But spiritual life is essential, it is very serious subject matter, that I am covered by this material body, and I am changing one after another. And I do not know what the next change is going to happen, either cat or dog or tree. We are not at all interested. You see? There is no such education in the university, the transmigration of the soul, the eternity of the soul, what is the aim of life. Therefore, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Sumanda-mati. Their philosophy is still more bad. You see? They are simply thinking on the bodily concept of life. Asses' philosophy, dogs' philosophy, frogs' philosophy. This is going on. And they are passing on as philosopher. Frog philosophy we have discussed in our Back to Godhead. A frog is informed, "Oh, there is Atlantic Ocean. What is that?" "A very big span of water." So he is calculating how big. He is in the three feet. He thinks, "Maybe four feet." "No, very..." "Five." "No, very big." "Six." Go on, five, four, six, seven, millions. Where is your calculation? Similarly, these speculators, they are thinking, "God? I am God. He may be like me. He and me.
Calculation (SB Lectures)
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Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
All this material world, they are undergoing the same process. Janma, sustenance, and end. Everything. This universe also is like that, everything, even the ant's body or my body, your body, elephant's body, or there are many demigod's body. Just like we have learned from Bhagavad-gītā, Brahmā's body, it keeps for millions and millions of years. One day we cannot calculate.
In the Brahmaloka the duration of life is so long that you cannot imagine even calculating twelve hours' time there.
Before this Kali-yuga there was another yuga, which is known as Dvāpara-yuga. Before that, there was Tretā-yuga. Before that, there was Satya-yuga. All these yugas, taking aggregate years, forty-three hundred thousands of years. And multiply it by one thousand. Then calculate what is the duration of time. That is only twelve hours duration in the Brahmaloka.
Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive... Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa.
This dharma, vaiṣṇava-dharma, rūpānuga-dharma, following the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī, that is meant for paropakāra. All other dharmas, any dharma, they execute dharma for personal benefit. Just like in Christian religion, they pray to God... Everyone, not only Christians. Hindus, Muslims, they go to God to pray something for personal gain: "O God, give us our daily bread." So the same prayer is offered by everyone under different shape only. So in the calculation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such dharmas, system of dharma, which is meant for sense gratification, personal interest, that is called kaitava-dharma, cheating. Cheating... Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra.
When one understands that "I am rotting here in this nasty place..." This is a nasty place. Not only this material planet, anywhere within this material world... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life you cannot calculate and the standard of life is very, very good, but still, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartinaḥ, wherever you go, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9) is there. You cannot avoid it. So this information, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is even up above Brahmaloka. Therefore it is the most beneficial welfare activities in the world, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to awaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this awakening is possible when one is engaged in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa.
Money has got its use. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we get money also. But we are spending for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our need is very great. People will be surprised what we are expending per month. We have got more than one hundred branches all over the world, and each branch, there is expenditure... In Los Angeles, we spend twenty thousand dollars per month. In New York, we spend ten thousand per..., dollars per month. Or more than that. Similarly, on the average, we spend not less than ten thousand dollars per each branch. But we have got calculation. We, we are spending seventy thousand dollar, dollars per month. So Indian exchange means seven lakhs of rupees. So we need money.
Hearing means the perfect knowledge, hearing from the authority. Because we are ignorant... Just like we go to the school, colleges, and hear from the teachers, from the professors, similarly, hearing means hearing from the authority, not from the rascals. That is hearing. Just like in the Vedas it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). To hear the right news, the perfect knowledge, you must approach the bona fide spiritual master. Gurum eva abhigacchet. Must! It is not that "I can get knowledge at home. Why shall I go to guru? I do not find any guru."
These things are current very much. "It may be there is no guru." Not at all. You cannot say that. Just like there are imitation coin. You have met with some imitation coins. That does not mean there is no real coin. You are unfortunate. You met with imitation coins. So don't make that calculation that "There is no real coin, all imitation coin." That is nonsense. There is imitation coin, and there is real coin. It is up to you to find out which is the real and which is the imitation.
"My dear Arjuna, whatever forms of life you are seeing..." There are eighty-four lakhs species of life. That means eight millions and four hundred thousands of different varieties of life. Not one, two, three or one thousand, three thousand. No. We have not seen. Even the biologists, or the anthropologists, they cannot calculate. But from authoritative, revealed scripture we get this information that there are eight, eight, 8,400,000's of species of life of which human beings, they are divided into 400,000's species of life. And eighty, eighty million, eight million, there are other species of life. But Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, claims that all of them, never mind, either he is bird or beast or man or a snake or whatever he may..., god, or semi-god, demigod, anything, whatever... "There are different forms, but apart from the forms, real identity is that all of them, they are My sons. I am actually bīja-pradaḥ pitā, seed-giving father." Just like the father gives the seed, and the mother receives the seed, and the body is formed according to the mother's body. And when the body is completely formed, it comes out, either from cats, either from dog, either from man, or anything. That is the process of generation.
The sun is so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and so powerful, blazing fire. You know, those who are scientific men, they know, the sun has got his orbit, and little deviation from the orbit can turn the whole world into snow, and turn the whole world into blazing fire. Where is our scientist friend? Is it not a fact? (Svarūpa Dāmodara makes reply) Yes. It is running under certain orbit exactly, because a little deviation from the orbit will create havoc, catastrophe. Immediately. Either fire or snow. So under whose order the sun is so strictly following the demarcation? Such a big body. Our, in our practical experience, if he has got heavy body, he moves like this. He's not steady. But such a huge body is exactly... According to astronomical calculation, they calculate, some one ten-thousandth part of a second, in this way.
Anything hearing about Kṛṣṇa, that is also pious. Kṛṣṇa is supposed to be doing something according to our material calculation, killing somebody. Or Kṛṣṇa is dancing with other's wife. According to material calculation, this is not allowed. You cannot dance with the other's wife, not in your country, but that is the Vedic civilization.
So, Kṛṣṇa is adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond our sense perception. Therefore we have to know Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, not by our speculation. Kṛṣṇa may... That is frog philosophy. Frog philosophy. He's simply calculating with reference to his teeny well, three feet. So if we want to speculate, what experience we have got, what knowledge we have got that we can speculate to understand the supreme, all-pervasive, Supreme Personality of Godhead? That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja.
So these are, I mean to say, technical of understanding, and we can know it from Vedic literatures. Just like in the Vedas it is said, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). We cannot imagine. Pūrṇam means full. If you take full from the full, still the balance is full. That is the spiritual calculation. Just like if you have got hundred dollars and I take hundred dollars from you. Still, you have got hundred dollars. This is beyond material conception.
So when we speak of "God is great," we cannot imagine how great He is. We apply frog philosophy, Dr. Frog's philosophy. Dr. Frog thinks, because he is in the well of three feet, if he is given the information, "Oh, there is a big mass of water, Atlantic Ocean," he cannot believe it. He will think in terms of the well. The well is three feet. So he may think, "All right, Atlantic Ocean may be four feet. All right, five feet. Come on. All right, six feet." So this Dr. Frog's philosophy. The so-called rascal philosophers and scientists, they are calculating God's creation.
Every universe has got a predominating deity, president. We can understand. In every country, there is a president to rule over the country. Similarly, to rule over this universe, there is a president. That is Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā's duration of life, span of life, you cannot calculate. You can calculate, but it is something like beyond our imagination. His one day is four hundred..., forty-three crores of years, one day. Similarly, one month, thirty days, one month; then twelve months, year. Such hundred years. So he lives such hundred years. So that Brahmā lives hundred years in his calculation; that is also a breathing period of Viṣṇu.
So rasātala, the lowest, that means down the water, rasātala-gatām. Just like this morning we were calculating the depth of the Pacific Ocean. They are sometimes seven miles. So similarly, that Garbhodakaśāyī, Garbhodaka-samudra. Just imagine how deep it is. So within that deep water, the earth was put, and Kṛṣṇa in the shape of Varāha saved it. So Kṛṣṇa will save you. Others may disturb you, put you into the difficulty, but Kṛṣṇa will save you. Be assured. Don't be disappointed.
This Vedic history is not that for one thousand years or two thousand years. No, not like that. One period. One millennium, Brahmā's one day, it is millions and millions of years. So just like there is night after day, day after night, similarly, the Brahmā's day, Brahmā's night, that is calculated. And one Brahmā's day. You know, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). So Brahmā's one day means one thousand times of the yugas. The yugas means the Satya-yuga, Kali-yuga, and..., Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. So Satya-yuga's duration is about 1800,000's of years. The next, Tretā-yuga, duration about 1200,000's of years. And then Dvāpara-yuga, 800,000's of years, solar years.
We are calculating the years, the time also relative. That is the latest theory of the scientists, law of relativity. My hundred years and Brahmā's hundred years and an ant's hundred years, a germ's hundred years, they are not the same. Similarly time calculation, if you go in the upper planetary system, that time calculation is different.
So we are calculating our three thousand years, four thousand years in our system. That three thousand or four thousand years, as soon as you go little up, it become one hour, twenty-five minutes. So Brahmā's one day is different. But it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā... You know, who are reading Bhagavad... Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). You try to understand Brahmā's one day equal to our one thousand times of the yugas. And the yugas, as I have already explained... The Satya-yuga, 1800,000's of years; Tretā-yuga, 1200,000's of years. In the Satya-yuga people used to live for 100,000's of years. Vālmīki Muni, he practiced yoga for 60,000's of years. So unless one has got 100,000's of years duration of life, how he could practice 60,000's of years? So we should understand, everything is relative. This is called relative world. Relativity, law of relativity.
So Brahmā's one day means 4300,000's of years of our calculation. Forty-three hundred thousands of years, little more. That is Brahmā's one day. And in that one day, 4300,000's of years, there are fourteen manus changing. So these are described here. The manu, Cākṣuṣa Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. There are fourteen manus. So the calculation is in one day of Brahmā, ah, in one month of Brahmā, there are about five thousand manus. So this calculation is taken in the duration of manu's life.
The Bhagavad-gītā was spoken long, long ago by Kṛṣṇa to the sun-god, Vivasvān. Vivasvān. They are trying to understand the historical dates. So how you can understand the historical date? It is beyond your calculation. You cannot calculate even one Brahmā's day. And in Brahmā's one day there are fourteen manus. So it is beyond your brain substance. You can have some idea.
