"The Self-aware Command Respect"

17 Mar 74 , Vrndavana


Prabhupada:

srotavyadini rajendra
nrnam santi sahasrasah
apasyatam atma-tattvam
grhesu grha-medhinam
[SB 2.1.2]

Material world means apasyatam atma-tattvam, one who has no enquiry or vision of the atma. Atma, paramatma. Atma-tattvam. Tattvam means "in truth." Atma means this body also. Atma means the mind also. Atma means the soul also. So in the present material world they are interested in understanding atma -- the body. The medical science, physiology, biology, they are studying the science of the body. And some of them are studying the science of mind, psychology -- thinking, feeling and willing. But nobody is studying the deepest meaning of atma: soul. There is no such... Throughout the whole world there are schools and colleges and universities to study the physiology, psychology, biology, sociology, so many things. But there is no university, school, college throughout the whole world to understand the soul. Is there any? Eh? You have come from all parts of the world. Is there any school, college or institute to study what is the soul? They have no information even. Even Russia is so proud of scientific advancement falsely, but they have also no... They are thinking that the body finished, everything is finished. That's all. This is going on. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape. Atma I have already explained. Atma means body, mind. But one who is thinking atma only this body, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13], in this bag of three elements, kapha-pitta-vayu, he's go-kharah, he's ass. He's rascal.

So therefore it is said, apasyatam atma-tattvam: [SB 2.1.2] one who cannot see atma-tattva, the science of soul, they are busy only in this material body. Grhesu grha-medhinam. So grhamedhi and grhastha. Grhastha is good. Grhastha is interested in atma-tattva. Just like our students. Although they are grhastha, they are interested in atma-tattva. They are not grhamedhi. But those who are not interested in the science of soul, atma-tattva, but they are interested only in the science of body and mind, they are grhamedhi. Grhamedhi. They are not grhastha. So my point is that our philosophy, Krsna consciousness philosophy, is meant for understanding atma-tattva.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

We are interested in that tattva, that atma-tattva, soul, ideal. So to understand this atma-tattva one has to become just the opposite number of these materialistic persons. The materialistic persons, they are interested only in sense gratification, materialistic persons. Or mental speculation. They are materialistic. There are so many big, big so-called sadhus, saintly persons, simply busy on mental speculation. They are not perfect. And those who are busy in understanding the bodily concept of life, they are also materialistic. The difficulty is that these, these materialistic persons, in different forms, they are accepted as the leaders. They are accepted as leader, as politician, as sociologist, as philosopher, mental speculator, or so-called incarnation of God, and magician, yogis, so many things. They are leading the whole society at the present moment. Therefore people are in chaotic condition.

So for them Sukadeva Gosvami says that they have many subject matter to hear. Srotavyadini... Nrnam, srotavyadini rajendra [SB 2.1.2]. The Pariksit Maharaja is addressed here as rajendra, the best of the kings. Rajendra, raja, he was king, raja. But indra means the best. Best of the... Because he was listening Srimad-Bhagavatam at the point of his death, therefore he's addressed especially, rajendra, "Because you are best of the kings." Generally, people are not interested. Or course, in those days, everyone was interested. But he was the most interested-rajendra. Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam [SB 2.1.2]. Nrnam means ordinary human beings, mostly engaged in the bodily concept of life or mental speculation, nrnam. Nrnam santi sahasrasah, they have got hundreds and thousands of subject matters because they are not conversant with the atma-tattva. But those who are interested in real atma-tattva, they are busy in understanding... Not understanding. Busy in Krsna consciousness.

So that, our aim is how to become fully Krsna conscious. And to become fully Krsna conscious, the examples are the Gosvamis. Just like sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri-jiva gopala-bhatta dasa-raghunatha gosvamis. We are followers of the Gosvamis. But these Gosvamis are not these titular gosvamis. You should understand. The titular gosvamis are different. They are making a profession of gosvami. Real gosvami means the six Gosvamis. How one can become interested in atma-tattva, that example is given by the six Gosvamis, sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri-jiva gopala-bhatta dasa-raghunatha. When we speak that these gosvamis, who are indulging in all sinful activities, that does not mean the Gosvamis... Gosvamis cannot take in sinful activities, take part in sin... That is not possible. But still, there are so many so-called gosvamis who are taking in sinful activities; still, they are being passed as gosvami. So we do not mean... When we speak of gosvami, we mean the six Gosvamis and their followers.

