Lord says that "Under My superintendence the material nature is working, and therefore so many wonderful changes are going on." So nature is working under the order of the Supreme Lord, and we are under the stringent laws of nature. Therefore we are obliged to carry out the natural sequences. Just like I already explained, from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, youthhood to old age, these are natural laws. And after mature old age, you have to change this body and accept another body. So if we say that "I have no faith in the orders of the material nature. I avoid it," that is not possible. So therefore this dharma means you may have faith or may not have faith; you have to abide by the laws of nature. People therefore say, "As sure as death." I may think or you may think that "Don't care for death. There will be no death," but it will happen. Therefore the conclusion is that you cannot manufacture any laws of religion.
Wonderful (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"wonderful"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim ānato 'smi: (SB 1.2.2) "I am offering my respectful obeisances unto the great sage, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, whose activities is like that. Immediately coming out of the womb of his mother he left home without being, undergoing any saṁskāra." So saṁskāra is required who is impure. So we should not imitate, neither it is in our capability that as soon as we get out of the womb of mother we can walk. No. That is not possible. It is special. It is special. Therefore everything is special. Even without taking any initiation. He was initiated by his father, Vyāsadeva, but he left immediately home, and Sūta Gosvāmī is describing the wonderful activities of his spiritual master and offering obeisances. Taṁ munim ānato 'smi: "That great sage, ānato 'smi, I humbly bow down on his lotus feet."
This is God's creation. There is God. As you have created this Melbourne city by your energy, similarly the whole creation is manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You cannot defy it. This is called jñāna, knowledge, to know what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His energies, how they are working, how these wonderful acts are going on within this universe. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a bogus movement. It is a very scientific movement. It is meant for human knowledge. There are immense knowledges, but if we are simply interested with the necessities of the body, just like the animals, then we are missing the chance. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. "This eating, sleeping, sexual intercourse, and defense—these things are there in the animal life." Even a hog, he is working day and night to find out where is stool. He likes stool. He eats stool and becomes very fatty. He enjoys.
"Father, I want this." That is very costly. So he doesn't require to get the money. The father is there. He'll get the money. "All right, take it." So that is the facility for the devotees. A devotee is under the care of the Yogeśvara. Yatra yogeśvara hariḥ. If you can catch up the hand of Yogeśvara Hari, then you can show wonderful magic, which no magician, no yogis can display. That is the position of devotee. They do not care for practicing yoga to show some magical feats. Neither they require it. Neither they want it. Because devotee's position is āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). "Whatever You like, You can do." That's all. He has no desire.
Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Aśānta means where they can get peace? They have to work for it. The karmīs, they have to work for it. The jñānīs, they have to cultivate for that. The yogis, they have to practice. But bhakta has nothing to do. Therefore it is first class. Without doing anything, he will show magic. This is the first class... Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If you have got unflinching faith in the Supreme, Adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means beyond the perception of the senses.
For example, just see in the Western countries; all the younger generation, they are so much addicted to intoxication. And the government is spending millions of dollars, how to stop it. But they have become animals. But just see how wonderful is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Anyone who is coming to us, immediately, by our restriction... Because as soon as he is initiated, he is made to promise no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. From that very date he gives up everything. And here are so many samples attending.(?)
So chindanti karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Immediately. It is not story. It is practical. Karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ kovidās tasya chindanti. They are trying so much. That, we have got very practical experience, that even one cannot give up drinking tea. It is very difficult. Nobody can give up drinking tea. Nobody can give up smoking. And what to speak of meat-eating and gambling and illicit sex. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that even children, boys, young boys and girls, they give up very easily, simply coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is a fact: chindanti kovidās tasya, simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, simply chanting about Kṛṣṇa... There is no other medicine. There is no other magic or mystic power. So they are giving up. If we take sincerely Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all these things, entanglements, will immediately be vanquished. That's a fact. Kovidās tasya. Chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim.
That is Kṛṣṇa, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energy is so subtle that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Svābhāvikī.
Now, from that seed, first of all, the trunk will come, the branches will come. Then the twigs will come, the leaves will come, and the fabrication of the leaf. Everything see, wonderful. Everything we see, wonderful. But svābhāvikī, as if coming automatically, automatically. A creeper is coming, is trying to find out a shelter. As soon as it finds out shelter, immediately captures. We have seen in our Los Angeles. Behind my house, the electric post and the wire, the creeper is taking shelter and giving flower and fruits and everything. Svābhāvikī. Now, you can say it has no eyes. How it is seeing, how it is coming here and is, what is called, squirreling? No. The energy's so perfect that svābhāvikī, it is working like nature. Automatically. Svābhāvikī. There is knowledge. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā. Everything is done by knowledge, by power, and by action.
From the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, the Keśī, and so many asuras... Every day, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to go in the forest and some asura would come to disturb Them, to kill Them, and Kṛṣṇa will finish them. And the friends will come at home and narrate the story to their mothers, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. Such a big demon came and He killed immediately in this way and that way." That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that because one has got some so-called meditation, He becomes Kṛṣṇa without any test. But what is the proof that he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? But they do not take the proof. They simply pose a bogus man as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.
So this Rāma-Kṛṣṇa is different from this bogus Ramakrishna. Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān. They are actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and They proved it. Not that Rāma-Kṛṣṇa is dying out of cancer disease. Yes. We are not after such kind of Ramakrishna. Besides that, when there is real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, why I shall go to the false and imitation Ramakrishna? They say the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.
What knowledge we have got we can understand what is God? But we can see by God's activities.
When Kṛṣṇa appeared, His all activities were uncommon activities. So far as a human being, He was not human being, but He was playing as human being. The human being marries. So His marrying is also wonderful. He married 16,108 wives. This is uncommon. This is uncommon. Nobody can marry like that. Not only marrying. Mussulman nawabs, they used to marry also many wives. Not many wives. One nawab was there, he married 160 wives. They have got in Lucknow... When you go to India, you will see. That is now fallen. That all the wives of the nawab was living... That's a... Now it has been turned into a big park. There are small houses. So he could not reach all the wives every day or every night. That was not possible. Humanly it is impossible. One hundred sixty, that means if he goes, visits every, it will take at least six months. So after six months one queen or nawab, might have seen her husband.
We shall speak something about the compilation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Vyāsadeva. (break) ...known as Vedavyāsa. Vedavyāsa, because he has compiled all the Vedic literatures, wonderful education... There are millions of verses in the Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam contains 18,000 verses. Mahābhārata contains about more than 100,000's of verses. Similarly, there are other Purāṇas. Besides that, Upaniṣads. He is the editor and compiler of all these Vedic literatures.
But he was not satisfied even after his presentation of the Vedānta-sūtra. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge in sūtra—Sūtra means codes—so people may take advantage. Just like there are business codes, Bentley's codes, Henry's codes. So one or two words will give impression of volumes of knowledge. Businessmen, they need it to save the expenditure on wiring, on telegraphing. Just like CIF. "Accept your offering. CIF." CIF means "cost including freight." That means goods will be delivered at your door. So similarly, there are many codes in business matter. In military arts there are so many codes. So Vedānta-sūtra means codes of all Vedic knowledge. Sūtra. Sūtra means codes.
He is the incarnation of God, Nārāyaṇa. He appeared for spreading Vedic knowledge. Therefore Nāradajī, it is stated here, smayann iva. Smayann iva means, smayan means smiling, that "Such a great personality also becomes morose." After giving so many contribution, literary contribution, still he was not happy. So it is wonderful... So therefore he was smiling. Smayann iva. Devarṣiḥ prāha viprarṣiṁ vīṇā-pāṇiḥ smayann iva. He said,
- jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca
- brahma yat tat sanātanam
- tathāpi śocasy ātmānam
- akṛtārtha iva prabho
- (SB 1.5.4)
Jijñāsitam. This is very important thing, jijñāsitam. This is the beginning of life actually. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Inquisitiveness. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One should search after a guru, jijñāsu, one who is inquisitive. That is actually life. Just like animals, they are not inquisitive. They are simply concerned with the four principles of bodily necessities. Eating... Udaram, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. In this age, Kali-yuga, if one can eat sumptuously, he thinks that "All my interest is now fulfilled. I have eaten very nicely today." That's all. (chuckles) And dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. And if he can maintain a wife and three children, oh, he is Dakṣa Mahārāja. Dakṣa Mahārāja. This is the age of Kali. You see? If one can simply eat and if he's well-to-do, he can maintain...
Yena eva asau na tuṣyeta. Asau bhagavān na tuṣyeta, is not pleased, manye tad darśanaṁ khilam. That is insignificant. That means he hinted that "You are very much proud that you have written Vedānta-sūtra. You don't think by writing your Vedānta-sūtra God is pleased. Don't think so. It is clearly said manye tad-darśanam. "You have done wonderful work in writing Vedānta-sūtra, but I think," tad darśanaṁ khilam, "it is insignificant. It is no..." Because by philosophical speculation, by argument, this or that, it is all...
God is not satisfied because you are very erudite scholar. God is satisfied by the love of gopīs. They are not philosophers, they are not even brāhmaṇas, they are not even man. Ordinary village girls, but their devotion for Kṛṣṇa, oh, there is no comparison. There is no comparison. Therefore Lord Caitanya says, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-varge... And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's life was to love Kṛṣṇa: gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau. This is the Gosvāmīs. Simply they were trying to come to that stage on which gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa.
