Prabhupada: So I shall try to speak some of the preliminary important slokas from Srimad-Bhagavatam, how Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled by Vyasadeva under the instruction of Sri Narada Muni.
So the description was given by Suta Gosvami in a very big meeting at Naimisaranya, thousands of years ago, and the Suta Gosvami is describing how Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled.
Sri suta uvaca
brahma-nadyam sarasvatyam
asramah pascime tate
samyaprasa iti prokta
rsinam satra-vardhanah
There is a place, Samyaprasa, above Haridvara, there Vyasadeva's asrama was situated on the river Brahmanadi, Sarasvati, on the western side, pascime tate. Rsinam satra-vardhanah, there all the great sages and saintly persons used to perform sacrifice. Tasmin asrame, tasmin sva asrame vyaso badari-sanda-mandite, the asrama was surrounded by berry trees, badari-sanda. Sanda means trees. Asino 'pa upasprsya pranidadhyau manah svayam. So in that asrama... Formerly, big, big saintly persons, they used to live in forest asrama. Now they have to come far away from asrama to South Africa because people have forgotten. Formerly, big, big persons, they used to visit the asrama, but nowadays people are not interested. Anartha. They are captivated by the material, external energy. It is said that... Not only now, formerly also, but formerly the number of people who were not interested were very, very small. At the present moment, the number of interested people are very, very small. That is the difference. Kali-yuga. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He inaugurated this Krsna consciousness movement, that people in this age are no more interested in their value of life. They are in darkness. Therefore Vaisnava, under the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, should go door to door, country to country, town to town, and preach Krsna consciousness for their benefit.
He said:
prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired that on the surface of the globe, as many towns and villages are there, the Krsna consciousness movement should be spread. And everyone, Indians especially, was advised to take up this mission and preach. He said:
bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
Para-upakara means to do well to others. This is India's mission. India's mission is to elevate outside Indians. Because outside India, people are interested only how to make money and live materially comfortably. They do not know anything more than that. This is anartha. This is anartha. People have become interested only in bodily comforts. They do not know that we are not this body, we are spirit soul, and we have got different interest of the spirit soul than the bodily interest. The bodily interest is there, even in cats and dogs. They also take care of the body, as much as possible by them. Similarly, if we simply take care of the body and do not take care of my self -- what I am, what is my necessity -- then it is suicidal. That is going on all over the world. People are interested only in bodily comforts. They do not know that within this body there is spirit soul, and he has got a different type of business or mission. That we have forgotten.
Therefore Vyasadeva has given us this literature. The history of this literature is being described,
tasmin sva asrame vyaso
badari-sanda-mandite
asino 'pa upasprsya
pranidadhyau manah svayam
Now Narada Muni instructed him... Narada Muni is Vyasadeva's guru. So Vyasadeva presented before Narada Muni that "I have written so many books, Mahabharata, Puranas, Vedanta-sutra, and Upanisads, and so many things, but I am not feeling very much happy." So Narada Muni instructed him that "You have done so many things -- that is all right -- but you have not described very elaborately about the activities of the Supreme Lord. Therefore you are unhappy. So I advise you that you take up this business in writing. Then you will feel happy." So under his instruction he sat for meditation. He says -- it is there -- asinah apah upasprsya. Before meditation, this is the process, you take water, acamana,
om apavitrah pavitro va
sarvavastham gato 'pi va
yah smaret pundarikaksam
sa bahyabhyantara-sucih
sri visnu sri visnu sri visnu
Three times you have to take water and taste it. That is called upasprsya. So he did it. Asinah apah upasprsya pranidadhyau manah: then he began to concentrate his mind, meditation.
