam, then the inquisitiveness can lead him to the proper knowledge. And where to get that proper knowledge? That is guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). But if there is no inquiry, if one is dull like stone and tree, then how there will be inquiry?
Not that we want to live in big palatial building and take subscription from others. No, this is not our policy. He'll spoil the money in sense gratification, so try to engage him. This is the policy. And exactly following the footprints of Gosvāmīs, we do not require any money. We, we are quite confident Kṛṣṇa will supply all the necessities. But to engage the whole world who are spending money in so many rascaldom way, if that money is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll get a chance. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know how he is making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ajñāta, it is unknown to him. But the person who is trying to induce him to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is his friend, real friend. They are misunderstanding that these people are exacting money by force. Even it is done by force, it is good for the person who is contributing. But you should not use any such means, people will misunderstand.
But the policy is that his money, which is accumulated for sense gratification... In Western countries they accumulate millions of dollars and at the last moment he gives to his dog. (laughter) There are many instances, you know better than me. He has no, nobody even, because they do not marry, no children, no friend, so the dog is the best friend in Western country. Every gentleman must have this best friend, pet dog. So ultimately, because there is nobody to give, he gives it to the dog. Makes a will that my dog will get it and they'll give him jewelry, ornaments and so on, so on, so on. We have got practical experience, the big palace which we have purchased in Detroit, the man did not marry, so ultimately he bequeathed the whole estate to the dog. (laughter) And there is a tomb of the dog. (laughter)
Therefore our Vedic civilization is that people are satisfied in his own position, a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Whatever by God's grace he got, he was satisfied. The real energy was utilized how to become eligible to receive mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted, how to learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Then ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). That was the end. In India we find not that... The great sages, ṛṣis, they wrote so many books, but they used to live in a cottage. Only the kings, the kṣatriya, because they had to rule over, they used to construct big, big palaces. No one else. They lived very simple life, very simple life. Not waste time for so-called economic development, skyscraper building, subways and so on, so on. This was not Vedic civilization. This is asuric civilization.
Ah. So yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ jñāna-vairāgya. This is vairāgya. Not that Kṛṣṇa is simply enjoying sixteen thousand palaces, sixteen thousand queens, and millions of descendants, yadu-vaṁśa. This is another side, and this is another side, vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya. Jñāna. We can understand a little piece of His contribution of jñāna, Bhagavad-gītā. That is a little piece of His stock of knowledge. Five thousand years He spoke, and still it is being continued, not only in India, but also all over the world. This is jñāna. So anyway—strength. When He was seven years old, Kṛṣṇa, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. Jñāna-vairāgya, everything complete. That is God. Nothing less. Not that, that "I am rich man, but I cannot lie down on the street." Not that kind of vairāgya. He is complete, completely different from a rich person. Akhila-loka-pāla. He is the controller of the whole universe; still, you see His vairāgya.
So these sixteen thousand girls were kidnapped by that Bhaumāsura. So without finding any way how to escaped from this asura's hand, they appealed to Kṛṣṇa that "You save us. This is our position." So Kṛṣṇa is bhakta-vatsala. He came and released them and killed the Bhaumāsura and asked them, "Now you can go to your father's house." So they began to cry. Why? "Now our fathers will not accept us because we have been kidnapped." Just see. "We have been kidnapped. I have no right to go to the father. And we're not married also." "Then, what you want?" "You kindly marry us." "All right. Come on." (laughter) This is Kṛṣṇa. Yes. "You have no shelter. You're taking My shelter? Come on. I shall give you all palaces. Come on." This is Kṛṣṇa. Take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Never mind what is your position. Kṛṣṇa will accept you and give you all comfort. Ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). He will not kick out, even you are a prostitute. "I will give you protection." So why shall..., we should not take shelter of Kṛṣṇa? This is very natural conclusion.
