"Selected Words For The Lord"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.44
Mayapura, October 24, 1974

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: Translation. "Suta Gosvami said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntidevi, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power."

Prabhupada:

prthayettham kala-padaih
parinutakhilodayah
mandam jahasa vaikuntho
mohayann iva mayaya

So whatever Kunti said, that was accepted by Krsna. So He remained silent and simply smiled, that "A devotee is glorifying the Lord in chosen words." Here it is said that kala-padaih. Means God is to be worshiped... He is to be offered the best selected words, not that like the atheist fools, they worship, or rather, insult. That very word... It gives us very much pain when God is called "daridra-narayana." Why? Why Narayana should be daridra? That means no conception of Narayana. Therefore they add these insulting words.

But that is not the way of worship. Uttama-sloka. Krsna's or God's another name is Uttama-sloka, "who is worshiped by the best, selected words." Uttama-sloka-gunanuvarnanam. Yad uttama-sloka-gunanuvarnanam [SB 1.5.22].

idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va
svistasya suktasya ca buddhi-dattayoh
avicyuto 'rthah kavibhir nirupito
yad uttama-sloka-gunanuvarnanam
[SB 1.5.22]

This is the injunction of the sastra. Idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va. In the material world, everyone, at least the higher class, higher section of the society, they are engaged in so many research work. That is called tapasya, how to find out the best thing for the human, benefit of the human society, scientific research. That is also tapasya. When a scientist invents something, that is result of tapasya. It is not very easily obtained. Therefore tapa... So many people are engaged in tapasya. Idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya. So many people are engaged in education. Srutasya. Srutasya means "of education." The Vedic process of getting education is by hearing. Therefore it is called sruti. The Vedas are called Sruti. Formerly... Just like we are reading books. The books were not needed because the memory was so sharp -- simply by hearing from the teacher, they'll remember. That is... That is called tradition by hearing. Therefore education means sruti. Srutibhir pratipannam. Anything, if you want to prove, then you have to give evidence from the sruti. Then it is...

So anyone who is being educated, anyone who is engaged in research work for the benefit of the whole human society... Idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va ca buddhi-dattayoh [SB 1.5.22]. Or somebody is giving in charity, opening hospital, schools, or other good, good purposes. Ca buddhi-dattayoh. So why they are doing that? What is the purpose? The purpose is avicyutah arthah. Avicyuta means infallible, and artha means purpose. Avicyutah arthah kavibhir nirupitah. It is ascertained, the purpose. Why one should be engaged in research work? Why one should be engaged in getting good education? Why one should perform charity, or why one should be intelligent? This is higher-class activities. So what is the purpose? The purpose, it is said, kavibhir nirupitah: "By high-class scholars, they have ascertained." What is it? Yad uttama-sloka-gunanuvarnanam: [SB 1.5.22] "God is to be worshiped simply by glorifying Him by the best words, uttama-sloka." Not that "My dear God, You have no eyes. You have no leg. You have no hand. You have no mouth." What is this? It is the indirect way of insulting God. If one man has no eyes, then what he is called? He is called blind. So if one man has no legs, he is called lame. So similarly, if we worship God that "You are blind. You are lame. You are headless. You are brainless," what is this worship? Similarly, this kind of worship -- daridra-narayana, "Narayana is daridra" -- is just like that. No. Here Kunti says that kala-padaih, Kala-padaih, "by chosen words." Just like if you worship some superior, when you give foodstuff to your spiritual master, superior, you find out the best, selected foodstuff, not that anything, worst: "You eat it. If you don't like, don't eat. I don't mind." No. This is the way of worship. When you worship superior, and who can be more superior than Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He's the Supreme, Absolute Truth. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam.