Now, the whole material world is produced from sound. That is scientific fact. Scientists are researching the importance of sound, physical science. Sound, light, and transmission of sound and light. There are so many things, electronics. So this sound vibration, this is material sound. They have got so much wonderful power. And just try to understand what is the power of the spiritual sound. Real sound is coming from the spiritual world. It is simply just like gramophone. The sound is coming originally from the person; the gramophone is reproducing. That is not the original source of the sound. Similarly, whatever sound is there in this material world, the original sound is produced by God. Just like in your Bible it is said, "Let there be creation." It is, simply it was sound and there was creation. So spiritual sound is so powerful. And we are trying to catch you directly from that sound vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and I am sure it is acting. Simply, śabdād anāvṛttiḥ.
Next stage of elevation is sacrifice. These are statement of the Vedic literature. (break)
...kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. Meditation means meditating on Viṣṇu, on the Supreme Lord, this Viṣṇu form, as you have got in my front. Meditation. That is called yoga. By meditating on Viṣṇu, one realizes everything and gets some power, wonderful power. So Bhāgavata says that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. The perfection of life (is) attained in the Satya-yuga, or golden age, by meditating on Viṣṇu. That is meditation.
Tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. The next stage, Tretā-yuga, by offering sacrifice. That is in the second age. And dvāpare paricaryāyām. In the next age, Dvāpara age, by temple worship, church worship. So Lord Caitanya says that kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva. Three times. Three times "no." That means meditation is not possible, sacrifice not possible, temple worship or church worship not possible. Then what is possible? Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. In this age, simply by chanting the glories of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa. These are prescribed. Therefore Lord Caitanya, you see, He is preaching this cult, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... There is no distinction whether you are in church or temple or mosque. You simply vibrate Hare Kṛṣṇa wherever you are, at home or in temple or anywhere. Or in the street or in bed, or in hospital or in office, you can chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau... (SB 12.3.52). Kalau means this age, in the age of Kali.
So it is the... Śāstra means that you cannot throw it away. Nobody has thrown Bhagavad-gītā at any time, anywhere, because it is perfect. Nobody has thrown Bible—because they are perfect in knowledge. Jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. Jijñāsitaṁ susampannam api te mahad-adbhutam: "You have done wonderful work." And kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam: "And you have created the great literature Mahābhārata, in which everything is there." Eh? Jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. "And not only simply you have inquired, but you have studied fully." There are many inquisitive persons, inquire so many things, but do not study. Reciprocation, there must be study and inquiry. Just like a nice scholar in the college, he inquires from the professor, at the same time studies. So the process of acquiring knowledge is to study and to inquire.
So here it is said jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca brahma. Brahma means the Supreme Absolute Truth. "You have inquired sufficiently..." Because he was spiritual master, Nārada, he knows how he was inquisitive. So, "You have inquired about the Supreme Absolute Truth." Jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca yat tat sanātanam. Absolute Truth, sanātana means eternal. Absolute Truth is not relative. Here in this world everything we see relative.
This is God's activity. Can you float a cup of water in the sky? Is it possible? Let any scientist come and make any arrangement. They have discovered all this gravity of... What is called? Gravitation. So many things they have discovered. But let them fly a cup of water in the sky. Is it possible? Is there any scientist?
Therefore wonderful activities means... The wonderful actor means Kṛṣṇa, Urukrama. Uru, urukrama... Just like Vāmanadeva. Vāmanadeva, He asked Bali Mahārāja to give Him land covering His three feet. So he said, "My dear Sir, You are asking from me land. You ask something more. Your feet is so small. What you'll do with these three feet?" No. He said, "Yes, it is all right." So by the one feet, the whole universe became covered, upside. And another feet, the downside. And then there is no place to step the another feet. Therefore it is called urukrama. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, at the age of seven years, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. Just like the children plucks out a flower like this, He immediately lifted. This is called urukrama, urukrama, uncommon, wonderful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is, another name is, Urukrama.
So here it is stated that tad-viceṣṭitam. Whose? His activities. Whose activities? Urukramasya, "who acts wonderfully." Not that somebody is meditating—his activities should be described. What wonderful things he has done? We are accepting anyone as God, but we do not test what, what proof he has given to become God?
We are not fool that we accept somebody, a nonsense having a great beard, and we accept God. No. We must see that he has wonderful activities. What is that wonderful activities? First of all test.
So here it is said, urukramasya. "If you describe the activities of the Supreme Lord, who acts wonderfully, then..." Samādhinā. That you can... That samādhi, yoga-samādhi. After passing all these stages, when one comes to the samādhi, fixed up, his concentration, meditation, fixed up on Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, that is called samādhi, and in that samādhi, one can become liberated simply by thinking of the activities of the Lord. How it is so? It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that,
- janma karma ca me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti kaunteya
- (BG 4.9)
"My dear son of Kuntī, Arjuna, if somebody knows actually what are My activities, then simply by knowing what are My activities, he becomes liberated." Just see how Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata is working.
"By serving Kṛṣṇa, all my objective, all my perfection is there"—this conviction makes you perfect. And this is real, this is reality. There is no imposition. It is reality. Simply one has to understand. The same thing is expressed here by Nārada, urukramasya. Who is urukrama? Wonderful actor. The wonderful actor is Kṛṣṇa, Urukrama. So Nārada Muni says, "Although you have mentioned in other purāṇas or in itihāsa, Mahābhārata, about Kṛṣṇa, some of the activities of Kṛṣṇa..." Just like this same thing, as I told you. So many people are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but all nonsense. They do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, because they are disturbed. They are not situated in Kṛṣṇa. Nārada Muni says that "Be situated in Kṛṣṇa. You write something, simply Kṛṣṇa's activities." Akhila "Then you'll be liberated, and those who will stick to this principle, they'll be liberated."
So out of three processes, the śabda-pramāṇa, or receiving vibration, sound vibration from authorities by aural reception, that is considered to be the perfect.
So Nārada Muni says... Before this, Nārada Muni has advised Vyāsadeva that "In order to release all these conditioned souls, you just describe the wonderful activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Simply by hearing... Uttama-ślokasya guṇānuvādāt. Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka means the Supreme Lord who is described by transcendental literature or very fine, scholarly language. He's called Uttama-śloka. Uttama-ślokasya urukramasya. "That will save all conditioned souls from being implicated in the clutches of māyā." Now, Vyāsadeva has already described... He has made many purāṇas, eighteen purāṇas. So there is mention of God's activities. Just like in Mahābhārata he has put this Bhagavad-gītā. So Nārada Muni says that pṛthag dṛśas tat-kṛta-rūpa-nāmabhiḥ, tato 'nyathā kiñcana yad vivakṣataḥ:
So he says, pravartamānasya guṇair anātmanas tato bhavān darśaya ceṣṭitam: "People are so much entangled by the modes of material nature. So in order to get them free from this entanglement, you show the path. Simply let them hear. Let them give aural reception to the wonderful activities of the Lord. That activity..." Because absolute... Kṛṣṇa is Absolute Truth. So Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's activities are the same because it is absolute. It is not duality. In the material world, myself and my activities are different. But it is the... This world is dual world. But in the absolute world, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's fame, they're all Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's associates, they're all Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is cowherd boy. So Kṛṣṇa and the cows, they're all Kṛṣṇa. That we have to learn. They're not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they're all Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing. He has said already that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So it not very easy. But it is very easy if you take the process, easiest process. What is that easiest process? That easiest process: you don't talk nonsense; you simply talk what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. And many times they give me very great credit that I have done wonderful. Yes, I have done wonderful. But what is the reason? Because I am not a rascal. I speak what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. Very easy. Everyone can do that. Not only I. Any of you, you can do this. Simply speak what is..., what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. Don't make addition, alteration. Then you become rascal. Immediately you become rascal.
So you don't want to..., if you don't want to become a rascal, if you want to become a mahātmā, then you accept what Kṛṣṇa says and preach that. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." You say that. You say, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Here is... Kṛṣṇa is the cause." You understand or don't understand, if you simply pick up the words of Kṛṣṇa and talk like that, then you become mahātmā. There is no difficulty to become mahātmā. But these durātmās, the rascals, they talk differently from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are not mahātmās. They are all durātmā. Therefore the process is that if you want to make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to find out a guru who is mahātmā. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the first business.
I touch you, you touch me. I taste something... This is gross. Above this gross there is mental platform. So mantra is also on the mental, little above, intelligence. And above that there is spiritual platform. So if on the material platform, mental platform, the mantra can act so wonderfully, how much spiritually the mantra can benefit you. You have to simply imagine. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is completely spiritual. If you chant it, spiritually enlightened, then surely it will act. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. It will act. Therefore chanting is so important.
Chanting is not... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said this sound vibration is not this material sound. Kṛṣṇa is not material sound. It is Kṛṣṇa, spiritual. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His holy name, Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference.
Māyā, this illusory energy, is covering with the curtain. Just like we are seeing the Deity, but if there is a curtain, we cannot see. Similarly, there is a curtain which is illusory energy, māyā. Big, big scientists, they cannot see what is behind this material nature. They cannot understand. Because the māyā, this wonderful material energy, is acting in such a big curtain, they cannot understand that beyond this there is something else. They cannot understand. Māyā-javanikā ācchannam. Illusory energy. They are thinking this material energy working, that is everything. Nothing beyond this. The whole world is covered. This is one side. And the other side: ajñā.
Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā... These materialistic persons, they are ajñā, means they have no sufficient knowledge. Unless one develops the light of knowledge, sattva-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa is the light of knowledge. Rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is darkness. Ignorance and passion. In this stage one cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. Ajñā. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). As we have discussed in Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, those who are infected with the two kinds of material modes, means rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are simply busy, kāma and lobha. They are busy only... Those who are passionate, they are simply busy for sense gratification, and those who are in ignorance, in darkness, they have no eyes to see.