If you engage in devotional service, then God will reveal to you, "Here I am. Here I am. I am like this." Just like Arjuna saw Kṛṣṇa. He understood God. So if we take the position of Arjuna, submissive... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7), surrender, then God, by kindness, because you have surrendered, He will reveal to you. Otherwise by your so-called calculation, you cannot understand what is the greatest and what is the smallest. But there are things smaller than the smallest and the greater than the greatest.
The conception of Brahman, Absolute Truth, is eternal. Brahman, the definition of Brahman is "that which is the greatest." Just like we say God is great. Greatest. And increasing also. Brahman is not limited. Just like we have got some idea, say, the sky, the greatest. But this is also increasing. According to astronomical calculation, the planets and the universe, they can increase. So the Absolute Truth, that is eternally increasing. There is no comparison of Brahman's increasement and magnitude. Sanātana, and that is also eternal.
By reading Bhagavad-gītā, somebody is taking Kṛṣṇa as a great politician. Everyone accept Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, but somebody's accepting Him as a great politician, a great diplomat, or in this way, according to one's angle of vision. Just like in Bombay... There are in India and all over the world, I calculated, there are more than six hundred commentary on Bhagavad-gītā, more than. And each one is presentation of the author's own view. One Doctor Rele(?) in Bombay, he has also explained Bhagavad-gītā in his own way. He says that it is a talk between a diseased person, a patient, and the physician. Because he is physician, he has made Kṛṣṇa as physician. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is physician in other way. But he has tried to explain the medical science through the Bhagavad-gītā-anatomy, physiology, medicine, like that. Just like Gandhi, he wanted to prove Bhagavad-gītā as nonviolence. In this way, everyone is trying. But actually who is understanding Kṛṣṇa? That is being explained by Nārada, that "In this way, people will misunderstand. You simply apply, simply write and explain the science of Kṛṣṇa."
That nature's law, you cannot change. Why you have got varieties of life, varieties of position, varieties of de...? It is destined. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Viṣaya, these material enjoyment—means eating, sleeping, mating and defending—these... Only standard is different. I am eating something, you are eating something. Maybe, in my calculation, you are eating not very good. In your calculation I am not eating very good. But the eating is same. You are eating. I am eating.
Brahma-jijñāsā means... Anything you take, it is working in a standard way. Just like the sun is rising. So the brahma-jijñāsā means how the sun is rising exactly in time? Who has made this rule? And in astronomy there is very fine calculation, one ten-thousandth part of a minute or something like that? I have heard from you scientists. They, they make calculation of the movement of the sun, that. In astrology also, the moment is calculated like that. If the exact moment is there, by mathematical calculation, he can give you the exact history of your whole life.
So these yogis, or the sannyāsīs, they were traveling all over the world or all over the country or all over the province... Their business is traveling. But during rainy season, because it is very difficult... Formerly, there was no airplane. Or might be, but they were not traveling, walking. So for these four months, rainy season, they used to take shelter at a nice place in a pilgrimage and wait. Until the rainy season is finished, they would not go out. That is called cāturmāsya. This is the meaning of cāturmāsya. So Nārada Muni got this opportunity. Now, you can calculate. This is knowledge. Then he had the opportunity to serve these yogis for four months only. Not more than that. And he became Nārada. Just understand how much powerful is service to the Vaiṣṇavas, devotees.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is also said, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Whatever we see, that is display of the potencies, different potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like the sun is ninety-three millions of miles away from this earthly planet. Still we are getting heat and light energy of the sun. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Although He is in the Goloka planet, which is the topmost planet in the spiritual world... You cannot estimate the how far the spiritual world is from this material world. From material calculation they say it takes about some forty thousands of years to go to the limit of this universe. Then beyond that universe there is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20), another nature, avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Then you pass through the spiritual world, brahmajyoti. There are innumerable, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha planets. Then, above all of them, there is the planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa resides.
Liberation is achieved after so many years tapasya? No. Immediately. As soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. How? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. If we are sincerely surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, immediately... Our, this material sufferings, why? Due to our sinful activities. Sinful activities mean anything you do without any purpose to serve to Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. That is sinful. Not that "In the material calculation this is very good work, the opening of hospital or this or that, very good work. And Deity worship and going to the temple is bogus." You may think like that. But that, your opening of hospital is sinful. That is going on nowadays.
This morning I was calculating. We have got 25 lakhs of rupees expenditure per month all over the world. But we have no anxiety. That is practical. We have no anxiety. One man who has got to spend 25 rupees, he has got anxiety. But we have to spend 25 lakhs of rupees, but we have no anxiety.
In one small insect, it may live for few minutes; some of them for few hours, some of them for few days, and some of them for few months, some of them for few years. And this yearly, we live, we human being, we live for a hundred years, and the demigods, they live for ten thousands of years. But wherever you live, either as insect or as demigod, there is no rescue from the process of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That you cannot escape. Either you become a small insect or you become as powerful as Lord Brahmā, you have to die. There is no escape. Brahmā, he has the greatest amount of years to live. His life is... We have calculation in the Bhagavad-gītā, that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand. That is the one daytime duration of Brahmā. Ahar rātri means morning to evening. Morning to evening, that is sahasra-yuga, one thousand times of forty-three lakhs of years. Similarly night. Then day and night becomes one day. Similarly one month, and then twelve months, a year—such hundred years. So there is difference between our hundred years and his hundred years. Similarly, ant's hundred years and my hundred years different.
This is the difference, how to calculate whether one is brāhmaṇa or not brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu, these two words are there. Just like if you are the son of a high-court judge, you can be called, you have got the right, that "son of a high-court judge." That is all right. But you cannot claim to become the high-court judge. That is not possible. Unless you are qualified, unless you are actually acting as high-court judge, you cannot be called a high-court judge. Simply by becoming the son of a high-court judge you cannot become the high-court judge. Similarly, simply by becoming the son of a brāhmaṇa, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa.
This is ātmā, beginning. Asmin dehe. Within this body there is the soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe. Not the body is important. Body's nothing; it is dead matter. When Kṛṣṇa began His instruction and Arjuna was lamenting on the basis of this body... "If we kill our brothers their wives will be widowed and they'll be bhraṣṭācāra(?), the varṇa-saṅkara will be there." Everything he was calculating on the basis of this body. All politics, sociology, they are going on the basis of this body. But Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He was accepted by Arjuna as guru... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Now, Kṛṣṇa, I accept You as my guru. Not as friend." Because friendly talking is useless waste of time. He accepted Him as guru. When guru speaks, you cannot argue. That is not the process. You should accept a guru who is infallible. Otherwise it is useless. He accepted guru Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is infallible. If we accept guru, a bogus guru, then it is no benefit. Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative.
The karmīs, they have got dirty things, sense enjoyment. The jñānīs, they have got also dirty things. One may say that "Mukti is dirty thing?" Yes. According to Vaiṣṇava calculation it is dirty thing, because Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam means to become one with the Supreme, mukti. He said, "It is exactly like hell." Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate. "And these heavenly planets," the domain or the objective of the karmīs, "that is like flower in the sky." And durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. The yogis, their first business is... They get so much yoga-siddhi because first business is indriya-saṁyama. Yoga-siddhi is not obtained easily. One has to practice it. And the first practice is controlling the senses.
These Kṛṣṇa consciousness persons, they have no problem, economic problem. Everything is sufficiently supplied by Kṛṣṇa. In Los Angeles, the neighbors, they are very envious, that "You do not work. You have no anxiety. You have got four cars. You are eating so nicely. How is that?" They inquire from our devotees. That is the actually the fact. We are spending so much money, we have got so many centers. The calculation is about $70,000 we are spending. Who is supplying? Somehow or other, we are getting. So there is no problem. You simply become sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. Everything is there. This is the test. They are envious of us that we do not work. Still, we have got so much. "So why don't you come and join us?" That they will not do. "You come with us, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." "No, no, no. That I cannot do." All right, then work with your trucks: whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. They have made their own position dangerous and others' position also.
Our time calculation is past present, and future. This is relative. The other day we were discussing. This past, present, future is relative term. The, for a small insect, the past, present and future is different from my past, present and future. Relative term. Similarly Brahmā's past, present and future is different from my past, present and future. But Kṛṣṇa has no past, present and future. Therefore He's eternal. We have got past, present and future because we change this body. Now we have got this body... It has got a date. In such and such date I was born by my father and mother. Now this body will stay for some time. It will grow. It will produce some by-product. Then it will become old. Then dwindle. Then vanish, finish. No more this body. You accept another body. this body's finished. The history of this body, past, present, and future, finished. You accept another body. Again your past, present and future begins. But Kṛṣṇa has no past, present, futures because He does not change His body. That is the difference between ourself and Kṛṣṇa.
Eternal time. We are calculating past, present and future, but actually in the spiritual world, there is no such thing as past, present and future. We therefore sometimes question that "Wherefrom God came?" So many odd questions they say. But God is eternally existing. That is the fact. We cannot understand that. Because we are in the material world, we have no experience of the eternity, what is eternity. We have no experience. We see everything as generated, and then it stays for some time, then it is finished. That is our experience. Janma, mṛtyu, vṛddhi. They have... They have made past, present and future, but it is divided into six development. One takes birth, then it develops, then it stays for some time, then it produces some by-product, then diminishes, and then, I mean to say, finished. Ṣaḍ-vikāra. Ṣaḍ-vikāra. This body, ṣaḍ-vikāra. So eternity, eternity means there is no ṣaḍ-vikāra, the six kinds of changes. There is no birth. There is no death. There is no diminishing. There is no by-product. Everything eternal, eternally existing.
People are after these four things. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu disregarded this. "This is not achievement of life." Of course, a human being... Human life does not begin unless there is conception of religion, dharma. But at the present moment, in the Kali-yuga, dharma is practically nil. So according to Vedic calculation, the present human civilization, they are not even human being. Because there is no dharma. There is no religion. No morality. No pious activities. Do not care. Everyone can do anything without caring. Formerly there was morality, immorality, irreligious, religious. But with the progress of Kali-yuga, everything is being vanquished.
The scientists, they say the stars are all suns, but according to our information, in the Bhagavad-gītā: nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī. Śaśī means the moon is just like so many stars. So what is the position of the moon? Moon is bright being reflection of the sun. So according to our calculation the sun is one. But the modern scientists say that there are so many suns, the stars. We don't agree. This is only one universe. There are many suns, innumerable, but in each and every sun, every universe, there is one sun, not many. So this universe, what we are experiencing, experiencing by seeing imperfectly... We do not know. We cannot count how many stars are there, how many planets are there. It is impossible. So the material things which is before us, still we are unable to count, to understand, and what to speak of the Supreme Lord who created this universe? That is not possible.
