Rsabhadeva (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 3)

Expressions researched:
"Rsabha" |"Rsabhadeva"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

"Don't try to for this," but your particular knowledge, to know yourself, to know God, why you are dismissing that? That is not very good idea. These śāstras... I have quoted so many things from the śāstra, from the books of knowledge. It is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. We have called this meeting. We have not invited cats and dogs, we have invited human beings, because the human being can understand. The cats and dogs, however I may speak from Vedic literature, from Bhagavad-gītā or from Bhāgavata, it is not possible for the cats and dogs to understand. Their body is different. But our body, human being, is especially meant for this purpose.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva, the father of Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name the India is called... Not India. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. In the Vedic literature Bhāratavarṣa means this planet. And it is consisting seven islands. That is also mentioned in Vedic literature. Seven islands means Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Oceania. These seven islands are mentioned. Description is there. So this Bhāratavarṣa... This planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. Now it is divided. Now it is divided because on account of loss of the old Vedic culture we have now divided. I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking, "Australian." Another is thinking, "American" or "Englishman." These divisions have come very lately, say about three thousand, four thousand years ago. Before that, this planet was one. There was only one king. We get this information from Vedic literature. And he was ruling all over, then. The culture was one. That is Vedic culture. Still, I hear some of my student was telling that in Australia there is some Hindu temple somewhere.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

This is the satisfaction. We are searching after so many things to become satisfied, but if we try to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead—that we do not know—and without any motive—it cannot be checked—then yayātmā suprasīdati. If you want really peace of mind, then you search out Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa personally canvassing you, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). Still, you are not... You are so fool. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. He is giving assurance that "I shall give you protection from all sinful reaction." We are suffering in this material world because we are continually making our life in sinful activities. Sinful activities means gratifying the senses. That is also warned by Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti: (SB 5.5.4) "These rascals, they, simply for sense gratification, committing all types of sinful activities." Just like Kṛṣṇa has given us so many things to eat, but still, we shall kill animals. Still for this satisfaction of the tongue, we shall kill so many..., slaughterhouse, regular slaughterhouse. And you want to be happy. Your whole life is full of sinful activities, and you want to be happy? That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

Not for sense gratification. Don't use your money for sense gratification. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, yajñārthe karma. You are working hard not for..., do not work for hard, hard work, for sense gratification. In the, another place, in the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva, it is said that nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This body, this human body, is not meant for working hard like the hogs for sense gratification. But people have made it a civilization. They are working very hard, day and night, simply for sense gratification. This is compared like the hogs. You have seen so many hogs in Vṛndāvana, loitering. The whole day, they are working to find out where is stool. That is their business. So it may not be very pleasing, but these hogs, they are also living in Vṛndāvana, but why they are hogs? Because they came to Vṛndāvana and behaved like hogs. So Kṛṣṇa has given them the opportunity: "All right you live in Vṛndāvana as a hog." We should not come Vṛndāvana to behave like hogs. What is the behavior of the hog? Sex indulgence without any discrimination. That is hogs. Hog has no discrimination whether it is mother, sister, or this or that. Any sex will do. This is hog life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

Everything is meant for kāma, for sense gratification. Naturally, one should be inclined to earn money, more money, more money, and more sense gratification. That means he is becoming implicated. That he does not know. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ. Because they have become mad after sense gratification, they are doing everything which should not be done, vikarma. Karma vikarma akarma. So people are generally doing vikarma. Vikarma means forbidden, sinful activities. They are called vikarma. Karma is not sinful. Karma means according to the direction of the Vedas. That is called karma-kāṇḍa. But vikarma means against the principle of dharma. That is called vikarma.

So this has been observed. Therefore Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva says,

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

(SB 5.5.4)

"My dear boys, people are so mad after sense gratification that they are simply..." (break) ...increasing. So why they are increasing? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye, simply for sense gratification, no other business. If they go to the cinema or to the wine shop or to so many other things... There are varieties. Simply sense gratification. There is no other profit. But the śāstra says, na sādhu, na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). The people do not understand that this material body means suffering. They do not understand. They think very nice body. The cats and dogs may think like that. Just like hog. Hog is thinking, "I am very happy," and he is getting fatty. You will find. They think, "I am very happy." What is that happiness?

