Now, as we are accustomed to think either of this material energy or of the spiritual energy, now, how to transfer the thinking? The thinking of the material energy, how it can be transferred into thinking of the spiritual energy? So for thinking in the spiritual energy the Vedic literatures are there. Just like thinking in the material energies, there are so many literatures—newspapers, magazines, novels, fictions, and so many things. Full of literatures. So our thinkings are absorbed in these literatures. Similarly, if we want to transfer our thinking in the spiritual atmosphere, then we have to transfer our reading capacity to the Vedic literature. The learned sages therefore made so many Vedic literatures, the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not stories. They are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse which reads as follows. anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). That these forgetful living entities, conditioned souls, they have forgotten the relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they are engrossed in thinking of the material activities. And just to transfer their thinking power to the spiritual capacity, the Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, he has made so many Vedic literatures. Vedic literatures means first he divided the Vedas into four. Then he explained them by the Purāṇas. Then for the incapable persons, just like strī, śūdra, vaiśya, he made the Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata he introduced this Bhagavad-gītā. Then again he summarized the whole Vedic literature in the Vedānta-sūtra. And the Vedānta-sūtra for future guidance, he made a natural commentation by himself which is called Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called bhāṣyo 'yaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. It is the natural commentation of Vedānta-sūtra. So all these literatures, if we transfer our thought, tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ, sadā. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). One who is engaged always... Just like the materialist is always engaged in reading some material literature like newspaper, magazines, and fiction, novel, etc., and so many scientific or philosophies, all these things of different degrees of thought. Similarly, if we transfer our, that reading capacity for these Vedic literatures, as presented by, as very kindly presented by Vyāsadeva, then it is quite possible for us to remember at the time of death the Supreme Lord. That is the only way suggested by the Lord Himself. Not suggested, it is the fact.
These are not stories; these are fact
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
The Māyāvādīs accept the description of the pastimes of the Lord as stories, but actually they are not stories; they are historical facts. Pure devotees accept the narrations of the pastimes of the Lord not as stories but as Absolute Truth. The words mama pauruṣāṇi are significant. Devotees are very much attached to glorifying the activities of the Lord, whereas the Māyāvādīs cannot even think of these activities. According to them the Absolute Truth is impersonal. Without personal existence, how can there be activity? The impersonalists take the activities mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literatures as fictitious stories, and therefore they interpret them most mischievously. The have no idea of the Personality of Godhead. They unnecessarily poke their noses into the scripture and interpret it in a deceptive way in order to mislead the innocent public. The activities of Māyāvāda philosophy are very dangerous to the public, and therefore Lord Caitanya warned us never to hear from any Māyāvādī about any scripture. They will spoil the entire process, and the person hearing them will never be able to come to the path of devotional service to attain the highest perfection, or will be able to do so only after a very long time.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
One who has fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord, śaraṇyam. Śaraṇyam means here is the real place where one can surrender fully. Others, if I surrender to a cats and dogs, what he will help me? Therefore they are not śaraṇyam. But, by mistake, if they take shelter of such cats and dogs, what benefit they will get? Therefore śaraṇyam, the worthwhile surrender is to the lotus feet of Mukunda. Therefore it is said, sarvātmā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartum (SB 11.5.41). We have got so many duties, but in this age, we have lost everything. Therefore, our only duty is to surrender unto the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. That will save us. Kṛṣṇa says—it is not story—Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). "I know that you have violated your family tradition, your past regulations, everything you have done for which you are to be punished, sinful activities, but I give you assurance, if you surrender unto Me, then ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. I shall give you deliverance from all the reactions of sinful activities."
So Arjuna knew it perfectly well. "But as there are foolish men like me..." They cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā millions of years ago to the sun-god. We immediately say, "Oh, these are all story." But it is not story. It is fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, to clarify the matter, Arjuna, to clarify matter to the fools like us, he's asking this question that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are contemporary. As I am born some years ago, You are also born some years ago. We are cousin-brothers. So how can I believe that You spoke this science, or the yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god?
Suppose if I say, "Just now I'm coming from sun planet and I talked with sun-god," will you believe me? "Now, he's talking nonsense. He's coming from sun planet." So this is possible to inquire by the layman because people understand, Kṛṣṇa is like us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). We accept Kṛṣṇa, general people...
Sometimes we do not accept. There are many so-called scholars, they say that: There was no Kṛṣṇa. It is all fictitious. There was no battlefield of Kurukṣetra. It is all fictitious." They imagine their own meaning. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is also historical, at the same time, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These things cannot be understood unless one is a devotee. Therefore in the previous verse it has been said, bhakto 'si. The mystery of Bhagavad-gītā can be opened, disclosed, to the devotees, not to the nondevotees. The nondevotees may speculate in their specific platform of activities, as politician or as mundane philosopher or mundane scientist, but that is not the fact. The fact should be learned from the devotees of Kṛṣṇa.
