"No Intelligent Words For This Age"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.21
September 26, 1972, Los Angeles


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tatah saptadase jatah
satyavatyam parasarat
cakre veda-taroh sakha
drstva pumso 'lpa-medhasah

Translation: "Thereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, Sri Vyasadeva appeared in the womb of Satyavati, wife of Parasara Muni, and he divided the one Veda into several branches and sub-branches, seeing that the people in general were less intelligent."

Prabhupada: So this Parasara actually was not husband of Satyavati. When Satyavati was not married, Parasara gave birth to Vyasadeva. Later on Satyavati became the wife of Maharaja Santanu, father of Bhismadeva. This Satyavati was the daughter of a fisherman. She was neither born of a brahmana father or ksatriya father. So formerly, a higher-caste man could accept a girl born of lower caste, but a lower-caste man could not accept a girl born of higher caste. That was the system. Because in the sastra it is... Ordinary, I mean to say, instructive sastra.

Just like Canakya, in his moral lessons, he says that visad apy amrtam grahyam. When there is a tub of poison, but, if there is little nectar, then you take it. Don't think that "It is in the poison pot, why shall I take it?" No, you can take it. Visad apy amrtam grahyam amedhyad api kancanam. Suppose in a very filthy place where people pass stool, urine, there is some gold. So you should take it. Don't think that because the gold is in the polluted place, gold has become polluted. No. You take it. Visad apy amrtam grahyam amedhyad api kancanam, nicad apy uttama vidya. Vidya, education, was to be received from a brahmana, because it was the brahmana's business to become highly learned scholar and make others educated. Teacher's business was entrusted to the brahmanas, administration to the ksatriyas, production to the vaisya, and labor to the sudra. So because generally we have to take education from highly learned brahmana, but if a person born in low family, he has got some talent, education, so don't hesitate. Take from him. Not that, "Oh, he is low born. Why shall I take education from him?" No. The sastra says, "No, you can take. It doesn't matter. He has got the learning. You take that. Make him a teacher." Nicad apy uttama vidya stri-ratnam duskulad api. Stri-ratnam. If a girl is very qualified, beautiful, even she is born of a low family, you can accept her. This is the injunction of the sastras.

So Satyavati happened to be a daughter of a fisherwoman, and, but she was very qualified, beautiful. So before her marriage, Vyasadeva was born out of her womb. It is not that..., that before marriage girls were not giving birth to child. It was there, the society. But the society was so elevated that this was not done commonly. In extraordinary cases. So Satyavati gave birth to Vyasadeva, such a son, Vyasadeva, incarnation of God. Vyasadeva is not ordinary being. An incarnation of Narayana. And he was meant for expanding Vedic knowledge. Then again, Vyasadeva was born, but nobody could understand. She remained a virgin girl by the blessings of Parasara Muni. Then she was again attractive to Maharaja Santanu. Maharaja Santanu became attracted by Satyavati, and he wanted to marry. But Maharaja Santanu had his son. So her father objected. So king proposed to the fisherman that "I want to marry your girl." So the father said, "No, no, I cannot allow my girl to marry with you because you are already married. You have got your son, elderly son, Bhismadeva." So he was a little sorry, Santanu Maharaja.

The son could understand that "The father is sorry because he was refused the hand of the girl Satyavati." So he approached father. Not father. He approached the father of Satyavati, that "Why you are refusing my father?" "No. You are present. How can I offer my daughter?" "No. Even if I am present..." Because the law is the eldest son will be enthroned after the death of the father. So he was eldest son. So Satyavati's father was hesitating. So Bhismadeva promised that "I will not accept the throne. The child born of Satyavati, he will accept, he will be given the throne. You give your daughter to my father." He still refused. He still, "Well, our son may be king, but then again, your son will become the king." In this way, he was hesitating. So Bhismadeva immediately promised that "I shall never marry. Don't hesitate." So in this way he induced the fisherman to give his daughter to his father.

So father could understand that "My son is so great that he wanted to satisfy. I wanted this girl, and he has managed." So he gave him a benediction to Bhismadeva, "My dear son, you are so benevolent, so magnanimous. So I give you one benediction that you'll not die unless you desire to die. Unless you fix up your mind, ‘Now I shall die,' you'll never die. You remain a very strong brahmacari." So Bhisma remained very strong brahmacari. There is another incidence of Bhismadeva's life, that Pandu-vamsa. So one girl was attracted. So she was conquered. So the girl thought that "I will be able to marry Bhismadeva," but when she came at home, Bhismadeva said, "No, you have been conquered to be married with my brother. I am brahmacari. I cannot marry you." So the girl said that "You have kidnapped me, conquered me. You must marry." So "No, I shall not marry." Then the girl approached to his spiritual master, this Jamadagni, Bhrgupati, that "This boy he has conquered me. Still, he is not marrying me." So Jamadagni said, "Bhisma, you must marry this girl." Bhismadeva said, "No. I have promised to my father never to marry. I cannot marry." Then Jamadagni said, "If you don't marry, then I will force you to marry." So there was fight between Bhismadeva, spiritual master and... (laughter) So the spiritual master became defeated. (laughter) Then he gave his blessings. "All right, you remain brahmacari." (laughter)

So this was the society principle, how to keep principle. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. A very exalted status of society. So this Satyavati is a famous woman in the history. Satyavati. The whole Pandu-vamsa from Satyavati. So now, here it is said that tatah saptadase jatah satyavatyam parasarat. Parasarat, semina given by Parasara Muni in the womb of Satyavati, satyavatyam. And cakre veda-taroh sakhah. Veda, the knowledge, he divided. Vyasadeva divided into many branches. Therefore Vyasadeva is known as Veda-vyasa. He expanded the Vedic knowledge. Formerly there was only one Veda, Atharva-veda. And this Atharva-veda was learned by tradition, by hearing from the spiritual master. There was no book. Therefore Veda is known as sruti. Sruti means hearing. The spiritual master will recite Vedic mantra, and the disciples will hear. Just like we chant Hare Krsna mantra or any other Vedic mantra. You hear. But there was no need of book. His memory was so sharp that once heard from the lips of the spiritual master, the students become completely well versed. There was no need of book.

But Vyasadeva saw that next age, this Kali-yuga, people will be less intelligent. Here it is stated, drstva pumsah alpa-medhasah. Alpa. Alpa means the brain substance not in much quantity. This is psychologically true, that within the brain, the brain substance, if there is more, then one is more intelligent. So here it is alpa... Just see, modern scientific psychology, how it was known, long, long millions of years ago. At least five thousand years ago. Alpa-medhasah. And this is scientific fact. Those who are students of psychology, they know it. I was student of psychology, and our professor... He was a Scotman. He explained this brain substance, cerebular substance, Dr. Urquhart, that the more brain substance is there, more one becomes intelligent. And it has been found that a woman does not have more than thirty-six ounce of brain substance, whereas in man it has been found that he has got up to sixty-four ounce. Now, this is modern science. Therefore generally, generally, woman, less intelligent than man. You cannot find any big scientist, any big mathematician, any big philosopher amongst woman. That is not possible. Although in your country, you want equal status with man, freedom, but by nature you are less intelligent. What can be done? (laughter)

So therefore, woman is advised by the Manu-samhita, they should remain under the intelligent man, not declare freedom. That will be their life nice. Therefore it is advised that until one is married with an intelligent husband, she must remain under the control of her father. Still in India, until a girl is married, she cannot move freely. Where is our Syamasundara? You know, what happened about that Sharma girls. Two girls in Nairobi, they wanted to join our society. So Brahmananda, as other girls are joining, he welcomed, but it created a havoc to the family of the girl. They went here and there. "Oh, the girl has gone out of home. There will be no marriage." That's a fact. In India still, in respectable family, if a young girl goes out of home for three days, it will be difficult, or she will not be married. So this still I saw in Nairobi.

So anyway the system is unless one is married, a girl, she must remain under the control of the parents. Therefore it is the parents' duty to see that the girl is married to a suitable boy. That is the duty. When the girl is married, then parent's duty is finished. Not by the age. Up to this point. So during young time, say, up to, say, forty years, she should remain under the husband. And when there are grown-up children, she should remain... Just like that Mrs. Sharma. (?) She is under the care of her elderly sons. So Manu-samhita says that na stri svatantryam arhati. Woman should not be given independence. She must remain... Just like... That is not bad. Just like a child remains under the control of the parents. That is good. Similarly, woman remaining under the control of father or husband or elderly boy, that is good for them. And still, they are very happy. Just like you see Kunti. Kunti was widow, but she was very qualified woman, so many ways. But still, she remained under the control of the five boys, five children, Pandavas. Kunti also gave birth to a child before her marriage. That is Karna. That is Karna. So it was not very common affair, and in extraordinary cases it so happened.

So now, in this age, people are not very intelligent. They are claiming, "We are advancing in science. The brain has advanced and so on, so on." Formerly there was animal brain. The Darwin's theory: "Now the brain has evolved." No. Actually, they are degrading. They are degrading. Formerly the brain was very sharp. Otherwise why it is said, drstva pumso 'lpa-medhasah? The opposite word of this alpa-medhasa is su-medhasa. Alpa means less, and su means very nice. So su-medhasa. We are all alpa-medhasa, less intelligent, in this age. Out of so many alpa-medhasa rascal... In other, in a harsh words, alpa-medhasa means rascal, less intelligent or no intelligence. So there is su-medhasa. Su-medhasa. That is also stated. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah.

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

In this age, one should worship the incarnation of God, Krsna, if he is su-medhasa, he is intelligent. Just like this alpa-medhasa, less intelligent. Su-medhasa means highly intelligent, intellectual. How? Yajnaih sankirtana-prayaih, performing the sankirtana-yajna. So those who are joining the sankirtana-yajna, they are very intelligent, su-medhasa. They are not all hodgepodge, alpa-medhasa: something this, something that, something... No. Just fix up your mind in sankirtana-yajna. Your life will be successful. Therefore it is called su-medhasa. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah.

So everything is there Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is the topmost knowledge. That is transcendental knowledge. That is not material knowledge. Material knowledge, if you write some book, it has no meaning, because it is defective. But Srimad-Bhagavatam is not ordinary knowledge. It is transcendental knowledge. There is no defect. Our this mundane brain is defective. We can't... Just like our scientist, Svarupa Damodara. He was speaking that they make experiment in the laboratory according to formula, but still, there is some mistake. Still, there is some mistake. Practically, scientific advancement, scientific knowledge means to find out mistakes. What you were are speaking? What is the exact language you told?

