Madhusūdana is Kṛṣṇa's another name. So when Kṛṣṇa saw that Arjuna is unnecessarily disturbed, then, taṁ tathā kṛpayāviṣṭam aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam (BG 2.1). Aśru-pūrṇa: his eyes was full with tears. "Kṛṣṇa, I have to fight with my relatives." So he was crying, that "This is not very good business." So why he was crying? Kṛpayāviṣṭam: being merciful upon them. They were so cruel upon the Pāṇḍavas that they insulted their wife, they tricked how to take away their kingdom. All this injustice was done to them. Still, because Arjuna is a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, still, he was sympathetic: "No, no, let them do whatever they have done, but I am not going to kill them." So kṛpayāviṣṭam aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam (BG 2.1), viṣīdantam. Bhagavān uvāca. Then, after Arjuna being silent not to fight, then Bhagavān... Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences. That is called Bhagavān.
Trick (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"trick"
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|"trickster"
|"tricksters"
|"tricky"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Because as soon as one falls a prey to the sex desire, then his whole career may be spoiled. May be spoiled. But if he is strongly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no such chance. But this brāhmaṇa Ajāmila, he saw. Naturally, he was young man, and the woman also played some trick.
So later on he became a victim of that woman. She was a prostitute. And then he forgot his father and mother, his wife, everything, home, everything forgotten. So he became addicted to that prostitute, and to maintain he became a thief, rogue, burglar, drunkard, anything, someway or other bring money, bring money, bring money. You see. So he was doing that. In this way his life was spoiled.
Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam. Kauśalam means expert trick, expert trick. Just like there are two men working. One man is very expert; another man is not so expert. Even in machinery. There is something wrong in the machine. The, the man who is not very expert, he's trying whole day-night, how to adjust it, but the expert comes and at once sees what is the defect, and he joins one wire, this way and that way, and machine becomes start. Hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum, hrzum.
So yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50). So Lord says that the, that this spiritual platform is the karmasu kauśalam. Kauśalam means expert service, expert, kauśalam. Kuśala. Kuśala means auspicious, and from kuśala, it comes to kauśala. That means if you learn the trick, how to work on the platform of yoga, then that is the highest technique of doing work. Buddhi-yukto jahā... And result of that work, what is that? Now, buddhi-yuktaḥ. When you work from the spiritual platform with your intelligence, then jahāti iha ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte. Sukṛta-duṣkṛta. Now, for ordinary work, if you do good work, then you have to take good result. And if you do bad work, or sinful work, then if you have, you have to take the effect of such bad and sinful work. Sukṛta and duṣkṛta.
Yes. The trick is that because Gītā is a very reputed literature and Dr. Radhakrishnan, he's also a reputed scholar, so he thought that "I can..." Now, at the present moment, the things are going that everyone can give his own interpretation. That is the modern tendency, that everyone can give his own interpretation in any literature. So that, I mean to say, propensity, is also in Dr. Radhakrishnan, in Gandhi, and many other persons also. They are renowned persons of the world. So they have translated, and they have given their own opinion. But actually, so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it is to be understood in the process as recommended by Kṛṣṇa. That is clear here.
Devotee: That can't be done artificially though. Nobody can do like a trick.
Prabhupāda: Artificially?
Devotee: Yes, no one can develop a spiritual body just by His own whim, "Oh I shall develop spiritual body."
Prabhupāda: This Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice is turning this material body into spiritual body. How it is done? The example I have several times given, that you put the iron in the fire. The more it is warm, it becomes fire. When the iron is red hot—that when the iron has acquired the qualities of fire—you touch the iron anywhere, it will act as fire. Similarly, this body, although it is material—there are so many examples.