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

Who is a person here who is not... Why we are getting this fan? Because the body is suffering on account of excessive heat. This is called adhidaivika, the heat, excessive heat, excessive cold. These are also sufferings. This is called adhidaivika. But we are thinking, "We are very comfortable." We never think that "I do not want this heat. Why it is being forced upon me?" That he never considers. "If there is any remedy? I do not want it." But this body, as soon as you accept this material body made of these five elements, earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence... This is material body.

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye (SB 5.5.4). Simply we have got this... This bodily concept of life means the senses. Indriyāṇi parā... The senses are very prominent. So simply for sense gratification we are acting so much sinfully that we are becoming implicated. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye: (SB 5.5.4) "This is not good." Why? "Now, yata ātmanaḥ, the soul," ayam, ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ, "the ātmā, the soul, has accepted this body on account of this vikarma, on account of this vikarma." Therefore people should be instructed to be expert in sukarma, sukṛti, sukṛti. That sukṛti is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sukṛti. They should be instructed. Sukṛtivān. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Unless one is sukṛtivān, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore everyone should be instructed to become sukṛtivān, puṇyavān. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Unless one is free from all sinful activities simply by acting piously... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). They can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Kṛṣṇa worship. Others cannot do.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

"No, sir, there is no such insurance." At any moment the nature will call, "Please get out, immediately." "No, I have got to do some business." "No more, sir. Please get out immediately." Can you stop that? Then why you are making plan? Your real plan is not there. Whether you will be allowed to stay here? There is no insurance. And why you are taking so much trouble? Therefore, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4), the whole day, night, they are working like ass, but there is no assurance whether the happiness for which he is laboring so hard will be allowed to be enjoyed. There is no certainty.

So this is not... Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, "This is not good business, My dear boys, because you have got this body on account of this hard labor and planning in your last life." Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada: "Again you want to have another body to suffer in? What is this intelligence? You are already suffering. You have got all one type of body which means suffering, by your past activities. Again you are doing the same, to get another body to suffer? Is that very intelligence? No, that is not intelligence." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma, pramattaḥ (SB 5.5.4). These are madman's business. Real business is, "How I shall become permanently happy?" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

We should sit down tightly, depending on Kṛṣṇa... That we have already explained, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on. We have got heavy expenditure, but Kṛṣṇa is supplying. This is a fact. None of our boys and girls, they go to office or to factory or they earn. The... In Los Angeles, our neighborhood men, they're very envious. They say, "How you maintain such huge establishment and you do not work?" They cannot dream that without working one can eat. Yes. So here the fact, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. It is not that you have to work very hard. The... Everywhere in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is the instruction. In one place, in the Fifth Chapter of Fifth Canto, while Ṛṣabhadeva was instructing His boys, He also said, nāham, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This human form of body is not meant for working hard like the dogs and the hogs for simply for sense gratification; it is meant for tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). The human life is meant for tapasya, self-realization, tattva-jijñāsā. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization.

In the Vedic, in Mahābhārata, we don't find there is any industrial development or trade development. No. Nothing like that. Why Mahābhārata? Even two hundred years ago, before the British advent, there was no industry all over the India. And they were happy. So it is not that simply by increasing your fruitive activities, karmabhiḥ, you can become happy. No, that is not possible. If you simply restrict yourself for life, inquiring about the Absolute Truth, then you'll be happy. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is, that is the only business of the human form of life and not working hard like asses and cows. Sa eva go-karaḥ. These examples are there in the... I was giving the example while coming. Who was there? That this ass... Ass, one ass was going. So the ass, he can eat grass anywhere. There are so many grasses. But he's thinking that "Unless I work very hard, the washerman will not give me grass." You see? This is ass intelligence. Everything is there. Why ass? There are elephants. In Africa there are millions of elephants. They're eating at the, at one time, at least eighty-two pounds, but they are supplied food.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

There is no resultant action. Just like you know chick peas. Chick peas, if you sow on the ground, it will fructify into a plant. But the same chick pea, if it is fried and you sow on the ground, it will not fructify. So our karma should be fried up by devotional service. Then it will not produce any result. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So there is no resultant action of a devotee's activity. Therefore here it is said, kṣīyante ca asya karmāṇi. Unless you have completely finished your resultant action of karma, you cannot be promoted to the spiritual world. You have to accept a type of material body so long karma will go on. Therefore in another place, Bhāgavata, it is said that people are engaged as karmīs, and Ṛṣabhadeva says na sādhu manye. One is engaged in karma. It is not very good.