Svarupa Damodara: I said there is always some statistical factor, which is called error. (laughter) Error is always slipping in.

Prabhupada: So nobody can be perfect. Therefore all these so-called perfect leaders, they should close their business. (laughter) It is already experimental, all nonsense. Come to Hare Krsna mantra and chant. That's all right. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972

"This Tax, That Tax--Tax, Tax..."

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.20
September 25, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

avatare sodasame
pasyan brahma-druho nrpan
trih-sapta-krtvah kupito
nih-ksatram akaron mahim

Translation: "As Bhrgupati, the sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord annihilated the administrative class, or ksatriyas, twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brahmanas, or the intelligent class."

Prabhupada: So kesava dhrta-bhrgupati-rupa jaya jagadisa hare. Ksatriya-rudhira. What is that verse? Can anyone cite?

ksatriya-rudhira-maye jagad-apagata-papam
snapayasi payasi samita-bhava-tapam
kesava dhrta-bhrgupati-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

So Bhrgupati. Brahma-druha. The administrative class, the politicians, they must obey the order of the brahmanas. That is Vedic culture. Therefore although there was monarchy, king, one king, no democracy, but because the king would follow the instruction of learned sages and brahmana, they would rule over the country very nicely. Take, for example, if your president takes our advice how to rule, then everything will be very nice. Of course, we shall immediately ask the president to stop the slaughterhouse. But it is very difficult. You see? Neither the president is ready... Even if he is ready, he cannot do. Everything is constitutional.

So brahma-druha. The society must be brahminic. Vedic culture means to create every person a brahmana, not to keep him sudra. Of course, in the modern educational system, the purpose is to elevate the general people. But they do not know how to elevate. Therefore there is so much trouble. The elevation should be... There must be some purpose, end. What purpose education is being given? It is purposeless education. Mostly, at the present moment, education means to give facilities for sense gratification. That's all. Boys and girls in the school and colleges, just from the very beginning they are given all liberty for sex life. So this is not education. Education means to lead the people gradually to Krsna consciousness. That is education, God consciousness. Because human life... This is the only life. There are 8,400,000 species of life. This human form of life is the only opportunity to understand God. Cats, dogs, even demigods, they also, because their opulence, sense gratification, is so great that they have no time. Just like here in this world also, those who are too rich, they are simply after sense gratification. They have no time to understand Krsna consciousness.

So to become too much materially opulent means that is another danger. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said therefore, jada-vidya jato mayara vaibhava. The expansion of material advancement... Material advancement means expanding the sense gratificatory process. That is material. The more you expand how to satisfy your senses, that is material. And the more we expand how to satisfy Krsna, that is spiritual. That is the difference between material and spiritual. It does not mean that material stone, material, and spiritual means it becomes zero. They are thinking like that. Sunyavadi. They think spiritual means just the opposite number of material. "So material, we have got variegated experience, solid experience, so make it zero." That is not spiritual. That is simply negation. That philosophy is the Buddha philosophy, that "You are suffering from some disease painful, so I cut your throat. That's all. Everything finished. No more suffering. Zero. Make it zero." No. The process should be, if you are diseased, if you are suffering, the suffering should be stopped. Not that to kill you to stop the suffering. No. That is our philosophy.

We are changing. Why one is suffering? He is suffering for indulging in sense gratification. We are educating people that "You enjoy your senses through Krsna. Through Krsna. You like to dance? Yes. You dance through Krsna. You want to eat nice? You eat through Krsna. You want to sing? You sing through Krsna. You want to paint? You paint through Krsna." This is our education. Not directly for my sense gratification. I want to paint nice picture. So because I wanted my sense gratification, now painting has become several logs. Especially in your country. What is that painting? That means the tendency toward making it zero. Sunyavadi. We say, "You have got taste for painting. You are nice painter. Just paint Radha-Krsna. You see how nice it is." So painting is not to be stopped. It is simply diverted for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We don't want to kill, but we simply divert to Krsna. Purification, that is. If you don't divert your attention to Krsna, then more and more, you will become sinful, and everything will be polluted.

So that was being observed formerly. As soon as there was some discrepancy in the brahminical culture... Brahminical culture means the aim of advancement of civilization is spiritual realization, self-realization, Visnu. Ultimately, Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the prerogative. That is a special chance for the human being. This chance is not for any other living being. So for this purpose, there are so many rules and regulation: Manu-samhita, the social system, the political system, the spiritual system, so many things. Everything chalked with an aim: how to understand Brahman. Brahma janati iti brahmanah. As soon as one understands what is Brahman, Parabrahman, Krsna -- Krsna is Parabrahman -- then his life is perfect. That was the aim.

So actually, the administrators, the brahmanas, sages, they gave their verdict, that "My dear king, you rule over the country in this fashion. People will be happy." So when the kings became sensuous, they thought that the kingdom is their father's property. They haven't go to do anything with the people. They can employ the taxes for sense gratification, as it is going on now. Whatever taxes are levied, they are divided among the government servant. That's all. You don't get any benefit. You are simply paid, to pay tax. That's all. You don't get any benefit. That is everywhere, the modern government. So such thing happens because this material world is such that even if you make very nice arrangement, it will deteriorate. The time factor. So sometimes, when it happens so that the administrators, nrpan, the kings, were neglectful in their proper duty, so it was so much aggravated, at that time Jamadagni, Bhrgupati, he took the matter, took his sword. He was a brahmana, but to chastise these irresponsible kings, He killed them, killed them seven into three times, twenty-one times. And from history it appears that many of the ksatriyas, they left India and they came to this part of the world. And so far my guess is concerned, you Europeans, Americans, you belong to that ksatriya family descendant. But because you were separated directly from the Vedic culture, now you have become different. Now again that Vedic culture has come to your service. Take advantage of it. You see?

So one has to take this Vedic culture to make his life perfect, and... Of course, formerly the brahmanas were so strong. That... they did not like to govern directly. They used to live in the forest, cultivating spiritual knowledge, writing books. They had no interest in taking charge of government. No. They never stood for election. There was no election. So ksatriya-rudhira. So He purified this earth, the surface of the earth, by washing it by the blood of these ksatriyas. This is the incarnation of Jamadagni, or Parasurama. Parasurama. Some of the sages, saintly persons, are still living. Still living. They are tri-kala-jna. They have no past, present, future. When this whole universe will be annihilated, then they will go to Vaikuntha or spiritual world personally. So Parasurama, Vyasadeva, and many others, they are supposed to be still living. What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "The ksatriyas, or the administrative class of men, are expected to rule the planet by the direction of the intelligent class of men, who give direction to the rulers in terms of the standard sastras, or the books of revealed knowledge. The rulers carry on the administration according to that direction. Whenever there is disobedience on the part of the ksatriyas, or the administrative class, against the orders of the learned and intelligent brahmanas, the administrators are removed by force from the posts, and arrangement is made for better administration."

Prabhupada: Yes. That was the custom. Not that by removing the king from the throne or killing the king, the brahmanas and the sages would come there to sit down on the throne. No. His son will be given chance to become king. The descendant was picked up, and they would take charge of the minor king, advise him, but they will never touch the throne. There are many instances. Just like Vena Maharaja. He became too much atheistic. He was also killed by the brahmanas and the sages. Then his son Prthu Maharaja became king, and he was a good administration, administrator. So in this way, things were going on.

So the aim was how to make people happy by enlightening them in spiritual knowledge. Not that how to make better arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That was also going on. But the main purpose of life was brahminical culture. Brahma-druha. When the kings were neglectful to see that the people are being enlightened about spiritual self-realization, that wasn't good administration. Without that aim, no nation can become happy. No community can become happy.

So the responsibility was that time to the administrator. They would see that everyone, every brahmana, is following the rules and regulation of a brahmana; every ksatriya is following the rules and regulation of ksatriya. Vaisya, sudra... And nobody can interfere the other's business. Everyone is employed in his own business. And tax. Tax. The brahmana had to pay no tax. Only ksatriyas, they were tax collector. And sudra also, they had no property; therefore there was no tax. Only the vaisya class, the productive class, they had to pay tax. And that tax also was very simple. There was no encroachment. You simply give one fourth of your profit to the government. That's all. No more tax. Sales tax, this tax, income tax, excise tax, this tax -- simply tax, tax, tax. No. Not like that. Whatever he has got profit. "Got" means whatever profit he has made... If he has no profit, there is no tax. That was the government system. So how he will pay if he has not made any profit this year? Just like we are hearing there is no good monsoon in India this year. So there will be no very much good production. But if there is no good production, the government should not levy any tax. But now, at the present moment, "You go to hell, but you must pay the tax. And we divide the tax amongst ourself." That's all. Finished. Or we employ the taxes for fighting, for declaring war. That's all.

So at the present moment we are in a very, very deplorable condition, no good government. Simply by changing, by so-called parties, the government cannot improve. The government can improve when there are Krsna conscious person. So if some day you turn all the people Krsna conscious, then you become president.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972

"Offering Everything To Krishna"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.19
September 24, 1972, Los Angeles

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

pancadasam vamanakam
krtvagad adhvaram baleh
pada-trayam yacamanah
pratyaditsus tri-pistapam

Translation: "In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf-brahmana, Vamana, and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Maharaja Bali. Although at heart He was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply asked for a donation of three steps of land."

Prabhupada: So Vamanadeva.

chalayasi vikramane balim adbhuta-vamana
pada-nakha-nira-janita-jana-pavana
kesava dhrta-vamana-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

So Bali Maharaja, he was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja. They were in the demon's family. But in the demon's family also, there is sometimes Prahlada Maharaja, Bali Maharaja. Prahlada and Bali, they are our acaryas. There are twelve bona fide acaryas. Balir vaiyasakir vayam. The acaryas are mentioned. Dvadasa-mahajanah. Svayambhu. Svayambhu means Lord Brahma. (aside:) Don't make sound. Svayambhu, Narada. Narada is also one of the authorities. They have been accepted at (as) authority for understanding religious principles. Religious principle is not to be understood by from a rascal. No, that anyone comes and says religious topics. No. We have to receive it from the authority.

