So why this ignorance of Arjuna, the question may be. Arjuna is guḍākeśa. He is above this material world. How he is being affected by his so-called relatives and kinsmen? He was hesitating to fight on this principle, that "They are my relatives. They are my kinsmen. They are my family members." He was always thinking. Therefore Kṛṣṇa knew it. So he has become so family-wise infected. But he is guḍākeśa. How it is possible? He is above all these things. Yes, he is above all these things. By Kṛṣṇa's desire, he is playing like that, ordinary man. Otherwise, how Bhagavad-gītā will come? Kṛṣṇa cannot talk with ordinary person. Kṛṣṇa cannot fight with ordinary person. Even the demons, when they come, just like Hiraṇyākṣa, Hiraṇyakaśipu. They were Jaya-Vijaya in the Vaikuṇṭha world. So they came here, and Kṛṣṇa asked them, that "If you become My enemy, then within three births you will come back. And if you remain friend, then seven births." So they preferred, "Oh, I shall become Your enemy, Sir, so that I can come back again after three births." So why? That Kṛṣṇa has all the propensities. Just like we sometimes want to fight, mock fight. So in the Vaikuṇṭha world there cannot be any fight. So because Kṛṣṇa wanted to exercise His fighting spirit, He sent His devotee. He became enemy and He fought. So you have to understand Kṛṣṇa in that way, as Hṛṣīkeśa. He knows that unless Arjuna becomes affected family-wise, how Bhagavad-gītā will be there? Therefore although Guḍākeśa, Arjuna, is above darkness, still, by the will of Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, he played just like ordinary man, affected with his family affection. Therefore Kṛṣṇa in the next verse says... Uvāca. Kṛṣṇa said, "My dear Pārtha, now you wanted to see with whom you have to fight. Now, here is Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and many other kings. All the descendants of Kuru dynasty, your Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons. Now you see very nicely and be prepared to fight with them." So this is the explanation of Hṛṣīkeśa and Guḍākeśa.
Will of the Lord (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"God's will"
|"God's will"
|"Will of Sri Krishna"
|"by the will of God"
|"by the will of krsna"
|"by the will of the lord"
|"by the will of the supreme"
|"krishna's will"
|"lord willing"
|"lord's will"
|"will of God"
|"will of God"
|"will of Lord Sri Krsna"
|"will of krishna"
|"will of krsna"
|"will of the Lord Krsna"
|"will of the lord"
|"will of the supreme"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So the Supreme Person is Bhagavān. Bhaga means six kinds of opulences: the richest, the most powerful, the wisest, the most beautiful, and the most influential, and the most renounced at the same time. Just like this whole cosmic manifestation is created by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but you will not find him here. Disinterested. Many millions of universes are working by His will, but He is not interested. The example is just like a big capitalist. He has got many factories, and if you go to the factory—there is a Tata factory, iron factory—you will find huge factories going on, but Mr. Tata is not there. Things are going on. Similarly, all cosmic manifestation going on, it is under the will of Kṛṣṇa. But He is not present here. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everything is resting on Me." Any factory, every worker knows that the whole factory function resting on that supreme person. He knows that. So actually fact is that mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there. I am not there." Similarly, Bhagavān means that. Under His will, under His power, everything is working so nicely, systematically, but if you want to see God, Kṛṣṇa, you cannot see Him. He is not there. He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but His influence is so extensive that even without His personal presence, things are going on so nicely.
The Bhagavad-gītā... Just like it is play. Kṛṣṇa is constant companion of Arjuna. So Arjuna cannot be put into that ignorance. It is for our benefit that by the will of the Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is put into that sort of ignorance. So he is asking Kṛṣṇa all these questions just like a foolish man, and Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction so that it is being recorded in the history of Mahābhārata for future generations. So here Arjuna, he was declining to fight, declining to fight, that "How can I fight with my grandfather?" You see? "He is respectable. He has brought me up since my father's death. And here is my teacher, Droṇācārya. He has taught me this military art. Whatever I am warrior, my expertness is due to him. And do you think, Kṛṣṇa, I shall kill them? No, I can fight with them. I can kill them, but it is not my duty." So Arjuna, and, says like that. But Kṛṣṇa says, "No. You must be dutiful. Never mind who is that, your grandfather or your teacher. No. When there is fight... You are a kṣatriya. A kṣatriya should not be..., has no other consideration in the fight. He must fight."
