He immediate... Because Kṛṣṇa was accepted as the spiritual master of Arjuna, He said in a very gentle way, "My dear Arjuna," aśocyān anvaśocas tvam, "You are lamenting for something which is not the subject matter of lamentation." Because Arjuna was hesitating to fight in bodily relationship. He was thinking that he is this body, his other side, the relatives, brothers or nephews or grandfather, the other side, they are also the bodies. Because bodily concept of life, we hesitate. Because every one of us in bodily concept. That is animal life. And so long we are in the bodily relationship... Dog, he does not know anything else. He simply knows that he is this body. But a human being, by cultivation of knowledge, by logic, by argument, he can understand that "I am not this body." Therefore a human being says, as soon as you inquire... Even a child. You ask child, you show him the finger, "What is this?" The child will reply, "It is my finger." The child will never say, "I finger."
Gentle (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one, singular number, eka, He is providing, maintaining, all other living entities. Tam ātma-stham. He is also in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Tam ātma-sthaṁ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ. Anyone who can perceive His presence, dhīra, very highly learned or very gentle, dhīra... Dhīra means who is not disturbed. He's called dhīra. And there are others who are called adhīra. Adhīra means those who are disturbed. So those who are in the material world, they are always disturbed. And those who are on the spiritual platform, they are dhīra. Dhīrādhīra. About the Gosvāmīs it is said:
This kaumāraṁ yauvanam... We say "This is child's body." "This is boy's body." So they are different apartments. And according to the apartment, one's intelligence or consciousness is developed, according to the body. When the living being, or the soul, gets a... That you'll see. A poor man living in a poor cottage or very unclean apartment, his mentality is different. Another gentle, respectable gentleman, he's living in a very nice house, nice apartment, his mentality is different. So according to the circumstances, the mental changes are there. But the poor man is also a human being, and the rich man is also human being. Similarly, these so many apartments, or different types of body, different 8,400,000 types of body, the occupier, the living being, or the soul, is the same quality, but according to the apartment, or body, he has occupied, he has developed different consciousness and mentality. Is it clear or not? Where is the difficulty?
Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. Merged into the ocean of love of Godhead, premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau. So by Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, one can become dear, very dear, both for the dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober. And adhīra means rascals. So kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is so nice that you can become favorite both for the gentle and the rascal. It is so nice. That is actually happening. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Because those who are chanting, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, they are nirmatsarau. They are not envious. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not limited therefore in India. It is for the whole world. We are not envious we only see Indians will learn it. No. We have no such program. Tri-bhuvane mānyau. It should be honored all over the world. This is kṛṣṇa-kīrtana.
A paṇḍita, paṇḍita can see... Paṇḍita means a learned man can see that "Here is a learned brāhmaṇa." In India, according to Vedic civilization, a learned brāhmaṇa is considered to be the topmost man in human society. So therefore He is taking the example that "Here is a very learned brāhmaṇa." Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. Not only he is brāhmaṇa, but he is very gentle. Vidyā means... What is the result of vidyā? Education means one becomes gentleman. That is the result of vidyā. If one is not a gentleman, then his learning is not accepted according to the Vedic literature.
So paṇḍita means that one who is learned and gentle. So another paṇḍita sees vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, a brāhmaṇa, learned and gentle, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, and a cow, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi ha..., and an elephant, and śva-pāke... Śva-pāke ca śuni ca. Śva-pāke means there is a class of men who eats dogs. They are counted amongst the lower class in India. Śva-pāke ca śuni. Śuni means dog.
"When one is in the transcendental position, then he sees equally everyone, every living entity." How is that? Now, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa (BG 5.18). A learned brāhmaṇa, a learned intelligent man, who is very advanced with material academical knowledge, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, and he is very gentle and cultured, such a intelligent man, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, a cow, hastini, an elephant, and śuni... śuni... śuni means a dog. And śva-pāke, and the dog-eater. Dog-eater. There is a class who eat dog, dog-eater. So paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who is in the transcendental position, he does not discriminate in that way because he understands that they are different living entities under dress only, but he sees, visualize, the spiritual identity, and he has nothing to do with their activities. He is in transcendental position, and he is concerned with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness in his activities. He becomes callous with the activities of this world.
"The humble sage sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater or outcaste (BG 5.18). Those whose minds are established in sameness and equanimity have already conquered the conditions of birth and death. They are flawless like Brahman and as such, are already situated in Brahman (BG 5.19). A person who neither rejoices upon receiving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, unbewildered and who knows the science of God is to be understood as already situated in transcendence (BG 5.20). Purport."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.
Revatīnandana: "Purport: The symptoms of the self-realized person are given herein. The first symptom is that he is not illusioned by the false identification of the body with his true self."