And wherefrom He got knowledge? Sva-rāṭ. Sva-rāṭ means independently. In the Vedas it is said, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.
- na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate
- na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate
- parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate
- svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
(Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport)
Svābhāvikī. He doesn't require to tax His brain how to do things. Immediately He desires, everything is done. That is Kṛṣṇa. Immediately what He wants, as soon as. Sa aikṣata. As soon as He glanced over the material nature, there was creation. These are the Vedic statements.
Therefore here, to inquire about Kṛṣṇa, to clarify the matter, that what is Kṛṣṇa. Because He is all-powerful, all-cognizant, fully conversant, sva-rāṭ, therefore He could speak millions of years ago to the sun-god. This is not story. This is fact. To clarify this matter, Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "How can I believe it?" And the answer is next verse, that "We, you, you and Me, both of them took many many times our birth, but you have forgotten because you are a living being and I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I have not forgotten. This is the difference between you and Me."
- bahūni me vyatītāni
- janmāni tava cārjuna
- tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
- na tvaṁ vettha parantapa
"Although you are a very great warrior, you can conquer over your enemies, but you can become.... You cannot become equal to Me." That is the difference between a living entity and Kṛṣṇa.
Take, for example, one smokes. Nobody learns smoking from the birth. By bad association one learns how to smoke. Similarly drinking, similarly meat-eating. Because from the birth we require milk, not meat-eating. But then after all we understand that "Beef is very nice. There must be a beef shop." And... This is going on. You see? These are anarthas, not required. You require simple food: rice, wheat, little milk, vegetable, and little sugar. That's all. You don't require all these nonsense. But you have been habituated.
But if we become bhajana-kriyā, you come to the practice of devotional service, naturally you have to give up. Because we accept a disciple to engage in the bhajana-kriyā—first of all he must give up these anarthas. So these anarthas, one cannot giving up smoking or drinking, but actually, if he takes to devotional service, he can very easily give up. He can very easily give up. There are so many examples. It is not story. So if there is bhajana-kriyā sincerely, then the anartha-nivṛtti automatically becomes. Then you become clean. Here it is said, jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ, purified. Jñāna-tapasā.
You will be interested in hearing a story. Not story. It is actual fact. One of my Godbrother who is no longer in this world... His name was Bhaktisāraṅga Goswami. He went to London. Just as I have come to your New York, he went to London and he formed a society also there in which Lord Rolandcey(?), the Marquis of Zetland... He was formerly governor of Bengal during British period, and in our childhood, when we were college student, in boyhood, I saw him. He is very interest in India philosophy. He's a Scotsman but very interested. Lord Rolandcey. So that Lord Rolandcey, he was very kind enough to become the president of that society my Godbrother organized in London. So Lord Rolandcey and that, my Godbrother, is talking. So Lord Rolandcey asked him, "Well, Swamiji, can you make me a brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, why not? Yes, why not? You can become a brāhmaṇa." "So what are the conditions?" My Godbrother said, "The preliminary four conditions." "What are these conditions?" "Now, striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ: (SB 1.17.38) You cannot have any illicit connection with woman, you cannot have any intoxication habit, you cannot indulge in gambling or unnecessary sporting, and you cannot live on animal food." Lord Rolandcey replied, "It is impossible. It is impossible." (laughs)
In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, there is a story... Not story. Fact. It is described there that one brāhmaṇa—he was a great devotee—he wanted to offer very brilliant service, arcanā, in the temple worship. But he had no money. But some day he was sitting in a Bhāgavata class and he heard that Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped even within the mind. So he took this opportunity because he was thinking since a long time how to worship Kṛṣṇa very gorgeously, but he had no money.
So he, when he got this point, that one can worship Kṛṣṇa within the mind, so after taking bath in the Godāvarī River, he was sitting underneath a tree and within his mind he was constructing very gorgeous siṁhāsana, throne, bedecked with jewels and keeping the Deity on the throne, he was bathing the Deity with water of Ganges, Yamunā, Godāvarī, Narmadā, Kāverī. Then he was dressing the Deity very nicely, then offering worship with flower, garland.
Then he was cooking very nicely, and he was cooking paramānna, sweet rice. So he wanted to test it, whether it was very hot. Because paramānna is taken cold. Paramānna is no taken very hot. So he put his finger on the paramānna and his finger burned down. Then his meditation broken, because there was nothing. Simply within his mind he was doing everything. So... But he saw that his finger is burned. So he was astonished.