If you act for Kṛṣṇa, then you are all right, but if you are acting for your sense gratification, you'll be entangled by the resultant action. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you want to do something, first of all He says, "No." Just like a thief, he's praying to God: "My dear Lord, give me some opportunity. I can steal that thing." Kṛṣṇa first of all says, "No, no. Don't do it." But he insists. Then Kṛṣṇa says, "All right. Do it." But as soon as you do it, you become entangled. Why you are doing against the will of Kṛṣṇa? That is your entanglement. Kṛṣṇa says: "Don't do this." Why you are doing that? So Kṛṣṇa is giving you facility to steal others' property, but you become entangled. That is not Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. Your responsibility.
People have gone so much ahead in material, I mean to say... Material civilization means only sense gratification. That's all. It has nothing more than this. And actually we are seeing that as much as we are making economic progress, as much money we are getting, the next program is how to spend it for sense gratification, how to spend it for sense gratification. They have no other program, no other program. You see? Everywhere. But here the formula is that nothing for your sense gratification; everything for God. The work is not condemned. Work you can do. Whatever in situation, position you are by God's will you are put in, that doesn't matter. Your work is not bad, provided you work for the Supreme Lord. That's all. That is the technique.
So anything that is going on in this world, it is under the supreme supervision of the Lord. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). In every... There is a philosopher's saying, "Not a blade of grass moves without the will of God." It is actually the fact. Everything... Now, we have to dovetail ourself with that plan of the Supreme Lord. That is called karma-yoga. That is called karma-yoga. So Arjuna understood it, and he dovetailed himself with the supreme will of the Lord. And when he was inquired, "Whether you are going or fight or not? What you have settled after hearing Bhagavad-gītā?" he said, "Yes Kṛṣṇa. My illusion is now removed by Your grace, and I have decided to fight. That's all."
Now, the process of life described here, yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ: "One should be satisfied with things which comes very easily." We should not try for anything too much to obtain it. No. We shall be satisfied. Whatever comes automatically or by the will of Kṛṣṇa, we may be satisfied in that way. Yadṛcchā-lābha. For gaining something, we should not be too much endeavoring. Then I shall be deviated from Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Jaya-gopāla: In Chapter Four in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, it is said that Arjuna was present at the speaking of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god so many years ago. What position did he have there?
Prabhupāda: He was also present, but he has forgotten.
Jaya-gopāla: Which position did he have, if it wasn't spoken at the Battle of Kurukṣetra? Which position?
Prabhupāda: Arjuna was put into that position by the supreme will of the Lord. Unless... Just like in the theatrical stage, both the father and the son, they are playing some part. The father is playing a king, and the son is playing another king. Both are inimical. But actually they are playing as such. Similarly, Arjuna is eternal friend of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot be in delusion. How he can be delusioned if Kṛṣṇa is his constant friend? But he was supposed to be in delusion so that he played the part of a conditioned soul and Kṛṣṇa explained the whole thing. He played that ordinary person; therefore all his questions were just like ordinary man. Unless... Because the teachings of Gītā was lost. That is explained.
Kṛṣṇa says that best thing is that you simply take to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity, liberty, that whatever you do, whatever you like, you can do. Now it is your choice. Just like father, (and) grown-up son. He says, "My dear boy, you do like this. That is my opinion." But when the son says, "No. I shall do like this." "All right, you do whatever you like." But without father's sanction, as the son cannot do anything, similarly, without Kṛṣṇa's sanction you cannot do anything. But the proposal is yours. Therefore this maxim: "Man proposes, God disposes." So God is not responsible for your work. If you act according to the order of God, then He's responsible. And if you act against the will of God, then you are responsible.
Prabhupāda: No, we are not neglecting. We have come here to teach you. Therefore we are not neglecting you.
Swedish woman (5): Yes, I see that you can't neglect that.
Prabhupāda: Yes, we are not neglecting. We are not neglecting. But we are not worried. That is the difference. We are trying to serve you, but we are not worried about you. Because I know that you will be provided with everything by God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. It is stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaḥ. God is not very poor man that He cannot maintain you. He will maintain you. There may be millions of population. God is quite able to feed them. Why do you think that God is so poor? We have already explained that He is full with all opulences. So it does not matter whether there is increase of population. But if the people are unfaithful, they must be punished with starvation. That is God's will. It is not that they will not be fed. There is no question of overpopulation.