Prabhupāda: Yes. So achieving something pleasant... Generally we accept a thing pleasant when it satisfies our senses. We accept it as pleasant. But actually, satisfaction of my sense is not real pleasure because my senses are at the present moment diseased. Therefore as it is stated in the Nārada-pañcarātra, that tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
"My dear boy, you have done so much nice service to me. I am obliged to you. So I must return that service. I must give you some reward." So the young man said, "Oh, my dear sir, you are old man. You are just like my father. So it is my duty to serve you, to give you all comforts. I don't require any reward." Formerly, the boys were so gentle. And still, there are many boys like that. So the old man also thought that "No, I am obliged to you. I must reward you." So he promised that "I shall get you married with my youngest daughter." Now, the old man was very rich man, and the young man was not rich. He was poor. Although he was brāhmaṇa, learned. So he said that "You are promising. You don't promise this because your kinsmen, your family men will not agree. I am poor man, and you are rich man. You are aristocratic. So it will be not. This marriage will not take place.
The only thing is sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. Śruti-gatām means... Śruti means this aural reception. You have to receive this word little submissively. Namanta eva. Don't think yourself, that you are very man of knowledge. Because our knowledge is very limited, so we should not be puffed up with false thinking that I am very learned man. No. Just become a little gentle and submissive, and hear these messages from Kṛṣṇa. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Tanu. Tanu means your body, and vāk means your words, and mana means mind. Just try to adjust your mind, your body, your words, and hear the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā which is spoken by the Supreme Lord, and put your arguments, put your reason, whatever you have got. Don't accept it blindly. And think over it, and then you'll see what is the result. This is... So rākṣasīm.
Anyone this humbleness and humility is taught everywhere. Without being gentle, humble, how one can be a man of knowledge? But at the present moment the humility is forgotten. Everyone is proud unnecessarily. Although he's nothing, he's proud. So much so that sometimes a rascal says that "I am God." This is the modern civilization. He's so puffed-up, so proud, that one claims to become God, what to speak of other things. No. The first thing is that one must be very humble.
This is the process of Vedic civilization. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. One has to become brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanna. He must be learned and humble. That is brāhmaṇa. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini. That is the first-class life. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa. Why brāhmaṇa is honored in the society? Because brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne and very humble.
That is brāhmaṇa. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini. That is the first-class life. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa. Why brāhmaṇa is honored in the society? Because brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne and very humble. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne (BG 5.18). Vidyā means. vidyā dadāti namratā. Vidyā means he must be very gentle, namra. That is vidyā. Education does not mean unnecessarily to become proud.
Just like we hear that even a great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say, "What knowledge I have got? I have simply collected a few grains sand from the big beach." Yes. That is humbleness. So Kṛṣṇa says that in the process of acquiring knowledge, one must be very humble and meek. This is the first qualification.
This is sattva-guṇa. but those who are situated in the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they cannot become humble. That is not possible. Passion and ignorance.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
According to the Vedic culture, a learned brāhmaṇa, very gentle, sober, learned brāhmaṇa... Whoever is learned, he must be gentle and sober. Vidyā dadāti namratā. That is the test of education. Demonic life is not education. A learned man means he must be sama-darśinaḥ. There are different types of living entities, and the learned brāhmaṇa is considered to be the topmost. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi (BG 5.18), a cow, hasti, an elephant, śuni, the dog, śva-pāka, caṇḍāla, dog-eater. There are different varieties of living entities, but one who is paṇḍita, learned, he sees everyone on the same level. Why? He does not see the outward tabernacle; he sees the soul within everyone. Brahma-darśanam. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). So that brahma-darśanam is possible when actually one is contact with Brahman, the Supreme. Therefore the central point is missing.
Prabhupāda: Paṇḍitāḥ, one who is actually learned, he sees everyone on the equal level. Who are they? Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. A brāhmaṇa who is very learned and very gentle, vidyā-vinaya. Education means one is very gentle and learned. Vidyā-vinaya sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, a cow; hastini, an elephant; śunice, a dog; śva-pāke, a dog-eater, caṇḍāla. He sees that this... (break)
Indian man (1): He is everywhere. He is omnipresent.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is present within your heart, but still, He has got His own place.
Indian man (1): This is why he says he has been trained(?).
Prabhupāda: Yes.
So there are some important words in this verse. The first thing is dhīrāṇām. Dhīrāṇām mean sober, gentle. There are two ways, because there are two kinds of people in this world. One is called dhīra, and the other is called adhīra. Adhīra means almost animal. They cannot control their senses. The dhīra, one who can control sense. He is called dhīra. In the Rūpa Gosvāmī's obeisances we find, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is appreciable by the both classes, dhīra and adhīra. Those who are advanced by austerities, controlling the senses, and those who are not so, very fallen, both of them, Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.
This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.
