Yugavataras

Yugavataras

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.330-335
New York, December 23, 1966

download  flash player

 

Take a test

---

Prabhupada: So we have discussed the different names of Manu, the father of man. In different millenniums there are different Manus, and the present Manu is Vaivasvata Manu. Out of the fourteen Manus, now it is, the eighth Manu is going on at the present moment. That means this is about one o'clock in the day of Brahma, just past noon. It is going to be afternoon. And during Brahma's sleeping time all these planets will be, I mean to say, not annihilated, but inundated, you see, devastation with water. So after the finishing of these fourteen Manus here will be evening, night, and there will be devastation, and half of this universe, up to the sun planet, or above that, everything will be covered with water. Instead of air, there will be water. Then again there will be again... This is kanda-pralaya. And maha-pralaya means, when Brahma dies, then everything is finished.

So these fourteen Manus we have mentioned yesterday. Now yugavatara. Yugavatara means just like there are four yugas: Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali. The ages of each yuga we have mentioned already. Now in the Satya-yuga, when the yugavatara comes, He is white. He is Hayagriva in the Satya-yuga, as white as our Hayagriva brahmacari. Yes. He is white. And rakta. Sukla-rakta-krsna-pita-krame cari varna. In the Satya-yuga when the incarnation of yugavatara comes, His complexion is white. And in the next yuga, Treta-yuga, the complexion is red. And the next yuga, Dvapara-yuga, the complexion is black, Krsna. And the next, Kali-yuga, the complexion is yellow. Lord Caitanya is yellow.

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
 [SB 11.5.32]

In this age, Kali-yuga, this is the yugavatara, Lord Caitanya. And His description is mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Five thousand years before, it was mentioned that krsna-varnam. Krsna-varnam means that He is in the category of Krsna. Svayam-krsna. You can take the meaning of krsna-varnam like this. Varna means a caste or classification. So He is in the classification of the Supreme Lord, Krsna. Or if you don't take that meaning, then krsna-varnam means He is always chanting "Krsna." Krsnam varnayati. Varnayati means chanting. So krsna-varnam, always engaged in Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So this is the first feature. The symptoms of the yugavatara of this age is given like this, krsna-varnam. Either you can say that He is varnayati... Varnayati means describing only Krsna. Lord Caitanya preached... His preaching mission was aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanaya, Krsna. Krsna is the only worshipable object. And He was always chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. This is the first symptom of Lord Caitanya.

Krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam. By complexion He is akrsna. Akrsna means not krsna, not black. Not black, you may take, if not black, then it may, as there are four colors, so He may be white, He may be red, He may be yellow. Now, out of these three colors, in the Satya-yuga white is already done. And in the Treta-yuga red is already appeared. Then the balance is pita. Krsna is also done. Then the pita, the yellow. So therefore His color is very golden colored, yellow. Lord Caitanya's complexion not exactly white like you, but He was golden color, golden with yellowish tint, a very nice complexion, Lord Caitanya's. He is... Therefore His name is Gauranga. Gauranga means white complexion. Another name is Gaurasundara, "very beautiful." So krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam [SB 11.5.32]. Tvisa, tvisa means by complexion akrsna, not krsna. Although He is Krsna, His complexion is not krsna. Then next? Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam. He is always accompanied by His associates. You will see in the picture. There is Nityananda Prabhu, there is Advaita Prabhu, there is Srivasa, and always He was... From the beginning, when He was a child... Not child. When He was a boy, He started the sankirtana movement. You see the picture: He is surrounded. And throughout whole, so long He lived, He was present on this world, that was... He was surrounded by this Hare Krsna party. Sangopangastra-parsadam. This is the yugavatara of this age.

Now, kalau, kalau, "in this age," especially meant. Now, how to worship Him? Does He require any grandeur, any throne or any decoration? No. Nothing. Anywhere and everywhere you can worship Him. How? Sankirtanaih, this chanting. Keep the picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates, this, as picture we are painting, we have got, and any part of the world, you sit down and go on chanting, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama... So no expense, no nothing. This is the recommendation for this age. Therefore this picture and this sound vibration should be preached all over the world. And rest assured there will be peace and prosperity. This should be the mission of this society, Krsna consciousness. This is Lord Caitanya's mission. He ordered,

bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
 [Cc. Adi 9.41]

Para-upakara means "do good to others." "You are born in Bharatavarsa. You are not meant for exploiting others. You are meant for doing good to others." That is His mission. Para-upakara. Para-upakara means "Do good to others." It is specially mentioned, bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara. Bharata-bhumite, in this land of Bharatavarsa, one who has taken his birth as a human being... Human being. "I am not talking," Lord Caitanya said, "I am not talking of others, less than human being. Anyone who has taken his birth as human being..." Janma sarthaka kari. Janma sarthaka. How? How to make your life perfect? Now, just you become Krsna conscious.