So Vrndavana, in Vrndavana, those who will remain here to..., especially to guide this temple, they must be followers of the six Gosvamis. So where is our Gurudasa? He is not present? Why? He is busy? Very busy? Where?

Pusta Krsna: He told me that Yamuna's feeling a little sick...

Prabhupada: Eh?

Pusta Krsna: Yamuna's feeling sick tonight. Went to see...

Prabhupada: Oh. Anyway, so these six Gosvamis, we have to follow. Now, this is... Not srotavyadini rajendra... [SB 2.1.2]. We are not interested with this bodily concept of life and... Although we have got this body, but we, we do not think that body is all in all, mind is the..., mental speculative... No. The Gosvamis, they are described, how the Gosvamis, six Gosvamis. First gosvami, the first qualification is sense control. Vaco vegam krodha-vegam udara-vegam upastha-vegam manasa-vegam. In this way, six kinds of vega, urge. Urge for talking, vaco vegam; krodha, or anger; mind, and that belly, stomach, and then genital. They are forcing. They are forcing. Material life means these six senses are forcing us to remain in the material... But a gosvami means one who has control over these six urges of the senses. Etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah [NoI 1]. As soon as one is practiced to control the urges of the senses, then he becomes a gosvami. That is the first definition of gosvami. Etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah. Being forced by the urges of these six senses... And there are so many people. They are being criminally charged, police inquiries, and still, they are gosvamis. So this is not good. Gosvami should be very ideal. We have given title "Gosvami." So you must be very ideal. Ideal is there -- six Gosvamis.

So we should be distinct from the so-called gosvamis. Those who will remain in Vrndavana, esp... Everywhere. Everywhere is Vrndavana. Wherever there is Krsna's temple, Krsna's sankirtana, that is Vrndavana. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "My mind is always Vrndavana." Because He's always thinking of Krsna. Krsna is there -- He's Krsna Himself -- just to teach us. So similarly, anywhere you live, if you are actually follower of the instruction of Krsna, as Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], then that is Vrndavana. Wherever you live. Do not think that "Because in Melbourne we have got a temple, the Melbourne Deities are here, so that is not Vrndavana." That is also Vrndavana. If you worship the Deity very rigidly, follow the rules and regulations, so wherever you do, that is Vrndavana. Especially this Vrndavana dhama, where Krsna actually appeared. So this is Vrndavana, Goloka Vrndavana. Here, those who will manage this institution, they must be first-class gosvamis. This is my proposition. Not grhamedhi. Not grhamedhi. Gosvami. As...

Because this place was excavated by the gosvamis, sad-gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami came here, Rupa Gosvami came here. And then other Gosvamis, Jiva Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, all joined together for executing the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu -- to write books about Krsna, His pastimes, His lila; very, I mean to say, highly spiritual understanding books they wrote. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. This is the business of the Gosvamis, the symptoms. The first symptom is, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. They were always busy-Krsna-kirtana. Krsna-kirtana means... Just like we perform kirtana with khol, karatala, this is also krsna-kirtana. And to write books, that is also krsna-kirtana. And to read books, that is also krsna-kirtana. Not that simply this kirtana is kirtana. If you write books about Krsna, if you read books about Krsna, if you talk about Krsna, you think of Krsna, you worship Krsna, you cook for Krsna, you eat for Krsna -- so that is krsna-kirtana.

Therefore gosvami means twenty-four hours engaged in krsna-kirtana, in this way or that way. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. How? Premamrtambho-nidhi. Because they were merged into the ocean of krsna-prema. Unless we have got krsna-prema, love for Krsna, how we can remain satisfied simply in the business of Krsna? That is not possible. Those who have not developed love for Krsna, they cannot be engaged twenty-four hours in the business of Krsna. We should consider that... We should save time always to be absorbed in Krsna business. The period we sleep, that is wasted. That is wasted. So we shall try to save time. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Hari is another name of Krsna. Sada, twenty-four hours. Actually, the Gosvamis used to do. They are our examples. They were sleeping not more that two hours or utmost, three hours. So nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau **. They conquered over. This is gosvami. They conquered over these things. What is that? Nidrahara, nidra, ahara, vihara. Vihara means sense enjoyment, and ahara means eating or collecting. Generally, eating. And nidra. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. Conquered. That is Vaisnava. Not that out of twenty-four hours, thirty-six hours sleeping. (laughter) And at the same time, passing on as gosvami. What is this go...? Go-dasa. They are go-dasa. Go means senses, and dasa means servant.

