Become Very Eager To See Krsna

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.12
August 5, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tac chraddadhana munayo
jnana-vairagya-yuktaya
pasyanty atmani catmanam
bhaktya sruta-grhitaya
[SB 1.2.12]

"The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedanta-sruti."

Prabhupada: (interrupts and corrects one devotee's chanting of the verse:) We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)

Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupada interrupts again:) Yes. That's all.

So people, they sometimes say, "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" These questions sometimes we meet. So the answer is here. Yes, you can see God. Everyone can see God. I am also seeing God. But there must be the qualification. Just like God is there... Suppose a motorcar is there, something is wrong there. Everyone is seeing. But one engineer or mechanic, he sees differently. Therefore we have to go there. "What is the wrong in this car? It is not running." He immediately touches some machine part; it runs. So these rascals, they do not know that "How I can see God if I have not the qualification?" The machine has gone wrong, I am seeing the machine. And the engineer, the mechanic, he is also seeing the machine. But his seeing and my seeing is different. He's qualified to see. Therefore when the machine has gone wrong, immediately he touches some part, it runs. So if for a machine we require so much qualification, and we want to see God without any qualification? Just see the fun. Without any qualification. Rascal, they are so rascal, so fool, that they want to see God with their nuisance qualification.

Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah: [Bg. 7.25] "I am not exposed to everyone. Yogamaya, yogamaya is covering." So how you can see God? But this rascaldom is going on, that "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" God has become just like a plaything. "Here is God. He is incarnation of God." Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. They are sinful, rascals, fools, lowest of the mankind. They inquire like that: "Can you show me God?" What qualification you have acquired, that you can see God? Here is the qualification. What is that? Tac chraddadhana munayah. One must be first of all faithful. Faithful. Sraddadhanah. He must be very much eager to see God, actually. Not that as a proclivity, frivolous thing, "Can you show me God?" A magic, just like God is a magic. No. He must be very serious: "Yes, if there is God... We have seen, we have been informed about God. So I must see."

There is a story in this connection. It is very instructive; try to hear. One professional reciter was reciting about Bhagavata, and he was describing that Krsna, being very highly decorated with all jewels, He is sent for tending the cows in the forest. So there was a thief in that meeting. So he thought that "Why not then go to Vrndavana and plunder this boy? He is in the forest with so many valuable jewels. I can go there and catch the child and take the, all the jewels." That was his intention. So, he was serious that "I must find out that boy. Then in one night I shall become millionaire. So much jewelries. No." So he went there, but his qualification was that "I must see Krsna, I must see Krsna." That anxiety, that eagerness, made it possible that in Vrndavana he saw Krsna. He saw Krsna the same way as he was informed by the Bhagavata reader. Then he saw, "Oh, oh, you are so nice boy, Krsna." So he began to flatter. He thought that "Flattering, I shall take all the jewels" (laughter). So when he proposed his real business, "So may I take some of your these ornaments? You are so rich." "No, no, no. You... My mother will be angry. I cannot..." (laughter) Krsna as a child. So he became more and more eager for Krsna. And then... By Krsna's association, he had already become purified. Then, at last, Krsna said, "All right, you can take." Then he became a devotee, immediately. Because by Krsna's association...

So some way or other, we should come in contact with Krsna. Some way or other. Then we'll be purified. Kamad bhayad dvesyat. Just like the gopis... The gopis came to Krsna being captivated by His beautiful features. They were young girls, and Krsna was so beautiful. So actually, they came to Krsna being lusty, but Krsna is so pure that they became first-class devotees. There is no comparison of their devotion. Because they loved Krsna with heart and soul. That is the qualification. That is the qualification. They loved so much Krsna that they didn't care for family, for reputation. When they were going at dead of night... Krsna's flute was there, and they were all fleeing. Their father, their brother, their husband: "Where you are going? Where you are going in this dead of night?" They didn't care. They neglected their children, their family, everything: "We must go to Krsna." So this is required. We must be very, very eager so that... And many gopis who were forcibly stopped, going to Krsna, they lost their life. Just see how much eager they are. So this eagerness is wanted. Then you can see God. Either you become lusty or a thief or a murderer or whatever it may be. Some way or other, if you develop this eagerness, that "I must see Krsna," then Krsna will be seen.