So Bali Maharaja is one of the authorities. Out of the twelve authorities, first is Lord Brahma; the next, Narada; the next, Lord Siva; then next, the Kumaras; then Kapiladeva; then Manu, Vaivasvata Manu; then Prahlada Maharaja; then Janaka Maharaja; then Bhismadeva; then Bali Maharaja; then Sukadeva Gosvami; and then Yamaraja. It is stated in the sastra that mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. You cannot understand transcendental subject matter simply by dry speculation and argument. You cannot understand. Neither by reading Vedic literature. The conclusion is that you have to follow those who are authorities. Mahajano yena. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Guha. Guha means the cave, mountain cave, and guha means the heart. So suppose something is very valuable is there in the cave of the mountain, and you do not know how to search it out. But if you know somebody who knows it, if you follow him, that "He is going there so I may also follow..."

So religious principles cannot be manufactured, neither it can be made by speculation. So actually, there cannot be many religions. The rascal theory that "There are as many religious system as I can believe... You believe something, that's all right. I believe something, that's all right. He believes something, that's all right." No. It is not like that. Then everyone will believe like any nonsense thing, that becomes religion? No. Religion means dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Religion means the codes, the laws, given by God. That is religion. Man cannot manufacture. I have several times explained. Just like law, state law. The state law can be given by the government. You cannot manufacture law. Nobody will care for your law. The state law is that "You must keep right your car. As soon as there is red light, you must stop." If you violate, you will be punished, although it is very simple thing. Similarly, religion means the law of God. You cannot violate it. If you violate, then you will be punished. If you think that "This religious system is very stiff. Let me manufacture my own religion," so that kind of religion is not accepted by the Vedic culture. And when actually the real religion is violated... Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati... [Bg. 4.7]. Glanih means violation. Tadatmanam srjamy aham. At that time the Supreme Lord or His representative comes to establish real religion.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

...dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge.

Dharma-samstha... Real religious principle. Real religious principle means to abide by the laws of the Supreme Lord, God. But they do not believe in God. "Everyone is God. I am God, you are God, he is God, everyone is God. So whatever law you give yourself, that becomes your religion." This is going on. So God is not so cheap that you become God, I become God, he becomes God. The sastra says, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. God is Krsna, the Supreme Lord, the original God. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda [Bs. 5.1]. God, Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no superior authority than Me." The Vedanta-sutra also says, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. The original source of everything. Who is that original source? God. Who is that God? Krsna. Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. "I am the origin of everything." Iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah. "Those who are budha..." Budha means one who knows, one who is in the knowledge. Bhava-samanvitah. Bhava-samanvitah, knowing everything in ecstasy, "Oh, here is God." Budha bhava-samanvitah.

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
[Bg. 10.8]

So everything is there. God is there. His name is there. His address is there. His law is there. Everything is there. But the rascals will not accept it. That is the position. Therefore we have to follow the mahajana. So Bali Maharaja is one of the mahajana. How he became mahajana? Because he's surrendering fully unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Vamanadeva, incarnation of... Kesava dhrta-vamana-rupa. So the incident is that Bali Maharaja was very powerful, and he conquered the whole universe, even the demigods all. So Visnu is always in favor of the demigods because demigods, they are also devotees. The difference between sura and asura... Asura means envious of the demigods. That is called asura. Sura-dvisa. The another name of the asura, "those who are envious of devotees." That is the only business. There, two classes of men are always there. Sometimes one class in more in number, and other class is more in number. But two classes. Dvau bhuta-sargau loke. "There are two classes of men, living entities." Daiva asura eva ca. "One is called daiva, demigods, and the other is called asura." So who is daiva? Visnu-bhakto bhaved daiva. "Those who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, they are called demigods, or Vaisnava." All Vaisnavas are demigods. And those who are not... Asuras tad viparyayah. "Anyone opposite number, against Visnu, they are all called asuras."

So sometimes in asura's family also, there are Vaisnavas. By the grace of Narada. Narada makes... Just like Prahlada Maharaja became a great devotee by the grace of Narada, although he was born of a father, atheist father, Hiranyakasipu. So Narada Muni's business is to travel all over the universe and make Vaisnava. So this Bali Maharaja, he conquered all over the universe, and the demigods were defeated. So Vamanadeva, He also one of the considered demigods, Upendra. So He went to Bali Maharaja by a trick. Because Bali Maharaja... Krsna knows that Bali Maharaja was the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja and he was a great devotee at heart. He knew that. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Lord is situated in everyone's heart. He knows everyone. So therefore, in order to return back the kingdoms taken from the demigods, He made a trick. He went there. Bali Maharaja was performing a great sacrifice, Bali-dhare.(?) So He went there and asked Bali Maharaja, "Bali Maharaja, you are performing such a great sacrifice. I am at your door. I am brahmana. Will you kindly give Me some donation?" "Yes, why not? That is my... I will give you. Whatever You want, I will give You."

So immediately his spiritual master, the demon's spiritual master Sukracarya... Sukracarya means... Sukra means semina. Seminal acarya. Means... You do not know. In India, there is a class of men, they are called gurus. The professional guru, rather. So Sukracarya. Sukracarya, he was very learned scholar. He knew everything, that "Here Vamanadeva, He is incarnation of Visnu. He has come to cheat Bali. He will ask something and then He will take everything from Bali." He knew it. So sometimes cheating also done by the Supreme Lord for the sake of the devotee. So this is not cheating. Just like father sometimes cheats a son. Suppose something is there, and two brothers, small children, they are fighting. One has taken, another is crying. So the one will not deliver to the other. So father says, "My dear child, will you kindly give me this." So he gives to the father and he delivers to the other child. (laughter) You see? So sometimes God has to do such cheating of affection. That is not cheating actually. But the cheating propensity is there in God. Otherwise where we get it? (laughter) But we use cheating for our personal sense gratification. But if you use that cheating propensity for Krsna's satisfaction, then it is all right. Manimiti krtam papam punyayaiva kalpate.(?)

So the Bali Maharaja was cheated by... But he, being cheated, he became conqueror. So this Sukracarya said to Bali Maharaja, "Don't promise to this Vamana anything. He is Lord Visnu. He has come to cheat you." Bali Maharaja became more enlightened. "Oh, He is Lord Visnu? But you have taught me that everything should be given to Visnu. So if Visnu has come at my door, why you are asking not to make any promise?" So that means Sukracarya were playing duplicity. He taught something, and now he's saying another thing. Therefore Bali Maharaja said that "I cannot accept. I give up your company from this day, that you are checking me to offer everything to Visnu. Oh, I do not want such spiritual master"

So that means... That is the shastric injunction, that anyone who is not a Visnu devotee, or Vaisnava, he cannot become guru. That is the injunction of the sastra. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A brahmana, very learned, he knows his duties, brahminical duties very well... Just like Sukracarya. Sat-karma-nipunah. Sat-karma-nipunah. Brahmana have got six kinds of occupation: pathana-pathana yajana-yajana dana-pratigraha. Brahmana should be very learned, he should teach others also Vedic knowledge, pathana-pathana. Yajana-yajana. He must be devotee or great worshiper, and he should teach others also how to worship. Yajana-yajana. Dana-pratigraha. He will accept charity from others, and he will give in charity again to others. These are the six occupation of a brahmana. So sastra says, sat-karma-nipuno viprah, "A brahmana, well conversed with these duties of brahminical duties," and mantra-tantra-visaradah, "and expert in studying the mantras, Vedic mantras, and tantra, other Vedic literature," avaisnavo gurur na sa syat, "but if he is avaisnava," means he does not worship Lord Visnu but other demigods, "then he cannot become guru." That is not allowed. You cannot become guru. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra...

So this Sukracarya, he was against Visnu. So Bali Maharaja immediately rejected him. Therefore he became a mahajana, exemplary. Because you cannot give up your spiritual master. That is a great sin. Once accepted, the spiritual master takes responsibility for the disciple. And disciple also must be obedient to the spiritual master for life, for good. That is the relationship. So if one rejects spiritual master, he becomes a great sinner, most sinful. So Bali Maharaja rejected his spiritual master. That's a great sin. But he rejected on shastric ground, because he objected for Visnu worship. Therefore such spiritual master should be rejected. Should be rejected. Therefore he became mahajana, authority. Anyone who is obstruction to worship the Supreme Lord, he should be rejected immediately. That is bhakti. Anukulyasya grahanam pratikulyasya varjanam. Anything favorable for advancement of Krsna consciousness should be accepted; anything unfavorable, that should be rejected. This is saranagati. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam. We have to worship Krsna, whatever is favorable. It is not that because the microphone is material, therefore I cannot use it. There are some so-called transcendentalists... Why not? If I speak through the microphone, I can serve better Krsna. Why shall I not accept it? So anukulyena krsnanusilanam. Anything which is favorable for serving Krsna, we shall accept. After all, everything belongs to Krsna. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Nothing belongs to you. Simply we are thieves. We are using Krsna's property for our own sense gratification. Stena eva sa ucyate. All thieves.

So just like this Bali Maharaja, he conquered. So actually nothing belongs to Bali Maharaja, but he thought So Krsna, to save him from this theft criminality, He approached him, "My dear Bali Maharaja, will you kindly give Me three feet land." So after rejecting his spiritual master, who opposed, he promised, "Yes, I shall give." So by one feet the whole lower portion of the universe was covered. The other feet, the upper portion of the universe was covered. Still, the third feet remained. So Vamanadeva asked, "Now, Bali Maharaja, all your possession is now covered by My two feet. Where is to keep the other feet?" Bali Maharaja said, "Yes, there is place. You just put Your feet, foot on my head." So in this way Bali Maharaja surrendered everything. Sarvatma-svapateyam. He, personal property and the personal body, everything dedicated to Krsna. He became mahajana. There are nine processes of bhakti:

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

So Bali Maharaja dedicated atma-nivedana, everything: his property, his personal body, everything. So in exchange, Vamana, Lord Vamana became his doorkeeper. So Vamanadeva said, "My dear Bali Maharaja, you are so great a devotee. So in return for your service, I shall remain always your doorkeeper."

So by offering everything to Krsna, nobody is loser. You must always remem... They are gainer, the best gainer. Because after all, everything belongs to Krsna. Why should we foolishly say, "It is mine, it is mine?" Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Nothing belongs to me, but I think that "This is mine, this is mine, this is mine." The whole world is going on (like) that. Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. "We are Americans," "We are Indians," "This belongs to me," "That belongs to you." We make such, I mean to say, shareholder. But shareholder for other's property. Everything belongs to God. Not only this world -- there are many millions and millions of planet. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Loka means planet. Krsna says, sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka... [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor. But we are dividing: "This is American," "This is Indian." But how long you will remain American and Indian? Say, fifty years. Then if you are going to be a dog, then who is saving your country? This is going on. Nothing belongs to us, except everything belongs to Krsna, and we are all offspring of Krsna. Everyone has got the right to father's property, but not to encroach others' property. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam. If people accept this philosophy, then the whole world becomes Vaikuntha. There is no quarrel. There is no... Everything becomes happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972

"Ideal Married Life"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.17
September 22, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

dhanvantaram dvadasamam
trayodasamam eva ca
apayayat suran anyan
mohinya mohayan striya

Translation: "In the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink."