Govinda is not ordinary thing. That Govinda... Which Govinda? Now, this material energy, Durgā, who is working so wonderfully... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She has... This material energy has got so much power that it can create, it can destroy, it can maintain, so much power. But don't think that this material energy is working independently. And then how is...? How she is working? Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Just she is working just like shadow. The... Then what is the reality? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So we are worshiping that person who is the original director of this material... Because we are captivated by the three guṇas of material energy, we think this material energy, material world, is everything, because we are foolish. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. They have been captivated by the three material... They cannot understand that behind this, there is Kṛṣṇa.
So this govinda word can be explained in so many ways. Kṛṣṇa can be... You can try to explain this verse year after year. Still, it cannot be ended. It is so nice verse. But you... We should try to understand Kṛṣṇa. There are so many ways to understand Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, simply if you understand that Kṛṣṇa is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1), that much, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead—if you are convinced on this subject matter—then your life is successful.
From the navel of Kṛṣṇa there was a stem of lotus flower, and from that lotus flower, Brahmā came out. And Brahmā created this universe. This universe means so many planets, so many seas, mountains and cities, motorcars, everything. Within that lotus flower, the beginning is..." Namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya. And namaḥ paṅkaja-māline (SB 1.8.22). So such wonderful lotus flower which contains the seedling of the whole universe... That is not only one. Paṅkaja-māline. Just like here is a garland. There are so many flowers. So Kṛṣṇa is not so poor that simply producing one lotus flower, He's finished. No. There is a garland of lotus flowers, big garland. Or as many lotus flowers as you want. This is God. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Unlimited. Everything is unlimited. Kṛṣṇa's creation... We are very much concerned with one planet, this, but Kṛṣṇa's creation is unlimited number of planets. As you see unlimited number of hairs on your head; you cannot count. Can you count how many hairs are there? This is Kṛṣṇa's creation.
So the friends also were very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa. There was fire all around. They do not know anything. "Kṛṣṇa." "Yes." Kṛṣṇa is ready. Kṛṣṇa immediately swallowed up the whole fire. There were so many demons attacked. Every day, all the boys, they would come back to their home and explain to their mother: "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. You see. This happened today." And the mother would say: "Yes, our Kṛṣṇa is wonderful." So much. That's all. They do not know Kṛṣṇa is God, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful. That's all. And their love increases. The more they perceive Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities, they become more lover. "Perhaps he may be a demigod. Yes." That is their suggestion. When Nanda Mahārāja will talk amongst his friends and the friends will talk about Kṛṣṇa... "Oh, Nanda Mahārāja, your child Kṛṣṇa is wonderful. "Yes, I see that. Maybe some demigod." That's all. "Maybe." That is also not certain. So the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they do not care who is God out or who is not God. That is not their business. But they want Kṛṣṇa and love Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Gopīs, they are not interested to know philosophically whether Kṛṣṇa is God. Although they are seeing every step, Kṛṣṇa is God. Mother Yaśodā is that Kṛṣṇa is God. Gopīs also gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Kṛṣṇa is lifting the Govardhana Hill, who can do it except God? They are seeing it, still they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful, that's all. They do not like to know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. They want to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa may be God or not God, it doesn't matter. Just like if you love somebody, what he is, is he rich man, poor man, educated or non-educated? There is no consideration. Love has no such thing, consideration. Similarly, gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa was pure. There was no consideration that Kṛṣṇa was God, therefore they wanted to dance with Him. No, Kṛṣṇa wanted to dance with them, therefore they came to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is now calling by the vibration of His flute at this dead of night. So, all these young girls, they are all married—some of them are mothers—so immediately (they) left their home. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Some of them were cooking, some of them were feeding, breast-feeding the children, some of them were feeding the husband or the father. In this way everyone was engaged, but as soon as Kṛṣṇa's flute was heard at dead of night, they left home immediately.
Everything I am doing." Everything actually. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is quickly spreading all over the world within four, five years. Is it my credit? No. It is credit of Kṛṣṇa. But because I tried to do this business, people automatically giving me the credit. They say, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." I have done nothing wonderful. It is Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma-pravartana. Without Kṛṣṇa's strength, nobody can spread. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us, provided we are also ready to cooperate with Him. If we cooperate with Him, what Kṛṣṇa desires, if we want to do little, immediately Kṛṣṇa will help you. If you work one percent, Kṛṣṇa will help you ten percent. Again, if you work one percent, Kṛṣṇa will help you another ten percent. But the cent percent credit you get, by the help of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam (BG 10.10). If you are engaged satatam, twenty-four hours, without any other engagement... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), giving up all other nonsense business...
Yadu-kula-kṣayam. The Yadu dynasty... When Kṛṣṇa was present, the family members were about ten millions. This is Kṛṣṇa. Everything is wonderful. He married 16,108 wives, and each wife had ten children, and each child begot another ten children. In this way, the Yadu-kula was a very big family. So they were destroyed.
There are two comments on this point, why Yadu-kula was destroyed by Kṛṣṇa's plan. One comment is that if they would continue to live, then the same misconception, that a brāhmaṇa is born in the brāhmaṇa family—they would continue to speak that "We are also gods, because we are born of God's family, Kṛṣṇa's family." Just like in India there is a class, they call themselves Nityānanda-vaṁśa, descendants of Lord Nityānanda. But that does not actually happen. And another comment is that all these members of Yadu-kula, they appeared in the Yadu-kula just to enhance the opulence of Kṛṣṇa. But they came from different heavenly planets to help Kṛṣṇa in His incarnation. Just like a big man, wherever he goes there are many others also go there to help him. When a king goes somewhere, the king does not go alone. He goes with his secretaries, his military commanders, and so many other companions.
Now, the scientist himself also could not discover any implement or medicine or something like that and teach his disciples, "My dear disciples, when I will be on the death point, please give, inject this medicine in my body and then again I shall come out a scientist." No. That is not... He could not discover that. At least, as a big scientist, it was expected that "Do something wonderful." They might have discovered so many wonderful. The real problem—birth, death, old age and disease—there is no discovery. That I was talking, that discover something by which there will be no disease. You are discovering very nice medicine. The drug shop is full with various types of up-to-date medicine, but none of the medicine is sufficient to make a man not to die. That is not possible. Or not to become diseased. That is not possible.
So this advancement of civilization, material civilization, without God, is like that. That is stated in the Vedic literature, that,
- bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya
- jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ
- aprāṇasyeva dehasya
- maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam
Jāti, big nation, big achievement, japas tapaḥ kriyā, big activities... Just like you American people, you are big nation. Your activities are very big, considered in other parts of the world. And your tapasya is there.
So without understanding our real identification, if we remain intoxicated and wander within this wonderful universe... You cannot live. It is not that because you have settled up, "Now I am in America or India. Let me live here comfortably. I have got very good arrangement." But you will not be allowed to live, sir. You must have to change. You may make very good arrangement, but who is allowing to stay here. You will not be allowed to stay here. But they do not know. Intoxicated, because intoxicated. Everyone is thinking that "I shall stay forever. Let there be very big iron skyscraper building. I will be able to stay." But because intoxicated, he cannot understand that he will not be allowed to stay. You may simply spoil your energy. That's all. The energy which was given to you to understand God, you are spoiling that energy in skyscraper building, but you will not be allowed to stay. This is nature's law.
But the rascals, they do not know because they are intoxicated already by the nature's law, māyā, and they are still being intoxicated, more drink liquor, more drink liquor, and go to hell.
The scientific advance means the imitation barking. That's all. The dog is already there. Everyone can see. The barking is there. But if a scientist can imitate how dog barks, then he's advanced. The already life is being produced millions and millions of lives. Now they are going to check life production. Or we see if a rascal scientist says that "Now I produced one life in laboratory." "Oh, wonderful!" The... Real life they are going to check, and some imitation life he has produced, he gets Nobel Prize. This is going on. This is going on. Simply wasting public money. That's all. The so-called sci...
And now they have failed to go to the moon planet. Now they are trying to go to the Venus planet. People are not asking that "You have spent so much money, forty million dollars for one coat(?), going to the moon planet, so what you have done? Ha?" Now suppose when Columbus discovered this American... Not discovered...
Literary fault. Formerly, amongst the learned scholar, any nonsense you write will not be accepted as poetry. It must be according to the rules and regulation of literary perfection. So there were some literary imperfection, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out, and He was also learned scholar. He admitted that "He is a wonderful boy." So therefore it is said that "You make your enemy a learned man, but don't make your friend a fool and rascal." Because an enemy, even though he is enemy, if he is learned, he will not make injustice. That he cannot. Any learned scholar cannot make any injustice. So he admitted his defeat, because he is learned scholar. That is scholarship. Not that... Just like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He argued with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a scholar. But when he became defeated, he accepted His discipleship. This was the method, that two persons may argue, but one who is defeated, he must become his disciple. Not that simply waste time arguing and no conclusion. Formerly this was the system, to come to a conclusion. If two parties are arguing on a subject matter, the one party will be defeated, he must become his disciple, under control.
Simple thing. No education required. Because we are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, so we can speak the same thing. What is the difficulty? If I hear from my spiritual master or from any learned man that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," so if I say by hearing that "Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead," so I haven't got to search out whether Kṛṣṇa is Personality of Godhead or not, but if I accept the authority, then I speak the real truth. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore sometimes, when people say in India, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." And yes, I do not know. I'm not a magician. But, so far I am confident that I did not adulterate the words of Kṛṣṇa.