We can understand that, that the material comforts in the Western countries are better than in this country. Similarly, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. We can go to the higher planetary systems; we get more duration of life. Just like Brahmā has got very, very long, millions and millions of years to our calculation. Just like the insect who comes, attacks us at night. Their duration of life? That night only. Within the night, they are born, they have sex life, and they beget children and increase the population, and as soon as the night finished, all finished. They have got also duration of life. And if you say to them that "There is another animal called man. This night is only twelve hours. And he has got day, another twelve hours. In this way, one month. In... Thirty days. And then..." He becomes surprised: "How it is possible?" Similarly, when we calculate the age of Brahmā, we become astonished, "How such millions and millions of years...?" Because we, in comparison to Brahmā, we are like insect.
The time is also relative. What is present, past, present, future for you, that is not past, present, future for others. So what is past, present for Brahmā, that is not past, present, future for us. Everything is relative. And in the creation of Kṛṣṇa there are so many relativities. Therefore it is called relative world. Time is eternal, but on account of our relative birth and death, we make our own past and present. Otherwise, time is eternal. Therefore, for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such thing as past, present and future. Because He is He, He's time eternal. Therefore He knows everything. Vedāham. Just like you know, present, everything—there is no past; there is no future—similarly, for Kṛṣṇa there is no such, past and future. Therefore He could say that "Formerly, millions and trillions of years ago," according to Arjuna's calculation, "I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god." He did not believe it because he is relatively calculating past and present. But Kṛṣṇa is not within that past and present. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "Both I and you, you and Me, we appear many times." Bahūni me vyatītāni. "And you were also... But you forget because you have got past, present, future. I have no such thing. Therefore I remember."
You live in this planet, at most, for one hundred years. But in the higher planetary system you can live which you cannot calculate. Just like Brahmā's life, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Brahmā's twelve hours even you cannot calculate with your mathematical figures. But one has to die. Nobody can live permanently within this..., even if you have got a long duration of life.
So the grown-up son, Bhīṣmadeva, he understood that "My father is inclined to marry that girl." So he went to plead, canvass: "So why don't you give your daughter to my father?" "No, no, I cannot give my daughter to your father. You are his son. You will inherit the kingdom, and my daughter's son will not inherit. So how can I give my daughter?" So he said that "I'll not accept the kingdom. I promise that your daughter's son will inherit the kingdom." "No, no, no. Still I cannot." "Why?" "You'll marry. Then your son will be inheritor. My grandson will not be inheritor." He was calculating in that way, pākā businessman. (laughter) So he promised that "You give your daughter to my father, and I promise that I shall not marry. So there will be no son. So naturally my stepmother's son will inherit the kingdom." Then he agreed.
So dakṣa-yajña, the Lord Śiva's devotees, they massacred all the yajña arena. You know dakṣa-yajña. Mahārāja Dakṣa was also cut off by his head, and he was put in a goat's head, in this way. So after the death of his wife, Lord Śiva was very much aggrieved. He went to the forest and engaged himself in meditation. So there was a need of one soldier commander, and the calculation was that such soldier must be there, by the demigods... Because there was always fighting between the demigods and the demons, so to kill the demons, there was need of a very great soldier who must be born by Lord Śiva, by the semina of Lord Śiva.
Prabhupāda: So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is repentant that pārakyasyaiva dehasya bahvyo me 'kṣauhiṇīr hatāḥ: "Many hundreds and thousands of soldiers, horses, elephants, men we have killed." Akṣauhiṇī, there is a calculation 64,000 elephants, 64,000 horses and 64,000, like that. Exactly I cannot, but some of the items are 64,000. Chariots. One... Nowadays it is called exactly? A group of soldiers? What is called?
Devotee: Phalanx.
Prabhupāda: Phalanx, and another name is there.
hose who have taken, fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-bhājām, karmāṇi nirdahati, their karma, nirdahati, means as far as possible the result is diminished or practically made nil. Even it is there, karma-phala, very slight. Just like the example is just like one is condemned to be murdered by somebody by cutting his head, but by Kṛṣṇa's grace he may be saved from cutting the head. Suppose there is some accident by knife in the hand. They are calculated like that. And generally, a devotee is completely relieved from all karma-phala. So ordinarily, we are indebted to so many persons, not only bāla, dvija, gopa, but ṛṣi, and the devatās. We have to take care of it. But if we become fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, sarvātmanā ye śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundam. Not any other demigods. Mukundam. Mukundam means... Muk means liberation. So one who gives liberation. Gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam. So one who takes full shelter of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, then He's freed from all this indebtedness to so many persons.
There must be division. But people are very much anxious to make classless society, no division. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. We have no such division. Division means under the jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature. That is division. Otherwise, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, these divisions are calculated when one is under the control of the material nature. But if you become devotee, the material nature has no more any control over you. That is the difference between a perfect Kṛṣṇa conscious person and a perfect, I mean to say, mundane person.
People are very much unhappy. There is famine, declaration of famine. So if there is no parjanya, rains, then everything finished. Your so much, so many schemes, ten-years plan, five-years plan and so many plans, they will all dry up. The rascals, they do not know. And how parjanya becomes possible? Yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. You perform yajña. There will be parjanya. The rain falling is not in your hand. You may be great scientist and calculate so much hydrogen and so much oxygen, mixed up, there is water. Now mix up and bring water where there is no rain.
Our this psychological condition, physiological condition, is working in so subtle way-little shocking, little disturbance will create another disturbance. The Ayurvedic medicine, they treat patients on this principle, how things are disturbed. They have got their calculation: kapha, pitta, vāyu. Tri-dhātu. This body is a composition of these three dhātus. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Kuṇape. This is a bag created by the interaction of the three elements, namely, kapha, pitta, vāyu, bile, mucus and air. This is kavirāja treatment. They can understand the position of these three elements by feeling the pulse. This is Ayurvedic science.
We hanker after something which we want, and we lament for something which we lose. Here there are two business: something gaining and something losing. Just like businessmen. They have got two businesses: either to make profit or to lose. At the end of the year they calculate, "Whether we are loser or gainer?" But in the spiritual world there is no such thing as to gain or as to lose. There is nothing... Absolute. That is Absolute. That idea we haven't got just now. But that is the nature of the spiritual world. There is no question of loss, nor there is any question of gain. Simply ānanda, ānanda, pleasure.
Everyone, the so-called advanced scientists, so-called advanced philosopher or politician, everyone is thinking that "I am this body." So on the basic principle they're wrong. Therefore the so-called advancement of civilization is wrong. It's... At one point mathematical calculation, if you have done mistake in one point... Two plus two equal two. Why if you have made up three, the mistake, then the whole calculation will be mistaken. The balance, it will never tally. Similarly, our present civilization... Not present; it is always there. Now it is very strong bodily conception of life, so the basic principle is wrong. Therefore what..., whatever we are advancing, that is wrong. Parābhava That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas Basic principle is wrong, abodha, in ignorance. In ignorance. Abodha means without any perfect knowledge.
"If you go to the topmost planet which is known as Brahma-loka..." Now, the Brahma-loka, the duration of life, you cannot calculate even their one day's time. That we were discussing this morning. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.. Their twelve hours, our twelve hours and their twelve hours, different. Their twelve hours you cannot calculate: forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand. Now see how many years. That is their twelve hours.
Astrological science is so perfect. The moment the child is born, immediately calculated, "What is the position of this moment?" Then they derive calculation, "This child will be like this, this will be this, will be this, this." I had also horoscope—the other day I was talking—and it was clearly written, that horoscope, that "This child, after seventy years, he will be great religious propagator and establish so many temples."
Your intelligence may be that you can also float a big airplane. But what is that big airplane in comparison to this big, big planet? It is nothing. There is also petrol stock, and in the airplane there is also petrol stock. Perhaps it is floating by petrol, and you are taking out all the petrols. One day it will fall down. Yes. You are disturbing God's arrangement. Just like we had the history of Lord Varāha's lifting this planet, earth planet, from the Garbhodaka Ocean. So any time it can fall down. But it is being floated by the supreme power. Otherwise by calculation how such a big planet can float just like a cotton swab? Yes, it is floating. Not only one, millions. So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya ojasā dhārayāmi (BG 15.13). He enters. He enters in each and every planet, in each and every universe, each and every atom.
By material opulence, one does not become rich. He is animal. By material opulence, one may be polished animal, but he is animal. One who is spiritually advanced, he is actually in knowledge. Because basic principle is spirit. Without spiritual knowledge, anything, any so-called knowledge, advancement of knowledge, is simply mistake, mistake. Just like if you, in calculating one mathematical sum, if you commit mistake anywhere, the whole thing is spoiled. Whole thing is spoiled. You go on. You are making progress. But real mistake was there. It will never carry. The balance, it will not come into being.
The topmost planet is Brahmaloka, Brahma planet, where Lord Brahmā lives. And you know the duration of life of Brahmā. You cannot calculate his one twelve-hours day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). This is the Brahmā's twelve hours. That is Brahmaloka. You cannot calculate what is the duration of life there. But even if you go there, the problem, death will be there. The problem death will go. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The problem which is here... Just like the birth-death problem is within the ant society, birth-death problem is there within the animal society, birth-death problem is there in the human society, similarly, birth-death problem is in the moon society or sun society or Brahmaloka society, anywhere in this material world. That is real problem.
The duration of Satya-yuga is about eighteen hundred thousand of years. Eighteen hundred thousands of years. Hundred thousand. Eighteen hundred. Similarly, Tretā-yuga, about twelve hundred thousands of years. Similarly, Dvāpara-yuga, eight hundred thousands of years. And Kali-yuga four hundred thousands of years. This is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Out of four hundred thousands of years, we have passed only 5,000 years. Not only 400,000, 432,000's of years. There is regular calculation in the Vedic śāstra. So out of that, we have passed 5,000 years. That Kali-yuga has begun just after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. So we have passed only 5,000 years of this Kali-yuga. There are still balance, 427,000's of years, still balance.
Yesterday we were discussing about this Kali-yuga. The most fallen age. People are most degraded. So there is, by calculation, that seventy-five percent irreligion and twenty-five percent religion in comparison to other ages. But this twenty-five percent religious life also will reduce.