So lowest of the mankind, who does not take full advantage of this human form of life, he's the lowest of mankind. He should not have given this form of human life and developed consciousness, because he is misusing it. But Lord is so kind, gives us chance, gives us chance. The material nature, although it is very powerful, and it is punishing, but here is a chance by the will of God: "All right, let these living entities, who are suffering under different covers of this material body in 8,400,000 species of life, now here he has got a chance, the human form of life after many evolutionary process, many, many thousands and millions. Here is a chance." If you do not understand that "Here is a chance to get me free out of this entanglement," if you don't take the chance, are you not the lowest of the mankind?
So a further advancement from neutrality, that I love Kṛṣṇa or God because He's great. No, that love is not sufficient. We must render some service to the Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is rendering service to Kṛṣṇa as a soldier. Kṛṣṇa wanted that the battle of Kurukṣetra should be executed and Arjuna did not like it because it was concerned to his family members, with his brothers, so he did not like it. But, when, after hearing this Bhagavad-gītā, he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he executed the will of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted that the fighting must continue. So he executed in spite of his own conclusion that he would not fight.
Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna, in the beginning, he denied to carry out the order of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted fight. He said, "No. Kṛṣṇa, I cannot fight. I cannot kill my kinsmen, the other side, my brothers, my nephews, my grandfather. No. I stop." Then Kṛṣṇa explained the actual position and He asked him: "Now, what is your decision? You can do whatever you like. I have explained everything." He said, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73)." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be ready to do anything for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that "According to my whims, I shall decide." No, this is position. We must be ready because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like my hand is moving because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like my hand is moving because I want to move it, similarly, we are all, all living entities, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore, our duty is simply to move according to the will of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, I do not wish to go back to home, back to Godhead alone. I want to take all of them who are godless or not devotee. I want to take. Unless I educate them how to go back to home, back to.,., I alone am not prepared to..." This is Prahlāda. This is Vaiṣṇava. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī kṛpāmbudhir yaḥ. Vaiṣṇava means for himself he has no problem, but he is very, very, I mean, morose, by seeing others in distressed condition without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava has no problem. He can sit down anywhere and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everything will be supplied to him. Kṛṣṇa said, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). There is no problem. But it is a Vaiṣṇava's business to execute the will of Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa says,
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
If everyone has got the potency to go back to home, back to Godhead, it is the duty of the Vaiṣṇava to educate the whole world how to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Just like theoretically we understand, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Still, when my son dies I become affected. That is temporary. That is temporary. But Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa gave him the liberty that "Now I have spoken to you everything. Now whatever you..." (break) ...under certain circumstances. But if your conviction is that "I shall act according to the order of God," that is final. That is final. He did not act against the will of the Lord. That is his victory. Temporarily he might have been disturbed when his son was killed. That is a different thing. Everyone becomes. But that does not mean he stopped work. That is wanted. What was the final conclusion? He did not leave the warfield because his son Abhimanyu was killed; therefore he left—"No, I don't want to fight"? No, he did not do that. He was affected for the time being. That is natural. But finally he concluded and he said, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now over. I shall fight." That is right conclusion.
If you have to manufacture these leaves, one after another, and set up in the tree, just see, how much difficult it will be. But by the laws of nature, by God's energy, immediately, within a few days, millions of trees are getting their leaves again and millions of trees, they are falling. Millions of fruits are coming out. Similarly, all this cosmic manifestation came into existence simply by the will of God. Not that... Just like in season, there are hundreds and thousands and millions of fruits. You haven't got to create each fruit. When the season is there, the fruits are all ready, immediately. Similarly, when God says, "Let there be creation," millions of planets, immediately created. That is God.
These rascals, the scientists, they do not know that milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. That everyone knows. So if you want to... That is nature's way, by God's will, that a cow gives forty pounds, fifty pounds milk daily, but it does not drink. Although it is her milk, no, it gives you, human society: "You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass." Just see. And the civilized men killing them, killing them. And they want peace. Just see the fun. Without touching your foodstuff, the cow is eating the grass which is given by God, immense grass, and they are giving you the finest foodstuff, milk. Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow.
As Kṛṣṇa has personally taught you. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that... What is that? Ap... The water, taste? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So Kṛṣṇa is teaching that "You try to understand Me in this way." Not whimsically, "I am meditating something." No. You meditate, but according to the will of Kṛṣṇa, bhagavac-chikṣayā, as He has taught. He says that you can meditate. This is very good subject matter of meditation. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Very easy. Everyone is drinking water, and as soon as you get water and drink, if you meditate little what Kṛṣṇa has said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, "I am the taste of the water," where is the difficulty? Bhagavac-chikṣayā. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. As soon as you see light, sunlight, moonlight, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa: "This light is Kṛṣṇa."
