There is a very good example in the life of the Gosvāmīs, whom we daily pray, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. These six Gosvāmīs, they were very important men of their age five hundred years before. These Rūpa and Sanātana, they were great politicians, ministers, of the then Mohammedan government in Bengal. In Bengal at that time the Pathans were ruling. Before the Moguls came, there were Pathans ruling. For one thousand years the Mohammedans invaded India, from 1000 A.D. up to 1947, till the end of the British period. India was under subjugation by so many foreigners: Mohammedans, Greeks, and so many others. Lastly, the Mohammedans ruled for eight hundred years. And the Britishers ruled for two hundred years. So now they have got independence, India. So at that time the Bengal was being ruled by the Mohammedans, Pathans, and their entrusted ministers were these Rūpa and Sanātana. They were converted into practically Mohammedan. Hindu society was very strict at that time. Still they are very strict. Anyone serving a foreigner, he becomes at once ostracized. He is at once, I mean to say, rejected from the social intercourse.
Important men (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
No. It, simply, simply we have to hear it as it is. Don't try to interpret in a different way. The, the whole mischief is that everyone has got his own theosophy. And Bhagavad-gītā is a popular book, and he wants to prove his own philosophy through Bhagavad-gītā. Because he wants to be important man and he wants to show that "Here is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā," and they present some jugglery of words and mislead the people.
Just like I am repeatedly mentioned here that in our country Mahatma Gandhi, he had his philosophy of non-violence, and he wanted to prove non-violence from Bhagavad-gītā. But Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the warfield.
Actually God is one but His servants who are known as demigods. So less intelligent class of men they accept demigods as God. Just like a less intelligent class of men takes a police constable, he raises his hand like this and the car is stopped even it belong to a great rich man. So his child may think that "This constable is very great man. You see. He is very important man." But the father knows he is nothing. Similarly, those who are interested in demigods they are like children. "Oh, this constable is very important." You see. "Because by his hand my father had to stop my car." You see.
That is their sign of less intelligence. Therefore we call the impersonalist as less intelligent. Just like the same example, the child is thinking that the constable is very important man. Similarly, the impersonalists are less intelligent in this sense, that what is this brahma-jyotir? The brahma-jyotir is combination of atomic spiritual sparks. Just like sunshine is combination of molecular shining particles. This is scientific. Anything you take, either take sunshine or fire or water, you'll find atomic, even earth, they are all atomic, small, very small parts. Similarly, the brahma-jyotir is combination of the atomic spiritual sparks who are individual living entities.
"After many, many births..." So today I may be minister, and tomorrow, after death, I may become a dog. But that is not in my control. You cannot say that "I am minister. I am this. I am that. I am high-court judge or very important man. So I am ordering material nature. Although I shall die, next life I shall become again high-court judge or Nārāyaṇa, something." No. That is not possible. You are fully under control. You have given a license to enjoy or suffer in this body, and in this body, as soon as it is finished, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur... (SB 3.31.1), and then you get another body.
There are many such examples. Some years ago, perhaps you know, in America, they started one very strong and stout ship. It was known... I think it was named Titanic. So it was guaranteed that it will never be drowned; it is so well-looking. And all the important men of America started in that ship for the first time, and after few miles immediately it was drowned. So in spite of all scientific protection, in spite of all good brains behind the manufacture of this Titanic ship, it was drowned. So in this way we have to study that this ārta and arthārthī, because they are, their background is sukṛtina, pious activities, they know that without God's help we cannot mitigate any of our distressed condition or needy condition. Therefore the ārta and arthārthī whose background is pious life, they approach God: "Kṛṣṇa, please help me," although it is not pure devotion.
Pure devotion is without any desire for material benefits.
Anye means general public, not very important men. Anye. Anye tu evam ajānantaḥ. They do not know, because they are like animals, what is kṣetra... Kṛṣṇa is discussing in this chapter, what is kṣetra, what is kṣetra-jña, what is knowledge, what is knowable, what is prakṛti, what is puruṣa. Who is studying all these things? There is not institution, no school, college, university, to study these things. They have medical college. Kṣetra means this body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram ity abhidhīyate. So they have little knowledge about this anatomical, physiological, condition of this body, but they do not know the kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña they do not know.
Prabhupāda: If you know the emperor, you can... Then what is the use of knowing the constable?
