Hankering To Hear About Krsna
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1
Paris, June 9, 1974
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Nitai: "Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: My
dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds
of people. To hear the answer to this question is the prime subject matter of
hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists."
Prabhupada:
variyan esa te prasnah
krto loka-hitam nrpa
atmavit-sammatah pumsam
srotavyadisu yah parah
[SB 2.1.1]
So this Srimad-Bhagavatam is a question and answer. The beginning, the... This Srimad-Bhagavatam, first of all it was narrated by Vyasadeva, and it was heard by his son, Sukadeva Gosvami. Then Sukadeva Gosvami narrated this Bhagavatam to Pariksit Maharaja at the time of his death. And from Sukadeva Gosvami, the Suta Gosvami heard. This is the parampara. (aside:) Not yet. This is the parampara. Krsna says in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krsna millions of years ago to the sun-god. Imam vivasvate, proktavan avyayam. Imam vivasvate proktam, vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave 'bravit. This is the parampara system.
Our, this Bhagavata system, or Vedic system, is not research work. It is not research work. Nowadays it is a fashion that... Just like the Theosophists. They're searching out God. Since the beginning, they're searching out. And so many leaders came and gone, but they are searching out. And they will go on searching out for lives together. But it is not a thing to be searched out. It is not ordinary thing, not material thing. You know...
athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan
Ciram vicinvan. For forever, millions of years, if you speculate, to understand what is God, it is not possible. It is not a subject matter of speculative knowledge. No. It is to be received through the right source, deductive process, not inductive process. Because our senses are limited. We cannot have any perfect idea on account of our senses being limited. We cannot see.
So there are so many examples. We have talked. This knowledge is not... The exact word used in Sanskrit... There are two ways: aroha-pantha, avaroha-pantha. Aroha-pantha means to know something by your dint of knowledge, ascending process, ascending process. Just like these people are trying to know the moon planet, the Venus planet, or other planets. They're going, ascending by airplane. And to know it. But they're doing it for the last twenty years. They do not know what is the actual position of the moon planet. That is not known. They're coming, going. Or whether they have gone, that they know. But from the situation it is understood they're not going. Maybe some other planet they are going. That is my opinion. Because the description of the moon planet does not tally. We have got in the Srimad-Bhagavatam... The, this moon planet is one of the heavenly planets. There, high class of demigods, they live. Or one who is elevated to the moon planet, he is living there for ten thousands of years. Ten... What kind of ten thousands of years? In the moon planet, one day equal to our six months. Such months' year, and ten thousands of years. That is the duration of life in the moon planet. Those who are karma-kandiya, perform ritualistic ceremonies very nicely, they are promoted to the moon planet. And there are other planets also. This is Svargaloka. There are seven planetary systems upwards, and seven planetary systems downwards. Now we are living in the Bhurloka, middle. Then above this, there is Bhuvarloka. Above this, there is Svarloka. Above this is Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka. So this aroha... You cannot go to the Brahmaloka, although there is sastra... Or you cannot go to the sun planet also. You are seeing every day, but go there. But you have no right. You cannot go.
So therefore this process, that "I shall go by my strength. I shall know by dint of my own knowledge, research work," these are all rascaldom. It is not possible. So what to speak of understanding God? You cannot understand even what is in your presence, the material world, and spiritual is beyond the sky. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. That is another sky. You have no estimation of this sky. Not only this, this sky; even in the material world, this is one universe. What sky we see, that is of one universe. But there are innumerable universes. That is material world. And beyond that, there is spiritual sky. Then the spiritual world begins. There are also planets, Vaikuntha planets. And above these Vaikuntha planets, there is Krsnaloka. That is Krsna's abode. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu [Bs. 5.29].
