Bhāgavata communism says that even if you have got a lizard in your room, you must give him something to eat. If you have got a serpent in your room, you must give it something to eat. Nobody in your house should starve. You see? This is Bhāgavata communism.
Not that, "Only my brother and sister will not starve, and other animals should be killed." This is not communism. Here is communism. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness communism, (laughter) that a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is thinking even for the ant, even for the lizard, even for the serpent. That is real communism.
Devotee: Yes, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Not that, "Oh, my brother is good and I am good, and my father is good or my countrymen is good, my society, and all are bad." This is not communism.
So the arrangement is there by God's grace. There is ample food. There is no economic problem. We have created our economic problem by so-called social arrangement. So Bhāgavata says that there is no economic problem. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham (SB 1.5.18). "How do you say that there is no economic problem?" The Bhāgavata gives . . . Bhāgavata means . . . any authoritative literature, they must give evidence. So here Bhāgavata gives evidence that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham.
Now, you never try to invite calamities, but sometimes calamities come upon you unexpected. There is some great loss. There is some calamity, distress. But you do not want it. How do they come? Similarly, even if you do not endeavor for your happiness, whatever happiness is destined to you, it will come. Don't bother about it. Simply bother for (audio pitch drop) how you can make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is being instructed by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ (SB 7.6.1): from the beginning of life.
From the beginning of life means . . . actually, our life begins at the age of five years. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's Nīti, it is said that the boys, the children, should be given complete freedom to do anything he likes up to five years; not more than that. Lālayet pañca-varṣāṇi: "Up to five years a child should be given all freedom," never mind however miscreant he may be.
But from five years to fifteen years—that means a period of ten years—tāḍayet. Lālayet pañca-varṣāṇi tāḍayet daśa-varṣāṇi: "You should give all freedom to your child for five years, and then, next ten years, you should be very strict, very strict, so that the child may be very much afraid. And as soon as he attains sixteen years of age, then you should treat him like friend, not, I mean to say, so strictly." These are the moral instruction by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja advises the bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata. What is the bhāgavata-dharma? Bhāgavatān dharmān ācared yata arthadam etaj janma devadi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Now, why this life is given so much importance, this human life? There are many other lives, lower and higher.
In the higher planets there are demigods. They are far more improved, they are more intelligent, they are more happy than this planet. You must know that the higher planets, the comforts of life is thousand times more. As you go in higher planetary system, the standard of life, the conveniences, are thousand times greater than in this planet.
Therefore the commentator, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, is that, "Why not bhāgavata-dharma, cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the life of demigods? Why in this human form of life?" So the answer is that devadi-janma, devadi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Devadi-janmani. Devadi . . . in the lives of demigod, they are puffed up with so much material enjoyments that there is very little chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Just like in India still, in this fallen condition of India, whenever there is Bhāgavata recitation, thousands of people still will assemble, because the benefit is that they are little poverty-stricken than the Western people. So Jīva Gosvāmī says that a person who is too much puffed up with material facilities, it is very difficult for him to come into Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the Bhāgavata it is stated, Kṛṣṇa . . . I mean to say, question and answer between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that "Generally we find that those who are Vaiṣṇava, or Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they are poorer, whereas we see those who are worshiper of Lord Śiva, they are very rich."
This question was put by Mahārāja Parīkṣit to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he narrated that, "Lord Śiva is so poor that he hasn't got even one house to live. He is living underneath tree. He cannot provide even a shelter to his wife, who is coming . . . who is the princess of a very great king, Mahārāja Dakṣa. So why this difference? And whereas persons who are devoted to Viṣṇu, who is the master of everything, goddess of fortune . . ." Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). Not only one goddess of fortune, but many hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune is serving Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, in the spiritual planet. "So the devotee of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, they appear to be poorer than the devotees of Lord Śiva, who is less than a poor man. Why this contradiction?"
So the contradiction was answered by Śukadeva Gosvāmī not personally; he took authority. What is that authority? He said immediately, "My dear King, this answer I shall not give you, but a similar answer was put forward by your grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, to your other grandfather, Kṛṣṇa."
Kṛṣṇa also happened to be grandfather of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Because Kṛṣṇa's sister was married to Arjuna, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the grandson of Subhadrā, Arjuna's wife. Therefore Kṛṣṇa also happens to be grandfather of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira also happens to be grandfather, being the eldest brother of his grandfather.
So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving authoritative answer as it was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. This is the way of speaking. One should cite authority. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not less authority. As I described the other day that there are twelve authorities.
Out of them, Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself is one of the authorities. But still, he is citing the authority of Kṛṣṇa. That is the way of presenting things. That is called Vedic knowledge, that you must giving . . . whatever you say, it must be supported by the authority. Just like a good lawyer, he gives good evidence from other courts' judgment, authority.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that, "This very question was inquired by your grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, to Kṛṣṇa, because they were put into so many calamities, the Pāṇḍavas. Kṛṣṇa was their personal friend; still, they were put into so many calamities for which they had to fight forcibly."
So Kṛṣṇa answered. When Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira inquired, "Why this contradiction? The Vaiṣṇava, who is worshiper of the most opulent personality, Viṣṇu, they appear to be poorer, whereas the worshiper of Lord Śiva, who appears to be poorer than ordinary man, they become very richer. Why?"
Kṛṣṇa answered that, yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad-dhanam śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8): "My dear brother, Yudhiṣṭhira, My first evidence of mercy to My devotee is to plunder all his wealth, whatever he has got." You see? "Whatever he has got, I take it away. Then he tries again to accumulate some money. Again I take it away. In this way, he tries; I take away. When he becomes confused and baffled, he fully surrenders unto Me."
Devotees: Haribol.
Prabhupāda: Hā hā prabhu nanda-suta (from Prārthanā). Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is praying Kṛṣṇa, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta: "Oh my dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja," vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta, "oh, You are standing before me, accompanied by Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of Mahārāja Vṛṣabhānu." Koruṇā karoho ei-bāro: "Now this is the time to show me mercy."
Narottama-dāsa kahe: "Narottama dāsa is appealing to You." Nā ṭheliho rāṅgā pāy: "Don't push me away." Tomā bine ke āche āmāra: "I have no other personality than Yourself. I have lost everything." This is surrender.