Ear Holes Like Snake Holes
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.20
Los Angeles, June 16, 1972
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Take a testLos Angeles, June 16, 1972
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Pradyumna: (leads chanting,
etc.)
bile batorukrama-vikraman ye
na srnvatah karna-pute narasya
jihvasati dardurikeva suta
na copagayaty urugaya-gathah
(Prabhupada corrects pronunciation several times during chanting of verse.)
Translation: "One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like that of the snakes and a tongue like that of the frogs."
Prabhupada: So the impersonalists or the voidists, so where is their God? So there is no God for them. Impersonal. So there is no activity. What they will hear and where they will chant? If you have no activity, then what I should hear about you? If you are a dead stone, then what can I hear? Simply one, "A big stone." That's all. So they have no this opportunity. These impersonalists, they are so unfortunate that they cannot hear. As soon as there is some activity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they will say, "It is maya." That is called Mayavada. "These are ... our activities, maya, and therefore God's activities are also maya." A poor fund of knowledge or rascaldom. "Because I cannot do this, therefore God cannot do this. I am pleased in this way; therefore God can be ... Permanent, we are identical." Big, big sannyasi explained like that. "When I am pleased, God is pleased. When I am dissatisfied, God is dissatisfied." So roundabout way, their philosophy is to satisfy one's own sense gratification.
That's all. The Mayavada philosophy means, impersonalist means, the same material condition. The material condition means everyone is busy in sense gratification. And ... therefore they cannot understand. And when there is a question of sense gratification ... Just like, "We are dancing here, ball dance. So this is material maya. Therefore Krsna's dance with the gopis, that is also maya." This is Mayavada symptom. The example can be given like this: Just like a patient, since his birth, he is sick, and he is lying in the hospital, cannot walk freely or cannot eat nice things. All bitter medicine, injections, always suffering. So if he is informed that "After your cure, you shall be able to eat nice rasagulla, sandesa," he cannot believe it. He says, "Again eating? Oh, it is horrible." Because he has got bad experience of eating in sick condition, he thinks that eating in healthy condition is also the same. This is Mayavada. He has no experience what is healthy eating.
Therefore his bad experience of this diseased condition, he wants to make it zero. He is thinking that "When my, this drinking of medicine and lying down will be zero, oh, that will be my real healthy condition." This is their philosophy. Because bad experience ... Just like foolish persons sometimes commit suicide or they talk of suicide. The whole thing is zero, wants to make the life zero. That is their happiness. Sunyavadi. Because they have no experience that there is another life, going back home, back to Godhead. There also, Krsna is eating; Krsna is dancing; Krsna is playing; Krsna is killing; Everything is there. They are all transcendental. Everything is there. Here, only perverted reflection, false reflection only. There are five principal rasas: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya. Here also, the same rasas are here, santa, dasya. Just like I am sitting in this comfortable seat. This is santa, santa-rasa. The throne is giving me service in silence.
This is called santa-rasa. Above this, somebody is giving me flower, sandalwood. This is called dasya-rasa, serving. Better than ... This is silence; there is work. The santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, then, again develop, sakhya-rasa, more intimate, friendly. Then vatsalya-rasa, more intimate. Just like the parental affection. And more intimate, conjugal love. Just like young boy, young girl, try to love one another. So these rasas are there. Vrndavana, Krsna is in love with the gopis. He is playing with friends, cowherd boys. His affectionate mother Yasoda, feeding Him, and there are servants also, serving Krsna. And the trees, the water, the flowers, they are serving silently. Panca-mukhya-rasa, five chief mellows, humors. The same thing is here also. Here also the santa-rasa, sakhya-rasa, dasya-rasa is there. But that is mixed with material cranks (grains?). Just like sweet rice. Sweet rice is very nice, but if it is mixed with some grains of sand, just imagine.
How it is pleasurable? So all the rasas ... The Mayavada philosopher, they have eaten sweet rice with cranks (grains?), with sand grains. Therefore when you offer him next sweet rice, "Oh, I have got taste. Don't supply it." Or, "I wish to live without eating -- zero." This is Mayavada philosophy. Try to understand, impersonal, making everything zero, without any varieties. Nirvisesa-sunyavadi. Nirvisesa means without any varieties, and sunyavadi means zero, voidist. The two kinds of Mayavadis, generally headed by Sankara philosophy and Buddha philosophy. But our position is transcendental, above. Karmis ... Karmis, they are on the material field. They are trying to enjoy on the material platform. Jnanis, they are trying to make it varietyless, and the Buddhists, they are trying to make it zero. Our philosophy is substance. This is difference, substance, reality. Vastava-vastu, real reality, not the false thing. So these people, the voidists and impersonalists, because they have no information of the Supreme Lord and His activities ...
