Advanced Equals Ass
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.9
Bombay, November 9, 1974
download flash player
Take a testBombay, November 9, 1974
download flash player
Nitai:"You are the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the origin and the Supreme Lord of all living entities.
You have arisen to disseminate the rays of the sun in order to dissipate the
darkness of ignorance of the universe."
Prabhupada:
ya adyo bhagavan pumsam
isvaro vai bhavan kila
lokasya tamasandhasya
caksuh surya ivoditah
[SB 3.25.9]
So there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavan. Originally, the... It is very common sense. Just like we require a leader. To organize some business, some nationality, any group of organization, it requires a leader. Without leader, you cannot organize anything. Nobody has got any such experience that without direction, without leader, anything has sprung up automatically, by nature. The foolish philosophers say like that, that the whole cosmic manifestation has come out of a chunk. They say like that. The rascals say like that: "There was a chunk." And wherefrom this chunk came? No, that is not fact. Fact is that there must be a good brain behind all this organization. This cosmic manifestation, there must be a leader. That is the information we get from Vedas. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). Nitya, we living entities, we are nitya. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We do not die. Na jayate na mriyate va. Neither we take birth or we die. We simply change the body. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22]. As old garments, old shirts and coats, we change, similarly, when this body becomes old enough, not to be used, we change to another body. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. This is real knowledge.
So we are eternal, and God is also eternal. In that way we are the same quality. God is eternal; we are also eternal. God is cognizant, cetana, abhijna; we are also cetana. We are not dull matter. So what is the difference between God and me? The difference: He is great, we are small. He is vibhu, we are anu. He's all-pervading, we are very small. He is infinite, we are infinitesimal. That is the difference. So nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic information. So you apply your reason, arguments. As you find here, you are more intelligent than me, somebody else more intelligent than you, other is more intelligent than he... In this way, if you analyze, there is not, all of us not on the same level. One is more intelligent, one is less intelligent. Similarly, you go on analyzing, one after another, one after another, throughout the whole universe. Then you come to the demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahma. So he's the original creature within this universe. So he is also not enough intelligent. You'll have to find out a person more intelligent than him. So that is, we get information... Just like Brahma. He was alone in the beginning. Wherefrom he got knowledge? There was nobody else. So sastra says, "Yes, he got knowledge..." Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. He got knowledge from Krsna. Brahma haite catur-mukha.(?)
So there must be some leader. In order to get knowledge, we have to find out some leader. And actually, by our experience, whatever we're doing... Just like we got independence. So there was a leader, Mahatma Gandhi. He led the country. Then you came to your national consciousness, and you combined together, and the Britishers went away. The opinion was against them. So there must be leader. And that leader is a person. That leader cannot be an imperson. No. That is not possible. I think there was a news in the newspaper, Free Press Journal, that the faith in personal God is diminishing. That means they are becoming more foolish. The faith in personal God is diminishing, percentage diminishing. That means people are becoming more and more foolish. That is natural. This is Kali-yuga. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. The more this age of Kali will increase, people will diminish in their bodily strength, in their memory, in their mercifulness, in so many ways. Eight kinds of diminishing, decreasing. Actually, we find, even in Western countries, the present generation, they are not as strong as their father or grandfather. Bodily strength decreasing. Memory is decreasing. There is no mercifulness. Now, at the present moment, if somebody is being killed and you are passing, nobody takes care. "Let him be killed." Because daya, mercifulness, is diminishing. The duration of life diminishing. The bodily stature diminishing. The memory diminishing. Everything is diminishing.
So because we are diminishing in everything, therefore our God consciousness is diminishing also. Therefore there are news word that "Personal God conception is diminishing." That is natural. Mudha. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that one who does not accept the personal God, he is described in the Bhagavad-gita: mudha.
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
These classes of men... As soon as you'll find somebody godless, he does not know what is God, what is meaning of God, or he does not surrender to God... He does not know what is God -- where is the question of surrender? Then we have got a test tube, statement of Krsna. Then what class of man he is? If he does not believe in God, if he does not know what is God, what is our relationship with God, then what class of man he is? So we have got this test tube of Bhagavad-gita. What is that? Duskrtinah. Always engaged in sinful activities. Therefore he does not know. Duskrtinah. And what other qualification? Mudha, ass, rascal. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. Naradhama means the lowest of the mankind. Why lowest? Now, because the human life is meant for understanding God and he does not know. Therefore he is lowest of the mankind, naradhama. Why it is so? There are so many university degrees-M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., and so on, so on, delete.(?) Still, he does not know? Still, he's mudha? The Bhagavad-gita says, "Yes." Mayayapahrta-jnanah: [Bg. 7.15] "The knowledge he has achieved, that has been taken away by maya." He's superficially simply degree holder. His actual knowledge is taken away. So therefore mayayapahrta-jnanah. Why this has happened? Asuram bhavam asritah. Because he defies, "What is God? I am God. You are all God. Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street. Take care of them."