That's all. That's my credit. I did not like to take the position of Kṛṣṇa. I remained a servant of Kṛṣṇa, and I spoke what Kṛṣṇa said. That's all. This is my secret. So everyone can do that. There is nothing magic. The magic will act as soon as you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The magic will be done by Kṛṣṇa, not by me or you. He will do it. Just like a small child. Nobody can hurt him. The father will take care. He does not know. He's simply depending on father. "My father, mother." That's all. Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me, I give you protection." He's not a liar. He's not inefficient. He's strong. He's sufficiently opulent. He can do that. So believe in Kṛṣṇa's word and surrender unto Him, and don't spoil this human form of life. Death is sure. Before death, we must prepare to go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)
Śānta means peaceful. Who is peaceful? Only kṛṣṇa-bhakta, devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He is peaceful. Others? No. They cannot be peaceful. Why? Now, there is demand. The karmī is wanting to lord it over this material world. The jñānī is wanting to become one with God. The yogi is wanting some wonderful power. So there is wanting. It may be of different category, but there is demand. But akāmaḥ, he has no demand. That's all. He doesn't want anything from Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I don't want. I don't want money, I don't want followers, I don't want nice wife." These things are wanted by the materialists. A devotee simply wants "Give me the chance of serving You."
That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. "Hare, Rādhārāṇī; Kṛṣṇa, Lord, You are both present here. Kindly give me the chance to serve You." That's all. This is akāmaḥ. So akāmaḥ, they have no other business, simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "My dear Lord, I don't want anything. But give me this facility, that I may be engaged in Your service."
You are proud of having a little long duration of life than the cats and dogs; therefore you are proud? Oh, don't you see how long the trees also live, for seven thousand years, many thousands of years. So what is there in living for long duration of life? So there is no actual wonderful achievement by the so-called material advancement of life unless you have got developed consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is false. False means maybe, temporary. You are American. You are feeling that you belong to the rich country, very beautiful body, no scarcity of food. That's all right, but it is also temporary. It is not permanent. And next life you do not know. Even if you have no information what is life after death, but there is. There is life after death. The body is changing. This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The body is changing, but the soul is eternal. We are busy with the bodily affairs of life, but we do not take care of the soul. That is the mistake of the present civilization. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is teaching to the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists, the leaders, that this is not the way of civilization. You try to develop your consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful.
Caitanya dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. The exact language is there. That Caitanya-caritāmṛta writer, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says that "You put your logic about the mercy of Lord Caitanya. I request you, you consider. Don't accept it blindly." Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra. "But if you intelligently deliberate on the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu,"
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra
- vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra
- (CC Adi 8.15)
"you'll feel wonderful. If you accept it by systematic deliberation about the mercy of Lord Caitanya, then you'll feel that it is wonderful." So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a, I mean to say, force, that we are pushing something forcibly to anyone. There is complete judgement. But unfortunately, if one cannot understand, that is not our fault. One must have the intelligence to understand. Otherwise, logically, philosophically, it is perfect. Go on.
This is illusion. These rascals, they do not know that, "What is this rasagullā, two rasagullā? I can purchase from the market for four annas. So he is becoming God by four annas?" But they have no sense. "Oh, he is God. He can produce rasagullā." Rasagullā I can produce in our kitchen. But they are so rascal. "Oh, wonderful." So the yogic siddhis... So Kṛṣṇa gives him some power of yogic siddhi and he thinks that "I have become God," and some flatterers, they also think, "Oh, you are God." The same dream. And as soon as death comes, everything finished, your Godhood and everything finished. Now becomes doghood, come to the stage of doghood. Again, another dream: "I am dog." First of all "I am God," then next stage, "I am dog." This is going on. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, keno māyār bośe jāccho bhese': "Why you are being washed away by the waves of māyā? Just fix up. Stand up." Jīv kṛṣṇa-dās ei viśwās korle to ār duḥkho nāi. You simply remain fixed up on this standpoint, that, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then there is no more dream. And if you allow yourself to be washed away, Kṛṣṇa gives you facility, "All right, come on. Be washed away." Then?
Pradyumna: "Man may discover so many wonderful vehicles of journey, but even if he reaches the moon by his much advertised spacecraft, he cannot remain there. The sane man, therefore, without being puffed up as if he were the god of the universe, abides by the instructions of the Vedic literature, the easiest way to acquire knowledge in transcendence. So let us know through the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of the nature and the constitution of the transcendental world beyond the material sky. In that sky the material qualities..."
Prabhupāda: They are going to different planets... They cannot go. Suppose if they are going: so taking so much trouble, expending so much money, they are trying to study. But we study within this room, even up to Vaikuṇṭha planet. Huh? These rascals are taking so much trouble and still unsuccessful. And we are getting all clear idea. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is the perfection of Vedic literature. In remote jungle they are sitting. They are enjoying spiritual atmosphere and getting all information from the Vedic literature. How much, I mean to say, fortunate we are, those who have taken shelter of this Vedic literature. We get all information. Is there any doubt? So why should we take so much trouble? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take information, be prepared, and at the time of death, think of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately transferred within a second.
Pradyumna: (chants synonyms, etc.) Translation: "The highest authority for me is the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom this wonderful creation emanates and in whom its sustenance and dissolution rest. He is the origin of all prajāpatis, the personalities meant to produce living entities in this world."
Prabhupāda: So the purpose of marriage is explained here. Putrātve kriyet bhāryā putra pinḍa prayojanam. For the purpose of one or two nice children one should marry, not for sense gratification. This is the Vedic purport of marriage. So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we allow marriage on this principle, not for sense gratification. All the chief devotees of Lord Caitanya... Or even Lord Caitanya Himself, he married twice. So marriage is not prohibited, but everything should be under regulative principle according to the law. Then either one is sannyāsī or a married man or a brahmacārī, it doesn't matter.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu stressed, ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya. He never said that the sannyāsīs should be guru and not the gṛhasthas. He says ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. And that guru Caitanya Mahāprabhu says everything very simplified.
By his practical life, He was asking Generally, questions are asked to the superior person, and the superior person answers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was superior in everything, He was asking Rāmaṇanda Rāya to answer. He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura—he was Muhammadan by birth—nāmācārya, the ācārya of spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. These are the wonderful activities. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he practically became Muhammadan. Why practically? Absolutely. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society because he was minister, he was mixing with the Muhammadan and everything. He was eating with them. So the brāhmaṇa society rejected him. The name was also changed, Sakara Mallika. Nawab Hussain Shah's very confidential man. Nawab Hussain Shah was keeping Sanātana Gosvāmī as his representative in everything. The government was being managed by him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them, and they became the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī.
Who recommends? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was sannyāsī. He was very, very strict. And no woman could come near Him to offer respects. He was very strict about woman. And now, He's saying, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā: "What can be more wonderful process of worship than as it was conceived by the gopīs?" The six Gosvāmīs also: gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So, so although it looks apparently that gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa to dance with Him, that is not very moral, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that is the highest method of worshiping Kṛṣṇa.
So this requires jñānam. Therefore this is called transcendental knowledge, how serving Kṛṣṇa, one becomes transcendental to all these pious and impious activities. That requires knowledge.
Nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgam. Wonderful nails. He wanted to be secure: "I'll not die this way. I'll not die that way." But he forgot to say that "I'll not die by the nails." He did not think that one can be killed by the nails. So all his formula that he would not be killed by this way, this way, this way... But he forgot this. (laughs)
So our intelligence is like... Even Mother Yaśodā. She was trying to bind Kṛṣṇa, and at the end, at the time of knotting, there was two fingers small, I mean to say, there was scarcity. So our intelligence is like that. However I may be intelligent, however I may to cheat Kṛṣṇa, at least, little difference. Little difference. The little difference, that he never thought that "I'll be killed by the nails, not by any atomic bomb." He thought simply atom bomb can kill. He never thought that Kṛṣṇa can kill even by nails. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He can do everything. But he wanted to be cheap God, to surpass... But it could not be done. This is the asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. And the asuras... Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by māyā. They are called Māyāvādīs. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa says, "These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away." Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu.
That is due to the command, mad-bhayāt vāti vātaḥ. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it is automatically happening, no. There is direction. Kṛṣṇa says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence, prakṛti, nature..." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Kṛṣṇa, or God, but you cannot defy the natural, nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."
But that is not fact. Nature is working under the direction. This is theism. One who knows. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that these natural, I mean to say, ingredients, prakṛti, jaḍa-prakṛti, or material nature, five elements, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, this marut, vāyu, and tejas, this sunshine, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, and water, the seas and oceans, the land, vast land, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, then sky—they are different manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's external energy. They are not independent. There are many śāstras. Therefore one has to consult the śāstras. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is also said, "The material nature is very powerful." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Gopāla. Govinda. Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the cows or Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the senses. So Kṛṣṇa's name are different. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). There Kṛṣṇa is tending this surabhī. Surabhī cow means, that is also wonderful, spiritual. You can milk cow, milk from the cows, as many times as you like. Just like here in the, we have got experience, we can take milk from the cows morning and evening, not more than that. But there you can milk the cows whenever you like, and you can draw milk as much as you like. That is called surabhī cow. The trees are like that, the cows are like that, but there are houses, there are forests, jungle trees, cows, water, everything, but they are all spiritual. All spiritual, therefore there is one. Here is also one, because everything material. Whatever, either you take cow's body or your body, or tree's body, or any body, what it is made of? Kṣitir ap teja marut vyoma, the earth, water, air, fire, and sky, that's all. Here it is all one, but, and there also it is one, but there it is all spiritual, and here it is all material. That is the difference.