So He advised every Indian that this is the mission of Indian mission. Because in this age all over the world there will be hopelessness, now this mission should be started from India. That was His prediction. This mission should be started, and the Indians should take responsibility for starting this mission all over the world. And they will be happy. There will be too much unhappiness in this age, and by spreading this mission there will be happiness. That is His prediction. So it is not a manufactured thing. We are just following the footprints of Lord Caitanya. So let us follow it nicely. There will be peace and prosperity all over the world. Yes.

So in the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is quotation when Krsna was born. It is the system of Vedic system. There are ten kinds of samskaras, reformation. And how much careful this Vedic civilization is, that a child will be born and he is taken care of since the day of the, I mean to say, joining, conjugation of the father and mother. Garbhadhana-samskara. How much they were expecting that a good son will come, and he will be so good that the society will be happy, the country will be happy, the world will be happy. Never they prescribed unwanted children like cats and dogs. No. So therefore there was garbhadhana-samskara. Before the father and mother conjugate there is ceremony, garbhadhana, for the higher caste. The higher caste were made not artificially. They had to follow nine great principles, then they are higher caste, not by rubber stamp, just like Gandhi wanted to do, taking the banghis, the sweepers, and rubber-stamping "harijana." No. This is a process. Everyone is open to become a harijana, but not by rubber stamp but by training. That training is required. People are avoiding the training and simply speculating in the mind, foolishness. How the world can improve? There must be training. Without training, simply by mental speculation, one can make any... Manasa mathuram gacchasi. Oh, you have to work. If you want to go California, you have to go there. Simply I am thinking, "I am going to California, California," will that...? No.

So similarly, actually if you want peace, then you have to work. The process is there. The process open for everyone, but you have to take it. Otherwise it is not possible. Therefore Lord Caitanya says, manusya-janma sarthaka kari: "You first of all make yourself perfect; then preach." Don't become yourself nonsense, and you become a preacher. No. Apani acari prabhu jivera siksaya. Preacher must be in his life perfect. Then he can become a preacher. If I smoke, how can I say that "You do not smoke"? Then how... Modern days is, "What I do, that you may not do. What I say, you do." Why shall I follow you? You are not doing? So Lord Caitanya therefore says, janma-sarthaka kari.

So when Krsna was born... Of course, He is pure. He is God. But the social and the scriptural rules and regulations were followed. So when a child is born the astrologer is called. Still that system is followed. But due to this Kali-yuga the astrologer has also become a false, and this has become a formality. Somebody is following; somebody is not following. So as soon as a child is born... You will find Maharaja Pariksit, as soon as he was born, his grandfather, Maharaja Yudhisthira, called for astrologer. This is called jata-karma. Just after the child is born, this astrologer will come and he will see the moment, the astronomical situation, and make a horoscope, and then immediately his future activities and everything will be clearly made, that "This child is born at such and such moment. He will be like this and this." And that will be... You will be surprised... Not surprised. This is calculation. In my horoscope it is written there, "At the age of seventy years he will go across the sea." It is written there. Yes. And there are so many things still. So this astrologer was so accurate. I have got that horoscope. Not here. If some day I shall, then will show. It is clearly written there that "This time he will go across the sea." Just see. The circumstances became so that I have come. So astrology is so nice.

So when Krsna was born the same principle was followed. Astrologer was called for, and there were good astrologers. And the great astrologer, a famous astrologer who came to see Krsna's birth affair, he was Gargamuni. His name was Gargamuni. Yes. So that Gargamuni, by astrology, said to Krsna's father Nanda Maharaja, "This boy, this child who is born as your son, He had three colors before." Asan varnas trayo hy asya: "This child had three colors before. I see." Just see the astrology. From astrology he says that "He had three colors before." That means God. "He had three colors before." Grhnato 'nuyugam tanuh: "According to the age, according to the millennium, He had three other colors." Suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah: "And He had that white color and red color and yellow color. Idanim, just now, He has assumed this black color." So this was the astronomical calculation of Krsna's birth. Satya-yuge dharma-dhyana karaya 'sukla'-murti dhari'.