So this is not advancement of civilization. Because such kind of civilization is increasing, therefore in the paper we find that "Faith in personal God is decreasing." But God is person. Here it is said. What is that? Ya adyah bhagavan. Originally Bhagavan. Adyah means originally. There are three conceptions of Absolute Truth. What is that? That is stated in the Bhagavata:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]
The Absolute Truth, tattva... Tattva means the truth, original. Tat tvam asi. That tattva is Bhagavan. In the... The Absolute Truth is understood in three features, three angles of vision. The first is Brahman, impersonal Brahman. The second is localized Paramatma. And the ultimate is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Brahman realization is not complete realization of the Absolute Truth. Neither Paramatma realization is absolute, or the complete understanding of the Absolute Truth. When you realize Bhagavan, then you understand what is Paramatma, what is Brahman, and what is Absolute Truth. Yaj jnatva... No. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. That is the Vedic instruction. If you understand Bhagavan, then you understand Paramatma, you can understand Brahman also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]
This is Paramatma. Ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. That is one portion, partial understanding of the Absolute Truth. So far Brahman is concerned, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Brahmano 'ham pratistha: "I am the origin of Brahman effulgence." Amrtasya sasvatasya ca. This is described. And so far He is concerned, Krsna, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. This is the understanding of Bhagavad-gita. So far He is concerned, He says, "There is no more superior truth than Me." Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7].
So everything is resting on Krsna. That is to be understood. That is the Vedanta understanding. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything includes Paramatma and Brahma, and what to speak of other demigods. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. This is the statement. Everyone reads Bhagavad-gita, takes Bhagavad-gita and takes photograph: "I am very good scholar of Bhagavad-gita." But he does not know what is Krsna. Just see. "I know everything -- except Krsna. This is my knowledge." No. If you understand Krsna-kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati -- then you understand everything. Just like if you understand what is one hundred thousands of rupees, then you can understand automatically what is ten rupees and what is fifty rupees. So everything is within that, the Absolute Truth.
Now, Devahuti has understood. Therefore she says, ya adyah bhagavan, "My dear son, Kapiladeva, I know that You are the, the same Supreme Person, Bhagavan." And the Bhagavan is adyam. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Vasudeva is adya. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gita, he accepted Krsna as all in... Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam adyam: [Bg. 10.12] "You are the Supreme Person, original person." Now, Brahma says, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. He says that "I worship the original person, Govinda." Govindam adi-purusam. Everywhere you'll find. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna says also, mattah parataram nanyat... [Bg. 7.7]. "I..." Govindam adi-purusam. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, anadir adih [Bs. 5.1]. He has no adi. Somebody will say, "Why not? Krsna is born of Vasudeva. Vasudeva is His father." That is His acceptance, a devotee as father. There are dealings of the devotee and the Bhagavan in different ways: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya. We can have relation... We have that relation. Now it is covered. We can revive it again. Simply appreciation of the Supreme, that is called santa-rasa. When one appreciates fully, then he wants to give some service. That is called dasya. And giving service, when he becomes more intimate, then he becomes friend. That is called sakhya. And then, more advanced, the devotee wants to give service to Krsna as father. Father-mother means to give service to the son. From the very beginning, even as a sweeper, all taking care.
So this is service. The Christian conception of God as Father is not so perfect. Because if we conceive God as Father and Mother, then the policy is to take from Him. Because everyone wants to take from the father: "Father, give me that. Mother, give me that." But this philosophy, that to accept the Supreme Lord as son, that means to give service. Yasodamayi, she has gotten Krsna as her son. So always anxious: "Krsna may not be in danger. Krsna is crawling. Some animal may not attack. He may not fall down in the water. He may not touch fire." Always anxiety, giving protection to Krsna. Krsna is giving protection to the whole universe, and Yasodamayi is giving protection to Krsna. This is conception of philosophy, Vaisnava philosophy. She is anxious to give protection. Krsna was taken away by the... What is that asura?