So dhīrāṇāṁ vartma. Because people must be first of all gentle. Then talk of Kṛṣṇa and God consciousness. If he is animal, what he can understand? This is Vedic system. Dhīrāṇām. Dhīra means must be gentle, perfectly gentle. Must address all woman as "mother." Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. This is the training, that one should consider other's wife as mother, and others' money as like garbage in the street. Nobody cares for it. Similarly, one's other's money should not be touched. Even it is somebody has forgotten his purse, moneybag on the street, nobody will touch it. Let the man come back and take it. That is civilization. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And treating all other living entities as oneself.
Therefore it is called dhīrāṇām. Those who are sober, for them. Those who are rascals, not for them. The brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha sarvāśrama, āśrama, this is meant for the gentle class, not for the rascals. First of all, training period as brahmacārī. This brahmacārī, he is taught. He is taught to address all women as "mother." The brahmacārī goes to collect alms from door to door. Small boys. So how do they address? "Mother, kindly give us some alms." So immediately the household wife should come and give them. They will collect like that, for spiritual master. So if a boy is taught... Just like our these children are being taught chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are chanting. They cannot forget throughout life. Similarly, if a brahmacārī is taught from childhood, from boyhood address all woman as "mother," he cannot see otherwise. "S(he) is my mother." I remember, it is an example.
So if we train from the childhood that "You should treat all woman as mother," then where is the question of anomalies? No. There is no question.
So one should be trained from the very beginning how to become gentle. From the very beginning if one is taught to become ungentle, uncontrolled of senses, how at the end he can become gentle? And if the people are not gentle, how you can expect peace and prosperity? Therefore we see in your country, every house: "Beware of dog. Don't come here." Because... What is that? Because they cannot trust anybody. Anybody.
So this is not advancement of civilization. If you want to know what is civilization, you have to learn here: dhīrāṇām. In the Bhāgavata the description is there. So actually, Vedic civilization is meant for the most gentle, highly advanced, not for the cats and dogs.
"Mr. such-and-such, how you are reading?" Criticizing. He was silent because he knew that "I am illiterate. My friends are criticizing. That's all right. What can I do?"
Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that these things are going on in the Raṅganātha temple. But He saw that "This brāhmaṇa is very gentle and grave, and he's handling the book. That's all." So He inquired, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" He said... He could understand that "He's not criticizing. He's a, mean, a great man." So he said, "Sir, what can I say? My spiritual master asked me to read every day Bhagavad-gītā, so many chapters, but I am illiterate. I cannot read. Therefore I have taken the book, simply seeing. That's all. What can I do?" "But I see you are sometimes crying. You must be reading. Otherwise, how you are feeling and you are crying?"
Pradyumna: Translation: "I was very much attached to those sages. I was gentle in behavior, and all my sins were eradicated in their service. In my heart I had strong faith in them. I had subjugated the senses, and I was strictly following them with body and mind."
Prabhupāda:
- tasyaivaṁ me 'nuraktasya
- praśritasya hatainasaḥ
- śraddadhānasya bālasya
- dāntasyānucarasya ca
- (SB 1.5.29)
So the, the one side, the guru. Saṅkīrtyamānaṁ munibhir mahātmabhiḥ. The... This is a relationship between disciple and guru. What are the qualifications of guru? And what are the qualifications of the disciple? If both of them are qualified, then immediately the result is there. Just like husband and wife. Both of them, if they are healthy, by sex there will be pregnancy. Similarly, if the guru and the disciple, both of them are qualified, then immediately Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be there.
Pradyumna:
- tadā śucas te pramṛjāmi bhadre
- yad brahma-bandhoḥ śira ātatāyinaḥ
- gāṇḍīva-muktair viśikhair upāhare
- tvākramya yat snāsyasi dagdha-putrā
- (SB 1.7.16)
"O gentle lady, when I present you with the head of that brāhmaṇa, after beheading him with arrows from my Gāṇḍīva bow, I shall then wipe the tears from your eyes and pacify you. Then, after burning your sons' bodies, you can take your bath standing on his head."
Prabhupāda:
- tadā śucas te pramṛjāmi bhadre
- yad brahma-bandhoḥ śira ātatāyinaḥ
- gāṇḍīva-muktair viśikhair upāhare
- tvākramya yat snāsyasi dagdha-putrā
- (SB 1.7.16)
So yad brahma-bandhoḥ. Brahma-bandhu, or kṣatra-bandhu, a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa but has no brāhmaṇa qualifications, he is called brahma-bandhu, "friend of a brāhmaṇa." Bandhu means friend. A person, a man, his father is high-court judge. So there is no harm that he belongs to the family of such and such high-court judge—but that does not mean he is high-court judge. This should be noted. That is the difference, brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu. Brāhmaṇa means guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). He must have the quality, śamo damaḥ śaucaṁ titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). He must be self-controlled, controlling the mind and the senses.
