Another meaning of Acyuta... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Arjuna knows that "I am not controller; I am controlled." He is devotee, he knows his position. Therefore he is now trying to control Kṛṣṇa. He is ordering Kṛṣṇa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya: "My dear Kṛṣṇa," he is not addressing as Kṛṣṇa-Acyuta, "now you place my chariot between the two parties." This is ordering. That means Arjuna becoming controller. And Kṛṣṇa becoming controlled. Just the opposite. Therefore Arjuna knows his subordinate position and he is ordering to Kṛṣṇa. So indirectly he is begging to be excused: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I cannot order You. Order must come from You. But because You promised to carry out my order, You wanted to become my chariot driver, therefore I am ordering. Therefore I am ordering. I am not in position of ordering to You and You promised to carry out my order, and I think You are fixed up in Your that promise. Therefore I am asking you, Acyuta. You don't fall from Your promise."
Promise (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So this is the position of the world. One talks very high words, but his behavior is very abominable. So gradually we shall come to that point. So let us finish.Now Arjuna is promising... Kṛṣṇa arranged this fight to execute his purpose. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That was his purpose. "Duṣkṛtām, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Kṛṣṇa wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God. (break) (end)
So tonight I agree with your proposal. Please give me. Even at the sacrifice of my chastity I want this." So the grocer was very glad. "Oh, this woman, I have canvassed her, I have tried to induce her. She never agreed. And now she's agreeing." So: "All right, you take, whatever you like. Take." So she was given all kinds of food grains, as much as she wanted. And she cooked and gave to the spiritual master and his associates, his servants. Everything was very nice. In the meantime, the husband came, working whole day. And he saw that everything was nicely done. "Guru Mahārāja is fed, and his associates, they're fed." So he asked his wife: "How did you get all these things?" Then she narrated the whole story. Then husband also said: "Yes, you have promised. All right. Take some prasādam and go to him. Because you have promised to meet him this evening. So go." Then the grocer heard the whole story and his mind became changed. "Oh, such a chaste woman. Such a faithful... You are my mother. You take more ingredients, grains, as much as you like, you shall..."
So he used to say, "When the body is burned into ashes, then where is the chance of coming back?" That means he had no information of the soul. (break)
...accepted by the Vedic civilization. The anārya... (break) The Āryan theory is that what is next life, what is next life, progressive. That is ārya. Civilized man. They may think like that. But you are belonging to the Āryan family, Pāṇḍava family. Akīrti-karam. You are celebrated as Kṛṣṇa's friend. (break) So people will say that "Kṛṣṇa's friend, he's not fighting." Therefore akīrti-karam, reputation defamation it is. "Don't do this." And He says, kutaḥ-kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "And in this, at this time of danger... There is fighting; you have to fight. And viṣame, at this time of danger, you are so much bewildered that you given up your weapons down. And now you promise that 'No, I shall not fight.' " So immediately Arjuna was condemned.
So Kṛṣṇa smiling, this smiling is very significant, prahasann. Tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva bhārata, senayor ubhayor viṣīdantam, lamenting. First of all he came with great enthusiasm to fight; now he is lamenting. And Kṛṣṇa is mentioned here as Hṛṣīkeśa. He is solid. He is Acyuta. He is solid. He is not changed. Another significance of this word Hṛṣīkeśa... Because in Nārada-Pañcarātra the bhakti means hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Therefore this very name is mentioned here, Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. Bhakti means to serve Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. And the master of senses, some rascals are describing that Kṛṣṇa is immoral. He is master of senses and He is immoral. Just see how he has studied Bhagavad-gītā. If Kṛṣṇa is perfect brahmacārī... Kṛṣṇa is perfect brahmacārī, for... It was declared by Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva is the first-grade brahmacārī in the universe. He promised to Satyavatī's father... You know the story. Satyavatī's father... His, Bhīṣmadeva's father was attracted by a fisherwoman, fishergirl. So he wanted to marry. And the father of the girl denied, "No, I cannot give my daughter to you."
So the father said, "No, I cannot give my daughter to you because you have got a son, grown-up son. He will be king. So I cannot give my daughter to you to become your maidservant. Her... If I would have thought that her son would be the king, then I can offer you my daughter." So he said, "No, that is not possible." But Bhīṣmadeva understood that "My father is attracted with this girl." So he approached. He said to the fisherman that "You can offer your daughter to my father, but you are thinking that I shall become king. So your daughter's son will be king. On this condition you can offer your daughter." So he replied, "No, I cannot." "Why?" "You may not be king, but your son may be king." Just see, this material calculation. Then at that time he said, "No, I shall not marry. That's all. I promise. I shall not marry." So he remained brahmacārī. Therefore his name is Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma means very solid, firmly fixed. So he was a brahmacārī. For the sake, for the satisfaction of his father's senses, he remained brahmacārī.
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He wants to know if the greatest offense is to disobey the guru.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the first offense. Guror avajñā, śruti-śāstra-nindanam. Śruti-śāstra-nindanaṁ guror avajñā. If you accept guru and again disobey him, then what is your position? You are not a gentleman. You promise before guru, before Kṛṣṇa, before fire, that "I shall obey your order; I shall execute this," and again you do not do this. Then you are not even a gentleman, what to speak about devotee. This is common sense.
Hṛdayānanda: (Spanish)
Prabhupāda: You cannot understand? What is that?
Hṛdayānanda: A devotee, how can he control his tongue?
Prabhupāda: He can take prasādam. (laughter) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said like that, tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre: "Out of all the senses, the tongue sense is very powerful. So it is very difficult to control it." So he says, tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati: "The tongue is very greedy and very difficult to be controlled. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given us one weapon." What is that? Kṛṣṇa baṛo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi: "Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Therefore He has given us His remnants of foodstuff." So if we make this promise, that "I shall not take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," then your tongue will be controlled. And in the śāstra it is said that you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Not only Kṛṣṇa, even His name you cannot understand with these imperfect senses.
So... bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi... matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. So their conferences, their United Nation, their scientific advancement, their educational system, philosophy, and so on, so on, everything is meant for how to become happy in this material world. Gṛha-vratānām. The aim is how to become happy here. And that is not possible. These rascals they cannot understand. If you want to become happy, then you must come to Kṛṣṇa. Mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvataṁ nāpnuvanti (BG 8.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody comes to Me, then he does not again get this place which is full of miseries," duḥkhālayam. This material world is explained by Kṛṣṇa as duḥkhālayam. Ālayam means place, and duḥkha means distress. Everything is distressful here, but fools being illusioned, covered by the illusory māyā, that distress he accepts as happiness. That is māyā. It is not at all happiness. A man is working whole day and night, and because he's getting some paper where it is written, "We trust in God. Take this paper, hundred dollars. I cheat you." Is it not? "We trust in God. I promise to pay you. Take this paper now. Not even one cent worth. It is written there hundred dollars." So I am thinking I am very happy: "Now I have got this paper." That's all. Cheaters and cheated. This is going on.
So when the heart is cleansed we can understand our real position and how we are suffering and how to take steps against this suffering. This is called bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. In this verse it is mentioned again, dhīra. Dhīra means very sober. In the beginning Kṛṣṇa said, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means one who is sober. He is not bewildered. So dhīra means that although there is cause of disturbance, one is not disturbed. Although there is cigarette, but I should promise, "I shall not smoke." Although there is facility for illicit sex, I'll not do it. That is called dhīra. Dhīra means the cause of agitation or disturbance is present there, but one is not disturbed. So in order to advance in spiritual life we have to become dhīra. And that is said here, sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīram. As soon as one become dhīra, sober, these so-called material pains and pleasure does not disturb me (him). Then he is fit for becoming immortal. Everyone is immortal, but he is fallen in such material condition that he thinks himself as mortal. Because I am spirit soul, therefore the Vedic injunction that feel:(?) ahaṁ brahmāsmi, so 'ham, means "I am as good as the Supreme Being," means "He is eternal; I am also eternal. He is also living being; I am also living being." That means qualitatively we are one, God and me. But quantitatively, He is great; we are small.
So this is a great science. Unfortunately, the so-called scientist, he has no idea. He does not know. They simply say that "We do not know, but we are trying to know." That's all right. But here is the knowledge, perfect knowledge, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you take it? That they will not take. They'll go on speculating and promise falsely that "In future we shall be able to inject some matter within the body and the body will again become alive." That is their dream. In the past history, it was never possible; at present also, it is not possible. How you can expect in future? But they are under illusion. They think like that, that "We are making progress." At all, no progress, practically. They have no knowledge. That is their position. They have no knowledge. So we have to understand from the authority. There are so many arguments. Now, if you say "This body's dead because the blood has become white. Blood corpuscles, they are now become white instead of becoming red." So if that is the possible, so why don't you make the blood red? By some chemical injection or by adding some color, as soon as the blood becomes red... Why don't you do that? No. If you say "That was 'natural' redness. That natural redness cannot be brought," then your science is defective. And even if we accept that natural redness is the cause of living force, there are many natural redness in the flower, in the jewels. Why does it not move? So all the arguments of these foolish scientists, or so-called logicians, that can be, I mean to say, nullified, if you are intelligent. We have to take..., accept it, because it is said by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Because we cannot say anything, why it is avināśi, why this body's not avināśi, but the consciousness is avināśi, that we cannot explain; therefore we have to accept the version of the supreme authority. That is education. That is education. We, we cannot deny. Because we cannot give any counterproposal. So how we can deny Kṛṣṇa's proposal? Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. This is also very significant. Idaṁ śarīram.
In the Vedas there are many allurements for elevating oneself to higher standard of life. Just like in this life also the father says, "My dear boy, if you become highly educated, then you'll get a very nice job, you'll get good salary, and you'll have nice apartment, and nice wife, children." Just like these are allurements for enticing one in this materialistic way of life, similarly there are many allurements in the Vedic literatures. People are also, I mean to say, allured to execute such thing, that if you make such and such pious activities, then you get elevated to such and such higher planets and you get such and such high standard of life. These are explained there. But Kṛṣṇa says that don't be misled by these allurements. He will explain also later on. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Just like people are trying to go to the moon planet. They are trying to go to the moon planet by some airplane or sputnik. Similarly, in the Vedic literature the travel to moon planet is also stated, that if you act in this way, then you get promotion to get your life in the moon planet. There you shall live for ten thousands of years, and you will have soma-rasa beverages, and you'll... So many promises. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't be allured." They are fact. They are not false statement. Actually they are facts, that if you act in such and such way, you can enter in higher planetary system and you have higher standard of life. But this Bhagavad-gītā proposition is that don't try to live within this material world anywhere. Anywhere.
Yes. So a faithful man who understands that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," and he is always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge—this is samādhi, absorbed—and who subdues his senses quickly... Subdue means if you apply your senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then your senses are subdued automatically.
Just like if you make your promise that "I shall take only kṛṣṇa-prasādam," then your nonsense eating or satisfying the tongue by nonsense eating—immediately stopped. That is subdued. God does not say that "You starve." God does not say. Or "You do not eat nice things." But God says, "You eat really nice things; don't eat nonsense nice things." Instead of eating nonsense meat, you eat sweetballs. You see? It is not stoppage, but giving better.
So better food, better consciousness, better knowledge, better, life, better association—what you want more? Better philosophy. What do you want more? Naturally "attains the supreme spiritual peace." His everything is better; there must be... The result must be the better, the supreme peace. All right. (devotees offer obeisances) (break) Any question?
There is a nice story of a great devotee, Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja was a very powerful king and he conquered over the heavenly planets. So the denizens of the heavenly planets, they appealed to the Supreme Lord to save them, that "We are now conquered by the demonic king, Bali Mahārāja." So Bali Mahārāja... And Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa took the shape of a dwarf and went to Bali Mahārāja for begging as a brāhmaṇa boy. And He approached him, Bali Mahārāja, "I want something from you. You are a great king. You give in charity to the brāhmaṇas. So I want something from you." So Bali Mahārāja said, "Yes, I shall give You. What do You want?" "Now, I want land of three, in the measurement of My sole, three sole measurements. That's all." So He was a boy, His sole was sole, not very long. So Bali Mahārāja said, "What You will do with a small piece of land?" But He said, "Yes, that will suffice Me. If you promise this three measurement of My three feet of land, that will suffice." Then Bali Mahārāja agreed, and by His two measurement of the palm, He covered the whole universe. Then He's asking, "Bali Mahārāja, now whatever you have got, you got, now it is finished by two feet, by two measurement of my palm. Now where I am going to keep My third, third one?" Then Bali Mahārāja understood that it is the favor of the Supreme Lord. He said, "My dear Lord, yes, I have now lost everything. I have no other property, but I have got my head. Please kindly keep on it.
That's all. How you can (laughs) be lost of Kṛṣṇa? That is sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). So if you practice your life in this way, never lost to Kṛṣṇa, so at the time of death you are sure to go to Kṛṣṇa. Where you are going? You are not lost to Kṛṣṇa. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). And Kṛṣṇa promises, "My dear Arjuna, My pure devotee is never lost to Me." Don't be lost to Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life. Simply don't be lost to Kṛṣṇa. You can forget all things, but don't forget Kṛṣṇa. Then you are richest. People may see you are very poor man, just like Gosvāmīs. They adopted very poor life, mendicant. They were ministers, very opulent. Very honorable gentlemen, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, learned scholars, rich men, ministers, in every respect their social position so high. But they accepted this mendicant: tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. That Gosvāmī prayer you'll find. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Just like most insignificant, they gave up everything. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau—just one underwear and loin cloth, that's all. They became accepted the purest way of life. But how they could live? If a very rich man accepts such poor condition of life, he cannot live. I have seen it. If one is habituated to high standard of life, if you immediately lower his standard of life, he cannot live. But they lived very happily.
That is the only disease. The last snare. First of all I try to become President, Minister, Rockefeller, Ford, this, that, when I fail, then I want to become God. That is another President, you see? So in the bhakti-yoga there is no such demand. Simply to serve. When all Presidentship fails, then I demand the highest Presidentship, to become God. You see? The demand is there, the disease is there. They cannot know that, that my disease is still there. I am demanding to be the highest. But bhakti-yoga is just the opposite. To become servant. Servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Just opposite. There is no question of demanding to become the Lord or the President or this. I want to serve, that's all. And that is the crucial test. Service is the original nature. Now in this material world also you are serving. If you want to become the President then I have to promise so many times to the voters that "I'll give you service." Without promise of service, there is no question of presidentship. So actually my position is to render service. Either I become President or Minister or this or that. That they cannot understand. In spite of my becoming the highest executive person, President—Oh, I have to give service to my people, otherwise immediately they dethrone me. Therefore my real position is service. But service here is so dangerous, if there is little discrepancy of service, the President is immediately fired. Why your President Mr. Kennedy was fired. Because some people did not like that you are rendering nice service. That is the root fact. So you cannot satisfy here by service. Our Gandhi in India, he was also killed. He gave service throughout the whole life, but people at the time did not like. "Oh, you are not rendering their service." This is the position. Therefore one should be intelligent enough to know that no more service to these material objectives. I must give my service to the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of life.
There are five kinds of direct āsakti. Āsakti means attachment. And there are seven kinds of indirect attachment. Indirect attachment is not bhakti, but direct attachment is called bhakti. If you are attached to Kṛṣṇa by the direct method, it is called devotional service. And if you are attached to Kṛṣṇa by indirect method, then it is not devotional service. But that is also attachment. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was the maternal uncle of Kṛṣṇa, and there was a foretelling that Kaṁsa would be killed by his sister's son, eighth son of his sister. So Kaṁsa became very anxious and he wanted to kill his younger sister, Devakī, Kṛṣṇa's mother. So she was saved by her husband, Kṛṣṇa's father, Vasudeva, by some compromise. The last compromise was... That's a great long story. The last compromise was that he informed his brother-in-law Kaṁsa that "You are afraid of the son of your sister. So your sister is not going to kill you. So I request, don't kill your sister. Save her. And I promise that all the sons born of your sister will be brought to you, and if you like, you can kill." The compromise was made by Vasudeva. He was also a king.
So this is the process of bhakti-yoga. You surrender and, in the past, whatever sinful activities you have done, that is squared up, now account closed. Now you begin a new life, devotional life, and if you stick to the principle as it is instructed, that do not have illicit sex life, do not have intoxicants, do not eat meat, do not play gambling, speculate, you promise before Kṛṣṇa and before the spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇavas, so many witnesses, and if you violate, then you can understand what you are doing. You promise with..., before the Deity. Kṛṣṇa is not different, so when the initiation takes place we promise so many things. But if we do not follow, if we do not keep our promise, that is a great fault. If you, by chance, by mistake, you violate the regulative principle, that is excused, but if willingly, if you go on committing sinful life—so just like in the Churches they go to confess and again begin—that kind of business will not help you. That kind of business will not help you. Now I have confessed, now I begin new chapter of sinful life. Again I shall confess. Kṛṣṇa is not so fool that you can cheat Him by this process. No, that is not possible. You can be executing the process of your advancement; unwillingly if you commit some mistake, that will be excused.
Any way, if you keep yourself always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa's business, then you are immune. You will not be infected. This is the process. Keep yourself always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, you will always remain immune. Sa-gunān samatītya etān brahma-bhūyāya. And willfully, we shall not do anything which against the bhakti process, willfully. But because I am habituated... Suppose a smoker he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at least has promised that "I shall not smoke, I shall...," but all of a chance, sudden, suppose his friend seduces him: "Oh what is that, smoke today, doing." So sometimes we become induced, but we should always remember that "I have taken this vow. Why shall I be induced by my friend to smoke?" That is very nice. But even if by mistake you do that, that can be excused, but not willfully: "Now nobody is seeing, Kṛṣṇa is not here. Let me smoke now." Not that. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa's eyes are everywhere. You cannot escape Kṛṣṇa's eyes.
So Duryodhana did not believe, that "He may miss these five arrows," but he said, "My dear grandfather, better I keep these five arrows with me. I shall deliver you tomorrow morning." "All right, you keep it." Kṛṣṇa understood. Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. He immediately said Arjuna, "Tomorrow you are going to be killed. Be assured." Why? "Now this is the position." "Then what to do?" "Now, you go to Duryodhana and take away all those arrows. Otherwise you'll be killed." So Arjuna remembered that Duryodhana once promised—Duryodhana was elderly, Arjuna is young, younger brother—that "My dear brother, I promise, whatever you want I can give you." So Duryodhana said, "All right. I shall ask you some days later. Not now." So Arjuna thought, "Now this is the opportunity. I shall go and ask Duryodhana to give me those arrows." So Arjuna went to the other camp, and immediately Duryodhana received him as his brother: "My dear brother, you have come? What do you want? You want the kingdom without fighting? Therefore you have come? I can give you. I can stop this fighting if you want without fighting." No. Arjuna said, "No, I have come for some other purpose." "All right. Whatever you want, you can..." "Yes, you sometimes promised that whatever I want you will give me." "Yes, I am keeping my promise. What do you want?" He said, "Give me those five arrows." (laughter) "Yes." Immediately. This is kṣatriya spirit. This is brahminical culture. "Yes, you take it. Go on."
Rāmacandra was going to be enthroned and the stepmother said the same to Daśaratha Mahārāja, that... They were stepmothers, Mahārāja Daśaratha's three wives. So one wife wanted that her son should be king. So immediately she proposed that "Instead of Rāmacandra, my son should be king." Mahārāja Daśaratha said, "How it can be? It is already arranged. He is the eldest son." "No, you promised sometime that you will keep your promise and satisfy me. So this is my demand."
Similarly, prak ṛti is not enjoyer; prakṛti is enjoyed. If the prakṛti remains in her own position as being enjoyed, that is her natural position. And if she superficially, artificially tries to be enjoyer, a puruṣa, she never becomes happy. According to our Manu-saṁhitā it is said that woman has no independence. Na strī svātantryam arhati. According to Manu-saṁhitā, a woman should remain always dependent, and that is her real happiness. Let her remain dependent when young under the protection of the father. Let her remain dependent when she is young under the protection of the husband. And let her remain dependent in old age under the protection of elderly sons. That is the direction by Lord Manu who has given us law. Actually, in fact, if woman is dependent under suitable father, husband, and son, she is happy. Therefore, according to our Vedic civilization, it is the father's duty when the girl is young to find out a suitable boy who can take charge of her, and the father is relieved that "Now I have given charge of my girl to a suitable boy, and I am happy." Perhaps you have seen in our last wedding ceremony yesterday, the husband promised that "I take charge of you to make you comfortable throughout your whole life." And the wife promised, "Yes, I accept you as my husband, and I shall devote my life just to make you happy." These are the relationships. Prakṛti and puruṣa.
So Kṛṣṇa is personally teaching. Why we should satisfy Kṛṣṇa? Because there is no more a greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. We are trying to serve here greater authority. Every one of us... We are going to office, we are going to party meeting, we are going to be elected president. So what is that? That I assure that "I shall satisfy your senses. You want this? I shall give you. Please elect me." Everyone is trying to satisfy the senses. Either of own self... He's giving false promise. Actually, he wants to satisfy his own senses. As soon as he becomes minister, he'll satisfy his own senses. But he's getting elected by promising satisfying..., to satisfy your senses. But the sense gratification is going on. But there is chaos because the point is missing. There is no activity for satisfying senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore one should learn that you are satisfying the senses of others. Try to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, because there is no more greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. We are satisfying the senses of greater authority. That's all. Or my senses. Because my senses are also greater authority—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. These are very strongly dictating me, "Do this." I don't want to do this. My conscience is willing (beating?). But my kāma, my lust, is forcing me.
So this is my position. So in this position, I'll never be satisfied. If you understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, and my only duty is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa," then your life will be successful.
- Thank you very much. (end)
So it is my duty to serve you, to give you all comforts. I don't require any reward." Formerly, the boys were so gentle. And still, there are many boys like that. So the old man also thought that "No, I am obliged to you. I must reward you." So he promised that "I shall get you married with my youngest daughter." Now, the old man was very rich man, and the young man was not rich. He was poor. Although he was brāhmaṇa, learned. So he said that "You are promising. You don't promise this because your kinsmen, your family men will not agree. I am poor man, and you are rich man. You are aristocratic. So it will be not. This marriage will not take place. Don't promise in that way before the Deity. It is not good because Deity is there." But he was firm faith that "Kṛṣṇa is hearing," because the talks were going on in the temple. "So it will not be fulfilled." "No." The old man became still more persistent. "No, my daughter I shall offer you. Who can forbid me?"
So in this way, when they came back, one day the old man proposed to his eldest son that "Your youngest sister should be married with that boy. That I have promised." Oh, the eldest son of that old man become very angry: "Oh, how you have selected that boy to be husband of my sister? He's unfit. He's poor man. He's not so educated. Oh, this cannot take place." He did not agree. Then the mother of the girl, he(she) came to the old man: "Oh, if you get my daughter married with that boy, then I shall commit suicide." Now the old man is perplexed. Then, one day, the boy was anxious that "The old man promised before the Deity. Now he is not coming." So he... One day he came to his house: "Well, my dear sir, you promised before the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, and you are not fulfilling your promise? How is that?" The old man was silent because he was praying to Kṛṣṇa that "I am now perplexed. If I persist in offering this daughter to this boy, now there will be great trouble in my family." So he was silent. So, in the meantime, the eldest son came out and he began to quarrel with: "Oh, you, you plundered my father in the place of pilgrimage. You gave him some LSD or something, (laughter) intoxication. You took all the money from my father. Now you say that he has promised to offer you my youngest sister. You fool!" He began to say like that.
Then all the neighboring gentlemen, they: "Oh, what is the trouble? Here there is so much howling." "This is the... Do you think, sir, that this boy is fit for my sister? We are aristocratic family and this and that...," so on. So the young man said... Young man could understand the old man is still agreeable, but these, his sons and family members, as he suggested, they are not agreeable. So he explained the whole thing before all the gentlemen who came, that "This is the fact. Now, he promised. Now, for the sake of his son and wife, he cannot fulfill his promise. This was a promise before the Lord." In the meantime, the old man's eldest son... He was atheist. He voluntarily says, "Well, if your God comes and gives witness, then I shall offer my sister to you." But he was confident that God will come. He said, "Yes. I shall ask God. I shall ask Kṛṣṇa to come and give witness." So... Now, before all gentlemen this was done. Then the young man said, "All right, let us now come to agreement that I shall call Kṛṣṇa from Vṛndāvana to give witness in this matter, and when He comes, you'll have to." All the other gentlemen, they also persisted. So there was some agreement. So this boy went again to Vṛndāvana to his Gopāla, and he prayed that "Sir, You have to go with me." He was so staunch devotee, just like talking with friend. He did not think that He's a statue; it is image. He knew God.