Activities are there. Krsna is coming, showing His activities. But they will say, "It is maya. Krsna is maya." Although Krsna is practically showing them that it is not maya, it is completely spiritual, but their dull brain cannot accommodate that Krsna is Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore the so-called scholars, when Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65] -- Krsna says, "Just become My devotee, offer your obeisances unto Me, always think of Me," man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah -- the scholar, the so-called scholar, says, "This is not to Krsna the person. It is to the unborn which is within Him." The rascal does not know that Krsna has no within-without. Krsna is absolute. Otherwise there is no meaning of absolute. When there is duality, how it can be absolute? That sense they haven't got. Still, they are passing as big scholars. Krsna is no such thing as within and without. We living entities, ordinary living entities ... I am soul. I am within this body.
I am not this body. But Krsna is not like that. Krsna is both body and soul together. Krsna is everything. Krsna has no such difference as material and spiritual. For Krsna, everything is spiritual. Because material and spiritual, they are two energies only, but they are energy of Krsna. So for Krsna, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. He can convert the material into spiritual and the spiritual into material because He is the original source of these two energies. He is the original source. The same example: just like an expert electrician, he can convert the heater into cooler and the cooler into heater, although they are two opposites. Because he knows how to utilize the electrical energy. Similarly, Krsna says that "These material elements, they are also My energy. And the spiritual energy, the jiva-bhutas, they are also My energy." And the whole cosmic manifestation is combination of this material and spiritual energy. Therefore ... But Krsna is Absolute.
He has nothing to do with material or spiritual. Another example can be given. Just like government. Government has got many departments, the criminal department and the educational department. (The) educational department is giving knowledge to the citizens, and the criminal department is punishing, chastising the citizens. Now, to us, we find difference, that "In this department government is so liberal, is giving education. People are becoming learned, enjoying. And this department ... So government is discriminating. This department is favorable, and this department is not favorable." But to the government, it is not like that. To the government, both the departments are equal. Rather, sometimes, the government has to spend more to the criminal department than to the educational department. Because they have to maintain both these departments. To run on the street politically, they have to maintain both these. Similarly, because the individual soul has got little independence, is part and parcel of Krsna, so Krsna has full independence.
And we, being part and parcel of Krsna, we have got that independence quality. How it can be without? Then how we can be part and parcel? The same example -- just like a drop of ocean water, it is also salty, the same ingredient. Similarly, we have got little independence. Just like you have taken to Krsna consciousness out of your independence. There are many other American boys and girls -- they are not taking to it. It is not obligatory. But the door is open for everyone. One who is intelligent, he is taking to it. That is due to independence. And some of our boys are also falling back. After remaining few years, again he falls back, again into hodgepodge. You see, due to this misuse of independence. So because God has given us little independence, therefore there must be two departments: material and spiritual. Otherwise, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. Material is called maya because those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they cannot see Krsna's spiritual energy.
They are covered. Therefore they are called Mayavadi. So the unfortunate Mayavadi cannot chant. They criticize, "This chanting is sentimentalism." Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu was criticized at Benares when He was chanting. You know the story. Prakasananda Sarasvati, a great Mayavada sannyasi, he used to criticize that "This sannyasi is sentimental. Sannyasi's business is reading Vedanta, but this sannyasi is chanting and dancing." So there was strong criticism. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu was arranged to meet this Mayavada sannyasi, and He talked on Vedanta and He defeated him. And the sannyasi , along with his 60,000 disciples, became His followers. So you should not be simply chanting and dancing. Along with, you must know philosophy. There are so many Mayavadis; you have to defeat them. It is not that we are cowards. We are Krsna's soldiers. So as soon as there is Mayavadi attack, you must immediately defeat them. That is wanted. Therefore so many books are being written. Jnanam ca yad ahaitukam.
vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]
If you become pure devotee, this jnana to defeat this Mayavada philosophy will be revealed unto you. Krsna is within you. As soon as "He's ... Oh, he is very sincere. He's doing seriously," He will give you all intelligence. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. But if you are in doubt, "Oh, whether Krsna is person or not?" then Krsna will not give you intelligence. That is the difficulty. He does not talk with nonsense. He talks, but not with the nonsense. So when you are above the nonsensical platform by sincere service, then Krsna will talk with you from within. (aside:) Sit down properly. So the fact is that "One who has not listened to the messages about prowess and the marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead ..." Now, they have got ... These Mayavadis, they have got their ears, but they cannot hear about the activities of the Lord. They'll reject, "Oh, this is all maya. Let us meditate." So their, these earholes is compared with the snake holes.