What is that activities? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā... (break) ...janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Simply try to understand. Don't conclude that "Kṛṣṇa is like us, ordinary human being, maybe little learned more than us, or little power..." No. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His merciful or causeless mercy, He descends to exhibit His form, His activities, so that he can see. Just like in the Buckingham Palace in London, many people are standing. Sometimes the queen comes and stands on the corridor, and everyone can see. That is queen's mercy, not that because she comes in the audience of so many public men; therefore she is also one of them. This is nonsense conclusion. Similarly Kṛṣṇa, by His causeless mercy if He comes... Some rascals say that God cannot come. Why? Why God cannot come? If He is all-powerful, why He cannot come? Does it mean that God is subject to your dictation that He cannot come? This is foolishness.
So Nārāyaṇa's place is there, sa dhāmani. That is His own abode. This is also Nārāyaṇa's abode, this material world. Just like king. King's kingdom is very widespread, but still, he has got a palace. That is sa dhāmani. Everywhere his property, government property, but still there is a government house, particular. Similarly, everything belongs to God, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything. Everything, God's property. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. But still He has got His own abode. That is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto (Bs. 5.37). That is God. He's always there. He hasn't got to go out for some business. No. He hasn't got to work for maintaining His establishment. No. He is complete, and He's staying there. Just like Kṛṣṇa... It is said in the śāstra: vṛndāvanaṁ parityaja na padam ekaṁ gacchati. Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana. He doesn't go anywhere. He's always existing there. But still, He's everywhere.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to propagate this knowledge that you understand Kṛṣṇa, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His activities which are recorded in the śāstra. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this earthly planet, He showed according to our understanding. Just like one man cannot maintain one wife: He married sixteen thousand wife. And He maintained them how? Sixteen thousand palaces. And will the women will be satisfied simply having very good palaces? No, she must have husband. So Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into sixteen thousand husband. This is Kṛṣṇa. But because I cannot do it, we say, "Oh, this is all allegory, fiction. It is not fact." That is our defect. If God comes, explains, then we do not believe Him. Then how we will be convinced about God? God is omnipotent, and when He shows His omnipotency and it is recorded in the śāstra, we don't believe. So therefore, why we do not believe? Now, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. Yeṣām... Kṛṣṇa says everything.
So one day he came to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja on the dvādaśī day with sixty thousand disciples and ordered the Mahārāja, "Mahārāja, today we have come to take prasādam in your palace. Please arrange for this." So that was dvādaśī day. You know, on the dvādaśī there was... That is a regulative principle, that in the morning at about nine o'clock one has to take something, prasādam, to break the vows, break fast. So this Durvāsā Muni along with disciples, they went to the river Ganges to take bath, but they were willfully not coming back. So Ambarīṣa Mahārāja asked the priest that "Durvāsā Muni is my guest. I cannot take anything without offering him. So what shall I do? Now I have to observe the dvādaśī breakfast." So the brāhmaṇa priest ordered him that "Mahārāja, you can take little caraṇāmṛta," the water.
The so-called economic development may be temporary. Actually, you cannot improve. We can see practically, so many people, in big, big cities, they are trying to develop their economic condition to improve their status of life, but do you think that everyone is successful? In big, big cities, in our country India, Calcutta, Bombay, at least, we have seen it that everyone, there are so many millions of people, they are trying, but still you'll find somebody is living in palace building and somebody is living in slum. "Everyone has got equal chance in big, big cities. They can improve." No. That is not possible. In Western countries, when I did not come to your country I thought USA or in Europe, there is no poor man. I was thinking like that. But when I came, I actually saw there are so many poor men. Why they could not take advantage of the facilities in the Western countries and be equal? No, that is not possible. According to the nature's arrangement, there are three modes of condition: sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So every one of us is under either of these sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So always you'll find three classes of men, first-class, second-class, third-class. Also fourth-class, fifth-class. But we are taking the first three. Or, in other words, some class richer, some class middle class men, and poor men. Everywhere you'll find, all over the world. Either in USA or in Europe or in India. You cannot change that. That is not possible. But because we are not educated in the aim, understanding what is the aim of life, we are misled.