So this is a sense that in that process one may understand, if one day comes into his sense "Well, I am God. I am worshiping myself, but if I go to the street, nobody asks me. What kind of God I am?" So this sense should come. I may think, "Well, I understand that God lifted the hill. Kṛṣṇa, He lifted the hill at the age of seven years. Oh, I cannot lift even hundred pounds or fifty pounds. What kind of God I am?" So this sense should come. You can worship yourself as God. That's all right. That's a process. That process is to understand that you study yourself, and then you understand the real constitution of God, not that you become God. So these are different methods, of course. But we should not be satisfied simply by the method. We should try to go further, on and on. Just like a little boy. He is promised by the father... He is in the eighth class. Father says, "My dear boy, if you can pass this eighth class, then I can make you a magistrate. I shall make you a magistrate." Boy is very enthusiastic. "I shall become a magistrate." You see. So similarly, these are some of the encouragement.
So Kṛṣṇa as Vāmanāvatāra, incarnation of Vāmana... Dwarf. Vāmana means dwarf. He went to Bali Mahārāja, and He was brāhmaṇa. So as a brāhmaṇa boy, so He asked some charity because the kṣatriyas, the kings, are meant for give in charity. So he was very much pleased to see that beautiful dwarf boy: "Yes, what do You want? I will give You charity." But his spiritual master, so-called spiritual master, he could understand that "This boy is Viṣṇu, God Himself. He has come to cheat this Bali." So he asked his disciple, "Don't promise any charity to Him. Because He is God, He will take your everything. Once you agree to offer something, then He will take yourself also." God is very intelligent. Once you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no way out. You cannot go out. You cannot go out. He is so kind. As once you become sincerely a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no way out. You have to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. You have to continue to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. You cannot do otherwise. So this guru, the so-called guru, he thought, "Oh, if Kṛṣṇa, the vāmana God, if He takes away everything from my disciple, then how I shall live? I am living at his cost, and if he becomes a beggar, then I also become beggar." So he was very cautious. He said, "Don't promise. Don't promise." "Why? He is a little boy. Let me give Him something." "No, no, He is not little boy. He is God." "Oh! He is God! Oh, then you ask me not to give Him? And you formerly taught me that everything should be given to God. Now God is at my door, and you ask me not to give? Oh, I reject you. I don't want you, a spiritual master like you." So any so-called spiritual master who is against God, he should be at once rejected just like Bali Mahārāja.
And why? Kaunteya pratijānīhi. Pratijānīhi: "My dear Arjuna, you can declare this to the world. You declare." Why Kṛṣṇa is not declaring? Kṛṣṇa is declaring through His devotee because Kṛṣṇa has a promise that "I shall protect My devotee." If a promise is there by the devotee, that cannot be violated. Kṛṣṇa can... Because He is God, He can violate His own promise because He is supreme. But He wants to protect His devotee; therefore He is trying to give the declaration through His devotee that "It will be protected."
I will give you one example how Kṛṣṇa sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story. Kṛṣṇa, when He joined Arjuna, He promised from His own side that "Because the fight is between your brothers, so it is not My duty... Because both of you are My relatives, so it is not My duty to join one party and not to join another. But because I have divided Myself—Myself, one side, and other side, My soldiers—but Duryodhana has decided to take My soldiers, not Me, so I shall join you. But I shall not fight. I shall not fight. I may take some work which may assist you." So Arjuna offered, "Whatever work You like, You can take." So He said, "All right. I shall drive your chariot." So Kṛṣṇa's promise was that He will not fight. But at a time when Arjuna was perplexed by fighting with Bhīṣma... Bhīṣma was the greatest fighter, although he was very old man. Duryodhana incited him that "Because the other side are your very pet grandsons, you are not fighting fully." That was the complaint of Duryodhana.
So Duryodhana was very intelligent. He told, "All right, please keep these five arrows with me for the night. I shall deliver you tomorrow in the morning." "All right, you take it." And Kṛṣṇa understood. Kṛṣṇa is, everything knows, past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa knew it that "Bhīṣma has now promised. He will kill." So He asked Arjuna—this is also politics—that "You go to Duryodhana. Do you remember that Duryodhana"—Duryodhana is elderly than Arjuna—"that he would keep some promise which was offered to you?" Duryodhana told him, "Arjuna, whenever you want something, I shall give you." "Now this is the time. You can go." "And what is that?" "Now, he has got five arrows for killing you. You should take and come to Me." So after fight, they were friends. So Arjuna went to the camp of Duryodhana, and he was well received. "Well Arjuna, come on. What do you want? Come on. Sit down. Do you want anything from me? If you want, I can stop this fight. I can return you this..." Arjuna said, "No. I have not come to you for begging my kingdom. Fighting will go on. But I want... You promised something." "Yes. I know. I offer you. What do you want?" "Now, I want those five arrows." At once he delivered.
And this information was carried to, I mean to say, Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma knew that "Kṛṣṇa is very cunning also. He will save His devotee. So He has done this. All right, in spite of Kṛṣṇa... He has broken my promise, and tomorrow I shall see. If Kṛṣṇa does not break His promise, then His friend will be killed. I will fight in such a way." So he was fighting in such a way that Arjuna became almost dead. Then at that time, Kṛṣṇa... The chariot was torn into pieces, and Arjuna fell down. And then Kṛṣṇa took up one of the wheel of the chariot and came before: "Now, Bhīṣma, you stop this fighting; otherwise I will kill you." Bhīṣma at once gave up his arrow, and he offered, "All right. Kill me." So thing is that because Bhīṣma promised that "I shall kill Arjuna tomorrow," and Kṛṣṇa also promised not to fight, just to save these two devotees, Arjuna and Bhīṣma—Bhīṣma also was a great devotee—just to show him that "I am breaking My promise. Please stop..." He wanted that "Either I shall break My promise or you shall kill Arjuna. So better see that I have broken My promise." So in this way, sometimes, for devotee, He sometimes breaks His own promise.
So here Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi. "You promise so I shall protect your promise." And what is that? Na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: "Anyone who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be never destroyed. He will never be destroyed." Na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati. What is that destruction? The destruction is... Of course, a living entity is never destroyed so far his constitution is concerned. Na hanyate hanyamāne (BG 2.20). The destruction of this body is not his destruction. The real destruction is that when we lose our spiritual consciousness, we lose our identity, that is destruction. That is destruction, that now, in our material conception of life, we are practically destroyed because, destroyed in this way, because as spiritual being, I have got my eternal life, I have got my blissful life, I have got my knowledge, full knowledge, but here I am living in a wretched condition that my life is not eternal, I am not blissful, and I am not in full knowledge. So don't you think that we are already destroyed? We are thinking that "I am very much advancing in civilization," but unless you revive your original life of eternity and full knowledge and bliss, you should know that you are not advancing; you are being defeated by the illusory energy. This is destruction. Destruction of my real life is materialism.
Suppose if I am thrown into the ocean, that is practically my destruction. I may be very good swimmer, but that is no hope. That is no hope of my life. Any moment, I can go down into the depth of the ocean. Similarly, we are struggling very hard in this material ocean of existence, simply struggling. Just like a man is trying to save himself in the Atlantic Ocean, similarly, we are also trying here. This is not the process of getting yourself from the struggle-for-existence ocean. The thing is one must get you out from the ocean. Teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt (BG 12.7). So Kṛṣṇa promises—you will find in the later, tenth, chapter, that "Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I promise I shall take him from this ocean of birth and death."
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
Now, somebody may inquire, "Now, to become a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, is there any qualification required? Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa. He appeared to be a Hindu, and it was spoken in India, and all the ācāryas, they are very learned men. They have adopted. But how we can take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am not... I do not belong to such particular creed or, say, particular country." Now Kṛṣṇa says, "No, that is not disqualification." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Pāpa-yonayaḥ... Of course, according to Vedic literature, there are mentions of pāpa-yoni. Yoni means species. Pāpa-yoni. Just like it is mentioned here, striyaḥ śūdrāḥ, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Even the striyaḥ, even women, they are also classified amongst the pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means those who have got little facility for advancing themselves in spiritual life. So it is particularly mentioned here, striyaḥ, the woman class, śūdra—śūdra means the laborer class—and the vaiśya, mercantile class. Or less than that.
So if He is the origin, if He is God, and if He is all-powerful, He can give you shelter. Don't... Don't disbelieve Him. He is not a man like me. If I promise you something, it may be broken because I am not all-powerful. But here is a promise by the all-powerful.
So best thing is... So, sattva-saṅga. So this mentality develops by this association. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-samvidaḥ. If you associate with Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, then the benefit will be that your dormant, I mean to say, relationship with Kṛṣṇa will be invoked. We have got, every one of us, we have got our eternal relationship with God. And the foolish people, they say that "I don't believe God." Just like an upstart son says, "I have no connection with father." How can you disconnect your father? Similarly, there is no question of disbelieving in God. It is simply foolishness, simply foolishness.
So that dormant relationship is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. You want to serve Kṛṣṇa, but it is now covered. You want to revoke (invoke) your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like a good son, if he is not mad, he is not crazy, natural affection is there for father. Natural affection is there, father. As soon as the father, the parents, call, they go. So similarly, we have got this dormant relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Simply by the spell of illusion we are thinking that "We have no connection with God or Kṛṣṇa. Let us act independently and do all foolish things and be happy." So we are unhappy; so we are frustrated; so we are full of anxieties. This is our position.
Otherwise why in this old age...? What is the use of fighting with Mr. Nair and take this land? Because we are anxious to open centers; people, the go-khara people may come and take advantage of it. That is our mission. We don't want that they remain go-kharas and lose the chance of this human body. Our mission is very big. The best welfare work. Other welfare activities, they keep them as go-khara, and promises all sorts of big, big promises. No, we do not say.
Our mission is to enlighten him, that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, there is Supersoul. Both the soul and the Supersoul are living in this body. The Supersoul is observing and the living entity is working. According to his work, he is getting the result, a different type of body. In this way, repeatedly he is taking birth and repeatedly he is dying. So one has to stop this repetition of birth and death. That is the perfection of life. That is the perfection. But they do not know how to stop this repetition, neither they do know that death can be avoided.
Just like in that story, the old brāhmaṇa and the young brāhmaṇa, Sākṣi-gopāla. Sākṣi-gopāla. So the young man came to Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, "Sir, You have to go to give witness because the old man is not keeping his promise." So Kṛṣṇa said to the young devotee that "How you are proposing that I shall go? Can a stone Deity, He can walk? Do you think?" He said, "Yes, if the stone Deity can speak, He can walk also." (laughter) So devotee is so strong. So Kṛṣṇa had to... "Yes, I'll go." First of all, He wanted to avoid. Then when He saw that "He's not ordinary devotee," He said, "All right, I'll go." So He came from Vṛndāvana to Kataka.
So don't think that He's stone Deity. Sākṣād vrajendra-nandana: "Directly Kṛṣṇa." But He is available to my capacity of understanding Him. Not that He is different from the original Kṛṣṇa. (break) Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, everything absolute. You're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It does not mean that it is a sound only. It is Kṛṣṇa personally. You are in direct touch with Kṛṣṇa when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is realization. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Guest (2) (Indian man): Sir, may I... Some reference(?) were written by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Gītā. He told us that api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. And He, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā, and He also promised pratijāne priyo 'si. But it is difficult to understand that the same Lord Kṛṣṇa told, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante (BG 7.19), manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, teṣām api sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), "Can understand Me."
Prabhupāda: Hmmm?
Guest (2): Can understand Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is... This knowledge of Him, perfect knowledge, is very difficult because...
Prabhupāda: Yes. But that is the standard of perfect knowledge, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Guest (2): Yes, but He is so easy that api cet su-durācāraḥ, it means we must surrender in one way(?) but...
Prabhupāda: Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Ananya-bhāk, without deviating to any other thing, if one is simply sticking to worship Kṛṣṇa, that is called ananya-bhāk. Not that "I am worshiping Kṛṣṇa sometimes, sometimes worshiping this, sometimes that." No, not like that. Ananya-bhāk. One, concentrated. Such a person, even if he's found su-durācāraḥ, due to his past habits... Just like these European boys and American boys. They have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. But sometimes we find that they are not so clean according to the śāstra. So that is supported. Even though they are not sometimes following the routine work of cleanliness or something else, still, because he's sticking to the principle of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, he does not do anything else, then he's sādhu. He's sādhu. Only for that qualification.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So a real learned person who is interested in eternal life, they are not interested with all these temporary things. Even if you go to the heavenly planet, because these things are promised in the Vedic literature, that is also temporary. So mukti means to give up all these material desires situated in your original constitutional position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is liberation. Liberation does not mean that when you get liberation—you have got now two hands—you will have four hands, like that, no. Liberation means change of consciousness. Now we are conscious of material enjoyment: "Give me nice wife. Give me nice wealth. Give me nice education. Give me this. Give me this," so many. There is no end. So therefore Bhāgavata says, hitvā anyathā rūpam: "These are all meant, the necessities of the body." Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: "You be situated in your original consciousness, namely Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is mukti, liberation." Therefore the definition of bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, no other material desires, no desires, material... Desire means we desire now material desire.
So everyone has passed this condition, but by the influence of māyā forgets. Bhajibo boliyā ese saṁsāra-bhitare. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, "At that time again I promised: 'This time by coming out of my mother's womb, I shall become a devotee.' " But as soon as he comes out, he becomes forgetful. This is going on. This is going on. There is no science, so-called science, who know, the scientists, who know these are facts, how we are passing through repeatedly unpleasant condition. When, as soon as we get a little light with this body, we forget everything. That is called māyā. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said the pushing, the point pushing, enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi': "Now I have brought this."
Just like... You have no experience in your country. In India still there are snake charmers. If one is bitten by a snake he remains unconscious. 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.
There are many examples. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He went to worship God with a motive. His father did not accept him on the lap. His stepmother insulted him, that "You cannot sit on the lap of your father because you were not born in my womb." (noises) (aside:) Stop that. So he went to worship God in the forest with a motive. He was a kṣatriya. He was determined that "I must have my father's property." And everyone thinks like that, some motive. But his mother advised that "Your determination... Your, this promise can only be fulfilled if Kṛṣṇa helps you. Otherwise, it is impossible." So he went to worship Kṛṣṇa. But actually, when he met Kṛṣṇa face to face, he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, simply by seeing You I have become satisfied. I don't want anything more from You." That is the result of pure devotion. Even one goes to God with a motive, but if he actually becomes a devotee, he becomes motiveless, no more motive. Simply by association, simply by serving God, he is so satisfied that he has no more demand, "Sir, I want this." That is recommended here. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If we can promote ourself, elevate ourself, to the standard of loving God without any motive, without any return... Sometimes we go to God for some return. That is motive.
So when you become actually preacher of God consciousness, you cannot make any compromise. You must call the spade a spade. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas. Out of the twelve mahājanas, he's one of them. Because he was very bold. He was not afraid of his demonic father. He chastised him in so many ways. But he was never afraid. So just like our people are being persecuted in Australia. You know? They have been put into jail because they are preaching Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this is not very easy thing, easy-going. My Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, he did not like that his disciples would be easy-going, cheap Vaiṣṇava. Cheap Vaiṣṇava. Duṣṭa mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava. He sang a song, "My dear mind, oh, you are going to be a Vaiṣṇava. And what kind of Vaiṣṇava you are?" Duṣṭa mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava, pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. "You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura or Rūpa Gosvāmī, in a solitary place... Not solitary place. You are thinking of woman and money. That's all. Mind is filled with dirty things. So this kind of bhajana is simply cheating, cheating." He was after preaching. First of all, go door to door. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu did it at the risk of life. He was hurt by Jagāi-Mādhāi. Blood came out of His head. Lord Caitanya became very much angry. He wanted to kill immediately Jagāi Mādhāi. Lord Nityānanda said, "My dear Sir, You promised that this incarnation You'll not take any weapon, Please be kind upon them."
So therefore, as soon as we find out a person, he has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, we put him either of these categories: mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. These are their qualifications. Therefore it is said here, chindanti kovidāḥ, he is neither of these rascals: miscreants, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, and māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Kovida, very intelligent. Kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim. Anyone who has understand that simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, working for Kṛṣṇa, one can become released from this entanglement, who will not accept it? For example, just see in the Western countries; all the younger generation, they are so much addicted to intoxication. And the government is spending millions of dollars, how to stop it. But they have become animals. But just see how wonderful is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Anyone who is coming to us, immediately, by our restriction... Because as soon as he is initiated, he is made to promise no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. From that very date he gives up everything. And here are so many samples attending.(?)
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were all this: addicted to illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking and intoxication, gambling. That was their business. So Nityānanda Prabhu went to deliver them, that "First of all, these rascals should be delivered." Therefore He went there. They were very angry. They hurt Him by throwing one stone on His forehead, and blood came out. Still, Nityānanda Prabhu said, "All right, I don't mind. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is preaching, Nityānanda. But when Lord Caitanya heard it, He became very angry. He wanted to kill them immediately. So Nityānanda Prabhu requested that "In this incarnation You have promised not to accept any weapons. Please become," I mean to say, "kind upon them." This is the person... This is the business of guru. Guru introduces with God and prays to God, "Please excuse him." This is guru's business. And by the request of guru, God agrees to excuse him. This is the process.
He is even within the atom. So He can come out from anywhere provided He is called by a pure devotee. And He is all-powerful. He can come out from anywhere and everywhere. He is everywhere. And this word is nara—from human being—but He is not nara, He is nara, meaning He is appearing like human being, half human being, and siṁha, half-lion. And the nails of the hands, and this great giant atheist was killed within a second. And keeping Brahmā's promise, he took benediction that he would not be killed by any man, any demigod, any animal, by any weapon, in daytime, in night, so many things, definition by negation. First of all he wanted directly, "Kindly make me immortal." So Brahmā said that "I am not immortal. How can I make you immortal? You can ask something else?" So he thought, "Let me become immortal indirectly. I shall not die in daytime, nighttime," because he has no idea that beyond day and night there is also another time. That he forgot.
So the Bali Mahārāja was cheated by... But he, being cheated, he became conqueror. So this Śukrācārya said to Bali Mahārāja, "Don't promise to this Vāmana anything. He is Lord Viṣṇu. He has come to cheat you." Bali Mahārāja became more enlightened. "Oh, He is Lord Viṣṇu? But you have taught me that everything should be given to Viṣṇu. So if Viṣṇu has come at my door, why you are asking not to make any promise?" So that means Śukrācārya were playing duplicity. He taught something, and now he's saying another thing. Therefore Bali Mahārāja said that "I cannot accept. I give up your company from this day, that you are checking me to offer everything to Viṣṇu. Oh, I do not want such spiritual master"
So that means... That is the shastric injunction, that anyone who is not a Viṣṇu devotee, or Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmaṇa, very learned, he knows his duties, brahminical duties very well... Just like Śukrācārya. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇaḥ. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa have got six kinds of occupation: paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. Brāhmaṇa should be very learned, he should teach others also Vedic knowledge, paṭhana-pāṭhana. Yajana-yājana. He must be devotee or great worshiper, and he should teach others also how to worship. Yajana-yājana. Dāna-pratigraha. He will accept charity from others, and he will give in charity again to others. These are the six occupation of a brāhmaṇa. So śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ, "A brāhmaṇa, well conversed with these duties of brahminical duties," and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, "and expert in studying the mantras, Vedic mantras, and tantra, other Vedic literature," avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt, "but if he is avaiṣṇava," means he does not worship Lord Viṣṇu but other demigods, "then he cannot become guru." That is not allowed. You cannot become guru.
So just like this Bali Mahārāja, he conquered. So actually nothing belongs to Bali Mahārāja, but he thought So Kṛṣṇa, to save him from this theft criminality, He approached him, "My dear Bali Mahārāja, will you kindly give Me three feet land." So after rejecting his spiritual master, who opposed, he promised, "Yes, I shall give." So by one feet the whole lower portion of the universe was covered. The other feet, the upper portion of the universe was covered. Still, the third feet remained. So Vāmanadeva asked, "Now, Bali Mahārāja, all your possession is now covered by My two feet. Where is to keep the other feet?" Bali Mahārāja said, "Yes, there is place. You just put Your feet, foot on my head." So in this way Bali Mahārāja surrendered everything. Sarvātma-svāpateyam. He, personal property and the personal body, everything dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. He became mahājana. There are nine processes of bhakti:
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
So Bali Mahārāja dedicated ātma-nivedana, everything: his property, his personal body, everything. So in exchange, Vāmana, Lord Vāmana became his doorkeeper. So Vāmanadeva said, "My dear Bali Mahārāja, you are so great a devotee. So in return for your service, I shall remain always your doorkeeper."
The son could understand that "The father is sorry because he was refused the hand of the girl Satyavatī." So he approached father. Not father. He approached the father of Satyavatī, that "Why you are refusing my father?" "No. You are present. How can I offer my daughter?" "No. Even if I am present..." Because the law is the eldest son will be enthroned after the death of the father. So he was eldest son. So Satyavatī's father was hesitating. So Bhīṣmadeva promised that "I will not accept the throne. The child born of Satyavatī, he will accept, he will be given the throne. You give your daughter to my father." He still refused. He still, "Well, our son may be king, but then again, your son will become the king." In this way, he was hesitating. So Bhīṣmadeva immediately promised that "I shall never marry. Don't hesitate." So in this way he induced the fisherman to give his daughter to his father.
So the girl thought that "I will be able to marry Bhīṣmadeva," but when she came at home, Bhīṣmadeva said, "No, you have been conquered to be married with my brother. I am brahmacārī. I cannot marry you." So the girl said that "You have kidnapped me, conquered me. You must marry." So "No, I shall not marry." Then the girl approached to his spiritual master, this Jamadagni, Bhṛgupati, that "This boy he has conquered me. Still, he is not marrying me." So Jamadagni said, "Bhīṣma, you must marry this girl." Bhīṣmadeva said, "No. I have promised to my father never to marry. I cannot marry." Then Jamadagni said, "If you don't marry, then I will force you to marry." So there was fight between Bhīṣmadeva, spiritual master and... (laughter) So the spiritual master became defeated. (laughter) Then he gave his blessings. "All right, you remain brahmacārī." (laughter)
So Lord Rāmacandra appeared for the purpose of satisfying the sura. Kṛṣṇa appears for protection of the sura. Sura and asura. Asura means nondevotees, and sura means devotee. So for killing the asuras, Kṛṣṇa does not require to come down. Any agent. There are... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). By simply advising the King of heaven, Indra, to send a strong wind, so many asuras can be immediately annihilated. So for that purpose, Kṛṣṇa does not require to come. He comes for satisfying the devotees. The devotees are so anxious to see Him. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared not to kill his teeny father. To kill his teeny father... Simply by directing the māyā, he could be killed. But He wanted to come before Prahlāda Mahārāja, that "You are My such nice devotee. You are suffering for Me. Now I have come. You see." This is the purpose. By the by, to kill the atheist, keeping the promise of Brahmā intact... He took benediction from Brahmā that "I shall not die in this way and this way, this way." All the promises of Brahmā kept. He appeared in such a form that it will not clash with the promise of Brahmā. Therefore He had to take the form of such a thing which does not clash with the promise. Brahmā was a devotee. He has given him some benediction. So Kṛṣṇa did not violate that. It must be kept. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Just see (the) kindness of Kṛṣṇa. He kept Brahmā's promise, He kept the atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu's aspiration, and He satisfied Prahlāda And everything was done simply by incarnating as Narasiṁhadeva. This is Kṛṣṇa's plan. He comes, but by one stroke, He serves so many business. That is Kṛṣṇa.
So when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very angry because these people, these two brothers, injured Nityānanda Prabhu, so He became firelike. So you should be firelike when a Vaiṣṇava is insulted. Not that at that time tṛṇād api sunīcena, to become straw. No. You should be fire when Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava is insulted. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed this example. He became very, very angry: "I shall kill these two brothers immediately. Nonsense." So Nityānanda Prabhu entreated,"Oh, My dear sir, this time You have promised not to accept any weapon. In Your incarnation as Lord Rāmacandra, You took up weapon. As Kṛṣṇa also, You took a weapon. But this time You wanted to deliver these poor souls. So don't kill them. Excuse them. Accept them." This is Nityānanda Prabhu's business, guru's business. So Lord Caitanya simply asked them, "Now if you..." They also in the meantime fell down on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, that "We are so sinful. We have done wrong. Kindly excuse us."
So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu made one condition, that "Your life is full of sinful activities. So if you simply promise that 'I shall not do anymore,' then I can accept you." So they said, "Sir, I'll not do. We'll not do anymore." This is required. When you are initiated, you promise "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." And if you do privately all these things, then what kind of man you are? Don't be cheater. Be plain. When you promise that "We shall not do these things," don't do it again. Then you remain in goodness. That's all. Nobody can disturb you. And if you pollute yourself silently, then this goodness will go on. So this is the warning. Once you are initiated on the promise that you shall not do these all nonsense, then you remain perfectly in goodness. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. Māyā cannot do anything. But if you cheat yourself, cheat your spiritual master, cheat God, then you will be cheated by māyā.
