SB 06.01.18 prayascittani cirnani.. cited

Expressions researched:
"na nispunanti rajendra" |"narayana-paranmukham" |"prayascittani cirnani" |"sura-kumbham ivapagah"

SB Canto 6

SB 6.1.18, Translation and Purport:

My dear King, as a pot containing liquor cannot be purified even if washed in the waters of many rivers, nondevotees cannot be purified by processes of atonement even if they perform them very well.

To take advantage of the methods of atonement, one must be at least somewhat devoted; otherwise there is no chance of one's being purified. It is clear from this verse that even those who take advantage of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa, but are not at least slightly devoted cannot be purified simply by following these other paths. The word prāyaścittāni is plural in number to indicate both karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, kevala viṣera bhāṇḍa. Thus Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura compares the paths of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa to pots of poison. Liquor and poison are in the same category. According to this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, a person who has heard a good deal about the path of devotional service, but who is not attached to it, who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, is like a pot of liquor. Such a person cannot be purified without at least a slight touch of devotional service.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, automatically they are suśīlāḥ, their characters are very nice, suśīlāḥ. Sādhava, and they are actually saintly persons. Others cannot be accepted because they have got chance of falling down, but those who are devotees, they cannot fall. Kṛṣṇa will protect them. Suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ.

prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni

nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham

na niṣpunanti rājendra

surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ

Prāyaścittāni, the process of atonement or the process of austerity, penance, they are not safe. Kiṁ na nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. They are not safe in this sense: because they are nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. Parāṅmukham, devoid of devotional service. They are thinking by this practice of self-realization process, austerities, they'll be safe. But there is no sense of devotional service, such persons are not safe. Prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham, na niṣpunanti. Therefore they are not completely freed from the contamination. The example is given, na niṣpunanti rājendra surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. Just like the pot which contains wine, they are even washed by the river they are not accepted, they are not purified. In India the process is, which is still, that big earthen pot which contains wine, they are thrown into the river, but nobody touches, although it is washed very nicely. Nowadays the situation is different. Formerly anything which contained wine, it is never purified. It is never to be touched. Surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

Nitāi: "Those persons who are performing many processes of atonement cannot become purified by such atonement due to their being nondevotees, just as a pot containing liquor cannot be purified even if it is washed by all the rivers combined together."

Prabhupāda:

prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni

nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham

na niṣpunanti rājendra

surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ

(SB 6.1.18)

Ivāpagāḥ. So here is one significant word, surā-kumbham. Everything is washed very nicely. If you go to the river, you can wash very nicely. But just see how much infectious is liquor that the any pot or any bottle which was filled up with liquor, they cannot be purified. This is Vedic civilization. How much condemned is liquor! Because a pot was filled up with liquor, you cannot use it for any other purpose. It is lost. Even if you wash it very nicely, no, it will not be accepted. Finished. Similarly, there are many processes of purification; they cannot be as useful as bhagavad-bhakti. Bhagavad-bhakti is so nice that Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender to Me," sarva-dharmān parityajya, "and immediately you become immune from all reaction of sinful activity, immediately."

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

So there are different varieties of religious system, but if you execute your particular type of religious system very perfectly but the result, if you do not become attached to Kṛṣṇa, your love for Kṛṣṇa is not awakened, then simply by performing such ritualistic ceremony or rules and regulation of your religious system, if you do not become develop yourself to love God, then it is all useless waste of time. It has no meaning. That is the test, how to become, how to advance in loving service of the Lord. That is the... Then you are religious, you are philosopher, you are great man, you are everything. Otherwise, if you do not awaken your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa, or God, then all such labor is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi (SB 1.2.8). By performing religious ceremonies or following the religious principle, the test is how one has become advanced in the loving service of the Lord. This is required. And his example is very strong, that surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. Surā-kumbha, the pot which contained liquor, it cannot be purified. Therefore it is so strictly prohibited about liquor.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

