"At Least Lift Your Anchor"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.15
June 19, 1969, New Vrndavana

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada: ...is not our Vaisnava. If you say, you have to say this also. Yes.

Kirtanananda: Whole thing?

Prabhupada: Yes. Otherwise keep everything.

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave-namah

sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca
sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam
sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate
gopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo 'stu te

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

(aside:) So you keep there. You can keep here. It is open? Yes.

jugupsitam dharma-krte 'nusasatah
svabhava-raktasya mahan vyatikramah

So in our last meeting we have been discussing that sastras, scriptures, if they simply deal with material activities... Of course, material activities should be regulated to come to the spiritual platform. But if we do not come to the spiritual platform, simply some regulative principle on the material platform will not help us.

Religiosity means to prepare the ground, prepare the ground for being elevated to the spiritual platform. Just like it is said,

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

Dharma, religious faith -- everything is very punctual. One is going punctually to the church or to the temple and executing all ritualistic ceremonies very rigidly, following the rules and regulations. But at the end if he has not developed love for God, then, Bhagavata says, srama eva hi kevalam: "This is simply laboring, formalities." Caste priest, caste gosvami, caste spiritual master -- simply a formality. But the objective is not Krsna. Objective is material happiness. That sort of religiosity or following the regulative principle will not help.

So Vyasadeva says, jugupsitam: "This is abominable, because if you simply stick to that principle... You are authority. People will understand that this is religion, nothing more." Na manyate tasya nivaranam janah, yad-vakyatah. Nanu yad pravrtti-marga nindate 'tha nivrtti-marge sarva-kriya-tyagena paramesvara-sukhasya rupe anubhuteh kim tad yasah-kathanenapi tatraha vicaksanaiti, vicaksana ati-nipunah kascid eva nivrttitah sarva-kriya-nivrttya, asya bibhah sukham nirvikalpaka-sukhatmakam svarupam veditum jnatum arhati.(?) One may be very expert in the matter of executing religious performances, but that does not mean he can be elevated to the spiritual platform.

vicaksano 'syarhati veditum vibhor
ananta-parasya nivrttitah sukham
pravartamanasya gunair anatmanas
tato bhavan darsaya cestitam vibhoh

This may be little helpful to rise to the spiritual platform, but unless one is actually engaged in the service of the Lord, it cannot be achieved perfectly.

Then Vyasadeva says, Narada Muni says, tatah karunarthe vibhu anatmanah deha-vimana athaiva gunaih satyadibhih pravartamanasya gunair janasya darsaya bhavan iti.(?) "Therefore you write literature in such a way that people will become attracted to Krsna, or the Supreme Lord." Simply official understanding of Krsna -- "God is great" or "Krsna is all-powerful" -- but my attention is only how to improve any material condition... So this picture was given in our Back to Godhead. Perhaps you all remember that a bridegroom party was to go to the bride's home. In India the marriage party, bridegroom party, the bride, his father, his relatives, go with the bride, bridegroom, to the bride's home, and the marriage ceremony takes place there in the presence of all kinds of relatives. That is the system. So the marriage was to take place in a different village some miles away, and in Bengal the land is full of rivers. The rivers are considered to be high roads. So it was settled that the bridegroom's party will start in the evening before the marriage day and reach there in the morning and rest whole day, and in the evening the marriage will take place.

So they got up in a boat, and the boat was started and the, all the members of the bridegroom's party, the, they fell asleep. It was on the river. The breeze was very pleasing. And next morning when they arose, they saw they were standing on the same place. Then they were surprised, "How is that?" The boatman was asked, "How is that, we are in the same place? We have not proceeded even a few yards. How is that?" The boatman said that "We were plying the whole night. We do not know how it happened." Then one boatman found out that the anchor was not taken out. The anchor was fixed up, and the whole night they were plying meant the boat was round about the anchor only, moving, and it was... It did not go a step forward.

Similarly, if our anchor, that we want this material happiness, for which we worship God, we may go to the temple, go to the church, offer our respect... Arto artharthi. That is accepted as good. But one has to go far above that position. That means if one, being distressed, approaches Krsna, that "My Lord, I am in distress. Please help me," the qualification is good in this sense, that he, somehow or other, he has approached God. But his motive is not pure. His motive is material enjoyment. So Vyasadeva says, "This kind of instruction in your book will not help people to come to the standard of pure devotional service, which can save him from all material bondage." That is the whole purport. Then what is to be done? The same thing, as Krsna advises, that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. You haven't got to do anything. Simply be engaged in Krsna consciousness.

