Nitai: (leads chanting, etc.)
tatha paramahamsanam
muninam amalatmanam
bhakti-yoga-vidhanartham
katham pasyema hi striyah
"You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?"
Prabhupada: Tatha paramahamsanam. Krsna is realized by qualification, and the qualifications are described here. The first qualification is paramahamsa. Paramahamsa. Parama means the best, and hamsa means the swans. So there are different types of swans. We have seen. Out of them, the white big swan is accepted the best of them. So this hamsa, or this swan, has got a qualification special, that you offer them milk mixed with water. So the hamsa, it will take the milk portion and leave aside the water portion. Every animal has got a special qualification. Just like you'll find the lizard, a very plain wall, polished wall, but they'll go very swiftly. You have no science to do that. You cannot do it. The vulture, it goes very high. They have got very small eyes, but they can see from miles away where is some dead body. That is their business.
So everyone has got some special qualification. That is God's gift. The... Similarly, this is also an animal. It has got the special qualification: they can discriminate what is water and what is milk. So this world is mixed up, spiritual and material things. Just like your body, my body, this is also mixture. Anything is a mixture of spirit and matter. So one who can discern the spirit from the matter, he is called paramahamsa. So intelligent man... Paramahamsa, what is the paramahamsa? Now, muninam. Paramahamsa... Muni means very thoughtful. So if you are thoughtful, then you'll be able to discern between matter and spirit. The body is moving, but those who are not muni, thoughtful, they think the body is moving automatically. But actually, that is not the fact. Because the spirit is there, therefore it is moving. So muni, those who are thoughtful, they can understand. Foolish men, they cannot understand. They cannot understand that beyond this body there is another force, which is helping the movement of the body. They cannot understand the Bhagavad-gita statement: tatha dehantara-praptih. That moving force is perpetual, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. It is not lost after the destruction of the body, but it is transferred to another body. They cannot understand, because they are not muni. The muni means very thoughtful. And how one can become perfect muni? That is also said here. Amalatmanam. Amala. Mala means dirty things, and amala, amala means just the opposite. No. Amala, "a" means "no." His heart is cleansed of all dirty things. Such men. Amalatmanam. So these are the qualifications. Paramahamsa, one must be only spiritually interested like the swan. He is interested only to drink the milk, not the water. Similarly, one must become paramahamsa. One must be interested with spiritual advancement of life, not material. Reject. Reject it.
So these are the qualifications to understand Krsna. One who is spiritually interested, one who is very thoughtful, and one who is cleansed of all dirty things from consciousness or from the mind, these are the qualifications when one can understand Krsna. These things... Why these things, indiscrimination, dirty things, they are accumulated within the heart? It is due to our sinful activities. The more we become sinful, the more dirty things will cover our consciousness, and it will be difficult to understand what is Krsna. Therefore Krsna says, yesam anta-gatam papam. One who is freed from the reaction of sinful life... Yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Persons who are engaged in pious activities, they do not do anything which is vicious. Therefore they remain pure, without any contamination. Therefore pious activities are recommended. For common men it is recommended in the sastra that "You take your bathing in the Ganges." That will make him pious. If he simply takes his bathing daily, regularly, automatically he'll be pious. Or go and see the temple and offer your obeisances. Everything will be taken.
This small boy, he has nothing, no understanding what is Krsna, but because he's dancing, because he's chanting, sometimes he's ringing the bell, these are pious activities. Automatically they'll do. So many people. Therefore temple is required. Temple is required. The innocent persons, those who are neophyte, for them, temple worship is essential. By seeing the Deity, by offering obeisances to the Deity, by taking caranamrta, by ringing the bell, by dancing, by taking little prasadam, by touching the feet of Vaisnava or touching the body of Vais..., in this way they're getting piety. This chance is given therefore to the ordinary... There is no question of becoming muni in the beginning. How it, one can be? It is not possible.
Therefore Deity worship, temple worship, essential for the common general people. Simply by their coming, visiting and doing something, they'll be pious. So... And other pious activities -- to hear about Krsna. The sound vibration. Even one does not understand what is spoken here, but Krsna... Just like I am speaking in English. Those who cannot understand English, they do not understand what I am speaking. But in the middle I am talking of Krsna. So that Krsna hearing is sufficient: "Krsna." My Guru Maharaja, when some article was presented to see whether he approved for publication, he would simply say, or see, how many times he has uttered "Krsna" and "Caitanya Mahaprabhu." That's all. If he has uttered in his writing "Krsna," "Caitanya," like that, so if he hears that many times he has written -- "That's all right. That's all right." It is so nice.