So our policy should be, instead of becoming servant of the senses, we have to become servant of Krsna. This is gosvami. Because unless you conquer over, senses will always ask you, "Please eat, please sleep, please have sexual intercourse. Please have this, please have this." This is material life. This is material life, subjected to the dictation of the senses. That is material life. And one has to become... (sic:) Go-dasa means the mind is dictating, "Please eat more, please sleep more, please have sexual more, please have defense fund more..." So this is materialism. Defense fund means to keep money. That is defense fund. So... So this is materialism. The spiritualism means, "No, that is no." Nidrahara. The senses dictating, "Do this, do that, do that," and you have to become so strong that you'll rightly reply, "No, this is not." Then gosvami. This is gosvami. And that grhamedhi, grhastha-appearing like the same. But grhastha means no dictation of the sense. Then you become gosvami. Then, as Narottama dasa Thakura says, grhe va banete thake ha gauranga bole dake. Ha gauranga, "Always chanting Nitai-Gaura, and thinking of Nitai-Gaura," such person, Narottama dasa Thakura says... Grhe va... "He may be a sannyasi, or he may be a grhastha. It doesn't matter. Because he is absorbed in the thought of Nitai-Gaura." So narottama mage tanra sanga: "Narottama is always desiring to associate with such person." Grhe va banete thake, ha gauranga bole dake, narottama mage tanra sanga. Narottama is always desiring the society of such person. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau.

And gosvami has to become very dear to all classes of men. There are two classes of men: dhira and adhira. Dhira means one who has controlled the senses, and adhira means one who could not. Gosvamis are very kind to all classes of men. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau. So how you can...? How the gosvami can be...? When six Gosvamis were here in Vrndavana, they were so popular to the whole people. Even in this Vrndavana dhama, the village people, if they had some quarrel with husband and wife, they would to go Sanatana Gosvami, "Sir, there is some disagreement between us. You settle up." And Sanatana Gosvami will give his judgment, "You are wrong." That's all. They will admit. Just see how the popular they were. Sanatana Gosvami would give decision among their family quarrel also. So dhiradhira-jana-priyau. These ordinary men, they were not saintly persons, but they were devoted to Sanatana Gosvami. Therefore their life was successful. Because they would abide by the orders of Sanatana Gosvami, therefore they were also liberated. They may be personally wrong, but they abided by the Sanatana Gosvami. And Sanatana Gosvami was kind to them. This is the Gosvami. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau.

So you can become dhiradhira-jana-priyau. Adhira, those who are ordinary men, you can also call them, give them prasadam, treat them very nicely: "Just hear Hare Krsna. You come here. Chant Hare Krsna. Take prasada." They'll be your..., under your control. They'll be under your control. And as soon as they become under your control, they make advance. Immediately. Because under the Vaisnava, if he agrees to abide by, he becomes... That is called ajnata-sukrti. Because he offers you... Just like when we walk, they say, "Hare Krsna. Jaya Radhe." That is the method of offering respect. So if these ordinary people offer respect to the Vaisnava, they become advanced. So you must be Vaisnava. Otherwise why they will offer you respect? Respect cannot be demanded. It must be commanded. By seeing you, they will give you respect. Then dhiradhira-jana-priyau. This is gosvami. Automatically they'll offer respect. So unless you become perfectly clean and Vaisnava, pure Vaisnava... Automatically they'll give you respect. You haven't got to... Just like sometimes we see a person, by seeing us, they chant Hare Krsna. It is not that at the spot we are asking them to chant Hare Krsna, but automatically they are chanting. So that means we have to keep ourself so clean, nice Vaisnava, gosvami, that people will offer you respect. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.

Nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means they were not en... Vaisnava is not envious. Vaisnava's only business is to see people, how they will... [break] ...let them go to hell. This is Prahlada Maharaja's philosophy. Soce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyartha-maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. The whole world is suffering from the material disease, and they are always unhappy. So let us preach this Krsna consciousness. They should try to save at least one man. That was the version of my Guru Maharaja, that "I have got so many temples and buildings. If by selling all these buildings, if I can save one man from this material disease, then my mission will be successful." He used to say like that. So that is gosvami. They are trying, always trying, how to save. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. Just like Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Srila Rupa Gosvami, writing Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, quoting from so many Vedic literatures, giving evidence. Because formerly people would take it as truth when it is proved by the version of the Vedic literature. Nowadays, they have become more and more rascal. They would not take any evidence. They will take evidence of their only senses. If they like, they will accept. If they do not like, they will...