So Kunti has all along... Very selected words she used. That we should learn. That is the injunction of the sastras, uttama-sloka. Therefore Krsna's another name is bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naisthiki. The best words. Actually, if you love somebody, out of love you cannot use anything, means any word, which is not very much appreciated. So... And they are all applicable. It is not like the logic, kana-chelera nama padma-locana(?): one man has got a child who is blind, but he has given the name Padma-locana, "lotus-eyed." Not like that. The selected words which Kunti has used, it is not improper. They are properly used. Just like here is one word used, Vaikuntha. Krsna's another name is Vaikuntha, or God's another name is Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means vigata-kuntha hy asmat. Therefore spiritual world is called Vaikuntha. And the material world is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. It is not Vaikuntha. You cannot even walk without anxiety. Just like we were walking on the street, and the leg slipped. So we should be very much careful even in walking. Beginning from your morning walk, you are full of anxiety. But Vaikuntha means no anxiety, no anxiety. That is spiritual world. We must understand what is Vaikunthaloka, and what is Jadaloka.

So here, everywhere, simply danger. But if we take shelter of the Vaikuntha, Krsna... Samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam. It is just like the boat for crossing over a furious, dangerous ocean. Krsna's lotus feet is compared with very sound, secure boat. And boarding it, you can cross over the ocean of nescience. Bhavambudhir vatsa-padam. Bhavambudhih. Ambudhi means sea, and bhava means repetition of birth and death, birth and death. Just like in the ocean you are struggling. Sometimes you are drowning, and somebody helps you, saves you from being drowned, and again he throws you in the ocean. Then again struggle. So our life in this material world is like that. We are struggling from the beginning, very beginning of our life. We are simply struggling. We learn from Srimad-Bhagavatam that after the sex between the man and the woman, the man injects the semina within the womb of the mother, of the woman, and it is emulsified first night, and immediately forms a pealike form. That pealike form develops. So as soon as it is developed... Of course, in the process of development, there is no consciousness, just like deep sleeping. It is like that. But as soon as the body is little developed, the... There are nine holes: two nostrils, two ears, two eyes, one navel, one genital, one rectum. These nine holes develop. Then the consciousness comes back. And when the consciousness comes back, then he feels pains and pleasure, because when the body is developed... The body is very delicate. So he is forced to live within urine and stool and so many secretions, and there are always worms in the stool, in the urine, and they take advantage of the delicate body and they bite.

So the baby, packed up, cannot move, cannot say anything but feels pain, therefore moves. And the pregnant woman therefore feels that the child is moving at the age of seven months in the womb. So therefore the struggle begins from the womb. And when the child comes out, again struggle. And he is lying on the bed; some bug is biting. He cannot express. He is crying, and the mother thinks that he's hungry. In this way, wrongly understands, cannot give relief him. And he is going on, crying, crying, crying. We have seen it. We have... Everyone has got experience. Then as soon as he is grown up, he is given responsibility for learning ABCD, or going to school. He doesn't like. No child likes. At least I did not like to go to school. So this is also another struggle. Then, when he is grown up, he is given more and more responsibility, examination, and then married life, then family maintenance. In this way, struggling, struggling, struggling -- again death. Again enter into the womb of mother. Again the same struggle. So where is happiness? Therefore when Krsna says, duhkhalayam asasvatam: [Bg. 8.15] "This whole material world is a place for suffering only," that is a fact. But mudho 'yam, being enamored by maya, he does not know. He forgets. This life is of forgetfulness, ignorance.

So struggle is going on. So therefore this word is used, that you are struggling in this material world so much, even beginning from your life. Prahlada Maharaja says, sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Asat. The spiritual world is called sat. Om tat sat. So we should transfer ourself to the spiritual world. Asato ma gama, sad gama. Asato ma sad gama. This is the Vedic injunction. "Don't keep yourself in this asat." Asat means bad. Asat means which will not exist. That is called asat. Asad-grahat. So because we have accepted this asat, grahat, with very great eagerness, that "We shall become very happy; we shall live here very happily," therefore there is all... Actually there is no happiness. Suppose if you get some money all of a sudden, actually this is also asat, because when you did not get money, you were anxious to get it, and as soon as you get it, how to preserve it? "Shall I keep it in the bank? Because it is black market. Then there will be income tax. Then what I shall I do?" Another anxiety. Another anxiety.