Therefore she is called Durgā-devī. Or this material world is called Devī-dhāma, "the place where the Devī, mother Durgā, is the superintendent." Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī, māyā (BG 7.14). She is called also Māyā, Daivī-māyā.
Māyā..., whose māyā? It is Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Māyā means something wonderful, mystic. Or māyā means illusion. So many, there are meaning. Māyā means affection also. So some way or other, this Durgā-devī, Māyā, is Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Just like prison house. Prison house is also government house, but it is not as good as the government house. It is government... The proprietor is the government. It is looked after by the government. You can call it government house, but government house is different, rāja-bhavan. Similarly, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Him. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). That is creation of Kṛṣṇa. It is necessary.
Ghost means he does not get this material body. He remains in the subtle body, mind, intelligence. Therefore ghost can go because he is in the mind. Mind speed is very strong. If you have got this material body, you cannot go immediately hundred miles off. But if you are in the mental body, you can go immediately, thousand miles immediately, within a second. So the ghost, they can play something wonderful because... But they are not happy because they have no gross body. They want to enjoy. He's materialist. He has committed suicide for some material want. So he is want of material..., fulfilling material desire. He could not fulfill in this body; therefore commits suicide, but the desire is there. The desire is there, and he cannot fulfill it. He becomes perplexed. Therefore the ghost create disturbance sometimes.
So in this way desires cannot be finished. That is not possible. Kāma-sambhavaḥ. It is not possible. Therefore the best thing is that fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will be happy, the mind always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business, planning how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That you are, require. That is intelligence. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone to surrender unto Him. When Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), He does not say only to Arjuna; He says to everyone. So that is Kṛṣṇa's desire, and if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, to fulfill His desire, that means you canvass everyone to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is preaching. Kṛṣṇa wants it. It is declared. So your business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. So do it.
They want something. The karmīs, they want promotion to the higher planets for sensual satisfaction, for higher standard of material living condition, karmīs. The more you are karmīs, you can live very high standard of life just like Europeans, Americans. They are big, big karmīs, big, big manufacture of machine, wonderful machine, and they get money-cost one dollar and they are charging five hundred dollars. You get money and good opportunity for sense gratification. So that is the idea of karmīs. They want higher standard of sense gratification, scientific method of sense gratification. They have got machine even for shaving, even for tooth brushing. So everything machine. The idea is sense gratification. This is karmī. And jñānīs, they have also demand: "I shall become one with God." Ekatvena. But the bhaktas, they don't want ekatvam. That is jñānī. And yogis, they want mystic powers. Because if they can manifest some mystic power, immediately so many foolish person will be followers, and they will get some material reputation, position. So there is demand. And when there will be no demand, that is bhakta stage. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "No more varam, Sir. I have taken much varam."
What is that varam? Everything is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Why the devotee should be anxious for varam, for benediction? Kṛṣṇa says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22).
We have to see how wonderfully the subtle actions are described in Sāṅkhya philosophy by Kapiladeva. There are many modern psychologist, scientist, physicist, but they cannot analyze the subtle function that is going on, creating things as they are. Superficially we can see, but how things are taking place, that can be described in the Vedic literatures, not any other book. Therefore it is said, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ: "One who has studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam thoroughly, he has seen the end of knowledge." And actually, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary or explanation on the Vedānta-sūtra. Vyāsadeva made Vedānta-sūtra, the ultimate knowledge, and he made his comment also, natural commentary. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At the end of every chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣya: "It is the natural comment of Brahma-sūtra." So if we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very thoroughly and specifically from a person bhāgavata, then our life is successful. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). That is the instruction, nityam.
Now, not only in your country, but also in all other countries at the present moment, everyone is trying to make economic development. What is that economic development you have got very good idea: industrialization, high standard of living and so many other things. But the end is sense gratification. The purpose of economic development... It is wonderful for us. We are Indian. When we see... When I was in Los Angeles, there is a freeway. So eight lines of cars running in seventy miles speed this way, and eight miles of lines running cars on the opposite side. And unfortunately one day we had one car which was running at thirty-five miles only, and our Gaurasundara was driving. (chuckling) Immediately he was arrested by the police. Not exactly arrested—stopped. That means you cannot run your car in this way, thirty-five miles speed. So now from impartial point of view, if we study why people are running in this way and that way... What is the ultimate goal? If we calculate very in cool head, the ultimate goal is sense gratification. That's all.
So however busy we may be, however intelligent we may be, however advanced we may be in material civilization, the real point is sense gratification. I have seen in the Times Square in New York, there are so many advertisements for sense gratification. Advertising, "Here you'll have nice girls. Come on," like that. Freely written, and some naked picture. And so many theaters. The whole idea is sense gratification. That's all. Ṛṣabhadeva... It is not new. This is very old fashioned.
The scientists are creating so many wonderful things. That is wonderful for persons like us, because we do not know how much wonderful one can play. That we do not know. We simply...
Just like we are giving very much credit to the person who is going to the moon planet by some machine: "Oh, wonderful." But we do not see that who has created these planets, and they are floating in the air. And not only one planet, millions of planets, trillions of planets, each planet having different atmosphere, temperature, population, so many things, varieties. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. Koṭiṣu vasudhādi (Bs. 5.40). In each brahmāṇḍa, in each universe, there are innumerable universes. This universe in which we are living, that is only one. And how it is one? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given information, it is just like one mustard seed in the bag of mustard seeds. If you take a bag of mustard seeds, you can imagine how many... You cannot count how many there are, mustard seeds. Out of that, one mustard seed, if you take... Similarly, there are so many universes that you cannot count. Out of so many universes, this is one universe. And this one universe also containing so many planets. Koṭiṣu vasudhādi, vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. Vasudhā means planet.
So they are of different qualities, vibhūti-bhinnam. Just like the sun planet is very hot, the moon planet is very cold. Similarly, other planets, they are watery, airy-variety. Just like even on this planet we have got varieties of climate. So we should know how much creative force God has, wonderful. So out of that wonderful creative force, we living entities, we have got a little particle, and therefore we can manufacture these wonderful machines, and we are struck with wonder, "Oh, we have done so great feat." No. We should try to understand still further, still further.
So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that if you want to be free... Free means just like you are trying to go to the moon planet by so many mechanical arrangements, but if you are free spiritually, then you can go any planet you like, immediately. The yogis, those who are perfect yogis... Not these nonsense yogis. Those who are perfect yogis, they can go at their will any planet they like. That is yogic perfection. When a yogi becomes perfect, he does... He does not die. "Die," this word is not actually applicable. When he leaves this body... Actually, nobody will die. We simply quit this body and accept another body. We are forced by the laws of nature according to karma. By practice of yoga system we can avoid the forcible nature's law, but we can leave this body according to our sweet will, not being forced by the nature's law.
Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). It is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. It requires time. He... Not all of a sudden you can understand. But if you stick to devotional service, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234), then He reveals. When you engage your tongue... It is also wonderful. To understand Kṛṣṇa, you require your tongue. Generally we understand by seeing or by hearing. Hearing is there, but here it is recommended tongue, especially. Why tongue is used? Because if you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa by your tongue and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam, you will understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you make it a promise that "I shall not talk anything except Kṛṣṇa's message," and if you promise that "I shall not take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," these two things, this prasādam and chanting, will make you perfect to understand Kṛṣṇa. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is yoga, bhakti-yoga. How easy it is. There are so many yogas, but if you practice bhakti-yoga you become first-class yogi.
Pradyumna:
- iti nānā-yoga-caryācaraṇo bhagavān kaivalya-patir ṛṣabho 'virata-parama-mahānandānubhava ātmani sarveṣāṁ :bhūtānām ātma-bhūte bhagavati vāsudeva ātmano 'vyavadhānānanta-rodara-bhāvena :siddha-:samastārtha-:paripūrṇo yogaiśvaryāṇi vaihāyasa-mano-javāntardhāna-parakāya-praveṣa-dūra-grahaṇādīni :yadṛcchayopagatāni nāñjasā nṛpa hṛdayenābhyanandat
- (SB 5.5.35)
"Translation: O King Parīkṣit, just to show all the yogis the mystic process, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the partial expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa, performed wonderful activities. Actually He was the master of liberation and was fully absorbed in transcendental bliss, which increased a thousandfold. Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, is the original source of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva. There is no difference in Their constitution, and consequently Lord Ṛṣabhadeva awakened the loving symptoms of crying, laughing and shivering. He was always absorbed in transcendental love. Due to this, all mystic powers automatically approached Him, such as the ability to travel in outer space at the speed of mind, to appear and disappear, to enter the bodies of others, and to see things far, far away. Although He could do all this, He did not exercise these powers."
Prabhupāda: Iti nānā-yoga-caryācaraṇo bhagavān. So Bhagavān's another name is mahat-pada. Mahat-pada means whatever wonderful things are there, that is resting at His lotus feet. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Samāśritā, if you take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavān, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: (SB 1.3.28) Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all manifestation of Bhagavān, Viṣṇu-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Viṣṇu-tattva. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Viṣṇu-tattva is also originated from Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He's the ādi-puruṣa. And Kṛṣṇa was accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā, puruṣam ādyam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). So everything is there in Kṛṣṇa. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. All this manifestation of cosmic creation, that is from the mahat-tattva. That mahat-tattva is resting within the dust of the lotus feet of mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. So if one takes shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then this bhava-samudra, the vast ocean of birth and death...