Yasomati-nandana: Trnavarta.
Prabhupada: Trnavarta. Yes. So Krsna was taken, and mother Yasoda became mad: "My son has been taken." But Krsna became so heavy that the asura could not stay in the sky. He fell from a deep, distant place and immediately died. Krsna... And Yasodamayi saw that "God has saved my Krsna." Yasodamayi saw: "God has saved." She began to thank some other god, some devata. Because she knows, "Krsna is my son." She does not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If she thinks that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then the relationship between mother and son will be destroyed. Therefore Krsna is playing just like an ordinary child, and mother Yasoda is treating Him as her son. All Krsna's friends complained to mother Yasoda, "Mother Yasoda, your Krsna was eating dirt." "Eh? I gave You sandesa, and You are eating dirt?" (laughter) "No, Mother, I did not eat. They are telling all lies. This morning we had some quarrel." "No, Baladeva says also." "Yes, elder brother, He has also become My enemy." (laughter) "No, You open Your mouth." "Yes." When He opened His mouth, she saw the whole universe within the mouth. So she did not take very seriously. "All right, don't do it again." That's all. She never could take Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Neither Krsna's friends, the cowherd boys. Neither the gopis. The gopis used to chastise Krsna like anything.
So this is Krsna's love. Krsna is the Isvara. Here it is said, pumsam isvarah: the controller of the whole universe. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. But a devotee can control the Supreme Controller. Why they shall become one with God? They'll be God's father, God's controller. This is bhakti-marga. Bhakti-marga is not satisfied... They do not want to be equal with God or one with God. No. They want to give service. This is bhakti-marga. Therefore Bhagavan. Bhagavan means "full of all opulence, all-powerful, almighty." That is Bhagavan. So to understand the Absolute Truth, you have to understand what is the meaning of Bhagavan. That is Absolute Truth. Here Devahuti... Devahuti is not ordinary woman. She was the wife of Kardama Muni, one of the greatest yogis. She has learned something from her husband. Otherwise, if she's not a very exalted woman, how Bhagavan has become her son? She is not ordinary woman. Therefore she says... She has understood Kapiladeva that ya adyah bhagavan.
Adya is Bhagavan. Adya is not Brahman or Paramatma. Origin of everything is neither Paramatma nor Brahman. Brahman is the bodily rays of Bhagavan. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah. Yasya prabha. The... Just like the sunshine. Sunshine is not adya; the sun-god is adya. The sunshine is distributed all over the world, all over the universe. Everyone knows it. But is it adya, is it the origin? No, no, no. It is not origin. The origin is the sun globe, or the sun-god. As soon as the sun disappears, there is no more sunshine. Therefore sunshine is not adya. Sunshine is dependent on the sun globe. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is dependent on the body of Krsna. Brahmano 'ham pratistha. Similarly, Paramatma is also Krsna's expansion. Ekam bahu syam. That is the Vedic instruction. He becomes many -- as many living entities are there. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam... [Bs. 5.33]. Adyam again. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam. That ananta-rupam, as Paramatma or incarnation. Advaitam acyutam. But it does not mean that, because Krsna has become many, it does not mean that, because Krsna has become many, it does not mean Krsna is finished. No. Krsna is there. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation].
This is Vedic instruction. Krsna is purna, and if He expands Himself in millions of Krsna... Actually, He has done so as Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. There are millions. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). This bahu-vacana, living entities, they are anantyaya kalpate. They are unlimited number. There is no counting. So many. But He is the leader. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. So the, we are, living entities, we are expansion of Krsna. Visnu-tattva also expansion of Krsna. Svamsa, vibhinnamsa. We are vibhinnamsa. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. But there are svamsa, personal expansions, and separated expansions. The separated expansions we are. We are also expansion of Krsna. And visnu-tattva also expansion of Krsna. But visnu-tattva is vibhu; we are anu -- very, very small. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca, jiva-bhagah sa vijneyah [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. The, if you divide the top portion of your hair into one hundred parts, then take one part, again divide into one hundred parts, that is the dimension of the jiva. Therefore anu. Anu means like atom. And Krsna is vibhu. So therefore Krsna is adya. Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. Krsna says, and Devahuti says also, the same thing.