There is prescription of duties according to guṇa we have acquired, and let us work, but at the same time... Kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇi, bhagavat, bhagavac-chikṣayā. Or by the will of Kṛṣṇa we are put under certain condition of life. Never mind. Kṛṣṇa has made me, say, a śūdra, not a brāhmaṇa. A śūdra also has got work to do. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So if we simply remember that "Kṛṣṇa has put me in this condition of life, I am a śūdra," that is very nice. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). A devotee is satisfied always. He does not grudge, that "I am put into this condition. Why I'm not put into the condition of a king or a learned brāhmaṇa?" No. "Whatever condition Kṛṣṇa has given me, that is all right." Tat te anukampām, it is His grace. "By His grace I have got this position."
So following the mahājanas, the principles, as Arjuna is doing, we must follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. That is fully explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And surrender unto Him. And then our life will be successful. There will be no disturbances. Otherwise, if we declare independence, that is troublesome. It will create simply trouble. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). That is māyā. To think oneself independent is māyā. We are not independent. We are completely under the control. So, so long we declare independence we suffer. And if we remain fully dependent on the will of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, then we are happy.
"Yamarāja is deputed by the Lord to a particular planet, some hundreds of thousands of miles away from the planet of earth, to take away the corrupt souls after death and convict them in accordance with their respective sinful activities. Thus, Yamarāja has very little time to take leave from his responsible office of punishing the wrongdoers. There are more wrongdoers than righteous men. Therefore Yamarāja has to do (more) work than other demigods who are also authorized agents of the Supreme Lord. But he wanted to preach the glories of the Lord, and therefore, by the will of the Lord, he was cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni to come into the world in the incarnation of Vidura and work very hard as a great devotee."
Actually, everybody is being carried by the laws of material nature, but a foolish person is thinking that he is doing himself. So here it is said that prāyeṇa etad bhagavata īśvarasya viceṣṭitam. We cannot do anything without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like in state you cannot do anything without the sanction of the government, similarly the supreme state, the supreme order-giver, Kṛṣṇa or God, without His sanction we cannot do anything. But here it is said that mitho nighnanti bhūtāni bhāvayanti ca yan mithaḥ. Sometimes by His will we kill one another, and sometimes we give protection one another. So does it mean that in different time Kṛṣṇa is giving different intelligence? No. Kṛṣṇa's action is daiva, superior.
When one understands that "I am not brāhmaṇa, not kṣatriya, not vaiśya, not śūdra, nor American, nor Indian, nor this, nor that; simply I am spiritual part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and my only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167), that is first-class life. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Not pratikūlyena. Pratikūlyena means against the will of Kṛṣṇa. That is pratikūla. Bhakti means ānukūla. Just like Kamsa. He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa: "Whether Kṛṣṇa is born? I have to kill Him. Whether this or that..." He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. But pratikūlyena, not ānukūlyena. One Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always making plan how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and another Kṛṣṇa cons..., how to kill Kṛṣṇa.
Here is śāstra, that the incarnation of God, even He passes stool, it is fragrant. He can do it. That is God. That practically you can see, that the cow dung... Cow dung, you can make a stack of cow dung here. It will never disturb you. You'll, rather, feel pleasure, passing through that portion of field where cow dung is stacked. You'll never feel any disturbance because it is pure. Cow dung... We have discussed this point many times. Where it is impure, that it makes pure. In Indian villages, still they use cow dung for smearing over the floor, and it becomes very nice, fresh, and purified. That is injunction of the śāstra, that cow dung is pure. So if by the will of Kṛṣṇa, by the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa, even an animal's stool can become so purified, what to speak of Kṛṣṇa's stool?
Whenever there is some crash, either railway or the airplane, it should be noted that all those passengers are destined to die by the will of God, and they come together and destroy.(?) Because without the sanction, will, of God, nothing can take place. (break) ...some reason. Father is not unkind, but when father denies the same facility he is giving to the other child, that does not mean he is unkind. (break) ...the devotee is suffering from some reverse condition, then he is feeling very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, my dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I am suffering." This is devotee. He is suffering and he is taking it as great mercy of God. Tat te anukampām. Anukampā. Anukampā means mercy. So it is Your mercy. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). He knows the same thing, that a man suffers on account of his past sinful activities or present sinful activities. The past or present doesn't matter. If one is sinful, then he must be punished.