So that is called yoga. This meditation means bhakti-yoga. Meditation, that is the real meaning. Nowadays meditation has become a fashion, but meditation is described in the Vedic literature, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. The yogis, they meditate, dhyanavasthita. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa, the mind becomes fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, tad-gatena. Tat means transcendental Absolute Truth, om tat sat. So tad-gatena manasa, mind being... Our mind is very restless, so it is very difficult. Five thousand years ago, when Krsna instructed Arjuna to concentrate his mind, meditate, or meditate upon Supersoul, so Arjuna frankly admitted that it was not possible for him. He said to Krsna, "My dear Krsna, You are advising. That is nice. But it is not possible for me." Cancalam hi manah krsna pramathi balavad drdham. "Mind is so restless, just like wind blowing. So to capture the mind, to make him pacified, it is very difficult job. I don't think I shall be able to do it." Arjuna refused. But Arjuna was a great devotee; therefore Krsna encouraged him. Arjuna did not know anything except Krsna, always thinking of Krsna. Then He encouraged him, that "My dear Arjuna, for you, you are the best yogi." Why? He described:
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]
He is first-class yogi. Who? Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gata, simply thinking of Krsna, mad-gata. Antar-atmana, within the core of heart, always thinking of Krsna. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mam.
So we are teaching this. Krsna consciousness movement means we are teaching our disciples how to think of Krsna twenty-four hours. This is Krsna consciousness. And the simple method is to chant,
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So our, this is the process, we have got this bead bag, and within this bag there is bead, and we chant each... We capture each bead and chant,
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
One bead equals sixteen times, so the whole bead chain there is hundred and eight. So one round means about seventeen hundred. In this way, our disciples are advised to chant at least sixteen rounds. This is our daily duty. It takes about two hours, and after that we are engaging so many other businesses. Somebody is typing or printing books, somebody is going to sell books, somebody is collecting subscription, somebody is cooking for the temple Deity, Radha-Krsna. So in this way, our inmates or our members are always engaged. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31], this is recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Somehow or other, be engaged twenty-four hours in Krsna consciousness. Then your life will be successful.
So Krsna advised, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. So here Vyasadeva sat in his asrama, and began to meditate means he was thinking of Krsna. Here it is said, bhakti-yogena.
bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak pranihite 'male
apasyat purusam purnam
mayam ca tad-apasrayam
So if we meditate in bhakti-yoga, that is bhakti-yoga, as Krsna advises that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana, sraddhavan... Sraddhavan, with faith and love, if one thinks of Krsna, bhakti-yogena, then everything is revealed to him, revealed to him. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita,
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
[Bg. 10.10]
Krsna says, "Anyone who is engaged satatam." Satatam means twenty-four hours. He has no other thinking except Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. This is spoken about Maharaja Ambarisa. He was the emperor of the whole world, he was doing his duty as a responsible king, but still sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh: he fixed his mind at the lotus feet of Krsna. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane: and when he used to speak, he used to speak about Krsna. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. When he was to walk, he used to go to the temple. When he was to hear something, he was hearing Hare Krsna maha-mantra. When he was to smell something, he was smelling the flowers offered at the lotus feet of Krsna. When he was eating, he was tasting the krsna-prasadam, the foodstuff first offered to Krsna. So we can engage our senses in that way, set by such example by Ambarisa Maharaja, how to utilize our senses for Krsna consciousness. That is bhakti-yoga. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti means when you engage your senses for the service of the Lord. Just like example set by Maharaja Ambarisa. His example is there, because who can be more busy than a responsible king? He has to do so many political affairs, and still, his mind was fixed up, sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh, in Krsna perfectly. This is the perfect.
So here also, Vyasadeva, he applied meditation in bhakti-yoga. Yoga means bhakti-yoga. There are different yogas -- hatha-yoga, jnana-yoga, tapa-yoga, many -- but the ultimate goal of these yo... Yoga means connect, connection, connection with the Lord. So ultimately you have to come to the stage of bhakti-yoga. So here Vyasadeva, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite 'male. The mind became completely purified, amale. Mala means dirty things, and amala means no dirty things. A means "not." So mind became completely purified by bhakti-yoga. By bhakti-yoga meditation, the mind became cleansed. That is required. Our mission of human life is to, how to cleanse the mind. Mind is not clean. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani [SB 1.2.17]. Abhadrani, inauspicious things. Abhadrani. Bhadra means very good, auspicious, and abhadra means inauspicious. So in our conditioned state of life, our mind is full with inauspicious things. This is due to rajo-guna and tamo-guna. So if we think of Krsna, meditation, then this rajas-tamo-guna becomes cleansed. Nasta-prayesv abhadresu [SB 1.2.18]. Abhadra, this rajas-tamo-guna. So if we think of Krsna, then gradually, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], the mirror of our heart becomes cleansed. The rajas..., rajas means dust, and tamas means darkness. Due to dark dust... Suppose you have to see one mirror. If it is covered with dust, you cannot see. So rajas means the dust, and cannot see, it is darkness, that is tamas. So bhakti-yoga, you can see within the mind clearly everything.