So asad-vastu, in any way you want to enjoy, it will give you always anxiety. And if you go to the sad-vastu... Asato ma sad gama. If you go to sat, then that is Vaikuntha. That is called Vaikuntha, no more anxiety. This is... Therefore this very word is used, Vaikuntha. Mandam jahasa vaikuntho mohayann iva mayaya. This maya is not illusion; this maya is affection. When a mother laughs, smiles, the child feels very pleasure, very much. The mother... The child on the lap of the mother... Mother is seeing the face of the child, and child is seeing the face of the mother. Both of them are very pleased. They smile. So maya, that maya, means affection. When Krsna smiles, He smiles with affection, and the devotee becomes enamored, becomes captivated simply by seeing Krsna smiling. This is the process, the express, exchange of devotional service.

So Vaikuntha, Krsna's name, and Krsna's place... Therefore, as Krsna is Vaikuntha, without any anxiety -- Krsna has no anxiety -- similarly, Krsna's place is also without any anxiety. Krsna's activities, hearing Krsna, that is also without anxiety. If we want to be anxietyless, then we should hear about Krsna.

sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

Krsna, if you simply hear about Krsna... Sthane sthitah. It doesn't require to change your place. You may be in, in your place, position. You may be a medical practitioner. You may be engineer. You may be any other man, mercantile man. Whatever you may be, it doesn't... You may be a learned man. You may be a foolish man. It doesn't matter. But you hear. That is... If you want to get the position of Vaikuntha, then you simply hear. It doesn't matter what is your position. Krsna never said, "Only this kind of man..." Of course, there is classification. The classification is sinless and sinful. Only the persons who are sinless, they can understand about God. That sinlessness can be achieved very easily, as I was explaining last night. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. Simply if you hear about Krsna, then the sinless automatically, sinlessness automatically comes in, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], simply by hearing. So by hearing, hearing, it is both the process and the medicine, both, everything. Because one has to become sinless, so one has to adopt some means by which one can become sinless. So simply by hearing, you become sinless. And after being sinless, you become more and more interested.

Just like in jaundice disease that, if you... Because the doctors, the medical practitioners, they give sugar candy. The physician gives sugar candy. The sugar candy, to the person suffering from jaundice, tastes bitter: "Oh, it is bitter." But actually sugar candy is not bitter. Similarly, to the sinful man the krsna-katha, discussion about Krsna, does not appear to be very palatable. They do not like to hear. They think it is waste of time. But that, as the sugar candy is the only medicine for jaundice disease, similarly, the hari-katha, or krsna-katha, is the only medicine for our material disease. If we take it... Just like the jaundiced patient. If he takes sugar candy, then gradually he becomes free from the diseased condition, and at that time, the same sugar candy which he tasted in the beginning as bitter, it appears to be very, very sweet. Then he cannot live without. This is the process.

So we are in material disease at the present moment. We have forgotten Krsna, and struggling for existence, we are trying to be happy by manufacturing so many plans. But this will not help us. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved this process. What is that?

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

There was discussion between Ramananda Raya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So Ramananda Raya began from varnasrama-dharma. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected -- rejected not wholly. Eho bahya age kaha ara: "Yes, this is not bad, but it is not so important." Eho bahya age kaha ara: "If you know something more..." In this way, gradually, step by step, Ramananda Raya said, "The ultimate goal of life is this," "is that," "is that." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said all of them as external, at least in this age. It is very difficult. Just like in the beginning Ramananda Raya said that varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman. He gave stress on the institution of varna and asrama, to observe the rules and regulation of varnas, four varnas -- to become brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra -- and four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha... But Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho bahya, bahya: "Yes, it is good, but it is not so, mean, important, not so important."

Because He knew, in this age, Kali Yuga, who is going to observe this varnasrama-dharma? Everyone is sudra. A sudra cannot understand this, neither it is possible to bring them back again. Although we are trying, but it is very difficult. Once one has become debauch, to reform him is very difficult. But still there is way. And that way is suggested when... Ramananda Raya suggested that... It is the words of Lord Brahma that jnane prayasam udapasya: "One should not very much endeavor to speculate, speculating process." Just like these theosophists, the philosophers, the scientists. They, instead of having direct knowledge from the superior, they, more or less, speculate. So one has to give up this speculating habit. If one thinks that "I know. I am very educated. I am very advanced. I can discover what is God," that is not possible. That is not possible. Athapi te deva-padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi janati tattvam. You cannot understand God by your speculative method. Big, big scholars, they have speculated about Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. Misled, they could not understand.