Mālatī: Is it true he has the same body in the spiritual world and when he comes into the material world?
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Nārada's facility. He has got the benediction that he can travel anywhere, without any restriction. Even some of the yogis... Durvāsā Muni, he also went to the spiritual world, saw Lord Viṣṇu. And Arjuna also went to the spiritual world with Kṛṣṇa. So, not that this material body cannot be transformed into spiritual body by the supreme will of the Lord. Anything can be changed. We think that this is stereotyped; it cannot be transformed. No. That's not the fact. By the supreme will, anything can be changed into anything.
Revatīnandana: I have a question. One of my prabhus told me that you once said that your Guru Mahārāja said that Jesus Christ was a śaktyāveśāvatāra. Is that correct?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he said it, it must be correct. Muhammad also, śaktyāveśāvatāra. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means a living entity is especially empowered to preach the glories of the Lord. Lord Buddha is also śaktyāveśāvatāra. They are not ordinary human being. They are especially empowered personalities.
So whatever is being done in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, don't think that it is my influence of my... It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa can do everything. He can change sattva-guṇa into tamo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa into rajo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa into sattva-guṇa. That is as He likes. Just like a expert electrician: he can turn the heater into cooler and cooler into heater. The electric energy is the same. Similarly, parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has His energy. If He likes... My point is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has come to your country by the will of Kṛṣṇa. So here is favorable situation because the will of Kṛṣṇa is there, that "Now the Westerners, especially the Americans, they should become Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is His will. So you take the opportunity, cooperate with Kṛṣṇa, and you will be successful.
Your senses are purified exactly like the same example, that when a citizen is free and willingly obeying the laws of the state, he is free from contamination. And as soon as he is disobedient, he is contaminated. Therefore he is put into the jail. Similarly, our material existence means that we have revolted against the will of Kṛṣṇa or God. Therefore we are dragging the struggle for existence, and as soon as we become again obedient to Kṛṣṇa, we shall always remember that our characteristic is to serve. So by natural way, if we serve God, then we are happy, and by unnatural way, if we serve our senses, then we are unhappy. This is the difference. Service you have to give.
Sukham aindriyakam. Aindriyakam means, indriya, indriya means senses. Daityā. He's addressing his friends. They're all born of daitya family. Daitya family means they're simply after sense gratification. That is called daitya family. And human family, or devata family... There are two classes: daitya and devatā. Daitya means they do not know anything, just like animals, simply after sense gratification. They are called daityas. And devatā means they are fully aware of the existence of God, their relationship with God, duty with reference to God, they are called devatās. That is the difference between daityas... So Prahlāda Mahārāja, circumstantially, because he was to deliver the daityas, so he took his birth, by the will of the Supreme Lord, he took birth in a daitya family. Sometimes devotees come in a particular type of family to deliver the community or the society. So here the class friends were all daityas, born of daitya family. They are not born of very enlightened family. So therefore he's addressing, daityā. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha...
We are executing the will of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who takes up this responsibility of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he is very dear to Me." Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' sarva deśa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa in the form of devotee. He said that "By My order, you become a spiritual master." "Oh, I have to become a spiritual master? What I have to do? Oh, I have no qualification." "Oh, you don't require any qualification." "Then what is to do?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you just try to give him some instruction of Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He says that "Fruits, flower, vegetables—anyone give Me with devotion, I eat." Therefore you have to do that. Everything, anything, does not mean that you will go against the will of Kṛṣṇa. Does it mean that? If Kṛṣṇa says, "You bring this," "Ah, never mind." Even though I do not like it, I shall do it. Just like Kṛṣṇa said that "You fight." Is fighting good? He was good man. He didn't want to fight. But Kṛṣṇa said, "You fight," so against his will he fought. That is anything and everything. From gentleman's point of view, from nonviolence point of view, Arjuna was very nice. He was not willing to fight. But Kṛṣṇa said, "You must fight," and therefore everything was engaged. That is everything: with permission of Kṛṣṇa.
Suppose the father and mother, they are always ready to show favor to their children. There is no doubt about it. But does it mean if one has got very good and rich and able father and mother one can be happy, the children can be happy? No. That is not so. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. That is also Prahlāda Mahārāja's statement, that "Simply because there is kind father and mother, therefore the children will be happy? No. That is not possible." So actually, if the child is destined to suffer, the good father-mother cannot give him shelter. That is not possible. Suppose one is condemned by the court to be punished, capital punishment, to be hanged. The father-mother may be very big man or rich man. If he pleads in the court, "Sir, whatever you want, I'll give. Kindly do not condemn my son to be hanged," that cannot be checked. This is not possible. Nobody can show favor against the will of the Supreme.
Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The human society, by the will of God there are four classes of men. The first-class is the brāhmaṇa; the second-class, the kṣatriya; the third-class, the vaiśyas; and all others, fourth-class, śūdras. So at the present moment, practically there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśya, only śūdras, fourth-class men. So you cannot expect any happiness guided by the fourth-class men. That is not possible. Therefore throughout the whole world there is chaotic condition. Nobody is happy. So this is essential that the human society must be divided into four divisions. The brāhmaṇa class means the first-class ideal men, so that by the seeing their character, their behavior, others will try to follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to create some first-class men.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
This life is meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā is left by Kṛṣṇa to make all people after Him, to become devotees. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). The instruction is there, but these rascals will spoil. They will never allow you to become a devotee. These rascals are so dangerous. They are going against the will of Kṛṣṇa. So one must be very careful to save himself from the poisonous effect of these rascals. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa, live with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness devotees. And then by the association of the saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. As you make association, so you develop your desires, your qualities.
Let us surrender to Kṛṣṇa and execute His will, whatever He... Surrender means I must be prepared to execute the will of Kṛṣṇa; not my whims, but Kṛṣṇa's will. The Kṛṣṇa's will is that you become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Where is the difficulty? You surrender unto Him, and He assures, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Immediately he becomes relieved from the effects of illusory energy. So there is no difficulty, not at all difficulty. Let us immediately become surrendered to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Think of Him always. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, to become His devotee, always think of Him. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
There is a very nice verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I cannot recite it, but the purport I can say that... Prahlāda Mahārāja was praying that "The parents care to the children is not sufficient to protect him. And medical help to a patient is not sufficient to cure a disease or cure a man. And the shipping arrangement on the sea is not sufficient to protect a man from going down." In this way he has given so many list that "The counteraction which we are trying to put in our impediments of progress, that is not sufficient if there is no will of God. If there is no will of God, then it is not sufficient protection." Perhaps you know, every one of you. It happened to your country—of course, long, long ago; I heard it from papers in India—that the Americans manufactured a ship, Titanic. (laughter) And it was considered the safest: it will never sink down. On the first voyage, with all important men, it sunk down. Is it a fact? So it is not that your arrangement is sufficient—unless there is God's desire.
Therefore the common saying is that "Man proposes; God disposes." Therefore a devotee, he never depends in himself. He never considers himself, "I am independent." He simply depends on the supreme will of the Lord. That is devotion. "If God desires... If Kṛṣṇa desires..." Whenever we used to ask our Guru Mahārāja something, "Is it going to be happened like that?" some work, he never said, "Yes, it is going to happen. Yes, we are going to do it." No. "Yes, if Kṛṣṇa desires, it may be." He never said like that, positively. "If Kṛṣṇa desires." Actually this is the fact. If Kṛṣṇa desires, God desires, anything wonderful can be done. If He does not desire, however you may try, it will never be done. So just like we are praying to Kṛṣṇa, if He desires, we'll have a nice house. If He does not desire, we may remain here. It doesn't matter. But we shall prosecute our business, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Just like for proper execution of this material world there are certain rules and regulations of the king, of the state, similarly, to execute properly the supreme will of the Supreme Lord there are certain rules and regulations. That is called religion. This is the meaning of religion. Religion does not mean that "My religion says this. Your religion says this. Your religion says this." Religion means whether you are properly executing the will of the Supreme. That's all. This is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). The nonsense rascals, they cannot manufacture religion. Religion cannot be... Just like ordinary citizens, they cannot make laws for the state. Suppose if you make a law. Who will care for your law? Don't take advantage of the innocent people and make your own religion and make a group and try to exploit them. This is all nonsense. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the regulation of the Supreme. So we have to know. That is religion. So any religion which is directing to obey the Supreme Lord, that is bona fide.
General Lectures
If we want to do something evil, I cannot do it without the sanction of the Supreme. Or even if I do something very nice, that also I cannot do without the sanction. So how the Lord gives such sanction? The sanction is like this: just like a child is crying to get something from the parent, and the parent, being disgusted, gives him something, "All right. Take it." Such kind of sanction. When we do something evil, the sanction is from the Lord, but it is not willing sanction. Against the will of the Lord. And when you do something in cooperation with the Lord, that is called bhakti. We are doing everything... In the material world we are doing everything, all nonsense for sense gratification. There is also sanction of the Lord, but that is unwilling sanction. But when we execute devotional service, loving devotional service, that is very pleasing to the Lord.