Prabhupada: This is very interesting verse. (laughs) (laughter) To have very charming wife is not very good. And in your country you have got all charming wife. Canakya Pandita says that there are four kinds of enemies in family life. These are very experienced version. He says, mata satru. In family means we live with father, mother, wife, children. This is family. In your country family does not mean father-mother, only wife and children. But in our country, according to Vedic civilization, family is a large conception. Father, mother, brother, sister, sister's son, brother's son. If there are difficulty, one has to su... So on the whole, father, mother, wife and children, consisting of, family.

Now Canakya Pandita says, "In the family there are enemies." How? Rna-karta pita satruh. Canakya Pandita said, "A father who is a great debtor, he is enemy." Because the son inherits the money of the father, similarly, the law is that if the father dies a debtor, the son becomes responsible to pay the debts. That is the law, Manu-samhita. I do not know what is the law here. I don't think the son is responsible for paying the debts of father, but in India that is the law. One big barrister, Mr. C. R. Das, his father died insolvent, making debts. So when he became very rich, he called all the creditors and paid five to five, that "My father was debtor. You take this money." That is obligation. Therefore Canakya Pandita says, "The father who dies a debtor, he is an enemy." Rna-karta pita satruh. Rna means debts. Karta means one who has committed so many debts and dies. A father... Instead of enjoying father's property, he has to pay the father's debts. So therefore that father is called enemy. Rna-karta pita satrur mata satrur vyabhicarini. "And mother, if she marries for the second time, she is enemy." Rna-karta pita satrur mata satrur vyabhicarini, rupavati bharyah satruh. "And very beautiful wife, she is enemy." And putrah satrur apanditah. "And if the son is a fool, rascal, he is enemy." Four kinds of enemy in the family.

So I think I have spoken about my own life. You know that I was a married man. So after being married, I did not like my wife. (laughter) Somehow or other, I did not like. I must say she is very faithful, very everything... Everyone praised. But I did not like, somehow or other. So I was preparing for next marriage. Next marriage. Because in India, at that time it was allowed, a man can marry more than one wife. Now the law is there. So my father, he was a saintly person. So he called me one day and said, "My dear boy, you are trying to marry again. I request you don't do that. You do not like your wife. That is a great fortune for you." (laughter) So I gave up that idea of marrying. Yes. So now I am realizing my father's blessing, yes, that if I would have been too much attached to my wife, then I could not have come to this position. That's a fact. So by ethical point of view, from spiritual point of view, to become too much attached to wife is an impediment for spiritual advancement.

Therefore it is said that anyan, apayayat suran anyan mohinya mohayan striya. Those who are sura, demigods, they were given the nectar, and others... Others means opposite number of suran, or asuran, the atheist or the demons. They were enchanted by the beautiful form of Mohini. Krsna's another incarnation is female, Mohini, charming -- so much charming that even Lord Siva was after the girl. Lord Siva, he is supposed to be dhira, but he became charmed, and he was after that girl. So when Krsna... Krsna is already beautiful, but when He takes the shape of a woman, how beautiful He became, we can just imagine. Woman are naturally beautiful. They are called "fair sex." So mohinya. So this Mohini, this attractive feature of woman, is advantage and disadvantage also. It requires simply handling. Then it is advantage. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu played this play, Mohini role... Caitanya Mahaprabhu was playing drama. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very beautiful. He took the part of this Mohini-murti. And she was dancing with the pot of nectar. So all the devotees, they offered their obeisances, because Mohini-murti means God's incarnation. So "My dear Lord, Your this murti, this form, this charming form, is somewhere raksasi." Raksasi means, what is called, witches? Or the female demon. "And somewhere You are goddess of fortune."

So the wife... Never mind. Generally, beautiful wife means everyone's wife is beautiful. Unless one sees his wife beautiful, he cannot become a householder. You see? I think I did not see my wife beautiful. Therefore I had to take sannyasa. (laughter) But generally, every one sees his wife beautiful. There was a great poet in Bengal, Bankima Candra. He used to say that everyone has got right to say his wife beautiful. That means the wife may be beautiful or not beautiful to others' eye, but the husband's eyes it must be beautiful. Otherwise there cannot be husband. So the fact is that our householder life is not a platform of being attracted by woman or by wife. No. Wife is not accepted for sex satisfaction, being attracted by her. No. Therefore wife is called dharma-patni. Dharma-patni. Dharma-patni means a religious wife, or husband and wife should execute religious life, spiritual cultivation. That is the purpose of becoming householder. Grhastha-asrama. Not that I become attracted by wife and I become absorbed in simply sex relation and forget my real duty, Krsna consciousness. That is dangerous. So generally, if one's wife becomes very beautiful, he forgets his real duty, Krsna consciousness, and he simply becomes a pet servant of the wife. That is the... Therefore Rupa Gosvami says, anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah. One should not be attracted for sex life. Yatharham upayunjatah. But does it mean that husband will not have sex. No. Yatharham. As it is required. As it required means sex life with wife should be performed only for begetting a Krsna conscious child. Nothing more. No more attraction. That life is better. That life means not only better. That is the ideal life. Wife and husband, combination, both should make progress in Krsna consciousness.

Woman, they are generally equipped with the qualities of passion and ignorance. And men also may be, but man can be elevated to the platform of goodness. Woman cannot be. Woman cannot be. Therefore if the husband is nice and the woman follows, woman becomes faithful and chaste to the husband, then their both life becomes successful. There are three qualities of nature: sattva, rajas, tamas. So rajas, tamas generally, that is the quality of woman. And man can become to the platform of goodness. Therefore initiation, brahminical symbolic representation is given to the man, not to the woman. This is the theory. Therefore the combination should be that the husband should be first-class devotee, Krsna conscious, and woman should be, woman should be devoted to the husband, faithful, so that she would help the husband to make progress in Krsna consciousness. Then their both life is successful. Otherwise, if the husband simply becomes captivated by the charming beauty of woman and engages himself in the sex life, then his life is lost, and the woman, they are less intelligent, unless they are guided by proper husband, her life is also lost. So those who are not demigods... Here it is said, apayayat suran. Sura-asura. Sura, those who are not developed to Krsna consciousness, they are asura. So every husband should be a sura. Sura means devotee. And every woman should be religious. Religious means to become chaste, faithful to the husband. And the husband should become a devotee. Then both of them will make progress in Krsna consciousness and that is the perfection of life.

So here it is very clearly described that anyan mohinya. Mohini, mohinya striya, by the formation. So we should not be attracted. But generally, people are attracted. The whole world, the material world is going on that the woman is attractive for man and the man is attractive for woman. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This is the general platform of attraction between man and woman. And when they are united by such attraction, then they become more materially knotted. And then they are after...

pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam
tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh
ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho 'yam aham mameti
[SB 5.5.8]

Our material bondage is due to an illusion. What is that illusion? That "I am this body." Dehatma-buddhi. "I am this body, and anything which is required for this body or which I possess for the comfort of this body, that is mine." Both of them are illusion, because I am not this body; I am soul, aham brahmasmi. But the illusion is everyone is thinking, "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am white," "I am black," "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am this," "I am that." So this is illusion. Therefore the Vedic system is, to save one from this illusion, the first stage of life is brahmacari, to understand the value of life and strictly without any association with woman. That is called brahmacari. Strictly.

So the whole Vedic system is to convince one that "You are not this body, and anything you possess in relationship with your body, they are all illusion. You are spirit soul, part and parcel of God, Krsna. Therefore your duty is some way or other, come out of this entanglement of the bodily concept of life and bodily possession. Come out. Be free. Brahma-bhuta. Now your position is jiva-bhuta." Jiva-bhuta means you are thinking that ‘I am a product of this material world.' All scientists, all philosophers, they are the same concept, that "I am this body. Beyond this body there is nothing." All big, big professors, scientists, that "After this body is finished, everything is finished." But actually, that is not a fact. From Bhagavad-gita you understand that na jayate na mriyate. The spirit soul is never born, never dies. It is the body, material body, that takes birth and dies. But spirit soul remains. Dehantara-praptih. Tatha dehantara-praptih. He transmigrates to another body, just like we are transmigrating from one body to another. There are so many children here. Now they are doing so many things foolish, but we enjoy because we know that this body is foolish body. Nobody grudges if a child does something which not to be done. Just like most children, they are chewing their thumb, but if you do that, that cannot be allowed. Because your body is different, and his body is different.

So these rascals, they do not understand the simple truth, that this body is different from my..., from the body of a youth or boy. They are different bodies. They are thinking the body is growing. The body's not growing. Body is changing. Just like in cinema, photograph, you see some body is moving, but that is not moving. That is different body changing, the photographs. But because it is shown so swiftly, we see that one body. As soon as the machine is stopped, the body is stopped. Immediately. We have experience. So these bodies are different bodies. Otherwise, a child does so many things foolishly and the elderly boy or a youth, he does not do so. Because the body is different. Why do they not understand? This is called ignorance. The body is different. Similarly, as everyone has got past, present and future... You are all young men. You had your past. You had a child's body or boy's body. In future you will get a body like me, aged. Similarly, I had my past. I was, I had a youth's body. Now I have got aged body. Then why not future, another body? This is very common conclusion. And it is given, it is confirmed. Not that we are imagining. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Tatha dehantara-praptih. As the child is changing body to boyhood, boy is changing body to youthhood -- dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13] -- and the youth is changing body to old age body, similarly, the old also will change the body, again will get a small baby's body and again, again. That is the way of nature.

So every one of us, spirit soul, part and parcel of God. Now we are embarrassed due to our ignorance. So when this ignorance is moved, we become enlightened, that is called brahma-bhuta, self-realization, spiritual realization.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

So without being brahma-bhuta, that "I am spirit soul," Krsna consciousness does not become very perfect. If we are in the bodily concept of life, then it is rather difficult. It will take time. Because unless you come to the platform to understand that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, the actual devotional service does not begin. But to the neophyte student, the chance is given to develop this devotional service: sravanam kirtanam smaranam arcanam vandanam dasyam. The method is by constantly being engaged in devotional service, one becomes realized soul. God helps him, Krsna helps him. Then he becomes a perfect, liberated soul.