Just like a big politician, Gandhi, he also has Bhagavad-gita in his hand, but he never spoke throughout his whole life that Krsna is worshipable. He never spoke. Have you seen that he has advised that Krsna is worshipable? Never. Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also so big scholar. He has commented on Bhagavad-gita. Rather, he says, "It is not to Krsna." When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Krsna." That is the difficulty. Because they have no mercy of Krsna upon them, they cannot understand Krsna. Naham prakasah sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. But they are not bhaktas. Tilak, he has described Bhagavad-gita as a karmi, never said that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You'll find like that, so many, what to speak of others? There are about six hundred commentaries on Bhagavad-gita, all misleading. Therefore we have presented Bhagavad-gita As It Is, without any misinterpretation. And it is acting. These six hundred editions of Bhagavad-gita was being advertised in the Western countries, and so many scholars and swamis went there -- not a single person became a devotee of Krsna, not a single for the last two hundred, three hundred years. Before that, there was no such attempt, but for the last at least hundred years, or more than that, many Indians went to the Western countries to preach our philosophy, and they referred to Bhagavad-gita and so on, but unfortunately not a single person became a devotee of Krsna, not a single person. But as we presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, within five years, thousands and thousands have become devotee of Krsna. One can compare this.

So this is the way, that "Don't speculate nonsensically." That is the injunction of Lord Brahma, jnane prayasam, that "You are very much learned scholar. You are a great politician -- ‘So I can speculate some religious system by misinterpreting this Bhagavad-gita' -- no, you should stop this." That is the recommendation. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva: "Just become submissive, submissive." That is the only way, to become submissive first of all. Then you can understand what is God. Therefore Krsna demands, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So jnane prayasam udapa..., namanta eva. And what is the next business? San-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. One should hear bhavadiya-vartam, the message of Krsna, from a realized soul, not a professional man. A realized soul. San-mukharitam. Sat. Om tat sat. That same, again. That is the way. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended, bhagavata paro giya bhagavata sthane.(?) Don't go and hear Bhagavata-saptaha by a professional man. That is useless waste of time. If you want to learn about Bhagavata, then bhagavata paro giya bhagavata sthane -- realized soul. Grantha-bhagavata and... That is the recommendation of Brahma, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted it. When this verse was recited by Ramananda Raya,

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

Immediately Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho haya: "Yes, this is the system." Eho haya, age kaha ara. Then further development. Then further development: santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, and vatsalya-rasa... That is rasa-vicara. That is... When one has stepped into this Vaikuntha platform, then the rasa-vicara, not before that.

So here also, Krsna is described as Vaikuntha. If one takes shelter of Krsna, then he also become Vaikuntha. Samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam. He becomes assured of his safety. Krsna is Vaikuntha. So prthaya ittham kala-padaih. And we should not try to insult God. We should try to glorify God in glorified language. That I already explained. Uttama-sloka-gunanuvadat. Don't try to speak nonsense and describe God. No. God is never daridra. How He can be daridra? If you describe daridra-narayana, it is a blasphemy. No. Uttama-sloka. Just like Kunti has described, krsna-sakha: "You are the friend of Arjuna." That is the proper explanation. Gopi, gopi-vallabha: "Krsna, You are always prepared to please the gopis." Yasoda-nandana. Yasoda-nandana vraja-jana-ranjana. These are the description. "Krsna, You are the son of Yaso..." Krsna takes pride. Krsna, when His name is attached with the activities of a devotee, He becomes very much pleased. But sometimes Krsna is called Kamsa-nisudana, Madhusudana, Kamsari. That is also Krsna's pleasure. He appears to be enemy, Kamsari, to the demons.