In this way, Nārāyaṇa from Vaikuṇṭha, He was smiling. Lakṣmījī asked, "Why you are smiling?" "One of My devotee is worshiping like this. So send My men to bring him immediately to Vaikuṇṭha."
So the bhakti-yoga is so nice that even if you have no means to offer the Deity gorgeous worship, you can do it within the mind. That is also possible. Therefore it is said that ahaituky apratihatā. In any position of life you can engage yourself in bhakti-yoga system.
So at least to have a guarantee that our next life is going to be human life, everyone should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From mundane profit point of view. There is a story, Sāvitrī-Satyavān. Sāvitrī-Satyavān, it is not a story. It is historical fact that one gentleman, he was a king's son, prince. His name was Satyavān. But he was to die at a certain age his horoscope said. But one girl Sāvitrī, she fell in love with that boy. Now she wanted to marry. Her father told her, "He'll die at certain age. You don't marry." But she was bent. She married. In course of time the boy died, say after four or five years, and the girl became widow. So she was so staunch lover that she won't let the dead body go away. And the Yamarāja, the, what is English I do not know, who takes away the body or the soul after death, so he came to take the soul away. So this chaste girl would not allow the husband's body to go away. Then Yamarāja told, "It is my duty that I should take. You give it up. Otherwise, you'll be also punished." So she gave and she was following Yamarāja. So Yamarāja became compassionate. So Yamarāja became compassionate, he benedicted her, "My dear girl, you go home. I give you benediction you will have a son. Don't cry for your husband." Then she was again following and when Yamarāja said, "Why you are following me?" "Now you are taking my husband. How can I have my son?" Oh, then he was in dilemma. He returned her husband. So similarly, this is a technique. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your husband or this human form of life is guaranteed.
These are practical difficulties, and therefore we are called conditioned souls. Our activities are conditioned, not free. But you can attain a life of freedom, life of unlimited energy, unlimited happiness, unlimited bliss. There is possibility. This is not story or fiction. We see so many planets within this universe. We have got so many flying vehicles, but we cannot approach even to the nearest. We are so much limited. But if we worship Govinda, then it is possible. You can go anywhere. We have written these statements in our small booklet, Easy Journey to Other Planets. This is possible. Don't think that this planet is all and all. There are many, many millions of other very nice planets. There the standard of happiness, standard of enjoyment is many more times greater than what we are enjoying here. So how this is possible?
There is a story, I shall... It is not story. Or take it as story, that sometimes Nārada Muni was passing, and one very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, he saw Nārada Muni, and he asked Nārada Muni, "Sir, where you are going?" He said, "I am going to Vṛndāvana, yes, Vaikuṇṭha, to see my Lord." "Oh, you are going there?" Nārada Muni has got free passage to everyone. So, "Will you ask Nārāyaṇa when my liberation will come?" "All right, I shall ask." Then he met another cobbler. He was sewing shoes. So he also asked, "Sir, where you are going?" "Now I am going to Vaikuṇṭha to see my Lord." So, "Will you ask when I shall get salvation?" So Nārada Muni noted, "All right, I shall ask." So when Nārada Muni met Nārāyaṇa, he, after finishing his business, he asked the two men's question, that "These two men, one very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, he also asked me this question, and the cobbler also asked me." So Nārāyaṇa said "This cobbler will get his salvation after finishing this life, and this brāhmaṇa will have to take, wait for many, many births."
So Nārada Muni became very much inquisitive, "How is that?" So when he came back, first of all he met the brāhmaṇa. He inquired, "Did you inquire, sir, about me?" "Yes, yes. He said that you have to wait many, many births." No, He did not say many, many births, Kṛṣṇa said, Nārāyaṇa said that "When you meet them again, you say that, if they inquire 'What my Lord was doing at that time?' you say that 'He was pulling one elephant from the hole of a nail,' " what is called?
Devotees: Needle.
Prabhupāda: Needle. So when he met the brāhmaṇa he said... And he inquired, "What Nārāyaṇa was doing when you met Him?" "I saw that He was pulling one elephant through the hole of a needle." So he immediately said, "All right, sir, namaskāra. Your, all these big, big stories we cannot believe, that an elephant is being drawn through the hole of a needle." And the same question was raised by the cobbler, and he, Nārada Muni replied in the same way. And he began to cry, "Oh, my Lord is so powerful. He can do anything." So Nārada Muni inquired that "How do you believe that the elephant is being drawn through the hole of a needle?" "Now, why not? I am seeing daily. I am sitting under this banyan tree and there is fig, banyan fruit, and there are thousands of seeds, and I know that each seed's containing a big tree like this."