Liberated soul means hitva anyatha-rupam. Now we are working under the designation of this body. Everyone is working under this designation of this body. When we become above the designation of the body, that is our real, constitutional position. So first of all, to realize that "I am not this body," and the next stage is that "I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore as part and parcel is meant for giving service to the whole, therefore my constitutional position is to serve Krsna." That is perfection of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972

"Don't Think You Are All In All"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.16
September 21, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

surasuranam udadhim
mathnatam mandaracalam
dadhre kamatha-rupena
prstha ekadase vibhuh

Translation: "The eleventh incarnation of the Lord was in the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a pivot for the Mandaracala Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the theists and the atheists of the universe."

Prabhupada: So yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah.(?) The mantra, there is mantra, that yasyantam na viduh. One cannot understand the antam, the ultimate end of the Supreme... Yasyantam na viduh. Viduh means "does not know." Surasura-gana. Sura. Sura means demigods, theists. Those who are believer in God, they are called sura, and just the opposite -- asura. Asura does not believe in the existence of God. He thinks he is God. That is asura. Asuri-bhavam asritah. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said asuri. Asuri, this word has come from this asura. Adjective. Asura is nominative. So from asura, it becomes asuri. Asuri-bhavam asritah. Those who are atheists, they do not surrender. They do not like the idea of God or Krsna consciousness. But they do not know what is God or what is the ultimate end, who is the original cause. They do not know. Even the theists, they also do not know. They know Krsna, but it is impossible to understand what is the limit of Krsna's energies, just like we were discussing this morning.

So unlimited, unlimited. Yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah. Devaya, that Supreme Lord, we simply offer our respectful obeisances. It is not possible to know perfectly what is the potency and energy of God. The atheists, they do not know at all. But theists, devotees, they know, but that is not complete. Even Krsna does not know how much powerful He is. That is called unlimited. So surasura-gana udadhim mathnatam. Churning. Once upon a time they churned the whole ocean. Now, churning the ocean... You have got experience, churning the milk in a pot or something else in a pot. But the pot is the ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the rod is Mandaracala Hill. And one side, the asuras, and the other side, the suras. So the churning rod must be placed on something, a pivot. That is kamatha-rupena. Lord accepted the... Because the kamatha, the tortoise can live within the water and without the water also. They can live on the land and within the water. So the churning rod, Mandaracala Hill, was placed on the shell, on the back of the... Kesava dhrta-kurma-sarira. Ksitir iha vipulatare tisthati tava prsthe. This prstha, he is carrying.

ksitir iha vipulatare tisthati tava prsthe
dharani-dharana-kina-cakra-garisthe
kesava dhrta-kurma-sarira jaya jagadisa hare

This Kurma, kamatha-rupena. Now, the surasura-gana, they are standing on the ocean. If you go up to your waist in the water, you become dangerously situated. But they were standing. This proves the law of relativity. Everywhere this law of relativity is working. You do not think, because you cannot stand in the midst of the water of the ocean, therefore nobody can stand. That is nonsense. Ant, the small ant, it is also working. The same thing is going on in the ant society. They are also struggling for existence, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. And we are also doing that. And higher than us, surasura-gana, they are also doing that. But although the quality of the work is the same, the quantity is different. Quality of the work the same. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Everywhere, all living entities, they are struggling. Whole day they are working according to their capacity. And the qualities, what for they are working? Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. If you just resist one ant, it is coming, if you try to stop, the ant will also resist. It will go this way, that way, this way. It will not agree, "Why you are stopping me?" But it is trying in its own capacity. Similarly, you are also trying to resist in your own capacity by discovering atomic bomb. But as you can smash millions of ants simply by rubbing your leg on the ground, similarly there are other beings who can finish you simply by rubbing their legs. Don't think you are all and all. The rascals, the so-called human scientists, they are thinking they are all in all. "I am the monarch of all I survey." That is not. In God's creation there is smaller than the smallest and the bigger than the biggest. Nobody can claim that "I am everything." No. That is not possible. So they were standing on the... Without standing, how they are churning? But the sea water is up to the knees. How they can stand? So the seven mile sea water is up to their knees. Your, an ant, even seven inches is sufficient water. And for you seven feet is sufficient water. Similarly, others, even seven miles is not sufficient. This is the order of... Don't think that these are all stories. Surasuranam mathnatam. "How they can stand on the ocean? How they can churn? Oh, these are all stories." They are not stories. It may be story for you. Just like if you speak to an ant or what is called, insect... There are many insects. They take their birth... We have seen it. In India we see. In this season there are insects. They are called divali-poka, insect divali. Just in the evening they are born. And they flock together before a light, (sound imitation:) bawnh, bawnh, bawnh, bawnh, like that. And throughout the whole night they will do, and at the end of the night, in the morning, you will see, they are, in heap, they are lying dead. So their life, the duration of life is that night. within that night they take their birth, they grow, they beget children, family, and defend, eat, mate. Everything is complete within the night. And at the end of the night, it is finished. So similarly, if to these flies, if you say, "Oh, we are dying like this, but there is human being. This is only one night. And such... There is another day also of the same period. Then together, day and night, such thirty day and night makes their month. And such 12 months make their year. And such hundred years they live." So how the fly will understand? Similarly, we cannot understand. When the duration of life of Brahma is described, we think it is story. Similarly, they will think also story. Nothing is story. In the Vedic literatures all informations are there. Their relative life, big and small, smaller than the smallest, bigger than the biggest. Don't think that these description in the Vedas, they are stories. They are not stories. They are facts. But we cannot accommodate in our poor teeny brain. That's all. So what we shall understand about God? It is not possible. Therefore it is said, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. In our present senses we always think of seeing. But we forget, what seeing power we have got? It is nothing. It is simply under certain condition we can see a little portion. We cannot see perfectly, so we should not believe in our seeing power. So therefore sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih: [BRS. 1.2.234] "You cannot understand Krsna and God by your present imperfect senses. That is not possible." Na bhaved grahyam, "You cannot accept or you cannot receive by your blunt senses." That is not possible. Then how it is possible? "I have... My only asset is these blunt senses. How can I understand God?" Yes. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. If you engage in devotional service, then God will reveal to you, "Here I am. Here I am. I am like this." Just like Arjuna saw Krsna. He understood God. So if we take the position of Arjuna, submissive... Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam, surrender, then God, by kindness, because you have surrendered, He will reveal to you. Otherwise by your so-called calculation, you cannot understand what is the greatest and what is the smallest. But there are things smaller than the smallest and the greater than the greatest. That's all right. Thank you. [break] (initiations begin)

Prabhupada: So begin. [break] (fire sacrifice mantras) [break]

Syamasundara: Steve.

Prabhupada: How many rounds you will chant?

Devotee: Sixteen.

Prabhupada: So your name is Baladeva dasa. Hare Krsna. What are the rules? (Steve answers) Thank you

Syamasundara: Warren.

Prabhupada: So Satananda dasa. What are the rules and regulation? (Warren answers) (baby makes noise) Take her to her mother... How many rounds you will chant? (Warren answers) That's nice. Vamanananda. Hare Krsna.

Syamasundara: Carol.

Prabhupada: What are the rules? (Carol answers) Thank you. Very good. Karlapati(?) dasi.

Syamasundara: Geoff.

Prabhupada: So what are the rules and regulation? (Geoff answers) Jitavrata dasa.

Syamasundara: Stuart.

Prabhupada: Chanting should be done like this, not to touch this finger. Like this. What are the rules and regulations.? (Stuart answers) Sutadeva dasa.

Syamasundara: Tom.

Prabhupada: Take. Govindam adi-purusam... What are the rules and regulation? (Tom answers) Taracandra.

Syamasundara: Janet.

Prabhupada: So what are the rules and regulation? (Janet answers) Janapriya dasi. Hare Krsna.

Syamasundara: Vasumi. Vasumi.

Prabhupada: She is Japanese?

Syamasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: You are Japanese?

Vasumi: Yes.

Prabhupada: You know Japanese language?

Vasumi: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Huh? Not very much. All right.

Devotee: She knows Japanese; very little English. She comes from Tokyo.

Prabhupada: Oh. Why she does not go to take charge of Tokyo branch? (laughter) Are you willing? You are not married? You are married or not?

Vasumi: Yes, I am married.

Prabhupada: That's all right. Where is your husband? Oh. You know Japanese language?

Satyadeva: Just a little, Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: That's all right. So what are the rules and regulation? Rules and regulation? What are the rules and regulation? (Vasumi answers) What is her name?

Syamasundara: Mahaguna.

Prabhupada: Very nice. Mahaguna dasi. All right. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.16 and Initiation -- Los Angeles, September 21, 1972

"Civilized--Less Than Animal"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.14
September 19, 1972, Los Angeles

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

rsibhir yacito bheje
navamam parthivam vapuh
dugdhemam osadhir vipras
tenayam sa usattamah

Translation: "O brahmanas, the ninth incarnation of the Lord, prayed for by sages, was King Prthu, who cultivated the land to yield various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and attractive."

Prabhupada: So this refers to King Prthu, Maharaja Prthu. So his father's name was King Vena. And his father's name was... I don't remember. Perhaps Anga, like that. So the Vena's father married one woman. She was the daughter of Death, means the family was not very good. So as a result of this marriage, a son was born, whose name was Vena, who came out to be first-class rogue. So the father of Vena wanted to reform him in so many ways, but he could not. The son was not to be corrected. So the father became disgusted, and one day he left home without any knowledge of the family members or the officers and king. He left.

Then the great sages and brahmanas, because without king there was irregularities in the kingdom... Just like we have got experience. If there is no good government, strong government, the rogues, thieves, smugglers and so many other disrupting elements, they will grow. Because they are always existing. They find out the opportunity. As soon as there is some revolution, political upsurge, or mismanagement of the government, these undesirable elements, they come out. So when the father of Vena Maharaja left home, the kingdom became unruly. Therefore the sages and saintly persons, they asked the queen that "Your son, although he is worthless, so let him become king. There must be some king."