So here, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite amale. Amale means we can completely clean. So our... What did he see? When if the mind becomes cleansed, apasyat, he could see. Apasyat purusam purnam. Purusam purnam, purusam person, and purnam, complete. We are also person, every individual being, but we are not purnam. We are apurnam. The purnam is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete. Complete with everything, that is purnam. We are trying to be purnam, but it is not possible. We can be purified, but because we are very small particle, mamaivamsa... Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, that we living entities, we are small particles. Just like the fire and the spark. The spark is also fire, but very small particle. Similarly, we are, although fire, when as good as God in quality, just like the spark and the big fire, but the spark is very small. It can burn a small portion. Suppose a spark falls on your floor, a spot can burn. But big fire can burn. That is the distinction between God and ourselves. We are also God, but we are not purnam God. That is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam.
So Vyasadeva, he is also living entity, although he is empowered, so apasyat purusam purnam, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And mayam ca tad-apasrayam, and the back side is maya. Maya means the external energy. Just like if you stand facing the sun, the back side of your, there is a big shadow, that is maya. So both things are there, the purusam, the Krsna, and the maya also. Both things he saw. But He is not affected by maya. This is the special significance of Krsna. Although maya is there, he says, mayam ca tad-apasrayam. Maya is there, but Krsna is not influenced by maya, but He is controller of maya. Therefore He is described, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Isvara means controller. We are controlled by maya, but Krsna is the controller of maya. That is the difference. We are not controller; we are controlled. In the next verse, it is described, therefore, yaya sammohito jiva. This maya is illusion, is illusion to the jiva, to the living entities, not to Krsna. One who thinks Krsna as like us, they are mistaken. Mudha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gita, avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam: [Bg. 9.11] "Because I am come just like a human being, these rascals, mudhas, asses..." Mudha means asses. The example of mudha, just like in our vernacular language, we condemn some person who is useless, gadha. So gadha, that is mudha. Gadha, why he is condemned? Because he does not know his interest. He works under one washerman and loads tons of cloth on the back, and the washerman gives a morsel of grass. And he stands the whole day, again carrying back the big tons of cloth. But why he is gadha? This grass can be had anywhere, but he is thinking, "The washerman is supplying me grass; therefore I must carry his burden." Therefore he is gadha, ass. (laughs) He can get grasses anywhere, but he is thinking that "This Mr. Washerman is so kind that he is giving me grass, so I have to bear his cloth." So the karmis, they are like that. They are thinking that "Unless we work, we cannot get our grass." Therefore they have been described in the sastra as asses, mudha. Mudha. Mudho 'yam nabhijanati [Bg. 7.25].
So these mudhas, these asses, they consider Krsna as one of us. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam ajanantah [Bg. 9.11]. Param bhavam ajanantah, they do not know what is the value of Krsna. Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is there to teach people to understand properly Krsna. And what will be the result? The result will be, janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. If anyone simply understands Krsna, why He comes here, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. So this is divyam, this is not ordinary birth. Ordinary birth, then why, not only in India and other parts of the world, the Krsna's birthday is celebrated very pompously? If He would have been an ordinary man, then why people are interested? No. Therefore janma, His janma is divyam. That is transcendental, that is not ordinary birth. Therefore you worship the birthday of Krsna, everyone, every Hindu, every Indian. Even Muhammadans, they also observe. In India, there are many Muhammadans, they also observe Krsna's birthday.