Just like Arjuna said that śādhi māṁ prapannam, śiṣyas te 'ham: "I become your śiṣya." Śiṣya means disciple. That means "Whatever disciplinary action You will ask me to follow, I shall do it." This is called śiṣya. The word śiṣya comes from the word, Sanskrit word, sas-dhātu, means to rule over, sas-dhātu. So ruling by instruction, ruling by laws, and ruling by force, weapon. There are three kinds of ruling. If instruction fails, then evidences from lawbooks. And when that also fails, then force. That is the whole arrangement everywhere. The instruction is that you should not kill. But if you violate, then according to law you are arrested. If you still violate, then you are punished in so many ways by force. As this is going on in our ordinary life, the same thing is going on by God's will also. The kingdom of God... Here is also kingdom of God, and there is another, spiritual sky. That is also kingdom of God.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: He says that everything goes by steps in nature, and not by leaps. In other words, there is a law of continuity, like there are no gaps in nature. Everything is gradual. There is a gradual differentiation.
Prabhupāda: No. There are two ways-gradual and immediate also. Of course, in one sense... (break) ...little force, it goes quickly. The ball has no power. So wonderful things are happening in the material nature due to the will of the Supreme. Everything happening is the same process; it is undergoing the process, but the method, pushed by God, it takes automatically. Just like He created this material nature. It is in the beginning nonmanifest, then gradually it grows three qualities, and by the interaction of qualities so many things come out—the sky comes, and as soon as the sky comes out, there is sound; sound comes, as soon as sound has come out, the ear comes; the controller of the ear comes..., so many things—one after another, one after another, one after another. So the pushing is so perfect that all other things come automatically in perfect order. But foolish people, they are thinking that things are coming automatically out of it, without any background. They don't think there is God. They think that nature, there was a chunk, and the creation was there. And wherefrom the chunk came? That is imperfect observation. Perfect knowledge is you take Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ: (BG 9.10) "under My superintendence." And that is our practical experience.
Śyāmasundara: He says just like this thing, (holding up an object) it will change to another thing, to another thing, to another thing, depending on its desire, which impels it to change. He says that even behind some object there is some ability to change.
Prabhupāda: That I have already said. Just like Kṛṣṇa, first of all He created the whole total cosmic energy, and then, by His plan, by His devices, He divides into so many things, changes, parts and parts and parts. It can be taken in that way. The material changes are going on according to the will of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Is that clear?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. He says that each monad is like all of the others. They are identical, so that to know one is to know all, to know the whole world.
Prabhupāda: But one thing is that when rocks were thrown on the sea by Lord Rāmacandra's will, they began to float. Therefore the Supreme Will is the ultimate cause. Supreme Will wants that the rock may go down in the water, then it goes; if He does not wants, then the rock floats. Therefore rock is not independent. The Supreme Will of God is independent. There are so many other examples. The same example as I cited the other day, that the cow eats the dry grass and it gives so nutritious, full of vitamins milk. But the same dry grass, if a woman eats, she will die. Therefore the plan of the Supreme that the cow, by eating dry grass, she can deliver nicely. It is not on the dry grass she is producing milk; it is the will of God that is producing it. Similarly the stone falling. Because the will of God is there, therefore "You stone, go down in the water!" But when God wills that it floats, it will float. So that in that case the monad theory did not act.
Śyāmasundara: But the point of whether the monad of the rock causes the monads of the water to part.
Prabhupāda: These causes can be changed—by God's will.
Śyāmasundara: Yes, I understand that, but if the monad of the rock causes the monads of the water to part, or whether the monads of the water part independently...?
Prabhupāda: That is all dependent on God's will.
Śyāmasundara: That's a moot question.
Prabhupāda: Therefore ultimate desire is God's.
Śyāmasundara: So whether the water's parting allowed the rock to fall in, or whether the rock caused the water to part, it doesn't really matter.
Prabhupāda: It is ultimately depending on God's will. That is the explanation.
Śyāmasundara: He says that these monads are spiritual in nature; therefore they are immortal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That we admit, because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's will, both of them are spiritual.