Thank you very much. (pause) Begin. Begin. (pause) Begin! Begin. Don't delay. (kīrtana) (end)
So this is going on. This is called demonic. Demon means for their own sense satisfaction, they are prepared to do anything wrong. Just like this Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa, the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa's mother, and as soon as he heard an omen from the sky that "You rascal Kaṁsa, you are taking your brother and sis..., brother-in-law and sister in your chariot to their home in their marriage ceremony, but you rascal do not know this sister's son will kill you." "Oh, my sister's son will kill me?" Immediately caught up sister: "Finish my sister." Vasudeva saw. "What nonsense you are doing? You are such a big king. And your sister, younger sister, and she is married in this auspicious moment. Why you are killing?" "No, she is the cause of my death." Then, "Your sister is not the cause of your death. Her son. That's all right. But I promise, all the sons will be delivered to you." Because it is the husband's duty to give protection. So someway or other, he saved the situation.
Even there is torture..." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was tortured by his father. He had... Kṛṣṇa's mother was tortured by his brother. Not outsider. So the demons are so rascal, they don't care for son, sister, mother. No. "As soon as it is against my personal sense gratification, I must finish this." But be sure that Kṛṣṇa will save. We have got so many instances. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was saved by Hiraṇyaka..., by Narasiṁhadeva from the hands of his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu; Devakī was saved, Vasudeva was saved from the hands of Kaṁsa; so you will be also saved. Because there is promise in the Bhagavad-gītā: kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa says, "Make it a declaration throughout the whole world that anyone who is My devotee, he'll never be annihilated. He'll be protected. I'll give him protection." Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am equal to everyone. Nobody is My enemy, nobody is My friend." Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā. "But those who are devotees, engaged twenty-four hours, I give them special protection. I give them special protection." So the demons will be there, and they will always give trouble to the demigods, or the devotees, but you don't stop your function, devotional service. Don't be afraid of the demons. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti. This mṛḍayanti means "giving protection" Yes. Give protection.
Or at least, we have not become perfect. But prayataḥ, we are trying to be perfect. Prayataḥ. Prayataḥ means endeavoring, endeavoring for understanding God. So therefore here it is said, janma guhyaṁ bhagavato ya etat prayato naraḥ. Any person who endeavors for understanding Kṛṣṇa through the relative śāstras and devotional service, then what is the result? When? Sāyaṁ prātaḥ. Two times at least, in the evening and in the morning. So if we sleep in the morning, snoring, then how we can understand? It is recommended here, sāyaṁ prātaḥ. Tri-sandhyā. Tri-sandhyā means three times. We initiate... We... They promise that three times they will chant gāyatrī-mantra, but I do not know what they are doing.
So these are the recommendation in the śāstra. If we don't follow, then we must fall down. There is no doubt about it. But if we follow the regulative principles, as they are enjoined in the śāstra... Sādhu-guru-śāstra. Śāstra will say the same thing as guru advises. Sādhu-guru. A saintly person also will say the same thing. Just like here, Sūta Gosvāmī, he is saintly person. He is advising, sāyaṁ prātaḥ, "Morning and evening you should try to understand the science of God." Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, topics, chanting. So these are the process. Sāyaṁ prātar gṛṇan bhaktyā.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi... They were very sinful. But He simply asked the condition that "From this day no more sinful activities. You accept this, then I accept you." They promised, "Yes. Whatever we have done, no more." That should be the... Confess, God can excuse, and that is not difficult job. God can excuse any amount of sinful activity, but after confessing, after being free, if I again commit sinful activities, oh, that is the greatest sin. That is the greatest sin. One should be ashamed of, that "I... God has excused me. Again I shall? So I am so shameless." But this business is going on. No. That should not be. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ.
This is not only new. Formerly the Carvaka Muni, he also advocated, ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. In India, they want to eat very nice foodstuff prepared from ghee. So he advised that ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: if you have no money, then beg, borrow, or steal, get ghee and eat very nice. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā, the word is... Suppose one has no money, then how to get money? Either cheat somebody, beg, or beg. But begging for gṛhastha is not very good thing, but sometimes they do so. Beg, borrow, or promising, "Give me now money, I shall pay you." And when credit is lost, then steal, pickpocket. This is as theory. Similarly, Carvaka Muni, ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet, never mind. "No, I will have to pay." "No, that we shall see later on, never mind." "No, I will be sinful, I will have to pay next life." This is within the blood of every Indian that if I cheat you or if I take some money from you without your benefit, without repayment, then I will have to suffer. Still in India they believe this. There are some incidences that a man, father took some loan from some gentleman and his father died, and his son came to pay the money to the creditor: "Sir, my father took so much money from you. Now my father died without payment. So I have got money, you kindly take it." He says, "Let me see my book whether your father took it."
So Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa in every respect, and if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa-sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18)—if we fix up our mind always at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then everything will follow very perfectly. That is promised by Kṛṣṇa. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). If one is engaged always in love and affection... Not as official love. Ecstatic love, spontaneous, that is wanted. That example is here in Vṛndāvana. At least, as we get information of Vṛndāvana from the śāstras, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how spontaneously the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—the gopīs and the cowherds boys and the birds, beasts, the calves, the animals, the trees, everyone, even the flies, the bees, the insect, even the dust, the grass—everyone is..., they are all cinmaya, spiritual. They are not material. But they are attracted to Kṛṣṇa in different varieties.
Even there are instances that Muhammadan rulers in this country, they also gave in charity land and temple in Vṛndāvana. There are many instances. Aurangzeb gave some land, Jahangir gave some land. There is still one temple, it was constructed by Jahangir, and the other side of the Yamunā there is a village called Jahangir-pura. That village was given to the brāhmaṇas for maintaining the temple. So charity, that is kṣatriya's business, and perform yajñas, give in charity, to rule, not to go away from fighting, challenge, very strong, stout—these are kṣatriya qualification. And the vaiśya qualification—agriculture. Kṛṣi. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya, and cow protection. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam. And if there is excess, then vāṇijya, trade. Otherwise there is no question of trade. And vaiśya... And śūdra, paricaryātmakam (BG 18.44)—to work for some payment. That is this blacksmith, goldsmith, weaver. You take some work from him and pay him something, maintain him. That is śūdra. So in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga almost everyone is a śūdra. You'll find they're interested in accepting some service. Even one is born of a brāhmaṇa family, he is looking after some good job. That is śūdra mentality. That is not brāhmaṇa's business. Brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service, neither the kṣatriyas, neither the vaiśyas. Only śūdras.
So considering all these points, Aśvatthāmā is accepted here as brahma-bandhu. And at the same time he's aggressor. Brahma-bandhoḥ ātatāyinaḥ. Therefore Arjuna promised, "I shall kill him." Arjuna did not promise to kill a brāhmaṇa. No. That was not his business. Because he's proved to be brahma-bandhu and ātatāyinaḥ, he deserved to be killed. Therefore it is sanctioned (?). So, next verse you can read. This verse is finished.
So when Kṛṣṇa comes, big fire comes, He is not degraded. He's acyuta. He is... Don't think that because Kṛṣṇa has come in this material world, so He is also affected by the material qualities. No. In Bhāgavata it is said, etad īśanam īśasya. This is controlling power. Although He comes in this material world, He's not affected by the material qualities. He's not fallible; He's Acyuta. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described as acyuta. When Arjuna was asking Kṛṣṇa to move his chariot, so he addressed Him as Acyuta. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Why Acyuta? Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord and Arjuna is living being, entity. Arjuna is servant and Kṛṣṇa is the master. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). How the servant can order the master? It is not the etiquette, neither it is possible. Therefore Arjuna reminded Kṛṣṇa, "Acyuta, my dear friend, You are Acyuta, never fallible. You promised that You shall drive my chariot. So now because You are my driver, I'm asking You to follow my orders. Don't be sorry. Acyuta." This is the purpose. Therefore senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). In this way we find Kṛṣṇa never failed in His promise. He remained always... When He was pierced with the arrows... Sometimes the chariot driver is killed. the horses are killed to make the enemy inactive. Because without horses, without chariot driver, how he can drive?
Pradyumna: "Furthermore, I have personally heard you promise Draupadī that you would bring forth the head of the killer of her sons. This man is an assassin and murderer of your own family members. Not only that, but he has also dissatisfied his master. He is but the burnt remnants of his family. Kill him immediately."
Prabhupāda:
- pratiśrutaṁ ca bhavatā
- pāñcālyai śṛṇvato mama
- āhariṣye śiras tasya
- yas te mānini putra-hā
- (SB 1.7.38)
- tad asau vadhyatāṁ pāpa
- ātatāyy ātma-bandhu-hā
- bhartuś ca vipriyaṁ vīra
- kṛtavān kula-pāṁsanaḥ
- (SB 1.7.39)
So Kṛṣṇa is encouraging Arjuna to kill Aśvatthāmā on so many grounds. First of all, he has killed the boys who were sleeping at night. And another very important point is that ātatāyī. Ātatāyī means the enemy aggressor. Unnecessarily one who attacks, he is called ātatāyī. One who sets fire in your house, one who kidnaps your wife or somebody in the family, and one who gives poison, and they are so many, a list of ascertaining an ātatāyī. So He described, Kṛṣṇa described the Aśvatthāmā as ātatāyī. He's not a brave soldier, so he should be killed. So many faults Kṛṣṇa found in his behavior. And bhartuś ca vipriyaṁ vīra. He could not satisfy his master also. Sometimes the servants do something abominable for pleasing the master. But he could not please even the master. He wanted to please Duryodhana, his master, promising him that he would kill all the five brothers, the Pāṇḍavas. But instead of killing the Pāṇḍavas, he killed their sons.
Why you are worshiping in the temple?" Amongst the Indians also, the Arya-samajis, they protest against temple worship. But who cares for them? Here in Vṛndāvana, there is Arya-samaji temple. Nobody goes there. But this is a new temple recently started, and thousands of people are coming. Why? All of them are fools and rascals? This is exactly according to the śāstra.
And the argument that God is everywhere, why you should go to the temple? And what is this nonsense? If God is everywhere, why not in the temple? But this is their argument, nonsense argument. God is everywhere, but not in the temple. This is their argument. So we do not care. Nobody cares. So many agitators came and gone, but the Vedic process will go on. Let the dogs bark, the caravan will pass. There is no difficulty. So on the whole, this is Vedic civilization, that the vigraha of the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepted as He is present. We should take it that Kṛṣṇa... Actually, this is the fact. As you have read in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, there was the Sākṣi-Gopāla history, and the two brāhmaṇas, they promised before the Deity, and later on there was misunderstanding, and the Deity from Vṛndāvana went to bear witness in Orissa more than thousands of miles away. And that Sākṣi-Gopāla, witness Gopāla—Sākṣī means witness—is still being worshiped in Jagannātha Purī, near. There is a station, Sākṣi-Gopāla.
So in that battlefield, mṛdhe mṛdhe, there were Bhīṣmadeva, Droṇācārya, Karṇa, Kṛpācārya. They were so big fighters, mahā-ratha. Mahā-ratha means... Mahā-ratha, ati-ratha, eka-ratha. A fighter who can fight with one man, he is called eka-ratha. And one who can fight with thousands of men, he is called mahā-ratha. And more than that, he is called ati-ratha. So these generals, Bhīṣmadeva, Karṇadeva, Karṇa and others, they were very, very powerful than Arjuna. Therefore Arjuna took the opportunity of killing Karṇa in a precarious position. Similarly, Bhīṣma was... Karṇa was almost dead when Bhīṣma was fighting. So Bhīṣma promised that "Today, either Arjuna will die or his dear friend, Kṛṣṇa, will have to break His promise. Then I'll give up this fight." So Arjuna was almost shattered, his chariot broken, and he was exasperated. So at that time Kṛṣṇa took one wheel and went to kill Bhīṣmadeva. So Bhīṣmadeva saw that "Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise. Therefore I give up this fight." Kṛṣṇa came to threaten him. That means He has broken His promise. "So I wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa breaks." This is also affection, love, between devotee... Just like in sporting, just like you want to see your friend defeated, but that does not mean you are enemy. In sporting, there is fight. That one party is defeated. That does (not) mean they are enemies. Next moment, they shake hands, sit together, dine together. It is like that.
Kṛṣṇa says: kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati. "My dear Arjuna, you can declare it to the public that My devotees are never vanquished." Why declaration was advised to be made by Arjuna? Why He did not declare Himself? There is some point. Because this declaration, if Kṛṣṇa makes, there may be violation because sometimes He violates His promise. But if His devotee promises, it will be never violated. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. "Oh, My devotee has declared this. I must see that it must be executed." That is Kṛṣṇa's position. He's so much attached to His devotee. Therefore He said that: "You declare. If I declare, people may not believe it. But if you declare, they'll believe it. Because you are devotee. Your declaration will never be..."
Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Kṛṣṇa wants to see that: "My devotee's promise is fulfilled. My promise may not be fulfilled, may be broken." So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in, at all circumstances, even it's the most dangerous position. We must keep our faith in Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, and there will be no danger.
Thank you very much. (end)
Now, if the Supreme Lord, God, has no hand, no leg, then how He can walk? Just like Sākṣi-gopāla. Sākṣi-gopāla, He was Deity, apparently showing as made of stone, and the devotee's asking, "My Lord, Gopāla, You have to come to give witness." So Gopāla was smiling and said, "How you expect a Deity can walk that I shall go to give witness for you?" The bhakta said, "If the Deity can speak and smile, He can walk also." That is the conviction of devotee. And the other party, they agreed that "If Gopāla comes to give witness, my sister will be given to you." He... Because he's atheist, he is thinking that "How the Deity will come? He'll never come. Then I shall not have to fulfill my promise." He is... He was confident like that. That is the difference between a devotee and nondevotee. The nondevotee cannot understand. They will take it that "Once you say that God has no eyes, then how He can see? God has no leg. Then how can He walk? God has no hand. Then how can He accept your offering?" Therefore the conclusion should be that ajo 'pi, although Kṛṣṇa never takes birth, and again He takes birth. He has taken birth. Therefore His birth is not like our birth. This is to be understood. He has no birth, but He has taken birth. Therefore, an intelligent man will conclude that His birth is not like our birth.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that the taste of Bhāgavata can be relished by a person who has finished his hankering of material desires. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. And what is, why such thing should be tasted? Bhavauṣadhi. Bhavauṣadhi, medicine for our disease of birth and death. Bhava means "become". Our... At the present moment, we are in diseased condition. They do not know what is the diseased condition, what is the healthy condition, these rascals. they do not know anything. Still they are passing on as great scientists, philosophers... They do not inquire that: "I do not want to die. Why death is enforced upon me?" There is no such inquiry. Neither is there any solution. And still they are scientists. What kind of scientists? If you can...
Science means that you advance in knowledge so that your miserable condition of life can be reduced, minimized. That is science. Otherwise, what is this science? They are simply promising; "In future." "But what you are delivering just now, sir?" "Now just now you suffer as you are suffering, go on suffering. In future we shall find out some chemicals." No. Actually ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. Ātyantika, ultimate. Ātyantika means ultimate. Duḥkha means sufferings. That should be the aim of human life. So they do not know what is ātyantika-duḥkha. Duḥkha means suffering. So ātyantika-duḥkha is pointed out in the Bhagavad-gītā. "Here is the ātyantika-duḥkha, sir." What is this? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Birth, death, old age and disease.
So what you have done for vanishing or making, or nullifying this duḥkha, these sufferings? So there is no such thing in the material world. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. Ultimate relinquishment from all kinds of suffering is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that?
So "I will rescue you from the resultant action of your sinful activities." Because you have lived so many years without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, you have lived sinful life only. So Kṛṣṇa gives, gives assurance that, as soon as one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, He immediately squares up all account. All your sinful activities finished now. Finished. Now you begin new life. That is called initiation. But don't commit anymore.
Therefore we take promise from our disciples that "Now the account is squared up. Whatever sinful life you led, that is closed now. Without any payment, I close. Now don't commit any more." That is nāma-aparādha. If you, if we think that kṛṣṇa-nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, can, I mean to say nullify so many sinful activities, so if I commit little sinful activity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, it will be nullified. No, don't think like that. That is the greatest sin. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Anyone who is thinking like that, that "Let me commit some sinful activities, and in the evening I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It will be all right," no. No. no, that is the greatest offense. Out of ten kinds of offenses, that is the greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi. Don't take to that process, confession. Just like the Christians do. They go to the church and confess.
That is the greatest sin. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Anyone who is thinking like that, that "Let me commit some sinful activities, and in the evening I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It will be all right," no. No. no, that is the greatest offense. Out of ten kinds of offenses, that is the greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi. Don't take to that process, confession. Just like the Christians do. They go to the church and confess. Suppose one confesses—"That's all right"—and again does the same sinful activities. Then what is the value? Accept... Why accept? It is fact. If you confess before the Lord, just as, "My Lord, out of my ignorance..." The sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Not that by planning that "I shall commit sinful activities, go to the church and confess. Then everything is nullified. Again begin, new chapter, sinful activities." That is not ignorance. That is by knowingly, knowingly taking advantage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So we should be very careful. We promise before taking initiation no illicit sex, no intoxicants, no gambling, no meat eating. We should strictly follow. We should strictly follow. Then we are clean. No more. And keeping oneself clean and keeping oneself always engaged in devotional service, his life is success and there is no need, there is no scarcity of anything he wants.
Thank you very much. (end)
But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown us the way, that we kill the demons in a different way. We kill the demons in this way: By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we purify him so that his demonic activities are stopped. That is also another way of killing. He stops his demonic activities. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, that He did not kill Jagāi-Mādhāi. Although He wanted to kill them because they insulted Vaiṣṇava, but still, Nityānanda Prabhu reminded Him that "In this incarnation, You promised that You'll not kill. So have mercy upon them." So their demonic activities were killed. That is also killing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi on this condition, that "You have to stop your sinful activities. Whatever you have done, that is done." So we make this condition. The demonic activities, we say, you have to stop. Whatever is done is done. Strictly following Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there is no consideration. Because one, you were previously a demon; therefore you cannot become a Vaiṣṇava—no. Anyone can become Vaiṣṇava provided he stops his demonic activities. Anyone. Anyone is welcome provided he accepts this philosophy, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).
So this is the way that Kuntī is praying, that sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi dṛḍham . So in this way we can get rid of the so-called affection for society, friendship, love, country, nationalism... No. Our sneha, affection, is completely transferred to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Thank you very much. (end)
Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva is one of the recognized stalwart devotee of Kṛṣṇa, mahājana, authority. Whatever Bhīṣma will speak on devotional service, that is authoritative. All the twelve mahājanas... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ (SB 6.3.20). So Bhīṣma wanted to conquer over Kṛṣṇa. He promised. How he conquered, that you know, the story, that when Duryodhana showed some reluctance, that "My dear grandfather, you are not fighting with the Pāṇḍavas wholeheartedly because you have got affection for them. So you are on my side. You should fight wholeheartedly." A little criticizing. So to, in order to please Duryodhana, Bhīṣma promised that "Tomorrow I shall kill all the five brothers. Is that all right?" 'Yes, sir. Do that." "So they cannot be saved unless Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise." Kṛṣṇa said that... Both the parties were informed that "It is family fight. I cannot take part in the family. But I can divide Myself into two: My soldiers one side, and I am one side. But even if I am in one side, I'll not fight." So this was His promise, that He would not fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. But Bhīṣma obliged Him to fight, to break His promise in order to save Arjuna. Therefore Bhīṣma conquered over Kṛṣṇa, because He had to break His promise. Arjuna was in such a precarious condition that unless Kṛṣṇa would take up the weapon to stop Bhīṣma, Bhīṣma was determined: "All right, let, let me kill my grandson." So in battlefield, it was a great ocean of fighting, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, they were compared with big, big sharks, crocodiles in the ocean. That was described by Parīkṣit Mahārāja, that "Only for Kṛṣṇa, my grandfather Arjuna was saved. Otherwise, it was impossible for my grandfather to conquer over the fight, to come out victorious. It is simply due to Kṛṣṇa."
Actually, the kingdom belonged to Bhīṣmadeva, the kingdom. But he promised... His father wanted to marry Satyavatī. At that time his father was old enough. Bhīṣmadeva was grown-up boy, twenty, twenty-two years. But nature, his father wanted to marry again. Bhīṣmadeva is the son of mother Ganges. Bhīṣmadeva's father married the predominating deity mother Ganges, of the Ganges water. So she was very beautiful. So she agreed to marry Bhīṣmadeva's father on one condition. What is that condition? That all the children that will be begotten, they will be thrown in the Ganges water. This was the condition. If the king agreed, then she would marry. So when a man becomes mad after woman... So he agreed, "Yes, I shall throw all the children. Never mind. (laughter) Come on." Māyā-mohita. Māyā-sukhāyā bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). This whole world, rascal world, they are captivated by this woman. Woman is captivated by man, man is captivated by woman. This is the tie here in this material world. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). I have explained several times. The whole material existence means this attraction. (break) Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). There are so many instructory verses. Here sex enjoyment is the most prominent, and people are captivated by this. This is life.
So the grown-up son, Bhīṣmadeva, he understood that "My father is inclined to marry that girl." So he went to plead, canvass: "So why don't you give your daughter to my father?" "No, no, I cannot give my daughter to your father. You are his son. You will inherit the kingdom, and my daughter's son will not inherit. So how can I give my daughter?" So he said that "I'll not accept the kingdom. I promise that your daughter's son will inherit the kingdom." "No, no, no. Still I cannot." "Why?" "You'll marry. Then your son will be inheritor. My grandson will not be inheritor." He was calculating in that way, pākā businessman. (laughter) So he promised that "You give your daughter to my father, and I promise that I shall not marry. So there will be no son. So naturally my stepmother's son will inherit the kingdom." Then he agreed.
So Bhīṣmadeva's father, although it was little shameful that the son is canvassing for the marriage of father, still, he could understand that "My son is so sensible that I wanted to marry, and he has managed." So he gave him one benediction: "My dear son, you'll remain brahmacārī, I can understand. But I give you one benediction, that unless you desire to die, you will never die." Icchā-mṛtyu. "This benediction you will have. Unless you desire that 'Now I shall die,' nobody can kill you, and you'll never die." So this was, the... Therefore... And because he promised so seriously that "I shall not marry," he gave up his kingdom, therefore his name is Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma means "very serious." So this Bhīṣmadeva actually maintained the whole Pāṇḍava family. That means Pāṇḍava, the Pāṇḍava and Yudhiṣṭhira and Pāṇḍu, they are the sons of the stepmother. And because Bhīṣmadeva was elderly son, practically he maintained even Yudhiṣṭhira, here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍava. And then again, Pāṇḍu, he died, his sons, these Pāṇḍavas, Yudhiṣṭhira, they were also raised by Bhīṣmadeva. So much affection.
So Duryodhana sometimes promised Arjuna that "I want to give you some benediction. You can ask." So Arjuna said—Duryodhana was elder than Arjuna—that "I will ask you in proper time." So Kṛṣṇa reminded that "Today, tonight you go to Duryodhana and ask him to deliver those five arrows kept in secret. Otherwise tomorrow you will be finished."
So Duryodhana went to, er, Arjuna went to Duryodhana in the camp. Duryodhana received him well: "Come on, brother. What do you want?" He thought that "We are fighting. Arjuna has come to beg the kingdom without fighting." So they were so liberal. He said, "Yes, come in. If you want the kingdom without fighting, I am prepared." But a kṣatriya will never beg, "Give me, sir, without..." No. If they can own by fighting, then they will claim. This is kṣatriya spirit. So he said that "No, I have not come to beg the kingdom. We shall fight, go on fighting. But I want those five arrows you have kept." Oh, immediately he delivered. Although he was very cautious that these five arrows may not be missing, but promise is promise. Immediately he delivered. So Bhīṣma understood later on that the five arrows were taken by Arjuna by trick. So still, he promised that "Even without those five weapons, today I shall kill Arjuna. Unless Kṛṣṇa gives His special protection to Arjuna, there is no escape. Either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise, otherwise His friend will be killed."
So in this way there was fierce fighting between Arjuna and Bhīṣma. And Arjuna's chariot became broken into pieces, and he fell down, and when Kṛṣṇa saw that "Now Arjuna is going to be killed," He broke His own promise. He broke His own promise and took one wheel of the chariot and reached before Bhīṣma that "Now I shall kill you." Bhīṣma immediately gave up his weapon. So "That was my promise, that I wanted that either You have to break Your promise or Your friend will be killed. So now You have broken Your promise. So I am giving up. Because it is not expected that I shall fight with You." (laughter) So Kṛṣṇa said that "Yes, I have kept your promise, but I have broken My promise. You decided, you promised..."
