"First Educate People"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.26
October 1, 1972, Los Angeles


Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

avatara hy asankhyeya
hareh sattva-nidher dvijah
yathavidasinah kulyah
sarasah syuh sahasrasah

Translation: "O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water."

Prabhupada: So incarnation of God, there is no limit. The example is given. Just like there is no limit of waves in the ocean, similarly, there is no limit of incarnation. Sattva-nidheh. Nidhi means ocean, and sattva means existentional. And sattva means also goodness. Sattva-nidheh. So goodness, here in this material world there is the modes of nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. But real goodness is in the spiritual world. Here in the material world the goodness is, of course, taken as the highest quality, but such goodness is liable to be infected by the other two qualities, passion and ignorance. It is exposed. And here also, goodness is also the cause of bondage in this material world. As passion is cause of bondage, ignorance is also cause of bondage, similarly, the material goodness is also cause of bondage. So we have to transcend the material goodness also. Then, when we get stability of goodness, that is spiritual life. When it is disturbed by passion and ignorance, that means it is not yet perfect. Therefore, sometimes we find a student is doing everything nice goodness, but he is attacked by passion and ignorance, and he becomes entangled.

So real goodness means without being attacked by the other modes, passion and ignorance. That goodness is in God. Hareh sattva-nidheh. When you go to the spiritual platform, sattvam visuddham... That spiritual platform is called goodness unaffected by other qualities. Sattvam visuddham. Visuddham means complete pure. No adulteration. So long we are in the material platform, the goodness is liable to be adulterated. Just like we purchase milk from the market or anything. There is adulteration. Although there are so many laws by the government, "You cannot adulterate, you cannot do this, you cannot...," but people, propensity is to adulterate. So you cannot get pure thing. The whole atmosphere is so polluted. Therefore here the so-called goodness also is the cause of bondage. "Now I have become a Vaisnava. I have become now learned." And God is so clever that "Now you fight with this passion and ignorance, if you are so good." And he fails, falls a victim. You see? So by pure devotional service only, you can remain in pure goodness. Otherwise it will be adulterated. Pure devotional service.

What is that pure devotional service? Anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11]. No material desire. Because desire is the cause. If I think... I am brahmacari, but I am thinking of always sex or woman... They have been described in the Bhagavad-gita as cheater. Therefore we have to think of Krsna always. Otherwise, as soon as there is little loophole, maya will enter immediately and make your goodness adulterated. Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. Avyabhicarena bhakti-yogena. Without any adulteration. Anyone who is engaged in devotional service without any adulteration,

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

Gunan, plural number. Gunan means this material world: goodness, passion and ignorance, three kinds of qualities. He can surpass these three qualities of material. Sa gunan samatitya etan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. At that time he becomes completely spiritualized. He is spirit soul.

Every one of us, we are spirit soul, part and parcel of God, but we have been now covered by the material qualities. So the example is given... I think I have several times recited this example. When the spirit soul is separated from God... Just like a small sparks is separated from the whole fire, (knocking sound) falls down... What is that sound? So the sparks falls down on the ground. So there are three possibilities. If the sparks falls on dry grass, then immediately there is little fire, because grass is dry. And if it falls down on the green vegetation, then it is not immediately extinguished. There is little heat. But if the sparks falls down in the water, then immediately extinguished. So as soon as we are separated from God... We are all parts and parcel of God. Separation means when I want to imitate God. I want to become exactly... Because enviousness, due to enviousness... Iccha-dvesa samutthena. When we become envious... "Oh, God is enjoyer, so why not I become an enjoyer?" "Yes," God says, "you become enjoyer." So then he falls down in this material world.

So if he falls down or contacts the mode of goodness, that is considered the fire spark falling on dry grass. Dry grass means... Goodness means one who is situated almost on the spiritual platform. Just like the brahminical qualification: truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life, and completely faith in God. That is brahminical qualification. Satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. And passion means strong desire to enjoy this material world. Generally, the kings, the politicians, they are very much passionate to encroach upon other's property, other nations, like that. And ignorance means they are neither passionate nor good. "All right, let me eat something and sleep." That's all. That is ignorance. They are satisfied if they get good opportunity for sleeping. That's all. That is ignorance.