So here, of course, I am very pleased that the boys and girls who have come to me, they have immediately taken to Krsna. But India, although the Bhagavad-gita is the scripture of Hindus and the Indians, still, they are not so easy to accept Krsna consciousness. Because their brain is puzzled. Somebody says that "You worship goddess Kali." Somebody says that "You worship Lord Siva." Somebody says, "You worship Brahma." So mostly, in temples, in, I mean to say, temples which are meant for earning some money, they have got all kinds of deities. In one place there is Lord Siva, one place there is Goddess Kali, one place there is Ramacandra, one place is... Just like store, store. You go to a store, and you'll find all kinds of goods are ready there. Whatever goods you want, you pay price and take. So that is another business, that "Whomever you may love, please come to my temple, pay something, and you see. Your God is there." You see? So... And there are some missionary activities also. They say that "Whatever God you may worship, it is the same."

But our Vaisnava philosophy does not say that. Vaisnava philosophy says, "God is one." Not in... Vaisnava philosophy, you do not think that it is a sectarian. This is based on Vedic conclusion. In the Rg Veda also it is said, "God is one." Tad visnoh. Visnu is paramam padam. He is Supreme. Vedas does not say that Brahma is supreme, or Lord Siva is the supreme, or Goddess Kali is supreme. No. Tad visnoh paramam... This is Rg Veda mantra. And so far Bhagavad-gita is concerned, it is clearly said there by Krsna. He says, "I am the Supreme. Nobody's greater than Me." We find in Brahma-samhita also the same thing, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. So actually in the Vedas the Supreme Lord is accepted -- Visnu, or Narayana, or Krsna, different names of visnu-tattva. Even Sankaracarya, he also accepts, narayanah parah: "Narayana is the Supreme, Narayana."

So God is one, but there are different kinds of demigods. That is also a fact. They are accepted as different parts and parcels of God, as we are also. The demigods are also living entities. They are not visnu-tattva. There are visnu-tattva, jiva-tattva and sakti-tattva. Visnu-tattva is the Supreme Absolute Truth, jiva-tattva is part and parcel, and sakti-tattva is the energy of God. So the demigods... You can become a demigod. You can become. If you follow the process how to become, then you become one day the demigod in the sun planet. It is not difficult. You can become one day even Lord Brahma. Just like you can become one day President Nixon, like him. That requires your qualification. But you can... But you cannot become Krsna or Narayana. That is not possible. God is one. You cannot become God, but you can become part and parcel of God, more powerful. That is possible. Just like you are all Americans, but some of you can become a big officer in the government, the president, the secretary, the governor, but their position is better than ordinary man, similarly, the demigods are like that. They are different officers of the Supreme Lord, Krsna. These things are described in Bhagavatam, that the sun rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The moon rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The ocean is not disturbing, it is calm and quiet... Not calm and quiet. It is in its position by the order of the Supreme Lord. So everyone is acting under the Supreme Lord. And Caitanya-caritamrta says, ekale isvara krsna: "Yes, the Supreme Lord is only Krsna." Ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. Ara, "Any other demigod or even visnu-tattva, even Narayana, Visnu" -- there are so many, I mean to say, manifestation of visnu-tattva -- "they're all subordinate to Krsna." Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1].

So here the point is that just direct people to Krsna, or the Supreme Lord. Don't misguide them that "Here is another god, here is another god, here is another..." The Bhagavad-gita also, in the last instruction, Bhagavan says, mam ekam. Ekam means one. "Only surrender to Me." So this is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. But if somebody thinks that "I can worship Brahma, I can worship Kali, I can worship Siva, or many other demigods, and still the same thing," this is impersonalist view. It is not a fact. Because according to them, "The Absolute Truth is impersonal. There is no question of personality. But because we cannot concentrate our devotional energy or attention in the impersonal feature, therefore let us imagine some form of God." This is the, I mean to say, principle of the impersonalists. They imagine some form of God, and they get perfection. And ultimately they become impersonal, merge into the effulgence, brahmajyoti. That is their philosophy. The Mayavada philosophy and Vaisnava philosophy differs here. Our Bhagavata says that ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is a person. Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti. Vyasadeva says that "You direct people, attention, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Now, the question may be that one may take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without understanding the truth, by sentiment. Just like sometimes... It is mostly in this country. Some of the disciples, some of the students, they are coming, not that one has understood this philosophy very nicely and he is convinced. Some of them are coming by sentiment: "All right, let me join this Krsna consciousness movement." So in that case what happens? Suppose one does not understand the philosophy, but he comes to join this Krsna consciousness movement, then what is the effect? That is also clearly explained by Naradadeva, that,