So this is Kṛṣṇa's business, to... Bhīṣma was a devotee, great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So he promised that either Kṛṣṇa would break His promise, otherwise His friend will be dead. So he broke His promise. So sometimes Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise, own promise, for the sake of a devotee. Nobody is expected to break his promise, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind, for protection of His devotee He can do anything. He can break His promise also. This is Kṛṣṇa's position. So such Bhīṣma was so affectionate to the Pāṇḍavas. So Kṛṣṇa wanted... Bhīṣma was lying on the bed of arrows, preparing for his death. So Kṛṣṇa wanted that these Pāṇḍavas should go to Bhīṣma and hear his instruction. Therefore, despite His advice to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, that "There was no wrong on your part. You are thinking that you have killed, or for your sake so many men have been killed.
So there are many instances. Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja he rejected his spiritual master: "Oh, you are nonsense. You cannot become my spiritual master." Because why? That Śukrācārya, when Bali Mahārāja was going to promise, so Śukrācārya advised, "Don't promise anything. He is Viṣṇu. He has come as dwarf to take everything from you." Then Bali Mahārāja found that "This is a foolish man." This Śukrācārya, Śukrācārya means jāta-gosāi, by semina they become ācārya. The semina. That is the, in India, guru-vaṁśa. Guru-vaṁśa, guru means spiritual master. The spiritual master, vaṁśa. That is disciplic succession. Evaṁ paramparā, that is guru-vaṁśa, not by semina. That is going on. The Śukrācārya: "This is my guru's family." Guru's family... "He has begotten a child, so something must be given. His credit is he's begotten child. Therefore something must be given." So this is going on, Śukrācārya. So Śukrācārya was rejected by Bali Mahārāja, Śukrācārya. "No, this family guru or the jāta-gosāi, no." Real guru.
So women were taken so much care by the Vedic civilization. Still they are taken. It is the duty of the father... Until she is married, it is the duty of the father to give her all protection. Therefore the father wants to get her married, to get relief from the responsibility. He has a great responsibility. It is called kanyā-dāya. Actually the word is called kanyā-dāya. Putra-ṛṇa. Ṛṇa means debt. If you are debtor to somebody you may not pay it, saying, "Sir, I have no money. Whatever you like, you can do." But dāya means a great burden. It must be get relieved of. Dāya means a great responsibility. Dāya. Dāya-bhāk. Just like a son inherits the property of the father... It is called dāya-bhāk, law. Similarly, this is the, I mean to say, most obligatory duty of the father, to get the daughter married. And then it is the duty of the husband next. Just like we get... When we perform marriage ceremony in our society, we get the husband promise that he takes charge of the girl for life. And the girl agrees to serve the boy for life. There is no question of divorce.
So the father hands over the charge to a nice boy. Never mind he is rich or no. That doesn't matter. He must be a responsible boy, who knows his responsibility. Not that "Today I marry, and tomorrow I go away. That's all." Not like that. Still you will find in India, even the poorest man, living with husband and wife very happily. Still you will find. I have seen (in) Ahmedabad. One day I saw in the street one husband and wife pulling on a ṭhelā, hand-cart, with great load, and the small child is on the load. That means their child. They are laborer class. But ordinary laborer class, poor man, but they are living husband and wife and children happily. Still.
So these promises, they simply promise. Actually, there is nothing. But king was very responsible, as we are discussing. Now, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was thinking of the woman: "Now their husbands and their sons or their fathers, so many have died. Now how to take care of them?" He was perplexed. So responsible, for children, for the brāhmaṇas, those who are helpless. Women, children, brāhmaṇa and old men and cows, they must be taken first care. That was the king's duty. Children. And who is taking care of the children? Who is taking care of the women? And who is taking care of the brāhmaṇas? There is no brāhmaṇa. Even there are some brāhmaṇas, we are creating now, who is taking care of us? It was the duty of the government to see to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, "Oh, such an important movement is going on? Our first attention should be how this movement can go on." So nice character, so nice behavior, so nice knowledge, so nice consciousness of God, so pure, and the government has no attention. They are thinking it is something sentimental. And all the politicians, going to the brothel and drinking and dancing naked, they are all first-class men. This is the position of the society. No care for the living entities who are very important. Just like in this verse, vipra. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is always accompanied by brāhmaṇas. Without brahminical culture, what is the value of the society? There is no value. It is animal society.
Acyuta means... He was addressing Kṛṣṇa as Acyuta because he was feeling rather little hesitation that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has voluntarily accepted the position of my driver, and I have to ask Him, 'Mr. driver, please take me there.' I have to order Him, and He has to carry." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has taken the subordinate position of carrying order of Arjuna. Therefore he purposely addressed Him, "Acyuta, my dear friend Kṛṣṇa, don't mind I am ordering You, but You have promised to carry out my order. You are infallible; so kindly do not take into mind, I am ordering You."
This... Every word used in śāstra has got so deep meaning. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya... He could address Him, "Kṛṣṇa." No, "Acyuta. You are correct to Your promise always." And again, another place, Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna that "You declare to the world that My devotees will never be vanquished." Why Kṛṣṇa asking Arjuna to declare? He could declare. He could declare, but the meaning is that sometimes, for the sake of His devotee, He breaks His promise. For the sake of His devotee. Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma promised, "Kṛṣṇa, tomorrow either Your friend Arjuna will die, I am determined now, or You have to break Your promise." Because Kṛṣṇa said, "I will not fight." But when Arjuna was practically devastated by the arrows of Bhīṣma, he fell down, his chariot broke, everything shattered. Now Kṛṣṇa saw, "Now Arjuna is going to die." So immediately Kṛṣṇa took the wheel of the chariot and went to the front of Bhīṣma: "Now you stop; otherwise I will kill you." So this is fighting. So Bhīṣma saw, "Now Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise. I stop." So to keep the promise of Bhīṣma, that Bhīṣma promised, "Either Arjuna will die, or Kṛṣṇa, You will have to break Your promise," two things, so Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I am breaking My promise. Don't kill Arjuna." Therefore, for the sake of devotee, He sometimes break His promise.
But if His devotee promises, "I shall do it," Kṛṣṇa will give him all protection: "Yes, it must be done. In all circumstances it must be done." This is Kṛṣṇa. If His devotee promises something, that "This must be done," Kṛṣṇa gives all protection. Therefore here it is stated, ajitāśrayaḥ. You cannot be successful without being ajitāśrayaḥ. Ajita. Ajita means Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can conquer Him.
So if you are devotee of the demigods, you can become powerful for some time. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu became. He took benediction from Lord Brahmā that "I shall not die at daytime, at nighttime, on land, on sea, on the sky. I shall not be killed by any animal, by any demigod, by any man, by any..." So many ways, definition by negation. "Not this, not this, not this." First of all he wanted, "Make me immortal." Brahmā said, "I am not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible." Then he thought, "I am intelligent enough. I shall indirectly become mortal. I shall not be killed in this way, I shall not be killed in this way. No animal can kill me, no man can kill me, no demigod can kill me. I shall not die at night, I shall not die in daytime, not on the land, not on the sea, not in the sky." In this way, whatever imagination he could manufacture, he settled up, "Now I am immortal." But Kṛṣṇa is so cunning and intelligent that He kept all the promises of Brahmā; still, he was killed, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He was not killed at daytime. He was not killed at night. He was not killed in the sky, not on the land, not on the sea-on the lap. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he did not think that "I will have to die on the lap of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That was his fortune. Anyway...
So this is the way. And here it is said, śaśāsa gām indra iva. Indra. Indra, the demigods, they are always protected by Viṣṇu, always protected. Whenever there is fight between the demigods and demons, Lord Viṣṇu takes the side of the demigods. Therefore Indra is ajita-āśraya. He is confident that "I am protected by Lord Viṣṇu, Ajita." Similarly, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira also, when he was assured that "I am also protected by Kṛṣṇa, I am also enlightened by the instruction of Bhīṣma; my brothers, such big brothers, Bhīma, Arjuna, they will follow my instruction," in this way, when everything was in complete, vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ, then he accepted the throne. This is monarchy. This is king.
Thank you very much. (end)
Now you die. Just like a clever lawyer, his client was condemned to death, to be hanged. I have seen it in Allahabad high-court. And still, he is patting him, "Don't worry. I shall get you released by appeal. Now you can go to be hanged, and I shall get you released." Like that. I have seen it. One big European barrister... In those days European barristers were very valuable. Mr. Armstrong. I had also one case in high-court. So one man, one medical practitioner, he killed his servant in the operation room very mercilessly. The servant was implicated with his wife. To revenge, he called the servant in the operation room. The servant did not know that he was to be killed. And immediately he was captured, chloroform, and mercilessly killed with knife and then packed up in a box. He was taking the corpse in a different place to throw away. In the meantime a police officer was passing. He saw that drops of blood is coming out of the box. He immediately arrested. So this case was. Then the doctor was condemned to death. So Mr. Armstrong was appointed his lawyer. So he was solacing, "Don't worry, I shall get you released by appeal." So our so-called scientists, they also say like that: "In future we shall do this. In future. Now you go to hell. That's all." But in future they cannot do anything. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Nature's law is so strong. The so-called childish scientists, they cannot give any relief. That is not possible. That is not possible. It is simply false promise. And those who are fools and rascals, they believe that in future... Future, but what they have done in the past? They cannot do anything.
Svasu means sister, and the relative... So although Kṛṣṇa is unattached, still He observed the social obligation. There was great fight. All of them lost their relatives. Not only the Kauravas lost everything, but the Pāṇḍavas also. Just like Subhadrā's son Abhimanyu. He was only sixteen years old. His wife, Uttarā, she was once taught by Arjuna. She was disciple, student. Arjuna was teaching her dancing. Virāṭarāja, King Virāṭa's daughter, Uttarā. So they were in disguise. Ajñāta-vāsa. So the Virāṭarāja did not know that Arjuna was living in his house. So this daughter of Virāṭa, Uttarā, when Arjuna was known that he is Arjuna, he requested that "You marry my daughter." So Arjuna said, "No, how can I marry? She is my disciple. She is my student. She is just like my daughter. How can I marry?" Then he promised that "I shall get her married with my son, although he is not very grown up."
So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we practice this. As far as possible, we are giving and taking. We are... We have made this program, life membership. We are giving our books, knowledge. Whatever we have got, little knowledge, we have written in our books, we are giving them: "Take it." And they are also giving: "Take this eleven hundred rupees." So this is dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. And they also come here to inquire: "Swamiji, your movement is very nice. What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of that?" Guhyam ākhyāti, expresses their mind. Pṛcchati. They explain, "This is my position. I cannot do it. How can I do it?" And the Vaiṣṇavas reply them. Then we invite them in our love feast. In all our centers, we have got this arrangement. We invite everyone: "Come on, take prasādam." And if somebody gives us something to eat, we also eat, provided he's not a Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī. Otherwise, we should not take. We can..., we cannot accept anything from these classes of men, atheist class. Then we'll be... Saṅgāt. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If we associate with these Māyāvādī, atheist class, karmī, jñānī, yogi, then we'll infect their quality. So if we infect the Māyāvādī quality, karmī quality, jñānī quality, yogi quality... I see some of the students, still they practice some yoga āsana. That quality is not yet... He's not yet free. But this is nonsense. This is nonsense. We should, by promise, we should not associate with any of their qualities.
Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva especially, his father gave him the benediction that so long he would not himself like to die, he'll never die, Bhīṣmadeva. He got this benediction from his father because his promise was very stern, severe. You know the story, that Bhīṣmadeva's father was captivated by the young girl, Satyavatī, and he wanted to marry her. A kṣatriya could do that. But Satyavatī's father disagreed. Although he was king, he could marry anyone he likes. But his (her) father... Still, with the permission of the parents. So the father denied, "No, no, I cannot give you my daughter to you." "Why?" "Because you have got grown-up son, and he will be the king. Why my daughter shall be married with you just like a maid-servant? No." So Bhīṣmadeva could understand that "My father desires to marry this young girl, Satyavatī, and there is some hindrances." So he approached, that "Why don't you give my father your daughter?" So he said, "Because you are his eldest son. You will become king." So he immediately promised that "No, your daughter's son will become king. I will not become king. Give my father, sir." So he said, "No, no, still it is not possible." "Why?" "Because you may not become king. Then your son will become king. I don't want that." So in this way Bhīṣmadeva said, "No, then I shall not marry. Is that all right? Still..." Then he gave his daughter, "Yes."
So his father, Śantanu Mahārāja, saw that Bhīṣma is so affectionate to his father that for the father's sense gratification he has sacrificed his own. So he gave him this benediction, "My dear son, you are so stern in keeping your promise. So I give you this benediction, that you will never die unless you desire." Therefore Bhīṣmadeva was lying on the bed of arrows, and he left this material world when he desired. So the yogis can do that. The yogis they control the soul. The soul is floating in different airs. So they can control. That is called ṣaṭ-cakraḥ. From the rectum to the abdomen, abdomen to the heart, heart to the collarbone, then collarbone to the palate, and then here. So one who can bring the soul here, they can get out from this hole, it is called brahma-randhra.
So Karṇa had a grudge against Draupadī. Therefore he planned to place her in the gambling game. And when the Pāṇḍavas were lost, now he wanted to retaliate the insult given by Draupadī during her svayaṁvara. So he advised... He was friendly to Duryodhana and brothers. "Now this lady is lost. Now we can deal with her as we like. She is our property." So she was lost. "So I want to see her naked in this assembly." So vastra-haraṇa. You know. But Kṛṣṇa saved her. So Draupadī knows very well Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said tadājñāya draupadī ca.
And another side is that when... At the time of retirement, there is no more responsibility. Here is it said, patīnām anapekṣatām. They are retiring from home without any consideration, "What will happen to our wife Draupadī?" No. "Now everyone should take care of himself. We are also going alone." This is retirement. Anapekṣatām, without waiting for anyone, alone, simply depending on Kṛṣṇa. This is called renounced order of life. So this is the process of retirement, not that to make arrangement in the family that "I am now retiring. You send me some money, and I shall maintain myself." No. No dependence. Simply dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, ekānta-matir āpa. Ekānta. Actually, Kṛṣṇa saves us. Why we should depend on others? Kṛṣṇa saves. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who is completely dependent upon Me," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22), "I personally bring whatever his necessity is." That is the promise of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. So renounced order means no more dependence on father, mother, husband, daughter. No. Completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Ekānta. That is perfection. One who is fully convinced that "Kṛṣṇa is with me..." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61)—"I will not have to search out Kṛṣṇa anywhere. He is within me, within my heart." There are so many instances.
Sa uttarasya tanayām. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, his mother's name was Uttarā, Uttarā. Means King Virāṭa, he had two issues, one son, one daughter. The son's name was Uttara and the daughter's name was Uttarā. This Uttarā was taught dancing by Arjuna. When Arjuna was staying at Mahārāja Virāṭa's house as an ordinary dancing master, they did not know that he is Arjuna. Because the promise was for one year, they should remain incognito. If they are detected, then again for twelve years they will be banished.
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.
So sometimes we say that you take part in politics. Our business is not to take part in politics for acquiring big post like president or secretary or attorney general. What you will do that? We have no meaning for this post. Because for a devotee what are these posts? Even the post of Lord Brahmā or Indra, the heavenly king, it has no meaning. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. That is stated by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam, the monism, to merge into the effulgence, the Absolute Truth, to become one, that is called kaivalyam, only spirit, that's all. So for a devotee this kaivalya perfection, monism, is as good as hellish condition of life. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr means the higher heavenly planets where big, big demigods live. Just like people are trying to go to this planet, that planet. So tri-daśa-pūr. Tri-daśa means thirty, three daśa, ten times...aḥ, three times ten. So there are thirty millions of demigods. And they have got different planets also. So they are promised, "If you come to this demigod's planet, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), you will get so much happiness, you will live for so many years, you will have better standard of life, thousand times more than in the... These are... They are described in the Vedas. But a devotee says that this tri-daśa-pūr, this heavenly planet, is as good as phantasmagoria. They have no value for these things.
So here it is said that nṛ-loke. Nṛ-loke, in this human form of body... Here advising, aho nṛ-loke pīyeta hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ. This is advised. Those who are born in the human society, they should join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement where simply hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ, there is no other business. What is our business here? Constantly, twenty-four hours, we are engaged in hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ. That's all. And so long you are engaged in hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ, there is no question of death. There is no question of death. Then if you say, "We are seeing that devotees are dying," "Yes, but death has been stopped. "Then still, why he is dying?" "He is not dying. He is going back to home, back to Godhead." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Tyaktvā deham. He has given up this body, but he is not going to accept anymore a body like this. Then? Mām eva: "He is coming to Me." What is that mām eva? Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you go somehow or other to Kṛṣṇa, you will never come back.
So mṛtyu, death, is stopped as soon as you take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously, immediately, from that moment, as soon as you are initiated. You promise before the spiritual master, "Yes, I am initiated, I shall act like this," and if you follow, then your death is stopped from that point. No more death. No more death. Simply an official business, just like you sleep and again you awake, similarly, a devotee's death is like that. It is like sleeping, and next moment in the spiritual kingdom, immediately. Immediately. When he will rise, he will see that "I am with Kṛṣṇa."
This is the fact. So don't fall down. Don't be childish, that "Yes, I have promised before spiritual master, before Kṛṣṇa, before fire. All right, that's all right. Let me break." No, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't lose this opportunity. You are now on the point of deathlessness, but if you again commit... Bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. There is chance. If your execution of devotional service is not going perfectly, so there is chance of falldown.
So devotional service so nice, that even if you fall down, there is not very great loss. Great loss means you get human body, not an animal body. That is stated in the Bhag... Yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ (BG 6.41). One who has fallen down from the bhakti-yoga, where does he go? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: in the house of very rich man and in the house of nice, Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. This is the opportunity. This is first-class opportunity. If you take your birth in the house of Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa, just like these children are taking birth, father and mother Vaiṣṇava... They are very fortunate. They are not ordinary children. Otherwise they would not have gotten this chance of chanting and dancing before Deity and Vaiṣṇava. They are not ordinary children. The parent must take care, very good care, that they may not fall down. They have got the chance. Now train them to complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of father and mother. "Now this child has come under my care." If both the father and mother think like that... Not contraceptive. Oh, rascaldom. "Oh, here is a child who has taken shelter of me as mother, who has taken shelter of me as father. Oh, it is my duty to train him in such a way that no more birth, no more death."
Caṇḍālas means the dog-eaters. In the human society, the division of higher class and lower class is determined by the standard of eating. So first-class men, just like brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava, they eat very purified prasādam. Their responsibility practically does not depend on them. Because Vaiṣṇava... Brāhmaṇa also. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody can become Vaiṣṇava. So when you speak of Vaiṣṇava, it is to be supposed that he's already brāhmaṇa. Therefore, to bring the neophyte devotees to the perfectional stage, we offer the brāhmaṇa's sacred thread. But if people, after promising everything, and break their promise, that is very abominable. When they're initiated before the Deity, before the Lord, before the fire, they should not break it. That is most sinful if you break your promise. Otherwise, you should not be coming forward for initiation if you cannot keep your promise.
So the first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men are considered according to the guṇa and karma, quality and work. That is described in the Śrīmad-SB.., er, Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is the system, not by force one can become first-class. According to the śāstra, who is first-class, who is second-class, who is third-class, who is fourth-class, who is fifth-class, that is to be understood. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. So when one becomes above the guṇas by devotional service... Guṇa means quality. A devotee is on the position of first-class human society because a devotee is engaged in devotional service.
Just like Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni was given the best, beautiful daughter of King Manu. So she was simply serving, not that immediately coming and sexually inclined. She was... So Kardama Muni saw that "This girl came to me, and I have accepted her as my wife, but she is engaged fully, although she is the prince, the daughter of king, very great king. But I'm not giving her any comfort. She has become lean and thin, skinny, but engaged." So he promised that "I am accepting your daughter, but as soon as she will have some children, then I'll leave her. On this condition, I can accept your daughter." The father came with the daughter, that "My daughter has selected you as the proper husband, please accept her." So he accepted, but he made this condition that "As soon as your daughter will have some children, then I'll leave home. Then I'll accept."
So it is now sympathy. Therefore when Jagāi-Mādhāi insulted Nityānanda, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu came and wanted to kill them. Nityānanda Prabhu reminded, "Sir, You have promised in this, Your incarnation, will not kill." So then He was satisfied and delivered the demons. Delivered the demons. Nityānanda Prabhu is therefore so kind. Nityānanda Prabhu is guru. He's so kind that in spite of being injured by Jagāi-Mādhāi, He delivered them. He requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. There was two sections. One section, sādhu, and one section, demon. That was the idea. Even when Kṛṣṇa appeared, there were two sections. Now everyone is demon. Then if the killing program is taken, then (Hindi) thagavate gham oja.(?) then everything will be finished. Therefore there is no killing program by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is killing program—it is killing the sinful activities. Pāpī tāpī jata chilo hari-nāme uddhārilo. Simply by chanting. He'll not be killed, but his activities, sinful activities, will be killed. This is the program.
Just like if you go to the chemical laboratory, you are testing the characteristic. In the book there is characteristic, even an ordinary chemical. Now, they say... Take, for example, salt. It is called? Chemical name is sodium chloride. Eh? Sodium chloride. So in the book you'll find sodium chloride, and the characteristics, "It is like this. It is like this. It is like this." The color, the taste, the composition, so many things are there. Similarly... How we are testing the purity of sodium chloride? From the books. Similarly, here is the characteristic of pure devotee. Characteristics. You test whether he's truthful. "He's not truthful, sir." Then he's not pure devotee. He's doing something... He promised before his spiritual master, before the Deity, before the fire, "No illicit sex," but he's having illicit sex. So how he is advanced? How he's advanced? He's not even truthful, the first qualification. He's unclean. Truthfulness. Śaucam, means very clean.
So this initiation means by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa though His agent, the spiritual master, you are getting the seed of bhakti-latā. So you have to take care of yourself by the instruction. Not that, "Now I have got a spiritual master and I have got the initiation, my business is finished. Let me do all nonsense." No. This initiation process, we take promise from you that no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication-before the fire. The fire ceremony means, fire is also representation of yajña-puruṣa, and through fire, the yajña-puruṣa eats, puruṣottama. So there is fire, there is spiritual master, there is śāstra, there is Kṛṣṇa, before—they are all witness. Just like before the high-court judge you promise, "Yes I'll speak... Whatever I'll speak in this court, it is all truth." So this promise the judge knows, and he gives his judgment on that. Similarly, these promises must be kept; otherwise it will be useless. That is your business, the same thing, guru-kṛṣṇa..., that by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, you get the thing. Now to use the thing properly, that will depend on you. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). I can give you very nice thing, but you keep it locked up in your treasury and never use it, then what will you do? Mālī haya sei bīja kare āropaṇa. You have to sow it and pour water and see that it is nicely growing. This..., that is very nicely described in rupa-śikṣā, mālī hay sei bīja kare āropaṇa.
This is common sense thing. I manufacture my own way by the advice of some, another rascal. This will not be good. This, this is very good, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "Always think of Me." Here is the chance. As soon as I see... As I advance in my spiritual life, I'll see, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." It is not the doll Kṛṣṇa. Doll Kṛṣṇa is for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. But one who is advanced, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Just like you have read the story of, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, two brāhmaṇas went to Vṛndāvana. So the devotee is seeing, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." When the older brāhmaṇa said that "I promise," the younger said, "Sir, you are talking before Kṛṣṇa. If you regret from this promise, it will be great offense." Because he was seeing Kṛṣṇa. And when he was asked, "Who was your witness?" he said, "Kṛṣṇa is witness." And his eldest son took the opportunity, "All right, if your Kṛṣṇa comes and gives witness, then my sister will be married with you." Because he is atheist. He was thinking, "Kṛṣṇa is not coming. Kṛṣṇa is not coming. It is made of marble statue, how Kṛṣṇa will come?" So he thought that "I have given him some chance which he will never be fulfilled." But to fulfill the words of the devotee, Kṛṣṇa came. Therefore He is called Sākṣi-Gopāla, witness Gopāla. So we must have faith. We must have faith and discharge duties according to the śāstra, guru, sādhu, then our spiritual life is guaranteed. If we manufacture something out of whims, that will not help us. This is the point.