So these three qualities are there within this material world. And one has to transcend these three qualities. And that can be done... Anyone can do that. Krsna does not say that only the person who is in goodness, who has the brahminical platform, he can be engaged. Actually, he can be engaged, not in the passion. But if you be engaged in devotional service, then immediately you transcend all the qualities. You become more than brahmana -- Vaisnava. Vaisnava means he is transcendental to the brahminical qualities also. But if you do not maintain even brahminical qualities, then where you are a Vaisnava?

So to become a Vaisnava is not so easy thing, because it is transcendental to the brahminical quality. But it is very easy. Lord Caitanya has made it easy, provided you stick to the principles. If you simply chant regularly Hare Krsna... This is the special facility for the people in this age. You can remain steady in transcendental position. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. As soon as you remain in the offenseless chanting platform, immediately you become transcendental to these material qualities. Very simple. You don't require to study Vedanta. The Vedanta is there. It reveals,

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
[SU 6.23]

The Vedanta philosophy will reveal automatically. You haven't got to study. But provided you have got unflinching faith in God and spiritual master, all this Vedanta knowledge will be revealed within you. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. Guru-krsna-krpaya. Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that you can make advancement in spiritual life by the mercy of Krsna and guru. You don't try to overlap guru and get Krsna's mercy immediately. That is not possible. That is not possible. You have to go through the proper channel. Anyone who is thinking that "I shall make spiritual advancement without guru," he is wrongly thinking. It is not possible. Just like if you want to see a big man, you have to go through the servant of that man. You have to take permission. The servant may say, "Sir, such and such man wants to see you. He is very nice man, appears to be a good man." "Oh," the master says, "he is good man? All right, bring him." By the recommendation of the servant.

Therefore we sing daily, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. By the mercy of guru, immediately we become, get the mercy of God. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi **. Yasyaprasadat. By... If guru is not satisfied, then na gatih kuto 'pi. He has no gati. Gati means advancement. He has no advancement. Dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam. Therefore this Gurvastaka, samsara-davanala, we have to sing. So God's incarnation, here it is said, "There are many incarnations." So guru is also incarnation of God, mercy incarnation of God. Guru means that... God is within you, caitya-guru, the guru, or the spiritual master, within your heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So this Paramatma is also incarnation of God. And the same Paramatma, when He comes before you, being very much merciful upon you, to teach you from outside, that is guru. Therefore it is said, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. Guru is the mercy incarnation of God. Saksat, direct. Hari-tvena, he is Hari, God. Samasta-sastraih. It is not that somewhere it is stated, somewhere it is not stated. No. In all Vedic literature. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah **. Uktah means "it is said." And tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih. Sadbhih, those who are real devotees, they accept this. "Yes, guru is exactly representative of Krsna, mercy representative."

But from the guru's side, a disciple may respect... May respect, must respect. It is not "may." Must respect guru as God. But guru should not say that "Now I have become God." Then he is immediately fallen. If guru says, "I am incarnation of God, so you simply worship me..." So many things are going on. Mayavada philosophy, "There is no difference between God..." But a real guru says that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of God." Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasah. Real guru will never claim, although He is given the honor of God, but He does not claim, never claims that He is God. He always claims that "I am the most fallen servant of God." This is the position.