Formerly, according to spiritual understanding, one man's position was calculated. Just like brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa was honored because he knew Brahman. He was aware of the supreme spirit. So now in Kali-yuga, actually there is no brāhmaṇa. That will be also described, how a brāhmaṇa is. So janma ācāra, birthright. Birthright was there, but according to the behavior. If a man is born in a brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family or vai..., he must behave like that. That was the king's duty, to see that "This man is not falsely representing himself." Just like in England there is lord family. So to maintain their aristocracy, the family had to deposit some money with the government so that they may not deteriorate in their aristocratic behavior. Still, it is going on. But now things are finished.
Formerly, in India the marriage was taking place like that. I know. My father-in-law was married when he was eleven years. And my mother-in-law was seven years. You see? So actually, the point is that the marriage was taking by the calculation, "Whether this couple will be happy in their life?" In this way marriage was taking place. Not that a grown-up girl, grown-up boy, mixes together, and he likes, she likes. Then again he leaves or she... This kind of marriage was not sanctioned.
Boys and girls are intermingling freely, and if she likes, that's all right. But no future calculation. This is Kali-yuga. No future calculation, whether in future marriage is sanctified life, the man and the woman live peacefully, make spiritual culture, each one will help the other so that they will live very happily and become advancement in spiritual life and then go back to... That is the system. But nowadays, in Kali-yuga, it will be simply liking. Liking means next moment disliking. That is a fact. You see. Liking has no value. As soon as you based on liking, then you expect next moment disliking. That's all.
A thing which you cannot get back by paying millions of dollars, if that is lost unnecessarily, so how much loss you are suffering just imagine. This is material calculation. Why we keep some valuable things, some jewel, very carefully? Because we know, "If I lose this jewel, I will lose so much money." Similarly, we should always consider that. The modern civilization, rascal civilization, they do not know how to utilize life.
One year, or four year, or five year, or utmost, hundred years, on this planet. So the human being can live up to utmost hundred years, but in other planets there are other living entities, demigods. And the highest, the topmost planet is Brahmaloka. And you have learned from Bhagavad-gītā, in the Brahmaloka, the duration of life, to our calculation, is very, very long. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). In the Brahmaloka, the duration of twelve hours, our twelve hours, morning to evening, that is many millions of years to our calculation. So even if you go to that planet Brahmaloka, as you are trying to go to the moon planet... From śāstra we understand in the moon planet, they live up to ten thousands of years according to heavenly calculation.
In each planet, in each society, the calculation is different. So it is calculated that in the moon planet you can live for ten thousands of years, and that calculation is compared: our six months equal to one day in that planet. So just imagine how many years of our calculation they can live.
In the horoscope, as we discussed the other day, jāta-karma, after the birth of the child, everything, characteristic, what will be his future, everything is mentioned in the horoscope. So in the horoscope it is stated, brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa, śūdra-varṇa, like that, in which category this child belongs. Even if he is born in a non-brāhmaṇa family, but what will be his characteristic, that is stated. That is called brāhmaṇa-varṇa. Similarly, kṣatriya-varṇa, vaiśya-varṇa. So everything is predicted by astrological calculation.
Pradyumna: Translation: "Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard that out of His causeless mercy Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, who is universally obeyed, rendered all kinds of service to the malleable sons of Pāṇḍu by accepting posts ranging from chariot driver to president to messenger, friend, night watchman, etc., according to the will of the Pāṇḍavas, obeying them like a servant and offering obeisances like one younger in years. When he heard this, Mahārāja Parīkṣit became overwhelmed with devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord." (SB 1.16.16)
Prabhupāda: So this is the exchange of love between the Lord and the devotee. It is not Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead... He's master, the Supreme, but we may not calculate the master and the Supreme by our material experience. Just like in our material experience we see the master is always master and the servant is always servant. But in the spiritual world, sometimes the master is the servant also. This is called Absolute, Absolute world.
Arjuna's name is Pārtha. Pārtha means "the son of Pṛthā." Kuntī's another name is Pṛthā. Kuntī's father's name was Pṛthu, so Kuntī's name was Pṛthā. Therefore Arjuna's name was Pārtha. And because Kṛṣṇa served as the chariot driver of Kṛṣṇa, His another name is Pārtha-sārathi. So it is a fact that God has no name. Sometimes some philosopher says that "God has no name." That is fact. But why God has so many names? These names are calculated according to His pastimes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is known as Devakī-nandana. Because He appeared as the son of Devakī, therefore His name is Devakī-nandana. By the action. Kṛṣṇa is known as Yaśodā-nandana. Because Kṛṣṇa acted as the son of mother Yaśodā, His name is Yaśodā-nandana.
Kṛṣṇa's name is Govinda. Because He gave pleasure even to the cows, therefore His name is Govinda. Or Kṛṣṇa gives pleasure to every sense; therefore His name is Govinda. There are so many thousands and millions of names of Kṛṣṇa. Actually, His name is calculated in relationship with devotee. That is Kṛṣṇa's name. And there are devotees in all fields of life, amongst human beings, among demigods, among plants, amongst trees, among animals, among insects. Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa has got His relationship. So therefore the supreme name of the Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. That is the meaning. (aside:) Please sit down properly. Kṛṣṇa's name is... This is the supreme name, Kṛṣṇa, "All-attractive." He can attract everyone.
Learned scholars in astrology, they were calculating the horoscope of the newly born child. So he was being described that "This child, this baby now born, he will be hero like this. He will be devotee like this. He'll be..." This horoscope made, in future what he will be. So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was anxious and he informed the learned brāhmaṇas that "This is all right. I thank you for your calculation. First of all, I want to know whether he will follow his forefathers. I want to know." That was the question. Because that Bhārata dynasty, they were rulers of the world, emperors and great devotees at the same time.
So these so-called gods are accepted by so-called devotees. These are all rascaldom. Therefore it is called māninaḥ. They are thinking, by mental speculation, that "I have become God." What you have got, power? What you have done that you have become God? But they are foolish. They do not calculate the value of his, strength of his becoming God.
So just imagine, if we waste our time, how much loss we are suffering. We calculate loss and gain. So don't waste time. Kāla, kāla is very... Yoga system means to save time. The whole process, mechanical process, of yoga, mystic power, means to save time. We have got a limited duration of life. Suppose one is destined to live for... Utmost they will live, anyone, but nobody goes to live for hundred years-say, seventy, eighty, sixty or something like that. Gradually it is reducing, and it will reduce twenty to thirty years. That will be duration of life.
When we speak of universe we cannot think of. They simply calculate, the scientists, by light year, and this year, that year, the speed. But we cannot approach even in this material world, and what to speak of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is in the spiritual world. We cannot calculate the length and breadth of this material world. Our knowledge is so imperfect and meager, and what we can understand of the spiritual world? The material world is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's one-fourth energy. And the three-fourths' energy is manifested in the spiritual world. This is the understanding of Kṛṣṇa.
The six Gosvāmīs, they were very, very learned scholars, nānā-śāstra, various different scriptures, vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau, very expert in studying all the scriptures scrutinizingly, nipuṇau, expert. This is the, I mean to say, calculation of the Gosvāmīs. So why they are concerned about studying so many scriptures? Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Sad-dharma. Dharma means... The exact meaning of dharma is "occupational duty." People are... In English they translate dharma as "faith." Faith can be changed. I like this faith today. Tomorrow I may like another faith. So actually the translation of dharma is not "faith." It is "occupational duty."
Don't think that Kṛṣṇa has got a body like us. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when it was inquired by Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said that "This Bhagavad-gītā philosophy I spoke first of all to the sun-god." That (I) have calculated. It is about 400,000,000's of years ago He said. How does He remember? That means He does not change His body. We, we forget because just like in our last, past birth... Now I can remember not all, but some of my incidences of my life I remember. But I do not remember anything of my past life. Death means forgetting about the past life. So because I have changed my body, I have forgotten. But anyone who does not change his body, he does not forget. And that is the proof that Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's body is not ordinary body. Anyone who thinks Kṛṣṇa as one of us, He is a mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He comes just like a human being, we consider that He is also a human being.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. This material world is called world of death. Every living being, beginning from the Brahmā... It is not that... Brahmā has got very long duration of life. We cannot even calculate Brahmā's one daytime. Forty-three lakhs of years, multiplied by one thousand, that is twelve hours of Brahmā. So he will also die. Beginning from Brahmā, whose duration of life is some thousands of millions of years, down to the microbial germs, who live for a few seconds only, he's struggling for existence. Therefore this life is a sort of fight with material nature, which imposes death upon all. This is struggle.
So that is our program, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not childish-ism. We are taking advice from the Supreme Person. Ā-brahma bhuvanāl lokām punar āvartino 'rjuna: "My dear Arjuna, even if you are elevated to the highest planetary system, which is called Brahmaloka..." That is also desirable because the life is very, very long there. You cannot calculate even their half-day. That is given in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). In the Brahmaloka the duration of life is very, very long. It is beyond your arithmatical calculation. But even there is death. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, don't try to waste your time to elevate yourself or to transfer yourself from this planet to that planet. That is natural instinct.
Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: "Family life without a child is zero." It is zero. There are... He has calculated some zeros. First zero is: avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyam: "One who is not educated, his life is zero." Avidyaṁ jīvanaṁ śūnyaṁ diśaḥ śūnyā abāndhavāḥ. You are going to some touring, visiting, but if where you are going, if there is no temple or friend, then your touring will be zero. Therefore Indian system is when they are tourist, they go to different pilgrimages, or some friends' house.
You have got greater power, greater speed than... My speed, your speed, may (be) different. Therefore what is one hundred years for me, it may be one second for you. It is relative, all relative truth. In your calculation it is one hundred years. In my calculation it is one second. Therefore Brahmā's duration of life is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Brahmaṇe, Here also divyam. Sahasrābdam. Now divyaṁ sahasrābdam. Brahmā's one day, one twelve hours, daytime, we cannot calculate. Our, according to our calculation it is... Sahasra-yuga. Sahasra-yuga. Yuga. Yugas means these Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. That means forty three hundred thousands of years. And thousand times, forty three hundred thousands of years, that makes Brahmā's one day of twelve hours.
An ant lives, say, for few hours. That is also his hundred years. A germ lives for few seconds. That is also his hundred years. So this hundred years, they are relative. One hundred years calculation your, one hundred years of the demigods or one hundred years calculation of the ant, they are not the same. According to the body, according to the power, the calculation is there. Time is unlimited. Time is unlimited, but according to my body, a certain duration of period, I say it is hundred years, when we make our history. So therefore it is said, divyaṁ sahasra. One may not miscalculate, that sahasra, one hundred. No, śata is hundred. Śata is hundred. It is sahasra, means thousand.