Don't keep a guru as a fashion to satisfy your senses: "My dear guru, can you make some gold?" "Yes." "Oh, first-class guru." No. That is not guru. That is your flattery. You want something according to your order—"Guru, cure my disease," "Guru, give me some gold," "Guru, give me this. Show me some wonderful mystic power"—that is order supplier. No, guru is not order supplier. Guru can give you the way how to have mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Bhagavat-prasāda. If you want mercy of Kṛṣṇa, then you have to satisfy the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). "Never become envious of guru." Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā-deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23).
So this is the process. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If you are actually interested something which is beyond this tama, this darkness of material world, then you require a guru. Otherwise it is not for you. So what is the... "Yes, I am prepared that 'what is that guru?' " Tasmād... Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam, this is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam: "He knows the Vedic conclusion. He knows the Vedic conclusion." Śābde pare. There are two kinds of sounds. Just like we are speaking. This is also sound, but this is para sound, uttama sound, para-prakṛti. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not ordinary sound. It is para-prakṛti.
Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not ordinary sound. It is para-prakṛti. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not this material sound. If you think it is material sound, you are rascal. Therefore they are wonderful. 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.
So people do not care to understand how nature's law is going on. Nature's law means God's law. Nature is not independent. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nature is a machine. So do you think a machine works without an operator? Do you think? Is there any evidence? Now, this is a machine, photography, a wonderful machine. It is taking the picture, and it will move. But there is an operator. Where is the machine which is working without operator? Can you give any example, "Here is a machine which is working without operator"? So how do you think that the nature machine is working without the supreme operator, God's instruction. How do you think it? This is not very reasonable. We have to judge. There are different evidences. One of the evidence is hypothesis. That hypothesis is that "Because we see that no machine works without operator, therefore we should conclude it, even though we do not know what is God, what is the nature, we must conclude it that the nature is working under some supreme operator. That is God." It is not necessary to see the operator, but we can guess that there must be operator. So human life is meant for finding out who is there to operate. That is human life. Otherwise it cats' and dogs' life. They are eating, sleeping, mating, and dancing. That's all. That is not human life. You must find out who is the operator. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is called, in Sanskrit word, "Now this human form of life is meant for inquiring about the supreme operator."
Another man, he has got energy, he cannot utilize his energy. He remains a poor man, a loafer class. It is all question of energy. So, so long we have got this energy in our control, that means so long we live, we have got a certain amount of..., that should be employed for Kṛṣṇa, for God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean anything wonderful. It is not... A very simple thing. Simply you have to employ your energy for Kṛṣṇa. That is expected by Kṛṣṇa. And what will be the result? The result will be, at least individually you shall be peaceful, you shall be happy. If everyone becomes like that, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or everyone tries to apply his energy for the service of the Lord, then this world becomes kingdom of God actually.
But that is not possible. Here there is another opposing element, which is called māyā, or Satan, who is acting against this principle. So we cannot expect that cent percent people will be God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is not possible because here in this material world... This material world means it is a place where māyā is predominant. Māyā is predominant means the forgetfulness of God is predominant. Māyā means nothing. Māyā is not a ghost. Māyā is a condition of consciousness. That's all. When you forget God, or Kṛṣṇa, that is called māyā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is very nicely explained in the Seventh Chapter that daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā: (BG 7.14) "
"You are transcendental." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās. Duratyaya means very difficult to cross over. Vaitaraṇyā, vaitaraṇi, the nescience, ocean of nescience. "Why you are not afraid of?" Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna cittaḥ: "Because I am now Kṛṣṇa conscious, and as soon as I hear the glories of Your wonderful activities, I become merged in it. So I have no problem." "Then you appear to be little unhappy. Why?" "No," śoce, "I am very much aggrieved." "Why?" Tato vimukha-cetasa: "For these rascals who do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am thinking of them. Instead of taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are busy in māyā-sukhāya, māyā, this temporary, little temporary happiness. They are making big, big program. He will live for fifty years, but he is making program for five millions of years. So I am...," śoce, "I am actually lamenting for them." This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is not very anxious or unhappy for his personal affair. He knows that "Everywhere I will be protected by Kṛṣṇa," so he has no problem. Therefore real Vaiṣṇava, he wants to deliver all these fallen souls from this miserable condition of life. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. His first attention was drawn to the persons in the hellish planet. They are suffering. He questioned, "How they can be saved?" That is his concern. This is Vaiṣṇava.
After, if he has got very nice apartment and good condition of living, then he'll invite some friends, "Please come and see our happily living." (laughter) And one after another—bondage. One after another. Because if you're opulent, you have to show your friends. Otherwise what is your opulence? If your friends do not come and say, "Oh, you're so wonderful. (laughter) Yes. You have got such a nice wife, nice apartment. Wonderful!" Because in the Kali-yuga this is wonderful. Everything is mentioned in śāstra. Dakṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. If one can maintain one wife and some children, ah, he's most expert. (laughs) Forget Kṛṣṇa. Here is expert. (laughter) Daksa means expert. "Oh, he's expert. How he's maintaining." When I first came, I met one elderly lady. She had a son. So, as Indian I asked, "Oh, why don't you get your son married?" She replied, "Oh, I have no objection. If he can maintain a wife I have no objection." That means to maintain a wife is a very big job in your country. I've seen it. (laughter) Of course, when we talk we must talk freely. (laughter) That is a fact. (laughter) But formerly, in our father's age, they used to come to foreign countries and they thought it, it is a great laugh to possess one white wife. Yes, they are thinking like that. So all the students who used to come to England for higher studies, naturally he'd carry one white elephant. (laughter) They used to say—it is not my coined words—they used to say, "Oh, to maintain European wife, it is like maintaining white elephant."
We must always know that "There is death behind me." At any moment he can capture my neck and take it away. That's a fact. Is there any guarantee that you shall live hundred years? No. Even just after few seconds, if you go to the street, you may immediately meet death. There may be heart failure. There may be motor accident. There may be something, something. So to live is wonderful. To die is not wonderful. Because you are meant for death. As soon as you took your birth, immediately you begin to die. Immediately. If you enquire, "Oh, when the child is born?" you say, say, "One week." That means he has died one week. We are taking that he is living one week, but actually he has died one week. That is wonderful, that still he is living, he has not died. So death is not wonderful because it is sure. It will come—after one week or after one hundred years. That is not wonderful. So long you live, that is wonderful.
God has sent so many order carriers. Just see if one is inclined to come to Him. Just see. So as soon as the order carriers—they're travelling everywhere—so "Here's a person, he's chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' Come on. Take him." Just see. "Here this person is chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' Yes." Bhartur nāma mahārāja niśaṁya. "Oh, it is wonderful. He's chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' " Immediately Yamadūtas wonder, "Why they are disturbing him? Stop!"
So take this chance of chanting harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). You're always safe. The Yamadūtas, the order carriers of Yamarāja, will not be able to touch you. It is so (indistinct). So take this opportunity, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. I'm very glad that you are doing, but be very strict, sincerely chant. Your life is saved. Your next life is saved. Everything is all right.
That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne (CC Madhya 19.53). So very simple thing. Don't think I have played something wonder. No, it is not my wonder. The process is wonderful, the process itself. You have to simply accept; then your life will be successful. It is not that "Bhaktivedanta Swami has brought this." They say. They give me the credit. That is my good fortune also. But actually I am just like a peon. I have brought, but I am delivering it without any adulteration. That may be my credit. And if you take it without any adulteration and practice it, then your life is successful. This is the secret of success. Chant, dance, take prasādam, live very happily, and look very brilliant, and next life go to home, back to Godhead.
So kindly... I am very pleased that you are doing nicely. But don't be proud. Always remain humble, meek, that "I am nothing. I cannot..." That will be nice. And if you think, "Now I have become liberated. I can chant and dance," no, don't think like that. Just like even Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, he says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha: (CC Adi 5.205) "I am lower than the worm in the stool." Jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha: "I am more sinner than Jagāi-Mādhāi." In this way... That is not artificial. A Vaiṣṇava must think like that, that "I am rotten. I have no value." Don't be proud. Then the things will go on nicely. And as soon as you become proud, then māyā—"Yes, you are God. Come on. I will kick you on your face.
Prabhupāda: ...of Brahman. You are also Brahman. So your manifestation and Lord Śiva's manifestation is not the same. So there are different grades of manifestation. We have to know that. Although the thing is one but there are different manifestation, not that because everything is one, that everyone is the same. No. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Haṁsadūta: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda just gave a wonderful example which I will repeat. He said that everything is one, just like wood. Wood in the primary stage is wood, and then in the smoking stage it's also wood. And then in the fire stage it is also wood, but fire is required. So in three stages... So similarly, the Supreme Lord is manifest as Brahmā, Śiva, and Viṣṇu. So it is compared to the wood. (end)
"Because the subject matter is not for them, however they may exercise their senses, gobhiḥ..." Go means indra (indriya). Simply by exercising... Just like there are so many yogis. They exercise their senses only—yama, niyama, prāṇāyāma—senses. But it is not their subject matter to understand God. They may show some jugglery or some gymnastic, wonderful, or they may get some material perfection, animā... The eight kinds of perfection in yoga system... One can become very small. Just like there was a trailiṅga swami in Benares. He was staying naked on the street, and the police objected, and he was put into police custody. He again came out. That means people became more devoted to him. But still... This is a perfection by the gymnastic of yoga process, but that does not mean he knows God. That does not mean. There was another yogi in Benares. Anyone who would come to him, immediately in a pot he will present two rasagullā. And after eating two rasagullā, the man will be captivated, and big man, manager of bank and this and that, and they... They become captivated.