That's a fact. Everyone knows. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. (Bg 7.10) Here Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Is there any chemist? Just get one small seed like the fig seed. It is very small, but it contains that big tree. Where is that chemistry? Where is that physics? So here is the answer, Kṛṣṇa says, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi.
Now, it is stated in that chapter that in the Kali-yuga the mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇo bhakṣayiṣyanti prajās te. The government will be all mlecchas, not the kṣatriyas. Mlecchas. Mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. They'll take the post of government post, government service. And their business will be bhakṣayiṣyanti prajās te, they'll devour all the prajās. And in this way the prajās will be so much, I mean to say, distressed that gacchanti giri-kānanam. Gacchanti giri-kānanam. They will be so much, I mean to say, harassed that they will give up their home and hearth and go to the forest. That time is coming. That time is coming. It is no more that brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. Therefore human civilization, there is no human civilization if there is no such division as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. That is not human... That is animal civilization. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa... (BG 4.13). Everything is there. Social, political, economical, all solutions are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately, it is our property, it is, it was spoken in India, and it was desired that all Indians should learn it and spread the knowledge all over the world—the rascals are doing nothing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). It is for the perfect human being. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. The other parts of the world, they're in darkness. So there is great necessity of spreading the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. The customers are also ready. So if you want glory of India, if you want to glorify your life, just study Bhagavad-gītā as it is and spread it all over the world. You'll be honored. Single-handed, whatever I have done, they are thinking wonderful. And if we have got many, many persons to go outside India and preach this gospel of Bhagavad-gītā, they will be benefitted and you will be glorified. Your country will be glorified. This message of Bhagavad-gītā, it is a fact; it is not story.
So that is possible as you become advanced. Just like the six Gosvāmīs. They attained that stage. They were not sleeping at night. Giving service. It is said, nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Nidrāhāra-vijitau. This is spiritual life. The more you conquer over the necessities of this body. Our necessities, the created necessities, they are necessities of the body. The body requires to eat. The body requires rest. The body requires sex. The body requires defense. But the soul does not require. So more you become advanced in spiritual consciousness, the material necessities become minimum. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. That is possible. That is not story. There are many instances, and the more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual life, these necessities of life, necessities of body... Because body is different from the spirit soul. The necessities of the body is material, and the necessities of the soul is spiritual. But unfortunately, although the spirit is there, we are so much absorbed in material consciousness, we do not understand what is spirit soul. We are simply busy in taking care of the body. So this is not very good condition. This is material condition. And it is very risky if we simply... Simply to take care of the body means creating different desires. "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way." So nature's mercy is that as soon as you think that you will enjoy life like this, she will give you good opportunity. That means changing a body wherein you can enjoy the material facilities very easily.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
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.
Now these medical students, they do not believe in these mantras. They were surprised. They think that snakebite means finished, there is no medicine. So they were very much, because they were students, very much inquisitive. They went to that charmer at his place and wanted to know from him what is the secret, is it a fact that mantra... So he said, "All right, I shall show you." So he opened one box, and several hundred snakes immediately came out. And all the students, they became so disturbed. Some were crying, some were this way, that way... (laughter) Yes. And the charmer said, "Don't be worried. So long I am here they will not bite. And don't think that these snakes are without poison teeth." He took some of them and showed that "Here is a poison teeth. Not that the poison teeth has been taken away. The poison teeth is there. But by our mantra, we subdue it. He cannot do any harm." So the doctor students, medical students inquired that, "Can we not use this mantra?" Said, "No. You cannot." Because it has to be...
So what Kṛṣṇa says, the Bhāgavata also says the same thing. Bhāgavata begins, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi: "The Supreme, I offer my respect to the Supreme." Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya: "I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva." Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. So saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam. Purāṇa. Purāṇa means, sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they say these Purāṇas are stories. No. They are not stories. It comes from the Purāṇa. Purāṇa means filling up, supplementary, to complete it. Purāṇas, they are not out of the Vedic literatures. Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇa, they are all belonging to the Vedic literature. Especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-Purāṇa. Therefore Mahā-Purāṇa... Why Mahā-Purāṇa? Purāṇa-guhyam. Very confidential Purāṇa.
Simply by chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, mukta-saṅgaḥ, he becomes free from all the contamination of this age, mukta. Paraṁ vrajet. He goes to the supreme abode, back to home, back to Godhead. You can see. It is not story. These European and American boys and girls, how they are feeling, how they are dancing. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Unless they are feeling satisfaction, how they can dance with me? They cannot. They are not dogs and cats, that I have taught them that "You dance like this to make some money." No. They are dancing in ecstasy of love. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Otherwise what money I have got to bribe them? I am poor Indian. No. They have developed this ecstatic love of Godhead. Even Christian priests admit that "These boys, these girls, were our boys. Now... When they were Christians, they did not come into the church. They did not care. Now these boys are mad after God."