'This is all rascaldom; come to Kṛṣṇa,' this is not good. This is not good." Because he wants to keep the tail like this. However apply ointment, it comes like this. (laughter) This is the disease. They want material things. That's all. "If by mantra, if by some tricks, we can enhance our material enjoyment, oh, it is very nice. Let us take some drug and become in the fools' paradise and think, 'Oh, I am in the spiritual world.' " They want like this. They want to remain in fools' paradise. But when we offer real paradise, they reject.
So everyone who identifies with this body, he's a crazy man. He's a crazy man. It is a challenge to the world. Anyone who claims God's property, God's land, God's earth, as own property, he's a crazy man. This is a challenge. Let anyone establish that this is his property, this is his body. You are simply, by nature, you are, by the tricks of nature, you are put into some place. You are put under some body. You are put under some consciousness, and you are dictated by the laws of nature.
Similarly, we, every one of us under the complete clutches of the material nature, and we are being put, sometimes this body, sometimes that body. Now, fortunately, you have got human form of body. Oh, but, don't you see there are so many bodies? So many bodies. There are eight million, four hundred thousands of bodies, and, by the laws of nature, by the tricks of nature, you can be put into any kind of body according to your work. So you are completely under the grip of nature. This time, fortunately or unfortunately, I have got this human form of life, but next time I may get the body of a dog or the body of a god. That will depend on my work.
He's ready to give you instruction. From inside and outside also. Inside He's sitting. He's ready to give you instructions. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). "I am sitting in everyone's heart."
Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānaṁ apohanaṁ ca: "From Me, one remembers, one forgets." When you forget something, that is also Kṛṣṇa's trick. Because... Just like there are some persons who are devotees and some persons who are demons. So if anyone wants to become a demons, Kṛṣṇa is within. He'll give him intelligence in such a way that he becomes a first-class demon. What is the duty of the first-class demon? That he'll never understand Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) That is first-class demon.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"I would fight with you, I want to fight with you," the kṣatriya will never deny. If somebody comes forward to a kṣatriya, that "I want to play chess or gamble..." Gambling was allowed to the kṣatriyas. It is by gambling all the Pāṇḍavas, they lost everything. The Kauravas, his brother, they made a trick to challenge—because a kṣatriya cannot deny—that "We want to play games with you and betting." So they betted their kingdom, their wife, and their everything. Then they were banished. There was a trick to make them humiliated in every respect. So kṣatriya, because a kṣatriya cannot refuse, if any opposing party comes to a kṣatriya that "I want to fight with you," a kṣatriya cannot deny. And that fighting would go up to the death, till it is decided. One must die.
"All right." He was killed in the evening, which is neither day nor night. He wanted that "I shall not be killed on land, on water, on air." "All right." He was killed on the lap. This is God. But you may be very intelligent to trick with God, but God is still more intelligent to, I mean to say, cut down all your tricks, and He must put you into death. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). That you cannot avoid. If you, you say there is no God, God will come at the time of your death. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu; he did not believe in God. God came, "Yes, here is God, you see now what is God."
He's smoking, and it is cool?" So contradiction. You'll find contradiction everywhere. Because they are not intelligent, they are thinking intelligent. But anyone who is intelligent, they can understand what is the trick.
So when actually one becomes intelligent, then the enquiry is: "Why? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? I do not want this, and it is forced upon me. I do not want to die; death is there. I do not want disease; the disease is there. I do not want this; it is forced upon me. I don't want war, but they, the draft board drags me to the war. Why these are?" This "why" question must be there. That is intelligence. That is Kenopaniṣad, Kena. There is Upaniṣad, Kena. And Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he also inquired this "Why?"
"This is not my responsibility. It is God's work. He'll see." Then you'll be happy. That practice you have to do, everything on account of the Supreme. That transcendental nature we have to develop. Tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50). This is the trick of doing work in these present circumstances. As soon as we work on the platform of bodily consciousness, we become bound up by the reaction of my works. And as soon as I work on spiritual consciousness, I am not bound up either by sukṛti or duṣkṛti, either by pious activities or by, I mean to say, vicious activities. That is the technique.