So you cannot understand Krsna, or God, or His abode by the speculative, ascending process. That is not possible. You have to inquire from. Therefore Pariksit Maharaja inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami, "What is my duty now I am going to die?" He was cursed by a brahmana boy to die within seven days. Pariksit Maharaja was quite competent to counteract the curse of the brahmana boy, but he decided that "I shall die." Because he thought that "I offended the boy's father by encircling a dead snake on the neck of the rsi. So his son became angry that ‘You have insulted my father. You die with this snake.' " So he accepted. So this, on the death point, he immediately left his kingdom, family, and everything, and went down to the river, bank of the river Ganges, and many... Because he was king, so many big, big men, even demigods, great saintly persons, they came to see Maharaja Pariksit at his last stage of life, seven days. And so he asked, "What is my duty?" So he was a devotee, Pariksit Maharaja. From his childhood, he was a devotee of Krsna. So he inquired, "What is my duty to know about Krsna?" And that is being welcomed by Sukadeva Gosvami, that "Your, to inquire about Krsna, this question is very much welcome." Variyan esa te prasnah [SB 2.1.1]. Prasna means question. "You have asked a question about Krsna. It is very, very good." Why? Krto loka-hitam nrpa: "It is good for the all human society. Because you have inquired about Krsna, you have inquired about Krsna, and I'll have to reply. People will hear. It will be recorded. And people will be benefitted." Loka-hitam.
In another place, that Suta Gosvami says... When the rsis inquired... Now, here it is being inquired by King Pariksit, being answered by Sukadeva Gosvami. In another place, the rsis, great saintly persons, they also inquired, and Suta Gosvami replied. So this kind of question and answer is atmavit-sammatah. Atmavit. Atmavit means one who knows, self-realized. Atmavit means self-realized. Not these rascals, one who does not know what is self, what I am. He's an animal, one who does not know what he is. If I do not inquire, "What I am? I am this body? Or I am something extra than this body?" if this inquiry is not there, he's not human being. He's animal. Animal cannot inquire. Cats and dog cannot inquire, "What I am?" He's suffering. Everyone is suffering who has got this material body. That is the condition. If you have got material body, you must suffer. It is not the question of European, American or white, black. There is no such question. If you are animal or man, as soon as you have got this material body, you must suffer. This is condition. This is material condition. Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is not meant for, I mean to say, mitigating the so-called sufferings of the body. When there is body, there must be suffering. So we should not be very much disturbed by the sufferings of the body. Because you'll have to suffer. Even though you make very nice arrangement. Just like in comparison to Europe and America. In European cities we see so many nice arrangements, living condition, big, big house, big, big road, nice cars. In comparison to India, if some Indian comes from Indian village, he'll see, "It is heaven, so nice house, so nice building, so nice motorcars." But do you think you are not suffering? He may think, the rascal may think that "Here is heaven." But those who are residing in this heaven, they know what kind of heaven it is. (laughter)
So suffering must be there. Suffering must be there as soon as you get this material body. "Why suffering? We are enjoying." What you are enjoying? Is there any guarantee that you'll enjoy? You have got nice building, nice road, nice car. That's all right. You are enjoying. You are thinking enjoying. But is there any guarantee that you will enjoy? Any moment, you'll be finished. Any moment. So there is no guarantee. That is not enjoyment. Real enjoyment is permanent enjoyment. Just like we construct some house, making the, what is called, foundation very strong. In your country, they make very strong foundation. But what is your foundation, sir? Is it very strong? You can be taken away at any moment. So before making the foundation strong, why don't you make your foundation strong that you shall be able to live here permanently? But that intelligence they haven't got. They'll waste time, making the house foundation very strong, not for himself. His foundation tiltering at any moment, any second. This is called yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatu..., sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13].