...na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

(SB 5.5.4)

By karma only we are getting different types of body, although it is temporary. But as soon as we are encaged in this body, we become subject to threefold miseries of life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

He appeared amongst the demigods. There are so many other incarnations, demigods. Tiryaṅ-narādi, tiryak. God appeared as incarnation of boar, incarnation of horse, incarnation of tortoise. Keśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Kūrma śarīra. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. There are so many incarnations. Keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare. Keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare. So He has got innumerable incarnations. As I have told you several times, just like the waves of the river, one cannot count, similarly, nobody can count how many incarnations are coming always, incessantly, one after another. So līlāvatārānurato deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu. And amongst the human beings, we know Lord Rāmacandra came, Lord Kṛṣṇa came, Ṛṣabhadeva came and Lord Caitanya came.

So Kṛṣṇa is always trying... Because He's the father. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Sarva-yoniṣu. There are different species of life, forms of life, because we wanted to enjoy this material world, to utilize the resources of material world. That is our activity, even at the present moment. Always. Everyone is busy how to exploit the resources of material nature. That is advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means how to exploit the material resources. But they do not know, the foolish people do not know that is not advancement. That is entanglement. That is not advancement. This knowledge, they are lacking. They do not know what is advancement. Advancement means advancement in spiritual life. That is advancement. We are spirit. In essence we are spirit soul. We have been encaged within this body. Therefore advancement means how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

aṣṭame merudevyāṁ tu

nābher jāta urukramaḥ

darśayan vartma dhīrāṇāṁ

sarvāśrama-namaskṛtam

(SB 1.3.13)

Translation: "The eighth incarnation was King Ṛṣabha, son of King Nābhi and his wife Merudevī. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection, which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and who are honored by all orders of life."

Prabhupāda: So there are some important words in this verse. The first thing is dhīrāṇām. Dhīrāṇām mean sober, gentle. There are two ways, because there are two kinds of people in this world. One is called dhīra, and the other is called adhīra. Adhīra means almost animal. They cannot control their senses. The dhīra, one who can control sense. He is called dhīra. In the Rūpa Gosvāmī's obeisances we find, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is appreciable by the both classes, dhīra and adhīra. Those who are advanced by austerities, controlling the senses, and those who are not so, very fallen, both of them, Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa fulfilled their desire in the vastra-haraṇa. Because a woman can become naked only before husband. That is Vedic. So Kṛṣṇa somehow or other made them naked so that... He declared that "You wanted Me as husband. So much, that's all." So people misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. Unless understood through authoritative sources, Kṛṣṇa is misunderstood. But He is the dhīra. He is not adhīra. He is not like ordinary man. Dhīra.

So here it is said that urukramaḥ. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described here as urukrama. Urukrama means one who acts very wonderful things which is not possible for ordinary human being. So He wanted to show the real path of life. Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, He was king, emperor of the world. So His instruction are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. (tapping sound) He instructed... (aside:) What is this sound? He instructed His sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life is not meant for sense enjoyment, which is available in the life of dogs and hogs." It was His instruction. He instructed that human society should be dhīra, self-controlled. That is ideal human society. That is Vedic civilization.

Here it is also stated, sarvāśrama-namaskṛtam. Āśrama. Sarva-āśrama. Āśrama. I have several times described that the brahmacārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama. Sarvāśrama, all orders of life. Varṇāśrama. The Vedic civilization is based on four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So Lord Ṛṣabhadeva planned in such a way to teach His sons—He had one hundred sons—that it will be honored by all the āśramas. Out of His one hundred sons, nine became sannyāsī. Nava Yogendra, very highly elevated spiritually, nine sons. And eighty-one sons...

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

So not by birth, one becomes engineer or medical man or this or... No. Everything by culture, by education. Similarly, the Vedic culture means everyone is given the chance to become first-class brāhmaṇa. That is called brahminical culture. Everyone is given. Because without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody can understand what is God. And the human life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business of human form of life. Not like cats and dogs—how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sexual intercourse, and how to defend. These the animals know. The birds, bees, they know how to do it.