So Nārada Muni's business is to travel all over the universe and make Vaiṣṇava. So this Bali Mahārāja, he conquered all over the universe, and the demigods were defeated. So Vāmanadeva, He also one of the considered demigods, Upendra. So He went to Bali Mahārāja by a trick. Because Bali Mahārāja... Kṛṣṇa knows that Bali Mahārāja was the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja and he was a great devotee at heart. He knew that. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Lord is situated in everyone's heart. He knows everyone. So therefore, in order to return back the kingdoms taken from the demigods, He made a trick. He went there. Bali Mahārāja was performing a great sacrifice, Bali-dhare.(?) So He went there and asked Bali Mahārāja, "Bali Mahārāja, you are performing such a great sacrifice.
Brahmā saw that Kṛṣṇa is playing with the same cowherd boys, cows, calves, and he was astonished. He went, came to test that "It is being advertised that one boy is now born, is there in Vṛndāvana, and He's being accepted as Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, my Lord." So he played some tricks. He stolen away. But the next moment he saw. Next moment means one year. He saw that Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself in so many living entities. And later on he saw that everyone is Viṣṇu. Everyone is Viṣṇu. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya dīpāyate (Bs. 5.46). Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's aṁśa. He expands just like candle. One candle is lit up by another candle, another candle. In this way, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, in the hundreds of times.
Then puruṣāda-darśanāt. They met one Hiḍimba Rākṣasa, man-eater demon. So Bhīma fought with him and killed him. Similarly, asat-sabhāyāḥ, in the assembly of asat... Asat means those who are not gentle, not gentlemen. In the sabhā, in the assembly, there was Dhṛtarāṣṭra, there was Bhīṣmadeva, Droṇācārya, all elderly persons, and there was trick of playing chess. So somehow or other, Draupadī was taken as bet: "If we lose, then Draupadī is no longer our wife. It is up to you." So lost the game. So immediately Karṇa and Duḥśāsana captured her: "Now you are not your husbands'. You are our property. We can deal with you as we like."
So Karṇa also went to contest, and he had very much attraction for Draupadī, but Draupadī wanted to get Arjuna as her husband. So she pointed out... Because she knew that "If Karṇa takes the contest, he will be victorious. Karṇa is more expert than Arjuna"; therefore she played a trick that "This svayaṁvara ceremony is meant for the kṣatriyas, not for others. I cannot accept my husband, anyone else except the kṣatriya.
"No, this child will be born from your ear." Akṣata-yoni. Akṣata-yoni means a girl who has no union with any other man. That is called akṣata-yoni. So in this way Karṇa was born, but he was raised by a carpenter. Therefore he was not considered to be a kṣatriya. So Draupadī knew that Karṇa, if he contests, then he will be victorious, so she played a trick that "I cannot allow anyone else except the kṣatriyas to contest in this svayaṁvara."
So Karṇa had attraction for Draupadī, and he remembered the insult also, that "Draupadī has insulted me, not to allow to take part in the contest." Now that old grudge, he wanted to fulfill. When Draupadī was lost in the gambling, so this Duryodhana and others, they are... They were very friendly to Karṇa.
Oh, immediately he delivered. Although he was very cautious that these five arrows may not be missing, but promise is promise. Immediately he delivered. So Bhīṣma understood later on that the five arrows were taken by Arjuna by trick. So still, he promised that "Even without those five weapons, today I shall kill Arjuna. Unless Kṛṣṇa gives His special protection to Arjuna, there is no escape. Either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise, otherwise His friend will be killed."
People now, they have taken to democracy. Democracy is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no more monarchy or the kingdom ruled by the kṣatriyas, but amongst the people who will be tricky, some way or other get the votes of the people, he will be seated on the throne. That is stated. Some way or other. So therefore, people are in trouble because so many rascals, they somehow or other manage to get some vote and become the president and minister and... So what they know? They do not know how to govern, how to bring peace in the country. But this monarchy, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, just see. Because for the sake of his personal interest so many have been killed, he was sorry. Just see. Not that some way or other, you divide India: "Let me become Prime Minister, that's all."