Yamarāja says... Yamarāja is Mahājana, therefore we have to accept. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The Yamarāja says that bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhūtāni. Durdarśa. It is very difficult to find out them, because in our experience within this material world, perhaps only Brahmā has four hands, and Viṣṇu has four hands, and sometimes Lord Śiva has also four hands because they are biggest of all the demigods. But ordinary living entities, hardly one can find out a person with four hands. Therefore it is said here, durdarśa liṅgāni: "They are very rarely to be seen." But mahadbhūtāni: "They are wonderful." Mahādbhūtāni. Rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo. And what is their business? The business is rakṣanti tad-bhakta. "Their business is to give protection to the devotees of the Lord." Rakṣanti tad-bhakta mataḥ parebhyo. Just like Ajāmila was attacked by the Yamadūtas. Immediately they came and protected. Parebhyo. Rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo mattaś ca martyān atha sarvataś ca: "And they give protection from my jurisdiction. I may be sometimes mistaken to go to a person who is completely a devotee. Therefore they are required, 'No, you cannot come here.' " These things are stated.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, Śrīvāsa. Śrīvāsa was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and his neighborers became enemies. They wanted to insult him in so many ways. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So that is natural. But we should always remember that "Let there be enemies. Let there be envious persons. I will be protected by Kṛṣṇa and His associates." And even I am not so accustomed, so I should learn to tolerate.
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā...
Kīrtanīyaḥ. If you want to make advancement in the chanting process, then you should be tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass. And anyone who hasn't got any respect, give him all respect: "Oh, you are so wonderful," and go on with your business, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma..." (chuckles)
"After leaving this body they do not come again to take birth in this material world, but they come to Me." So those who are eligible to go back to Godhead, they are taken by Viṣṇudūta as guides. But durdarśa-liṅgāni, they are very rarely to be seen because directly going to Vaikuṇṭha after leaving this body, such persons are also very rare. Durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni. Adbhuta, wonderful. Certainly they must be wonderful because they are spiritual body—four hands, with different weapons, just like Viṣṇu.
So such things are not visible within this material world. Therefore mahādbhutāni, very wonderful. Mahādbhutāni rakṣanti. What is their business? They give protection to the devotees. Rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyaḥ. Bhaktimataḥ. Those who are engaged in devotional service, they are protected from parebhyaḥ. Parebhyaḥ. means the enemies of the devotees. The devotees of the Lord are always protected by these Viṣṇudūtas, who are almost as powerful as Viṣṇu. And they give protection to the devotees of the Lord, mad-bhaktaḥ, tad-bhaktamataḥ, who are following the principles of devotional service, parebhyaḥ. How they are protected? First they are protected from the hands of the enemies. Because there are many enemies. Don't think that because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious there will be no enemy.
Now at the present moment in a godless civilization, if some great scientist proves... Just like Professor Einstein, he also said that as we are making advance in science we find that there is a big brain behind this cosmic manifestation. That is acceptance of God. What is that big brain? That big brain is God. The Vedānta-sūtra says janmady asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Just like when you see a wonderful bridge or wonderful engineering work, you must think that there is a brain behind it. This nice construction, there is a brain behind it. Similarly, those who are sane men, they'll see that with this cosmic, in this cosmic manifestation, so wonderfully working. The sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the seasons are being changed in due course, the rain is there, the produce is there, the fruit is there, everything is nicely arranged. So don't you think that there is a brain behind it? Must be. The Bhagavad-gītā says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Don't think that this material nature is working automatically or independently. There is a brain behind it.
Pradyumna: (reads synonyms, etc.) "Translation: The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī, was requested to go before the Lord by all the demigods present, who because of fear could not to so. But even she had never seen such a wonderful and extraordinary form of the Lord, and thus she could not approach Him."
Prabhupāda:
- sākṣāt śrīḥ preṣitā devair
- dṛṣṭvā taṁ mahad adbhutam
- adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrvatvāt
- sā nopeyāya śaṅkitā
- (SB 7.9.2)
So Śrī, Lakṣmī, she is always in company with Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Wherever Nārāyaṇa there is, there is Lakṣmī. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśsasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ. So Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always full in six opulence: aiśvarya, riches, samāgrasya, all riches... Nobody can compete with Him. Here in the material world there is competition. You have got one thousand; I have got two thousand; another man has three thousand or three millions. Nobody can say, "Here is the end. I have got money." No. That is not possible. There must be competition. Sama urdhva. Sama means "equal," and urdhva means "greater." So nobody can become equal with Nārāyaṇa, and nobody can be greater than Nārāyaṇa. This has become a fashion nowadays, that daridra-nārāyaṇa. No. Daridra cannot be Nārāyaṇa, neither Nārāyaṇa can be daridra, because Nārāyaṇa is always accompanied by Śrī, Lakṣmījī. How He can be daridra? These are manufactured foolish imagination. Aparādha.
That is stated here. Sākṣāt śrīḥ preṣitā devair. The devas, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others, they requested, "Mother, you try to pacify your husband. It is not possible by us." But she also became afraid. She also became afraid. Sākṣāt śrīḥ preṣita devair dṛṣṭvā taṁ mahad adbhutam. She knows that "My husband has appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva," but because that wonderful feature of the Lord was so fearful, she did not dare to come before Him. Why? Now, adṛṣṭaśruta-pūrvatvāt: since she also never knew that the her husband can assume the form of Nṛsiṁha-deva. This Nṛsiṁha-deva feature was specifically adopted for Hiraṇyakaśipu. This is all-powerful. Hiraṇyakaśipu took benediction from Lord Brahmā that no god, demigod can kill him, no man can kill him, no animal can kill him, and so on, so on, so on. Indirectly he made a plan that nobody could kill him. And because first of all he wanted to become immortal, so Lord Brahmā said that "I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of becoming...? That is not possible." So these rākṣasas, demons, they are very intelligent, duṣkṛtina, intelligent—but for sinful activities. That is the feature of the rākṣasa. So he planned something, that "Indirectly I shall take benediction from Lord Brahmā in such a way that I'll remain immortal." So in order to keep Brahmā's promise, Nārāyaṇa appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva, half lion and half man. Therefore adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrva. Even Lakṣmī did not see such feature of the Lord, the half man, half lion.
Therefore adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrva. Even Lakṣmī did not see such feature of the Lord, the half man, half lion. This is Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, all-powerful. He can assume any form. That is... Adṛṣṭā aśruta-purva. Never saw. Although she is associated with the Nārāyaṇa, but she never saw such wonderful feature of the Nārāyaṇa. Therefore it is said, adṛṣṭā aśruta-pūrvatvāt sā na upeyāya śaṅkitā. Lakṣmījī is chaste. So śaṅkitā: she was fearful, "May be He's different person." And she is the chaste, the most chaste. How she can mix with different person? Therefore śaṅkitā. This word is used, śaṅkitā. Although she is supposed to know everything, still, she was thinking, "May not be my husband." This is the ideal chaste, chastity, that even Lakṣmījī, being doubtful about Viṣṇu, she did not talk, did not approach. Śaṅkitā. This is another quality of Lakṣmījī. She became afraid, "He may not be Nārāyaṇa." Because she's never experienced of her husband such wonderful feature, half lion and half man. So adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrvatvāt sa nopeyāya śaṅkitā.
So if we study the character of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, then we shall cease to manufacture such words as daridra-nārāyaṇa or this or that. No. We should therefore never follow this pāṣaṇḍi.
Therefore in the lotus flower it is very soft, very pleasing, and how the nails came? Therefore adbhuta. Tava kara-kamala, adbhuta. Nakham adbhuta-sṛṅgam. It is not possible to grow some ferocious nails, piercing nails, in the lotus flower. This is contradictory. Therefore Jayadeva says, adbhuta: "It is wonderful. It is astonishing." This... Therefore Lord's power, exhibition of power and sharp nails, they're all inconceivable. Śrīla Jīva Goswami has explained, "Unless you accept inconceivable power of the Supreme Lord, there is no understanding." Acintya. Acintya-śakti. Acintya means inconceivable. You cannot speculate how it is happening, how in the lotus flower there is so hard nail that immediately, within a second, it could kill a great demon like Hiranyakasipu. Therefore it is acintya. We cannot conceive. Acintya. And therefore Vedic instruction is acintyā khalu ye bhāvā na taṁś tarkeṇa yo jayet: "Do not apply your poor logic in the matters which is inconceivable by you." There is no logic that how lotus flower can grow nails. They say, "Mythology." Because they cannot conceive within their poor brain, they cannot accommodate how things happen like that, they say, "Mythology." Not mythology. It is fact, but it is inconceivable by you or us. It is not possible.
Ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ, just like in Europe and America, we see, they are very much fond of ugra-karma, just like big, big factories, big, big bridges, wonderful. Long, long ago when the Britishers came here, they constructed big, big bridges, railway line. People thought, "It is wonderful." There is a song composed in Bihar. So when the Calcutta, the floating bridge made of wood, wooden bridge, floating bridge was constructed, connected Calcutta proper and Howrah, so there was big, wonderful song: ki apana banaylay sahat campani (?). There is song, ki apana banaylay sahat campani upara me ami cale, and..., just like that, nīche me pāni (?).