His mother was attacked by the demigods, headed by Indra, and they were dragging her to their palace. Narada Muni met, said "What are you doing this? You are harassing one woman?" "No sir, we are not harassing, only we are taking her in our place to wait for the deliverance of the child. Then we shall kill him. Because he is born of atheist father, so he is another demon." Narada Muni said, "No, no, no, you are mistaken. He is not demon, he is mahā-bhāgavata." So in the beginning he was mahā-bhāgavata, since he was in within the womb of his mother. And later on he is mahā-bhāgavata. This is called nitya-siddha, eternally mahā-bhāgavata. Eternally mahā-bhāgavata never forgets Kṛṣṇa, in any circumstance. That is the sign of mahā-bhāgavata, nitya-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so many trials when he was only a child, still he never forgot Kṛṣṇa. That is the sign of mahā-bhāgavata. In any circumstances.
They said that "You accept me, otherwise we have no other means to stay." Kṛṣṇa immediately: "Yes, come on." This is Kṛṣṇa. And not that His sixteen thousand wives was concentrated in one camp. He immediately constructed sixteen thousand palaces. Because He has accepted as wife, he (she) must be maintained as His wife, as His queen, not that "Because they have no other means, they have come to My shelter. I can keep them any way." No. Most respectfully as queen, as Kṛṣṇa's queen. And again He thought that "The sixteen thousand wives... So if I remain alone, one figure, then My wives cannot meet Me. Everyone has to wait for sixteen thousand days to see the husband. No." He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa. The rascals, they accuse Kṛṣṇa as woman-hunter. It is not like you. You cannot maintain even one wife, but He maintained sixteen thousand wives in sixteen thousand palaces and in sixteen thousand expansion of form. Everyone was pleased. This is Kṛṣṇa. We have to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa.
So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time he wants material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa sees his foolishness. Foolishness. Anyone who is making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be envious, "Oh, he is so great. He is so rich man. He has got so nice palace. He has got so nice wife. I haven't got anything." Don't be. Because it is completely different life. Don't be captivated by the material opulence, even you are put into great difficulties. Because you are not this material body. You are spirit soul. So your progress should be steady on the spiritual platform.
Still, three stories are still remaining. If somebody goes there he'll see how wonderful workmanship is there in that temple. So does it mean that those kings or rich men, they were all fools? Simply at the present moment we are very intelligent? No. They are not fools. That is explained in the Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayers. Naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo. You cannot satisfy the Supreme Lord by constructing a nice temple, but still He is satisfied. Still, He is satisfied. He is nija-lābha-pūrṇo. He is fully satisfied in Himself because He has no want. We are in want. Suppose I am renting one small apartment. If somebody says, "Swamijī, come on. I shall construct a very nice palatial temple. You come here." Oh, I shall be very much obliged. But does Kṛṣṇa, or God, is like that? He can construct so many nice planets, not only one, two, but millions and billions, with so many nice oceans and hills and mountains and forests, and full of living entities. And why He is hankering after a temple constructed by me? No. That is not the fact.
You are taking Kṛṣṇa's earth, and you are making it a brick. Still, it is Kṛṣṇa's property. But the endeavor, the energy which you are giving to Kṛṣṇa, that is taken into account: "Oh, he is working for Me. He wants to give Me something." That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is important. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa can... By His will He can construct sixteen thousands palaces for His queen. What this tiny temple will satisfy Him? But still, He's satisfied: "Oh, you have done so much? Very good." Recognized. Kṛṣṇa has created the whole universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kāla. He doesn't require any endeavor. Simply by breathing, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). By His breathing, many millions of Brahmās are coming out, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. And each jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, Brahmā, is creating a universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). So to create a temple, He doesn't require our help. He can create millions of temples by His will. There are already.