He has to manage all these. How He is managing? Is He managing personally? No. He is managing through His potency, ātma-māyayā. Here it is said, ātma-māyayā. Samanvety eṣa sattvānāṁ bhagavān ātma-māyayā. Māyā means energy, energy, tricks. This is called māyā. So everything is being done by His potency. So the Māyāvādī philosopher, they says, "When Bhagavān is everywhere—His action is visible in every step, every atom, everywhere—then the original..., where is the original form of Bhagavān? Everything is Bhagavān." That is called nirviśeṣavādi, nirākāravādi, "Bhagavān has no ākāra. He is finished. Because He is everywhere, therefore there cannot be any particular form of God." This is nirviśeṣavādi.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, therefore, says, māyār bośe, jāccho bhese': "You rascal, you are going, floating under the spell of māyā." Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi: "And sometimes you are drowned and sometimes in the up by the tricks of the waves. Why you are leading such life?" Jīv kṛṣṇa-dās, e biśwās, korle to' ār duḥkho nāi: "You come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and try to understand that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa; you are being carried away by the whims of māyā. So that will make you happy." Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, er, Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us, patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My Lord," ayi nanda-tanuja, "O the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience."
Then you are a mūḍha. If, by your intelligence, you learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him with bhāva, that is real intelligence. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). And if you try to become intelligent, some tricks, material trick, to get some money or cheat others, that is not very good intelligence. These cats and dogs that... They have also such intelligence. How to steal food from the room, the cat knows very well. So that is not intelligence. That intelligence can be found, even birds, beasts, everywhere. Real intelligence is how to regain your Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be promoted to the stage of bhāva, and at the time of death maintain that bhāva, and then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9).
That was his purpose. He wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. He was first of all ready to kill his sister. When he heard that "Your sister's eighth son will kill you," so Kaṁsa thought, "Why waiting for the eighth son? Kill my sister." So she was saved by Vasudeva by some trick plan, that "After all, your sister is not going to kill you. Sister's son. Who knows that a son will be there and whether he will live or not live?" But Kaṁsa he would not hear anything. So it is the duty of the husband to give protection to the wife. So he made a plan, that "My dear Kaṁsa, brother-in-law, I shall bring all child born of your sister, and if you like, you can kill." In this way the situation was saved.
Therefore he is certified as the foremost yogi. Yoginām api sarveṣām (BG 6.47).
So that is the trick—how we shall always think of Kṛṣṇa even we are engaged in our occupation duty. That will make us perfect. Actually, real sva-dharma is to be attached to Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, but because we have got this material body, we have got this bodily concept of life. Therefore the Vedic injunction is divided that one class should be brāhmaṇa, one class should be kṣatriya, one class should be vaiśya, another should be śūdra. In this way they should cooperate for the ultimate benefit of life, just like in our body there is the head, there is the arm, there is the belly, and there is the leg.
He was given very nice beautiful wife and very beautiful house. But he was not very much satisfied. He wanted to join Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So his father was very strictly keeping guard, that "This boy may not go out." Just like some of your parents do. (laughter) So... But this cannot be checked. So Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, after all, by some tricks—after all, he was very intelligent, rich man's son—he went away to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And his mother was advising to his father that "Why don't you handcuff this boy?" So his father was saying that "I have already handcuffed him with such beautiful wife and such beautiful residence, and he has opened this. Now what this material handcuff will do?" So anyway, he left father's home and approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was in Jagannātha Purī, and he was intrusted to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, to take care of him.