So these are the description of Krsna. We have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Don't manufacture something which will not be compatible. You just hear, sthane sthitah sruti-gata..., from the realized soul, how Krsna should be described. Here... Just like Kunti is describing Krsna, krsna-sakha. He's Krsna, and Draupadi is also called Krsna, and Arjuna is also called Krsna. So Krsna is both, friends for both of them. Krsna supplied unlimited measurement of cloth to Draupadi because Draupadi was crying to Krsna, "Save my honor." Similarly, Arjuna also, he accepted Krsna as the supreme guide. Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: "There is perplexity, my dear Krsna. I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight." Karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah: "I am ksatriya, but due to my weakness, I am crying to avoid fight. So therefore please instruct me. Because You can, I understand that You can give me the right instruction; therefore I become Your sisya." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam. Therefore Krsna is known as Partha-sarathi. Partha-sarathi, Krsna-sakha, Yasoda-nandana, Nanda-nandana, Vasudeva, Devaki-nandana. So God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names on account of His different varieties of activities with His devotees. This is the science of understanding Krsna's name. Krsna-sakha and Vrsni-rsabha, "The best of the Vrsni dynasty." Because Krsna took birth in the Vrsni dynasty, so He's the best, Rsabha. Rsabha means the best. And because Krsna took birth in the Vrsni dynasty, therefore the whole family became very famous. And His business was avani-dhrug-rajanya-vamsa, vamsa-dahana. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8].

So in this way Krsna should be described in connection with different activities. But those who are impersonalists, they cannot understand Krsna, and being impersonalists, they do not believe in the activities of the Supreme. They think that when the Supreme Absolute Truth comes in the material world, in the material form, then "There is activity?" They cannot understand. Athapi te deva padam... Therefore nobody can understand Krsna without being trained up by a self-realized devotee. If a... If one takes the shelter of Krsna's representative, devotee, then it doesn't matter what he is. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah, ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah. If he has taken shelter of a pure devotee -- never mind he's a kirata, huna, andhra, pulinda, pulkasa -- he is sudhyanti. He becomes purified, and gradually he understands Krsna.

So from the example of Kuntidevi, if we want to understand Krsna, and if we want to be transferred to the Vaikuntha atmosphere, then we should follow the Krsna's... So Krsna was very much pleased. If you worship Krsna in the proper way, mahajano yena ga..., then he accepts. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. And Krsna also says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. That bhakti is the most important thing. Krsna is not interested with your foodstuff. Krsna is interested with your bhakti. Therefore this word is used, yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Not that "I am very rich man. I can offer Krsna luci, puri, halava. He must take it." Just like we get some palatable foodstuff -- we eat up to the neck. No. Krsna is atmarama. Krsna has no hunger. Even if He is hungry, He can fulfill it Himself. He doesn't require your help. But He accepts your foodstuff because you offer Him with bhakti. That is the main thing. Just like you relish foodstuff when you are hungry. If you have got sufficient appetite, any kind of foodstuff, you'll find it is very nice. But if you are offered very palatable foodstuff and you are not hungry -- you have no appetite -- useless. Similarly, you can Krsna offer very nice foodstuff, luci, puri, halava and other things, but if you have no bhakti, then Krsna will not touch. Therefore it is essential; those who are initiated, they should prepare Krsna's foodstuff, and the professional man, noninitiated person, cannot prepare. Because a bhakta prepares the foodstuff with some desire that "Let me do it very nicely. Krsna will eat."That... That is different thing from the professional man cooking.

So yo me bhaktya... The main thing is bhakti. And all the prayers offered by Kuntidevi -- full of bhakti. So we should learn from Kuntidevi how to offer, and then Krsna will be very much pleased, and He will smile. Jahasa.

Indian: Who has told this "daridra-narayana"?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Indian: "Daridra-narayana" was told by who? Is it sastra or it is...?

Prabhupada: It is not in the sastra. But somebody, some swami has told it.

Indian: Ramakrishnan...?

Prabhupada: Yes. Not Ramakrishnan. Vivekananda. (pause) All right. [break] (Bengali) [break]

Indian: ...all the time wanted miseries and so now?(?)

Prabhupada: Hm?

Indian: Kunti?

Prabhupada: Kunti had no miseries.

Indian: No, she wanted all the time.

Prabhupada: Yes. Kun... Yes. Because she wanted Krsna. That is the subject matter of this prayer, that Krsna was going to Dvaraka, taking leave from Kunti, so she thought that "Krsna, when we were always in danger, You were always with us. And now we are situated in good position, we are out of danger, and You are going away? The better we be again in danger so that I can see You." That was Kunti's prayer. That's all. Now we can... (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974