These boys and girls of America and Europe, they were too much addicted, because their father, mother, their civilization is to be attached to material enjoyment. Actually, they were. Now see their vairāgyam. Practical. There is no theoretical. As soon as you engage yourself, vāsudeve bhagavati... These young girls... One of my student is, was... She is girl. She was a great artist, dancing girl in Australia. She gave up everything and came to me: "Swamiji, make me your disciple." I saw her father and mother in Australia. A very beautiful girl. Very big, big heading in newspaper that "Such and such girl has left everything." This is vairāgya. Very profitable business she was earning. All of them. They are all qualified. They are not like our Indian boys and girls, uneducated or illiterate. No. They are well qualified. They can earn any amount of money. But vairāgyam. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. This, see practically. And jñānam. Bring any so-called swami and yogis and talk with them about jñāna. They will be, I mean to say, victorious, even they are with me for only four and five years.
So this is practical. This is not story. If you actually want jñānam and vairāgyam, then vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu (SB 1.2.7). Very soon. Ahaitukam. Nobody can give any reason how this man has become... Actually, our Indians are appreciate..., "How these Europeans, Americ..., become so nice devotees." But ahaitukam. Ahaitukam. You cannot ascertain how the reason. It is Kṛṣṇa's favor. It is Kṛṣṇa's favor. So anyone can take advantage. We are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your life will be perfect." And what is the perfection of life? Jñāna and vairāgya. Because everyone is working under the wrong impression that "I am this body," therefore he is ajñāna. He does not know that "I am not this body." As soon as he comes to the understanding that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," then jñāna, immediately he will inquire, "Then what is the activities of the spirit soul? So far I have worked for the interest of my this body, but I have done nothing with the interest of my spirit, as I am. I am spirit soul." That is bhakti-yoga. The activities of the spirit soul, the activities of Brahman, is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is not material activities. Bhakti-yoga is spiritual, pure spiritual activities.
Just like Kṛṣṇa lifted the mountain, giri-bara-dhārī. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī gopī-jana-vallabha giri-bara-dhārī. When there was torrents of rain, Vṛndāvana was being overflooded, and all the inhabitants became so much disturbed. They were seeing to, looking to Kṛṣṇa, because they did not know anything beyond Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I am lifting this mountain. Let it become a big umbrella of the whole state, or whole village." The atheist will say these are all stories. No. They're not stories. Because God is supreme, He is supreme physist, He knows how to make this mountain weightless. He knows the art. Just like so many gigantic planets are floating in the sky. That is a fact. Now who is floating? You cannot float even a small thing in the air, but such gigantic... Not only one, millions and trillions, they are floating. Who has made it possible, floating? So, God can do that. Therefore He is called all-powerful, the great.
This Kūrma, kamaṭha-rūpeṇa. Now, the surāsura-gaṇa, they are standing on the ocean. If you go up to your waist in the water, you become dangerously situated. But they were standing. This proves the law of relativity. Everywhere this law of relativity is working. You do not think, because you cannot stand in the midst of the water of the ocean, therefore nobody can stand. That is nonsense. Ant, the small ant, it is also working. The same thing is going on in the ant society. They are also struggling for existence, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. And we are also doing that. And higher than us, surāsura-gaṇa, they are also doing that. But although the quality of the work is the same, the quantity is different. Quality of the work the same. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Everywhere, all living entities, they are struggling. Whole day they are working according to their capacity. And the qualities, what for they are working? Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. If you just resist one ant, it is coming, if you try to stop, the ant will also resist. It will go this way, that way, this way. It will not agree, "Why you are stopping me?" But it is trying in its own capacity. Similarly, you are also trying to resist in your own capacity by discovering atomic bomb. But as you can smash millions of ants simply by rubbing your leg on the ground, similarly there are other beings who can finish you simply by rubbing their legs. Don't think you are all and all. The rascals, the so-called human scientists, they are thinking they are all in all. "I am the monarch of all I survey." That is not. In God's creation there is smaller than the smallest and the bigger than the biggest. Nobody can claim that "I am everything." No. That is not possible. So they were standing on the... Without standing, how they are churning? But the sea water is up to the knees. How they can stand? So the seven mile sea water is up to their knees. Your, an ant, even seven inches is sufficient water. And for you seven feet is sufficient water. Similarly, others, even seven miles is not sufficient. This is the order of... Don't think that these are all stories. Surāsurāṇāṁ mathnatām. "How they can stand on the ocean? How they can churn? Oh, these are all stories." They are not stories. It may be story for you. Just like if you speak to an ant or what is called, insect... There are many insects. They take their birth... We have seen it. In India we see. In this season there are insects. They are called divāli-pokā, insect divāli. Just in the evening they are born. And they flock together before a light, (sound imitation:) bawnh, bawnh, bawnh, bawnh, like that. And throughout the whole night they will do, and at the end of the night, in the morning, you will see, they are, in heap, they are lying dead. So their life, the duration of life is that night. within that night they take their birth, they grow, they beget children, family, and defend, eat, mate. Everything is complete within the night. And at the end of the night, it is finished. So similarly, if to these flies, if you say, "Oh, we are dying like this, but there is human being. This is only one night. And such... There is another day also of the same period. Then together, day and night, such thirty day and night makes their month. And such 12 months make their year. And such hundred years they live." So how the fly will understand? Similarly, we cannot understand. When the duration of life of Brahmā is described, we think it is story. Similarly, they will think also story. Nothing is story. In the Vedic literatures all informations are there. Their relative life, big and small, smaller than the smallest, bigger than the biggest. Don't think that these description in the Vedas, they are stories. They are not stories. They are facts. But we cannot accommodate in our poor teeny brain. That's all. So what we shall understand about God? It is not possible.