So this ugra-karma, formerly this ugra-karma was entrusted to the demons. Those who were in the sattva-guṇa, they do not like this ugra-karma. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). The... Those who are under the control of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are engaged in ugra-karma, ugra-karma: industrial enterprise, big, big roads, big, big skyscraper. This is called ugra-karma. So ugra-karma is very pleasing to the ugra-jātis (just like) Hiraṇyakaśipu. What was the trouble between the father and the son? The father was for ugra-karma, and the son, Prahlāda, was for sattvika life. So when Prahlāda Mahārāja engaged himself in sattvika life, not only sattvika, śuddha-sattvika...
Those who are too much attached for material enjoyment, they do not become attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is natural. So anyway, Prahlāda Mahārāja was doubting because he was requested by Lord Brahmā, "My dear boy, my dear child, we could not pacify His Lordship Nṛsiṁha-deva, but He has appeared for you." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). "Nṛsiṁha-deva, this wonderful form, is there only for you." Paritrāṇāya. "You are sādhu. For your deliverance Nṛsiṁha-deva has appeared and to kill your sinful father. So business is with your father and yourself. So kindly, you take care of the business. He is very, very angry."
So before that, we have already described, even Lakṣmījī, he (she) could not go forward. Although she had daily affairs with Nārāyaṇa, she could not dare to go forward. Brahmā, Lord Brahmā offered their prayers, other, Lord Śiva offered their prayers, but nobody could pacify him. Therefore he is in doubt that "I am born in the family of demons," ugra-karma, ugra-jāti. "If Brahmā failed, Lakṣmījī failed, Lord Śiva failed to pacify Him, how it is possible by me to pacify the Lord?" That he's doubting. Brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā-munayo 'tha siddhāḥ. "All they are exalted persons and siddha."
They do not know. They do not know how much productive that is. Therefore in this godless civilization they have stopped building nice, decorated... In Vṛndāvana there is a temple of Govindajī that was seven-storied. Four stories was broken by Aurangzeb on political grounds. Still, three stories are still remaining. If somebody goes there he'll see how wonderful workmanship is there in that temple. So does it mean that those kings or rich men, they were all fools? Simply at the present moment we are very intelligent? No. They are not fools. That is explained in the Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayers. Naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo. You cannot satisfy the Supreme Lord by constructing a nice temple, but still He is satisfied. Still, He is satisfied. He is nija-lābha-pūrṇo. He is fully satisfied in Himself because He has no want. We are in want. Suppose I am renting one small apartment. If somebody says, "Swamijī, come on. I shall construct a very nice palatial temple. You come here." Oh, I shall be very much obliged. But does Kṛṣṇa, or God, is like that? He can construct so many nice planets, not only one, two, but millions and billions, with so many nice oceans and hills and mountains and forests, and full of living entities. And why He is hankering after a temple constructed by me? No. That is not the fact.
That is the difference. Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ. This śakti, visarga-śaktiḥ, is very, very strong, but it is under the control. Although it is very, she is very, very strong, but she is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Although prakṛti is acting so wonderfully... Very, very, I mean to say, great task she is performing, that immediately the cloud comes. Now it is so bright. Within a second a very big, dark cloud may come and cause devastation immediately. That is possible. These are the wonderful activities of Māyā. But still, she is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We see this sun so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and you see morning, how quickly it gets up, like this, immediately. The speed is sixteen thousand miles per second. So how it is being happenend? Yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajā... It is being done under the order of Govinda. So therefore He's vibhu. He is great. But we do not know how great He is. Therefore we foolishly accept some pretender, some fraud, as God. We do not know what is the meaning of God. But it is going on. We are fools. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās. We are blind, and another blind man lead us: "I am God. You are God. Everyone is God." But God is not like that.
So the same physiological construction, anatomy, is there. Everything is there. So this is God's creation. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. It can also fly. We can manufacture a flying machine, 747, but we cannot manufacture a flying machine like that microbic ant. That is not possible.
So this is God's creation, everything wonderful. But still, He's above, turya. He's not within this creation. He's creating, but he's not within it. Etad īśanam iṣasya. This is called godly power. He is within everything and He is without still. So that is understood here. Nyasyedam ātmani jagat vilayāmba-madhye. Amba-madhye... Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidram ananta (Bs. 5.47). He appears to be sleeping. Ananta-kāle. Again creation and, what is called, annihilation is going on. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā (Bs. 5.48). This creation and annihilation is going on continually. And what is the time difference? Niśvasita-kālam. Just like we exhale and inhale, a second, similarly, this creation—annihilation is a second for Mahā-Viṣṇu. So millions and millions of years stays... 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.
And it will maintain, say, utmost, for fifty, sixty or hundred years. It will never be eternal. Because it is created, it cannot be eternal. Anything created cannot be eternal. So this sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana is actually being done by Kṛṣṇa, whatever way. But because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa in the background, we see only the wonderful activities of the nature. Nature is working not independently—by the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Whatever is going on by the wonderful activities of nature... People are amazed by seeing the wonderful activities of nature. But behind these activities there is the direction of the Supreme Personality. Therefore Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva is addressed here, bhava-sambhava-lopa-hetoḥ.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "We are suffering in this way, and we are praying to You to stop this suffering. So it is not very difficult task for You." Ko nv atra te 'khila-guro bhagavan prayāsa. Suppose if I ask you to do something for me, you may say, "That is very difficult task. I have no time to do this." So it may be difficult for an ordinary man. Actually it is a very difficult task, because Prahlāda Mahārāja in a previous verse, he prayed, pantheli parācara pipṛhi mūḍham adya. Mūḍham adya: "Give me shelter." So Kṛṣṇa may think... Kṛṣṇa does not think, but from our side we may suppose like that, that... Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu, dayā koro more: "Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, kindly give me Your mercy." Dayā koro more.
Of course, a devotee takes the risk. Just like Hanumān. He was servant of Lord Rāmacandra. So Lord Rāmacandra wanted information of Sītādevi. So he did not consider, "How I shall go to the other side of the sea, Laṅka?" He simply, believing in Lord Rāmacandra, "Jaya Rāma," jumped over it. Rāmacandra had to construct a bridge. Of course, that bridge is also wonderful because these monkeys were bringing stone and they are throwing on the sea, but the stone was floating. So where is your law of gravitation? Eh? Stone floats on the water. It cannot be done by the scientists, yes. But Lord Rāmacandra desired; a stone became floating. Otherwise how many stones we shall throw in the sea that it will come to the level of becoming a bridge? Oh, it was not possible. It was possible, everything was possible, but Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra, wanted, "Let it be simplified. So let them bring the stone and it will float. Then we shall go." So without stone He could go, but He wanted some service of the monkeys. There were many monkeys. Baro baro badare, baro baro peṭ, laṅka diṅgake, mata kare het. There were many other monkeys, but not exactly capable like the Hanumān. Therefore they were also given some chance that "You bring some stone. You cannot jump over the sea like Hanumān, so you bring stone, and I will ask the stones to float."
I am completely free from all these calamities." Just see. He was a boy of five years old only, but he is confident that he is not subjected to the calamities. Duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ. Why? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43), "Because I have learned to fulfill my heart by glorifying Your wonderful activities." Kīrtanam. Kīrtanam means to describe or to sing the glorious activities of the Lord, that is called kīrtanam. Kīrtanam does not mean always that we have to chant or sing with musical instrument. I am speaking to you Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this is also kīrtanam. So we have to accept this principle, kīrtanam, always. This kīrtanam is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Every one of us, never mind, this happiness is already fixed up. When you are born in this family, your standard of happiness is already fixed up. Don't bother. The time which you have got, valuable time, save it for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is required. (indistinct) Don't bother always for further happiness, further happiness, further happiness. Happiness already is standard (?).
The standard of happiness and standard of distress will be there according to karma. Therefore, our duty is not to be disturbed by this so-called happiness and distress. We should save time and must advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). Simply always thinking of the wonderful activities of the Lord.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "For personally I have no anxiety, because I have learned the art how to become happy. I have learned the art, always thinking of Your glorious activities." There are so many glorious activities of Kṛṣṇa, so we can think of. If you take a flower, you can think of glorious activities of Kṛṣṇa. How artistically, how nicely the flower is made. You cannot say it is made by nature. It is made by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Prakṛti, nature, is producing, that's all right, but under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Just like your mill is running. A common man cannot see where is Mr. (first name) Khatau, but it is going on under your direction, that's a fact. Similarly, everything is going on under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. If we understand this fact, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So while drinking water, we can remember Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8), "The taste of the water I am."
These are material desires. And then yoga, to display, demonstrate magic: "I can prepare gold. I can travel in the sky. I can walk on the water. I can eat broken glasses." Yes. People will gather. "I can remain without any breathing underneath the ground." These things are demonstrated. So people like it, something wonderful. And he says, "I am Bhagavān," and the rascals accept. These things are loka-pralobhanaiḥ. Loka-pralo... These things can mislead the people in general, but they are not very much attractive to the devotees. Devotees are not attracted.
In the history of the devotees there was one devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Īśāna. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to give him some benediction. He was very poor man. Even his roof, thatched roof, that was not properly... There were so many holes. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "My dear Īśāna, if you like, you can take some benediction." "No, why I shall take benediction?" "No, you have no roof even on your thatched house." He said, "Why? There are many birds. They are living on the tree. There is no roof at all. I have got roof with some holes, that's all. And they have no roof at all, so how they are living? For this purpose I shall ask You benediction? No, no, no." In this way he refused. So that is pure devotion, that "I shall not take any benediction from the Lord, but I shall give everything to God." This is.
| Page Title: | Wonderful (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 17 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=82, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 82 |