So description of brahmacārī is going on here, the dress. The dress should be as simple as possible. So the ajina means the deerskin. That is very essential because formerly the brahmacārīs used to go to guru-grha. In those days the guru-gṛha was not palatial building. Now if you haven't got palatial building, nobody will come. The different stage. But actually brahmacārī, the guru also, they were living in the forest, and brahmacārī used to go that guru-gṛha. So the deerskin in the forest is very essential. Just like we take some blankets, we can spread anywhere and sit down. Deerskin, it is said that if you have got deerskin, you can sleep in the jungle; the snake will not touch you. That is the dravya-guṇa, the special effect of deerskin. Either tigerskin or deerskin, if you sit down, if you sleep, the snakes will not come. This is also very scientific. Therefore, because the brahmacārīs used to live in the jungle, it was essential.
So it is very difficult at the present moment to introduce all these principles because the days are different. If we become very strict, so then... Ordinarily they are not coming. There is no such strict principle, and we are constructing very nice palatial building with attached bathroom and everything complete. Still, people are not coming. This is different days. So it is very difficult to introduce the original way of brahmacarya, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, and gṛhastha. Everything has topsy-turvied. But there is only one way. That is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that "Although this age is full of faults..." Kalau doṣa-nidhe rājan. The Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "My dear King, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, I have described so many faults of this age, and you must be perplexed. It is just like the ocean of faults. But there is one benefit.
So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī followed strictly the Rūpa Gosvāmī. Just like Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī introduced that a sannyāsī should go for begging alms in motorcar. In motorcar. They should live in palatial buildings. Now if in this age if we follow that rūpānuga... Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī used to live underneath a tree, and if we say now we shall also imitate..., just like there are many bābājīs in Vṛndāvana, they are imitating, a small loincloth but doing all nonsense. So imitation is not required. Real thing is required. How, what is the purpose of Gosvāmī? They say that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe. Somehow or other first of all engage him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is my Guru Mahārāja's gift. He first of all started that there is no need of going to Vṛndāvana and imitate the Gosvāmīs. Live in big, big cities, in big, big palatial houses, but preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People may understand. Give chance to the people how they will understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He opened many centers. Similarly, in big, big cities. So we are doing that. And because we are following strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, rūpānuga, therefore it is somehow or other coming out very successful. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be pushed according to the rūpānuga principle.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
They are misinterpreting the Vedic instruction, so 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Yes. So 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, these are Vedic instruction. It is all right. So so 'ham does not mean that you are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the same quality as Supreme, nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa. Just like a servant of a very big man, the king, he is not ordinary thing. Suppose a king. He is in the same palace. He is sitting by the side of the king, he is eating the same foodstuff, but still there is relationship, the servant and the master, although he is living in the same place, same eating, same everything. Sometimes he is honored most, he is honored better than the master. So so 'ham means that "I am the same spiritual self," but not as powerful as the supreme master. Kṛṣṇa dāsa. He is... A living entity must always know that "I am servant of God." And without becoming God, nobody can become servant of God. Without becoming fire, you cannot serve fire. That is the principle. But not that... Just like great fire and a small fire. The small spark fire is within the great fire. You cannot remain in the great fire, but the spark, even if it is very small, he can remain. So the fiery quality of the big fire and the small fire is the same, but there is distinction of dimension or energy.
So Kṛṣṇa... Just like we are sitting here; we are not sitting in the other room. But Kṛṣṇa can see in innumerable rooms simultaneously at one time. Therefore He is all-pervading. Just like Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Nārada came to see Kṛṣṇa, and every palace he entered he saw Kṛṣṇa was there. And with some wife, in some wife's palace He is playing with children, or some wife's He's just taking bath. In another palace He was playing chess. In this way he differently saw Kṛṣṇa in different palaces. So in 16,000 palaces he saw Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that He married 16,000 wives, but He remained one. He also expanded Himself sixteen hundred times. That is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand Himself. Rāsa-līlā... Rāsa-līlā, every gopī was feeling that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me." So many gopīs. That is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand. But He has got form. He is not formless. The Māyāvādī philosopher thinks because Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, therefore He has no form. No. That is not fact. He has form, but His form is not like your form and my form. This form is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Acyuta. And He does not fall down. Acyuta means thing which does not fall down.
Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śriyaḥ means beauty. Nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. And jñāna, knowledge. Nobody can be more knower and full of knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. And renunciation. And He is also, at the..., having so many opulences. He is renouncer of... He has nothing to do with all these things. He does not depend for His Godheadship on these qualifications. He is renouncer at the same time. So here also Lord Caitanya substantiates that ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa: "He's full of six opulences." Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma. Nitya-dhāma means He's homely. Homely. He's the proprietor of all land, but just like a king. A king is the proprietor of the whole state; still, he has got his personal residence, which is called palace, royal palace. So similarly, although Lord is the proprietor of everything, every land, every space, every, any, anywhere... This is the proprietorship of Lord, of God's.
So You become our husband. Otherwise there is no other way." So they appealed, they cried, and Kṛṣṇa accepted: "Yes. I will accept you all, My wives." Therefore He brought those sixteen thousand girls. But what kind of husband? He is God, not an ordinary husband. So He constructed sixteen thousand palaces for all the wives and equally all decorated houses. They are described that the houses did not require any external light. It was all bedecked with jewels. And in sixteen thousand forms He used to live with each wife. That is God. You see?
So He is giving evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it was experienced by Nārada. Nārada doubted that "How Kṛṣṇa is married with sixteen thousand wives, and how He is dealing with them?" So when he came, in whichever house he entered, palace, he saw Kṛṣṇa was there. Somewhere He was taking bath, somewhere He was playing with the children, somewhere... Just like if you go in different houses, the householder, you will find differently engaged. So he went each of those sixteen thousand palaces and saw Kṛṣṇa differently engaged. Then he was surprised, and he recited this śloka,
- citraṁ bataitad ekena
- vapuṣā yugapat pṛthak
- gṛheṣu dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasraṁ
- striya eka udāvahat
Dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasram. Dvy means double, and aṣṭa means eight, and sāhasra means thousand. That means double eight thousand, or sixteen thousand. Dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasraṁ striya eka udāvahat. And Kṛṣṇa, one, He married, and He was expanded in sixteen thousand forms and features.
So Ganges was his mother, and his father, Mahārāja Śāntanu, after the death of his mother, he wanted to marry again. At that time, Bhīṣma was elderly. He was about twenty years old. So father, instead of getting the son married, he was himself very much anxious to get him married. So he selected a very beautiful girl, but she..., he belonged to a, that girl belonged to a low-caste family. Kṣatriyas could find, marry from anywhere. That is the injunction. They are not within the boundary of caste system. So the girl was a fisherman's daughter. So Mahārāja Śāntanu wanted to marry that girl, and the father was very cunning. He said, "No, no. I cannot offer my daughter to you. You are old man. You have got your son. So I cannot offer." He was bargaining. "No? Why? I shall give your daughter a palace. We shall enjoy so many years." "No. I can offer you my daughter provided if my daughter's son becomes the king after your death. Then I can offer." "Oh, that I cannot agree, because my eldest son is living. That I cannot agree."
So Kṛṣṇa-līlā is going on in the spiritual world, but by Kṛṣṇa's desire that spiritual world also comes down in this material world. Just like a big man, he lives in his palace, but if he likes he can go anywhere, and he has the same facility of his palace by arrangement. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes within this material world, He has all the paraphernalia of his Goloka Vṛndāvana līlā. As such this Vṛndāvana is as good as the original Vṛndāvana. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa, tanaya tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. This Vṛndāvana is not ordinary place; it is the same Goloka Vṛndāvana. By Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency the same Vṛndāvana is duplicated. It is possible. That is called nitya-līlā. Wherever He likes, He can bring in Vṛndāvana and He can have His pastimes. So this temple, do not think that it is Hyderabad place.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
So His spiritual world, this, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they're all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they're made of touchstone. Just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood; there the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone... It is described in the śāstra that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn the iron into gold. So anyway, the houses... There are houses also. Big, big palaces, like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means where you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, any fruit you want, you can get any tree. That is spiritual world. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means that. And surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). And Kṛṣṇa is very fond of tending cows. And what are those cows? Surabhī. Surabhī means you can take as much milk as you like and as many times as you like. Here in this material world you have got cows, but you can take milk, limited quantity. And also once or twice. That is the difference.