This Ṛṣabhadeva, He taught that "My dear boys, this life, human form of life, is not to be wasted like hogs and dogs." Sense enjoyment is there amongst the hogs—better facility. No restriction. No restriction. In human society at least there is official some restriction. Mātrā svasrā duhitrā. All śāstra says, "There is no..." But there are societies—we do not want to discuss—who have sex relationship even with mother, sister, and daughter. Still. But it was formerly also. Not like that, very common. But śāstra says, mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā nāviviktāsano bhavet (SB 9.19.17). "You do not sit down in a secluded place even with your mother, with your sister, with your daughter." So people may say, "One becomes agitated by association of mother, sister, and daughter, many fools or most degraded." No. Śāstra says balavān indriya-grāmo vidvāṁsam api karṣati. "The senses are so strong that even one is very learned, he becomes agitated." He becomes agitated, even in the presence of mother, sister, and daughter.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So there are two kinds of knowledge, avidyā and vidyā. Real vidyā means brahma-vidyā. This brahma-jijñāsā, athāto brahma..., that is vidyā. That is real knowledge. And avidyā, karma-saṁjña. Another vidyā is how to learn technology, avidyā. Avidyā. That is avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. So now, at the present moment, the education is being given to the people how to work hard, karma-saṁjña. That is not now. That is the system everywhere, because everyone wants to enjoy senses as far as possible, so he has to work very hard. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find the instruction is by Ṛṣabhadeva, that this life is not meant for that simply hard labor for sense gratification. If you work hard, you try to work hard for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful. You have to work hard. If you want to enjoy senses, they are not very easily available. It is said that udyogināṁ praharṣaṁ praheti lakṣyam.(?) Unless you become industrious, laborious, you cannot enjoy even this material world.

So one has to work because his business is to become servant. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). So if he does not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then he will have to become servant of māyā. Just like same thing we are doing in this New Vrindaban or anywhere. The same thing. We are also cooking, we are also cleansing. So this is for Kṛṣṇa. So even if we get tired by cleansing for Kṛṣṇa, but that is an asset. Yes. And if we work the same thing for sense gratification, that is simply spoiling time. This is the technology of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we can achieve the highest perfection of life by doing the same thing. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

We have seen in Calcutta, somebody with sacred thread, he was pulling ṭhelā and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he said, Panditji, palale(?), means "I offer my respect to you," and the ṭhelā-wālā says, jitalau(?). This is the position. A brāhmaṇa is pulling ṭhelā; it is working like an ass. Pulling ṭhelā is not the business of human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brāhmaṇa, he is engaged in pulling ṭhelā. This is Kali's position, manda. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), unfortunate, unfortunate.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva has forbidden, that "This life, human form of life, is not meant for working so hard like hogs and dogs." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the advice. But we are advancing in civilization—to get our food, we have to work so hard. This is condemnation of life. Human life should be very peaceful, and without any hard work we shall get our food and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not that for senses gratification we work so hard like an ass. This is called anartha. Anartha means unwanted things. We can see practically. The birds and beasts, they are living very easy and comfortable life without any problem. They rise early in the morning regularly. You have seen. As soon as there is little light, immediately they will rise up and they will talk amongst themselves and go, one tree to another, and he will eat one or two fruits, little fruits, ample fruit. They have no scarcity of food. And live very pleasantly. For eating, sleeping, sex life, they have no problem. These are primary necessities of life. Why there should be problem for these things? But in the human society there is problem. That is called the effect of Kali-yuga. Effect of Kali-yuga means the so-called advancement of material civilization means to become godless, immoral, and they must suffer. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

So here you will find so many big, big politicians, leaders, they have accepted big, big burden like an ass, but they do not know why they are doing so. They do not know. Their only solace is a temporary satisfaction that "I have become president," "I have become this master," "I have become this," for few years. But he does not know what is his real business. So therefore the karmīs, they are working hard day and night, but he does not know why he is working so hard day and night.