So here it is explained that kalāḥ sarve harer eva. Everyone is expansion from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But those who are prominent, they are called prajāpatis. Prajāpatis means directly expanding. These Kumāras, they were also offered to become prajāpati, but they refused their father's request. So "We are not going to marry and beget children." So Brahmā was angry. So when he was angry, then Lord Śiva, Rudra, from his eyes generated. In higher circle the generation can be produced from any part of the body. But we cannot understand. We simply know one part wherefrom the generation comes. No. In higher circle... Just like many living entities came out from Brahmā's nostril, eyes, ear. Just like Lord Brahmā himself came out from the navel of Viṣṇu. This requires specific power. Not that we have got some stereotyped ideas. Therefore we sometimes find difficulty to understand the description of the Vedas and the Purāṇas. They do not believe. As soon as we say that there was a lotus flower sprouted from the navel of Lord Viṣṇu, and on that lotus flower Brahmā generated, they call it a story. No. These are not stories. These are fact. But our philosophy is Dr. Frog's philosophy. You see? I can simply understand that three feet water in the well. That's all. If there is beyond that, description of Atlantic Ocean, it is beyond my conception. I therefore refuse. This is going.
This is the so-called scientists, philosophers. They have got a teeny brain, which they cannot accommodate so many big things. Therefore they disbelieve. And therefore they are nāstika. But every description in the Vedic literature, they are fact. That is called āstikyam, to have staunch faith. Our process is, therefore, whenever we speak something, we have to quote some Vedic version. Then it is corroborated. It is fact.
There are two kinds of sex life, legal and illegal. Legal is married life sex. That is taken as legal. And without marriage, like cats and dogs in the street or here and there, that is illegal. So legal sex life is still allowed. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, dharmāviruddha-kāmo 'smi. If there is legal sex, one man and woman, married, and only for progeny they get into sex life, that is allowed in the śāstra. But illegal, illicit sex is most abominable. But either illicit or legal, there are so many sufferings. So many sufferings. Illegal—now they are giving opportunity, abortion, killing the child, and so on, go to the hospital. That is also. And behind that, the killing the child, a very sinful, he has to suffer. He does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He's taking the risk of suffering life after life. Those who are killing the child within the womb, they will be punished. They will also enter within the womb of the mother, and somebody will kill, and again he will enter another mother's womb; again he'll be killed. So as many child he has killed, he has to go to the womb of the mother to another womb, another. He will never see the light of the world. He'll be killed. This is the punishment. This is the punishment. But he does not know. Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. He does not know how the laws of nature is working, life for life. You have no right to kill any life. Even an ant you cannot kill even. You cannot kill even. If you kill, then you have to suffer.