So this Vena was made king by the desire of the saintly person. The significance is that formerly the brahmanas, the ksatriyas, the vaisyas and the sudras, these four departments, they must remain. Varnasrama. That must be maintained, class division. So the brahmanas, the saintly persons, sages, they used to recommend that "Yes, this person is fit for becoming king." Then the coronation was celebrated. Or... This means that the ksatriyas were under the order of the brahmanas. So when Vena become king, of course, the rogues and thieves, they were immediately subdued. Because rogues and thieves, and here the king is also greater rogue. So the smaller rogues were subdued immediately. That was one of the benefit, because he was very strong and cruel. Immediately, caught a rogue, he will immediately cut off his head. So they were subdued. But he himself is a rogue. Nunam mahatam tatra. This is our experience. "Might is right." If you are stronger, then you can subdue less strong. But he became very much disturbing. He was atheist, and he ordered that "There is no God. I am God. So what I say, you have to abide." The brahmanas were also... "You cannot perform yajnas. This is not required." In this way, he became too much disturbing.

Then one day all the brahmanas and the sages, they came to give him instruction: "My dear king, it is not your duty to stop all kinds of religious activities." Just like the Communist government. Yes. But who hears? He said, "No. Why you are trying to pacify God? I am God. You just act. If you are actually God conscious, then you act according to my order." So when the sages and brahmanas became disgusted, he was killed by the brahmanas, by their order. You see? The brahmanas were so strong. By simply cursing, they could kill anyone. So the Vena was killed. Then again the rogues and thieves came out. Then from the body of Vena, they created two sons. One son was black, and he was ordered that "You go to the forest." Because they could know that he was exactly son of the father. Nisada. Nisada. They were sent... He was sent to the forest. And then the King Prthu was born. The King Prthu, He is incarnation of, power incarnation of God. Saktyavesavatara So he proved himself as a great king on this earth. He produced foodstuff, foodgrains, profusely.

That from the life of King Prthu we can understand. We are discussing that in the Fourth Canto, the life of Maharaja Prthu, how good government can be maintained. Prthu Maharaja is the ideal king. He produced, he made arrangement. The earth was not producing sufficient foodgrains, so he attacked the earth that "Why you are not producing?" The mother earth said that "Because the people have become demon and they are simply eating, but they are not doing their duty. Therefore I have minimized producing grain." This is to be very important, that the earth can produce any amount of foodgrains. There is no question of overpopulation. There is no question of overpopulation, because everyone is being fed by the mercy of God. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. God is giving everyone the foodstuff.

I have several times explained in this class that nobody has got any food problem. Simply the so-called civilized, advanced in science, these people have got problems of foodgrains. Otherwise, there are millions of elephants, they are eating very nicely. There are ants, there are elephants, there are tigers, there are monkeys, there are trees... So many, 8,400,000 forms of body. How they are eating? Unless they are eating... We kill animals, but the animals do not come to the..., to us, that "We are starving. Give us food." Never. By nature, there is arrangement, foodstuff. The cows, the other animals, they are eating grass. There is profuse growth of grass. So they are not eating your nice foodstuff, sandesa, rasagulla. You are making sandesa, rasagulla from the milk which they deliver. They are eating grass and delivering you nice foodstuff, milk. And from the milk, you can make hundreds and thousands of nice, nutritious, full of vitamin foodstuff. But no. We are so fool that instead of utilizing the milk, we are utilizing the blood. You see?

These rascals, the scientists, they do not know that milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. That everyone knows. So if you want to... That is nature's way, by God's will, that a cow gives forty pounds, fifty pounds milk daily, but it does not drink. Although it is her milk, no, it gives you, human society: "You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass." Just see. And the civilized men killing them, killing them. And they want peace. Just see the fun. Without touching your foodstuff, the cow is eating the grass which is given by God, immense grass, and they are giving you the finest foodstuff, milk. Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see. And they are called civilized. Less than lowest animal, naradhama. They are called naradhama, lowest of the mankind. Those who are killing cows, maintaining slaughterhouse, they are lowest of the mankind. They are not human being. Less than animal. They have no gratitude.

So the idea is that there is no food problem. As the mother earth said to King Prthu that "I am restricting," so the more you become sinful, the food supply will be stopped. This is the law of nature. At the end there will be no foodgrains, at the end of Kali-yuga. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. There will be no foodgrain, no fruits, no milk, no sugar. You have to live on flesh and blood. At that time, being hungry, you will kill your own children and eat flesh and blood. That day is waiting. So this is the civilization. Most heinous civilization. It can only be saved by spreading this Krsna consciousness movement. Otherwise there is no way.

So sinful civilization. Therefore our first restriction is no meat-eating. It is a most sinful act. Meat-eating, or intoxication, drinking, gambling, and illicit sex. These are the four pillars of sinful life. So unless you stop, you break these four pillars, how you can think of God? God is not so cheap. The rascal says, "You can do whatever you like. I give you... I push your eyes and you see God. You push your nose, you see God." You see? These nonsense things are going on. But God is not so cheap. He is cheap, very cheap. He is very kind. But we want to remain sinful. Therefore we cannot see God. Arjuna addressed Krsna, param dhama param brahma pavitram paramam bhavan. "You are the most pure." So how you can approach God with sinful life? That is not possible. That is simply bogus thing, that you keep your sinful life, at the same time you want to see God, you want to talk with God. That is not possible.

So this point is that if the population of the world becomes sinful, demonic, then nature will not supply you sufficient food. She will diminish. We have got experience. In India we have seen, some years there is overproduction of mango. People... Very cheap. Everyone can purchase. And sometimes there is no supply, some year. Similarly, foodgrains also. Some year there is oversupply of foodgrain and sometimes there is scanty supply. Now, this supply of foodgrains, fruits, and everything, even milk... In our New Vrindaban, because the cows feel very safe, they give us sufficient milk. That is our experience. So you keep things in order according to the Vedic injunction, you get sufficient food. There is no question of scarcity. But if you become sinful, demons, then the nature's food supply will be ultimately stopped. You can produce your food in the factory... You cannot do that. You can produce motorcars to consume all the petroleum within the earth, and then you become no petrol. Then throw all these motorcars. Unless you find out some other energy That you can do. You can make things topsy-turvied. But by your so-called scientific advancement, you cannot increase or, I mean to say, stop nonproduction. That you cannot.

So there was such a time because Prthu Maharaja's father was a demon. He stopped all religious activities. Therefore people became demonic, and there was restriction of food supply. Then Prthu Maharaja made arrangement, and there was sufficient foodstuff. Dugdhemam osadhir vipras tenayam sa usattamah. Since Prthu Maharaja arranged the whole society to be religious, to be God conscious, everything become beautiful. This can be done even now. If people become Krsna conscious, the whole world will become beautiful, Vaikuntha, without any anxiety. That is possible. Because that is nature's law. Just like if you become criminal, the state police force will always harass you. You cannot get out of it. He'll harass you. But that is expensive job for the government. Because it requires extra police, extra management, extra everything. But if the people become honest, God conscious, so many expenditure will be reduced. And money will be saved for spreading Krsna consciousness or for Krsna's service. Then the whole world will become exactly as it was in the Prthu Maharaja's day.

So Prthu Maharaja was very nice king. He not only helped producing enough foodstuff, but he was examining each man, whether he is employed or not. There was no unemployment in Prthu Maharaja's time. Everyone must have employment, engagement. Nowadays, in spite of so much advancement of science, there are thousands and thousands of unemployed people. They have no sufficient engagement. Of course, in your country, although there is employment, they have denied to accept employment. In India, for employment... There is employment bureau by the government. So if you go to any employment bureau, you will find thousands of men are standing in line to get a job. Unemployment. But it is the duty of the government to see that nobody is unemployed. Everyone must have some means of earning. That is good government.

So Prthu Maharaja did it. The brahmanas... Not that a brahmana will be employed as a sudra. No. A brahmana must be employed as a brahmana. A ksatriya must be employed for a ksatriya. A vaisya must be employed for a vaisya. And sudra... That was the system. The brahmanas are rejected in the present society because they have no more interest in religious activities. They don't care for the sastra, sadhu. No, don't care. They simply sense grati... Daksyam kutumba-bharanam. Udaram bharita. At the present moment people will be satisfied... Just like animal. If animal has got sufficient food to fill up the belly and sufficient arrangement for sex, then he is satisfied. He doesn't want anything.

So man has become like that. If his belly is filled up with some rubbish thing and if he is free to have sex life, then he thinks, "My life is perfect now." And more perfect life, daksyam kutumba-bharanam. In this age, if one man can maintain his wife and children, he will be considered a great man "Oh, he is so able, that he is maintaining his wife and children." Maintaining wife and children, even cats and dogs can do. But in this age, if a man can maintain his wife and children, he will be considered as very expert. Because most people will have no wife, no children. This is the age. So more you become sinful, the more you become irresponsible, the more you become Godless -- these things are awaiting.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972

"You Must First Be Gentle"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.13
September 18, 1972, Los Angeles

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

astame merudevyam tu
nabher jata urukramah
darsayan vartma dhiranam
sarvasrama-namaskrtam

Translation: "The eighth incarnation was King Rsabha, son of King Nabhi and his wife Merudevi. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection, which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and who are honored by all orders of life."

Prabhupada: So there are some important words in this verse. The first thing is dhiranam. Dhiranam mean sober, gentle. There are two ways, because there are two kinds of people in this world. One is called dhira, and the other is called adhira. Adhira means almost animal. They cannot control their senses. The dhira, one who can control sense. He is called dhira. In the Rupa Gosvami's obeisances we find, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau. Krsnotkirtana, the Krsna consciousness movement is appreciable by the both classes, dhira and adhira. Those who are advanced by austerities, controlling the senses, and those who are not so, very fallen, both of them, Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.

Another example of dhira is there in Kumara Sambhava. Kumara Sambhava is a Sanskrit book, which I think we read in our college I.A. class, by Kalidasa, poet Kalidasa. So this theme of that book is that the demigods, they wanted to fight with the demons, and it was necessary that a son should be begotten by Lord Siva. So Lord Siva at that time lost his wife in the daksa-yajna. She gave up his (her) life. There was some misunderstanding between Maharaja Daksa, father of Parvati, or Durga. So she gave up her life because her father was against Lord Siva. He was repudiating Lord Siva, and she could not tolerate that "My father, you are so proud that you are blaspheming Lord Siva because you think I am your daughter and your son-in-law is subordinate. So I am returning this body to you." So (s)he immediately gave up her body. So Lord Siva, having lost his wife, he was on the Himalayas executing severe tapasya. So the demigods, they planned to break the tapasya meditation of Lord Siva by sending Parvati, daughter of Himalaya. Lord Siva's wife then took birth as daughter of Himalaya. So when she was young, grown-up, sixteen years old, so she was engaged to break the meditation of Lord Siva. So Lord Siva was in meditation, naked, and Parvati was induced to worship Lord Siva and touch the genital. But Lord Siva still was undisturbed. So at that time, Kalidasa Kavi, that "Here is the example of dhira. He is so much absorbed in meditation that a young girl, touching the genital, still, he is undisturbed. He is so self-controlled."