So that is one incidence. Another incidence is giving them poison cakes when they were at home. That also they escaped. Then puruṣāda-darśanāt. They met one Hiḍimba Rākṣasa, man-eater demon. So Bhīma fought with him and killed him. Similarly, asat-sabhāyāḥ, in the assembly of asat... Asat means those who are not gentle, not gentlemen. In the sabhā, in the assembly, there was Dhṛtarāṣṭra, there was Bhīṣmadeva, Droṇācārya, all elderly persons, and there was trick of playing chess. So somehow or other, Draupadī was taken as bet: "If we lose, then Draupadī is no longer our wife. It is up to you." So lost the game. So immediately Karṇa and Duḥśāsana captured her: "Now you are not your husbands'. You are our property. We can deal with you as we like."
Uncultured man wants to see a woman naked. But that has become a fashion nowadays. A woman is not to be, supposed not to be naked in anyone's, before except her husband. This is Vedic culture. But because these rascals wanted to see Draupadī naked in that great assembly, so they were all rascals, asat. Sat means gentle, and asat means rude. So asat sabhāyāḥ, "In that assembly of rudes, You saved"—Kṛṣṇa saved. Draupadī was being naked, her sari was being taken away, and the sari would not be finished. Kṛṣṇa was supplying sari.
So they became tired in trying to make her naked. (laughter) And she never became naked, and heaps of cloth was stacked. They could understand, "It is impossible." And Draupadī was also first of all trying to save her cloth. And what she can do? She is woman, and they were two men. Karṇa and Duḥśāsana was trying to make her naked. So she was crying and praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Save my honor."
They were very friendly to Karṇa. So he advised, "Now this woman is lost. We can use her as we like." So they decided, "Yes, why not? So make her naked in this assembly." So it was decided that they would see this woman naked, naked beauty. Therefore, asat-sabhāyāḥ. This assembly was not of gentlemen. Asat. This word is used. Sat and asat. Sat means gentle, and asat means uncivilized. So they were so much uncivilized that they wanted, "Never mind. That woman was lost. It was a betting." Her husbands were quite competent, but because that they thought that "We are lost," they did not take any part: "You can use her as you like." But that was not the duty of gentlemen, a kṣatriya. Therefore it is mentioned as asat-sabhāyāḥ. A woman is asked to be naked in the assembly—that assembly is not gentlemen's assembly. That is meant for the uncivilized, crude. The woman is respected everywhere.
Devotee:
- namo 'kiñcana vittāya
- nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye
- ātmārāmāya śāntāya
- kaivalya-pataye namaḥ
- (SB 1.8.27)
"My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reaction of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists."
Prabhupāda: So namaḥ akiñcana-vittāya. Materially impoverished. This is the first qualification of a devotee. One who does not possess anything of this material world, he simply possess Kṛṣṇa. That is akiñcana-vitta. Akiñcana means one who has lost everything of material possession. Because if you have got a, a small tinge of idea that "I want to become happy materially in this way," so long you have to accept a body.
The nature is so kind that in whichever way you want to enjoy this material world, she will give you a suitable body under the direction of the Lord.
So that is our aim. Our aim is not to produce cats and dogs. There are so many cats and dogs, the world is not happy. Now there is need of producing nice children, sober, gentle, devotee of Kṛṣṇa, good brain, good character. These things are required. So they were not unwanted children, these Yadus. This is a make-show (indistinct) other. They came, they are all demigods, they descended just to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's mission. Kṛṣṇa's mission, Kṛṣṇa came down so all the confidential servants of Kṛṣṇa, they also appeared to help Him in different... So when Kṛṣṇa wanted to go, He wanted to go with the descendants also, who came to help Him. So this is a make-show that the Yadus fought amongst themselves. The real purpose is, Kṛṣṇa wanted to take them away. Otherwise, superficially, when one becomes unnecessarily powerful, disturbs the world situation, he's a burden. He's a burden. That kind of burden is vanquished by Kṛṣṇa's desire, will. There must be some catastrophe like war, pestilence, famine, and everything will be finished.
Similarly, in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, the president is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So He has got four hands, so the devotees or the inhabitants there, they have also the similar feature of the body, four hands. So these Yamadūta were surprised, that "You are looking so gentle, so nice. Why you are stopping in our duty? This man is sinful. It is our duty to take to Yamarāja, Mṛtyu."
So there was argument, and their attempt was foiled by these Nārāyaṇa-dūta. So when they came to their master Yamarāja, that "This is our first experience, that somebody else took away from our hand the person who was to be brought here. So is there any greater personality like you, er, more than you?" So he explained, "Yes, I am servant of Nārāyaṇa." So in that time Yamarāja advised that "To a devotee, you shall never go. It is not your jurisdiction."