So this kind of intelligence, they are called animals. The animal does not know. The dog does not know. The dog will live for six years to ten years, but he is very proud: "I have got a very nice master. Gow! Gow!" You see? So this kind of intelligence is no good. Therefore it is said here, atmavit-sammatah. This kind of question, approved by persons who are self-realized. Atmavit, one who knows what he is. Sammatah. Sammatah means approved. Atmavit sammatah pumsam srotavyadisu yah parah. Yah parah. Parah means superior. We are accustomed to hear so many things, radio and dictaphone and so many things. We are hankering after hearing tape record or this gramophone album, and news from in the newspaper. We are always anxious, very anxious. Big, big news... In your country especially, millions of papers, newspaper, such big, just to hear what is going on in the world. But after seeing one or two pages, you throw it away. Because you are hackneyed. You know that there was political strife, there was fire, there was burglary, there was this, there was this... The same story. Carvita-carvananam, chewing the chewed. No, actually, no pleasure. By... We have seen in your country, and nowadays in our country so many nice news magazines, but they see one or two pages and they throw away. Because there is no pleasure, although I have got hankering to hear so many things.
But this kind of hearing will not give me pleasure. Therefore here it is said, srotavyadisu yah parah. This, it is not ordinary hearing. This krsna-prasna, question about Krsna and answer about Krsna, this is not ordinary question and answer. It is atmavit-sammatah. Those who are self-realized, they will understand, they will approve of it. Because it is transcendental. srotavyadisu yah parah. So one can say that "There are many subject matter for hearing. It may be one of them." No. It says, he says, Sukadeva Gosvami says, "No, it is parah, transcendental, the most superior kind of question and answer hearing." So one may think, "There are different types of subject matter for hearing. It may be one of them."
Therefore in the next verse Sukadeva Gosvami says, srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah [SB 2.1.2]. "My dear King, Rajendra..." Rajendra means "the best of the kings." He's, Sukadeva, er, yes, Pariksit Maharaja, the best of the kings. He has selected, he's preparing. He does not think that "I am now king. And I'll die, I shall again become king." He does not think like that, foolishly. He knows that "I may be king in this life, and the next life, I may be dog." Because he's atmavit, he knows atma, the soul. That is under the control of nature. You cannot say that "This time I am very nice, good-looking French boy and girl. Then next life I shall become also the same." Some poet in India, he sung, ei desete janma amara, ei desete mari: "I have taken birth in this country." Everyone has got love for his country. That is the modern civilization. Now, the Napoleon, in your country, he loved his country so much. Now where he is, you do not know. You have simply a stone, photograph, statue. You are thinking that "Napoleon, I am worshiping..." You do not worship actually. Worship is here. If you worship, you must keep Napoleon in this way. But no. You keep on the street for passing stool by the crows. (laughter) That is not worship. That is insult. Suppose if you think this statue belongs to Napoleon, and you have exposed this statue for passing stool by the crows, is that very good worship? If I ask you, "Please stand on the street and the crows will pass stool on your head..." (laughter) This is intelligence. This is modern civilization. They have no even common sense intelligence. If you are worshiping Napoleon, why don't you keep like that? We are worshiping Krsna. We are keeping in a nice place. That they will say, "It is idol worship." These rascals will say, "These foolish people are worshiping an idol." And they are worshiping Napoleon very nicely. (laughter) Just see their intelligence. So therefore, because they do not know, because they are not atmavit, therefore their opinion has no value. No value. We don't care for their opinion. Here it is atmavit-sammatah. One should be taken... Approval should be from persons who is self-realized. Their, his opinion has value. Otherwise, a rascal says, "In my opinion..." What is the opinion of your..., value? We don't accept your opinion. We take the opinion of Krsna and Krsna's devotee. One who is pure devotee of Krsna or Krsna directly, or His representative, we take their opinion. That is called atmavit-sammatah.