So this is dhira. Dhira means even there is cause of disturbance he will not be disturbed. That is dhira. And one who is disturbed by the slight agitation, he is not dhira. He is adhira. So mostly, people are adhira. They are agitated by a slight disturbance, because they have not been trained in such a way. Otherwise... Just like Krsna. When Krsna was being elected as president in the rajasuya-yajna assembly of Maharaja Yudhisthira, so somebody remarked that "This man..." Because those who were blind, they would see Krsna as ordinary man... So "He is woman-hunter from the very beginning. So how He can be elected?" So at that time Bhisma, the most celebrated brahmacari... He never accepted any wife or he had no connection with any woman. He immediately stood up. He said that "I am celebrated throughout the whole world as brahmacari, but if I would have been in the position of Krsna... He was dancing with young girls, but He was not agitated. But I would have been agitated. I admit. Therefore He is dhira. He should be elected."

You'll find rasa-lila, Krsna was dancing with so many young girls, but you won't find there was any sex relation. There was nothing like that. So that is dhira. They were devotees, gopis. They used to come to Krsna. But there is no such thing written, as pregnancy and abortion. No, nothing of the sort. That is called dhira, that in spite of presence of the cause of disturbance... The gopis came to Krsna because He was very beautiful young boy. Actually they were attracted by His beauty. That is stated, kamat. They came as a lust. But when they came to Krsna, they became purified. That is dhira. Krsna was kind enough. The gopis, they wanted Krsna, to associate with Him. So Krsna gave them chance, "Yes, come on." The gopis wanted Krsna as husband. They made tapasya, austerity, to have Krsna as husband. But at that time Krsna was... The gopis and Krsna were of the same age. Just like boys and girls play together. But girls become at the age of twelve, thirteen years, their sex desires become strong. But boys, they do not become sex desire so strong, unless they are badly associated. So neither it was possible that Krsna would marry so many girlfriends. But they wanted Krsna as husband, all of them. Therefore Krsna fulfilled their desire in the vastra-harana. Because a woman can become naked only before husband. That is Vedic. So Krsna somehow or other made them naked so that... He declared that "You wanted Me as husband. So much, that's all." So people misunderstand Krsna. Unless understood through authoritative sources, Krsna is misunderstood. But He is the dhira. He is not adhira. He is not like ordinary man. Dhira.

So here it is said that urukramah. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described here as urukrama. Urukrama means one who acts very wonderful things which is not possible for ordinary human being. So He wanted to show the real path of life. Maharaja Rsabhadeva, He was king, emperor of the world. So His instruction are there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. (tapping sound) He instructed... (aside:) What is this sound? He instructed His sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life is not meant for sense enjoyment, which is available in the life of dogs and hogs." It was His instruction. He instructed that human society should be dhira, self-controlled. That is ideal human society. That is Vedic civilization.

Here it is also stated, sarvasrama-namaskrtam. Asrama. Sarva-asrama. Asrama. I have several times described that the brahmacari-asrama, grhastha-asrama, vanaprastha-asrama, sannyasa-asrama. Sarvasrama, all orders of life. Varnasrama. The Vedic civilization is based on four varnas: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra; and four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. So Lord Rsabhadeva planned in such a way to teach His sons -- He had one hundred sons -- that it will be honored by all the asramas. Out of His one hundred sons, nine became sannyasi. Nava Yogendra, very highly elevated spiritually, nine sons. And eighty-one sons... Out of hundred, nine gone, ninety-one sons? So out of them, eleven became ksatriyas, and others became brahmanas, like that. So this proves that not that by birth one becomes brahmana or ksatriya or vaisya or sudra, but it is by different qualification. Otherwise how Rsabhadeva's son... He was ksatriya, supposed to be ksatriya. So His sons are also ksatriya. How they became brahmana? No. That was the Vedic culture. Janmana jayate sudrah. As soon as one is born, he is accepted as sudra. Neither brahmana nor ksatriya nor... Raw. By training, either he becomes a brahmana or a ksatriya.

Just like a man has got several sons, but all of them, in the beginning, they are illiterate. Now, in their grown-up age, by accepting different departmental knowledge, one becomes a medical practitioner, one becomes engineer, one becomes lawyer, or one becomes vagabond. So not by birth, one becomes engineer or medical man or this or... No. Everything by culture, by education. Similarly, the Vedic culture means everyone is given the chance to become first-class brahmana. That is called brahminical culture. Everyone is given. Because without becoming a brahmana, nobody can understand what is God. And the human life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business of human form of life. Not like cats and dogs -- how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sexual intercourse, and how to defend. These the animals know. The birds, bees, they know how to do it.

This Rsabhadeva, He taught that "My dear boys, this life, human form of life, is not to be wasted like hogs and dogs." Sense enjoyment is there amongst the hogs -- better facility. No restriction. No restriction. In human society at least there is official some restriction. Matra svasra duhitra. All sastra says, "There is no..." But there are societies -- we do not want to discuss -- who have sex relationship even with mother, sister, and daughter. Still. But it was formerly also. Not like that, very common. But sastra says, matra svasra duhitra va naviviktasano bhavet. "You do not sit down in a secluded place even with your mother, with your sister, with your daughter." So people may say, "One becomes agitated by association of mother, sister, and daughter, many fools or most degraded." No. Sastra says balavan indriya-gramo vidvamsam api karsati. "The senses are so strong that even one is very learned, he becomes agitated." He becomes agitated, even in the presence of mother, sister, and daughter.

So senses are so strong. Balavan indriya-gramah. It is prohibited. What to speak of others. Therefore, the common moral teachings and the Vedic civilization is to accept any woman except his own wife as mother. Matrvat para-daresu. Para-daresu. Everyone is supposed to be married. Dara means wife. Para-daresu, other's wife. It doesn't matter if she is younger or older, but she should be treated as mother. Therefore it is the system in Vedic culture, as soon as one sees another woman, she (he) addresses her, "mother," Mataji. Immediately, "mother." That makes the relationship. The woman treats the unknown man as son, and the unknown man treats the unknown woman as mother. This is Vedic civilization. So we should be very careful. In our society, you are all Godbrothers, Godsisters. Or those who are married, they are like mothers. So you should be very careful. Then you will remain dhira, sober. That is brahminical qualification, brahminical culture. Not that "Because I have got facilities to intermingle with nice girls, so I shall take advantage and exploit them." Or the girls should take... No. Therefore our restriction: no illicit sex.

One has to become dhira. Then the question of God consciousness. Animals cannot have God consciousness. Therefore it is specially mentioned dhiranam. Vartma. The path which He showed, that is meant for the dhira, not for the adhira. Dhiranam. And it is so nice that sarvasrama-namaskrtam. All asramas will appreciate and offer obeisances. All asrama means brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. So dealing with woman... Especially instruction are given to men. All literatures, all Vedic literatures, they are especially meant for instruction to the men. Woman is to follow the husband. That's all. The husband will give instruction to the wife. There is no such thing as the girl should go to school to take brahmacari-asrama or go to spiritual master to take instruction. That is not Vedic system. Vedic system is a man is fully instructed, and woman, girl, must be married to a man. Even the man may have many wives, polygamy, still, every woman should be married. And she would get instruction from the husband. This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.

So dhiranam vartma. Because people must be first of all gentle. Then talk of Krsna and God consciousness. If he is animal, what he can understand? This is Vedic system. Dhiranam. Dhira means must be gentle, perfectly gentle. Must address all woman as "mother." Matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat. This is the training, that one should consider other's wife as mother, and others' money as like garbage in the street. Nobody cares for it. Similarly, one's other's money should not be touched. Even it is somebody has forgotten his purse, moneybag on the street, nobody will touch it. Let the man come back and take it. That is civilization. Para-dravyesu lostravat, atmavat sarva-bhutesu. And treating all other living entities as oneself. If somebody pinches me, I feel pain. Why shall I pinch other? If somebody cuts my throat, I become so sorry or so aggrieved. Why shall I cut the throat of other animals? This is civilization. This is Vedic civilization. And not that go on killing animals like anything and hunt upon the woman, topless woman, make business. This is not civilization. This is not human civilization.

Therefore it is called dhiranam. Those who are sober, for them. Those who are rascals, not for them. The brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha sarvasrama, asrama, this is meant for the gentle class, not for the rascals. First of all, training period as brahmacari. This brahmacari, he is taught. He is taught to address all women as "mother." The brahmacari goes to collect alms from door to door. Small boys. So how do they address? "Mother, kindly give us some alms." So immediately the household wife should come and give them. They will collect like that, for spiritual master. So if a boy is taught... Just like our these children are being taught chanting Hare Krsna. They are chanting. They cannot forget throughout life. Similarly, if a brahmacari is taught from childhood, from boyhood address all woman as "mother," he cannot see otherwise. "S(he) is my mother." I remember, it is an example. Long ago, say, in 1925, long ago, so we were in a cinema house. So my eldest son, as soon as he would see one woman in the picture, "Here is another mother! Here is another mother!" (laughter) he would cry. Because a small child, he does not know any woman except mother. He knows everyone as "my mother." So if we train from the childhood that "You should treat all woman as mother," then where is the question of anomalies? No. There is no question.

So one should be trained from the very beginning how to become gentle. From the very beginning if one is taught to become ungentle, uncontrolled of senses, how at the end he can become gentle? And if the people are not gentle, how you can expect peace and prosperity? Therefore we see in your country, every house: "Beware of dog. Don't come here." Because... What is that? Because they cannot trust anybody. Anybody.

So this is not advancement of civilization. If you want to know what is civilization, you have to learn here: dhiranam. In the Bhagavata the description is there. So actually, Vedic civilization is meant for the most gentle, highly advanced, not for the cats and dogs.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972

"How A Devotee Approaches Krsna"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.11-12
September 17, 1972, Los Angeles



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sastham atrer apatyatvam
vrtah prapto 'nasuyaya
anviksikim alarkaya
prahladadibhya ucivan

Translation: "The sixth incarnation of the purusa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born in the womb of Anasuya, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlada and others, (Yadu, Haihaya, etc.)."

Prabhupada: Purport?