And that's a fact. (sic:)
tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo
yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api
namany anantasya yaso 'nkitani yat
srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah
[ SB 1.5.11]
Tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavah. Any composition where there is somewhere or sometimes the glorification of the Supreme Lord, any literature... Tad-vag-visa..., janatagha-viplavah. Such kind of literature is revolutionary. Revolutionary. Viplavah. Viplava means revolution. What kind of viplava? Just like in the revolution one political party gains victory over another political party, or one kind of... We understand revolution means political revolution. One kind of political thoughts are overpowered by another kind of political thoughts. That is called revolution. So the English word is revolution, and the Sanskrit word is viplava. So tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavah. If such literatures are presented... Just like we are presenting. We are not very big scholar. Our... We have no such qualification that we can compose very nice literature. There may be so many mistakes or... Whatever it may be. But it is revolutionary. That is a fact. It is revolutionary. Otherwise, why big, big scholars, professors, university authorities, librarians, they are taking? They are thinking they know that this literature will revolutionize the whole world. Because there is, in the Western world, there is no such thought. They agree. So why it is revolutionary? Because there is an attempt to glorify Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nothing more. There is no literary career.
So this is accepted. Tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo yasmin prati-slokam abaddha... Sloka[ SB 1.5.11]. To write Sanskrit sloka, it requires erudite scholarship. There are many, many rules and regulation. It is not that you compose anything and you become a poet. No. There are sufficient rules and regulations, one has to follow. Then one can compose. Just like you see, there is meter:
tatha paramahamsanam
muninam amalatmanam
bhakti-yoga-vidhanartham
katham pasyema hi striyah
There is meter. Every sloka, there is meter. So even it is not written to the standard meter, and sometimes there are broken, so still, because there is glorification of the Supreme Lord... Namany anantasya. Ananta is the Supreme, Unlimited. His names are there. Therefore my Guru Maharaja accepted. If anantasya, of the ananta, the Supreme, the name is there -- "Krsna," "Narayana," "Caitanya," like that -- so srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah. Sadhavah means those who are saintly persons. Such kind of literature, although it is written in broken language, they hear it. Hear it. Because there is glorification of the Lord.
So this is the system. Some way or other, we should be attached to Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha. That is our only business, how we can be... It doesn't matter, in broken language. Sometimes... There are many Sanskrit..., I mean to say, not properly pronounced. Just like we do. We are not very expert. There are many expert Sanskrit pronouncers, the veda-mantra. And we are not so expert. But we try. We try. But the Krsna name is there. Therefore it is sufficient. Therefore it is sufficient.
So Krsna comes. What is the mission of Krsna? That we were talking in this morning. What is the mission of Krsna? Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. This is the Krsna's karma. Therefore Krsna says, janma karma me divyam. We come here, and Krsna also comes here. So what is the difference? The difference is we are forced to come here by the laws of nature according to our karma. We do some activities, sinful or pious, mostly sinful. So we create another life, and we are forced to enter into such body. It may be now I am in the human form of body. Next life, according to my karma, I may be forced to enter into the dog's li..., dog's body. So we are forced. There is no, I mean to say, choice. I cannot say (to) nature that "Do not put me into the dog's body. Kindly put me into the king's body." No. Karmana daiva-netrena. This decision will be taken by superior authority. You cannot dictate that "I shall become like that." No, that is not possible. Karmana daiva-netrena.
So we are forced to come here and suffer or enjoy the fruits of our last karma. That is one thing. But Krsna is not like that. Krsna does not come, being forced by nature or for His karma. Na mam karmani limpanti na me karma-phale sprha [Bg. 4.14]. Krsna says that He also works, karma, to show example, but He is not affected by the result of the karma. Therefore Krsna says, na mam karmani limpanti na me karma... Neither He has got any desire to work for something to gain something. He is full. Why He should try for gaining...? We work something. We work to gain something, to make some profit. But Krsna hasn't got to do any profit. He is self-sufficient. Whatever He wants, immediately present. Omnipotent, omniscient. Krsna has nothing to do like that. Therefore why does He come? He has got a different mission. What is that? Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. He says, "I come for this purpose, to rescue the sadhus, the devotees, and to cut down the demons." Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8].