Trivikrama: You understand? If you know the prime minister or the head man, then the less important man is not necessary to know. So because Śrīla Prabhupāda knows Kṛṣṇa, it is not important...
Prabhupāda: So what is the use of meeting others? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). They go to other demigods, to meet, for some benefit, their knowledge being lost, hṛta-jñānāḥ. Just like if I want some benefit in your Japanese state and if I know the emperor, I can ask him, "I want it." Why shall I go to some departmental manager? What is the use? Let them become very big man in their department, but if I want to take some benefit, then I can... If I am known to the emperor, I can ask him that "I want this." He will immediately give me. Why shall I go to the departmental manager? They are subordinate. Therefore it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20).
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Yes. In the Vedas you will find both the knowledge. Because the living entity, anyone who has come to this material world, the cause is that he wanted to enjoy, imitating Kṛṣṇa. Just like it is practical experience. If we are associated with some big man and he is very opulent, naturally a desires come: "If I could become an important man like him." So that is possible. So as soon as a living entity thinks like that, that he can also enjoy like Kṛṣṇa, then he falls down and he's given the chance of lording it over this material nature. But to help him, the Vedic knowledge is there. The Vedic knowledge gives him the chance of enjoying this material world under some principles so that some day he may again come back to home, back to Godhead. This is the Vedic literature. The chance is given because he wanted to enjoy.
And when he was coming, because he was a naked boy, sixteen-years-old boy, the street boys were throwing stone upon him. Somebody was fighting just like a madman. But when he entered the assembly, everyone stood up. Then the rascal creatures who were annoying him, they fled away: "Oh, he is important man, that so many sages and saintly person has stood up." Anyway, when he reached there, Parīkṣit Mahārāja received him that "It is my good fortune that at this time you have come, because it is very rarely you go to anyone's house, but Kṛṣṇa has sent you. Now what is my duty?" Parīkṣit Mahārāja was, from the very beginning... Because the whole family, Pāṇḍava family, they were devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, so naturally he was devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And when he was child, he was playing with the doll of Kṛṣṇa. These are described here. So he asked, "What is my duty? Shall I continue my talks on Kṛṣṇa, because naturally I am inclined to Kṛṣṇa?
Everything was safe, but on the first voyage it was drowned, and all important men of your country, they lost their life. So danger there must be because you are in a dangerous position. This material world itself is dangerous position. So our business is... That danger must be there. Now our business should be how to cross over the sea as soon as possible. So long you are on the sea, you are on the dangerous position, however strong your ship may be. That's a fact. So you should not be disturbed by the sea waves. Just try to cross over the sea. Go to the other side. That is your business. Similarly, so long we are in this material world, there must be dangerous calamities because this is the place of calamity. So our business is, even within these calamities, dangers, how we develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, after giving up this body, we go back to home, back go Kṛṣṇa. That should be our business.
Kardama Muni, he was a human being. If he could perform such wonderful thing by yogic process...
And Kṛṣṇa is the yogeśvara, the master of the all yogic mystic power. Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as Yogeśvara. A little mystic power, when we get, we become so big, important man. And now He's the master of all yogic mystic power. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that wherever Yogeśvara-Hari, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all mystic power, is there, and where there is Dhanurdhara Arjuna, Pārtha, so everything is there. Everything is there.
So we should remember this. That if you can keep yourself always in company with Kṛṣṇa, then all perfection is there. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ. All perfection is there. And Kṛṣṇa has agreed especially in this age. Nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa-avatāra, Kṛṣṇa has incarnated in this age as the holy name.
They gave up their materialistic way of life as very insignificant. They were ministers. They were ministers. Their associates were very big, big men. But tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders, leaders of the society, poli..., big, big politician, businessmen, important men. Because they were minister, everyone used to come to see, and they were associated with. But they gave up. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. How it was given up? Sadā tuccha-vat: "Oh, it insignificant. What is this? There is no need of..." And bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karu... Why? Why they gave it up? Because they thought... Under the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they understood that "So many mass of people are suffering without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
His society was very aristocratic. Very rich men they were. So rich society, aristocratic society, could not satisfy him. He... They resigned the post and joined Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu for ultimate solution of life. These examples are many. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciples, direct disciples, they were all very important men, just like Six Gosvāmīs. Even Svarūpa Dāmodara, His private secretary, he was very learned man, Vedantist. And next to his secretary, the six Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, they were very, very important rich men of that time. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī happened to be the son of a very big landlord, zamindar. That father's income was twelve hundred thousands of rupees in those days, five hundred years ago.