Pradyumna: "The Lord incarnated Himself as Dattatreya, the son of Rsi Atri and Anasuya. The history of the birth of Dattatreya as an incarnation of the Lord is mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana in connection with the story of the devoted wife. It is said there that Anasuya, the wife of Rsi Atri, prayed before the lords Brahma, Visnu and Siva as follows: ‘My lords, if you are pleased with me and if you desire me to ask from you some sort of blessings, then I pray that you combine together to become my son.' This was accepted by the lords, and as Dattatreya the Lord expounded the philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, Prahlada, Yadu, Haihaya, etc."

Prabhupada: So here we see that you can have God as your son. There are so many instances. Just like Devaki got Krsna as his (her) son; mother Yasoda got God as his (her) son; Saci-mata, (s)he also got Caitanya Mahaprabhu as son. So this is better philosophy than to accept God as father. That is especially in the Vaisnava philosophy. Others, the impersonalist, voidists, they have no conception of God. Voidists -- "Ultimately everything is zero," and the impersonalists, "God has no form." Both are the same thing, in a different language. The voidists, they say, "Ultimately there is nothing but zero," and the impersonalists statement that "Maybe something, but it is not person, it is imperson."

Therefore in the Padma Purana this Buddhist theory, voidism, and the Sankara's theory, impersonalism, they are taken as one and the same. Pracchannam bauddham ucyate. Pracchannam bauddham. The Buddhists, they decline to accept the authority of Vedas, and the Mayavadis, the impersonalists, they want to accept the authority of Vedas, but under the garb of Buddhism. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given His remark, veda na maniya bauddha haya ta' nastika. According to Vedic line of thought, anyone who does not accept the authority of Vedas, he is called atheist. Just like the Muhammadans, they also call "kafir." One who does not accept the authority of Koran, they call "kafir." And the Christians also, they call "heathens." So there are different terms. So according to our Vedic line of thought, anyone who does not accept the Vedic way of life, he is called atheist. Therefore Buddhist, according to Vedantists, Buddhist are called atheist. Actually Buddha philosophy does not accept God, neither soul. They simply philosophize on the material elements, and they want to finish the material exis..., dismantle the material elements. Nirvana. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has remarked that the Buddhists are honest. They frankly say that "We don't accept your Vedas." But the Shankarites, they are cheaters, because they are accepting Vedas, but on the basis of Buddha philosophy. That is cheating.

So there are many conception of God. But there is a conception of God: to accept God as son. That is only in Vaisnava philosophy, because we are eternal servants of God. That is our philosophy. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. The living entity, his real constitutional position is to serve God. We have several times explained this fact, that the part and parcel of God must be engaged in the service of the Lord. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. Its duty is to serve the body. It has no other duty. The finger cannot go elsewhere and serve something else; it must serve my body. Therefore, it is part and parcel. Similarly, if I am part and parcel of God, then my only duty is to serve God. This is Vaisnava philosophy. So therefore, in Vaisnava philosophy, everything in relationship with God is service.

You have seen the picture in our Nectar of Devotion. Krsna's friends... Krsna is resting. They are all engaged in service. Somebody is fanning, somebody is massaging. Although they are friends, there is equality, none of them think that Krsna is greater than them. No. They think, "Krsna is our friend, very nice friend, very beautiful friend, and very powerful friend." Every day they go to the forest, and they see one demon is killed by Krsna. So they become very much devoted. Their love for Krsna increased by seeing Krsna's activities, beauty, opulence. Similarly, the gopis. So they did not think Krsna is God. They did not know. Even Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, all the inhabitants of Vrndavana, they did not know, neither they did care to know whether Krsna is God or not. They simply loved Krsna, without any identification. We are worshiping God, Krsna, because we are impressed with so many things, that Krsna is the Supreme Lord, He is the Absolute Truth. And therefore we are little inclined. "All right, let us serve Krsna if He is God." You see? There is some condition: "If Krsna is God, so if I do not love, if I do not worship, there may be something wrong." So that is business. But amongst the gopis and the cowherds boy and the Vrndavana inhabitants, there is no business. "We love Krsna unconditionally. That's all. We do not know anything except Krsna." This is Vrndavana atmosphere.

So mother Yasoda, Nanda and other elderly gopis, they used to treat Krsna as son, as beloved son, because if we accept God as father or mother... There is conception of mother also. The saktas... There are many devotees of Durga, Kali. They also accept the mother. The Christians accept as father. The conception of father and mother, that is good, but there is little service... Because children, they take service from the mother and father. They give, render very little service to the father and mother. Every children, every man, every woman has taken so much services from the father and mother. Everyone knows that. Just like those who are mothers here, how much service they are giving to the little children, how much careful they are that their child may not be in some difficulty, always anxious. Similarly, this philosophy, to accept God as son, means opportunity for rendering more service than to accept God as father.

God is neither father nor... He is father. Actually He is father, because He is the origin of everything. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Krsna also says, aham bija-pradah pita. Pita means father. So actually, God's position is father. He is father of everything. Not... All living entities, all material energy. As... If you discover something, it is called "the father of this scientific discovery." So He has discovered everything, material and spiritual both. Therefore He is original father of everyone. Not only of the living entities, but also stones, woods, earth, water, fire, everything. He has created. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva..., prakrtir me astadha, bhinna prakrtir me astadha. In the Bhagavad-gita. So He has created everything. He is actually the father. But out of love, the devotees, they accept the father as son, to give more service. Father is obliged to give service to the son. He has given birth; therefore he has obligation to maintain the son, to give service.

So here, if you accept God as son, then you cannot avoid the obligation of service. In other way you can avoid. This is compulsory. Therefore sometimes devotees, they pray... Here it is said..., prayed for. The sixth incarnation of the purusa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born in the womb of Anasuya, who prayed for an incarnation. She requested that "You all three, you become my son." So next.

Pradyumna: Next verse?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tatah saptama akutyam
rucer yajno 'bhyajayata
sa yamadyaih sura-ganair
apat svayambhuvantaram

Translation: "The seventh incarnation was advented as Yajna, the son of Prajapati Ruci and his wife Akuti. He controlled the period changed by the Svayambhuva Manu, assisted by demigods, as His son Yama and others."

Prabhupada: So you are marking that so many incarnation of God have been described. We are now in the seventh. So there is chronological number, which incarnation, what is His chronological number, what is His father's name, what is His mother's name, what are His activities, how the bodily feature, what is the mission. Everything is described in the sastra. Nowadays any rascal comes, and he says, "I am incarnation." What is your father's name? Whatever it is described? Whether in the sastra? Because incarnation, we cannot accept any rascal as incarnation without proper identification. But it has become a fashion now. Any rascal comes, says, "I am incarnation of God." So where is the mention? Some rascal says, "I was formerly Rama and Krsna." Another rascal accepts, "Oh, you were Rama and Krsna?"

So this kind of rascalism is not very good. You must accept the incarnation of God according to the description in the sastras. Not one rascal cheats you and you also become another rascal to accept it. Don't do that. You must know what are the indication of incarnation. This question was raised by Sanatana Gosvami to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's incarnation is stated in the sastra, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Upanisad, in Mahabharata. There are evidences. He appeared as the son of Jagannatha Misra, but His incarnation is stated in the sastra. Therefore we accept Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as incarnation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said that "I am incarnation." Rather, to warn the ordinary people that they should not accept any so-called incarnation, when somebody stated Caitanya Mahaprabhu that "You are incarnation of Krsna," He immediately blocked His ears: "Don't say like that. It is great offense, great offense." Because He was playing the part of devotee. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching us how to execute devotional service. And He deprecated Mayavada philosophy in so many ways. He was to establish the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He was exemplifying Himself, how to become a devotee. So He never mentioned that He is incarnation. But we understand from the features of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that He (is) incarnation of Krsna.

It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam [SB 11.5.32]. Krsna-varnam. Krsna varnayati, or in the category of Krsna. Krsna-varnam. And tvisa akrsna, by His complexion He is not black. Akrsna. Akrsna means not black. So not black. It may be other color. Yes. That may be. But in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said... When Gargamuni was preparing the horoscope of Krsna, he said, suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah. Incarnation of God, either white, suklo raktah, either red, yellow, or black. These colors accepted. So Gargamuni said, suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah: "Your son, this son, formerly He appeared in white color, in red color, in yellow color. Now He has appeared in black color." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was yellow color. Therefore, when it is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, tvisa akrsnam, "He is not black," that means "He is pita, He is yellow." Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam [SB 11.5.32]. "He is always associated by His devotees."

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so long He lived on this planet, He was always associated with the devotees. The most confidential devotees, Caitanya Mahaprabhu: sri-krsna-caitanya, the central point, prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. So sangopangastra-parsadam, krsna-varnam. He is always chanting Krsna. He is Krsna Himself, tvisa akrsnam, but His bodily complexion is not like that. And other feature: sangopangastra-parsadam, and He is always associated with His devotees. They are His soldiers. Sangopangastra-parsadam. In other incarnation, Krsna comes with weapon. As Lord Ramacandra He came with bows and arrows. As Krsna He came with disc and club. Here Krsna has come compassionately to distribute mercy to the fallen souls. So He has not taken any astra, any weapon. His weapon is His associate devotee. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's associate, Nityananda Prabhu, He is going to kill Jagai and Madhai, not by weapon, but by His mercy. He went to preach Jagai and Madhai, the drunkards, the woman-hunters, flesh-eaters, and they hurt Him. Still, He delivered them.

So these astra..., this is the astra. By argument, by philosophy, by entreating, by flattering, they are giving Krsna consciousness. Advaita Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu. Yes. Otherwise, they are already killed. Krsna, if He kills them, then everything is finished. They are already killed by so many bad habits. They are going to hell. So those who are already killed, so what will be benefit by killing them? So deliver them. Sangopangastra-parsadam. This is the incarnation of Krsna. It is stated. And how He is worshiped? Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]. The worshiping method of Lord Caitanya incarnation of Krsna is not very difficult. Simply yajnaih sankirtanaih. You perform this yajna of sankirtana: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So Sanatana Gosvami, he was a minister. So to confirm this, he asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu that "How I can accept somebody as incarnation?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "That is not difficult. Everything is stated in the sastras, and from the evidence of sastra, you can accept who is incarnation."

So our point is that you do not become so foolish and rascal, that any rascal comes and poses himself as God, incarnation of God... You kick on their face. Please consult the sastras whether his name, his father's name, his mother's name, his features of the body, his activities, are corroborating with the sastra. Then accept. Otherwise don't.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972