So actually, they are working so hard simply for sense gratification. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Śāstra, Ṛṣabhadeva says that this body... This is also material body, but there is distinction between this body and the dog's body or the hog's body. The hog is, with this material body, he is working day and night, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" That is his business. As soon as he gets some stool, he eats and he is satisfied: "Now my labor is satisfied." Similarly, those who are working very hard day and night simply for sense gratification, they are no better than these hogs and dogs. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān. He does not know "Why I have got this first class body, human body, civilized body? What is my business?" Not for eating meat, and gambling, and intoxication. It is for self-realization, to understand what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God, and what is the aim of my life. It is meant for that. But they donot know, and because they do not know, asses, mūḍhas Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ they will not accept the existence of God, although God is inside and outside. This is the description of the mūḍhāḥ. Here it is said, ajñā. Ajñā means ignorant. And what is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is adhokṣajam. Adhok..., adhokṣaja. Adha, adhakṛta. Adhakṛta means subdued. Akṣaja, our knowledge, direct perception.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

So Lord Kṛṣṇa is addressed here as kṛṣṇa-sakha. Although Arjuna is Kuntī's son, subordinate, but she knows that Kṛṣṇa is more intimately related with Arjuna than herself. She knows that. Another kṛṣṇa-sakha means Kṛṣṇā. Kṛṣṇā is the name of Draupadī. So Kṛṣṇa saved Draupadī from insult. She was attempted to be naked by Duryodhana and Karṇa, but Kṛṣṇa saved her. So in that sense also Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-sakha. Vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabha. Ṛṣabha, the chief. The best man is called ṛṣabha. So in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, Kṛṣṇa is the chief. Because Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, therefore the dynasty became famous. That is already discussed previously. Malaya-candana. Just like sandalwood. Because sandal is produced in the Malaya, Malaysia now, the name, therefore it is called malaya-candana. Or sometimes it is produced in the Malaya Hills. There is hill, another.

So ṛṣabhāvani-dhrug rājanya. Avani-dhruk. Dhruk means rebellious. Actually a, a king should be representative of God. Representative of... The king's honor, in every country, kings, king is honored very gorgeously. Why? He's also human being, and the citizens are also human beings. Why the king is so honored? Just like spiritual master. A spiritual master is honored. Not only honored—in the śāstra it is said, nāvamanyeta karhicit. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). The spiritual master should not be, I mean to say, taken as ordinary human being. And the king also, practically we see, that we do not treat a king or a president like ordinary human being. What is the reason? What is the reason? The reason is that the king... King's another name is naradeva, "God in human form." Naradeva. So king is honored because a king is supposed to be representative of God. Therefore he's honored. His business is... Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is maintainer, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

"There is perplexity, my dear Kṛṣṇa. I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ: "I am kṣatriya, but due to my weakness, I am crying to avoid fight. So therefore please instruct me. Because You can, I understand that You can give me the right instruction; therefore I become Your śiṣya." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is known as Pārtha-sārathi. Pārtha-sārathi, Kṛṣṇa-sakha, Yaśodā-nandana, Nanda-nandana, Vāsudeva, Devakī-nandana. So God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names on account of His different varieties of activities with His devotees. This is the science of understanding Kṛṣṇa's name. Kṛṣṇa-sakha and Vṛṣṇi-ṛṣabha, "The best of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty." Because Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, so He's the best, Ṛṣabha. Ṛṣabha means the best. And because Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, therefore the whole family became very famous. And His business was avani-dhrug-rājanya-vaṁśa, vaṁśa-dahana. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).

So in this way Kṛṣṇa should be described in connection with different activities. But those who are impersonalists, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, and being impersonalists, they do not believe in the activities of the Supreme. They think that when the Supreme Absolute Truth comes in the material world, in the material form, then "There is activity?" They cannot understand. Athāpi te deva padām... Therefore nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without being trained up by a self-realized devotee. If a... If one takes the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's representative, devotee, then it doesn't matter what he is. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ (SB 2.4.18). If he has taken shelter of a pure devotee—never mind he's a kirāta, hūṇa, āndhra, pulinda, pulkaśā—he is śudhyanti. He becomes purified, and gradually he understands Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

There is no scarcity of wife. Live peacefully. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. "No, I have got my wife; I want another. I want another." Like dogs. Yes. So the dog civilization cannot help us. This will not help us. Human life is meant for something else. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujām (SB 5.5.1). Everything is discussed in Bhāgavata. Therefore we request the whole human society to read these valuable books, valuable. Oh, they are missing the opportunity. Let them read these books. Then life will be successful.