Because Droṇācārya will not believe anyone. He knew that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is a most pious man; he never tells lies. So if Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira goes and says that "Your son is dead," then he will believe. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa could have gone personally, but He knew that people do not believe Him. (laughter) He is very tricky. (laughter) So therefore no tricky man can excel Him. A man may be very tricky, very intelligent, but he will not be able to excel Kṛṣṇa. He is more tricky. Just like in His childhood, Kṛṣṇa was naughty, so mother wanted to bind Him. So Kṛṣṇa also became tricky. Mother first of all brought some rope and bound, and when it was to be knotted, it was short. And then again she joined another rope. In this way, whatever rope store she had, she brought one after another, and at last, when knotting, it is too... What is called?
This is Kṛṣṇa. But Mother Yaśodā is the greatest devotee. So when Kṛṣṇa saw that "My mother is now exhausted, perspiring. All right, you can bind Me." This is the... You have seen in the Kṛṣṇa book. So ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want to play tricks with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is the greater trick. You will never be able. That is our mistake, that we think that "I am so intelligent, I can do something without the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa." That is our foolishness. Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: (BG 15.15) "I am sitting in everyone's heart." How you can cheat Him? It is not possible. Don't try to cheat Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to cheat guru. Don't try to cheat Kṛṣṇa. Then your progress is sure. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151).
If some pebbles, some stones, are thrown on the street, nobody cares for it. Garbage. So nobody should touch others' property. Nowadays the education is how to make friendship with others' wife and how to take away others' money by tricks. This is not education. The education is here: Mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat, ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu. Sarva-bhūteṣu: in all living entities... There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. The grass is also a living entity, and Brahmā is also a living entity. So a paṇḍita accepts everyone as living entity, and he deals with them-ātma-vat: "What I feel, pains and pleasure, I must deal with others by the same sentiment."
We have now become very civilized. We are maintaining slaughterhouses, thousands and thousands, up-to-date machine, how to kill the animals. This is our advancement of civilization, and they are all sinful activities, pāpāni. And not only killing. There are so many institution how to cheat, how to take your money by tricks, how to kidnap others' wife, how..., so many things, simply sinful activities. Simply. Of course, there are different grades of sinful activities. Therefore it is said, gurūṇāṁ ca laghūnāṁ ca. Just like disease. You are suffering from some headache, and that is also disease. And you are suffering from cancer, and that is also disease. But when you are suffering from headache the doctors may give you a tablet, Anacin, and the headache is cured.
So he took him away, arrested. And as soon as he returned home, all the members of his family were in fever, high degree fever, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura himself was in fever. He made some trick, yogic trick. So his wife began to cry: "Oh, you have arrested one great yogi. He is Viṣṇu, and therefore we are now going to die. We are now..." (laughter) So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: "Yes, you die. All die. Still, what I have done is all right." Then when there is date for appearance in the court, in the court the man was brought, and yogi. You see? And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura asked... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was suffering still in fever. Still, he attended the court and asked the constables that "Cut his jāta."
So his father was atheist. He wanted that his son should be politician. He should be taught how to cheat others, how to get money. But this boy was devotee. The difficulty was a devotee is not accustomed to all these tricks of materialistic way of life. They are not interested in such things. Purposefully, they avoid all these things. Because devotional life means coming to the original position. Original position is that we are part and parcel of God; therefore our original position is godly. Not exactly like God, but godly. Just like gold and a particle of gold is also gold. A drop of ocean water contains the same chemical composition. Similarly, qualitatively we are as good as God in our original position. Now we are covered by this material body, but as soon as we take to the devotional service, that is our original position.
He was so angry. Immediately called the teachers, "Come on!" Guru-putram uvācedaṁ ruṣā, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā. "I gave my child, my boy, to be educated by you. What sort of education you have given him? He is talking nonsense, devotional service. I wanted to make him politician, diplomat, tricky, and you have taught him śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23)?" You see? That is still going on. That is still going on. When I wanted to start this movement in India, I approached many friends, "Sir, you have got four boys. Give me one boy. I want to make him devotee." They refused. "Oh," he will say, "Swamijī, what will be the benefit by becoming devotee? After all, he has to earn his livelihood." (laughter) Nobody agreed. Nobody agreed. Everyone wants that his son should be hard working, just like hogs and dogs, and satisfy senses.