Nothing is stopped, but you cannot do any unlawful. Bhakti does not mean you can do anything unlawful. But ultimate issue: whatever you do, if it is for Kṛṣṇa, that is rightful. Just like materially, Arjuna was trying to become very gentleman, nonviolent, Arjuna: "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." People very much appreciate, "Just see, Arjuna is so gentle, he is trying to become nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to become violent." This is the vision of the demons. They do not know, whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, that is rightful. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful. And Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent. That is not rightful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "Why you are talking like anārya?" Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of talking... You are kṣatriya, and you are not willing to fight. What is this? This kind of proposal is made by the anārya, uncivilized. You are a kṣatriya. Your duty is to fight, and you are trying to refrain from the fight? You have become so ignorant? Oh, this is not good."
"The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater or outcaste." (Bg 5.18) This sama-darśinaḥ, equal vision, should not be mistaken to mean that the individual is the same as the Supreme Lord. They are always distinct. Every individual person is different from the Supreme Lord. It is a mistake to equate the individual living entity with the Supreme Lord on the plea of vivikta-dṛk, sama-dṛk. The Lord is always in an exalted position, even though He agrees to live everywhere. Śrīla Madhvācārya, quoting Padma Purāṇa, states, vivikta-dṛṣṭi-jīvānāṁ dhiṣṇyatayā parameśvarasya bheda-dṛṣṭiḥ: "One who has clear vision and who is devoid of envy can see that the Supreme Lord is separate from all living entities, although He is sitauted in every living entity."
So this dvija, although he was initiated to make further progress to become brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava, in the middle, he contacted one prostitute. Young man, he became a victim. Therefore kaścid dāsī-patiḥ, contacted and remained as husband, wife, or friend. So by the contact of this prostitute, the result was naṣṭa-sadācāra, he became lost of all gentle activities. Naṣṭa-sadācāra. Sadācāra means... Sat means gentle, and ācāra means behavior, gentleman's behavior. What is that gentleman's behavior? That we teach, that "You don't take meat, don't have illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, rise early in the morning, take bath, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, attend maṅgala-ārātrika." These are called sadācāra. So on account of his contact with this prostitute, although he was born in a brāhmaṇa family and he was reformed up to the point of initiation, he fell a victim.
Why sadācāra, why he should lose? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. Because he is associating with this prostitute, therefore the next sequence is that he should be bereft of all gentle behavior.
Therefore to create a first-class man, it requires great endeavor. It is not that you go to a school, colleges, and learn and smoke and do all nonsense, and you become elevated. It is a fourth-class, fifth-class... The modern educational system is producing not only fourth... Fourth class is also gentle, fifth-class, sixth-class. Fifth-class, sixth-class... The education means... What is the education? What is the symptom of education? That is described by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. The first educational symptom is that except one's own wife, any woman is mother. This is the first symptom of education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. And other's property and money is just like garbage in the... Not very many years, say, about hundred years ago... You have heard the name, the Kashmir state.
That is not possible. If you want to be happy, peaceful, then you must take this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and try to create at least a group of men first class. Just like we are doing that. People will see their behavior, their character, their mode of life, and at least they will be attracted.
So this man, Ajāmila, on account of his association with a prostitute... That is illicit sex. Sex means with married wife. That's all. So this is the first falldown. Then he lost his all gentle behavior, and then he came to this platform, bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryaiḥ. So as soon as one become fallen down from the standard of gentle life, they must take to this profession. There is no other alternative. You cannot check it. This is natural falldown, one after another. So, bandy-akṣaiḥ... What time up to? Up to 7:30? It is finished. Eh?
So these people never saw, these Yamadūta, such persons with four hands, so decorated, so effulgent. So they were surprised, that "You are so nice." So diśo vitimirālokāḥ kurvantaḥ svena tejasā: "By your personal effulgence, you are illuminating wherever you are standing." Diśa. Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya kiṅkarān no niṣedhatha: "You look so beautiful and gentle. Why you are doing this wrong thing? We have come to discharge our duties, and you are forbidding us." Means they could understand that "They are so powerful, they have stopped us to touch Ajāmila's body. If we forcibly do, they can punish us." The Yamadūtas could understand. Therefore politely asking that "You are so gentle, so good-looking, so nice. Why this is your business, that you are forbidding us in discharging our duties?" Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya. Dharma-pāla: "We are also acting not whimsically.
"We are also acting not whimsically. We are working under the Dharmarāja, Yamarāja, who is justice, how to make judgment against the sinful man. He is appointed for this purpose, and we are just carrying out his order." Then "You look so gentle and highly exalted. Why you are forbidding us? This is very..." kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya kiṅkarān no niṣedhatha.
So we get description of the Viṣṇudūtas. Now, at least we can think, if we are transferred to the spiritual world, how much happy we shall be, how much opulent we shall be. Here we are thinking possessing one tin car made of tin, and after one year, it is smashed, and throw it again, and we becoming very opulent. So we do not know what is opulence there in the spiritual world. Not only in the spiritual..., even in this material world. In higher planetary system there are many, many different types, opulence. Svargaloka.