So this human life is not meant for like dogs and cats and hogs. That is said in the Bhāgavatam. You will find in the Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter, Ṛṣabhadeva. Every word is so valuable. Just like here in these verses, sarve tam anunirjagmur bhrātaraḥ. How ideal brothers they were. "My elder brother is going, retiring, going to the Himalayan side," all the brothers followed. When the elder brother was king, they acted. They did not fight, that "We are five brothers. Why you shall become king? I shall become king." No, there was a fight. One of them, the elder brother, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, was enthroned, and the other brothers, they acted as commanders of the soldiers. One brother is going one side of the earth to fight, to subdue the rascals. There was fight to subdue the rascals, not for ambition. Because he was emperor, so anyone who is doing wrong irreligiously, go there and fight. That was fight. That is called dharma-yuddha. Just like you can maintain police force, military force. What for? Whenever there is outlaws, go and punish them. That should be the system. That should be... Military force is required, violence is required, when there is irreligion. Then must be, they must be made religious. And because such government was there... That we have discussed. During Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, everything was peaceful, adayovyadha(?)... Even people did not suffer from excessive heat, excessive cold. This is also another punishment. Just like disease is punishment, similarly, excessive heat and excessive cold is also punishment. That is not very good. But Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's time was such, they did not feel. People did not feel.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Of course, it is an attempt. Not that anyone will be successful. But if everyone follows the simple rules and regulation, he will be successful. There is no doubt about it. There is no doubt about it. The four simple regulative principle: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and chant sixteen rounds. Very simple method.

Because the difficulty is they do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life, that we are conditioned by this material nature, embodied by the material elements, and that is the cause of our all miserable condition of life. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Pramattaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are so mad under the bodily... Everyone is under the... Big, big scientists also, they are also. They don't believe there is soul. Big, big scientists, politicians, philosophers. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They remain animals. If anyone has taken this body as the self... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. So the modern Kali-yuga is very, very dangerous for the human being. They are given chance by the laws of nature, "Now take your birth as human being." Because to get a body as a human being or as a demigod or as a king or as a lower class man or as an animal, as an..., that is not in our hands. That is in the nature's hands.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Delhi, November 4, 1973:

This is the position. This is the position of the material world. They have lost interest even to hear about the transcendental life, what is this life, what is next life, how we can improve, how, where we are going. Nothing. Simply like cats and dogs they are working hard. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. Viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the hogs, the pigs who are eating stool. They are also working very hard for finding out the stool, "Where there is stool? Where there is stool? Where there is stool?"

So Ṛṣabhadeva warned, "My dear sons, this life, this human form of life, is not meant for working so hard simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending." Then what it is meant for? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). "My dear boys, just try to become austere. Just tapasya." Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some difficulties. Not difficulties. Just like in our Society we say, "No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." But in the Western countries, these things are daily affair. But they have given up. But they have not..., have died. All these boys and girls who have taken up Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they have given up. No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication. They do not drink even tea, coffee. They do not smoke even cigarette. This is tapasya, little tapasya. (break)

Everything is there. But we have become so unfortunate, led by rascal and fools leaders, that we are missing the opportunity of this human form of life where we can solve all the problems of life, and the indications are there, here in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that "I give you order.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

"Bhārata" because Parīkṣit Mahārāja happened to be a descendant of the Kuru dynasty. The Kuru dynasty was begun from King Bharata, Bharata. There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Rāmacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Mahārāja Daśaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty. His name is also Bharata. And another Bharata was the son of King Ṛṣabhadeva, by whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So he is addressing Parīkṣit Mahārāja as the descendant of King Bharata, Bhārata." He bhārata. You have to talk and hear about sarvātmā, the Supersoul who is sitting in everyone's heart, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences." Bhagavān, this word, every word, suggests volumes of meaning. And Hari: "who can take away all your sufferings." Īśvara: "and He is the controller, supreme controller."

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

"Give him two hundred rupees. Let him go to hell." This is like (that). It is like that. "Let this rascal go to hell. What can I do?"