Therefore by studying Vedic literature, we can understand Krsna. Therefore one must seek for a Vedic teacher. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Not that "At home, by speculation, I can understand what is God." That is not produce.(?) Vedas says... Just like if you want to be educated, you must accept some school. It doesn't matter whether the school is perfect or not perfect, but you cannot avoid school going. That is not possible. If you think that "Without going to school, I shall learn everything," that is not possible. Vedas says that if you want knowledge actually... Tad-vijnanartham. Tad-vijnana means transcendental knowledge. Because Vedic knowledge... There is material knowledge also. Just like Ayur Veda, Dhanur Veda, and Jyotir Veda. Veda, veda means knowledge. There are all different types of knowledge. But real knowledge is brahma-vidya, to understand the Absolute Truth. That is real knowledge. Other knowledge, they are temporary. We require medicine; therefore there is Ayur Veda. We require sometimes to fight; there is Dhanur Veda. And... So that is also required. Because the body is there. But real requirement is to know the Absolute Truth, Absolute Person. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. That is our self-interest. That is our self-interest. If we want to become perfect, then we must see what is the ultimate Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the instruction of Vedanta.
This life is meant for simply how to understand the Absolute Truth. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. Jivasya... But that is missing now. Nobody is inquiring, neither there is any institution throughout the whole world where there is tattva-jijnasa, what is the Absolute Truth. Simply technical knowledge -- how to become this, how to become that, to fill up this belly. But we cannot see even that the birds, beasts, they do not become technologists. How they are getting food? There are 8,400,000 forms of body. The human form of body are 400,000. Out of many bodies that live in jungle, they have also no technology, no education, no systematic government, nothing -- but they are also eating. The birds and beasts are eating. Everyone is eating. The ants within your home, within the hole of your room, they're also eating. So who is not eating? Everyone is eating. Why you have made a civilization to work hard like an ass for your eating? What is this civilization? If everyone is, without working, they're getting their food, then what is your advancement of civilization that you have to work like an ass to get your food? That is not advancement of civilization. Therefore, because we are becoming animal, less than animal, therefore they are decreasing the personal God. This is the idea.
But here it is said, ya adyo bhagavan. This is human civilization. Everyone should know what is Bhagavan and take lessons from Bhagavan. Bhagavan is coming. Krsna says,
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]
He comes. He's very anxious. People are ignorant, so therefore Kapiladeva has come. And the mother says, lokasya tamasa andhasya caksuh: "My dear son, Kapila, You are just the real eyes of these blind men, who cannot see You, or who cannot see God." Caksuh. So how caksuh? Because by knowledge. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-
So an intelligent man can see God even while walking on the beach. That requires intelligence. Therefore mudhah. Na mam duskrtino mudhah [Bg. 7.15]. Those who are asses, they cannot see God. Those who are intelligent, they can see God everywhere. Everywhere. God is present everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-
So then you will understand ya bhagavan. Ya bhagavan pumsam isvarah. Bhagavan means Isvara, controller. You are not independent. Everyone is dependent. Somebody is dependent of somebody, somebody... But you are dependent. Nobody can say, "I am independent." Even President Nixon, he's not independent. He was dragged down from the post. So you cannot say that "I am independent." That is a foolish proposal. You must always think that you are dependent. That is said, stated in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. Bahir-artha-maninah, and there is said, te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. Isa-tan... We are bound up by the laws of nature, hands and legs, tightly, and you still think that you are independent? You don't care for God? This is the mudha. The mudha says like that. No intelligent man will say like that. So why it is so happened? The Devahuti says that tamasa andhasya, lokasya tamasa andhasya. Generally, all these people in this material world, lokasya, they are blind by the darkness of ignorance. Therefore Krsna comes. Therefore Kapiladeva comes. When they become dark, when they become blind out of ignorance -- "There is no God," "I cannot see God" -- then God comes, "Here I am. See. See My feature. I am a person. I am a flute-player. I am... I enjoy in Vrndavana. Why don't you see Me?" That is called yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7].
So God comes, God explains Himself. He leaves behind Him His instruction, Bhagavad-gita. Still... He says, "You try to see Me like this, see Me like that," raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi... [Bg. 7.8]. Still, if we do not know what is God, then what kind of man I am? Just imagine. A mudha. That's all. So try to see God through the instructions of Devahuti and Kapiladeva. Your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
No comments:
Post a Comment