Darkness Of Disobedience

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.3
May 27, 1974, Rome


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Nitai: (leads chanting, etc.)

yah svanubhavam akhila-sruti-saram ekam
adhyatma-dipam atititirsatam tamo 'ndham
samsarinam karunayaha purana-guhyam
tam vyasa-sunum upayami gurum muninam
[SB 1.2.3]

Translation: "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto him, Suka, the spiritual master of all sages, the son of Vyasadeva, who, out of his causeless compassion for those gross materialists who struggle to cross over the darkest regions of material existence, spoke this most confidential supplement to the cream of Vedic knowledge, after having personally assimilated it by experience."

Prabhupada:

yah svanubhavam akhila-sruti-saram ekam
adhyatma-dipam atititirsatam tamo 'ndham
samsarinam karunayaha purana-guhyam
tam vyasa-sunum upayami gurum muninam
[SB 1.2.3]

So Suta Gosvami is offering respect to the spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami. When we offer respect to the spiritual master or anyone, we glorify his transcendental qualities. That is glorification. Just like we offer respect to Krsna, glorify Him. So this is very important process, glorify the spiritual master by his activities, what he is actually doing. That is glorification.

So what Sukadeva did? Svanubhavam. He first of all heard from his father, Vyasadeva, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and realized it. Not a professional Bhagavata reciter. Just like in India now there are a class of men, especially in Vrndavana, the gosvamis. They make a business. Therefore there are many, many very artistic Bhagavata reciters, but they could not turn even one man to Krsna consciousness. Because they are not self-realized, svanubhavam. Of course, we have tried our best; so in few years there are so many Krsna conscious persons come out. This is the secret. Unless one is svanubhavam, self-realized, life is bhagavata, he cannot preach Bhagavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's secretary, Svarupa Damodara, recommended, bhagavata pora giya bhagavata-sthane, that "If you want to read Srimad-Bhagavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhagavata." Bhagavata pora giya bhagavata-sthane. Otherwise, there is no question of Bhagavata realization.

So Sukadeva Gosvami learned from his father, Vyasadeva, maha-bhagavata, and he realized it, svanubhavam. What is this book? Akhila-sruti-saram ekam. Akhila means "all, universal." There are many scriptures, many religious scriptures, especially the Vedas. Sruti means Veda. Sruti is learned by hearing, not by reading. You can understand Vedic principle even though you are illiterate, provided you hear them, aural reception. God has given you the ear. And if you try to hear submissively, to receive something, then it will be fruitful. Submissive. Sruti-gatam tanu-van-mano..., jnane prayasam. This is the Brahma's realization when he met Krsna. So he said this verse, jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva, namanta eva, san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. People who are endeavoring to understand the Absolute Truth by dint of his puffed-up knowledge, they will never be able to. They will never be able. Jnane prayasam. One has to give up this illegitimate attempt to understand the Absolute Truth by his personal knowledge. That is not possible. Krsna is not so cheap thing that by exercising your brain you can manufacture a way to understand Krsna. Krsna says, naham prakasah sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtah: [Bg. 7.25] "I am not exposed to everyone. I am covered by yogamaya. People will not be able to understand Me." "So many jnanis, yogis, karmis, they cannot understand?" No. Then? Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: [Bg. 18.55] "Only through devotional service." Devotional service means submission, surrender. First of all surrender. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You cannot understand Me by your so-called karma, jnana, or yoga, dhyana. No, it is not possible." Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Bhaktya means to surrender.

So here it is sruti-saram ekam. This Bhagavata is the sruti-saram, just like cream. You churn the milk, two mounds of milk, you get, say, five kilos, kg, of butter, the saram, essence. If you simply try to see where is the essence... You have to churn it. Then in the milk there is. You may possess lots of milk, but from the milk you have to take the cream. That is intelligence. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the cream of Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is said that nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. Nigama. Nigama means Vedas, and kalpa-taru... Vedas is just like desire tree. Desire tree means whatever you want, you can have it from Vedic knowledge. Just like in India, the Ayur-veda. Ayur-veda means this is material thing. But still it is in the Veda. Dhanur-veda, military science. There are so many Vedas. Vedas means knowledge. So the Vedic knowledge is so perfect, that anything you want, material or spiritual, you will get the knowledge perfect. That is Veda. Veda is not ordinary thing. And it is learned by hearing. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet, srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12].