So His spiritual world, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they are all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they are made of touchstone, just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood. There the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone, it is described in the śāstras that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn iron into gold. So anyway, the houses... There are houses also, big, big palaces like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means... Here you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree. But there, any fruit you want, you can get, any tree. That is spiritual. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means that. And surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29).
Festival Lectures
Do you think that Brahman pleasure is ordinary, this material pleasure? To achieve a portion of Brahman pleasure, if they are kicking off all this material pleasure... Don't talk of ourselves. We are ordinary men. In the history we have got instances, that of Bharata Mahārāja. Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. That Bharata Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world. And as emperor he had his beautiful wife, young children. But at the age of twenty-four years, just young man, he gave up everything. All right. This is very old story, of course, but you know Lord Buddha. He was also a prince. He was also prince, not ordinary man, and he was kṣatriya, and he was always enjoying with beautiful women. That is the palace pleasure accustomed in every, in Oriental countries, that in the palace there are many beautiful girls, they're always dancing and giving pleasure to the kings and the prince. So Lord Buddha was also in such pleasure, but he gave up everything and began to meditate.
The fourth incarnation is Nṛsiṁha-deva. Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared to save Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiraṇyakaśipu took benediction from Brahmā that he'll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord's intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to cheat Brahmā by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahmā said, "That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. That is not possible."
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So in the Western countries, they are very much fond of keeping best friend, the dog. So at the time of death if you think of your favorite dog, then in next life you become dog. But you cannot surpass the nature's law. This is the nature's law. So one gentleman, what is his name? Fisher? In Detroit, he had two dogs, and he buried them in silver casket. He was very rich man and his house is very big palace. But at the time of death, if he was thinking of this dog, and if he becomes dog next, then what is the value of this material advancement? Therefore, intelligent man shall always think of Kṛṣṇa so that at the time of..., if he is able to think of Kṛṣṇa, his life is successful. So instead of loving dog if you love God, Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. I think this one. Thank you very much. (end)
Initiation Lectures
Somebody may say, "What is this nonsense? They are disturbing," because he has no knowledge of the name. But this name... Not any name. Nāmādi, beginning from name. First of all name, then quality, then form, then pastimes, then entourage. In this way God has everything. When we say "king," "king" means his kingdom, his palace, his secretary, his queen, so many, his government, go on expanding, so many things, simply by one word, "king." "King" does not mean simply one person. Similarly, when we say "God" or "Kṛṣṇa," immediately it is to be understood that He has so many things behind Him. So many... The whole world is behind Him. So how to understand? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. His name, His quality, His forms, His entourage, His expansion. Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These indriya, these senses, materially contaminated, cannot understand, cannot grasp what is the name of Kṛṣṇa, what is the form of Kṛṣṇa, what is the quality of Kṛṣṇa. Then? "Why you are taking so much trouble? If by these senses we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of wasting time?" No. The next line is, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot understand by exercising your senses, but He reveals.
General Lectures
Greatness in six kinds of opulences: in richness, in reputation, in strength, in beauty, in wisdom, and in renunciation. If you analyze, you'll find nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa even in material richness. Everyone wants to become rich, to have a nice family, nice wife, good bank balance, a nice house. But Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Is there any history, any instance? And each wife had a palace which did not require any lightening, electricity. It was jewel-bedecked. So at night, by the light of the jewel it was brilliant. So these description are there. And 16,100 palaces. And not only that. Nārada wanted to see how Kṛṣṇa is enjoying His family life, so he entered each and every palace, and he saw Kṛṣṇa is present there with His wife. That means He was enjoying, expanding Himself in 16,000. Not that one wife is lamenting, "Oh, my husband is not here. He is in that apartment or that palace." No. She is satisfied that Kṛṣṇa is there. This is called opulence. Compare His opulence. And so much strength is concerned, from when He was a child on the lap of His mother, He killed a great demon, Pūtanā-twelve miles long when she fell down.