Now, sukla-murti, that white incarnation of God, He will teach the people... The incarnation of God, why does He come? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Tadatmanam srjamy aham. The incarnation of God comes... When there is discrepancy all over the world about religious principle, the incarnation comes. So Lord Caitanya says that in the Satya-yuga this incarnation of God in white color, He preached meditation, dhyana. Therefore meditation is for the Satya-yuga. Satya-yuga means when cent percent people are pure. That is called Satya-yuga. And Treta-yuga means 75% are pure, 25% impure. And Dvapara-yuga means 50%, 50% pure and 50%... And Kali-yuga means 75% impure and 25% may be pure. (laughter) This is Kali-yuga. And we are thinking we are advancing. Such a foolish civilization, they are less than 25% pure, they do not know what is purity, and they think that they are advancing in civilization. Civilization means to purify. The Aryans, Aryans means advance. And what way advance? Advance in eating? Advance in sleeping? No. Advance in purification. They are called Aryans. And the most advanced purified is called the brahmana. And less than that, the ksatriya. And less than that, vaisyas. And less than that, the sudras. And less than that, they are candalas. This is the classification of the human society. What is that classification? Due to this purity, who is pure, pure, purer, purer, and purest. So unless we become purest, we cannot approach Krsna.

So here it is said, satya-yuge dhyana karma. This dhyana, this medi... Why meditation? They were all pure; still, to become purest, dhyana karma. Kardamake vara dila yenho krpa kari. And He gave some, bestowed some blessings to Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni, he was a great penance taker, and he worshiped this incarnation of God, and he was blessed with a son. He was also incarnation of God, Kapila Muni. Kapila Muni. He is also incarnation of God, and He preached the sankhya philosophy, original. Later on, in the, just in this Kali-yuga, there is an imitation sankhya philosophy. So there are two sankhya philosophies: atheistic and nonatheistic. So (non)atheistic sankhya philosophy you will find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam preached by Kapila. His name was Kapila, Kapila Muni, son of Kardama and Devahuti. His mother's name was Devahuti; His father's name was Kardama. So this Kardama's name is mentioned here:

krsna-'dhyana' kare loka jnana-adhikari
tretara dharma yajna' karaya 'rakta'-varna dhari

Now in the Satya-yuga the people were trained to meditate on Krsna. They had, I mean to say, 100,000's of years they used to live, 100,000's of years. Just like we cannot..., our limit is one hundred years only, similarly, in the Satya-yuga the limit of living was 100,000's of years. And people would meditate. There are history... Meditate some fifty hundred thousands of years..., no, fifty thousands of years. Just like Valmiki Muni. Valmiki Muni meditated for fifty thousands of years, and then he wrote Ramayana. The Ramayana is not an ordinary book. You see? Therefore Ramayana is so much popular in India. Before the appearance of Rama, he wrote Ramayana, all the activities of Rama. So this Valmiki Muni... And what this Valmiki Muni was? This Valmiki Muni was a dacoit, a plunderer. He used to plunder, I mean to say, innocent men on the road, kill him and take everything. That was his business. But by chance, he was associated with Narada Muni, and he rectified him. This is the process. When a devotee meets even a dacoit like Valmiki Muni, he becomes... Narada Muni elevated so many fallen souls. This Valmiki Muni was also. So he was given this mantra, "Rama." He could not chant it. Then he was advised to just the opposite, mara. Mara means dead body. So mara mara mara. Three mara means one "Rama" is there. So in this way he was initiated and he became a great sage. For sixty thousands of years he meditated simply on "Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama." And when he was liberated, he wrote this Ramayana.

So that is the function of the Treta(Satya)-yuga. And Treta-yuga... Treta dharma yajna karaya... (aside:) There is one bug. Throw it. So in the Satya-yuga this meditation is possible, not in this age. Therefore those who are imitating the process of the Satya-yuga, they are simply wasting time. That's all. That is not recommended. Nobody can meditate in this age. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih [SB 12.3.52]. There are different yugas, millennium, and there are different processes. In this age, this is the process, kalau sankirtana, hari-kirtanat, simply chanting. Sit down anywhere, everywhere, and go on chanting, chanting, chanting.

So as the ages, either it is fallen or risen, that doesn't matter. Just like if you go to a doctor, he has got different kinds of medicine, different kinds of treatment. There is no question of being hopeless. There is no question of being hopeless. If we follow the injunction given in these authorized scriptures, then even in this Kali-yuga we can attain perfection. And the process is this: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966

HOME

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.