Śyāmasundara: He says that God is an absolute necessity because we cannot conceive not-God. But man, individual men, are relative truths because they are not absolutely necessary. Because I can conceive that I am not here, that I may die. So he says that we are conditioned, that men are conditioned. They are governed by the principle of sufficient (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: That we can see. There are so many politicians, they are very busy. They think that "If I do not remain in the state, everything will collapse." But when he dies, everything goes on nicely without him. That is māyā. So many politicians work so hard, up to the last point of his death he is thinking that "Without me, everything will be topsy turvy." But he dies in spite of his not willing to die. He dies, but things go on without depending on him. Therefore God's will is working, the Supreme Will. You may think so many ways—that is a different thing. Actually God's will is working.
Śyāmasundara: He says that because God has freedom of will, God decided it would be best to give man such freedom of will.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God, although very minute portion, similarly proportionately, he has minute proportion of freedom of will. Not absolute. That is natural. Every man has got a little freedom of will, but it is not absolute. A man cannot will as he likes. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, "Man proposes; God disposes." Although the freedom of will is there, it is subordinate to the freedom of will of God. You cannot fulfill your desire unless it is sanctioned and approved by God.
Prabhupāda: He agrees to surrender to the supreme-state—so if the supreme state sanctions, it is morality. Is it not that?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Public opinion.
Prabhupāda: But anyway, it goes to somebody, public opinion, but this public opinion is not final. Therefore above the public opinion there is the supreme will of Kṛṣṇa. That should be the final, to sanction morality or immorality.
Prabhupāda: Therefore it depends on that social body, which is authority. So ultimately we have to depend on the authority for all sanctions. So our proposition is that the supreme authority is Kṛṣṇa. So whatever He sanctions, that is morality; whatever He does not sanction, that is immorality. Just like Arjuna was thinking to become nonviolent, not to fight, is good. But Kṛṣṇa said, "Now you fight." So fight became good. So ultimately it depends on Kṛṣṇa's will, what is morality, what is immorality, what is good, what is bad. Therefore our duty is, instead of depending on social body or political... (break) ...are so many, one is different from the other—we depend on the supreme will of the supreme authority.
Hayagrīva: He says, "The proper office of religion is to regulate the heart of man, humanize their conduct, infuse the spirit of temperance, order and obedience."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our system. We say, the social service, that "No illicit sex." If people indulge in illicit sex, society will be in chaotic condition. "No meat-eating." If we go on eating meat, then we revolt against the will of God, because God is the father of all living entities; He does not like that one of His son unnecessarily killed by another son on the plea that he is advanced son. The father cannot agree that the advanced son kill the ignorant or foolish son, the father will not agree. Therefore we say no meat-eating. When other foods are available, why one should eat meat? When there is wife, why there should be illicit sex? So religion means one should be good character. That is religion. This is one of the qualification becoming, that one who is actually religious, God conscious, that all the good qualities, either socially, politically, everything, even politician religious. Just like Arjuna, he was on the battlefield. This is politics. But because he was devotee he was hesitating to kill his enemies all. So this is the character of a devotee, that he can sacrifice his own interest because he has become a devotee. Others cannot do.
Śyāmasundara: He says everything else has an exchange value or a price, but man alone possesses self-direction or dignity, and this is priceless, and so we should never stoop to sell ourselves. If we sell ourselves like a commodity, then we lose our dignity.
Prabhupāda: That dignity is his inherent quality of obedience to the Supreme. That we should not sacrifice. Here, modern civilization is that he knows that he is not independent, he is subordinate to God's will. Still, artificially, to defy God he is manufacturing so many philosophies, hypocrisy.
Śyāmasundara: He sees that men sell themselves like commodities. In order to get something, they sell themselves.
Prabhupāda: Yes. To get some popularity, to get some money, to get some adoration, he sacrifices.
Śyāmasundara: He says that it is God's will that a certain nation will be dominant at a certain time, so I'm just wondering what is the reason that God has made America dominant.
Prabhupāda: That is his philosophy. He says. God does not say. He has no connection with God that he can speak on behalf of God, "It is God's will, God's..." (indistinct), like this?
Śyāmasundara: No, he says that whatever is, is right, and that this good and this reason in its most concrete form is God. God governs the world.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That also we admit because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam, mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam, whenever there is some extraordinary power, it should be understood that it is derived partially from God's power. That we accept. So the dominance of American nation is God's favor. We can accept that.
| Page Title: | Will of the Lord (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Tugomera, Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 26 of Dec, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=55, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 55 |