So this evolution is going on. In the material stage of our life, we have got birth, growth, sustenance, by-product, then dwindling, then this body vanishes, again accepting another body. This is called cycle of birth and death. But in this human form of life one can understand what he is, what is this world, who is controlling, what is God, what is his relationship with God, what is this time factor, what are his activities. These things are to be learned, not that simply like animals, cats and dogs and hogs, whole day working for getting food. You see? And satisfied only by some sense gratification, business finished. No. That is animal life. Simply people are engaged for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is the modern trend of civilization. Everyone is busy how to eat and how to sleep nicely in big palatial building, nice apartment, very good room, sleeping, the business of sleeping. And economic condition, developing the business of economic condition, means the business of eating. And defending—either you defend with atomic energy or with your nails and claws, the process is defending. That is in the animal life also. And mating, sex intercourse or sense gratification.
Haṁsadūta: The following speech was recorded by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Gosvāmī Mahārāja at the Lal Bhag Palace before Their Highnesses Mahārāja Tukoji Rao Halokar, Mahārāṇī Sarmistha Bhai Halokar, on December 11, 1970 at five p.m. in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Prabhupāda: These are not legends. They are fact. Those who are not intelligent, they take it as legend. There are so many descriptions which is not within our experience—we take it as legend. Now, I gave some gentleman the example that the coconut tree, on the tree there are coconut and there are one-kilo water. Now, how the water is transported there? Where is the pipe? Where is the pumping? Because you have got experience if you want to get water high, you have to pump and you must have pipe. So where is the pipe and where is the pumping machine?
Indian man (2): Very popular.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. And he has got to sing with him. Yes. (break) ...in London I was guest in one of the Beatles' palace. They have got each one a big, big palace. So we shall all take leave, Mahārāja. Thank you. (break)
Yamunā: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: She likes our movement.
Yamunā: Well, she had to.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) And she has seen that house also.
Yamunā: She knows that we're something
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Bring it. And do...
Haṁsadūta: Bring it?
Prabhupāda: Yes, rope.
Haṁsadūta: You mean put a... Yes, I'll be able to that.
Prabhupāda: This palace is nice.
Himāvatī: Yes. Run down, though. I noticed that the upholstery was torn.
Prabhupāda: It is very old.
Haṁsadūta: That knife, Prabhupāda? You have that knife?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can give to anyone in this way. Aiye... (Hindi) (end)
Because other miscreants, they want to be misled, the asuras. Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. What is the āsuri-bhāva, demonic tendency? The demonic tendency is that "I am God." That is called demonic tendency, falsely thinking that "I am God." In spite of all education, they have not the little sense that how he becomes a God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. We have got His activities. He married sixteen thousand wives, and He constructed sixteen thousand palaces, and He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. Here is one God. And you are or I am sitting here; I cannot expand up to my apartment also, and how I am expecting to be called as God? These are the test. But these people are popular because certain class of men, āsuri-bhāva, they also want to be cheated like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ: (BG 7.15) "Those who are miscreants, those who are rascals, mūḍha, narādhama, lowest of the mankind, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, and stolen of his knowledge by māyā, such persons, because they are asuras, demons, they do not surrender unto Me." So we have to take it from the statement of Kṛṣṇa that anyone who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, who does not surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, they are to be understood under these classifications.
By these six opulences, one can ascertain what is God. What are those opulences? That He's the proprietor of all riches. Here, we have got experience, one rich man. One may be very rich man, but nobody can say that he is the richest, there is no other man who is not richer than him. Nobody can say. But Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, those who have read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the history of Kṛṣṇa... We have described in our book, Kṛṣṇa. He had 16,108 wives. And each wife had a big palace, made of marble, bedecked with jewels, the furnitures made of ivory and gold. The descriptions are there. So in the history of the human society, you cannot find out any person who had 16,000 wives and 16,000 palaces. Not only that, it is not that He used to go to one wife's house one day, or one night. No. He was present in every one house personally. That means He expanded Himself in 16,108 forms. That is not very difficult. If God is unlimited, then He can expand Himself in unlimited forms; otherwise there is no meaning of unlimited. If God is omnipotent, He can maintain 16,000. Why 16,000? He can maintain 16,000,000's still, it is imperfect. Otherwise there is no meaning of omnipotency.