These are not stories. These are not stories. There are many incidences in the śāstra. Just like Vidura. He was Yamarāja, incarnation of Yamarāja, but he was cursed by a muni to become a śūdra. Why? Now, one muni was brought in the court of Yamarāja, and he was to be punished by like punishment, sula, piercing the lancet through the rectum and it will come out. So the muni asked Yamarāja that "Why you have put me into this tribulation, this punishment? What is my fault?" The Yamarāja explained that "In your childhood you pierced with a nail through the rectum of an ant. Therefore you must be punished like this." Just see. In childhood playing he pierced. Sometimes we have seen, the children do that. That is also counted. You cannot do any harm to any animal, any living being. You cannot do. But these rascals are regularly killing. Although they have got this human form of body, although they have got intelligence, scientific intelligence, and so-called, but they do not know how nature's law is working. They do not care to know. They say these are all mythology. But not mythology. It is not mythology. Na veda mūḍhaḥ. They do not know what is the law of nature, that ananta-duḥkham.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
What you are? Your human, human being, they are very few. If you compare with other animals, other living entities, you are most insignificant number. Your number is very little, especially for the civilized. If you search out a hole in your room, you'll find millions of ants coming out. Even in your room you'll find. You'll be over-voted. So who is supplying their necessities? Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. In the Vedic language we can understand that one singular entity... God is also a living entity. He's not void. He's just like a person, like you and me. But He's so powerful. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. One single number, He is providing so many, innumerable living entities. So our business is... And the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 10.10) "I supply whatever he needs. Who is constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I supply it. I take the goods personally and deliver there." Why should you be anxious? Kṛṣṇa will take hundred pounds of flours, hundred pounds of rice, and deliver you. Just be Kṛṣṇa conscious. In ordinary home you don't find more than five pounds. You see in our stock, all hundred pounds.
So these are facts. These are not stories. But foolish people, they have no knowledge or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All your material necessities will be... But don't be extravagant. Take only whatever you need to maintain your body and soul together and execute this... Make this primary and other things secondary. Kṛṣṇa will supply you. But if you want to make your sense gratification, if you want to accept more than what you need, then you'll be in trouble. That is māyā. So Kṛṣṇa has provided for everyone, everything. There is no need of being anxious. But that does not mean that I shall feel, "Oh, I shall do everything and anything." No.
In Indian spiritual society the evidences are given from Vedic literature. Then it is accepted, not that mental speculationist's theory, "I think this. I think that..." No. Just the same example I have several times cited before you, that the law court, they give evidences from the lawbook, sections from the lawbook. Similarly, the process is whenever we speak something transcendental subject, if we can pick up evidences from Vedic literatures... There are many authentic Vedic literatures. They are accepted by the spiritual societies. And one's learning is proved if he can give evidences from these Vedic literatures. Similarly Lord Caitanya, whatever He is speaking, He's giving immediately references from Vedic literature. So, so far the existence of the spiritual world and different planets, spiritual planets, Vaikuṇṭha and Kṛṣṇaloka, one may think... Of course, those who have no knowledge, they may think that these are all stories. No, they are not stories. They are actual facts, and Lord Caitanya is giving evidences from Brahma-saṁhitā, from Padma Purāṇa, and similar other Vedic literatures.
So more or less degree, this material conception is everywhere. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān. Beginning from the lowest planet up to the Brahmaloka, they are all affected. So similarly Brahmā, he thought himself, "Oh, how great I am that in my jurisdiction Kṛṣṇa, my Lord, has come, and He is playing like a boy, cowherds boy. How great I am. Kṛṣṇa has come just like a cowherd boy." You see? Therefore he... Kṛṣṇe jānāñā dvārī brahmāre lañā gelā. Kṛṣṇa inquired, "Which Brahmā has come?" Now the doorman takes him inside, and he enters Kṛṣṇa's room, offers his respect. Kṛṣṇera caraṇe brahmā daṇḍavat kailā. Now, if Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, as the foolish rascals think, that avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā: (BG 9.11) "The foolish rascals deride at Me as ordinary man," how it is possible that Brahmā is offering his respect to Kṛṣṇa? If you think that "These are all stories..." Not stories. Do you think Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking some stories, some fabricated stories, to get His followers? Do you think like that? No. Lord Caitanya, such a great devotee... Apart from His feature of incarnation, take Him as a great devotee, learned. He was vastly learned, and nobody could surpass Him in His learning in those days.
General Lectures
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to propagate this higher scientific idea to the people in general, and the process is very simple. Simply by chanting the holy name of God—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—one cleanses his dirty things in the heart and he can understand that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and it is his duty to serve Him. And it is also very pleasant. The process is so nice that we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance rhythmically and eat nice prasādam, and we enjoy this life and prepare for the next life to enter into the kingdom of God. So these are not stories. These are all facts, although to the layman it appears like stories. But if one is serious, then Kṛṣṇa, or God, from within, He also helps, and the spiritual master also helps. The spiritual master is said "the external manifestation of God." God is situated in everyone's heart as Paramātmā, as Supersoul. But those who are very serious about understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, immediately He helps him by, I mean to say, showing a bona fide spiritual master so that a candidate will be helped from inside and outside how to approach God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that purpose. The spiritual master, or the representative, living representative of Kṛṣṇa, he helps from outside, and Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā helps from inside. In both ways the living entity can take advantage and make his life successful. We have got many books in this connection, about twelve books of four hundred pages. So this is based on the authority of Vedas, and that is summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā and many other books.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Indian man (1): ...exist?