So the Yamadūtas, they very politely submitted. They could understand immediately that these persons so nicely decorated, four hands, looking very youthful, all the good qualities... So with due submission, they said that "You look so nice, gentle. Why you are interfering with our duties?" Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya kiṅkarān no niṣedhatha. So they accepted the submission. Very humbly they submitted, with great respect. Therefore they were smiling. And the word is used here, tān pratyūcuḥ prahasya idam. When there is argument, dealing, if the words are exchanged very politely, so things go on nicely. So prahasya. Prahasya, now they are challenging, the Viṣṇudūta, that "You are claiming to become the servants of Yamarāja, and he is Dharmarāja, he is authority, and how is that you do not know whom to arrest and whom not to arrest? This man is now free from all sinful reaction.
"And very well behaved, properly situated in his position," dhṛta-vrata, "and avowedly following the regulative principles." So he was learned, he was well-behaved, and he was avowedly, strictly following the regulative principles. Mṛduḥ. Mṛdu means very gentle. Dāntaḥ: he had control over his senses. Satya-vāṅ: he was very truthful. Mantra vit śuciḥ: and he knew all the Vedic mantras and he was very clean. Then gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānām. Guru, spiritual master; agni, sacrificial fire; vṛddhā, aged person; and atithi... Atithi means guest without invitation. This is the Vedic culture, that these men should be well received. Guru means spiritual master; agni, fire; atithi... Atithi. Atithi means without any fixed-up invitation if somebody comes at your place. And old men, they should be respectful. Not very long ago, when we were young men, say thirty years old, that time we have seen that a young man would not smoke before an old man. This was the etiquette.
These are guṇālayaḥ, reservoir of all good qualities. Dhṛta-vrata. These things not occasionally but regularly, dhṛta-vrata. "I must rise early in the morning"—that is called dhṛta-vrata, vow. "I must do it." Dhṛta-vrato mṛduḥ, mild, gentleness. This is human life, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human life. Real human life, the picture is here. One must be trained up to all these qualifications. Just like nowadays we send our boys to school, college, for being trained up as a technician, formerly the boys were sent for education... These are the effects of education.
Education means to become human being. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he also, although he was a politician, but brāhmaṇa, he also says who is educated, paṇḍita. The brāhmaṇa is known as paṇḍita. So what is the sign of paṇḍita?
So the speeches of the Yamadūta, assistants of Yamarāja, was thus finished, arguments. The argument was that "This man, Ajāmila, born of a brāhmaṇa father, although acquired all qualification... He was qualified brāhmaṇa, not simply born of a brāhmaṇa father, but qualified brāhmaṇa, with full knowledge of Vedic instruction, nice character, very gentle and silent and offering respects to elderly persons, spiritual master, father. In this way he was perfect brāhmaṇa. But due to his contact with a prostitute he lost his all good qualification. And later on, he had to earn money by hook and crook, and thus he degraded more and more, and therefore his sinful activities are now responsible for his punishment, and we shall take him to the court of Yamarāja." That was the summary of the speech of the Yamadūta. Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam.
In the Bhagavad-gītā you have read that a learned person, who is actually learned, he sees everyone on the equal level, sama-darśinaḥ. How? Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. A person who is very highly learned, very gentle, civilized, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe, and a brāhmaṇa, still higher, intellectual personality, gavi, a cow, hasti, means an elephant, śuni, the dog, śva-pāke ca, and the dog-eaters, śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama, all these—there are different varieties of living condition—but still, one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees everyone on the same level. How it is, that? Has he become a madman, that a highly intellectual person and the dog, he sees on the equal level? Yes. Because he is not seeing on the material platform; he is seeing on the spiritual platform. In the spiritual platform, there is no distinction. The all distinction is due to our material conception of life. Varieties, the bodies, there are 8,400,000 varieties of bodies, and because we are under the concept of this bodily, I mean to say, identification, therefore we see so many varieties.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead spoke: My dear Prahlāda, the most gentle and best of the family of asuras, let there be all auspiciousness for you. I am very much pleased upon you. It is My pastime to fulfill the desires of all human beings. Therefore you can ask from Me any benediction that you desire to be fulfilled."
Prabhupāda:
- śrī-bhagavān uvāca
- prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te
- prīto 'haṁ te asurottama
- varaṁ vṛṇīṣva abhimataṁ
- kāma-pūro 'smy ahaṁ nṛṇām
- (SB 7.9.52)
So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, we have several times explained that the most opulent, six opulences, riches, aiśvaryasya... Śrī, aiśvarya, strength, bala... Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). This is Bhagavān. All six opulences in full. So if Bhagavān wants to fulfill one's desires, who can check Him? Here Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁhadeva, says, prīto 'ham: "I am now pleased." So this is the business, how to please Kṛṣṇa.
He said, "What is that paper?" "No, your uncle has written frankly that he is not learned. I am learned." "All right, talk with me." Then he defeated him.