So all these rascals, some, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, are suffering in this material world, and he is thinking that this dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu (SB 2.1.4) will give him protection. This is rascaldom. Nobody can give you protection. Only Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, tasmād bhārata. Bhārata. Bhārata means he is the descendant of King Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This is Bhāratavarṣa. This planet is called Bhāratavarṣa because formerly it was ruled by Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Therefore it is called Bhārata-varṣa. So this Mahārāja Parīkṣit belonged to that dynasty, Bhārata dynasty, and he is addressed as Bhārata. Sometimes you will find Arjuna is also addressed as Bhārata, Vidura is addressed as Bhārata, because they belongs to the same family, Bhārata family. So tasmād bhārata: "My dear king, Parīkṣit Mahārāja..." Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā, sarvātmā. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is only in Goloka Vṛndāvana. No. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhutaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is God. As you are sitting here, you are not sitting at home. That is finished. Means you are limited. But Kṛṣṇa, He is sitting everyone's heart; still, He is in Goloka. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they, another kind of fools, they think Kṛṣṇa like us. They consider that "If I am sitting here, how can I sit everywhere?" They think that "Kṛṣṇa is like me." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). These rascals, they think Kṛṣṇa like himself. Because he is sitting one place, he cannot be anywhere else, similarly, Kṛṣṇa also, if He is in India, He is not in Europe.

Lecture on SB 2.9.7 -- Tokyo, April 24, 1972:

Then he is mut." If the son... After begetting son, if the son does not become devotee, then he is as good as mut. I pass urine. Mut son, he says, because he's less than mut. Because mut, I pass urine. The obnoxious thing, that is gone away. But it is present. It is present. The bad smell is constantly giving me trouble. Mut karma's there.(?) So these are very instructive. So why this is? Anyone... Everyone is son of God, but one who is acting as real son of God, he is praised, "He is my only son." This idea, not that God is limited to produce only one son. Why? God has unlimited sons. He is unlimited. If an ordinary man can beget hundreds of sons, just like Dhṛtarāṣṭra... There are many instances..., Ṛṣabhadeva. So why God should be restricted to beget only one son? I asked this question in church to some Christian priest, that "God is limited or unlimited?" He said, "Unlimited." "Then why you are restricting, limited one son?" He could not answer. You know that? Why you are limiting? He is unlimited. The ordinary person can beget hundreds of thousands. Why God, unlimited, He should be restricted to one son? The interpretation should be... Anyway, that Tulasī dāsa says that if he is devotee, then he is son. Otherwise it is urine. The God has begotten many sons... Just like... The only worthy son was Jesus Christ—you can interpret it like that—because he was giving service to the Lord, to the father. He brought the message of father.

So our interpretation is like that, not that God has got only one son, but he is the only worthy son. All are mut. Anyone who is not God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, mut put(?). Then? Read the purport.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

So we have to understand Bhagavān and we have to hear from Him. And He's speaking perfectly in the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And if you take it yad viditvā, if you are fortunate enough to understand the words of Kṛṣṇa and Kapiladeva, then the result will be vimucyeta: immediately become liberated. If you are fortunate enough, if you are intelligent enough to understand the words of Kapiladeva or Kṛṣṇa or Ṛṣabhadeva—there are so many incarnations—then puruṣaḥ prākṛtair vimucyeta. Vimucyeta means become free, uncontaminated. What is that contamination? Prākṛta-guṇa, these material infection that "I'm brāhmaṇa," "I'm kṣatriya," "I'm vaiśya," "I'm śūdra," "I'm American," "I'm Indian," "I'm this," "I'm that." These are all prakṛti. Prakṛti, material qualifications. Even if you are perfect brāhmaṇa, that is also material qualification. But in the platform of pure brāhmaṇa you can have the chance of understanding the aprākṛta, adhokṣaja. Therefore you have to become brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa. Then there is chance.

So in this age it is very difficult to become exactly Vedic brāhmaṇa. That's very, very difficult because everyone has become śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga you cannot find out exactly a qualified brāhmaṇa. Very rare, very rare. Therefore Vedic brāhmaṇa is not possible. It is... Our movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is creating pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Pāñcarātriki-vidhi-brāhmaṇa means there is no evidence of, there is no certainty whether one is brāhmaṇa or son of brāhmaṇa because so many things are lacking. But, if he has got little taste of Kṛṣṇa understanding, he should be encouraged. That is pāñcarātriki. Just like if there is little fire you fan it-fan it and it will come out a big blazing fire. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to do that, and it is easier because in the śāstra it is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that there is one opportunity.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

So we shall be very much careful about the senses. The whole yogic process means to control the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Indriyas are so powerful that it drags us to the hellish condition of life. It is very difficult. So this material world means all crazy, mad fellow after sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Why they are acting unlawful things, either stately unlawful or according to scripture unlawful? Yad indriya-prītaye, only for sense gratification. Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti.

