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SB 01.01.04 naimise 'nimisa-ksetre... cited

Expressions researched:
"naimise 'nimisa-ksetre" |"rsayah saunakadayah" |"sahasra-samam asata" |"samam asata" |"satram svargaya lokaya"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.1.4, Translation and Purport:

Once, in a holy place in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, great sages headed by the sage Śaunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees.

The prelude of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken in the previous three ślokas. Now the main topic of this great literature is being presented. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, after its first recitation by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was repeated for the second time at Naimiṣāraṇya.

In the Vāyavīya Tantra, it is said that Brahmā, the engineer of this particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the universe. The hub of this great circle was fixed at a particular place known as Naimiṣāraṇya. Similarly, there is another reference to the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya in the Varāha Purāṇa, where it is stated that by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed. Thus brāhmaṇas prefer Naimiṣāraṇya for such sacrificial performances.

The devotees of Lord Viṣṇu offer all kinds of sacrifices for His pleasure. The devotees are always attached to the service of the Lord, whereas fallen souls are attached to the pleasures of material existence. In Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that anything performed in the material world for any reason other than for the pleasure of Lord Viṣṇu causes further bondage for the performer. It is enjoined therefore that all acts must be performed sacrificially for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu and His devotees. This will bring everyone peace and prosperity.

The great sages are always anxious to do good to the people in general, and as such the sages headed by Śaunaka and others assembled at this holy place of Naimiṣāraṇya with a program of performing a great and continuous chain of sacrificial ceremonies. Forgetful men do not know the right path for peace and prosperity. However, the sages know it well, and therefore for the good of all men they are always anxious to perform acts which may bring about peace in the world. They are sincere friends to all living entities, and at the risk of great personal inconvenience they are always engaged in the service of the Lord for the good of all people. Lord Viṣṇu is just like a great tree, and all others, including the demigods, men, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Vidyādharas and other living entities, are like branches, twigs and leaves of that tree. By pouring water on the root of the tree, all the parts of the tree are automatically nourished. Only those branches and leaves which are detached cannot be so satisfied. Detached branches and leaves dry up gradually despite all watering attempts. Similarly, human society, when it is detached from the Personality of Godhead like detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being watered, and one attempting to do so is simply wasting his energy and resources.

The modern materialistic society is detached from its relation to the Supreme Lord. And all its plans which are being made by atheistic leaders are sure to be baffled at every step. Yet they do not wake up to this.

In this age, the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord is the prescribed method for waking up. The ways and means are most scientifically presented by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and intelligent persons may take advantage of His teachings in order to bring about real peace and prosperity. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also presented for the same purpose, and this will be explained more specifically later in the text.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 22, 1971:

Pradyumna: "...by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed. Thus brāhmaṇas prefer Naimiṣāraṇya for such sacrificial performances." (SB 1.1.4)

Prabhupāda: So the Vedic literatures, one cannot say that it is concocted. One reference is there, one reference in another place. Sometimes there are some rascal philosophers, they say that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has been compiled for, I mean to say, eulogizing Kṛṣṇa, who was the son of a leader, (indistinct) like that. So many they manufacture. But you cannot do so, because the reference is there. Very old Purāṇas. Some rascal philosopher says Bhāgavata Purāṇa was compiled recently. How there is a reference within the Purāṇas? So this rascaldom has spoiled the whole Vedic culture. The so-called Westernized scholars... Because the real purpose was that the rulers(?), they did not want to present Indian culture as very old, because then their Darwin's theory will be spoiled. That was their nonsense proposition, that they are proposing that human brain is being developed. But if they accept that millions of years ago the brain was already there, then their rascals theory of Darwin will be spoiled.

So actual fact is this, that this verse Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, was compiled five thousand years ago. Not that Vyāsadeva manufactured something. All Vedic literatures were existing. Vyāsadeva only... Just like I am presenting. I am presenting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not it is manufactured by me, it is concocted by me, that I have introduced... Just like so many things are there—this samāja, that samāja, this samāja. We are not like that. As Kṛṣṇa is old, so this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also old. It is as old as Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says that "Forty millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god." So where is the history? Where your history stands? Your history cannot give chronological table more than three thousand years.