So vinasaya ca duskrtam, this is not main business. For killing the demons, one cyclone wind is sufficient. If Krsna orders Varuna that "You make a heavy cyclone in this quarter," hundreds and thousands of demons will be killed within a second. So this is not the purpose, for... He does not come for killing. But because killing business is another business, when He comes to protect the devotees, so He automatically, there are some demons: "Kill them also." Just like you go somewhere. Now, your not business to purchase something, but when you see, "Oh, it is nice. It is cheap price. All right, purchase it." So you did not go to a friend's place to make some business, but when you see, sometimes you do that. Similarly, it is not Krsna's business. That, Krsna has got many, many agents. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-
This durga power is there. You have seen the picture of Durga. She has got ten hands and different types of weapons. Now the Durga-puja will be performed. You can see the Durga deity. So ten hands, the material nature. Ten hands means ten directions: north, south, east, west, and then the four corners, eight, and up and down. So ten directions. So this material nature, Durga, is controlling the whole universe, ten directions. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-
So... So far killing or destroying is concerned, that Durga power, Krsna's power, that is sufficient. That is sufficient. He doesn't require to come to kill the demons. She is engaged. You have seen that Durga is killing the demon, that asura. You have seen the Durga's picture? The asura is there and the lion is there, and she has taken a bunch of hair of the asura, and the trident is pushed on his chest, and the lion has captured him. So he is overpowered. So the asura is overpowered, but if the asura makes more attempt to save himself, then there are, only two hands are engaged of Durga to kill the asura, one catching his hair and one the trident. Only two hands are engaged. But if he shows more power, then there are eight hands more, reserved with different types of weapons. So you cannot overcome the ruling, or the control, of the material nature. That is not possible. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. So asura, to kill the asuras, however powerful they may be... We have seen. There were so many asuras in this world. There were Lenin, there were Stalin, there were Hitler, there were Hiranyakasipu. So many. But they could not survive. It is not possible. They'll be finished.
So asuras, to kill him... Paritranaya sadhun..., vinasaya... To kill the duskrtam, these asuras, Krsna does not require to come. He comes only to give protection and pleasure to the devotees. That is his aim. Therefore it is said that paramahamsanam muninam amalatmanam. For them, bhakti-yoga-vidhanartham. For increase their bhakti-yoga. If you are a devotee of Krsna, you are in distress by the demons, and if Krsna saves you, then you become more: "More I am devotee, more I am devotee." You see. So Krsna came so many times. Just like His devotee Prahlada Maharaja was in trouble by his father. So He came. Similarly, Vasudeva and Devaki was in trouble by Kamsa, therefore He came. So paritranaya sadhunam. They are sadhus, they are devotees. For them He comes. Paritranaya sadhunam. So why He's interested to save him? Now, bhakti-yoga-vidhanartham, to show to the people that bhakti-yoga is so strong, so nice, that it will protect you from all kinds of dangers. Krsna says in the Bhagavad..., svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. If you execute a little of bhakti-yoga, you can be saved from the greatest danger. Bhakti yoga is (so) nice. Buddhi-yogam imam srnu. These are discussed.
So bhakti-yoga means no more interested in the material affairs. Bhakti, that is the bhakti-yoga. But he is only interested in Krsna. That is bhakti-yoga. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-as... Nothing except Krsna.
anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
[BRS 1.1.11]
So here Krsna comes to teach bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam... [Bg. 18.66]. That is bhakti-yoga. When we do not want anything except Krsna, that is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga-vidhanartham katham pasyema hi striyah. Kunti appeared to be as woman. So woman generally, they are not interested in spiritual matter. That is the fact. Therefore, if they are somehow or other interested... That is also accepted. Krsna says, striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim. Striyo vaisyas..., these three names, why He has taken specifically? So women, they are not very much interested. Generally. Maybe a special woman. But they are... Otherwise, they sometimes become devotee. Devotee... Therefore Krsna says, te 'pi yanti param gatim. As soon as they become devotees, they also promoted. But generally, they are not interested. The vaisyas, the mercantile men, they are interested after money. The woman is interested after sense gratification. And sudra means they are ignorant rascals. Therefore He has mentioned these three names: striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah. But even they, although they are not interested, even they become interested, te 'pi yanti param gatim. Not that even though they become interested, they keep behind. No. On the... With the equal force with men, they also promoted.
So Kunti, out of her humbleness, meekness, she is presenting herself that "We are woman, striya." But she's not ordinary woman. She's devotee. Similarly, any devotee woman is as good as Kunti. So out of humbleness, she says, presenting herself as woman, less intelligent, "How we can see You, Krsna? You are meant for the paramahamsa. You are meant for the bhakti-yogi. You are meant for the great muni. You are so many things... You are meant for persons whose heart is cleansed. How we can see You? We are woman." That is her humbleness. She knows perfectly well what Krsna is.
So following her footsteps, any woman can also understand Krsna. Krsna is ready to be understood by anyone. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh... [Bg. 9.32]. Simply we have to follow the path how to appreciate Krsna, how to understand Krsna, how to see Krsna, how to talk with Him, how to walk with Him. These things are there. That is called bhakti-yoga. Where you learn this science of bhakti-yoga -- that we have mentioned, Nectar of Devotion, the perfect science of bhakti-yoga. So if one is interested in seeing Krsna, then there is no hindrance, there is no block. Anyone. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim.
Thank you very much. (end)
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