So we have to know from the right source what is God. We cannot imagine. You cannot know even what is there within the sky. The scientists calculate that to go to the ultimate region... What is called? Circumference.
Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. After the bank balance, the puṇya, pious activity, resultant action of pious activities is finished, again come down. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokan punar āvartino 'rjuna: "Even if you go to the Brahmaloka where Brahmā lives, whose calculation of one day we cannot calculate; even if you go there, then they will come back." Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "But if you come to Me, then there is no more coming down here." This is the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Even Kṛṣṇa does not understand Himself, Kṛṣṇa is so great. Kṛṣṇa Himself, He does not know why He's so much attractive. Therefore, to understand this knowledge, why Kṛṣṇa is so attractive, He became Lord Caitanya, taking the ecstatic emotion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti. That's a very great science. Kṛṣṇa is such that Kṛṣṇa... Of course, it is our calculation that Kṛṣṇa does not understand Himself. So to understand Kṛṣṇa, fully Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible. But as far as our limited knowledge is concerned, if we understand Kṛṣṇa so much, that is our perfection.
A boy is married not later than twenty-five years. And the girl is not, married not later than sixteen years. That is the system. So a sixteen-year girl and twenty-five-year boy, if the child is born, then when the man if fifty years old, the child becomes twenty-five years old. So he can take charge.
So taking this calculation, even Kapiladeva was twenty-five years old, He was quite able to take charge of His mother Devahūti. So He knew that "Father left My mother in My charge, and therefore I must take charge of My mother and keep her always pleased."
Our Vedic civilization is that in the society there are four divisions: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha, and the sannyāsī. Suppose there are hundred men in a village or in a place. The society is divided into four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... So... This is material calculation. Suppose if there are hundred men, seventy-five men are to be considered brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī. So these seventy-five men will live at the cost of the twenty-five men, gṛhastha. Gṛhastha has to give alms to the brahmacārī, to the vānaprastha, and to the sannyāsa. Just see how nice communism.
So people will be so harassed in this age that out of disgust they will give up their family life. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. There will be no marriage. This is also Vedic culture, to get married. But there will be no marriage. One woman, one man will live together by agreement. And as soon as the agreement is finished, they'll be separated. That is now very prominent in Western countries. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. There is no such thing... Just like the father of the girl, they'll find out a suitable boy, and the father of the girl, they will also find out... In this way... The horoscope... Formerly, these things were very current. Without there is, I mean to say, coincidence of the horoscope, that "This boy and this girl would live very happily," by horoscopic calculation, then marriage would not take place.
This material world is called bhava-samudra. Bhava means the repetition of birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is called bhava. And that is like a samudra, great ocean. We can see by practical experience this outer space, the sky. You cannot have any limitation where it is beginning, where is end. Although we can see within our experience, but still, we cannot calculate. In our childhood we used to present a problem before our friends, that eka tala sukuri gunte pare na vyapare (?). Now, one plateful of betel nuts, but nobody can count. The betel nut You can see the sky is within your experience, but how many stars and planets are there, till now nobody has been able to count. It is unlimited. This is only one universe. There are millions and millions, universes.
Within the brahmajyoti there are innumerable koṭi, jagadaṇḍa-koṭi. And some of the portion is called material; some portion is called spiritual sky, paravyoma. But the whole spiritual and material sky is full of different planets, and each planet is full of living entities. Janakirna. This very word is used, janakirna, not vacant as these rascals are calculating that it is full of dust.
What is Kṛṣṇa's opulence, it is impossible to calculate. It is said that Ananta, Anantadeva, Śeṣaśāyī Anantadeva, He has got thousands and thousands of hoods, and He is chanting, describing about Kṛṣṇa, in ananta, unlimited mouths, for unlimited time. It is still unable. Advaitam acyutam ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). This is yogic power.
The American people have become wonderful, astonished how simply by chanting they becoming brainwashed. That is the actual fact. The rascals, they do not know how these people are giving up illicit sex, meat-eating—their life and soul, all these things. How they are giving up unless they have become mad, hearing? The hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana can do that. Yes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chastised by His guru, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), so He said that "You are rascal. You cannot read Vedānta. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said, "Yes, and chanting, I have become mad."
So this is actually the fact. But these rascals cannot calculate that how simply by chanting they are forever becoming out of home, no more return. "My dear son, come back. Take all these things." "No, sir. I am..." This was actually proved. Our Gargamuni, his father is very rich man. He wanted to take back the son from the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. He was unable. Hardly! So many fathers. Our... So many... Not so many, few, they left this movement, but they could not stay outside. Again come. That is brainwash.
You are trying to go to the moon planet bogusly. I'll say bogusly because you could not go there. The moon planet is far away from the sun planet. So it is not possible to go there by the so-called jets plane. No. It is far, far away. It is sixteen hundred thousand miles away from the sun. The modern scientist calculation is ninety-three million miles, the sun is situated, and above that, sixteen hundred thousand miles up, there is moon planet. So by the Vedic calculation it is not possible to go there by the method we are attempting. That is not possible.
As we have got day and night, in the higher planetary system the waxing and waning moon, then when the moon is present there and the sky is in light, that is the day of the higher planetary system. And when the moon is dark, that is the night. That means our fifteen days, in the higher planetary system—twelve hours. Just imagine their year. And such ten thousands of years you can live if you can go to the moon planet. The day and night, fifteen days, your fifteen days, is equal to their one day. No, twelve hours. That means your one month is their one day. Now calculate one day, then thirty days, one month. Then twelve months equal to one year. Such ten thousands of years. Just imagine. You can go there and live like that, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), if you like. But that is not eternal life. After that long period, you have to die.
When Kṛṣṇa was seven years old, He lifted one big mountain on His finger. That means the Our understanding is that there is law of gravitation. By law of gravitation, such a big mountain, it cannot stay in one man's finger. That is our calculation. But He did it. That means He counteracted the law of gravitation. That is God. So if you believe this, then you know God immediately.
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, when it is cited in the scriptures that Lord Brahmā rides on a swan, a haṁsa, is this, are we to take this to mean it is a real swan, or is it something symbolic?
Prabhupāda: Not symbolic, it is fact. Why do you say symbolic?
Devotee (2): It's rather unusual.
Prabhupāda: Unusual, what experience you have got? You have no experience. Have you got any experience of other planetary system, what is there? Then? Your experience is very teeny. So you should not calculate Brahma's life and other things by your teeny experience.
Now, Brahma's life, it is stated in the śāstras. We have already explained that we accept the authoritative statement of śāstra. Now, Brahma's life is stated there. Arhat means his one day is equal to our four yugas. Four yugas means 4,300,000 years, and multiply it by one thousand, sahasra-yuga-paryantam. Sahasra means one thousand. And yuga, yuga means the 4,300,000 years makes a yuga. And multiply it by one thousand: that period is Brahma's one day. Similarly, he has got one night. Similarly, he has got one month. Similarly, he has got one year. And such hundred years he will live. So how you can calculate? How it is within your experience? You will think something mysterious. No. Your experience is nothing. Therefore you have to take experience from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Then your knowledge is perfect. That I have already said. Don't try to understand with your teeny experience everything. Then you will be failure.
Devotee (7): How long do you say it is before Kṛṣṇa comes to this planet again in His physical, in human form?
Prabhupāda: Now calculate, I have already given the duration of one day, twelve hours, of Brahmā means 4,300,000 years multiplied by one thousand. What it comes? 4,300,000 years multiplied by one thousand.
Devotees: Four thousand, three hundred million.
Prabhupāda: No, no.
Paramahaṁsa: Four billion, three hundred million.
Prabhupāda: Oh, difference of opinion. (laughter)
Madhudviṣa: In Australia they calculate different. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Anyway, what is your Australian calculation? Let me know.
Anyway, I give you the right figure, four million, according to American or English calculation, (laughter) 4,300,000 years and multiply it by one thousand. Then what it comes according to English calculation?
Paramahaṁsa: 4,300,000.
Prabhupāda: That is twelve hours. And add again twelve hours, night.
Kṛṣṇa comes in the Dvāpara-yuga. There are four periods of each yuga: Sattva, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. So Kṛṣṇa comes at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes in the Kali-yuga. So almost about the same year, same circulation. Just like the sun appears after so many hours. It is like that. And the sun does not disappear. Sun is already there in the sky. It may not be in Australia's vision, but it may be in other country's vision. The sun is not dead. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa appears by rotation in this universe after so many years, eight billion and billion years. So next He goes to another universe. Just like the sun, after disappearance from Australia, it goes to another country. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, after finishing His business in this universe, He goes to another universe. In this way the rotation takes eight million, nine billion years. Just imagine how many universes are there. He stays in one universe for 125 years. Everything is there, calculation, in the śāstra. Now we can imagine how many universes are there. That is, altogether, material world.
If in a small state, say this California state, there are so many magistrates, so many courts in different towns, and if you calculate, in comparison to this universe, what is this California state? You can see at night there are millions and billions of planets glittering in the sky, and this earthly planet is one of them. That's all. And in this earthly planet there are so many countries—America, Canada, United States, Mexico, India, China... There are so many countries, and there are so many cities. And each and every city, there are so many courts and magistrates. Just think that this planet is only a spot in comparison to the universal construction. So how we can think that there is no control, there is no government, everything has come out of its own course? This theory is foolish theory. There is controller. There is controller, and He is called Īśvara. Īśvara means God. There is management of God.
We do not know even one universe. We cannot study even one universe. They are... They were—not are—trying to go to the moon planet, but that has become a failure. From śāstra we understand that the moon planet is situated 1,600,000 miles away from the sun, and the sun is situated in the middle of the universe. And the total diameter from one circumference to the other of the universe it is four billions of miles. So the sun is situated at the point of two billions of miles from the circumference of the universe, and above the sun planet, 1,600,000, there is the moon. And above that there is Venus, there is Jupiter, there is Mars—all difference of 1,600,000 of miles. So it is not possible to go to the moon planet. Because first of all the sun is a little... According to the modern scientists calculation it is 93,000,0000. Taking it, accepted as 93,000,000's from this earthly planet, then again add 1,600,000, that means 94,600,000 miles away from the earth there is the moon planet. It is not possible. Therefore they are now silent. They cannot go there; neither ever they went there. This is the conclusion.