So Vedic culture is very old. It is not a concocted thing or a new pattern. It is eternal. Therefore it is called sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. It has no beginning, no end. Sanātana. So Vedic culture means sanātana, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal. We living entities, we are eternal. And our relationship and exchange of loving service with Kṛṣṇa is also eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, we are eternal, and our dealings with Kṛṣṇa is also eternal. But sometimes it becomes interrupted by the māyā, which is called svapna. Svapna means dreamlike. As dream has no fact, it is all hallucination, similarly our detachment from Kṛṣṇa is also a hallucination. Actually, there is no detachment. And when we are covered by this hallucination... Just like in dream we cry, "Oh, here is a tiger! Here is a tiger!" Tiger. Where is tiger? Similarly, this forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is like that. So if we simply follow the rules and regulations given by the great ācāryas, then immediately we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't take even second. The method...(?) Just like you are dreaming, crying, "There is tiger, tiger." And if somebody pushes you, "Why you are doing that?" And if you immediately become awake "Oh! All tiger finished." (laughter) "All tiger finished." So one has to give the push that "There is no tiger." Then immediately the whole hallucination will go.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Then, word meaning?

Pradyumna: Naimiṣe... (SB 1.1.4)

Prabhupāda: When you go to India you can see this Naimiṣāraṇya still. It is very nice place. Just like Vṛndāvana, Prayāga, Hardwar. There are hundreds of nice place for spiritual advancement. So this Naimiṣāraṇya is still there. The railway station is now called Nimsar. It is about hundred miles from Lucknow. And people go there. Very excellent position for spiritual advancement. There are many temples like Vṛndāvana and Prayāga, and Naimiṣāraṇya. Naimiṣe. Animiṣa-kṣetre. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Animiṣa-kṣetre—the spot which is especially a favorite of Viṣṇu, who does not close His eyelids."

Prabhupāda: So our eyes, we have got closing, eyelid closes. But Viṣṇu's eye, it never closes. Therefore He is called animiṣa. Therefore gopīs condemned Brahmā, that "Why you have awarded us these nonsense eyelids? (laughter) It sometimes closes the eye, we cannot see Kṛṣṇa." This is gopīs' desire. They want to see Kṛṣṇa always, without being disturbed by the eyelids. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The moment the eyes are being closed by the eyelids, it's intolerable by them. This is perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are condemning, "Oh, Brahmā did not know how to create. He has... Why he has created this eyelid?" This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because conditioned, we are, in this material world, our eyelids are made like that. It must close for a moment, again, again, again. Not for moment, for hours. We want to close our eyes for hours. (laughter) That is our disease. But in the spiritual world, there is no closing of the eyes. Animiṣa. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Ṛṣayaḥ—the sages; śaunaka-ādayaḥ—headed by the sage Śaunaka; satram—sacrifice; svargāya—the Lord who is glorified in heaven; lokāya—and for the devotees who are always in touch with the Lord; sahasra—one thousand; samam—years; āsata—performed." Translation...

Prabhupāda: So samam āsata, they were performing the sacrifice for one thousand years. How they were able to do? Because in those days, in the Tretā-yuga... Tretā-yuga... In the Satya-yuga they used to live for one hundred thousands of years; in Tretā-yuga, ten thousands of years; and in the Dvāpara-yuga, one thousands of years. And now in this Kali-yuga, one hundred years. That also not complete. Nobody can complete one hundred years, and it is reducing. Maybe our forefathers or grandfathers might have lived for hundred years, but we are not living so much. And gradually, our children, our grandchildren, they will gradually reduce that span of life so much so that at the end of Kali-yuga, if a man would live for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. Yes. We are reducing. But formerly, they were living so many years. Alpāyuṣaḥ. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. Prāyeṇa. Almost everyone is short span of life. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Kalau. In this age, kalau. It is not for a particular nation or party or religion. Everyone is subjected to the laws of nature.

So in this Kali-yuga the duration of life, the span of life will be gradually reduced. Memory will be reduced. Strength will be reduced. Mercifulness will be reduced. In this way... Now, it is a age of reduction. Not increasing. So prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. People in this age are of short span of life. And manda. Manda means all faulty. All slow. Manda, two meaning. Either you take slow... Actually they are manda. Manda means faulty. So many faults. And slow means slow in spiritual realization. Slow. The human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. That is the distinction between human form of life and animal form of life. The animals are not interested, or they do not know what is spiritual life. But the human form of life with developed consciousness is meant for understanding our identification. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about our spiritual identity. That is real business. So in that line of thought we are manda. Manda means very slow. "All right. We shall take it later on. Now I have got strength. Let me enjoy senses. Then we shall see later on." That is called manda. Not serious.

Page Title:SB 01.01.04 naimise 'nimisa-ksetre... cited
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:08 of Sep, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:3