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim
ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah
[SB 1.5.17]

So Narada says that "Giving up all other engagements..." Just like it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita that "Give up all other engagements. Simply surrender unto Me." So if somebody, out of sentiment, without understanding, out of sentiment, surrenders, comes to Krsna... Here he had many duties to perform, his family life, his duty to the country, so many duties. Everyone has got so many duties. But one gives up all other duties, simply comes to Krsna. Then what happens to him? This is very important version of Narada Muni. He says, sva-dharma: "Everyone has got some occupational duty. So he gives it up according to the instruction of Krsna," and caranambujam hareh, "and begins devotional service, Krsna consciousness. Then, after some time..." Just like many... When I came, in the beginning, there were many, not many, a few, say within five or six, they were working with me, but now they are not working. So that is possibility. Because one may come by sentiment. Then, after staying for some time, he may find it: "Oh, what is this Krsna consciousness? Let me do something else." Or "Let me join in my previous occupation." So Narada Muni says that "Even a person joins Krsna consciousness, giving up all other occupational duties and without being mature, falls down, some..."

There are so many reasons one may fall down. Not only... Actually, the reason is maya. Maya, maya. It is a fight. To take to Krsna consciousness means it is a fight against maya. Maya is trying to keep you captivated within this material world. But if anyone takes to Krsna consciousness, he, maya has to give him up. Maya cannot control anymore. That is not the jurisdiction of maya. Because you have read in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna says, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya: [Bg. 7.14] "It is very, very, very difficult to get out of the grip of the strong maya." It is not... But mam eva ye prapadyante: "If anyone comes to Me or surrenders unto Me," mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14], "he immediately becomes out of the jurisdiction of maya." So maya is strong always. Just like I was explaining this morning what is maya. Maya is already there, side by side, Krsna and maya. Just like this light. This side is light; this side is darkness. Take this example. This light, the one side is very bright; another side is dark. So this darkness and this light is always side by side. Similarly, Krsna and maya... Because maya is one of the energy of Krsna. When Vyasadeva by bhakti-yoga meditation experienced the whole thing, what did he see? He saw Krsna. Apasyat purusam purnam: "He saw the Supreme Person." Mayam ca tad-apasrayam: "And he saw also maya on the back side." Just like when you, if you stand, the light side, your shadow is not on the light side. The light... The shadow is on the back side.

So in our back side the maya is there, although you are in front of Krsna. So as soon as you become little slack in Krsna consciousness, immediately maya is ready to capture you. Maya is always going side by side. As Krsna is all-pervading, the maya is also all-pervading. As soon as there is lack of Krsna consciousness, there is immediately maya.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

Japatiya dhare means embrace. What is that? What is called, to capture like this?

Devotee: Hug?

Devotees: Hug, hug, embrace?

Prabhupada: Embrace? Yes. So as soon as one, krsna-bhuliya, forgets Krsna... Forgetting Krsna means sense enjoyment. Two things are there. One, the materialistic persons, they are engaged in the activities of sense enjoyment, forgetting Krsna; and the transcendentalists, the devotees, they are, even though they are not forgotten, but they are not interested in sense enjoyment. They are interested in Krsna. That is the difference. This is maya and Krsna.

So maya is always strong. As soon as we little slack in Krsna consciousness, maya will capture us in the same process. So here it is said, bhajann apakvo 'tha. If one is not very strong, not very much advanced, not mature, and falls down under the clutches of maya again, so, Narada Muni says, yatra kva vabhadram abhut: "There is no," I mean to say, "loss." Abhadra means great loss, or inauspicity. There is no... "It is still good, even if he falls down." Why? Yatra kva va abhadram amusya kim ko vartha apto 'bha...: "In comparison to the person who is simply sticking to the formalities of religious principles without any development of love of Godhead, simply following the routine work, in comparison to that person, this person who came to surrender to Krsna, either by sentiment or some way or other but falls down, this man is better. This man is better. There is no," I mean to say, "any great loss. Rather it is a great gain."

How it is gain? Krsna has confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that yoga-bhrasto 'bhijaya... Sucinam srimatam gehe. This question was raised by Arjuna, that "Krsna, one person is engaged in bhakti-yoga. It is very good. If he can execute bhakti-yoga to the perfect point and becomes liberated, goes back to Krsna, it is very nice. But if he falls down, then what is his position? He loses both things? He loses Krsna consciousness and all this material enjoyment. Then he is nowhere?" Krsna said, "No, no, no, no. It is not like that. His position is not like that. His position is better still, even if he has fallen down."