So here is... The first thing is how much eager you are to see Krsna. Krsna will respond. If you are actually eager to see Krsna... It, the reason may be different, either you are lusty or to steal His ornament. Some way or other, you become attracted to Krsna, then your business is successful. Rupa Gosvami has advised that... He says in a poetry. It is on the matter of the gopis talking. One gopi is advising another gopi that "My dear friend..."

smeran bhangi-traya-paricitam saci-vistirna-drstim
vamsinyastadhara-kisalayam ujjvalam candrakena
govindakhyam haritanumitah kesi-tirthopakanthe
ma preksisthastava yadi sakhe! bandhu-sange 'sti rangah

The idea is that one gopi is advising another gopi, "My dear friend, there is one boy. His name is Govinda. He is standing on the bank of Yamuna near the Kesi-ghata, and He's playing on His flute. And He's so beautiful that especially during full moon night, please do not go there." (laughter) Why? "Now, because if you have got intention to enjoy in this material world with your family members, wife, children, husband, please do not go there." Smeran bhangi-traya-paricitam saci-vistirna-drstim. Bhangi-traya. "Krsna always stands in three-curved way with His flute. That is Krsna's tri-bhanga-murari." Tri-bhanga. Three places, He is bent. So,

smeran bhangi-traya-paricitam saci-vistirna-drstim
vamsinyastadhara-kisalayam ujjvalam candrakena
govindakhyam haritanumitah kesi-tirthopakanthe
ma preksisthastava yadi sakhe! bandhu-sange 'sti rangah

"If you think that you will enjoy more your life in this material world, then you do not go there. You do not go there."

The idea is that if you once see Krsna, then you will forget all this nonsense material enjoyment. That is seeing Krsna. No more. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. "My dear Lord I don't want anything." Dhruva Maharaja... Dhruva Maharaja went to see Krsna to get the kingdom of his father, but when he saw Krsna, Visnu... Visnu offered, "Now, whatever benediction you want, you take." He said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace, "My dear Lord, I have no more any desire." That is Krsna seeing. That if you want to see Krsna for some business, that "I shall see Krsna..." Just like... Of course, if you are eager to see Krsna, the motive may be different, but somehow or other, due to your eagerness, you'll see Krsna. That is the only qualification.

In another poetry Rupa Gosvami says, krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. The, our this Krsna consciousness, I have taken this from this word krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih. This is actual translation in Sanskrit or... Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih. So Rupa Gosvami advises that "Krsna consciousness, if it is possible, please purchase. Don't delay." Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam. "Purchase immediately!" Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi. "Where it is available? It is very nice thing." "Yes, it is available. You can purchase. The movement is going on." "And what is the price?" "Price?" "It is such a nice thing; you have to pay price." "Yes, there is price." "What is that?" Tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam: "Simply your eagerness. That is price. This price you have to pay." Then you get Krsna. Immediately. Krsna is not poor. And the Krsna-seller, the Krsna devotee, he is also not poor. He can distribute Krsna free. And he's doing that. Simply you have to purchase by your eagerness. That is wanted. Tatra laulyam. "Oh, eagerness? I have got eagerness." "Oh, it is not so easy." Tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate: "This eagerness cannot be achieved even by pious activities for millions of births." If you simply go on doing pious activities... Because without being pious, you cannot approach Krsna. So if you go on doing simply pious, janma-koti-sukrtaih... Sukrti means pious activities, simply pious. Still, this eagerness is not awakened.

So this eagerness is very important thing. But it can be awakened by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving chance to everyone to invoke that eagerness. Then you will see God eye to eye. It is not difficult. Tac chraddadhana munayah. Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that "I must see Krsna in this life..." This life is meant for seeing Krsna. It is not meant for becoming dogs and hogs. Unfortunately, the whole civilization is going on, they are being trained to become dogs and hogs. It is the only institution that is teaching people how to see Krsna. This is the only institution, this Krsna consciousness movement. It is so important. Tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. By eagerness, automatically you will be enriched with knowledge and detachment. Knowledge does not mean, "Now we have discovered this atomic bomb." That is not knowledge. What knowledge this is? People are dying. You have discovered something which will accelerate death. But we are giving some knowledge to stop death. That is Krsna consciousness. This is knowledge. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya. And as soon as you get this knowledge, automatically you become detached to all this nonsense material happiness.

Hare Krsna. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.12 -- Los Angeles, August 15, 1972