You see? So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like one blind man is speaking other blind men, "Please follow me. I shall lead you to the right path." "But you are blind yourself, and we are also blind. What will be the help?" But no, they will follow. In our country, Gandhi promised that "I shall give you independence in one year, if you follow me—non-violence, non-cooperation." People followed, but it took thirty years. But actually, that is not independence. So these politicians, especially, they mislead us. Not only politicians, the so-called yogis, so-called... So many things. Real leader is Kṛṣṇa. So if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "Give up all other occupation, duties. Simply just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't hesitate. Do it." Kṛṣṇa is personally canvassing. He's so kind. He comes personally. He speaks the whole truth in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So "you become" means you die also. Because this is the world. To become does not mean that you stay forever. That is not possible. "You become" means you die also. So... But under wrong impression, as soon as I become, I think that this world is very nice. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings that "My dear Lord, when I was in the womb of my mother, at that time I saw You once, became visible." Those who are spiritually advanced, they can see God within the womb of the mother. When a child remains packed up and the consciousness is gained, he feels very uncomfortable. So at that time, one who is pious, spiritually advanced, he prays to God, "Please rescue me from this bondage. I am too much suffering. And this time I, after taking my birth, I shall simply be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," promises. But Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, janama hoilo poṛi' māyā-jāle.
As soon as birth is taken, the māyā is there; we forget. Immediately, father, mother, other relatives, they take up the child and pats very nice. So in this way we forget that we were in such a precarious condition, almost suffocating. Almost, it is suffocating. After coming out from the womb of the mother, if you are packed up again in such airtight bag, within three seconds you will die. We live under the protection of the Supreme Lord; otherwise that is not a living condition. Just imagine within the womb. So this we forget, and being taken care of, affectionate father and mother, on the lap, we think life is very nice, this life. But this is māyā, this is illusion. Actually, this bhava, to take birth, is very, very unpleasant task. It is blazing fire, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.
So guṇa-gaṇāḍhyāya, Kardama Muni, great yogi, what to speak about his qualities. Dadau tulyām, and Devahūti also equally qualified. So this kind of marriage is very happy marriage, and the result of such marriage is Kapiladeva. Because the marriage was very appealing, therefore Lord Kapiladeva, incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He appeared in the womb of Devahūti. There are two Kapilas, original Kapila is the son of Devahūti and Kardama Muni. Therefore He is particularly known as Devahūti-putra Kapila. Sāṅkhya philosophy was enunciated by Him. He taught His mother also. You'll find all those instructions of Kapila Muni to His mother. So the system was very nice. Everything was there. There was no question of simply brahmacārīs. No. There are married couples. This Kardama Muni was a great yogi. Still, he married. There was no disturbance. Although he promised one son only to Devahūti, but I think he got another nine daughters. So very nice system, everything was there—but for the purpose of realization of the highest truth. That is the civilization. Nothing has to be stopped; everything can go on. For bodily comforts we are very much busy, that's nice. But if you increase the bodily comforts, there is no limit. That should not be the purpose of life.
So this teacher, the original story, the teacher asked the student for... Somebody said, "I will contribute this cloth," somebody said, "I'll rice," somebody said something, something, something. There was one poor student, he had no means. He was very poor. So when he was asked, so he replied that "I cannot say anything without asking my mother." "All right, you ask your mother and tell me tomorrow." So he asked, "My dear mother, all my class friend has promised the teacher to contribute this, that, this, that. So my turn is there. What shall I promise?" The mother said, "My dear son, we are so poor, we cannot give anything. But if Kṛṣṇa gives, He is dīna-bandhu, the friend of the poor. So if He gives something to you, you can promise." "Oh, where is Kṛṣṇa? What is His name?" "Now, His name is Dīnabandhu, friend of the poor." "Where He is?" "I understand that He is in the forest." So he went to the forest and called, "Dīnabandhu brother, Dīnabandhu brother, where You?" He began to cry. So Kṛṣṇa came. When a devotee is very much eager to see Him, Kṛṣṇa comes. He very is kind. So "Why you are asking?" "My mother... You are Dīnabandhu?" "Yes." "So this is my condition, sir. What can I promise?" So He said that "You promise that you will supply yogurt, dahi. You will supply dahi." So he was very much satisfied. And he came to the teacher that "My Dīnabandhu brother, dādā, He will supply dahi, or yogurt, for whatever you require." "Oh, that's nice. Very good."
You will find... All the demons—we have got description in the śāstra—their only business is to become envious of God, that's all. This is the business. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa, as soon as he heard one omen that this eighth son of his sister, Devakī, would kill him, immediately he became furious: "Oh, let me finish my sister so that there will be no eighth or first or second son. Finish the origin of..." So anyway, Vasudeva saved her. It is the duty of the husband to save, give protection to the wife. So some way or other... It was a family matter. But he promised that "I shall bring all the children to you." So this is Kaṁsa. And actually, Vasudeva, to keep his word, brought all the issues before him, and he killed. Only in case of Kṛṣṇa, he violated the promise: "No, no, I cannot allow this child to be killed." So he transferred the child from Devakī's protection to Mother Yaśodā's protection. So anyway...
So the Kaṁsa was thinking of killing Kṛṣṇa always. He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, always thinking of, but how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the demon and the devotee. The demons are also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but they are Kṛṣṇa conscious in the opposite way, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. And devotees, they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, but not like the demon. They are always thinking how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Both of them are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore, this is... Because these demons are also Kṛṣṇa conscious, they cannot be called devotee. They cannot be called devotee. But they get the good result of Kṛṣṇa consciousness because by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa..." And when they are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they get immediately liberation. That is the absolute position of Kṛṣṇa. Either you go to Him as enemy or you go to Him as friend, your result is the same. So somehow or other, come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the demonic Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not bhakti. That is not bhakti.
Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is śānta. He is fully confident. Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, he is fully confident that "Kṛṣṇa, I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. I have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and He has promised, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Then where is the cause of my anxiety?" Therefore he can become... He has understood Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, almighty, all-powerful, full of all opulences. "So if he has taken my charge, then where is my anxiety?" That is śānti. That is śānti. And so long we are taking shelter of māyā, asat, which will not stay...
Suppose we are taking shelter, child is taking shelter of the father, mother, or the citizens is taking shelter of the state, of the government. So one has to to take shelter of something else for protection, for security. But they are not actually security. Therefore we are always full of anxiety. You may be a citizen of a great state like United States of America. But you are not without any anxiety because that shelter is not sufficient. That will not stay. Just like recently in America they had to dethrone Mr. Nixon because they were not free from anxiety. So you cannot become free from anxiety by taking shelter of anything material.
Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma was fighting with Kṛṣṇa. He had no business fighting with Kṛṣṇa because He is charioteer. But sometimes the horses, the charioteer, are also killed by the opposing party. So when Arjuna was in a very dangerous position... Because Bhīṣma promised to Duryodhana. Duryodhana was criticizing his grandfather, that "You are not fighting wholeheartedly. Because your affection is there on the other side, your other grandsons, pañca-pāṇḍava, therefore you are not fighting with your full strength." So this is a great insult for the kṣatriya. So he promised to kill the five Pāṇḍavas next day. That was a challenge to Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa promised that He will not fight in the battle, and Bhīṣma promised that "Unless Kṛṣṇa fights and protects His friend, Arjuna, he could not be saved. I will fight in that way." So he was fighting in that way, and Arjuna's chariot became broken into pieces, and he was in danger. And Kṛṣṇa could understand that "Bhīṣma wants Me to fight on account of Arjuna; otherwise he would not be saved."
So to please Bhīṣma—not that it was necessary to fight with Bhīṣma, but because Bhīṣma wanted that "Either Kṛṣṇa must fight or His friend Arjuna must die"—therefore Kṛṣṇa decided... Not to... He could save His friend Arjuna in any way. But in order to show Bhīṣma that "Yes, He is fighting. He has broken His promise..." He promised that He would not fight, but Bhīṣma promised that either He should fight or His friend would die. So therefore He prepared to fight. But superficially, He did not take His original disc. He took only one broken wheel of the chariot, and taking it, He was going to kill Bhīṣma just to show him, "You promised that I would fight, so now I have taken this fighting weapon. Now you can stop. Otherwise you will be killed."
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.
So he was hesitating to disclose his mind. When she insisted that "You disclose. Why you are so sorry? Then I shall try to satisfy you..." (aside:) Come on. ...so he disclosed his mind. What is that? "I want to visit that prostitute." Just see. He is poor man and (chuckling) he is diseased. Just see how much this lust and sense gratification is strong. He was thinking of going to that prostitute, and he disclosed his mind to his wife. Wife was very faithful. She wanted to satisfy her husband. So she promised, "My dear husband, I shall try my best to take you to that prostitute." "Oh, where you'll get one hundred thousand pieces of diamond?" "All right. I shall see to it." Then she went to the prostitute's house, and without her permission she was washing her dishes, her clothes, and, I mean to say, sweeping the rooms and everything. The prostitute asked, "Who are you? You are coming. You are not charging anything. You are not asking anything. What do you want?" "I shall tell you." So in this way, when she was daily asking that "What is your mind. You tell me. You are very nice woman. You are, for nothing you are working for me. I must something do for you." Then she disclosed her mind: "My dear lady, I am very poor woman, but my husband, he is diseased and he has no money, but he wants to visit you." So the woman could understand. She said, "Yes. You can bring your husband on such and such date." So she was very glad and told her husband that "I have fixed up, appointed a date. You shall be able to go." Oh, he was very glad.
So he was a demon, he thought by cheating Brahmā, indirect way, he took all the benediction, that "I shall not die by any, killed by any man, any demigod, any animal, or any living being. I shall not die in daytime, I shall not die at night, I shall not die in the sky, I shall not die on the land, I shall not die in water." In this way, as much as possible, by the definition of negation, no this, not this, not this, he thought, "Now I have become immortal." But he was also killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, keeping all the promises of Brahmā. He was not killed daytime, neither at night. He was not killed on water, he was not killed in the sky. He was killed on the lap of the Lord. So in this way... Actually even the demons in those days they were thinking that "Why should we be subjected to these laws of birth, death and disease. We must rescue (?)." But the demons cannot. But there is possibility. But who knows? Ask anybody, ask any scientist, philosopher that, "Have you any process by which we can become immortal?" What they will answer? "Up to date we have no such process, but we are trying. In future." They will say like that. But no question of future. Immediately, you can have.
So the old man said, "No, I feel myself." So he said that "My youngest daughter I'll give you." So he said, "Sir, don't say like that, because you are rich man. I am poor man." Because in India, still, the father, parents, they arrange for marriage. So they want equal status. If the father of the girl is rich man, then he must find out a son-in-law who is coming also from rich family. If he's educated, he wants a son-in-law who must be educated. So this young man was neither very much educated, nor at all rich. But this old man was aristocrat, rich man, and educated, complete different. The young man said that "Why you are promising like this? You do not know you are talking before the Deity. You should not talk like that. Because it will not be possible. Even though you agree, your sons, your wife will not agree. So it will be failure and you are talking before the Deity, you should be careful." So the old insisted, "No, maybe they protest, but it is my daughter, I shall give you. Who can protest? I promise." So the young man said, "Now, it is up to you, but you are promising before the Deity. Mind that."
So in this way, when they returned home, one day the old man, before his wife and son, said, "My dear son, my dear wife, this girl should be offered to that young man." He was same village. "What is this? How this daughter can be offered to such poor man? He's not very educated." The old man said: "No, it doesn't matter. I have promised." The boy, his eldest son, said, "No, no, it cannot be." And the wife said that "If you give my daughter to that boy, then I shall commit suicide." He was perplexed. Now what to do? So he was thinking and praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Sir, I have promised before You. You kindly help me so that they may not commit suicide and I may also offer my daughter to that boy.
So in this way, the young man, he saw that this old man promised before Lord Kṛṣṇa, Gopālajī, and he's now silent. So one day he came, and the son of the old man, he was very politician, atheist class. So when the father said, "I have promised. How can I deny?" "No, when there will be some talk about this you simply say, 'I don't remember what I said,' that's all. Then I shall manage. I shall manage." So what can be done? Although he did not like to say like that, but he has to see both sides. So one day the young man came, "Sir, you promised, now you are silent, you do not do anything. What is in your mind?" So when he was talking with the old man like that, his son came out, "You rascal, you want to marry my sister? Are you fit for that?" So all ill names. And he brought a stick: "Get out; otherwise I shall beat you like that."
Then other neighborhood men said, "What is the trouble?" So he said that "This man, this young man, went with my father to Vṛndāvana. He took all his money by giving him intoxication. And now he's talking that my father has promised to give my sister to him. Do you think it is possible?" So all the neighborhood men said, "Yes, he's very rich man, How this poor man can be...? Maybe he has taken his money." So the young man said, "No, sir! He has promised before... I am not very much anxious to marry his daughter. But I'm simply anxious that he promised before the Deity. So how is that he can withdraw the promise? It is a great offense." He's thinking in that way. So in the meantime his son came out, "All right, if the Deity has become witness, if you can bring the Deity here and He gives witness: 'Yes, my father promised,' then I also promise that my sister will be married with you." Because he's atheist, he's thinking that "Deity is not going to come here. How He can come and from such a long distant place? This is impossible. This crazy man may say that Deity has become witness, but it is not possible." So he said, "All right, I'm going to Vṛndāvana to bring the witness."
So he went there again and... He knows that He is Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. He does not know that He is Deity. He's Deity, but He's Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Sir, if Your devotee... I know that old man is Your devotee, but he is now perplexed on account of his son and wife. So You have to go with me and say yes, this promise was made before You, to become witness." So Gopālajī said, "How I can go? Do you think a marble Deity can go anywhere?" So he was devotee, he said, "Yes, marble Deity, if He can speak, He can go also." Then He could not say anything. By logic, Kṛṣṇa was defeated. Yes. "Sir, if You can speak You can go also. So You have to go." "All right. So I'll go with you, but don't see back. I'll go, rest assured. And you'll hear the tinkling sound of My ankle bell, so you'll know I am coming. Daily you offer Me one kilo rice on the way. I shall go."
Prasannātmā. Praśāntā. Prakistho rūpeṇa santaḥ. Preaching is not very, I mean to say, pleasant. They have to meet so many difficulties. Still they are peaceful, not disturbed. Praśāntā. Not that... Just like Nityānanda Prabhu went to preach amongst Jagāi-Mādhāi. And Jagāi-Mādhāi injured. "Why, You rascal, You have come here to disturb us?" And threw the piece of earthen pot, and Nityānanda Prabhu was injured. Still praśāntā. This is sādhu. Yes. "My dear Jagāi-Mādhāi, you have injured Me. It doesn't matter. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa please." This is praśāntā. He's not disturbed: "Oh, you have injured Me. I shall go to the police." No. Peaceful. "All right, never mind. You do not know how to behave; you have injured Me. It doesn't matter. Please chant." When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard it, He immediately came, and He was so angry, that "I shall kill these two men immediately. Bring My cakra." Nityānanda Prabhu said, "My Lord, You have promised not to take weapon in this incarnation, so kindly be merciful upon them." "No! They have insulted Vaiṣṇava!" This is another example. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching this humbleness: tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. But when Nityānanda Prabhu was injured, did He stop punishing them? No. At that time He became fire: "I shall kill them!" Tṛṇād api sunīcena does not mean that if a Vaiṣṇava is insulted or Viṣṇu is defamed, you remain silent, "I am tṛṇād api sunīcena." No. At that time you should become fire. That is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just like Hanumānjī, he's Vaiṣṇava. But when there was need for the service of Lord Rāmacandra, he set fire in the Lanka. So when there is viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava-ninda, defamation, you should not remain tṛṇād api sunīcena. You should take steps. This is the instruction. Anyway, Vaiṣṇava is never angry, but that does not mean that you tolerate insult to Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava. No.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi... This Jagāi-Mādhāi was debauch, drinking, illicit sex, meat eating and these things, degradation. These four principles are the four pillars of degradation. Therefore we prohibit. That if you want to make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you must give up these four principles. So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu made this condition, that if you promise that you will give up these four principles of sinful life, then I will accept you. Never mind whatever you have done in the past. Every man is sinful, there is no doubt about it, more or less. That is not disqualification. If he agrees to give up that, then immediately he becomes liberated. That is Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad..., ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Liberation is not very difficult. It can be obtained in one minute, provided you want to take it. Just like Kṛṣṇa says,
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
- (BG 18.66)
So, if you are free from the resultant action of sinful life, then you are liberated. If you get shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and do not act in such a way that you again fall down, then you are liberated.
We have got incidences in the history. There was fight, Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, but in the evening time they were friends. Evening time, there is no animosity. Just like Arjuna went to Duryodhana. Duryodhana criticized as grandfather. Grandfather is sometimes criticized by the grandsons. It is not an offense. You cannot criticize superiors, but between grandfather and grandchildren the relation is different. The grandfather also criticizes the grandchildren. So Duryodhana criticized Bhīṣmadeva, "My dear grandfather, you have got affection for the Pāṇḍavas. Then you are not fighting sincerely. You have been appointed the commander-in-chief, but out of your affection you are neglecting your duty." Indirectly he said. So old grandfather became little angry. "What do you want?" "No, you can finish them in one day. Why you are taking so much time?" "All right, I shall finish today. Tomorrow I shall do that. At least I shall finish Arjuna tomorrow. Either his intimate friend Kṛṣṇa will have to break His promise or His friend will die. You'll see tomorrow." Because Kṛṣṇa said, "Arjuna, I am joining you, but I shall not fight. Do you want Me?" Still, Arjuna said, "Yes, I want You. You don't fight." And Duryodhana saw Kṛṣṇa divided, one side Himself and another side His eighteen aksauhini military force. So Duryodhana thought that "Better let me take the forces. If Kṛṣṇa does not fight, what shall I do with Him? Better take His forces." So Duryodhana accepted the military force, and Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, with the promise that "I shall not fight. So I shall become your charioteer." So Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa, and Pitāmaha, the Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva, this is the scene.
Now Bhīṣmadeva has promised. Bhīṣmadeva knew that "Arjuna cannot be killed. I will show Duryodhana that I am not partial. He is not to be killed."
So Kṛṣṇa could understand that "This arrangement has been done." So Kṛṣṇa reminded Arjuna that "Duryodhana wanted to give you some benediction, being pleased upon you. Now you go there and take the five weapons from him." So when My point is that how the fighting was in a sporting spirit. So Arjuna, when came to the camp of Duryodhana, Duryodhana well received him: "Yes, my dear brother, come. What do you want? Why you have come?" "Now, you promised something to give me. I have come to take that." "Yes, I will give you. You want without fight the kingdom? Take it immediately. You want that?" "No, no, no. I don't want that. Fighting must go on. That is not I have not come to beg you that. We shall I have come to take that weapons which you have kept." Immediately he delivered. He kept the safety for killing them, and because he has come to beg "A kṣatriya should not beg, but he is begging? All right, take it." This is India. This is India's civilization.
And the next day also, Bhīṣmadeva fought so vigorously that Arjuna was going to be killed. His chariot broken, his everything was torn. Then Kṛṣṇa... You have seen the picture. Then Kṛṣṇa came with a broken wheel to kill Bhīṣmadeva, and Bhīṣmadeva immediately stopped: "Yes, my now promise is fulfilled. Yes, my dear Sir, You have broken Your promise. You promised not to fight, not to... Now, at the present moment, to give protection to Your friend, You have now broken. Yes." So Kṛṣṇa can do that. Kṛṣṇa, He can do everything to give protection to His friend and devotee. He can do, break His promise. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). He does not promise personally, because He might sometimes break His promise. He is asking Arjuna, "You promise so that your promise will be kept always. I shall see to that." This is the philosophy.
So Ṛṣabhadeva is Kṛṣṇa. So He became disturbed while walking on the street. He is not disturbed, but it is instruction that "If you are disturbed, you feel disturbed in this way, so you adopt this way. You sit down." Similarly, if they are disturbing too much, so we can sit down in one place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. And Kṛṣṇa will send you all necessities. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). He promises. Kṛṣṇa cannot say anything lie. He is perfect. So if there is actually impediments to push on this movement—people disturb too much—never mind. You sit down in one place and still go on preaching. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). People will come still in India. Why India? In your country also, if saintly person goes, they come. That is the practice in everywhere. So you can sit down and still preach. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa. Ei deśa means where you are sitting, where you are living, any place. And sit down. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). And But try to deliver these innocent persons who are suffering.
You cannot compare Kṛṣṇa's body with our body. If you do that, then you must be a mūḍha, rascal. Don't do that. Kṛṣṇa is always transcendental, divyam. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). This divya you should understand. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. He is liberated person. Anyone who knows what is Kṛṣṇa, immediately he becomes liberated. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). It is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. It requires time. He... Not all of a sudden you can understand. But if you stick to devotional service, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234), then He reveals. When you engage your tongue... It is also wonderful. To understand Kṛṣṇa, you require your tongue. Generally we understand by seeing or by hearing. Hearing is there, but here it is recommended tongue, especially. Why tongue is used? Because if you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa by your tongue and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam, you will understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you make it a promise that "I shall not talk anything except Kṛṣṇa's message," and if you promise that "I shall not take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," these two things, this prasādam and chanting, will make you perfect to understand Kṛṣṇa. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is yoga, bhakti-yoga. How easy it is. There are so many yogas, but if you practice bhakti-yoga you become first-class yogi.
So immediately Kṛṣṇa's promise... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Immediately sudarśana-cakra came and killed that demon immediately, and then he pursued Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni first of all approached Lord Śiva because he was devotee of Śiva: "Please give me protection." He said, "Oh, it is not possible for me. If sudarśana-cakra is after you, I cannot do anything." Then similarly, he approached Brahmā. So he also said, "No, this is not possible." Then he was so powerful that he approached Lord Viṣṇu even, personally, in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. He refused to help him. He said, "Durvāsā Muni, unless you beg pardon from Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, there is no question of excusing you. The sudarśana-cakra will not excuse." Therefore Vaiṣṇava aparādha is very, very offensive. You should be very careful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned vaiṣṇava aparādha, hātī mata. Vaiṣṇava aparādha, offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava, is exactly like mad elephant. If a mad elephant enters your garden, then he spoils everything. This has been given. Vaiṣṇava aparādha means hātī mātā. Mātā means mad, and hātī means elephant. So we should be very, very careful not to commit any offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava does not take any offense. He does not care who is offender, but Kṛṣṇa takes care. Kṛṣṇa will never tolerate if a person is Vaiṣṇava aparādha. Mind that. Just like a big man. You can offend him, he doesn't mind. But if he does something harmful to his child, so he becomes very angry.
Sometimes he is called Yavana-Haridāsa. Yavana means Muslim or those who are not in the Vedic principles, yavana, mleccha. Just like we have seen some temples. Our foreign devotees are not allowed because they have got the rules that mlecchas and yavanas, because they are very unclean, they should not be allowed. But that should not be applicable to the devotees of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they have learned how to remain clean, how to follow the... At least, they are expected. They promised at the time of initiation, "Yes, I shall not do this. I shall not do this." So if he's actually following the rules and regulations, he is no more unclean—simply by chanting.
- apavitraḥ pavitro vā
- sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
- yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
- sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
He become... If we follow our promise... That is gentlemanly. If you have promised something, you must follow it. That is gentlemanly.
Madhudvīṣa: His Divine Grace will be flying out of Australia tomorrow at 1:45 p.m., flying back to Hawaii by way of Fiji, where he will be stopping off for a couple of days. But our spiritual master will be coming tomorrow morning to greet the Deities, and everybody can have their last opportunity to have his darshan at that time. And it is good news that he has promised to return again in January...
Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! Hari bol!
Madhudvīṣa: ...for a more extended stay. So at this time, if there is any questions, you can take the last opportunity to present questions to his Divine Grace for some time. Yes?
Devotee (1): Being..., everybody being influenced by different desires, different intentions and desires, each individual's sādhana is something different?
Madhudvīṣa: Being influenced by different degrees of desires, would that influence each person's faith?
Prabhupāda: No. It may be faith. Just like different kinds of disease. You infect one kind of, I mean to say, infection. You suffer in that disease. So it is due to... Different desire means different types of association. We are, therefore, recommending that you associate with us. Then there will be one desire, how to understand God, that's all. That is wanted. The bhakti means sarvopādhi... Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Anyābhilāṣa, other desires, other material desires, when we give up and only desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfection.