So sometimes devotees are so gentle. If such foolish person comes to talk, unnecessarily waste of time, "All right, you take in writing that I am not a learned. Go away." You see? This is another bhadra. Instead of wasting time with a rascal, better give him a paper: "Go away, sir." (laughter) And therefore Lord Śiva is called Āśutoṣa. So many demons go to bother him: "Give me this. Give me that." And his name is Āśutoṣa.. He gives him immediately: "All right, you take it. Go away. Don't bother." (laughter) Therefore his name is Āśutoṣa.. Very soon he becomes... Somebody prayed, "Sir, give me this benediction, that I shall... On anyone's head I shall touch, immediately head will go away." So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you go away.
If you want to become bhadra, gentleman, you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. Otherwise it is not possible. You are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time gentleman—that is a false thing, pretender. A bhadra... Here it is said, bhadra. Prahlāda bhadra bhadram te (SB 7.9.52). And when you become bhadra, gentle, perfect, qualified gentleman, then everything is auspicious for you. There is no inauspicity. Bhadram, everything. The bhadram... Here Vīra-raghavācārya, he explains this word, bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttiḥ: "no more anything inauspicious." Bhadram. Aniṣṭaṁ nivṛttiḥ iṣṭaṁ prāptis ca. Two things, that is bhadram. Very nice, Vira-raghavācārya's explanation. Bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttir iṣṭaṁ prāptiḥ. Iṣṭam means "whatever you desire," because a bhadra, a gentleman, cannot desire anything which is bad. A gentleman will not pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me facility for eating meat." He'll..., mean, devotee never prays like that. Therefore abhadra-nivṛttiḥ. He never prays to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me facility of drinking."
Pradyumna: "Brahmacārīs should be very polite and well... The Brahmacārī should be quite well behaved and gentle in nature. He should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the śāstra. In this way, fully controlled over the senses, behave with women as much as necessary, as well as persons who are controlled by women, should be associated with only as much as necessary."
Prabhupāda:
- suśīlo mita-bhug dakṣaḥ
- śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ
- yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet
- strīṣu strī-nirjiteṣu ca
- (SB 7.12.6)
So now, actually behavior, the first thing is suśīla, very well behaved, gentle. Śīla means behavior, and su means very good. Suśīlo mita-bhuk. This can be attained only when one practices eating whatever is absolutely necessary, not eating more. This is also enjoined by Rūpa Gosvāmī: atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ (NOI 2). Atyāhāra, eating more than necessary, is condemned everywhere. Spiritual life means reducing eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is spiritual life. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **.
A person, very learned, vidyā and very gentle... vidyā means, educated means, he is gentle, sober. He is not rogues and ruffian. That is vidyā. That is the test of education. He must be very sober and silent. That is called gentleman, in one word. So vidyā-vinaya, one gentleman, very learned scholar, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, and a cow, and hasti, an elephant, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, and śuni-śuni means dog, and śvapāk... Śvapāk means a dog-eater. There are many persons, they prefer to eat different types of flesh. But one who eats the dog's flesh, he is considered to be very lower class. So śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who is paṇḍita, learned, he sees every one, them, on the same level. What is that same level? Spirit soul. He does not see the outward body. That is called brahma-darśin. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
What is that?" So when he approached and Nawab Shah saw that he's engaged with learned paṇḍitas reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then he understood, "Oh, this is your disease. You are now taken to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." So actually he was very learned, but out of his humble behavior he is submitting himself to Lord Caitanya in this gentle way.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya
- yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ
- acirād eva sarvārthaḥ
- sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ
He says that "Your desire is to get perfection; therefore you are so much humble." So he quotes one verse from Nāradīya Purāṇa, that anyone who is very serious, one who is serious about knowing himself perfectly, and if he seeks in that way, then his perfection is guaranteed. The only thing is that one should be very serious.
Festival Lectures
Devotee: When your spiritual master was a little boy, did, was he, um, did he do things like Lord Caitanya did like when He went to the, um, like when Lord Caitanya went to the water and all girls were asking for...
Prabhupāda: No, he was not so much naughty. (laughs) My Guru Mahārāja was very gentle boy. Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very naughty boy. Yes. (laughs) And Kṛṣṇa was also very naughty boy. (pause) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana-Viṣṇujana leads, Śrīla Prabhupāda chants along) I have brought prasādam for you. Take. (long pause as prasādam is served out and devotees chant japa) Can stop it?
That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvāmīs, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra, dhīra means gentle, and adhīra means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvāmīs. Everyone liked them. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men. But it is appealing to the common people. There is no doubt about it.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
A brāhmaṇa is considered... A brāhmaṇa generally becomes very learned, vidyā-vinaya, very gentle. So one brāhmaṇa who is qualified with gentle qualities and high learning vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, and a cow, an animal, and an elephant, a dog, a low-born caṇḍāla, all these living entities... A learned man sees all of them on the equal level because a learned man who is actually on the spiritual platform, he knows that "Here is a dog and here is a learned brāhmaṇa. By their karma they have got different dress only, but within the brāhmaṇa, within the dog the same spirit soul is there." So our material platform we distinguish, "I am Indian, you are Frenchman, he's Englishman, he's American, he's cat, he's dog." This is the vision of the material platform. In the spiritual platform we can see that every living entity is part and parcel of God, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām evāṁśa jīva-bhūta. Every living entity.