So as there are incessantly waves of the ocean... You have seen when you go to the beach, always wave; twenty-four hours, there are wave. Similarly, incarnations are also coming. Why not? There are innumerable universes, not one universe. We have studied in the Brahma-samhita, yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. Jagad-anda-nathah. Jagad-anda means universe. So in each and every universe there are the natha, the controller. Natha means controller. The Brahma, Lord Brahma. So just imagine, through the inhaling and exhaling of Maha-Visnu in the Causal Ocean, so many universes are coming out. And each and every universe there are so many planets, and it requires to preach the glories of the Lord. So just imagine how many incarnations are required to enlighten the people in each and every universe. As we are trying to forget Krsna, or God... We are all sons of God. But God cannot forget us, because we are sons. God is trying to reclaim us. He is coming. Krsna is coming personally to canvass that "Why you are rotting here? Why don't you come? You just surrender and be happy." "No. I shall work here." "That's all right."

So working, beginning from Brahma down to the hog, they are trying to be happy by working themselves. But they will not surrender to Krsna. But Krsna wants them back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore He says in the Bhagavad-gita that,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]

"You have committed so much sinful activities during your material existence. There is no limit. But if you surrender unto Me, I immediately make you immune from all reaction of your sinful life. Immediately." Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When He met Jagai and Madhai... You know the story. Their life was sinful. What is that sinful? That illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. This Jagai-Madhai. They were born in nice brahmana family, but due to bad association, they became drunkard, prostitute hunters, gambler, and meat-eater. So they were simply creating disturbance. So these people will create disturbance. The whole world is disturbed. Why? Because it is full of these sinful men: drunkards, woman hunters, gamblers, and intoxicants. The whole world. And they are expecting peace. Nonsense. Where is peace? First of all educate them to become sinless. Then you talk of peace. There cannot be peace.

So these two brothers were creating disturbance in the, on the street, and there was a crowd. Lord Nityananda saw the crowd and inquired from persons, "What is this crowd?" Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakura were out for preaching. So people informed that "There are two brothers, most sinful, and they are creating disturbance. So there is crowd." So immediately Nityananda Prabhu said, "Why not deliver these two brothers immediately? Then it will be a great credit for Caitanya Mahaprabhu." This is preacher. He is thinking the credit of the master, not for himself. He risks his life. And the Jagai-Madhai brothers hurt Him on the head by throwing a stone. So blood also came out, but still, they said "All right, it is all right. You have hurt Me. Blood is oozing out. That doesn't matter. You chant Hare Krsna." That is preaching. Not that I remain safety and chanting Hare Krsna. No. We have to go out, meet the Jagai Madhai. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. Because the world is full of Jagai-Madhai.

So when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very angry because these people, these two brothers, injured Nityananda Prabhu, so He became firelike. So you should be firelike when a Vaisnava is insulted. Not that at that time trnad api sunicena, to become straw. No. You should be fire when Visnu and Vaisnava is insulted. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed this example. He became very, very angry: "I shall kill these two brothers immediately. Nonsense." So Nityananda Prabhu entreated,"Oh, My dear sir, this time You have promised not to accept any weapon. In Your incarnation as Lord Ramacandra, You took up weapon. As Krsna also, You took a weapon. But this time You wanted to deliver these poor souls. So don't kill them. Excuse them. Accept them." This is Nityananda Prabhu's business, guru's business. So Lord Caitanya simply asked them, "Now if you..." They also in the meantime fell down on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, that "We are so sinful. We have done wrong. Kindly excuse us."

So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu made one condition, that "Your life is full of sinful activities. So if you simply promise that ‘I shall not do anymore,' then I can accept you." So they said, "Sir, I'll not do. We'll not do anymore." This is required. When you are initiated, you promise "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." And if you do privately all these things, then what kind of man you are? Don't be cheater. Be plain. When you promise that "We shall not do these things," don't do it again. Then you remain in goodness. That's all. Nobody can disturb you. And if you pollute yourself silently, then this goodness will go on. So this is the warning. Once you are initiated on the promise that you shall not do these all nonsense, then you remain perfectly in goodness. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti. Maya cannot do anything. But if you cheat yourself, cheat your spiritual master, cheat God, then you will be cheated by maya.

Thank you very much. (pause) Begin. Begin. (pause) Begin! Begin. Don't delay. (kirtana) (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972