So one may think this question and answer may be, as we do ordinarily, it may be like that. Now Sukadeva Gosvami mentions, says, srotavyadini rajendra: [SB 2.1.2] "My dear King," srotavyadini, "the subject matter for hearing," nrnam santi sahasrasah, "of ordinary, common men, there are many thousands of questions and answers." That is life. Any businessman, as soon as he'll go to the association of business, there the only, the hearing, "What is the rate of this commodity?" And another man says, "This is the price." "So, if it is favorable, purchase." So this is going on. But this is not that kind of question and answer, what is the price of this commodity and that commodity. No. Therefore it is said, srotavyadini rajendra [SB 2.1.2]. Neither it is radio message or football club or so many things. No. It is meant for the common class of men. Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam [SB 2.1.2]. Nrnam means common people. Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah [SB 2.1.2]. That kind of questions and answers are many, many thousands. Why they have got so many thousands, and you have got only one question, one answer about Krsna?
That is answered in the next line, that apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2]. General people, people in general, they are grhesu, in the..., at home. But they are grhamedhi. There are two words, grhamedhi and grhastha in Vedic language. Grhastha means those who are householder, living for convenience, wife, children. Because everyone cannot... Especially in this age. Especially in your country, to take sannyasa is very difficult job. It should not be given; neither it should be taken. Actually, in this age, sannyasa is forbidden. But if one is very strong, he can accept sannyasa. So better to remain a grhastha and cultivate Krsna consciousness. That is better. Don't accept whimsically sannyasa and then do all nonsense. No. So it is better to remain grhastha. But not grhamedhi. Grhamedhi means that he does not know anything else than to support the wife and children and live very comfortably, well-dressed, and... That is called grhamedhi. His center is only that apartment. He does not know anything more than that apartment. That is called grhamedhi. And grhastha means that he knows many things, Krsna, beyond this apartment. He's called... [break] ...in this way and that way. They have got thousands, thousands of questions and answers. But one who is grhastha, his question and answer is one: Krsna. That is the only subject matter.
Just like in our Krsna consciousness movement, we don't talk of anything. We simply talk of Krsna. And if we talk of Krsna, at least, for hundred years, in the present position, still, our present stock will not be finished. We have got so many books. If for one hundred years, whatever stock we have already got, if we read for one hundred years continually and try to understand one word of Srimad-Bhagavatam, then it will take hundred years. That one word janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], if you try to understand, you can understand it for one hundred years. So it is so nice, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Go on reading every day. You'll find... Both Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita. Every day, the more you become realized, atmavit, you see new meaning, new light. Srimad-Bhagavatam is so nice. Simply if you read Srimad-Bhagavatam... Vidya bhagavatavadhih. One is learned... What is the limit of learning? The limit, learning, is when you understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is the limit. Finished. There is no knowledge required anymore. Therefore it is called srotavyadisu yah parah. The ultimate, first class.
But the apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2]. Grhamedhi, they do not know that there is soul, and the soul is permanent. And we, actually, we are hankering after happiness. For whose happiness? It is soul's happiness. It is Krsna's happiness. We, we try to protect this body. We are very much fond of this body. Why? Because the soul is there. Everyone knows it. As soon as this body, there is no soul, it is kicked out, throw it away in the street. Nobody cares for it. Suppose a beautiful man and beautiful girl, dead bodies lying on the street -- who cares for it? But as, so long the soul is there, "Oh, such a nice, beautiful, such a nice, beautiful boy, girl." The soul is important.
So actually, we do not love this body because the same beautiful body's there. Why do you not care? Because soul is not... Therefore I love the soul. This is the fact. This is atmavit, atma-tattva-vit. And why I love soul? Because I love Krsna. Soul is part and parcel of Krsna. So why I am so much fond of soul? Because it is part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore, ultimately, I love Krsna. This is the conclusion. And if I do not love Krsna, that is my abnormal stage. And the normal stage is I love Krsna. Therefore we are trying to awaken Krsna consciousness. As soon as one is fixed up in Krsna consciousness and begins to love Krsna, then he doesn't want to love anything more. Svamin krtartho 'smi: "Now I am fully satisfied." So otherwise, we'll have many questions, many answers so long we are not self-realized, and our time will be spoiled.
So this krsna-prasna, inquiry about Krsna, that should continually go on. And all the answers you'll find in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. And simply by questions and answer, your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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