So that is required. Prāyaścitta and other things, they may be temporarily... That is... We are discussing this point. The real point is that nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. Without thinking of Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, no other method will be able to purify you. There are many places... Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā... (BG 4.10). What is that verse? Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ... (BG 4.10). The simple process to become purified. And that simple process is this chanting. Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, this name "Kṛṣṇa" is reminding me. I must hear and I must chant with the tongue. Then you keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our method is very simple. It doesn't require much education or to become rich or become beautiful or become..., to take birth in high family. No. In any condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. If you want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there is no impediment in the world. You can, walking on the street, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will keep you purified. No other method. This is the purport of this verse.

prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni

nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham

na niṣpunanti rājendra

surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ

So this purificatory process... Bhakti means purificatory process. We are impure. Because we are impure, therefore we are undergoing so many tribulations, so many miserable condition of life. Otherwise we are spirit soul, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Our position is ānandamaya. Ānandamaya, the Vedānta-sūtra says, ānandamaya..., "By nature, spirit soul is ānandamaya, always full of jolly." You see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full of jolly. Always you see pictures of Kṛṣṇa, either He is playing with the cowherds boy or either He is killing some demon, He is laughing, very sportively He is killing. And what to speak of with the gopīs and Rādhārāṇī? Because He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), always full of happiness and bliss. And we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our position is the same, maybe in small scale. The position is the same, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānandamaya. So why should we be morose? Why should we be unhappy? Because we are now at the present moment covered with the sinful reaction of our life. So if we purify ourself... Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). We have already discussed, or that will be discussed later. The human life is meant for that. Purify. Don't keep yourself unclean. Purify. Then you regain your original, spiritual life. That is the only business.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Chapter Three, verse number eighteen. (devotees repeat)

prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni

nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham

na niṣpunanti rājendra

surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ

(SB 6.1.18)

So bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is so powerful that simply by taking to the bhakti-yoga according to the rules and regulation one is supposed to be purified. Yesterday we have discussed, sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ. First of all we are so ignorant that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern education, modern civilization, they are so much misled that they do not know what is the aim of... Ask anybody, very learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, or medical man, engineer, lawyer, that "What is the aim of life?" Nobody knows. They think aim of life—eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that's all. This is aim of life. So that is not the aim of life. That eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is being done by the cats and dogs and hogs. So do you mean to say that this human form of life is also meant for that purpose? No. Human life is meant for understanding "What I am? What is God? What is relationship with God? Why I am here in this material world? Why I am suffering?" These are the questions for human life. Eating, sleeping, mating, that is wanted because we have got this body. So suppose there is car and a driver. So the petrol and grease, these things are required for the car. But you cannot eat petrol and grease and live. That is not possible. You have to eat something else. So we are thinking that the bodily necessities, petrol and grease, is my food(?). That is the mistake.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

So there are different methods how to get out of the suffering condition, karmī, jñānī, yogi. But ultimate, very easy process is, if you become a devotee, if you become engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is very easy. Kṣemaḥ akuto-bhayaḥ. Then your prosperity, your auspicity, is guaranteed. Kṣemaḥ akuto-bhayaḥ. Akuto-bhayaḥ means "without any fear." You can keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it is prescribed. Then your life is secure, akuto-bhayaḥ. Therefore no more fear. Because why? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you become surrendered unto Me and if you keep yourself under My instruction, then I'll give you protection." Therefore it is said, akuto-bhayam. Then your character will be formed, you'll become... You'll manifest your all good qualities simply by becoming nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. And so far atonement... We began this atonement. So atonement is concerned, here it is said, prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. You can have some atonement, but if you are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so this purification will not be complete. How? Rājendra surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. According to Vedic civilization, a pot in which wine was kept, it is impure forever. It is impure forever. You cannot use for any other purpose. It is so abominable. If you think that "This bottle contained wine. Now wine is finished. Wash it, then it becomes pure," then according to Vedic civilization wine is so impure that even the pot in which wine was kept, it will never become pure. Surā... These examples outsider cannot understand, but it is said in the śāstra.