Vedic knowledge... Formerly, there was no need of books. Nowadays, at the present moment, our memory is not so sharp due to Kali-yuga. Therefore Vyasadeva wrote in books, in words, because he foresaw that "The people in this age, they will be dull-headed rascals. Therefore, if they get this knowledge recorded in writing, they may be able to derive some benefit." Otherwise, formerly Vedic knowledge was never book reading. No. Sruti. Sruti means hearing. This disciple is so powerful that once he hears from the spiritual master, his memory is recorded immediately. Memory. Therefore brahmacari record. If you remain brahmacari, then your brain will be so nice that as soon as you hear something, it will be memorized. This is the benefit of brahmacari. And if the students are allowed to be sexually, I mean to say, indulgent, then where is the brain? This is very scientific to remain brahmacari, to understand from the guru simply by hearing. Once hearing.

There was a case... Of course... One Englishman chastised another Indian by calling him so many ill names, "damn rascal, fool," like that. So he complained to the court that "This man has insulted me." "So where is the witness?" So the witness... The complainer said, "There was a brahmana who was witness. He was taking bath in the Ganges." So he was summoned. The brahmana was so sharp in memory. He exactly said, just like gramophone record, tape record, whatever he said. He said, "I do not know what is the meaning of this, but these words were said." So people were so sharp in memory. That is brahmana. Once heard from the spiritual master... The spiritual master means srotriyam: he has also nicely heard from his spiritual master. Therefore Vedic knowledge, factually, it is received simply by hearing. There was no necessity of becoming literate. Illiterate, it doesn't matter. Because it is after all received through the aural reception. Therefore it is called sruti. And sruti-saram ekam. And of all the Vedic literature, Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence.

Sri Vyasadeva first of all described the Vedas in four Vedas, and describes further in Upanisad, further in Puranas. The Puranas... Some of the rascals says that Puranas are not written by Vyasadeva. They are rascal. The Puranas are also, explained further, supplementary. Purana. Purana means "which completes." Another Purana means "the very old, historical." So Puranas, they are mentioned, "the Vedic instruction through the history." Just like Vedic instruction, Mahabharata. Mahabharata is history, but the whole Vedic literature is there, ideal king, how kingdom... Politics, practically it is politics. But it is based on Vedic literature. And the Bhagavad-gita is introduced in the Mahabharata. So the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature. Sruti-saram ekam. This is the only one. You cannot present another. Ekam. As God is one, similarly, to understand Him, there is only one literature. That is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sruti-saram ekam. Adhyatma-dipam.

Adhyatma-dipam means... Just like atma, the soul, is within this body, but due to our darkness knowledge, insufficient knowledge, we cannot understand atma, Paramatma. We cannot understand. So in the darkness, as you require a torchlight, similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam is just like the torchlight. You can see atma and Paramatma. Adhyatma-dipam. Dipam means light, lamp. So why it is required? Atititirsatam. Just like light is required by a person who wants to go through the darkness but go to the light. Suppose here is light and there is tunnel, and in the tunnel you require some light, to go to the other part of the light. Similarly, this world, this material world, is full of darkness. That is the difference between material world and spiritual world. Material world means darkness wherein you cannot understand what is God, what you are. That is material world. They are very busy in this material world, but they do not know where they are going. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. Actually, they are darkness. The material world is darkness. The so-called scholars and teachers, they are also in the darkness, and they are leading other people in the darkness. Because it is darkness, therefore we require sunshine, moonshine and this electricity. As soon as it is covered, the sun is covered, you can experience it is darkness. At night it is darkness. Actually, it is darkness. But by the grace of Krsna, He has arranged the light. But there is another world where there is no need of, na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah [Bg. 15.6]. There is another world where there is no need of these things lighting agent, either sunshine or moonshine. But God is so kind that in each and every universe, it is full of darkness. Now, you see how brilliant sun is there. This is His kindness. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-kotih [Bs. 5.40]. Yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. Therefore the sun is described as the eye of all the planets. Because you have got very nice good planet, very nice city, Rome and London and America, this and that. That's all right. But as soon as it is dark, you cannot see anything. The mercy of sunshine, Krsna's mercy, is there. Therefore you can see. You can enjoy.

Therefore sun is described, yac-caksur esa savita. Savita means sun. Yac-caksuh. Savita is that actually, the eyes. Yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. Without sunshine, you cannot see, in any part of the universe, in any planet. So factually, the sun is supposed to be the eye of... One eye is the sun, another eye is the moon, of the Absolute, virad-rupa. So when He sees, then you can see. Without His seeing, you cannot see. We are very much proud, "Can you show me God?" "And what can you see, rascal? Unless God sees, you cannot see. Why you are so much proud of seeing, ‘We have not seen, we have not seen'? And what you can see?" They are so rascal that these teeny eyes, they are proud of, they can see God. They can see this thing, they can see... But first of all understand what you can see, without seeing by the God. God sees by the sun. Then you can see. So your seeing power is so dependent, and you are so much proud that you can see. Just see how much the whole world is full of rascals! Do they not say, "We have not seen God"? And what you can see? You cannot see even yourself, and what you will see God? You are seeing your father and mother, and when they die, you are crying, "Oh, my father has gone." Where he has gone? He is lying here. Why do you say, "My father has gone?" "No, he has gone." What do you mean by gone? You have always seen the body of the father. That is lying here. Why do you say? That means you have never seen your father. You have never seen your brother.