What is that? Now, sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate: "If one, anyone, immaturely falls down, then in next life he will have the opportunity to take birth in very rich family or in a family of a, I mean, real brahmana." Real brahmana means suci, always pure. That is real brahminical qualification. Truthful, clean, wise, God consciousness -- these are brahminical qualifications. We are giving thread ceremony to our disciples to recognize him that he has got the brahminical qualifications. He has given up this meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication. He is chanting Hare Krsna mantra. He is being purified gradually. He's trying to understand Krsna. Therefore he's always pure. This is the recognition. This thread ceremony is recognition. But if we simply make it a show, that "Now I have got thread. I have become liberated. I may not do anything," and then again I fall down... The same principle is always going on, maya and Krsna.

Just like in India, those who are born in brahmana family, they are falsely proud that "We are born in brahmana family. Now we are perfect. Now we can do any nonsense thing. Still I am brahmana." And it is actually being done. They are doing work less than a sudra, and still, they are passing on as brahmana. That is the cause of India's spiritual falldown. Some people, they have exploited simply being born in high family. But actually that is not the position. Actual position is by quality. If one has got the quality of a brahmana, then he should be recognized as brahmana, as we are doing here. Here nobody is born in a brahmana family, but how we are offering him sacred thread? By the quality. That is recommended by Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami gives a very nice example in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa, that yatha kamsyam,

yatha kancanatam yati
kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam

He gives that "Just like by chemical process one can turn gun metal into gold, similarly, by the process of initiation, one can become dvija." Dvija means twice-born, or brahmana.

So the chance is given. If one falls down immaturely from the standard of bhakti-yoga, devotional service, or Krsna consciousness, then he gets next birth either in a very nice brahmana family, or very rich family. So is not...? So what is the loss there, even if I fall? But that does not mean I shall wait for falling down. No. Just like in India, formerly, in medical college there were two designations -- one as M.D., and another was L.M.S. So what is the distinction? Now, after passing, after regularly attending the class, say, five or six years, if one passes the examination, he takes the title M.D., Doctor of Medicine, or something like that. And if he fails, then he is given the title L.M.S., Licensed in Medical, Medicine and Surgery. So after studying in medical college for the regular years, five or six years, so even if he fails, he is recognized, but not to the standard of that passed medical man, but he is given license: "All right, if you don't wish to study more, you get the license to practice." License. Similarly, a devotee, a person in devotional service, in Krsna consciousness, even if he falls down by some reason or other, without being mature, then he has, he's not in loss.

He says, Narada Muni says, that evam tavat tat karma-karmadi anartha-hetutva tam vihaya harer lilaiva bandhaniya tam.(?) Therefore everyone should be engaged in Krsna consciousness. If we pass Krsna consciousness examination at the end of our life, it is very good, but even if we fail, just like the medical man, failing, as we can execute, we can work as a medical man, we get the license, just like to take birth in a nice family, that means again devotional service. In India, a rich family means they must have their own private temple. Generally they have got private temple, all rich men. Now they are not constructing. Just like in your country, those who are rich, now they are not constructing any churches. They... Everyone, people are losing interest in religion. But in formerly, say, even twenty-five years ago, both the Hindus and Mussulman, if one becomes rich, immediately he tries to construct a temple or a mosque. I have got personal experience. When I was doing medical business, one Muhammadan... His name was Abdullah. He was supplying me bottles. So he was very poor man, but by making business in bottle supply he became rich. So one day I asked him, "Abdullah, you have got now money. How you are going to utilize your money?" So he said, "Babaji, majjhi banabhan(?)" He said that "My dear sir," that, "I have got an intention to construct a mosque." So people, either Christian or Jew or Muhammadan or Hindu, formerly they were religious and, according to their faith, they used to construct either synagogue or church or mosque or temple all over the world. Now they have lost interest. You see?

So to get birth in the family of a pure brahmana means he gets the association. Because in a brahmana family or a rich family the worship of Krsna is there. Every brahmana family, according to Vedic culture, must worship Narayana, every brahmana family. If he is not worshiping Narayana, then he's rejected from brahmana family. That was the stricture. And srimatam. Srimatam means rich family, very rich family. So every rich family had a temple, private temple. Just like I was born in a family. Although I was not a member of that family, but I was born in a very rich family. They had a temple. Still that temple existing. When I last year went to India, I stayed in that temple. Acyutananda, recently he was there. He informed me that he is staying in that temple. Because we were born in that family, from the very beginning of our life we got the idea of Radha-Krsna worship. It is very nice.

So sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate. So there is no loss. He begins again worship of Radha-Krsna, either in the brahmana family or in the rich family. And ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah: "And if anyone does not take to Krsna consciousness, devotional service, simply engages in his, mean, prescribed duties as a brahmana or ksatriya or a sudra, and he's very strict moralist, he may get, he may get also." There is... Because this life, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yes, Vedas, Upanisad, ksurasya dhara iti duratyaya.(?) The people do not understand that how we are stationed. Any little difference, we may fall down. As there is chance of falldown from Krsna consciousness, there is chance of falldown from any position. This human life, human form of life, should be very carefully and cautiously utilized. This verse I was explaining yesterday, labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante.

So Narada Muni advises that "Induce everyone to be engaged in Krsna consciousness. Never mind if he, even if he falls down. There is no loss." This is the principle. If he becomes successful, oh, the greatest boon. That greatest boon is described in Bhagavad-gita, samsiddhim paramam gatah, highest perfection. Highest... Samsiddhim. Samsiddhim means perfection. Paramam, the supreme.

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

So if we become successful in Krsna consciousness, we achieve the greatest success of life, but even if we fall down, oh, there is no loss. Because we are going to get birth in sucinam, in nice brahmana family, or rich mercantile family where it is supposed...

Nowadays, at the present moment, there is no brahmana, no ksatriya, no vaisyas. Everyone is a sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. The situation is different. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has made the thing very easy. Either you become brahmana or sudra or ksatriya or less than sudra, candala, or, or anything, it doesn't matter. Take to this chanting of Krsna, and if you stick to this and if you follow the regulative principles, your success is sure. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gift. And that is confirmed here by Narada Muni, that "There is no loss even one falls down from Krsna consciousness platform." That does not mean we shall fall down. We must be very steady and rigid and with vow, drdha-vratah. Bhajante mam drdha-vratah. Krsna says that te dvandva-moha-nirmuktah. How we can become fixed up in Krsna consciousness? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, yesam anta-gatam papam: "Anyone who is completely free from all sinful reaction..." Yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. And who can be completely free from all sinful reaction? They are always engaged in pious activities. Such persons... Because if you engage yourself in pious activities, there is no chance of your being engaged in sinful activities.

So this activity, Krsna consciousness activity, is not only pious; it is transcendental. So if you stay on this platform of Krsna consciousness, the easy process, just like we are executing in New Vrindaban, chanting, dancing, eating bhagavata-prasadam, hearing Bhagavata or Bhagavad-gita, trying to understand, simple process... It is not very difficult. And you are satisfied with little prasadam. Never mind what it is. This process will make you stay firm. So don't deviate. Whatever little regulative principles are there, they are not very difficult. Just stick to this principle, chant Hare Krsna, eat prasadam, and your life will be successful.

Here is the assurance by Narada Muni, that "Even if he falls down, still, there is no loss. But the, on the other side, those who are not in Krsna consciousness, if he's very regular businessman or regular worker, so many things, still, his gain is nothing." He... Srama eva hi kevalam. He's simply laboring, because he has no connection with Krsna consciousness. The life mission, this human form of life mission, is to understand Krsna and relation. He's neglecting that. He has no information. Therefore he does not gain. If you... Suppose if you go to a place, to a..., where you can earn money, as much as you like, and if you go there, and if you do not earn anything, you come empty-handed, so, as your mission becomes unsuccessful. Similarly, if in the human form of life you are simply engaged in the animalistic way of life -- eating, sleeping, mating, and defending in a nice way than the birds and beasts -- then you are not gaining anything. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jatah. In many places these things are very nicely explained. Abodha-jatah. We are born... We are born ignorant. A child is born ignorant. If the father, mother, guardians, do not give him education, then his life is spoiled. The child has no fault. It is the fault of the guardian. In this human form of life, if the state, the father, the teacher, the school, college, and every, who are responsible for raising the child to knowledge, to become wise, if they do not care and simply they have trained for eating nicely, sleeping nicely and mating nicely and defending nicely, then there is no gain. The life is the... A chance is missed. Narada Muni says that "Without coming to Krsna consciousness, if he's simply engaged in a polished way to this animalistic way of life -- eating, sleeping, mating and defending -- then he does not gain anything. On the other side, if a person without any knowledge, without any understanding, by sentiment takes to Krsna consciousness, and, being immature, if he falls down, there is no loss." This is the conclusion.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969