Formerly, the society was not so much degraded. They, as soon s you give evidence from the Vedic literature, they would accept. So these Gosvamis therefore were making research from the Vedic literature, from the Puranas, from the Vedas, from the Vedanta-sutra, and Upanisads, like that, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Sama Veda, Rg Veda. You'll find in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu evidences... Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. What is the, what was the purpose? The purpose was to establish real religious principles. If actually Gosvami principles were followed strictly and real gosvamis would preach, then there would not have continued the so-called religious systems, or increase the so-called... Because any religious system which... That is the verdict of Bhagavata. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje, ahaituky apratihata [SB 1.2.6]. Religion means by following the system one will become a great lover of God, or Krsna. That is religion. Then why this system of religion is going on, maintaining slaughterhouse? That means the..., there was no attempt to preach sad-dharma, real dharma. Therefore, in the name of religion, they are maintaining thousands of slaughterhouse. You see? It is asad-dharma. Asad-dharma. But the..., they studied. Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu... They wrote so many books just to establish what is real religion. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. Why? Lokanam hita-karinau. They were simply doing welfare activities for the people in general, lokanam. For everything. They...

Without following the principles, religious principles... The human life is given a chance by the nature, that "In this life you make a solution of this birth and death," janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. So these rascals do not know that janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi is actually problem. They are simply trying to solve so many temporary problems. They do not know the real problem is janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Therefore, following the real religious principle means sad-dharma. That is lokanam hita-karinau, the greatest benefit to the human society -- to stop their repetition of birth and death. That is the greatest... That is the business of the Gosvamis. Not this, this party or that party, capitalism and communism, this "ism," that... What they will derive? You may follow capitalism or communism or this "ism," that "ism"; after death, you'll be immediately under the grip of material nature, karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. "Now all your so-called rascal nationalism go to hell. You become a dog. Finish." That is nature's course. You have treated your life like cats and dogs. You did not take advantage of your human life. Now nature will give you, "All right, again you become cats and dogs." Punar musiko bhava. They do not know. They do not know the secret science of nature. You may be a very great leader, prime minister now. Next life you are going to be a dog in Scandinavia. (laughter) You see?

But how can you check it? What is your power? Suppose by nature... There are so many lives. Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. So you have to accept another body. Now, that is not in your hand, how to accept. That is, that will depend on your nature, karmana daiva-netrena, and nature will give you the suitable body. So if you waste your time in this human form of life like cats and dogs, then you are going to get... Otherwise, wherefrom the cats and dogs are coming? They are coming... Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22]. We are changing this body. So why you deny that in your next time you cannot become? No. That is your theory, but nature's law is different from your theory. You rascal, what do you know? You learn from the authorities. So the Gosvami's business is to do, how to save these people, these rascals, from this repetition of birth and death.
So there are so many description of the Gosvamis. These eight slokas of Srini... Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau. Because they were nirmatsarau pujitau, they were worshiped by everyone. Pujitau. Sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantara... And because they received the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they were able to lessen the burden of this material world. Bharavahant...vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So if you simply study these eight verses of the Gosvamis... Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. In Vrndavana, they lived, and they set the examples. And if you follow their footsteps, then your life will be successful. So, so many others, the so-called gosvamis, have become envious about us, but if you become one of them, then your life is not very... You just try to follow the real Gosvamis and make your life as gosvami. Then people will adore you. Sri-caitanya-gunanuvarnana-vidhau. The verses, you have translated? This krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau...?

Pusta Krsna: Sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi...

Prabhupada: Bhuvo bharavahantara... No.

Pusta Krsna: Sraddha-samrddhy-anvitau.

Prabhupada: Sri-gauranga-gunanuvarnana-vidhau sraddha-samrddhy-anvitau. Eh?

Pusta Krsna: Papottapa-nikrntanau tanu-bhrtam...

Prabhupada: Papottapa-nikrntanau tanu-bhrtam...

Pusta Krsna: Govinda-ganamrtaih.

Prabhupada: Govinda-ganamrtaih. These were the symptoms of gosvami. You study this. I want at least twenty-five men to live here, to become ideal follower of these Gosvamis. They'll see how you'll be adored, how you'll be respected, how you'll be ideal. That I want.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974