And he was the only son of his father and uncle. So he did not like to enjoy the father's property, but he joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is known as Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Similarly, Rūpa-Sanātana Gosvāmī also joined. They were also very rich men, important men. And Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī... Jīva Gosvāmī, very learned scholar and philosopher. He was the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So they were all very important men of the society. They joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu to make life successful. So these examples we should take and make our life successful.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja was cursed by a brāhmaṇa, he was the king, emperor of the world, and how he met his death, these things are described in this history. Is it not? So this is also history. But it is not ordinary history, not history, chronological history, as we generally mean, but it is a history of the most important men in the world. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He is the most important, at least one of the most important kings in the world. His history of death and life is historical fact.
What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). "The living entity is superior element." Without the living entity, what is the value of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ? This distinction we can experience every day. Here is an important man. Now he's finished. And if you kick on his face, he won't protest. What is the wanting? That—jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho—that living force is wanting. So anyone, any child, can understand that "Something is wanting. Therefore this important body is nothing but a lump of matter." Anyone can understand. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, but we are not serious to understand. That is the (indistinct).
That is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, "If you want to know Me, then you have to accept this bhakti-yoga. No other means will...," because without full surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, nobody can know Him. Even a very important man in this world, you cannot know him by challenge. But if you surrender, it is possible to know him. Then? (break)
Bhakti-yoga therefore requires little tapasya, not playthings, tapasya, that "We are addicted to so many sinful activities. We must give it up." That is tapasya. "We must observe fasting on ekādaśī day, on Lord's birthday." These are tapasya. If we do not... "We must chant sixteen rounds. We must observe the rules and regulations." This is tapasya.
That is bhajana. Śravaṇam means you can further make progress. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is going on all over the world. Some is hearing about some politician, other is speaking about some politician or some other man, some important man in the society. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is going on. But they are suffering. But when the śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is pertaining to Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, then you will not be suffering. This is the... It requires experience. It requires advancement.
It is meant for everyone. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Especially for the human being. So our request is that we may fight amongst ourself for political predominance, but why should we forget our real culture, Vedic culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is our request. All important men, leaders of the society, they should take this Vedic culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and not only preach in their own country, but all over the world. If you don't take it, there is a great risk. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
Blessing, they think that "I have got some disease, if the saintly person gives me some blessing, I will be relieved from this disease." Now why don't you go to the doctor? But you go to saintly person for curing your disease. This is anyābhilāṣitā, that they do not know even how to approach a saintly person. So Mansingh was very important man, he was the commander-in-chief of Akbar, and he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, "What can I do for you." So, Rūpa Gosvāmī, he did not require that temple, but he wanted to engage this rich man to the service of the Lord and he asked him that, "You construct a temple like this." Rūpa Gosvāmī was living very humbly, you know at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, his bhajanāśrama. He did not require a temple. But we are making members. Why? The idea is they'll spend the money for nothing in sense gratification. Take some money from them and engage in constructing temple.
Nobody is found equal to Him or greater than Him. Na tasya sama adhikasya dṛśyate. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). And His energies are manifested in so many ways. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. And He has nothing to do. Everyone... Take any important man. Take your president. Just like the president of United States of America, he is considered to be the supreme man in the States, but as soon as there was some disturbance in Central Europe, immediately he had to call meetings of his Cabinet and to consider how to deal with the situation. So he has to do something always. If he does not do anything, then he's no more the supreme man. But in the Vedic literature we find, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do. That is superiority. If he has to do something, then he's not supreme. He cannot be. He's acting.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Perhaps you know, every one of you. It happened to your country—of course, long, long ago; I heard it from papers in India—that the Americans manufactured a ship, Titanic. (laughter) And it was considered the safest: it will never sink down. On the first voyage, with all important men, it sunk down. Is it a fact? So it is not that your arrangement is sufficient—unless there is God's desire.
Therefore the common saying is that "Man proposes; God disposes." Therefore a devotee, he never depends in himself. He never considers himself, "I am independent." He simply depends on the supreme will of the Lord. That is devotion. "If God desires... If Kṛṣṇa desires..." Whenever we used to ask our Guru Mahārāja something, "Is it going to be happened like that?" some work, he never said, "Yes, it is going to happen. Yes, we are going to do it."