There is a very nice proverb. It is said in Bengali that a woman, when she is in pain of labor, delivering child, she thinks that "Next time I shall never be pregnant." But after that (chuckling) again she becomes pregnant. You see? She knows the trouble of giving delivery to a child, and she promises that "Next time I shall..." Of course, nowadays there are so many contraceptive methods. But this is a proverb. So a diseased man, he has gone to the physician. He's suffering from a chronic disease. He knows the cause. Doctor says that "You have done this; therefore you are suffering." But after cure he again does the same thing. Why? This is the real problem. Why does he do so? He has seen, he has experienced. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt (SB 6.1.10). By such experience, by hearing and seeing, sometimes he refrains that "No, I shall not do these things. It is very troublesome. Last time I had so much trouble." And kvacic carati tat punaḥ: and sometimes he again commits the same mistake. Prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ manye kuñjara-śaucavat (SB 6.1.10). "Therefore, my dear sir, I think this so-called atonement is useless." Useless. Because the prescribed atonement he performs, suppose he becomes free from the sin, but why again he commits? Therefore he says, manye kuñjara-śaucavat.
Then I go on committing all kinds of sinful activities, and sometimes I go in the temple and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance," no, don't take this policy. You must stop your sinful activities. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra has got the power to neutralize the resultant action of your all sinful activities. That's a fact. But don't accumulate again the sinful activities. Then you are safe. If you take it as an instrument: "Now let me commit sinful activities and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," then that is very dangerous. You will never be excused. Just like sometimes the Christians do. They go to the church, make some atonement, and again does the same thing next week, and again goes to the church, again atonement. This is not good. If you make atonement for your sinful activities by some process—just like we are prescribing this process, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa—surely your sinful reaction is nullified. But don't commit it again. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. They were very sinful. Sinful means they were born in a respectable brāhmaṇa family, but by bad association they became drunkard, woman-hunter, cheater, and plunderer, like that. That is sinful. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered them. Then how delivered them? Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them promise that "You will not do any more all these things." They said, "Yes, we promise. We shall not do."
Senses may not be agitated. Damena, even it is agitated, by my knowledge I have to curb down. Just like if I become agitated by seeing a beautiful girl, or for woman, a beautiful boy... That is natural. Yuvatīnāṁ yathā yunor yunor yathā yuvaḥ(?). Young boy, young girl, they are naturally attracted. There is nothing surprising. But tapasya means that "I have taken vow, no illicit sex." That is knowledge. "Why? Even if I am attracted, I shall not do this." This is tapasya. And "Because I am now attracted, now we shall enjoy"—that is not tapasya. Tapasya means even one is attracted, he should not act. That is tapasya. There may be some difficulty to control, but that should be practiced. It can be practiced. It is not very difficult. But one has to practice the determination: "Now I have taken vow before Deity because at the time of initiation, it is promised before the Deity, before the fire, and before the spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇava, that 'I'll not have illicit sex.' That is promised. How can I break it?" This is tapasya. "I have taken vow before the Deity, before fire, before my spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇavas, 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no drinking or intoxication, no gambling.' I have promised it. If I am gentleman, how can I break my promise?" This is called jñāna. With knowledge one has to respect. That is called tapasya. With knowledge. Otherwise, to become attracted, that is not unnatural. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to say... He was sannyāsī. He said that "Even if I see a doll made of wood, a beautiful woman, My mind becomes agitated." So what to speak of us? So this is the example. Caitanya Mahāprabhu giving some... To be agitated in the mind, that is not unnatural, but if you practice, then you'll not be agitated anymore. If you practice by your knowledge, then you'll not be agitated. That is called dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You have to become dhīra.
So, because he was very proud of his possession, so Vāmanadeva came to Bali Mahārāja: "Mahārāja, you are kṣatriya. You are very charitable, I have heard. If you can give me little land?" So Bali Mahārāja was very much pleased: "Yes, I will give You. How much land You want?" "Now, three feet." "Three feet? For this you have come to me?" "Yes, yes." So, "All right, I will give you three feet." So by one feet He covered the whole sky, and the other feet, he covered the whole down planetary system. So Bali Mahārāja understood that what kind of beggar is He. (laughter) Yes. So Vāmanadeva said, "My dear Bali Mahārāja, you promised three feet, but by two feet you have finished all your possession. So what about the other feet?" So Bali Mahārāja, he was a devotee. He said, "My Lord, don't worry. Still there is. It is my head. Place Your other feet on my head." So Vāmanadeva said, "Now you have purchased Me by your charity. I shall remain your doorkeeper." So if you make charity to Kṛṣṇa you can purchase Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Although Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful proprietor, you can purchase Kṛṣṇa. So do that. If you have got any money, spend for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Thank you very much. (end)
So he got salvation simply by offering prayers. Vandanaṁ dāsyam. Hanumān, he simply offered his bodily service to Lord Rāmacandra. He got perfection. So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam... Arjuna. Arjuna simply kept friendship with Kṛṣṇa. He got perfection. Sakhyam.
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
Ātma-nivedanam, giving everything to Kṛṣṇa. That is Bali Mahārāja. He did not do anything. He simply... Whatever he possessed, he gave it to Kṛṣṇa, "Take it," his everything. He promised three feet land, and by two feet land all his possession was covered. Then Kṛṣṇa asking that "Where to keep the another feet?" He said, "Yes, sir, there is place. Just keep it on my head. That's all." So by three feet he lost everything. He lost not everything, but he gained everything, and Kṛṣṇa agreed that "You are so sacrificing. Now I shall remain as your doorkeeper here, stand here always to save you from all dangers." So by giving to Kṛṣṇa, by serving Kṛṣṇa, by loving Kṛṣṇa, nobody is loser. Nobody is loser. Everyone is gainer. Everyone is gainer. So therefore we should take this process.
Formal initiation means to accept, officially, to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative. That is formal initiation. Officially accept, "Yes, sir, I shall accept. I shall do whatever you say." This is initiation, official acceptance of the job. That's all. Now, you formally accept, and if you do not do the duties, then where is the question of other function? There is no question. Initiation means this is the beginning of accepting the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative to carry out. This is the beginning. That is initiation. Just like if you enter in an office establishment, so you accept the terms of service. That is initiation. Then you go on serving, you become promoted, you get salary increase. You become recognized. You become officer. You become big officer, like that. That very word initiation suggests, "This is the beginning." Dīkṣā, dīkṣā. Di... Divya. There are two words, divya-jñāna. Divya-jñāna means transcendental, spiritual knowledge. So divya is dī, and jñānam, kṣapayati, explaining, that is kṣa, dī-kṣā. This is called dīkṣā, dīkṣā, the combination. So dīkṣā means the initiation to begin transcendental activities. That is called initiation. Therefore we take promise from the disciple that "You chant so many times," "Yes, sir." "You observe these rules and regulations," "Yes, sir." That is initiation. He has to observe; he has to chant. Then everything comes automatically. In the beginning he is faulty; then how he can make progress? There is no question of in..., what is called? What you were asking?
Haṁsadūta: When do they want us? If we leave... The day we leave here we can go there? Sixteenth or seventeenth?
Prabhupāda: No, we are leaving on the seventeenth, so we can get that place on the eighteenth and live there for three, four days if they'll provide a good bungalow, and they have promised. So this is the position. Now you can consider.
Haṁsadūta: They can arrange a program for you?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. They'll do everything.
Yamunā: (indistinct) make arrangements.
Prabhupāda: Then we can cancel that. So the possibility is on the eighteenth. (break)
Devotee: In order that you should leave by the eighteenth, actually we have to go by plane, and so the plane reservation has already been made, and...
Prabhupāda: So you, amongst yourself, consider all these. I cannot tax my brain. So whatever is good, you do it. At Gurudāsa's meeting we shall be required all to represent there? Some of them may go.
We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but if we become at least once in life in ecstasy in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then all our sinful reaction of life is finished. Unfortunately, we again commit sinful life. Otherwise, by chanting once Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes immediately free from the reaction.
But the māyā is so powerful that it induces again to commit sinful life. So we have to promise... Just like Jagāi Mādhāi. They were delivered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were very sinful, their activities. Sinful means that has become ordinary things nowadays in Kali-yuga. They... What is that sinful? They were drunkards, illicit sex, meat-eater, and gambling. These four things, they were very much addicted, so they were rejected from the society. The society was so pure. Five thousand years before, Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave the Kali-yuga four places. First of all he wanted to kill Kali. Then he begged pardon, "Sir, I am also your praja, a citizen in your kingdom. So it is my business to kill these animals. So why you are punishing me? So give me protection. What can I do?" So Parīkṣit Mahārāja allowed, "No, you cannot do in my kingdom. You have to go out." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world, so the Kali, he said, "Sir, you say go out of your kingdom, but where is not your kingdom? Everywhere, throughout the whole world, where shall I go?" Then he designated that "You stay in these four places." "What are those places?" "Now, where illicit sex, brothel, prostitutes are going on.
So these things are going on. We want to be cheated, and there are so many cheaters. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. The Bhāgavata has discussed everything. These rascals are andhā, blind, and one blind man is promising to lead other blind men. So what will be the result? If one man is not blind, he can lead hundreds of blind men. That is fact. But if the leader is also blind, then what is the use of leading such blind men? So that is discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
- na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
- durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
- andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
- te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
- (SB 7.5.31)
Īśa tantra, by the laws of nature or laws of God... Laws of nature means laws of God. They accept, "By nature it is..." But they do not know who is behind this nature. That is intelligence. Nature is dead matter. It cannot... Just like this microphone. This is matter, material. What is that? Some iron, some other thing, some wood, some... But this iron-wood combination cannot take place and become a microphone. No. There is a life behind this iron and wood, and he has manufactured. Therefore it is working.
Die means in this body we are creating some situation for the next life, and in order to accept... Just like one person—especially this Ajāmila upākhyāna—his ways of life was not ordinary; most abominable. So abominable, good, or bad, in this life we are creating some situation so that we will get next life another body. Therefore there is death. That is material world. And as soon as there is death, there is birth. Death means we enter into the womb of a mother for, say, ten months. That ten months is considered as death. Not ten months, because the child within the womb of the mother returns his consciousness when the child is seven months old. This is human body. At that time he feels inconvenience within the womb of mother. Before that, he is unconscious, sleeping. Now, when the body grows within the mother womb and it is seven months, then he returns consciousness. He feels inconvenient. And he is very eager to come out. Those who are advanced, they pray to God, "My Lord, somehow or other get me release from this condition. This life I shall devote for rendering You service so that I may be free from this condition." So similarly, at ten months, ten days, he comes out and..., but forgets. Svajanera kole. Many relatives, mother, father, takes care, and he forgets that "I promised I shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious this time." But on account of illusory energy, he thought that "I am very comfortably situated. My father is taking care. My mother is taking care. My relatives are taking care. So very happy life." This is called forgetfulness.
The politician or, what is called, leaders, andha, they will promise you that "You will be happy in this way. You give me vote, and I shall bring heaven for you, and let me become minister. That is... You simply wait, and as soon as I become a minister and president, I will give you such and such benefit." So you select Mr. Nixon, and again you become disappointed. Then we request, "Mr. Nixon, you get out." And we accept another fool. This is going on. This is going... But śāstra says you will not be getting right information in that way. These foolish men, they will promise you something, and he is unable to make you happy. You will be again disappointed, again regret. Then what is..., wherefrom I shall get the right information? That Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If you want right information, then go to the guru." And who is guru? That Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). He says, "You just become on My order." Guru means who carries the order of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Or who is Kṛṣṇa's servant, that is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he carries the order of the Supreme. Therefore you will find... Because every one of us is ass, we do not know what is our self-interest, and somebody comes, "I am guru." "How you become guru?" "No, I am self-perfected. I don't require to read any book. I have come to bless you." (laughter) And the foolish rascals, they do not know, "How you can become guru?" If he does not follow the śāstra or the supreme authority Kṛṣṇa, how he can become? But they accept, guru.
For instance, that, when in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, fighting was going on between Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma, both of them... Kṛṣṇa, of course, did not touch any weapon because He promised. But Grandfather Bhīṣma was very severely piercing Kṛṣṇa's body with arrows, and Kṛṣṇa was enjoying. That is the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped, Kṛṣṇa can be loved, by any capacity. The gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa out of seemingly lust, lusty desires, and Śiśupāla remembered Kṛṣṇa out of anger. Kāmāt krodhād bhayāt. And Kamsa remembered always Kṛṣṇa out of fear. And, of course, they were not devotees. Devotees means they should be always favorably disposed to Kṛṣṇa. Not inimical. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, even somebody is disposed to Him in an inimical attitude, he also gets salvation. For example, Kamsa, Dantavakra, Śiśupāla, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa. They were not friendly. Still, because they thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, consciousness were there, but it was unfavorable. Bhakti means favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Favorably. That is bhakti. And pratikūlyena, just in the opposite way, thinking of Kṛṣṇa in inimical way, that is also accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa always, he is the greatest yogi. So even the enemies who think of Kṛṣṇa always, although unfavorably, he becomes a yogi because thinking of Kṛṣṇa.
So "That's all right; whatever You like." This was the agreement. So Duryodhana complained to Bhīṣmadeva that "Arjuna is your pet grandchild. You are not fighting wholeheartedly." So he began to criticize him. He was also grandchild. So when Bhīṣmadeva saw that "Duryodhana is thinking that I am inclined to Arjuna, I am not fighting properly," so he said: "All right, tomorrow I shall finish Arjuna. Tomorrow I shall fight in such a way, either Arjuna has to die, or his friend who has promised not to fight, He has to fight. Otherwise there is no escape of Arjuna." So Duryodhana became very satisfied. And Bhīṣma was a great hero. He was not ordinary hero. He fought in such a way that Arjuna's chariot became broken and he became fainted and so on, so on. Then Kṛṣṇa saw that "My friend is going to die." So He became very angry. And He was coming with the chariot wheel to kill Bhīṣmadeva, and Bhīṣmadeva was piercing His body with arrows like anything. So Kṛṣṇa was feeling very satisfaction, because Bhīṣma is also great devotee. So when Kṛṣṇa came before Bhīṣmadeva, that "Now I shall kill you, you are doing too much," so he immediately left, means "That was my promise, that either You have to fight or Your friend will be killed."
So these are the transactions between devotee and God. Generally, people cannot understand. But if one understands, he becomes liberated. If some way or other... It is not very difficult; simply we have to associate with devotees and discuss this literature. Then we'll understand Kṛṣṇa very easily. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself.
- teṣām evānukampārtham
- aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
- nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvastho
- jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
- (BG 10.11)
For a sincere devotee, Kṛṣṇa says: "To show him special favor, even though he is rascal, I'll make him intelligent." Thank you very much. (end)
Therefore here it is said, naikāntikam. Naikāntikaṁ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte (SB 6.2.12). Even one becomes free from all contamination of sinful life by prosecuting the particular type of religious principles, that is not sufficient, because ultimately it cannot give any good result. Naikāntikaṁ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte manaḥ punar dhāvati ced asat-pathe. Because the mind is so disturbing that even after being free from all contamination of sinful life, the mind again goes to that sinful activity. It is very difficult to control the mind. Arjuna, when he was advised to perform the haṭha-yoga system to control the mind, he flatly refused, that "I am unable to control my mind in this way." He stated that cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa: (BG 6.34) "Kṛṣṇa, the mind is so agitating and moving," cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, "it is just like a madman." Just like you cannot control a madman. Sometimes you have to chain a madman for doing mischievous activities. Sometimes you have to send to some hospital for special care. So Arjuna said, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, balavat. And not only balavat, "is very strong," and dṛḍham, "and very strong and determined" Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye: "If you ask me to control my mind, it is very difficult for me." Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor api suduṣkaram: "If there is some wind, strong wind, and if one thinks that 'I shall control this wind, stop this strong blowing of wind,' as it is impossible, similarly, the movement of my mind is so strong that I cannot promise that I can control this mind." And after the statement of Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said... Kṛṣṇa saw that His friend was becoming disappointed. Because he cannot prosecute the yoga system, so he's becoming disappointed. But He knew that Arjuna was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That was certain. Although his mind was very agitated because he was politician, he was warrior, still, his mind was fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That He knew. Therefore He said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47).
So those persons distinguish. Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma is stated here as one of the authority, mahājanas. But what did he do? He fought against Kṛṣṇa and pierced with his arrows. You know, in the... We have stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa became so much disturbed that... Not disturbed. That is also another... He's pleased. He became pleased, rather. Being pierced by the arrows of Bhīṣma, He became pleased. That I have described in my translation. So being pleased, He came before him. He came before him as if angry, but not... He was so pleased, that "You wanted to break My promise. I have broken it! Please save Arjuna; that is My request to you.' " He promised that "Now tomorrow I shall fight in such a way that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise, either, or His most intimate friend, beloved friend, Arjuna, will be killed." So this person is determining to kill Kṛṣṇa's friend, most intimate friend, and he's a mahājana. Just try to understand. Bhīṣma is accepted here as mahājana, as authority. And what was his business? He wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Just try to understand. Therefore, we have to follow only the instruction of mahājana; otherwise, we'll be bewildered. Vaiṣṇave kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya (CC Madhya 23.39). We cannot understand what are the activities of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. We have to simply follow their instruction. That's all. The sahajiyās, they do not follow the instruction. They imitate only: "Kṛṣṇa has made rāsa-līlā; so why not we also make rāsa-līlā?" It is going on, regularly.
So these are special cases, not that because Kṛṣṇa promises to excuse... Because Kṛṣṇa says that "Even though he has committed such sinful activities, still, he's a sādhu," and although Yamarāja says that "Those who are engaged in devotional service, they are out of my jurisdiction of punishment," so we should not take advantage of this concession. That is a great offense, greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. These concessions are there for the devotees, but not for intentional committing sinful activity. If by accident, if by previous habit, one commits some mistake or falls down, that is excused. And one should be repentant: "My dear Lord, I have committed this offense. Please excuse me." And one should fast. One should be very much repentant. Then Kṛṣṇa is so kind. But he hasn't got to take to the prāyaścitta or, what is called, atonement system. A devotee hasn't got to do that. A devotee's sinful activities is excused, and if he is repentant, then he is again elevated to his original position. That is the verdict of all śāstras.
So we should always remember that Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, He is the supreme father and He is the supreme proprietor. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). The best life is to remain under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālan, rakiṣyate iti viśvāsa pālanam. This is called surrender, that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." And Kṛṣṇa also promises, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to everyone without even being devotee. And one who becomes a devotee, how much care is taken by Kṛṣṇa, just imagine.
- samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
- na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ
- ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
- mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
- (BG 9.29)
God is kind to everyone, merciful. But one who has engaged himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, He takes special care for him. So we should not miss this opportunity of life and deviate from devotional service and make our life cumberous, again fall into the same material existence, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), "This is mine." No. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's, everyone is Kṛṣṇa's, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Let us behave in that way, then our life is successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
So if we can... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234), the sevā, the service, begins from the tongue, service. Not with the hand but with the tongue. If you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is sevā, and if you take prasādam, then your business begins immediately. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. And if you simply continue this sevā, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself and gradually He will give you intelligence how you can make advance to go back to home, back to Godhead. Na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato. Acyutam, Kṛṣṇa is acyuta. Acyuta means who never falls down, or never withdraws his promise. That is acyuta. Just like we promise something, but sometimes we do not keep. This is material world. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa says... His name is acyuta, means never fall down. Just like Arjuna asked Kṛṣṇa, rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta. He's ordering Kṛṣṇa to drive the chariot. He knew that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is my duty to serve Him, but He has agreed to become my chariot driver, so now I have to order Him. He has agreed to become my chariot driver." Therefore he is reminding, "Kṛṣṇa, do not take it otherwise because I am ordering You. You are not to be ordered, but You order everyone. Now I am ordering You, but You are acyuta, You are never fallible. You never withdraw Your word." So Kṛṣṇa also carried his order. He's so nice friend of Arjuna that He promised, "I shall become your chariot driver." And the master is ordering. Therefore He used this word, acyuta.
So Acyuta, Kṛṣṇa, never falls from His word, from His promise. And He promises, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). If you become His devotee, rest assured you will never be vanquished. Kṛṣṇa is always protecting. So such... We are loitering in this material world without any protection. Kadāham aikāntika kiñkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi sānatha-jīvitam. There is a verse by Yamunacārya. Kadāham aikāntika nitya kiñkaraḥ. Just now I forget the first line. He's praying, "My dear Lord, I am loitering in this material world without any guardian. So when the time will come that I shall be jolly always that 'There is my guardian, Kṛṣṇa'?" Kadāham aikāntika nitya kiñkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi. Anātha. Everyone is in this material world, anātha. Anātha means without any protection. The... We are thinking, "My family, my wife, my children, my society men, my nation will give me protection." No. Nobody can give you protection. It is false hope. Just like the birds, when they fly in the sky, everyone has to take his own care. Nobody can help anyone. One can help only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not in the material way. Nobody can help. Because... This is called destiny. I have given that example that in our country Mahatma Gandhi, he was a big man, he was in the meeting. In your country also, President Kennedy. So nobody could help him when he was killed.
This Nṛsiṁha-deva feature was specifically adopted for Hiraṇyakaśipu. This is all-powerful. Hiraṇyakaśipu took benediction from Lord Brahmā that no god, demigod can kill him, no man can kill him, no animal can kill him, and so on, so on, so on. Indirectly he made a plan that nobody could kill him. And because first of all he wanted to become immortal, so Lord Brahmā said that "I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of becoming...? That is not possible." So these rākṣasas, demons, they are very intelligent, duṣkṛtina, intelligent—but for sinful activities. That is the feature of the rākṣasa. So he planned something, that "Indirectly I shall take benediction from Lord Brahmā in such a way that I'll remain immortal." So in order to keep Brahmā's promise, Nārāyaṇa appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva, half lion and half man. Therefore adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrva. Even Lakṣmī did not see such feature of the Lord, the half man, half lion. This is Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, all-powerful. He can assume any form. That is... Adṛṣṭā aśruta-purva. Never saw. Although she is associated with the Nārāyaṇa, but she never saw such wonderful feature of the Nārāyaṇa. Therefore it is said, adṛṣṭā aśruta-pūrvatvāt sā na upeyāya śaṅkitā. Lakṣmījī is chaste. So śaṅkitā: she was fearful, "May be He's different person." And she is the chaste, the most chaste. How she can mix with different person? Therefore śaṅkitā. This word is used, śaṅkitā. Although she is supposed to know everything, still, she was thinking, "May not be my husband." This is the ideal chaste, chastity, that even Lakṣmījī, being doubtful about Viṣṇu, she did not talk, did not approach. Śaṅkitā. This is another quality of Lakṣmījī. She became afraid, "He may not be Nārāyaṇa." Because she's never experienced of her husband such wonderful feature, half lion and half man. So adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrvatvāt sa nopeyāya śaṅkitā.
This is called faith. Yes, Kṛṣṇa says that simply by surrendering at His lotus feet one becomes immediately a liberated person. Kṛṣṇa says that.
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi...
- (BG 18.66)
Just like if I offer you that if you do this work, I shall give you immediately fifty thousand rupees. So, who will believe me? "This man is a beggar, sannyāsī, how he'll give fifty thousand rupees?" So there is no śraddhā. But we cannot do so with reference to Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), that is a fact. That is not a bogus promise, because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all-powerful. Whatever He likes, He can do. This is called faith.
The fact is that these fools, these rascals who are thinking that this world is for their enjoyment, this money belongs to him... It is stated here, aviduṣaḥ. Aviduṣaḥ means rascal, without any education. Without any education. They have got all these university degrees and without education? Yes. Why? Because they have no spiritual education. So aviduṣaḥ. So mānaṁ janam aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. When Kṛṣṇa says or God says that "Give Me this...," Just like He is begging from Bali Mahārāja, Vāmanadeva, "My dear King, will you give Me a little land?" So his spiritual master, he was a demon. He forbade Bali Mahārāja not to promise, because He is Viṣṇu. "He'll take everything from you." That's a nice story. Some of you know how Bali Mahārāja became a great devotee of the Lord. Now here it is stated that mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. Whatever He wants from any person, provided he is a devotee... The Lord does not accept anything from nondevotee. That is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).
Here it is stated, nija-lābha-pūrṇo. He is so opulent that He has no hankering. Complete. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇaḥ. He is complete with full six opulences. He is the richest, He is the wisest, He is the most famous, He is the most strong, influential, and renounced order. Everything is complete there. Then why He is asking that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati? He is so rich, so opulent, still He is begging that "Little flower, a little water, a little fruit, if offered to Me with devotion and love, I accept and eat it." So the real fact is that we have lost our devotion, faith, in God.
You cannot stop death. Children, somebody says, the parents do not take care, but even the parents take care, is it guaranteed that the children will not die? There are many rich men, they are taking care of their children. Rich men, they are taking care of the diseased person, good physician, good medicine. Why the diseased person is dying? Why the children suffering? So, these are to be observed. Why these things happen? That means the ultimate control is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa sanctions, then everything will be possible. So why not take shelter of Kṛṣṇa? This is the idea. You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and if Kṛṣṇa likes, He will give you all protection. And He promises that "I'll give protection."
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi...