But this movement is not five hundred years old. It is coming since very, very long time. As we have advertised, bhāgavata-dharma. This is part of bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma was explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee of Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, Nārāyaṇa, some millions of years ago. His father was Hiraṇyakaśipu, atheist. He did not believe in God. But by the grace of Nārada Muni, his son, from the very womb of his mother, he was initiated in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And after his birth he became a great devotee. And when he was only five years old he was preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement amongst his class fellows. He was little boy, king's son. He had no opportunity to go out of the palace. Still, he took the opportunity of speaking something about this bhāgavata-dharma amongst his class fellows. So he was canvassing his class fellows, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."
The difference is, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives, then you haven't got to come back again. Otherwise, in other planets, in the heavenly planets, kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. You can live there, just like you can live in a foreign country so long your visa continues. Simply... Similarly, you can go to the higher, heavenly planets, but you can live there up to the point of visa, puṇya. By pious activities you can go to the higher planetary systems, but by impious activities you go to the lower planets. Adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). So even if you go to Brahma-loka, Indra-loka—ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartinao 'rjuna (BG 8.16)—you have to come back again. But, yad gatvā na nivartante, tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you go to that planet, yad gatvā na nivartante, one does not require to come back again. "That is My real abode." Tad dhāma paramam. Every dhāma is Kṛṣṇa's, but that is the parama dhāma, supreme dhāma. Just like the king. The kingdom belongs to the king, but still he has got his special royal house, palace. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all planets, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), but He still has got His own planet. That is called Gokula Vṛndāvana.
It is spontaneous. And apratihatā, without any check. Just like we are sitting down here, there is no check. Anywhere we can sit down. Of course, sometimes the climatic condition different, but there are different climates also. In India we have got almost all the year climate like this, except in the rainy season—that is also not constantly. Therefore India is supposed to be the best place for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because the climate is very suitable. So here also, now this climate. It is not conditional, but you can perform service, kīrtana, without any check. Not that we have to live in that palace, then we can chant. No. We can live, we can sit down underneath a tree and chant. There is no limit. We can go on. So we have to adjust things in such a way that without any condition, without any check, we can go on with our devotional service. Just like we can sit down here or anywhere. Here is the opportunity. This land is very good. You can sit down anywhere and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. There is no need of chair or cushion or nothing else. Ahaituky apratihatā. Any condition. And yenātmā samprasīdati, that will please your everything—your heart, your mind, your body, your soul, everything. Yenātmā samprasīdati. This is the easiest method for achieving the highest perfection of life. So go on with this process without any check and be happy.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: He says, "If the souls remain in the intelligible or spiritual realm with the Soul, or Supersoul, they are beyond harm and share in the soul's governance. They are like kings who live with the high King and govern with Him and like Him do not come down from the palace. But if they wish to be independent, if they are tired, you may say, of living with someone else..."
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, excuse me. The sannyāsī...
Hayagrīva: So when the individual soul decides to withdraw, he becomes fragmented, isolated and weak, when he decides to withdraw from the, what he calls the palace of the King.
Prabhupāda: Withdraw, withdraw from the material world?
Hayagrīva: When he decides to withdraw from the spiritual realm, from the governance of the high King.
Prabhupāda: Spiritual wrong?
Hayagrīva: Spiritual realm, the spiritual kingdom.
Prabhupāda: Kingdom. Yes. That is his falldown. When he decides to give up the spiritual life, he falls down in the material life, and that is the beginning of his material tribulations. And so long he will maintain a tinge of material happiness, the nature's life, that he has to accept, a type of material body, and there are varieties. So in all condition the spirit soul remains the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but according to the different body he gets different circumstances. A dog is thinking, on account of the dog's body, that he is a dog.
| Page Title: | Palace (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 11 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=115, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 115 |