Initiation Lectures
People are crooked, so He is the most crooked. (pause)
Hari-sevikā. Hari-sevikā, "maidservant of Kṛṣṇa." (break)
Greedy for Kṛṣṇa. Tatra leulyam eka laulyam. To get Kṛṣṇa, you have only one price: to become greedy for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the only... (break) Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyaṁ na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. (pause)
Divya. Divya. Your spiritual name is Divya. Divya means spiritual. (pause)
Dhīra-sevā. Dhīra-lalitā. Dhīra-sevā? No. Dhīra-sevī. She is woman. You know all the rules and regulation? Your name is Dhīra-sevī. Kṛṣṇa is Dhīra. Dhīra-lalitā. (pause)
Sajjana-jīvana. You know rules and regulations? Yes. Sajjana-jīvana. Sajjana-jīvana. Her life is very gentle.
General Lectures
A paṇḍita, if one has actually elevated to that stage of perfect wisdom, then he is sama-darśinaḥ, that actually sama... How sama-darśinaḥ? Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. A brāhmaṇa, according to Vedic culture, a brāhmaṇa is considered... Brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. He is very gentle and very learned. That is the first qualification of brāhmaṇa. Not by birth but by qualification. Gentle and learned. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, paṇḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Because his vision is no more on the platform of this body. Sama-darśinaḥ. He sees a learned brāhmaṇa is also a spirit soul, and a dog is also a spirit soul, an elephant is also a spirit soul, or a low-born man, he is also spirit soul. Beginning from the high-born brāhmaṇa up to the caṇḍāla, there are social stages in the human society. But if a man is really learned, he sees everyone, every living entity, on the same level. That is the stage of learning.
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. One learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa..., vidyā-dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore, it is said, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini (BG 5.18). And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, then the other side an animal, say, a cow or a dog or a elephant. And another side, the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh.
"Anyone who has got devotion to the Lord, he is qualified with all the good qualities." Just like you are God conscious, so you have invited us to hear because you..., the good qualities are there. So without God consciousness there cannot be any good qualities. We are trying to educate people to be honest, to be gentle, fair-dealing, but actually, the result is people are becoming dishonest, miscreant, rogue, thief, due to (lack of) God consciousness. Just like in the airport, all gentlemen are searched out. What does it mean? That every one of us (is) dishonest. That is to be understood. So what the education has produced? Simply dishonest men. Why? Because godlessness. That's all. And they are trying to become... Every state is trying to become secular: "Don't talk of God. Don't talk of God." Then what you are? That is animal society. The animal society has no talk of God. There is only talk of how to fill up the belly. That's all.
When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne: one learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa. Vidyā dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore it is said, vidya-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini. And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, and the other side, an animal, say, a cow or a dog or an elephant, and another side the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society, a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other. The cow-eaters are taken as abominable than the goat-eaters. And the dog-eaters are accepted as abominable than the goat-eaters.
Purports to Songs
Priya-karau means they were doing things which is very pleasant to everyone. Nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means without any enviousness, no discrimination, that "Kṛṣṇotkīrtana or the songs, saṅkīrtana, shall be given to the gentle class of men, not to the ruffians." No. They were equally kind and merciful, without any enviousness. Priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau. Pūjitau means worshipable, adored by everyone. (sings) Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau. Next line: śrī-caitanya, s-r-i c-a-i-t-a-n-y-a, śrī caitanya, kṛpā-bharau, k-r-i-p-a-b-h-a-r-o-u, kṛpā-bharau, śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau, bhuvi, b-h-u-v-i, bhuvi, bhuvau, b-h-u-v-o-u, bhuvi bhuvau. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo. Vande, v-a-n-d-e, r-u-p-a, rūpa, sanātanau, s-a-n-a-t-a-n-o-u, sanātanau. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau. R-a-g-u-h-y-u-g-o-u. Raghu-agau. Vande-rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva, s-r-i j-i-v-a, śrī-jīva, gopālakau, g-o-p-a-l-a-k-o-u. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāva-hantārakau, b-h-a-r-a-b-a, hantārakau, h-a-n-t-a-r-a-k-o-u. (sings) Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāva-hantārakau vande rūpa-santanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau: "They were so kind and merciful because they actually received the blessings and mercy of Lord Caitanya." Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi. Bhuvi means "on this world, on this earth." And bhuvo. Bhuvo means "on this earth," bhuvo, and bhuvi, "they became."
| Page Title: | Gentle (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 29 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=53, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 53 |