So apasyat purusam purnam, Krsna is purna-purusa. There is no lack of everything. Sad-aisvaryam purnam, six kinds of opulences: riches, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. He is full. That is called purnam, apasyat purusam purnam. And mayam ca tad-apasrayam. This maya also there, but Krsna is not affected by maya. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. It is duratyaya for the living entities, not for Krsna, because Krsna is the controller and we are controlled. Therefore in the next verse it is said, yaya sammohito jiva. Jiva, we living entities, we are being controlled by this maya, sammohita. Sammohita means illusion. Mohita means captivated, and sammohita, sam means sam, fully, fully. We are... You see all these conditioned souls, they are captivated by this material energy. Just like you all Indian, you have come here so far. Many people go, I have also come. But the some of us we have come, being allured by maya, and some may have come for other purposes. So generally, these jivas, the living entities, they are allured by this maya. The Vyasadeva saw two things: Krsna, the purusam purnam; and His illusory energy. So this illusory energy is not controller of Krsna. Just like darkness. Darkness, you have got experience. Here at night we are experiencing darkness, but there is no darkness in the sun. The sun is there in the sky. Because the sun is not here, therefore it is darkness. But as soon the sun will appear in the morning, there will be no more darkness.
krsna -- surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara
You haven't got to drive away darkness by some separate endeavor. You simply get the Krsna sun (to) rise up, then your darkness will go out. This maya will go. If you remain without Krsna consciousness, then it is said, yaya sammohito jiva. You will be revealed that illusion. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam. Atmanam. We ourself, the spirit soul, we are covered by this body, tri-gunatmakam. This body means it is created by the material nature. In somebody the quality of goodness is prominent, somebody the quality of passion is prominent, and in somebody the quality of ignorance is prominent. So according to this prominence of the particular modes of nature, quality, there is division: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. Where there is prominence of the quality of goodness, that is brahmana. When there is prominence of the quality of passion, that is ksatriya. When there is prominence of the quality of mixture -- there is mixture also -- that is vaisya. And when there is quality of the prominence of ignorance, that is sudra.
So everything is described in the Bhagavad-gita. If you read carefully then you'll understand things as they are. That is our mission. We have published all these authentic books, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and you can read them. The human life is meant for that, that here maya is deluding us, yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam. Atmanam, I am self. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. I am eternal. I am ever illuminated. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am this and that," so on -- designations. So bhakti means we have to become free from all these designations. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], this is called upadhi. Upadhi means designation. So the Krsna consciousness movement means how to become free from these designations. That is Krsna consciousness. The whole trouble in the world is due to these designations. We are part and parcel of God. We're very much intimately related with God. But, on account of this designation, we are each other's enemies. Even in faraway countries the Europeans are there, the Indians are there, the Africans are there. But, on account of this bodily designation, separated -- European quarter, Indian quarter, this quarter, that quarter, this designation.
So this is here, yaya sammohito jiva, by these designations. All these living entities, they are captivated by these designations. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam. He is thinking that the spirit soul has become Indian, American, African, or bird, beast. No, tri-guna. Paro 'pi, although he is transcendental to all these designations, manute anartham. Unnecessarily we are creating separative confusion. Manute anartham, tat-krtam cabhipadyate. And by that designation, he is thinking, "I am Indian, I must act as Indian," "I am European, I must act as European." Tat-krtam ca abhipadyate. This is called anartha: unnecessarily. The spirit soul is originally part and parcel of Krsna. He should develop his Krsna consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is his real business. But on account of this anartha, created designation, he is suffering. And he is trying to adjust things materially. That will never be possible. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. You go on trying to adjust things on the material platform, it will never be done. Durasaya. This has been described, durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. This is durasaya. This hope will never be fulfilled. One must know it certain. If you want to be happy, if you want to be peaceful, if you want to be elevated again to your original, constitutional position, then you take to Krsna consciousness and be happy.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (applause)
Devotee: Anyone have any questions?