When you go, walk on the paddy field, you will find so many holes. Have you got experience? There are so many holes. Even on the beach, you will find so many holes. But especially in the agricultural field there are holes, because the paddy ... The rats and mouse, they come to eat the paddies, and they make hole to live there. And the snakes take advantage. They enter the hole and eat the rat and mouse and live peacefully. So these holes, because there are snakes, nobody utilizes it, that hole. Similarly, when these earholes are not receptive of the message of Krsna, it like that, it is not being utilized properly. Similarly, you have got tongue, but you cannot chant Hare Krsna. Jihvasati dardurikeva. It is just like the tongue of the frogs. The frogs ... You have got experience during rainy season. They use their tongue very nicely. They sing ka-ka-kan, ka-ka-kan, ka-ka-kan.. (laughter) Yes. But what is the result of singing? The result of singing: in the darkness, the snakes, they can understand, "Here is a frog," and it comes and takes, immediately eats.
Similarly, we have got tongue, and we are lecturing all nonsense things, mental speculation, or singing in the dancing club, ho ho, ho ho, like that. So the result is that we are diminishing our duration of life in that way. The opportunity, the human form of life opportunity, is being uselessly diminished. In the previous verse we have learned, ayur harati vai pumsam udyann astam ca yann asau.. Because the sun's business is to take away your span of life gradually. So same. As the frog is calling (to) his death, the snake, "Please come here, I am here," similarly, these persons who are talking all nonsense without krsna-katha, they are inviting the Yamaraja, "Please come soon. I am here. I am here." This is the position. So explain.
Pradyumna: Purport: "Devotional service to the Lord is rendered by all limbs or parts of the body. It is the transcendental dynamic force of the spirit soul. Therefore a devotee is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord. One can engage in devotional service when the senses of the body are purified in relation with the Lord. And one can render service to the Lord with the help of all senses. As such, the senses and the action of the senses are to be considered as impure or materialistic as long as they are employed in sense gratification only."
Prabhupada: The same earholes, you hear some radio message, some materialistic news, some advertisement, so many things you can hear. And in the same earholes, you can hear Hare Krsna. So the hearing is there. But when you hear something for your sense gratification, that is material, and when you hear something about Krsna, that is spiritual. This is the difference between material and spiritual. The things are already there. You have got your ears; you have got your tongue; you have got your hand; you have got your leg; you have got your eyes; everything is there. You can utilize it for material purpose and for spiritual purpose. How you can utilize? If you change your consciousness, then you can realize. So if you change your consciousness to Krsna consciousness and utilize the senses for that purpose ... Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Just like you are American and I am Indian. We are not concerned about hearing about Indian and American.
We have no other business, no more any business. I am not interested hearing about something Indian, and you are also not interested to hear something about American. No. This is called sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. The designation is ... Freed from the designation. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When we simply hear about Krsna, then we are purified. Hearing. The machine is there. People are hearing as American, the message of the President or some politics or ... They are very much interested, "What my country is advancing, how they are killing in Vietnam, how they are doing this, that?" The whole big, big lump of newspapers, you see. For hearing. For hearing. So when one is interested with this big, big lump of newspaper, lumpy newspaper, for American interest or Indian interest or German interest ... Everyone has demarcated. "This is Germany, this is America, this is ..." Everything belongs to God, and these rascals, they have demarcated "This is Germany. This is ..."
Isavasyam idam. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram: He is the proprietor of all the planets. And in this teeny planet we have made, "Oh, this is America, this is Germany, this is Japanese." I come as American, live for, say, 50 years or 100 years, and then kicked out, and I become absorbed in the thought of that land. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. Bhauma ijya-dhih. I'll live for some years, and because I have got this misconception that "I am this body." I am worshiping the land, nationalism. What is this land? Does it belong to you? No. Because I have got this designation, title, "I am American, I am Indian," therefore I am fond of land. Just see how much illusory things are going on. I have got a false designation. On account of this designation, I am thinking, "This is mine." This is illusion. Actually, it is God's. Suppose you are twenty-five years old. Say, before twenty-five years old, where was that country?
That you do not know. Might be it was in China or in the hell. You have no knowledge. And now, since twenty-five years you are born in this land, you are absorbed in thought, "This is my country." People are mad after nationalism and fighting. One nation is fighting with another. But these rascals do not know that "Why they are fighting? The land belongs to God. You simply fight, and die, and go to hell. That's all." This is Krsna consciousness. So when people become Krsna conscious, this nonsense fighting will stop. Otherwise there is no possibility. Otherwise it is not possible. They are trying to stop fighting by the so-called League of Nations, or United Nations. They are disunited. On principle, they are disunited. So many hundreds of flags. How they can be united? They can be united in Krsna consciousness. When they will be really learned, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18], panditah ... When one is learned ... Just like we are sama-darsinah. We don't discriminate American, India, African, this ...We distribute Krsna consciousness to everyone. Because we know, "Everyone is part and parcel of Krsna. Everyone is son of Krsna. They are suffering on account of this material contamination. Let us do something for them." This is wanted. This is Krsna consciousness. Otherwise ...
Now you can have kirtana. Hare Krsna. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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