And Bali Mahārāja gave everything for Kṛṣṇa. Bali Mahārāja conquered even up to the heavenly kingdom. So Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu is always in favor of the demigods. They were in difficulty. So Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja for begging some land. So Bali Mahārāja agreed to give him land. In other words, by trick, Vāmanadeva took everything of Bali Mahārāja. He also gave everything.
So this is bhakti-mārga. If we follow these principles of bhakti-mārga we do not require to endeavor separately how to become detached. The detachment automatically follows. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayati āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Vairāgyam means detachment. The bhakti-yoga is known also as vairāgya. Vairāgya. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya wrote verses about this vairāgya.
You cannot capture elephant; it is very strong animal. But there is trained she-elephant. She allures the male elephant, and for sex the male elephant follows, and tactfully the elephant is put into a hole. He falls down. Then he is captured. Then for life he becomes a slave. Such a big animal, so strong, but by the trick of human being he becomes slave. So similarly, there is analysis. The one particular animal is strongly under the influence of a particular sense, but so far we human being, we are such a big animal that we are servant of all the senses. All the senses. An animal is servant of one sense, but the rational animal, because they are rational, rascal, rational... What is rationality? They cannot see even that "The animal is servant of one sense, and because I am rational animal, I have become servant of all the senses. I am utilizing my rationality in that way."
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
In this way, it was settled and the superintendent of jail let him go. And he inquired from Sanātana Gosvāmī, "What I shall explain to the Nawab when he'll ask me explanation, call for explanation? You are going." So he gave him a trick that... Formerly, people used to evacuate on the field. So he was imprisoned. So he wanted to evacuate in the field. And the superintendent of jail was accompanying him. In this way, he fabricated story and he told that "When he was evacuating, immediately he jumped over the river and the river's waves were so strong, he was carried away. I could not find him." So in this way, Sanātana Gosvāmī escaped after bribing.
So next morning, when Bhīṣmadeva asked that "Where are those five arrows? Give me," So Duryodhana said, "Sir, this is the story. It has been taken away by Arjuna." So he could understand it is the trick of Kṛṣṇa. So immediately he, out of devotion, became angry. Yes. So devotion, devotional service can be executed in anger also. Not by simply flowers. If he, there is a devotee, he can serve Kṛṣṇa by becoming angry. So he promised immediately that "Today Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise." Because Kṛṣṇa promised that "Although I shall be in the battlefield, I shall simply drive your chariot, but I shall not fight." That was His promise. Now Bhīṣma said that "Kṛṣṇa has broken my promise. So I shall fight in this way today that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His own promise or His friend Arjuna will be killed."
I do not know how to create wonderful. I have simply Bhagavad-gītā, presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. If there is any credit, this is only credit. Anyone can do it. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and anyone can present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So it will act wonderful. I am not a magician. I do not know the tricks of magics and the yoga-siddhi, I am creating (visual expression) like this. (laughter) I have no such power. Neither I do it. So I, my only credit is, I do not want to mix with this pure Bhagavad-gītā teaching, any rascaldom, that's all. That is my credit. And whatever little miracle has been done, only on this principle. That's all. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So he thought himself to be very intelligent demon. So even that benediction was given, but still, he was killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva. So therefore, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām. Even by tricks or by penance or austerities you take some benedictions from the demigods, even if you are awarded, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). People want to be satisfied with little benefit, with little benefit. No, that is not our mission. We want the supreme benefit. Supreme benefit is that you are now entangled in the process of birth, death, old age and disease in the material existence. The real benefit is how to save yourself from these four difficulties.