So this is our position. We cannot see. Still, we are proud, "Can you show me God?" He does not think his incapability, that "I cannot see even our daily necessities of life without the sunlight." Therefore here it is said, adhyatma-dipam. It is the light. If you want to see God, then you have to see through this light. And for whom this seeing is necessity? It is not necessary for the ordinary rascals. It is necessary, atititirsatam tamo 'ndham: one who is sober to think that "Why we are put into the darkness?" We require light. Unless God gives us the light, sunlight, we are always in night. We cannot see. Tamo 'ndham. So those who are intelligent, that "Why shall I remain in this darkness? If there is light..." Just like in daytime, if there is a dark room we are staying, and if we hear that "Why I shall stay in the darkness? There is light, enough sunlight, outside," immediately we will be busy, "let me go to the light. Why shall I remain in this dark room?" Similarly, the sober man, intelligent man, he will think that "I am put into this material world, which is full of darkness. Is there any light where can I go?" That is intelligence. Daily he is... In the northern part of the hemisphere, there is six months no light. So it is intelligence, that... Why we are discovering so many electricity light? Because we want light. So therefore intelligent persons should be that "This material world is by nature dark. Whether there is another nature where there is only light?"

Therefore it is said, atititirsatam tamo 'ndham. This Srimad-Bhagavatam is required for such intelligent person who wants to go out of this darkness to light. The Vedic information is that, tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that "Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light." So when one becomes inquisitive how to go to the light, for him the Srimad-Bhagavatam is required. Therefore it is said that atititirsatam. Titirsatam means to surpass, to overcome. Ati, desiring to overcome, atititirsatam tamo 'ndham, this darkness, the position in darkness. Who are in the darkness? Why these people are in the darkness? Samsarinam. They are undergoing the punishment. Because they have forgotten Krsna, they have defied the supremacy of Krsna, they are put into the darkness. Just like one who defies the laws of the government, they are put into the jail, outlaws. Similarly, krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. These rascals who have forgotten Krsna, God, to serve Him, and wants to remain independent, without serving, they are made servant of the prison house, maya. Just like the criminal. "We don't care for government's law. We can do anything." "All right, come in here. Force you. Sleep. Remain here." This is our position. Simply defying, "I don't care for God," you may not care, but maya is there. He will give you kick and put you in the..., That... You will learn how to care. You will learn how to care.

This is the position. These rascals, they have become godless, and suffering day and night threefold miseries -- adhyatmika, adhidaivika, adhibhautika. Still, they are not coming to their senses. So blunt, so dull-headed, that "We are..." This is intelligence. When one comes to this understanding, that "I don't want all this sufferings. Why they are forced upon me?" then you can become a gentleman. Just like in the jail. Nobody wants to, I mean to say, what is called, breaking?

Nitai: Break with stones.

Prabhupada: Ah, breaking stone. He doesn't want. But there is jail superintendent -- "All right, you must break so many." And there is stick. "If you don't break, then..." So it is going on. Maya. Maya is kicking always, "You must do it." Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. "You wanted to eat anything and everything. All right, you take this body of hog and eat stool." That's all. This is maya, prakrti. He has given you a body. You have to suffer according to the body. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Why there are different types of bodies, different types of enjoyment? Everyone is in the material world. Why one has become hog, one has become dog, and one has become very rich man, and demigod? Why? Who is making arrangement? Who wants to become cat and dog? Who does not want to become king? But why this is arrangement? Who is doing this? This rascal cannot understand.

Therefore, to cover all this ignorance, they do not believe in the next birth. But wherefrom these varieties of life are coming? They have no brain. The so-called scientists, so-called... All bogus theory. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. As you desire, you will be given this chance by prakrti.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

He is thinking that "I am independent," vimudha, rascal. Kartaham. He is not karta. When there is death, you do not like to die. Why there is death? Why you are forced to die? What your scientists will say? "Oh, this is natural." But you cannot fight. You do not want to die, but death is forced. And even though you do not like, you say, "Oh, it is natural." You cannot explain why death is forced there, why birth is forced there. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. You do not want to become old man. Why you are forced to become old man? You do not want to have disease. Why you are forced to accept disease? They have no sense. They are so dull-headed. They do not want any solution. But there is solution. Therefore it is called samsarinam. They are dull-headed rascal. They are undergoing the nature's process from one life to another. All miserable condition.