In the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the universal planetary system have been very nicely explained, and within the planetary system there is some planet, some planetary system which are called hellish planet. Actually in every scripture, not only in Bhāgavata, in other religious scripture, the description of hell and heaven are there, some way or other. So in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find where are those hellish planets, how it is distant from this planet. Just like modern astronomy, they have got calculation, how far the moon planet is there from here, what is the distance, what is the distance between earthly planet, the sun planet. Similarly, there are hellish planets also. Just like... We have got practical experience. Even on this planet, there are different conditions of atmosphere. Western countries, nearing the North Pole, the climate is different from India because it is near the equator. As there are differences of atmosphere and condition of life within this planet, similarly, there are particular planets also, the condition of life, atmosphere and everything different.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has described all the planetary system, where and how they are situated, how many miles they are different from one another. The calculation of the whole universe is made there. The diameter is described: four billion miles up and down, this way and that. And where is the sun is situated and how far above the sun the moon is situated, how far above the moon the Mars, Jupiter—everything is clearly described. And where the hellish planets are situated, and how in the hellish planets different sinful men are suffering. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, after hearing... That is Vaiṣṇava. He did not take care of the other things. He immediately took care of the suffering planets, because that is the Vaiṣṇava's nature. Vaiṣṇava has no problem. He is servant of God, representative of God. But he is feeling the sufferings of the humanity. That is Vaiṣṇava. He feels, "Oh, these people are suffering. Let us give some information from the śāstra so that they can be relieved from the suffering condition."
So you have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Take it seriously. Follow the rules and regulations. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati (BG 9.31). If you are sincere devotee... It is very easy thing to become devotee. Simply four things: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four... A child can, they are learning. They're also offering a flower, mad-yājī. This is worship. If a child can do it, you cannot do it? What is the difficulty? If you offer a flower to the Deity, if you offer your obeisances... The child, it's learning. Don't think it is knowing for nothing. Everything is calculated, "Ah, here is this child. He is offering obeisances." Credit. "He's offering flower." Credit. (laughter) Yes. From his childhood, if one becomes, simply deposits credit, then someday it will be a big balance, a good bank balance. So therefore this institution means to give everyone the chance to do these four things: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And Kṛṣṇa says maṁ evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ: (BG 18.65) "Without any doubt, simply by doing these four things, you'll come back to Me." So what is the difficulty? Live properly and be happy.
So if we believe in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we have to conclude that these people did not go at all in the moon planet. You have to believe this or that, as you like. But we get information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the moon planet is one of the heavenly planets. If somebody goes there, he can live there for ten thousands of years. Ten thousands of years means our calculation six times. Then sixty thousands of years like of this planet. So these descriptions are there. So these are the ideas. One can understand what will be our opulence if by chance... Not by chance; by our activities.
Knowledge means you should know both things, not one side. You must know what is religious system and what is not religious system. Simply one side is not full knowledge. Upayaṁ ca cintayet prajñā, apayaṁ ca cintayet(?). Just like if you want to do some business, you have calculated that "I shall invest so much money, and I shall get so much profit. So let us do this business. It is very nice." But śāstra says, "No, you have simply calculated the profit, and you also calculate no profit, not one-sided." Similarly, to know dharma, you must know adharma also, the opposite side.
Anyone who is proud of his so-called knowledge, so-called experience—simply "I believe," "I think," "It may be," "Suppose"—what is this knowledge? They're all nonsense. When you get knowledge śuśruma, from the authority, that is knowledge. Otherwise all useless. All useless. Because your senses are imperfect. You cannot see properly. You cannot hear properly. You cannot touch properly. You cannot smell properly. These are your instruments for getting experience. You cannot go. How you can say in other planets there is no life? You cannot go. According to the scientists' calculations, they say that to go to the topmost planet it will take forty... Eh? Forty thousands of years. Who is going to travel forty thousand years? But we are seeing. The planets are there. Go there and see. You cannot estimate of one universe, which you are practically seeing. And in the śāstra we hear that there are millions of universes.
Kṛṣṇa is the authority, best authority, supreme authority. So we can understand from His speech that in the sun planet there is a king whose name is Vaivasvata. And Kṛṣṇa says that "I spoke to Vivasvān." So Vivasvān... Now, nobody can say when the sun planet was created. But we can calculate, as it is said, vivasvān manave prāhuḥ, that Vivasvān, he explained to Manu. So Manu's age we can calculate. Manu's age, there are seventy-two Manus in one day of Brahmā. And the one day of Brahmā means forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand and divided by seventy-two. Then we can immediately calculate what is Manu's age. So by Manu's age we can calculate that forty millions of years ago Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god about this philosophy. This is called śruti. The exact calculation, by śruti you can make.
You cannot calculate Brahmā's duration of life. But the duration of life is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). So you have to understand like that, that here is Brahma's twelve hours, one day, millions and millions of years. And he lives for hundred years. So his hundred years and my hundred years is not the same. That is scientific, relativity.
My past, present, future and Brahmā's past, present, future—different. It is the relative. Just like by speed we are calculating this whole world is twenty-five thousand miles. But it has been proved by the, what is that? Weapon for going to the space? Sputnik, sputnik. He rounded over the world—one hour, twenty-five minutes. That is experience, relative. If you increase your speed, then the round about time decreases. Similarly, if by yoga system you increase your speed, then you can travel all over the universe as Durvāsā Muni said. Durvāsā Muni, he crossed over this universe and went to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. It took only one year.
Just like, now this month of June, we have got a certain type of experience, what are the natural changes, atmosphere, in this month of June. Similarly, when you are in month of December, you can foretell what will be the next month of June. It is not difficult. Because you have got experience, the atmospheric changes and situations in this month of June. Just like in Bombay there is practical calculation that by the tenth of June, the rain, rainy season will begin. Actually so happens. In different places, different types of seasonal changes. So everything should be seen through the śāstra. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. This is Vedic process. In the śāstra it is said that ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: (BG 14.18) elevation in this material world is when a person is in the sattva-guṇa, the modes of goodness. And middle, via media, is rajo-guṇa. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are very, very low class, jaghanya-vṛtti, their behavior is very, very abominable, they go down, adho gacchanti.
So there are originally three colors. Similarly, originally three guṇas. Now they become mixed up. Three into three equal to nine; nine into nine equal to eighty-one; and again eighty-one, and eighty-one... Nature's law is very subtle. Those who are botanists, scientists, they know how the color of the flower... So many varieties. They calculate, a little... There is regular principle. Not that by chance it has become yellow, chance it has become red. This is rascaldom. No. There is regular. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Everything is being done by the manifestation of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Everywhere there is control of Kṛṣṇa.
Time is eternal; I am also eternal. But because I am in the material world, the time is relatively divided into past, present and future. Relativity, the law of relativity—I have explained several times. Brahmā's past, present, future and the ant's past, present, future are not the same. Similarly, our past, present, future or the ant's past, present, future are not the same. Time is eternal, but according to the quality of the body, the past, present, future is calculated. So it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā... Kṛṣṇa says vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Because Kṛṣṇa is not changing body, therefore He has no past, present, future.
Those who are changing body, they have got past, present, future. I had my childhood. I have changed the body in this old age. Therefore I think, "In the past I was like this, or future, I will be like this." So this is relative. Time is eternal, we are eternal, but because we have accepted this temporary body, therefore we have to calculate past, present and future. So future means... Just like there is ordinary word in English, "Child is the father of man," future. The same child will be father or grandfather in future.
There are still astrological calculation in India called Bṛghu-saṁhitā. If you consult Bṛghu-saṁhitā, immediately they will give you your past, present and future. Immediately they will give. The astrology science is so perfect. What you were in the past life, what you are at the present and what you are going to be, these three things they can be known.
So vartamāno 'nyayoḥ kālo, there are three different features of time—past, present, and future. So those who are learned scholars, from one point, they can calculate what is the past and what is the future. Evaṁ janmānyayor etad dharmādharma-nidarśanam. There is astrology, there are experienced persons, they can say what was the past, what will be the future, this is one side. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is, even without any knowledge of the past, without any knowledge of the future, if you take the present opportunity, then your life is successful.
If a man, human being, is punished to stand up like as a tree for five thousand years, just imagine how much great punishment it is. And that is possible. Just like in the śāstra it is stated that those who want to remain naked, they are punished in the next life to become tree, that "You wanted to be naked. Now you stand naked." The trees, they do not dress; neither they have the opportunity. Nobody goes to dress them. So they stand naked for so many hundreds and thousands of years. This punishment is awaiting. Human being is not supposed to be naked. That is civilization. They must cover. But if one wilfully does not cover, becomes as dull as the tree, then he gets the next body as tree. This is punishment. Otherwise, wherefrom all these living entities are coming? They have no calculation. They are thinking that "I shall remain in this human form of beautiful body and in opulent..." No, changing. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body according to the decision of superior authority, daiva-netreṇa. We should always remember it.
Aghaṁ dhunvanti, this material life means full of sinful activities. Either little... Sinful activities are sinful activities. It may be, according to the material calculation, these are good sinful activities and these are bad sinful activities. No, sinful activities are sinful activities. And what is our sinful activity? As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, everything we do, that is sinful. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino prapadyante narādhamāḥ. This is the criterion, test, that if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he's not a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, whatever activities they are doing, that is all sinful. This is the conclusion.
This Durvāsā Muni penetrated through the universe, went to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, personally saw Viṣṇu. Still, he was not protected. And this time took about one year. So yogic power... My point was how yogis are powerful, that they cannot..., they can go through the space very swiftly. The modern scientists, they say that to go to the topmost planet within this universe, it will take forty thousands of years. That is their calculation. But this yogi, Durvāsā, could go through the universe—not only universe, other, Vaikuṇṭha—so, within one year. This is called yogic power.
Everything is diminishing. The strength, bodily strength, is diminishing. The memory is diminishing. The duration of life is diminishing. Man's propensity to be merciful is diminishing. At the present moment, even in the civilized world, so-called civilized, if one man is being killed on the open street, nobody will go and help him because the tendency for showing mercy to others, that is diminishing. And bodily strength is diminishing. Memory is diminishing. Dharma, the principle of religion, that is diminishing. This is calculated.
The same soldier, when he is fighting for king's service, government service, government is supplying him food, everything—"So fight very chivalrously"—and offering him gold medal. And the same men, when he comes home, for his sense gratification if he kills a man, he will be hanged. He may say in the court, "Sir, I have killed so many men in the battlefield and I was never hanged. I was given gold medal. And now I have killed only one man and I am going to be killed? Why? What is this?" "Yes." For your sense gratification, as soon as you do anything, that is sinful, whatever you do. It may be so-called pious activities in your calculation, but in this material world there is no such thing as pious activities or impious. Everything impious.