Now here is a very trick. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was politician. He was minister. Now when Lord Caitanya was describing about the incarnations, especially of the incarnation of the Kali-yuga, now he's asking, Sanātana Gosvāmī is asking to Lord Caitanya,
- rāja-mantri-sanātana-buddhye bṛhaspati
- prabhura kṛpāte puche asaṅkoca-mati
- He's asking very frankly because he's very intelligent. He was minister.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Prabhupāda: Existing temple?
Brahmānanda: Well, the little temple we have there now.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Every year it has to be renewed.
Brahmānanda: Yeah. So this year they have by some trick they have made it that the police must give their No-Objection Certificate. Usually that is not required each year.
Prabhupāda: They are harassing us in so many ways. Only in Bombay.
General Lectures
So... That is my personal experience. In the beginning, when my Guru Mahārāja ordered me, I thought it that "I shall first of all become very rich man; then I shall preach." (laughs) So I was doing very nice in business. In the business circle, I got very good name, and with whom I was dealing business, they were very satisfied. But Kṛṣṇa made so trick that He broke everything, and He obliged me to take sannyāsa. So that is Hari. So that I had to come to your country with only seven dollars. So they are criticizing, "The swami came here with no money. Now he's so opulent." (chuckles) So they are taking the back side, black side, you see? But the thing is... Of course, I have become profited, profitable, or I have acquired profit. I left my home, my children and everything. I came here as a pauper, with seven dollars. That is no money.
They insulted their wife, Draupadī. They wanted to make naked Draupadī because they lost Draupadī in the gambling. Therefore gambling is so sinful, you see. The kṣatriyas are allowed to gamble. So the bet was... They made a trick: "Now bet your wife." So if a kṣatriya is challenged to bet something, they cannot deny it. "Yes, I am betting my wife." And they lost in the game. So the wife became the property of the other party. So they wanted to retaliate only. So then, in the assembly they said, "Well, Draupadī has now become our property. Whatever we like, we can do. So we want to see her naked beauty." You see. This was the demand. So one of the brothers of Duryodhana was asked, "Make her naked. Let us see naked." So she became the property.
So one of the brothers of Duryodhana was asked, "Make her naked. Let us see naked." So she became the property. The others, they did not protest. But Kṛṣṇa supplied clothing as much as required. You have seen the Draupadī's vastra-haraṇa. So these Pāṇḍavas, they were so much harassed. They were by trick taken away their kingdom; they were put into a house which was set into fire; their wife was insulted; they were driven to the forest for twelve years. So many things harassed. But still, when there was fighting in front, when he saw his brothers are standing, he said, "Oh, I will have to fight with my, these cousin-brothers. Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." Just see how much tolerant.
Prabhupāda: Come here. But you have already joined. (laughter) Your trick. Your trademark is there.
Indian devotee: Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale...
Devotee: (indistinct) They are also chanting sixteen rounds a day now and he's staying at the temple.
Prabhupāda: So he has already joined. I mean those who have not joined. I think this gentleman? I saw him in the morning.
"There is no God." That we can understand, that he is atheist. "There is no God." He publicly declares, "We don't believe in God." But the Māyāvādīs are dangerous because they say that there is God, but without any form—no head, no leg. If you make "no, no, no," then where is...? It becomes zero ultimately. Go on making "no, no"—"No head, no tail, no hand, no..." So what remains? So this is another trick for saying there is no God. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that this class, who gives the negative definition of God—"Not this, not this, not this, not this"—the Māyāvādī, Māyā... They say, "Not this. This is māyā." So this Māyāvādī, they are greater atheist.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: In all species there is sex life, so why...
Śyāmasundara: But it isn't satisfying ultimately. The satisfaction dwindles immediately afterward. So he says that this is a trick by the will just to perpetuate the species.
Prabhupāda: So why there is a trick?
Śyāmasundara: I think that by this sex life I will be satisfied. That is a trick of the will. I find I am not satisfied by it.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: And simply the race goes on, the species goes on.
| Page Title: | Trick (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 23 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=48, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 48 |