- (BG 18.66)
Because we become diseased, we become subject to birth and death, we... This is all due to our sinful activities. Why are repeatedly...? We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is our position, that we do not die even after the body's destruction. Then why should I be in this position, that repeatedly I have to die, I have to give up this body, again accept another body, again suffer? This is the problem, but mūḍhā, duṣkṛtina, they do not see to the real problem. That is their fault.
So this cheating, this misuse of intelligence, is going on, but that is never successful. It will never be successful because Kṛṣṇa is always more than you. If you are a cheater, but Kṛṣṇa can cheat you more than what you know. That Kṛṣṇa knows. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa can be...? "God is great." So if you want to cheat Kṛṣṇa, He can cheat you more than what you know. So that is not possible. Therefore this Hiraṇyakaśipu thought himself to be very intelligent and wanted to cheat Kṛṣṇa and His servant, but he was cheated actually.
Therefore he said that tad-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtaṁ vidhātum. Ṛṣi-vākya. Even the devotee or the servant of Kṛṣṇa says something, even it is wrong, Kṛṣṇa upholds this. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati (BG 9.31). So even it is wrongly done, still, Kṛṣṇa fulfills because He thinks that "My servant has promised; it must be fulfilled." Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, in the previous verse he has said, tava bhṛtya-pārśva. So to serve the servant of Kṛṣṇa is better than to serve directly Kṛṣṇa, because if the servant of Kṛṣṇa promises something, if the servant of Kṛṣṇa says, "I'll take you to Kṛṣṇaloka," you must go there. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot do that. He can... I mean to say that He does not say very easily. But if a servant... Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **.
You cannot say it is sky, land or water. He did not kill him with the open weapon, but He killed with His nails. In this way you'll find that He kept everything intact, what benediction was given by Lord Brahmā, ṛtaṁ vidhātum. "Yes." At last, of course, He little chastised Brahmā that "You should not give such benediction in future. This is botheration for Me." (laughter) But still, He kept His servant's promise intact. The demon was also killed, and the promise given by, a benediction given by Brahma, everything... That is the action of the Supreme Personality. In one stroke He is doing so many things. He's saving Prahlāda Mahārāja, He's killing Hiraṇyakaśipu, He's keeping intact the promise of Brahmā—everything. That is God's intelligence. Our intelligence, however diplomat we may be, if we want to do anything, another thing is not managed nicely. But Kṛṣṇa... That is called all potency. When He does something, in a moment He can adjust everything. Even opposite actions, He can adjust. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He's called all-powerful. We cannot do that.
So mat-prāṇa-rakṣaṇam ananta pitur vadhaś ca manye sva-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtaṁ vidhātum: "So Your incarnation is there for fulfilling so many objects. And especially, there was challenge by my father, taking his sword." Khaḍgaṁ pragṛhya yad avocad asad-vidhitsuḥ. Asad-vidhitsuḥ: "I shall kill you." This is asat-vidhitsuḥ, to say like that, "I shall kill you." Nobody can kill anyone. This is asat. "I shall give you. I shall kill you. I shall protect you"—no, you cannot do anything. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau. Nobody can do anything unless it is sanctioned by God. You don't promise anything. Therefore a devotee always says, "If Kṛṣṇa desires, it will be done." That is the fact. That is the fact.
Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi was most dangerously sinful persons, and they surrendered to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You know the story, that he injured... Both the brothers injured Nityānanda Prabhu. Still, Nityānanda Prabhu was so persistent that He decided that "Inspite of all the faults of these two persons, I shall deliver them." So when He was injured by these two brothers, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very, very angry, and He immediately called for His cakra to kill these sinners. But Nityānanda Prabhu requested, "My dear Lord, in this incarnation You promised that You'll not take any weapon to kill. So don't kill them. Have mercy on them." This is Vaiṣṇava. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu became pacified. In the meantime these two brothers fell on the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's lotus feet: "Sir, excuse us and save us." In this way they became surrendered. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu made one condition, that "You have committed so many sinful activities. I shall excuse them immediately, provided you promise that you'll not commit again." This is initiation. This is called initiation, that to the spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa we surrender. He immediately excuses all sinful reaction of life. But if we commit again and again, that is not very good proposal. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we become immediately free, undoubtedly, but if we take it as an instrument for committing sinful activity, then the danger is very...
So the Vaiṣṇava's duty is... That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's proposal, that "Personally I have no problem. I am begging Your mercy for everyone, not for me, sir. I am quite sure. Because You are assuring, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14), so I have no such māyā. I have fully surrendered unto You. And You also promise, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So I am simply fully surrendered unto You. Then as far as I know, I have done it. I shall continue it. So I have no problem." Therefore Vaiṣṇava is worshiped as para-duḥkha-duḥkhī.
- vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca
- kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
- patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
- vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava... That is Vaiṣṇava's duty, because they practically see that these rascals are engaged only in false activities which will not help him. They are planning this "ism," that "ism," that "ism," that "ism," simply wasting time, because he knows. He knows, everyone knows, but Vaiṣṇava understands; the non-Vaiṣṇava does not understand. He is a fool. He's a fool, does not understand. When in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said clearly, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), "Everyone is under the control of the modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa," and still, this rascal is thinking that he is independent... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. And the so-called yogis and swamis encouraging them, that "Yes, you can go on doing all nonsense. Pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you mantra, and you'll be perfect." This is going on.
So only the devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee, he can deliver them. He goes from town to town, village to village, house to house, to bring this message of Kṛṣṇa and deliver him. Prahlāda Mahārāja is promising, naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumuksa eko: "I do not wish to go alone. Give me some strength so that I can deliver some of them. It is not possible to deliver all of them." But that is a very important engagement for Vaiṣṇava. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written in his Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, we can understand a Vaiṣṇava very nicely when we see that he has converted so many conditioned soul into Vaiṣṇava life. That is the estimation of a Vaiṣṇava. If I simply try for myself—I may be very advanced devotee—that is not very much appreciated by Kṛṣṇa. Prāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā. Everyone is interested. There are goṣṭhy-ānandī and bhajanānandī. Bhajanānandī is interested for his own welfare, or they think it that he is not competent enough to preach; therefore he does not go for preaching work. Sva-vimukti-kāmā: "Let me look after my own affairs." "Oil your own machine."
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
There, there are many instances. Just like gopīs. At dead of night, when Kṛṣṇa's flute was there, they left their husband, left their father, left their brothers, children, everything, and they went away. Now, according to our Vedic system, young girls, young women, leaving the protection of father, brother or superiors, and going in the forest for another boy—oḥ, it is very sinful. Socially, it is sinful. And Kṛṣṇa instructed them, "What you have done? You go back immediately." And they began to cry. That, this description is there. So now, from the social point of view, this is sin. This is sin when the gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja was standing without any protest and his father is being killed. Now can any sane man see that his father is being killed, and he's standing silently, without any protest? And Bali Mahārāja, he rejected his spiritual master. When Śukrācārya said that "Don't promise. He's Viṣṇu. He'll take everything of your. Don't promise anything," the Bali Mahārāja said, "He is Viṣṇu? And you are asking me not to promise to Him? Oh, I don't want such spiritual master. I reject him." To reject spiritual master is a great sin. So these are, from social point of view, from religious point of view, these are irreligious, sinful activities, to reject one's spiritual master; to see one's father being killed in one's presence; one woman is going to another boy, dead of night. Superficially they are sinful activities. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no upāsanā, method of worship, as it was conceived by the gopīs. First class.
What is the meaning of this preaching. People are engaged in material activities, and the preacher should approach them that "You are spoiling your time, my dear sir. You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is preaching. "You are simply spoiling. You have got this human form of life, but you are utilizing like animals—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. You may be very great political leader, but your engagement is like animal." That is the fact. What these politicians do? They make arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. They promise that "I shall give you nice eating. You give me vote. I'll... Make me minister of food. I shall give you enough food." Or so many things, they falsely promise, or rightly promise. They know. So actually, minister or minister's father cannot give you food. The food is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
When Kṛṣṇa was fighting with Bhīṣma... You know the story, that Bhīṣma was criticized by Duryodhana: "My dear Grandfather, you are not fighting in full strength with Arjuna because the, on the other side, they are your grandsons, and you have got, you have got very natural affection for them. So I think you are not fighting according to your strength. Otherwise, they would have been finished by this time." So Bhīṣma also could understand that, his criticism. Then he promised immediately that: "Tomorrow I shall finish all these five brothers. Will that be happy for you? So I am keeping five arrows to be used tomorrow for killing these five brothers." So Duryodhana became doubtful. So he request grandfather, "My dear grandfather, may I keep these five arrows with me so that you can take it from me tomorrow and use it?" "All right, you keep it."
So Kṛṣṇa could understand that "Now Bhīṣma has promised to kill the Pāṇḍavas tomorrow, and he has selected five arrows for them." So He has to protect His devotees. Now, He asked Arjuna that "Duryodhana sometimes promised to give you some benediction. Now it is the opportunity. You go there to Duryodhana. And he has kept five arrows very carefully; you take it, them." So Arjuna went to Duryodhana... Because after fighting, in the evening, they were friends. There was no enmity.
So next morning, when Bhīṣmadeva asked that "Where are those five arrows? Give me," So Duryodhana said, "Sir, this is the story. It has been taken away by Arjuna." So he could understand it is the trick of Kṛṣṇa. So immediately he, out of devotion, became angry. Yes. So devotion, devotional service can be executed in anger also. Not by simply flowers. If he, there is a devotee, he can serve Kṛṣṇa by becoming angry. So he promised immediately that "Today Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise." Because Kṛṣṇa promised that "Although I shall be in the battlefield, I shall simply drive your chariot, but I shall not fight." That was His promise. Now Bhīṣma said that "Kṛṣṇa has broken my promise. So I shall fight in this way today that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His own promise or His friend Arjuna will be killed." Two alternatives.
So when Bhīṣma was fighting very fiercely, severely, Arjuna's chariot became broken and he fell down; at that time Kṛṣṇa took one of the wheels of the chariot and immediately approached Bhīṣma, and when He was approaching Bhīṣma, Bhīṣma was also piercing His body with arrows. And Kṛṣṇa was accepting the arrows move lovable than the flowers. This is the dealing. Therefore that is a rasa, ghastly rasa. Apparently it appears to be very severe, that Kṛṣṇa is being pierced by the arrows.
Ghastly or wondrous rasas or chivalrous rasas, although they are not exactly like the five primary rasas, conjugal love, paternal affection, friendly love... Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣmadeva was enjoying the chivalry rasas when he decided that "This day, I must kill Arjuna. Either Kṛṣṇa will have to break His promise..." Kṛṣṇa promised that He'd not take any weapon in the battle; He should remain neutral. Because both sides, they were relatives. So it is not good to take part partially in one party and neglect other. Of course, it was divided... Kṛṣṇa divided Himself, His soldiers, one side, and Kṛṣṇa, one side. He said, Duryodhana and Arjuna, that "I shall remain neutral, but I am dividing My strength in this way. One side, I am, and one side, My soldiers." So Duryodhana thought that "What shall I do with Kṛṣṇa? Better take His soldiers." So he took the soldiers in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. And Arjuna said that "I want You." Just like the same thing happened in general politics also. When Gandhi started the movement, noncooperation movement, so he selected some very big men of India, big, big lawyers like C. R. Das, Motilal Nehru. So C. R. Das, at that time, about fifty years ago, he was earning about fifty thousand rupees per month by his legal practice. He said that "Gandhiji, you take all my money, but let me practice. Don't ask me to boycott the British court." But that was on the, one of the programs. So Gandhiji said, "No, I don't want your money. I want you." And actually that was very effective. So similarly Arjuna also decided that "I don't want Your soldiers. I want You." So these are different rasas.
So Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, this Nectar of Devotion, is giving us the hint that after all, you want to enjoy life. That is your purpose. Actually, everyone's mission is that. But you cannot enjoy. As soon as there is question of enjoyment, there must be other party. You cannot enjoy alone. That is not possible. There must be other party. So you enjoy your life with Kṛṣṇa—either in sakhya-rasa or dāsya-rasa or vātsalya-rasa or ghastly rasa. Just like Bhīṣmadeva: he enjoyed Kṛṣṇa's association by ghastly rasa. As I was going to explain, that he decided to kill Arjuna with two propositions that "Either this day I shall kill Arjuna, or Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise and, to save His friend." That was his promise. So when Bhīṣmadeva was trying to kill Arjuna, his ratha, his chariot became shattered and Arjuna fell down. So when Kṛṣṇa saw, "Now Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna is going to die," so immediately He took one wheel of the chariot and immediately appeared before Bhīṣmadeva: "Stop fighting; otherwise, I am going to kill you." So immediately Bhīṣmadeva gave up his weapons. So this is not breaking His promise, but this is another rasa, that Kṛṣṇa wanted to show Bhīṣma that "You wanted to break My promise. Now see, I am..., I have broken My promise. Are you all right?" (laughter) He wanted to please His devotee. That's all. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa could kill many millions of Bhīṣma, standing there only. But He came before him that "You wanted to break My promise. Now you see, I have broken My promise. But I have not taken My disc. Then this wheel I have taken. Please stop." So immediately he gave up his weapons. But when Bhīṣma was piercing the body of Kṛṣṇa with arrows, he was coming..., he did not spare even Kṛṣṇa, his charioteer. He pierced the body of Arjuna as well as Kṛṣṇa. And there was bleeding.
His whole life was full of sinful activities, but at the time of death, because he uttered the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, he became immediately released. That's a fact. But if we commit again sinful activities, then what is the use of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. This is one of the ten offenses. If anyone thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is reacting all the effects of my sinful life. Then again I can commit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very good business..." No. That is great offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not indulge in such a way. Jagāi-Mādhāi was accepted by Lord Caitanya only on the promise that they would not commit any more any sinful activities. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is there for everyone. He can accept everyone. One who is sinful, that is not disqualification. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, more or less, everyone is sinful. Then nobody can be claimed to be liberated by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will give you, give you relief from all sinful activities, provided you don't commit it again. Otherwise, it will be like hasti-snāna, the example of the elephant, and it will be a great offense. If on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we continue to commit sinful activities, that is great offense. We should not do that. The idea is by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we become free from the reaction of sinful life, but that does not mean we shall again indulge in sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. Not like that. Once you take to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you should make rapid progress, without committing any sinful activity, and retard the progress. Don't do that. Go on.
"As soon as I think of sex intercourse, immediately my mouth becomes turned aside and I want to spite on it." So therefore Kṛṣṇa is Madana-mohana. Madana is attracting everyone, sex life, and Kṛṣṇa, when one is attracted by Kṛṣṇa, then madana also becomes defeated. So as soon as madana becomes defeated, we conquer over this material world. Otherwise it is very difficult. The... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Duratyayā means very, very difficult. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. But if anyone surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa, catches His lotus feet very strongly, "Kṛṣṇa, save me," Kṛṣṇa promises, "Yes, I'll save you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). "Don't worry. I shall save you." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). "My dear Arjuna, you can declare to the world, My devotee, pure devotee, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), who has no other desire, he'll be protected by Me."
There is a story, it is very instructive story, that Nārada Muni was passing to go to Vaikuṇṭha, and on the way one very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, met him, and he inquired from Narada Muni where he was going. Nārada Muni said that "I am going to see Nārāyaṇa, my Lord." So the brāhmaṇa asked him, "Oh, you are going to meet Nārāyaṇa. Will you kindly inquire for me when my..., when I shall be liberated." Nārada Muni said, "Yes, I shall inquire." Similarly, on the way, he met one cobbler. He also inquired Nārada Muni where he was going, and he said, will you kindly inquire from Lord Nārāyaṇa when he would be liberated? So when Nārada Muni met Nārāyaṇa, so he inquired—because he's saintly person; he promised—that "Such and such brāhmaṇa inquired like this, and the, and a cobbler also inquired like this." So Nārāyaṇa said, "The, this cobbler will be liberated in this life, and that brāhmaṇa will take some time, some many births."
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Now, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He married sixteen thousand wives. Where is competition? One cannot marry even sixteen wives—and he becomes God. Just see the foolishness. Even from materialistic view, who is that god who can marry sixteen thousand wives? Is there any god, so-called rascal god? Is there any possibility? Kṛṣṇa showed, yes. Kṛṣṇa was attempted to be killed from the very childhood when He was three months old by Pūtanā. But He killed the Pūtanā rakṣasī, not He was killed. Similarly, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, simply from the beginning of His life, Kaṁsa and others, from the rogues, the asuras, they were making plan to kill Kṛṣṇa as soon as He is born. Kaṁsa, he was planning that "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born..." He was trying to kill Kṛṣṇa's Mother Devakī, but with argument of Vasudeva that "Don't do this. Your sister's son will kill you, but your sister will not kill you, so let the son be born. I shall bring it to you," Kaṁsa believed the honorable words of Vasudeva. Because he knew that "Vasudeva is very respectable, honorable man. He has promised the children, the child, will be brought to me," so he saved his sister. He was such a cruel. The rogues and cruel, they do not care even for mother and sister. They can kill anyone, you see. That is the roguism. So Kaṁsa was that type of rogue. But Vasudeva, by his intelligence, saved the situation, but as honorable person, he brought all the children to Kaṁsa. You know this history.
Then another Upaniṣad, patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastāt. Patiṁ patīnām. There are many patis. Patis means proprietor, or husband. A husband is also considered a proprietor of the woman according to Vedic literature; therefore the word dāsī. A woman's surname is dāsī. She agrees to serve the man. You have observed, when we get young couples married, we get it promised: the husband promises that "I take charge of your life. Your whole life shall be dependent upon me. I take full charge of you." And the woman agrees, "Yes, I also agree to serve you the whole life." This is marriage. The... If we exploit, of course... But this is the nice arrangement. This is cooperation. A woman agrees that "I shall serve you," because the man requires woman's service in so many ways by her ser..., cooking, by her embracing, by her becoming beautiful, so many ways. That is the encouragement so that he can work, he can live peacefully, he can discharge spiritual duties nicely. So there is cooperation. Stri-puruṣa. Puruṣa is supposed to be enjoyer, but both their lives become sublime when there is cooperation. So patiḥ patīnām. So everyone is given the chance of becoming a pati. Pati means husband, or proprietor. Even the ant, it has got also a companion, female ant. Even the dog, it has got also companion. Even the small bird, even the insect, even the fly—everyone is given. This is called viṣaya. Viṣaya means material enjoyment.
So Bhīṣma understood that "My father wants to marry that girl, but the only impediment is that the father of the girl is making a condition that her son should be king, and my father is declining because I am present. I should be king." Oh, he at once approached the father of the girl: "What is your condition, sir?" "This is my condition." "All right, I shall not accept kingdom of my father. Your daughter's son will be king. I agree to this." "Oh, no. You may agree, but your son will again claim, because you are the proprietor, you are the prince." "Oh, you think so? Then I shall not marry. I shall not marry. Is that all right?" So then, he was so... He promised that "I shall never marry in my life. That's all right? Then marry your daughter to my father." He was so pious and so strict. This Bhīṣma was brahmacārī from the very beginning. And Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed Rājasūya-yajña. Rājasūya-yajña means one who performs that sacrifice in that assembly, all the princes of the world are invited, and they select him as the emperor of the world. That is called Rājasūya-yajña. So in that yajña, there were all princes present, and Kṛṣṇa was proposed to become the president of that assembly, although He was young man. So Kṛṣṇa had many... Not many, especially two, Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, they were very much against Kṛṣṇa. So they objected: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa cannot be... There are many others." He wanted that he become president. The protest meeting. At that time, Bhīṣma recommended that "Nobody is present here spotless character as Kṛṣṇa." He recommended like that. "Kṛṣṇa, when He was sixteen years old, He was surrounded by girls, but He had never sex desire. I am brahmacārī from my birth. I think I could not be such restrained personality as Kṛṣṇa." He recommended like that. That is mentioned in Mahābhārata. So this is character.
Festival Lectures
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this pravṛtti-mārga, nivṛtti-mārga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, maṅgala-āratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. All the gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidrā, sleeping; āhāra, eating; and vihāra, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyāsa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravṛtti-mārga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivṛtti-mārga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravṛtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Kṛṣṇa prasādam; kṛṣṇa borā dayā moy kori bāre jihvā joy sva-prasāda-anna dilo bhāi. Kṛṣṇa is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa is giving you chance.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Prabhupāda: In India, these are all foreseen. I have already discussed all this. Then?
Nitāi: "The voters adore the so-called leaders only when they promise sense gratification. As soon as the voters are dissatisfied in their own sense gratification, they dethrone the leaders. The leaders almost always disappoint the voters by not satisfying their senses."
Prabhupāda: Then the protest meeting, procession. But nobody will be able to satisfy them because they do not know how to keep the mass of people satisfied. They do not know. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvān cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. These rascals, they do not know. All set of rascals, the so-called philosophers, scientists. I have always said they are rascals. Now they are coming, "What to do?" They will face so many problems, "What to do?" This is the beginning. The whole world will be in chaos if they do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So many "What to do?" will come. Just tell them, "And here is the remedy." Now it is the time for preaching. They are thinking. They were sleeping. Now they are thinking, "What to do?" They were blindly following sense gratification. Now it has come to the stage, "What to do?" "What to do?" This is athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now enquire about Brahman." This is the statement.
Initiation Lectures
Second day I can also excuse. The third day also, I can excuse, but fourth day I'll not excuse. Don't make it official business. Just like go to the church every week and confess and... Confessing your sinful activities before Lord Jesus Christ or his representative, surely your sinful activities are squared up. But does it mean, very nice, that every week, the whole week you shall commit sinful activities, and at the end of the week you shall go and confess? Does it look very well? You are not ashamed that "Every week I commit these sinful activities, and on the seventh day I confess"? This process should not be adopted, that because God's name, God's remembrance actually squares up all of our sinful activities. That's a fact. But how it is that we shall go on committing sinful activities and square it up by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or by confessing? No. This is the particular point. One should carefully note. Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were the greatest sinful men during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. So when they surrendered to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu with confession, "My Lord, we have committed so many sinful activities. Please save us," that Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked them that "Yes, I will accept you and I'll save you, provided you promise that no more you shall commit such sinful activities." So they agreed, "Yes. Whatever we have done, that's all right. No more we are going to do it." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them and they became great devotee and their life was successful.
Our position is servant of the servant. We don't want to become master of the master. Our position is servant of the servant. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). The more we become servant of the servant, the more we become advanced. It is very difficult to understand from material stand of... Here everyone wants to become master of the master. And the spiritual world, they want to become servant of the servant. That is a bigger position. So as we make advance in spiritual life, we understand this. So, that's all right. No. No. You perform the marriage, that change, and get them promise. Yes. Yes, take it.
So general instruction is that this marriage is being taken place in front of Kṛṣṇa, His devotees. There is no written agreement, but this promise is agreement, that none of you who are going to be married, there is no question of separation. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness marriage does not mean sense gratification. No. The marriage is for producing nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Because at the present moment the population is not being produced very nicely; therefore there is disturbance of peace all over the world. But if there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children, they'll grow up and they will possess all good qualities. So peace automatically will come if people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because they become highly qualified, without committing any sinful activities.
Aja-yuddhe: "Fighting of the goats, and a śraddhā ceremony performed by the sages in the forest, and sounding in the sky, vibration of cloud, rumbling of the cloud early in the morning, and similarly, fight between husband and wife-don't take it seriously." You have got experience that rumbling early in the morning—never there is heavy shower of rain. There may be very great rumbling, but the result is very small, maybe some drizzling. Similarly, a husband and wife may fight, but if you don't give them any seriousness, they'll mitigate. That is the process. But in the Western countries, in the name of liberty, so many family lives are dismantled simply by this divorce case. So according to Vedic civilization, there is no divorce. Once united, it cannot be disunited in any condition of life. That you should follow. That is our first. So I think you promise this, all of you? Say yes.
Devotees: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Thank you very much. That's all. Now you change. And you instruct them. First of all... First of all, accept that, that "I take charge of..." Why do you forget? So why don't you do that? I tell you. (yelling) So why don't you do it? Do it.
Devotee: Do you, Raghunātha dāsa, do you take Gaurāṅgī devī to be your bride, to protect her, to help her advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and promise that there shall never be... (end)
Prabhupāda: That's good. And how many rounds?
Sanaka: Minimum of sixteen.
Prabhupāda: Yes, minimum. Now get them promised. You sit down here and ask him to... "I, such and such..."
Śyāmasundara: Henceforward from this day...
Prabhupāda: Let him promise. You promise, "I..."
Śyāmasundara: You, Sanaka dāsa...
Prabhupāda: Say, "I, Sanaka dāsa..."
Sanaka: I, Sanaka dāsa...
Prabhupāda: "...take charge of you..."