The demigods, some of them are brāhmaṇas, some of them are kṣatriyas, exactly in the same way. So this bhṛgv-ādayaḥ ṛṣis, they are brāhmaṇas. Sattva-guṇa-pradhānāḥ. Sattva-pradhānāḥ. They are standing on the modes of goodness. So... And they are viśva-sṛjo 'mareśāḥ. Amara. Amara means the demigods. They are supposed to be amara in our calculation. Just like Brahmā. We cannot calculate his duration of life. His duration of life is so long that it is beyond our calculation. Therefore they are sometimes called amara. Amara means immortal.
Actually in the higher planet our six months is equal to their one day. Just like when the sputniks were thrown in the outer space, they circulated the whole world in one hour, twenty-five minutes. One hour, twenty-five was all. They circulated three times within one hours, twenty-five minutes. Such a speed. Now actually, in our calculation the whole world can be circumambulated in twenty-four hours. But that is reduced to one hour, twenty-five. That is admitted by Einstein. This is called relative, relativity, according to the speed.
We are thinking that Brahmā's duration of life is so great, but it is also hundred years. But it is... You will understand very nicely. You can explain. According to our calculation they are immortal. Just like according to calculation of the pataṅga, our life is immortal. You see. They will calculate, "Oh, these human beings are immortal." But none of them are immortal. So we call them immortal, the demigods. Amareśāḥ.
Guest (2): Is it right to say that Kṛṣṇa-prema is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: Perfect is always. That is the highest stage. That we cannot relish. Just... All the rasas in relationship with Kṛṣṇa is perfect. But according to different devotees' taste... That I already told. Everyone says, "My relationship with Kṛṣṇa is the best." Everyone thinks. But it is for the outsider to consider that "This stage, conjugal love, this is better than the Kṛṣṇa's relationship with His servants or with the trees and..." That is our calculation. But in the Kṛṣṇa field... That is called Absolute. Every taste is as good than the other. That is oneness, Absolute.
Prabhupāda: We should not sleep more than seven hours. Six hours at night and one hour, that is sufficient. From medical point of view, they say six hours sleeping is sufficient, six hours. So suppose if we sleep seven to eight hours, one hour more, then out of twenty-four hours we sleep eight hours. Then sixteen hours. And chanting, two hours. Ten hours. And for taking bath and dressing, another two hours. Then eight hours and four hours, twelve hours. So...
Devotee (1): Then eating.
Prabhupāda: No. I have taken that: two hours for taking bath and eating, and eight hours for sleeping—ten hours. And two hours for chanting—twelve hours. And still we have got twelve hours for Kṛṣṇa's service. Is there any mistake? Just calculate. Why there should be, "Oh, I work so hard. I have no... Therefore I am sleeping more," to find out an excuse. "I was dysentery." Why you dysentery? Why there should be dysentery unless you eat more? This way, personally we have to adjust things, not that by dictation or by rules and regulations. Personal affairs cannot be adjusted by rules and regulation. It can be adjusted by oneself. And then everything will be all right.
Now here Prahlāda Mahārāja, as soon as he saw some opportunity that the teacher is out of the class, he will call all the boys, "My dear friends, this bhāgavata-dharma, this understanding God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, should be learned from the very beginning of life." "Why? Let us play. Why bhāgavata-dharma now? All right, if there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, when we shall get older or when the time of death will be nearing, we can study at that time bhāgavata-dharma."
But Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "No." Kaumāra. Why kaumāraṁ? Now, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. You are calculating that when you'll get old, at that time you shall try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But what is the guarantee that you are not already old enough? Who can say? The next moment I can die. Old age means nearing death, but there is no such guarantee that one shall die at eighty years old or hundred years old. Death can take place at any moment.
If you calculate the human population and other living entities, the human population, especially the civilized human beings, are nothing in comparison to other living entities. There are millions and billions of living entities even in this store. If you find out a small hole, you will find millions of ants coming. They are also living entities. And who is arranging for their food? You are not very much busy to... Although it is your duty. That is also Bhāgavata communism. Bhāgavata communism says that even if you have got a lizard in your room, you must give him something to eat. If you have got a serpent in your room, you must give it something to eat. Nobody in your house should starve. You see? This is Bhāgavata communism, not that "Only my brother and sister will not starve, and other animals should be killed." This is not communism. Here is communism. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness communism.
There are dharmas according to country, society, but real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma. That is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Who is mām? Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. You will see in the Bhagavad-gītā, śrī-bhagavān uvāca. So Bhagavān says that "surrender unto Me." Opportunity. Kṛṣṇa comes to give the opportunity. He is canvassing.
Not only in this universe, in every universe He is going. That calculation is there. Out of four hundred crores of years, Kṛṣṇa appears in one universe. In this universe, when He comes, He appears in this land of Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so valuable. This is Kṛṣṇa's place.
The Buddhists say, "There is no God." And the Māyāvādīs say, "There is God, but He has no head, tail, nothing." It is in the indirect way to say there is no God. What is difference? If somebody says, "There is no God," and if somebody says, "There is God, but He has no head, He has no tail, He cannot eat, He cannot sleep," negatively. The same definition in a negative way. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that veda na māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Our standard of philosophy, especially Vaiṣṇava philosophy... Anyone who does not accept the Vedic principle... Because vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If you do not accept the Vedic authority, then how you can understand God, Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. So anyone who says "There is no God. I don't care for the Vedas," he is calculated as nāstika.
In England there was pound, gold coin. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Svarṇa means gold coins, and koṭi means ten millions. So suppose today is 6th December. Now seven o'clock, morning, seven o'clock, 6th December, passed. Can you bring it again by paying one crores of gold coins? Hm? That "Let me get back again seven o'clock, 6th December, 1975, again"? No. It is gone forever. So just see the value that you cannot get back even a moment of your life by paying millions and millions of dollars. How time is valuable, just calculate.
Life is so valuable that we cannot waste even a second without any profit. That is the aim of life. The materialist persons, especially in country like yours, they calculate... I do not know. When I was in India I heard it that if you go to see an important businessman, his secretary, while talking with that man, the secretary gives you a card that "This Mr. such and such cannot spare more than two minutes." Is it a fact? Huh? Anyway, we should not waste our time, either you act materially or spiritually. But materially we have no business, although we have taken it the material business as very important and spiritual business has no meaning. This is the sum and substance of modern civilization. But so far we are concerned, not only we, everyone, the human life is only meant for spiritual purpose.
This is a rotten place, but somehow or other we have fallen. Bhavam āśritaḥ, we have, instead of taking shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, we have taken shelter of this material world. Therefore it is called bhavam āśritaḥ. For them it is imperative that śarīraṁ pauruṣaṁ yāvan na vipadyeta puṣkalam. So long we are young, very strong body, senses are working nicely, this opportunity should be utilized for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore a calculation is there. One may think, "Yes, that's all right, but I'll live at least one hundred years. So let me enjoy now sense, and later on we shall see the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." No. Prahlāda Mahārāja is warning: Yes, you have maximum. But nobody now is living hundred years.
By chanting, chanting, chanting, when you'll be purified, then you will have the opportunity of tasting that transcendental bliss. Otherwise, the so-called happiness derived from the senses, that is not happiness. That is crude, that is for the fools and rascals. That is not happiness.
So we should utilize our time very carefully. Puṁso varṣa-śatam... Because here is the calculation that although, supposing that I shall live for one hundred years, puṁso varṣa-śataṁ hy āyus tad-ardhaṁ cājitātmanaḥ (SB 7.6.6). Immediately, those who are not controlling the senses, ordinary, they are immediately at least half minus, fifty years gone for sleeping.
There are two kinds of production: material production and spiritual production. Arthadam. Artha means factual profit. So there are two kinds of profit. Those who are materialists, they calculate profit by dollars, and those who are spiritualists, they calculate profit: "How much I have advanced today in spiritual or Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Both of them are profits. So either make this profit or that profit, but don't waste your time. That is the proposal. But the best profit is, for human form of life, to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The calculation of life is already given account. Maximum years, hundred years. Fifty years by sleeping, minus. Then fifty years remains. Then twenty years childhood and playing. Then, remaining thirty years, and twenty years in old age, invalidity, not fulfillment of desires, what to do. In this way twenty years, and balance ten years, because all along one is directed by lusty desires, what he'll do? Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to establish his submission. It is not theory, but submission that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very childhood this bhāgavata-dharma should be taught and learned.
So this is human civilization. Gṛhastha. That also allowed only for a few years. Not few years. Formerly, as we have calculated that people used to live for hundred years, so twenty-four years, twenty-five years, brahmacārī; twenty-five years, gṛhastha; twenty-five years, vānaprastha; and last twenty-five years, sannyāsa. Ultimately sannyāsī, training. So in these four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa, in three āśramas, there is no sex life. Brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Only gṛhastha allowed sex life. That is also restricted only for begetting children. So in the Vedic civilization sex life is actually denied. Only in gṛhastha life with the restriction. Not that whenever I like. No. That is bondage. So long we'll be attached to sex life, then we'll have to accept this material body.
If Kṛṣṇa consciousness is accepted immediately, there is no question of degrees. But that acceptance is not possible in a second or in a minute. But if it is accepted, that "This is the nicest thing," then there is no question of degrees; it is immediately realized also. Just like there is an example that one king, he joined with the demigods to fight with the demons. He helped. And the demigods were very pleased with that king, and the demigods liked to give him some benediction, material benediction, that "You have helped us so much; so we want to give you something. What do you want?" So he first of all asked that "How long my duration of life is there?" So they replied, "Oh, your life is not very long. It is for so many hours now." So he immediately took the opportunity and took to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is a very nice example. That means within very short time he realized Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this was heard by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed by a brāhmaṇa that he would die within seven days. So he simply heard this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven days very seriously, and he was fully conscious of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he described also the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Mahārāja Parīkṣit for seven days only. He also became fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. So it is a thing which is not material. In material calculation one has to wait. But here, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). According to the degree of surrender, Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes revealed.
The topmost planet in the spiritual sky is the, called Goloka. That is Kṛṣṇa's place. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. And below this there are Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa. Devī-dhāma, this is called Devī-dhāma, this material world. And Maheśa-dhāma, the Śivaloka. And devī-mahesa, hari-dhāmasu. Hari-dhāmasu means Vaikuṇṭha. So these are the different status of dhāma. We cannot calculate, estimate even this Devī-dhāma. This is called Devī-dhāma. This material world is called Devī-dhāma. It is controlled by Devī, Goddess Durgā.
Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande, that by whose mercy these things are possible, I offer my respectful obeisances, param ānanda bhavam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reservoir of all pleasure. By Kṛṣṇa's mercy it is possible. By material calculation it is not possible. Material calculation one will say that "How it is possible, you say the dumb is lecturing very nicely? That is not possible." Or, "That lame man is now crossing the mountains?" So materially it is not possible. But by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His representative... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old boy, he is explaining so nicely about the constitution of the soul. Why? Because he has obtained the mercy of Nārada Muni, the representative of Kṛṣṇa.
Try to understand how Kṛṣṇa... Because we have got very limited knowledge. Ātmavat manyate jagat. The same Dr. Frog. Dr. Frog is calculation in his own way, and he is puzzled how there can be an Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean. Because he has never experienced, he has no idea, he is thinking, "This three feet water expansion, that is very big water." So our folly is that we are trying to study Kṛṣṇa, or God, by our own standard, frog standard. We do not know how great Kṛṣṇa is, how His potency is great, how He is manufacturing, how He is... Because we think, "If we have to manufacture something, I require some tools, I require some energy, I require some ingredients. I have to collect it. Then I can make." Therefore we are surprised, "How Kṛṣṇa can make, or how God can create, this universe? Where is that instrument? Where is that ingredient?" They cannot. They are thinking in that way, that "I require instrument. Kṛṣṇa requires the hammer and the saw to manufacture this comic manifestation." I am thinking in that way. Therefore I cannot believe it, how the cause of this cosmic manifestation can be a person. They are thinking imperson. Impersonal bigness, they think it is very important. Actually, it has no value. Background is person.
As soon as the demons finds somebody little weak, they will torture, weak, in their way. A devotee is not weak, but they think that "These devotees, they are weak. They cannot do any materialistic work. They cannot build skyscrapers. They cannot build a subtle machine. So they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see? They think like that. But actually, they know, the devotees know, what is this value of this materialistic advancement. People are not happy actually. Now, so far materialistic happiness is concerned, your country, America, is number one. You are all qualified boys and girls, I see. But still, if we calculate impartially, what is the advantage? The advantage: hand to mouth. You earn in the morning and eat in the evening—finished. You see? Such qualified boys that... I take, for example, Gaurasundara. He is thoughtful. He is educated. He knows so many things, artist. But for livelihood he has to go early in the morning and come late in the evening. So what is the result? This is the way of materialistic life. Life means that they should not work. Working hard, very hard working, that is the animal's business.
These great sages and saintly persons, what is their qualification? They are situated in knowledge, in sattva-guṇa, in light. They are not in darkness. Although they are not in darkness, but without being in the platform of sattva-guṇa, nobody can become very intelligent person, philosopher, or mental speculator also. Their position is very high in the material calculation. So such persons, api, (Sanskrit quotes from Śrīdhara Swami commentary), they are also unable to satisfy.
The story of Ajāmila is that he was a son of a brāhmaṇa, and he was very nice boy. He was married, and he was acting just like a brāhmaṇa boy. One day he went to collect some flowers and some wood from the forest for his father's worship. His father was worshiping Deity, and he was helping. On the path he saw that one śūdra and his wife, without any shame, they were embracing and kissing. This young boy became attracted. Therefore this system, that loving exchange or affairs should not be exhibited on the street. This is not very civilized form. In India it is not at all allowed. It is calculated indecent. There is punishment by law.
Prahlāda Mahārāja is induced to pray Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to pacify. He was in violent feature. So he's requesting, "My dear Lord," sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno. "Now, all these demigods, they are Your assistants, and they are situated in transcendental position." Sattva-dhāmno. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva-śabditam. Our situations are differently calculated. Not that every one of us is situated on the same platform. On the material platform, we are situated in three different positions: sattva-raja-tama. Sattva means goodness, raja means passion, and tama means ignorance or darkness. So, so long we are in the material platform, the highest positional situation is in the modes of goodness.
The first-class position is one who is aware of the Absolute Truth, he is in the goodness. Less awareness is the kṣatriya, or in the modes of passion. Less awareness is the vaiśyas, the mercantile class of people. They are in the third position. And the śūdra, they are in the fourth position, in the darkness, unawareness. And again, the degree of unawareness makes more and more abominable condition of life. Just like animal life. So here Prahlāda Mahārāja says that you have nothing to be disturbed by these people because they are in the modes of goodness. Therefore if we can produce population in the modes of goodness, there will be no problem in this material world even. Just like in the Satya-yuga, they were all brāhmaṇas, in the modes of goodness, so there was no trouble. And again, Tretā-yuga, seventy-five percent, modes of goodness. In the Dvāpara-yuga, fifty percent, and the Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent calculated to be in the modes of ignorance. Therefore we are feeling so much disturbances in the social condition, in the political condition.
So the whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to become dhīra, selflessness. Then life is successful. And anyway, don't be involved, entangled, with these material things. There are... This morning we were calculating that there are... As many atoms, so many living entities are also there. Sāṅkhya, saṅkhyatanam, the word. Sāṅkhya. Sāṅkhya means number. As many numbers of atoms are there, so many number of living entities are there, and there is struggle here. So in this human life the chance is how to get out of this material atomic combination and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the chance. So we have to follow the examples of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and there are... He's mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Let us try to follow Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction and make our life successful.
Everything is created, and it stays for some time. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti pralaya, three stages. So between the sṛṣṭi, creation, and pralaya, annihilation, there is one period which is called sthiti. That sthiti means the life of Brahmā. When the life of Brahmā is finished, then there is no more sthiti; it is now annihilated. Now you can calculate what is the life of Brahmā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Our one thousand years and multiplied by the years of yuga... The yuga year means forty-three hundred thousand of years, and, multiplied by one thousand, that period is Brahmā's twelve hours, day. Now you can imagine. It is beyond your mathematical calculation, but still, there is calculation in the śāstra, and that is, such hundreds years, is the duration of sthiti. But that sthiti, before Kāraṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the moment, just like we exhale and inhale.
Prabhupāda: The sun, when it absorbs water from the urinal, he is not infected. He makes that urinal sterilized. Similarly, if sometimes we see some behavior of the Supreme Lord which appears from social, our social point of view as not permitted... But He can do anything. That is the meaning of all-powerful. But He's not affected. He's not affected. Apāpa-viddham. Apāpa-viddham, in the Upaniṣad, Īśopaniṣad, that sinful activities... He cannot do anything which is sinful. God is always good. But to our calculation, limited calculation, if we see that He is committing something sinful, it is not sinful. It is sterilizing. The same example. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya. If by chanting His holy name we become sinless, how God can become sinful? It is not possible. This is common sense. If by chanting His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa...
Devotees: Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Prabhupāda: ...so we become purified, how Kṛṣṇa can be impure? It is not possible. Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa.
Lord Brahmā had to undergo austerity for hundreds of years of his calculation. So not our hundreds of years. Our hundreds of years may be Brahmā's a few hours only. Law of relativity. So Brahmā, even though he is directly born of Viṣṇu, he's not ordinary living be... He's also a living entity like us, but very, very pious. Just like here somebody is very rich, very influential, very beautiful, very learned. These are the results of pious activities, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). If you are pious, then you get good opportunity of taking your birth in good family, aristocratic family, brāhmaṇa family, like that. You become beautiful, become educated. So Brahmā is also a similar living entity, but he's very, very pious. Very very pious. And Brahmā... Brahmā's post is so exalted that when there is no living entity available, then Lord Viṣṇu Himself becomes Brahmā. The post is so important. My point is that although he's so pious, greatly exalted, still, he had to purify himself.
These foolish persons, they do not know. They think that "If Kṛṣṇa has spread Himself in everything, then He has lost Himself. So He has no more form," their material calculation. This is called material calculation. I have several times given you the example. You take a big piece of paper and make it small pieces, and you throw it in the air. The big sheet of paper is no longer existing. It is finished. So their calculation is like that, that "If Kṛṣṇa is all-pervasive, then where is His form? His form is finished." This is their character. But that is nonsense. That is Kṛṣṇa, that mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am spread everywhere, all-pervasive. But in My person I am not there." Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). But a devotee should understand that Kṛṣṇa is on the throne and Kṛṣṇa is on the floor. Therefore we should be very careful to take care of the floor, to take care of the throne, to take care of the flower, to take care of the dishes. Everything you should worship like Kṛṣṇa. That is... You cannot neglect anything.
Aham ādir hi devānām. Devānām means all the demigods, beginning with Brahmā. So Kṛṣṇa says, "I am prior to Brahmā," ādi. Ādi means at the beginning. So who will understand Him? Even one who believes in the śāstra, believes in the Brahmā's āyuḥ... Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). His one day, twelve hours, is forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand—means forty-three crores of years, our calculation. So Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). We cannot calculate the duration of life of Brahmā. And when Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādiḥ, "I am the father of Brahmā," so ordinary man, how he'll understand? He'll not understand. He cannot understand. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "Some forty millions of years ago I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god." So ordinary man, how he'll understand? They'll say "Mythology." It is not mythology; it is fact.
The Kali-yuga means the fourth age. There are four different kinds of ages: Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. Just like there are six seasons, or four seasons in a year, similarly, in one day of Brahmā there are one hundred cycles of four yugas. Four yugas means forty-three thousand..., forty-three hundred thousands of years. It is a very long period. That is the duration of four yugas. Similarly, one thousand yugas passes, then one day of Brahmā finished, twelve hours. It is a big calculation. Anyway, there are four yugas, this Satya-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Tretā-yuga, and Kali-yuga.
Dāmpatye means making husband and wife relationship. Abhiruciḥ. Abhiruciḥ means liking. A boy likes another girl, and the girl likes another boy. That's finished. Let them become husband and wife. Formerly, it was not. Formerly, according to Vedic civilization, there was no liking of the boy or the girl. The parents of the boy and the girl, they would see, "Whether this combination will be happy." They will bring horoscope and calculate astronomically, "What is the symptoms of this boy? What is the symptoms of this girl? Whether they will be peaceful in married life?" They calculated, and the parents would see in what kind of family the girl is born, and what kind of boy, the family he's born. So many things. If they do not agree, the parents of the girl and the boy, then there is no marriage.
| Page Title: | Calculation (SB Lectures) |
| Compiler: | SunitaS, Priya, Mayapur |
| Created: | 04 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=153, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 153 |