To get out of this miserable condition, Sukadeva says, here it is, says, karunaya aha. Karunaya means "out of compassion." People are suffering. This is Vaisnava. Vaisnava takes so much trouble to speak to the rascals and dulls about God consciousness. Why? Out of compassion. They are very compassionate. "Oh, so many people are suffering for want of knowledge. Let me try to give them some knowledge." Karunaya. This is Vaisnava's qualification. He is very kind. Titiksavah karunikah. Titiksavah karunikah. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified. Still, he was saying, "My father, they do not know what they are doing." Is it not? He is so much compassionate that "These rascals do not know what they are doing, rascals. Still, I request You to forgive them." This is Vaisnava. Personally he is suffering, but he is still compassionate. There was an article recently, that Jesus Christ, although he was crucified, he did not die. Yes. He went to Kashmir. Some historical references are there. So actually, when he was representative of God, son of God, how these rascals could kill him? It was a show only.

Anyway, so the devotees, they are so compassionate that titiksavah, they suffer all kinds of odds in this material world. Still, they try to give the information, "There is God, there is kingdom of God. You are suffering here. Please do this so that you can again come back to home." This is the Vaisnava. Karunaya. Out of compassion. Karunayaha purana-guhyam. Purana. There are eighteen types of Puranas. Out of that, Bhagavata is also Purana. This Purana is very confidential. This is not ordinary. It is called spotless, "spotless Purana." Because in this Purana, in this history or in this supplementary of Vedic knowledge, there is only description of devotional service. Dharmah projjhita. This dharma, this kind, religious, the Bhagavata religion, is so perfect, that all kinds of cheating types of religion is kicked out from it. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavah. They are not accepted, all cheating types of religion. There are so many religious..., not perfect knowledge even. Even they disobey... They cannot without disobeying. Because it cannot train people to the perfection, they remain defective always. Big, big priests, big, big cardinals. What they are doing? They are simply disobeying. Christ says, "Thou shalt not kill," so they are simply eating meat. That's all. "No intoxicants"; they are taking. They cannot be trained up. Even though so-called priests and the..., they are not trained up. They cannot take it up. Therefore Bhagavata principle is so nice that little training... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Little training. Even the most fallen can be elevated to the highest position. This is Bhagavatam. Perfect. Purana-guhyam.

So who did it? Sukadeva Gosvami. He first of all explained Srimad-Bhagavatam before Pariksit Maharaja. So that is the beginning of Bhagavata teaching. Therefore he learned it from his father, and sravanam, then kirtanam. Sri-visnoh sravane pariksid abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. This is also kirtana. Sri-visnoh sravane pariksit. Pariksit Maharaja simply heard. And abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. This is kirtana. The recitation of Bhagavata by the devotee is also kirtana. Kirtana does not mean that as we generally do. No. This Bhagavata recitation is also kirtana. So it is said, abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. Vaiyasaki. Vaiyasaki means son of vyasa-sunum, as it is said. Tam vyasa-sunum. Vyasa-sunum means Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva. Upayami: "Let me offer my respectful obeisances." Gurum muninam: "He is guru, not only my guru, but he is guru of big, big thoughtful men." Muninam. Muni means thoughtful, philosopher. Gurum muninam.

(reading purport:) "In this prayer, Srila Suta Gosvami practically summarizes the complete introduction of Srimad-Bhagavatam." Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of Vedic literature. That is explained here. "Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural supplementary commentary on the Vedanta-sutra." As I told you that Vyasadeva compiled, he divided. There was originally one Veda, Atharva-veda. Then he, just to divide it for different paths of understanding... Sama-veda, Atharva-veda, Yajur-veda and Rg-veda. Then he explained the Vedas in the Puranas. Then again he summarized in the Vedanta-sutra. The whole Vedanta knowledge was codified, codes. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], athato brahma jijnasa. Anandamayo 'bhyasat. There are so many codes. So again these codes were explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is the business(?). "Vedanta-sutra, or the Brahma-sutra, were compiled by Vyasadeva with the view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on the cream. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was a thoroughly realized master of Vedanta-sutra, and consequently, he also personally realized the commentary, Srimad-Bhagavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy," karunaya, "boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic man who want to cross completely over the nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge."

So it is meant for not ordinary men. It is very difficult. Because they are not fit to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is especially meant for persons who are eager to go out of this darkness, especially. Not only that person. But still, everyone is in darkness. We are trying. This Krsna consciousness movement is an attempt... [break] (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974