Śyāmasundara: "...take charge of you..." (girl laughs)
Prabhupāda: Why you are laughing? It is laughing thing? I told you first. Don't take anything very lenient. Very serious.
Śyāmasundara: "I, Sanaka dāsa, (Sanaka dāsa repeating) do hereby promise from this day henceforward to always protect and take for my wife Devadarśana dāsī."
Prabhupāda: Yes. And you say that "I shall serve you..."
Śyāmasundara: Now, "I, Devadarśana dāsī, (Devadarśana repeating) do from this day henceforward, I do promise to always serve and obey my husband, Sanaka dāsa."
Prabhupāda: Now change the garland. Now give her the vermillion, red powder. Cover her head.
Śyāmasundara: Cover her head with the sari.
Prabhupāda: Do like that. Now you come this side.
Śyāmasundara: Now you change places.
Prabhupāda: So you have agreed that there is no question of divorce in your life? In any circumstances you cannot separate. Is that all right? You also agree? You cannot separate. There is no question of divorce. Even if you fight, you can remain in one temple, he can remain, but there is no question of divorce. So take in mind. That's all. Now have this...
Śyāmasundara: Er, the Hanumān sannyāsa...
Prabhupāda: After this yajña. After this.
So we have got many śāstric evidences how one can become completely sinless simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and observing very strictly the four prohibitive rules and regulations. I hope those who are initiated today, you have promised before Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Deity, before Vaiṣṇava, and before the fire to give up these habits and do not take to... Even if you are practiced now, you do not take it again. This is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's initiation. Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to deliver all the sinful men. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo, tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said that "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (is) so merciful that He delivered all kinds of sinful men," pāpī tāpī, "all types of suffering from material disease." And what is the medicine? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo. And evidence? Tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. You see Jagāi-Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited one example, to deliver Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi means they were born in a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became illicit sex, woman-hunter, drunkards and meat-eaters and gamblers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, delivered them. And the only promise was that "You promise no more this sinful life. Then I accept you." So if we give up our sinful activity, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes you. There is no condition, because in this age everyone is addicted to sinful life, but he simply promises that "Henceforward I shall not act anything sinfully," these four principles. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. Where is the hat?(?) Give some. Yes, give him five rupees. You have got? (Hindi) (end)
So whatever you have promised before the Lord, before your spiritual master, before fire, before Vaiṣṇavas, never deviate from this promise. Then you will keep fixed up in your spiritual life: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—these four no's—and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa—one yes. Four no's and one yes. That will make your life successful. It is very easy. It is not difficult. But māyā is very strong, sometimes deviates us. So when there is endeavor by the māyā to deviate us, just pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save me. I am surrendered, fully surrendered, and kindly give me protection," and Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. But don't miss this opportunity. That is my request. I have all my good wishes and blessings upon you. So let us take the opportunity of bhakti, bhakti-latā-bīja. Mālī hañā sei bīja kare āropaṇa. So when you get a nice seed, we have to sow it within the earth. The example is, just like if you get very nice seed of first-class rose flower, so you sow it on the ground and just offer little, little water. It will grow. So this seed can be grown by watering. What is that watering? Śravaṇa kīrtana jale karaye secana (CC Madhya 19.152). This watering of the seed, bhakti-latā, is śravaṇa-kīrtana, hearing and chanting. So you will hear from the sannyāsīs and the Vaiṣṇavas more and more about it. But do not miss this opportunity. That is my request.
Thank you very much. (end)
Prabhupāda: Ṛṣi dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Gary Hannon?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules?
Gary: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Gurubhāvanā dāsa.
Hari-śauri: Bhakta Allen?
Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?
Allen: No gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no illicit sex.
Prabhupāda: So after performance of the sacrifice, those who are to be doubly initiated, how many? Eight. They may come upstairs, one by one. So one thing I request that these promises—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling—these promises are made by you before Kṛṣṇa, before the fire, before the Vaiṣṇavas and before your spiritual master. Don't break it. It will be great sin. Thank you very much.
Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)
So some of the devotees who are now eager to accept the spiritual life very seriously, and they have come to take initiation, this is the first initiation. And after some time when they are accustomed, they... Now they have to promise that they'll give up four sinful activities. Sinful activity... If you indulge in sinful activities there cannot be any spiritual advancement. That is not possible. Just like here there will be fire. If you favorably ignite the fire, it will be blazing. But if you ignite the fire and pour water at the same time, then there will be no blazing fire. Similarly, to advance in spiritual life and at the same time indulge in sinful activities will not help us. The sinful act... The basic principles of sinful activities are mentioned in the śāstra-striya, sūnā, dyūta, pāna. Pāna means intoxication, including chewing pan and drinking tea. Chaya pāna. So one has to give up this pāna. And drinking, smoking, drinking tea, chewing pan should be given up. Pāna. This is one of the pillar of the sinful activity. And meat-eating. Meat, fish, eggs, they should be given up. And gambling, dyūta, pāna dyūta (SB 1.17.38), that should be given up. And avaidha stri-saṅgi should be given up. In this way, if you become cleansed, then... Just like if we get dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. If we get moist wood, then it takes some time. So voluntarily we should give up these sinful activities. Then spiritual advancement of life will be very quick. And those who are being first-initiated, they must chant at least sixteen rounds. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. The Gosvāmīs, they showed us the way. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka. So many rounds we must chant, at least. Haridas Ṭhākura was chanting three hundred thousand times. We cannot do that. That is not possible.
Wedding Ceremonies
Prabhupāda: Now you say that "My dear such and such, I agree to serve you throughout my life."
Satyabhāmā: Paramānanda, I agree to serve you throughout my life.
Prabhupāda: And you say, "My dear such and such, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation."
Paramānanda: My dear Satyabhāmā, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation.
Prabhupāda: So there is no separation in any circumstances. Promise that. There is no separation in any circumstances.
Paramānanda: So there is no separation in any circumstances.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you garland this... You change the garland. Now you come to this side. You go to that side. Now you are legal husband and wife. Is that all right? Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) (prayers, fire sacrifice) Now offer this plantain like this, slowly. Thank you.
Satyabhāmā: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees repeat last prayer of sacrifice after Prabhupāda, the mahā-mantra.)
Prabhupāda: Now bow down. (leads in recitation of praṇāma mantra) You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Prabhupāda: Morris. So you say that "Howard, this girl was in my charge so long. Now I give you in your charge." You say and...
Mr. Morris: Howard, this child was mine for so long, and now I give her care to you.
Prabhupāda: You say that "I take charge of Śyāma dāsī, of you, throughout your whole life." You say.
Hayagrīva: I take charge of you, Śyāma dāsī, throughout your whole life.
Prabhupāda: And Śyāma dāsī, you say that "I promise I shall serve you to my best capacity throughout my life."
Śyāma dāsī: I promise that I will serve you to my best capacity throughout my life.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you change your garland. All right. So somebody go and bind this cloth. Yes. Some girl may do that. Yes. (chuckling) Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So, it is very nice combination.
Devotee: Kīrtana?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can take photograph of this nice picture. Come here in the front.
So you say, "I accept (Baradrāja repeating) Rukmiṇī as my wife. I shall maintain her throughout my life, supply all necessities of life, and we shall work together for prosecuting Kṛṣṇa consciousness." You say that "I accept you (Rukmiṇī repeating) as my husband, and I shall serve you as your most obedient wife, to keep you in all comforts, in all distress and happiness, and we shall continue our life for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Now change. Change the garland. Mind that this promise has been made before Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. You cannot change all these promises. Change your seat. Cover the head. Cover the head and give her this red. Cover it nicely. You see, here. You should keep your wife always covered. (laughter) Don't allow this miniskirt or minishirt. (laughter) According to Vedic civilization, respectable woman cannot be seen even by the sun. Asūryaṁ paśyat. How can you avoid sun? But it is said like that. The sun will find difficulty to see one man's woman. Yes. Asūryaṁ paśyat. Asūryam. Sūrya means the sun. Sun cannot. Sun will also hanker after her: "How can I see that woman?" (chuckles) So woman should be always in privacy. They should be respectfully protected by the husband and the father. That is the way. All right. Then it is finished. Now let us perform yajña. (devotees offer obeisances) Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. After performance of yajña. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mix it. Mix it.
This marriage is being performed as gandharva marriage, simply by changing the garlands. In the Kali-yuga, the other kinds of marriage, selected by the parents, that is not possible. Therefore, one of the marriage system, gandharva marriage, is accepted. And simply by changing the garlands and promising. (Sanskrit) That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the Kali-yuga, simply by accepting, the man accepts the woman as wife and the woman accepts the man as husband, that is the vow. Svīkāra eva hi udvāhe. Simply by acceptance. Because other things are not possible. And without marriage, that is not civilized life, because in the animal society there is no marriage. But in any form of civilized society there is marriage. Everyone has got sex appetite. Therefore, marriage is allowed by the Vedic system. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi, "Kāma, lust, which is not against religious principles, that is I am."
So marriage is essential. So far our society is concerned, we don't allow anybody to remain in our society as friends, girlfriend or boyfriend. No. They must be married. And these boys and girls, after being married, they are preaching nicely Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All my students who are married, they are doing preaching work more than sannyāsī. Yes. In the Kali-yuga, practically it is forbidden. Sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam kalau pañca vivarjayet, aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ.
General Lectures
"You take to your teacher and give it to him." "All right. This will do?" "Oh, yes, this will do. This cup will do." Now, when the teacher saw that he is coming with a cup of yogurt and promised that he will supply, he would supply, whatever required, he would supply, oh, he became very angry: "You cheated me like that?" and so on. So he, out of anger, he throw it. Now, after some time, when he came back, he saw that the yogurt is fallen down on the ground, but the pot is full. Then he tried again; again got it. So as much as he could take, he took, but the pot is always full. The pot is always full. So this is the position of spiritual. From spiritual, you may draw as much as you can, but it always full. That is the spiritual idea. So God is so full. He's paripūrṇa, pūrṇa. So even God comes out of God, still, God is there. That is incarnation. If God Himself comes out of God... So therefore, God in the heart of so many millions and billions of living entities does not mean that God has lost Himself. God is still there. That is the spiritual idea. And this is not... I am not talking to you some manufactured, coining some word. No. There is Vedic hymn,
- pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
- pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
- pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
- pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate
- (Iso Invocation)
All right. If there is any question, you can make... (end)
Ahaituky apratihatā. Ahaituky apratihatā means it is not dependent on anything. You can yourself automatically, by whatever asset you have got—thinking, feeling, walking, eating, sleeping—whatever you have got. By such things, by using those things in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can purchase Kṛṣṇa. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You haven't got to acquire something extra for loving Kṛṣṇa or purchasing Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa becomes purchased. Therefore... Kṛṣṇa cannot be purchased. His name is Ajita. He cannot be conquered, but His devotee can purchase Him, can conquer Him. Just like you have seen the pictures in our Back to Godhead about Bhīṣma, that it was just joking, but he knew that "Arjuna cannot be killed because he is very dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. So these people are requesting me to kill Arjuna. So I shall show my capacity of fighting." And actually Arjuna became perplexed. Bhīṣma wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa shall have to break His promise for His devotee. "I know I shall not be able to kill Arjuna, but at least I shall see that Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise." So Kṛṣṇa actually did not break His promise. He did not accept any weapon, but He simply showed Bhīṣma that "I have come to kill you with this wheel of the chariot." His sudarśana-cakra is different. These are the reciprocation. Kṛṣṇa can do anything for His devotee. Personally He may be very severe, but for devotee He can do anything. That means devotee can purchase by his devotion. (end)
We do not know what is the goal of our life, and the leaders, they also do not know what is the goal of our life. Our Back to Godhead editorial, they have written very nicely that with the change of some politician we are thinking that something new will be done and we shall be happy. Just like there is advertisement, "America Needs Nixon Now." (laughter) People are thinking, "Now, instead of Johnson, when Mr. Nixon will be President, we shall be happy." But they do not know from which stock either this Mr. Johnson or Nixon is coming. The source of supply is the same. If the source of supply is the same, then what is there, replacing Mr. Johnson by Nixon or Nixon by Johnson? The leader(s) themselves, they are blind. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Therefore our position is that we are blind and our leaders are blind, so what will be the result? If a blind man leads other hundred men to cross over the street, certainly there will be some accident because all of them are blind men. If one man is with eyes, open eyes, he can lead hundreds and thousands of men behind him. But if the leader and the led, both of them are blind, then the result will be that all of them will fall into the ditch. So, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They're promising, "My dear citizens, my dear countrymen, if you give me vote, because the country needs me at the present moment, then I shall give you all comforts, all solutions." But he is īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. By the laws of God, by the laws of nature, he is tightly packed up. You see? If your hands are tightly knotted, if your legs are tightly, then how you can work? So these leaders, they do not know that they are under the control of the stringent laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Suppose if there is a heavy earthquake. Suppose the Atlantic Ocean... And there is some suggestion like that, some years they will mix together, by the scientists. Suppose the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean mix together. Then how you can check? Your hands and legs are tightly packed up. You cannot check the laws of nature. Therefore blind leaders who are so tightly packed up by the laws of nature, how they can lead? They cannot lead.
He voluntarily accepts the rulings or the punishment of the spiritual master. That is called śiṣya. One voluntarily agrees to the spiritual master... This initiation is going on. This is the beginning of voluntary acceptance of the spiritual master. That means he agrees that he will abide by the orders of the spiritual master. This is called acceptance of spiritual master. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting the ruling. Everyone is free. If I give you some ruling, why should you accept it? Therefore this formal initiation ceremony is performed. He promises, "My dear sir, I shall abide by your order." So Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna as spiritual master just to teach him what is the actual duty in that warfield. So at that time the first śiṣya, śāsana, ruling: He chastised Arjuna by these words, "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man talks like this." That means "You are a fool." He very politely said that "You are talking with Me as if you are very learned man, but your subject matter is so third-class that no learned man takes this subject matter very seriously." What is that? Bodily conception of life. "You are talking just like a very learned man, but your center of activity is the body. So this is not a learn..., symptom of a learned man."
So that is Kṛṣṇa's favor. In the beginning, it appears to be very bitter. When I took sannyāsa, when I was living alone, I was feeling very bitter. I, sometimes I was thinking, "Whether I have done wrong by accepting?" So when I was publishing this Back to Godhead from Delhi, one day one bull thrashed me, and I fell down on the footpath and I got severe injury. I was alone. So I was thinking, "What is this?" So I had very, days of very tribulations, but it was all meant for good. So don't be afraid of tribulations. You see? Go forward. Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. That is Kṛṣṇa's promise in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: (BG 9.31) "Kaunteya, My dear son of Kunti, Arjuna, you can declare throughout the whole world that My devotees will never be vanquished. You can declare that." And why He's asking Arjuna to declare? Why He does not declare Himself? There is meaning. Because if He promises, there are instances that He sometimes broke His promise. But if a devotee promises, it will be never broken. Kṛṣṇa will give protection; therefore He says His devotee that "You declare." There is no chance of being broken. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that sometimes He breaks His promise, but if His devotee promises, He takes very careful attention that His devotee's promise may not be broken. That is Kṛṣṇa's favor.
Of course, it does not mean that anyone who comes to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, he has finished all the reaction of his past sinful activities. That is not possible. Everyone is full with the result of his past sinful... Here in the material world, whatever you do, it is more or less all sinful activities. So therefore, our life is always full with sinful activity. So when you surrender to Kṛṣṇa through his transparent via media, not that immediately your sinful activities are stopped, but because you surrendered to the Supreme, He absorbs your sinful activities. He makes you free. But you should be conscious that "I shall not commit any more." Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi, great sinful brothers, He simply asked them, "You simply promise that 'Henceforward we shall not commit any sinful activities.' Whatever you have done I am taking. I am absorbed." That is the process. So the Lord or the spiritual master absorbs. But we should be conscious that "We shall not commit any more sinful activities so that my spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa will have to again accept them on my behalf." We should be conscious. The Christian process, that going to church, confession, that is very nice. You confess. And God or God's representative is quite able to excuse you and to make you free from all sinful reaction. But why should you commit again? Why should you commit again? This is not good. Lord Jesus Christ... The Christians believe that he has taken the reaction of everyone's sinful activities and he has suffered by crucification. That's all right.
Sometimes I think I approached late Mr. Munshi also, when he was governor in U.P. I requested that everyone may contribute a son from the family so that I can convert him an actual brāhmaṇa. Because the education at the present moment is creating śūdras. Actually, there are two kinds of dharmas: paśu-dharma and mānava-dharma. Paśu-dharma means eating, sleeping, sexual intercourse, and defending. This is paśu-dharma. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narānām. Eating, this is essential. Try to understand what is dharma. Dharma means which you cannot give up. Dharma does not mean you accept this dharma today and tomorrow another dharma. That is not dharma. Dharma means the natural characteristic. Just like sugar is sweet. That is its dharma. And chili is hot. That is its dharma. A snake bites. That is his dharma. Water is liquid. That is its dharma. Stone is solid. That is its dharma. You cannot change. So what is the dharma of the living entities, or the human being? Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has enunciated the dharma of the human being: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). This is dharma, that every living entity is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot give it up. If he does not serve Kṛṣṇa, then he will have to serve māyā. Service is there. Nobody can say that "I don't serve anyone." Is there anybody who can say boldly that "I do not serve anyone?" You must serve. That is your dharma. Either you become a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or this or that, your real characteristic is that you have to serve. That service attitude, when it is misunderstood, it is applied to māyā, and we are not happy. When it is applied to Kṛṣṇa, then we are happy. Service you must render. That is your position. You cannot become master. Even the politicians, they promise, "I shall give you such and such service. Please give me vote." So the service is promised, because we have to serve.
So the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is specifically formed by Śrīla Prabhupāda to help those of us who are lost and entangled in this material condition to associate with one another under his guidance and achieve, by this process recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chanting the holy name, we can achieve rapid purification, and in this one lifetime, Śrīla Prabhupāda has promised that we can go back to home back to Godhead. So we should try to cooperate together. There is no other purpose. Once one comes in touch with the pure devotee and understands his message, and there's no other purpose for living in this material world than to serve the mission of the Lord. And that mission of the Lord as already explained, is to reclaim the conditioned souls who have fallen into the material world and are lost, helplessly entrapped. So we should try and cooperate together. Learn Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions very perfectly and try to carry them out, following the four regulative principles, chanting sixteen rounds and working together to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world so that its influence can affect all the living beings who are living on the face of the earth. Actually in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has stated that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will spread all over the universe. So Śrīla Prabhupāda is undoubtedly empowered by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He's doing such wonderful service, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over this globe and we should pray that we can help in some small way. Thank you very much.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: That you should act only in such a way that your action, you would want everyone in the world to act in the same way. You would want it to be a universal law.
Prabhupāda: So you can allow me to do in my own way, and I allow you to do in your own way.
Śyāmasundara: He uses the example of breaking a promise. He says that if the opportunity is there to break a promise, I should never break the promise, because I would never want anyone else to break a promise.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is going on, man-made laws. But that is not morality. That standard of morality is one in one country and just the opposite in another country.
Śyāmasundara: But isn't the breaking of a promise a universal moral command, that one should never break his promise, whether it is here or other countries?
Prabhupāda: Well that's all right, but for practical purposes they are breaking promises at every moment.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. He understands this, but his idea, he wants to get to the basis of morality by saying that...
Prabhupāda: That is a good quality. That is brahminical quality, not to break promise, to be truthful. That is goodness.
Prabhupāda: That moral law is... What is moral in one circumstance is immoral in another circumstance. That means again imperfectness of idea.
Śyāmasundara: He calls the end the golden rule, that one should act...
Prabhupāda: That is simply abstract ideas. He does not give any concrete example.
Śyāmasundara: He gives the example of breaking a promise.
Prabhupāda: Breaking a promise is sometime moral. Just like Kṛṣṇa broke His promise, Himself. Kṛṣṇa broke His promise. He promised that "In this fight, this war, I shall not take a weapon." But when Arjuna was jeopardized by the fighting of Bhīṣma, He immediately took some weapon and approached Bhīṣma, because Bhīṣma promised that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise or Arjuna will die, two things... "Tomorrow I shall fight in this way, then Arjuna will die, unless Kṛṣṇa takes special step." That means He has to break His promise. So he wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise to protect His devotee. That was his idea. So when He broke His promise, he gave up fighting. "That was my purpose, that You have to break your promise to protect your devotee."
Śyāmasundara: He says that a man should never become a mere object of utility. In other words, he should not lower his standard just because it is practical at the time.
Śyāmasundara: By discovering new medicines and new techniques to improve our health.
Prabhupāda: So where is the medicine which stops disease? You are discovering medicine, and many new diseases are coming out, so where is the stopper?
Karandhara: That's supposed to come. That is the promise.
Prabhupāda: Promise, a fool can promise anything. And...
Śyāmasundara: And instead all they do is...
Prabhupāda: That is a different thing.
Śyāmasundara: ...add more wars.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: President Nixon has made a promise that very shortly this cancer disease should be cured. So he has allotted a lot of money for the coming few years and he is giving to all scientists (indistinct). He is saying he is going to stop this death from cancer, but...
Prabhupāda: Suppose he stops death from cancer. Can he stop death at all?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Not at all.
Prabhupāda: He does not know. That is his goal.
Śyāmasundara: He says... I'll read a statement of his. He says that "The will forces a person to remain alive, even when there is nothing for which to live. It impels him to live and suffer another day, even when there is no hope or promise of any pleasant future prospects. It is like the alms which the beggar receives from life today, that he may hunger again on the morrow. For all men, irrespective of their status, the essence of life is misery and frustration."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a good point, but why he is hankering after something? Why he is hankering after...? He is being frustrated.
Śyāmasundara: The will. The will is...
Prabhupāda: Therefore the conclusion is: there is a goal. He is hankering after that goal. But he has not as yet approached that goal, achieved that goal. Therefore, to understand what is that goal, one should approach a spiritual master. Tad vijñānātaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet.
Śyāmasundara: He has no idea of any goal; he says that life is a waste of effort.
Prabhupāda: That means he is not a perfect philosopher. The thing is that when I am willing to have something(?) solution, there must be some solution. There must be some solution. But I do not know what is that solution.
Hayagrīva: In the atheistic Communism he says, "The goals of religion, deliverance from evil, reconciliation with God, rewards in the hereafter, and so on, turns into worldly promises about freedom from care for one's daily bread, the just distribution of material goods, universal prosperity in the future, and shorter working hours." In other words, material, worldly promises are given.
Prabhupāda: In the Communism?
Hayagrīva: In, in atheistic Com..., in Communism.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But they have no idea of spiritual life, neither they can understand that there is spirit with the soul, within the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). That they cannot understand.
Hayagrīva: But he feels that socialism or Marxism, Communism, cannot possibly replace religion in the proper traditional sense.
Prabhupāda: No, it is not religion. It is simply mental speculation—how to adjust material things. It will never be able to adjust it. That is their simply imagination. It will all fail at the ultimate end.
Śyāmasundara: His idea is that everything is produced from economic struggle. So that religion is like a police force, and it is invented by the bourgeois or the capitalist as a technique to dissuade the masses from revolting by promising them a better existence, or a happier existence after death so that they can be...
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) we are obliged to his proposal now. He has created a philosophy, which is being enforced by killing, by threatening.
Śyāmasundara: And he promises them a better future.
Prabhupāda: That's right.
Śyāmasundara: In the future it will be better.
Prabhupāda: So, he is doing (indistinct) more than the (indistinct).
Śyāmasundara: Yes, exactly. So his is a religion also. His philosophy is like a religion.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: (indistinct) he condemns.
Prabhupāda: Religion means (indistinct) he cannot give up, that is religion.
Śyāmasundara: He thinks everything can be changed, that nothing is permanent.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) our proposition, religion means dharma, the (indistinct) which you cannot give up. (indistinct) Just like I am standing on this floor. It is not possible to stand without this floor. I cannot say that I can stand without floor.
Purports to Songs
"How long you shall go on sleeping on the lap of the witches, māyā?" Bhajibo boliyā ese saṁsāra-bhitare: "In the womb of your mother you promised that this life you shall engage in the matter of developing your Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Bhuliyā rohile tumi avidyāra bhare: "But you are forgotten everything under the spell of illusory energy." Actually, when$the child remains within the womb of his mother, packed up in airtight bag, at the age of seven months within the womb, when he develops his consciousness, he feels very uncomfortable, and the fortunate baby prays to God, "Please relieve me from this awkward position, and this life I shall fully engage myself in developing my God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness." But as soon as the child comes out of the womb of his mother, under the spell of these three modes of material nature he forgets, and he cries, and the parents take care, and the whole thing is forgotten.
| Page Title: | Promise (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 30 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=186, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 186 |