He is never woman. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Then again another statement from the Upaniṣads, that "The Supreme has multi-energies." Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. He has got so much energies that it appears that it is being automatically done. Just like a, I mean to say, very important man you see. You go there and you... Suppose you ask him for some help, and suppose you want one million dollar, and if he gives you a slip, oh, you take it from there. If you get immediately, then you will understand, "Oh, how much powerful he is. Simply by a pencil, like this, I got millions of dollars!" So God is so powerful. It appears that..., everything is wonderfully, this material nature is working.
Festival Lectures
So Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra Bose, he's a very important man. At that time he was managing director of Bengal Chemical Company. Now there is a street in the central Calcutta, Dr. Kartik Bose Street. So he was very important man, and he was our family physician and my father's very intimate friend. So when I gave up my education and I was joining Gandhi's movement, at that time Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose asked me to join him. So with the permission of my father, I joined. So I was fond of, at that time, this Gandhi's noncooperation movement. And then, when I joined Dr. Bose's laboratory, of course, I was dressed in khādar. So Dr. Bose liked that dress, khādar dress.
And why? "No, because this will give impetus to industry. This hand spinning will gradually give impetus to India." Actually that happened. He was himself an industrialist. Actually in India the chemical industry was given birth by Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose. He was very important man. He started this Bengal Chemical.
So 1922 I met my Guru Mahārāja through the exigency of my intimate friend, Mr. Narendranath Mullik. And I would not go. He told me information, "There is a nice sādhu. Let us go and see." I did not like very much these sādhus in those days, national spirit. So I said, "I have seen many sādhus. They come at my father's care. I was not very much pleased with their behavior." So he dragged me forcibly: "No, I have heard this person is very exalted."
Initiation Lectures
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu picked up a very important persons, the Six Gosvāmīs, Rāmānanda Rāya, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, like that, eight or ten direct disciples. And later on, they preached the whole thing. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a verse, yad yad ācarati śreṣṭha itaras tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). If a śreṣṭha, if an important man, acts in some way, others follow. That is natural. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya we are meeting and you have got great responsibility, because you came here to take your doctorate degree. That's very nice. When one of my Godbrothers went to England during my Guru Mahārāja's time, so Lady Wellington, she challenged that Godbrother that "Your men from India, they come here, and we give them some degree, and they become big men there. So what you have got to teach us?" That was her challenge.
And that is being done. And the people from all parts of the world, they are responding. There is very, very good scope for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and learned circle, important men in all parts of the society and world, they are appreciating this mission. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya... It was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire that especially those who are born in India, and especially in Bengal, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in this land of Bengal, so it is the duty to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But unfortunately they are not coming forward.
General Lectures
If you travel all... Now you have got sputniks, but you cannot go further than 25,000 miles. But there is no limit even of this material, one universe, and there are innumerable universes. To find out the most important man or living entity within this universe... Of course, from Vedic literature we understand Brahmā is the most, I mean to say, opulent personality within this universe, Brahma. He is called the creator of this universe. But from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand that Brahmā is not the ultimate creature. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find. It is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The definition of God is given there, and the qualification of God is given there, that He instructed Brahma. Brahmā is calculated to be the prime personality within this universe, but he was also instructed by God. Tene brahma, ādi-kavi.
There is vast knowledge behind this. They will be enlightened. Their life will be successful. So in this city of Delhi, it is a great city and very important city. There are very important men here. They should kindly consider this proposal that there must be a very organized school to understand this bhāgavata-dharma, just to teach their boys, and their life will be successful. It is the duty of the father and mother to see that "My son, this is the last attempt of coming into this material world." Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. It is the duty of the father and the mother to stop the repetition of birth and death of his son. The mother should consider that "My son came to my womb, and he has suffered so much while he was remaining within the womb. Now I shall teach my son in such a way that no more he is going in the womb of a material mother."
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Pañcayat, in India it was pañcayat. So each man of the village, it is to reduce the responsibility of the state if that small cases, the pañcayat, some of the important men of the village they would sit together, and whatever they will decide, that the state will accept, court will accept. So minimize the responsibility of the court in deciding several cases. So in the India the Pañcayat system is there.
Hayagrīva: The what?
Prabhupāda: Pañca, Pañcayat means...
Hayagrīva: Pañcat?
Prabhupāda: Pañca.
| Page Title: | Important men (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=31, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 31 |