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Certainly. Certainly.
Indian man (1): Have you seen?
Prabhupāda: And you have not seen so many things. Does it mean that does not exist? You are researching. You have not seen. As a scientist...
Indian man (1): I have heard lots of ghost stories, but...
Prabhupāda: No, no, it is not stories. We are hearing from Bhāgavata. It is authority. We are not hearing the stories of a third-class man. We are hearing from Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva...
Indian man (1): But you see, up till now, in my long life of eighty years...
Prabhupāda: No, no, you have not so many experiences. That does not mean these things does not exist. Your experience is not all in all. Don't think like that. So these are existing actually. That is the defect, that you do not accept the authorities. That is the defect. Here Vyāsadeva is describing, who is called Vedavyāsa, full of all knowledge, and Bhāgavata is a mature experience. We are hearing from him. Why you should not believe? I may not have experience. This ghost means the living entity is subtle life without any material body. That is ghost. When one is very sinful, he does not get the material body. He lives in the subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. That is ghostly life. And they display. Because they have no body, one cannot see, but they display so many mischiefs. That is ghostly life. (break) Seeing or not seeing doesn't matter. Therefore it is enjoined in the Vedānta-sūtra, śāstra cakṣuṣā.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Patel: Just like the essence of the Vedic knowledge has been given in the story form in the Bhāgavata. That is how these people could understand that. These...
Prabhupāda: It is not story. It is history...
Dr. Patel: No, no, some are stories and divya stories.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is history and philosophy. They are not stories. Where it is a story, it is mentioned it is like a story. Just like this bhāvārthābdhi.. That is mentioned there. There are many such statements which is not history, but, what is called? Instruction. But they take everything, "It is fabulous."
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Rāmeśvara: It's like you say. It's a new culture. Our art paintings one day will be seen all over the world. Just like now they hang art paintings in all government buildings.
Prabhupāda: It was written for this purpose. People are suffering by their concocted culture, suffering. And Guru Mahārāja wanted this. Actually it is his mission, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. But I am... I have tried sincerely. I am not qualified, but only qualification is that I tried to do the best. That's all, that much qualification. I had faith in their program, and I thought, "I shall try my best, whatever capacity I have got." That's all. Yasya deve parā bhaktir tathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Little confident that "Why? If Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants it, my Guru Mahārāja wants it, why it will not be successful? Let me try." That's all. Mukhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ panguṁ laṅghayate girim: "A dumb man can become orator." (laughs) It is like that. I never thought that they will praise so much. What it is possible? Mukhaṁ karoti vācālam. (laughs) "A dumb man can become orator, and a lame man can cross over the mountain." Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam. By the mercy of guru it is possible. So these are not stories. They are fact. That is spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: This is Yudhiṣṭhira... Come in everywhere. It was the position during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time that land should be kept wet, and during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time the land was wet not by water but by milk. This is Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time. Siṣicuḥ sma vrajān gāvaḥ (SB 1.10.4). What is the meaning?
Yaśomatīnandana: "Kāmam—everything needed." Translation: "During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man profusely. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk."
Prabhupāda: Introduce this, rascal. This party government, that party government, big, big belly, big, big monkey, eating cows and hogs and dogs, and they have become big, big minister. What they can do? That is not... This is the secret. What is the second line?
Yaśomatīnandana: Nadyaḥ samudrā girayaḥ...
Prabhupāda: No, no, no.
Yaśomatīnandana: Siṣicuḥ sma vrajān (SB 1.10.4).
Prabhupāda: Ah. Let them remain happy and automatically... Just like in our Philadelphia. Oh, such a big... Giving him thousand pounds. Yes, we are doing this, fatty. Cans of milk. Even the cat is happy. The dog is happy. There is no fight. Cat is so happy, stroking on the back of the cows. Similarly, the dog is... There is no "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" barking. I have seen it. Only through the medium of milk. These are not stories. I have seen.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
You have hinted about the value of concentration and in the stories from the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, but I do not exactly follow what you mean by this. The statements in the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata and the Puranas are all different historical incidents. Mahabharata is called, according to Vedic authorities, as the history of India. I do not know who first designated it as an "epic." That is the cause of the falldown of Hindu culture. They did not believe in their Vedic literatures presented by Vyasadeva. They are not stories after all. Stories are imaginary, but they are not imaginary. They are actual facts. But such historical facts are not chronological; but for the teaching of the commonplace people some of the important incidents of history are there. It is said saram saram samud dhritva. This means only the essential facts have been collected, and they are put together in the shape of Puranas, Mahabharata, etc.
| Page Title: | These are not stories; these are fact |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 14 of May, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=24, Con=4, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 30 |