So śāstra says... It is the statement of Ṛṣabhadeva. He says, na sādhu manye: "No, no. It is not good." Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam. Ātmanaḥ, the soul. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). The ātmā is covered by this material body, although it is temporary. Sometimes it is for ten years or sometimes twenty years, sometimes hundred years, sometimes millions of years, but it is limited. Either you get the body of Lord Brahmā or the body of the poor ant, they are all temporary. It will be finished. So although it is finishable...

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

So we have been accustomed to this habit of material disadvantages. We have no information of spiritual life. Therefore śāstra says that we should try... This life, human life, is not meant for suffering but to make endeavor to end suffering. That is human life. Human life is not meant for suffering like the animals. Just like the life of pig. Is that very good life? Whole day and night they are searching after stool, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" because that is their enjoyment. Actually, if you give a pig halavā and, side by side, stool, he would prefer to accept the stool than the halavā because he is habituated to that kind of food. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says that human life... He was instructing to His sons, "My dear sons, don't be like pigs. You just become like human being." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear sons, don't try to get happiness like the pigs, dogs, hogs." Kaṣṭān kāmān. With hard labor, you get some food, and then you enjoy sex life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Material life means to work very hard day and night and get some money and then eat sumptuously. Eat, drink, be merry and then enjoy sex life. That's all. So Ṛṣabhadeva said, "My dear sons, this kind of standard of life is available in the life of pigs." Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate ye viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means stool-eaters.

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

So the multi-energy is divided into three division. That is called antaraṅga-śakti, internal energy, external energy, and the marginal energy. All of them are energies, or prakṛti. So in the Sāṅkhya philosophical discussion, Devahūti—she is also the mother of Kapiladeva—she asked this intelligent question: "What are the characteristic of the prakṛti, and what are the characteristic of the puruṣa?" Prakṛteḥ puruṣasyāpi lakṣaṇaṁ puruṣottama. He (she) is addressing his (her) son, Kapiladeva, God, as Puruṣottama. Uttama puruṣa. Uttam a, madhyama, and adhama. There is a comparative. So uttama puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation like Kapiladeva, Ṛṣabhadeva. There are many incarnations. So they are all Puruṣottama.

So, so far in this material conception of life there are two puruṣas, one, the living entity, and the other is the Supersoul. So above this... Living entity is the adhama-puruṣa, and the Supersoul is the madhyama-puruṣa, and Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is uttama-puruṣa, the Supreme. And in this material world the adhama-puruṣa is called also nitya-baddha. Similarly, there are other living entities in the spiritual world, they are called nitya-mukta or nitya-siddha. They never come in this material world. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, he describes some comparison, that the sea fishes, they never come to the river. The river fishes sometimes go to the sea, but the sea fishes, they never come to the river. Similarly, there are living entities in the spiritual world. They never come in this material world. Their number is greater, at least three times greater than all the living entities within this material world. And the Supersoul, He is also living entity, but superior, Supersoul. Soul and Supersoul.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

It is full of avidyā." Avidyā-karma-saṁjña. And here karma is very prominent. Everyone is trying work, trying to work very hard to get some profit out of it just to become happy. So in the modern civilization especially, they are being trained up to work very hard and, to get strength, eat meat, and to digest meat drink wine, and then become infuriated and work very hard. This is the modern type of civilization. But Vedic civilization is different. Vedic civilization is not meant for working so hard. The human being should be very peaceful and sober and intelligent and cultivate spiritual knowledge, become brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. This is Vedic culture.

So Vedic culture or the representative of Vedic culture, Mahārāja King Ṛṣabhadeva, He advised His sons, "My dear sons, this human life, human form of life, is not meant for working hard like the animals. This is not." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Kaṣṭān kāmān. Kāmān means we require some necessities of life, but civilization should not be made in such a way that one has to live at the cost of sacrificing everything. This is not human civilization. Kaṣṭān kāmān. Everyone wants something. That is required. So long the body is there, we must have to eat, we must have to sleep, we require sense gratification and protection or security. This is required. But the Vedic civilization was very simplified, simplified. A class of ideal men, the brāhmaṇa, they are ideal. They are simply assimilating the Vedic knowledge and guiding others—kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—how to live peacefully. The kṣatriya, they are meant for giving protection to the people, security. And the vaiśya is meant for producing food. And śūdra, because they cannot do anything independently, they must serve these three masters: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. So this is very scientific.