Guest (1): (indistinct)
Prabhupada: Karma is the result of your associating with the gunas. Just like disease, a particular type of disease is a result of your contaminating the germ of the disease. The disease is secondary; the first -- your contamination. There are three gunas. That is material nature. You can contaminate the tamo-guna, then you'll get the body of tamo-guna. If you contaminate rajo-guna, then you'll get the body of rajo-guna. And if you contaminate or associate with sattva-guna, then you'll get the body like that. And if you become transcendental above the all these gunas, then you'll become situated in your original, spiritual position. This is the way. Therefore our duty is how to avoid the base contamination. Just like you try to avoid disease -- you take vaccine. Similarly, if you try to associate with the best quality modes of material nature -- goodness -- that is safe for your liberation. And if you contaminate the other two qualities, rajo-guna and tamo-guna, then you'll be more and more entangled. Now I may have this nice human body, but if I contaminate tamo-guna, the next body may be dog's body. Tamo-guna, the animal body, then trees body... There are so many, 8,400,000's of body. Tatha dehantara-praptih. So in the human form of life we should be conscious of what kind of association we shall accept. Therefore we are trying to give association of Krsna consciousness. If you take this association, then you remain uncontaminated by the material qualities -- Krsna consciousness. Then your original, spiritual constitutional position is revived and you'll go back to home, back to Godhead.
Guest (2): With due respect to His Holiness A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, may I know why it is the living entity (indistinct) the separation from the supreme power, Lord Krsna? Thank you.
Prabhupada: That is not very difficult to understand. Just like in your Johannesburg there are so many people. Why not all of them come here? Some of them might have gone to the liquor shop; some of them might have gone to the hotels. So it is your option. The three qualities are there. Now it is up to you where to go. But if you know that by associating with the Krsna conscious people you'll be benefited, get knowledge -- then come here. And if you do not know -- in ignorance -- then go liquor shop, hotel, restaurant. So after all, we are part and parcel of God. God is fully independent, and we are minute part. The same example, that the spark is minute portion of the fire. It has got the burning capacity -- not exactly like God, but it has got the godly power. There are so many examples. This morning I was discussing that you are living entity, part and parcel of God. You have created one aeroplane, 747, with five hundred passengers and many tons of loads of things, it is flying. So that is your creation. And God's creation is this planet. This is also running one thousand miles per hour, and so many big, big ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and so many big, big mountains, it is also carrying. It is also floating in the air, and the 747 is also floating. That is your creation and this is God's creation. That is the difference. [break] ...quality but not full, not purna. Therefore purusam purnam. God has got the full qual..., not only this one planet -- there are millions of planets floating in the air. You can see the sun planet. It is 1,400,000 bigger than this planet. That is also lying in the one corner. So that is God's creation. You can create a teeny 747, that's all. Therefore your power is there, the similarly, but very, very small quantity. So we have to take care of our teeny power. Just like the spark. The spark, put, put... But if it somehow or other falls down from the fire it is extinguished. It is extinguished. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, the spark. If we remain with the fire, it is beautiful. And if, by chance, we fall down, then you are extinguished. Your brilliancy, the fiery quality, becomes extinguished. So our present position is like that. We have forgotten or fallen from God, so our that little burning power, that is also extinguished. Now we have to revive it, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll become happy.
Devotee: Any more questions?
Guest (3): What I would like to ask the Swami a question on... Western world (indistinct) utopia (indistinct) economics or politics. What I would like to understand (indistinct) especially India is the best (indistinct) utopia...
Prabhupada: Why you are bringing in India? Krsna is speaking not for India -- for everyone. What is his question?
Devotee: What is the Eastern or Indian understanding of utopia?
Prabhupada: Utopia?
Devotee: Perfect society.
Prabhupada: Yes. Perfect society is Krsna consciousness. If you accept Krsna as the center... Just like in a family if you accept the head of the family, your father, as the guiding principle, the family's happy. And if you disrupt with the opinion of the father, somebody goes away, somebody's not happy, the family is disturbed. Similarly, if you agree with the instruction of Krsna and God, the whole human society will be peace and prosperity. If you don't agree, disagree, don't agree, disagree, then it is disruption. The instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gita. You take it, you agree to it, and you become happy in this world and next world. (end)
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