"Independence--More Dependence"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.7
Mayapura, June 22, 1973

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.):

usitva hastinapure
masan katipayan harih
suhrdam ca visokaya
svasus ca priya-kamyaya

Translation: "Sri Hari, Lord Sri Krsna, resided at Hastinapura for a few months to pacify His relatives and please His own sister, Subhadra"

Prabhupada: So read the purport also.

Pradyumna: Purport: "Krsna was to start for Dvaraka, His own kingdom, after the Battle of Kuruksetra and Yudhisthira's being enthroned, but to oblige the request of Maharaja Yudhisthira and to show special mercy to Bhismadeva, Lord Krsna stopped at Hastinapura, the capital of the Pandavas. The Lord decided to stay especially to pacify the aggrieved King as well as to please Subhadra, sister of Lord Sri Krsna. Subhadra was especially pacified because she lost her only son, Abhimanyu, who was just married. The boy left his wife, Uttara, mother of Maharaja Pariksit. The Lord is always pleased to satisfy His devotees in any capacity. Only His devotees can play the part of His relatives. The Lord is absolute."

Prabhupada: So we are personalists. We believe... Not believe, not the question of believe, but actually the ultimate truth of Absolute is a person. That is the statement of Vyasadeva.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

Tattva-vit, those who are in knowledge of the tattva or the Absolute Truth, they know that ultimately the Absolute Truth is manifested as a person like you, like me. Not exactly like you, like me, but so far personality is concerned, individuality is concerned, He is like us. In the Bible it is said, "Man is made after God." Because God is person, therefore we are person. Otherwise, where from our personality comes? God is the origin of everything. Therefore He is the origin of personality, individuality, otherwise how we are persons? How we are individuals? Wherefrom we get this personality, individuality?

So the foremost feature of the Absolute Truth is a person. And as a person, He has got the same feelings as we have got. As we have got feelings for our relatives, for our brothers, for our sisters, for our friends, for our enemies, the same thing there is also. If you study your personality or your friend's personality, you can get a rough idea of the Supreme Personality because our personality is dependent on the Supreme Personality. Mamaivamsah. We are simply fragmental personalities just like the sparks and the fire, or the drop of ocean water and the ocean. The difference is in quantity. A drop of ocean water or a fragmental spark of the fire is of the same quality like the fire or the ocean. But in magnitude it is very, very small. God is vibhu, the greatest, and we are the smallest. God is infinite, we are finite, infinitesimal. That is the difference. Otherwise everything is there, as we have got.

Just like the son inherits the quality of the father, similarly... We are supposed to be sons of the Supreme Person. Therefore, in minute quantity we have got all the qualities of God. Not all. Seventy-eight percent. In very minute quantity. That is our perfection. If we revive godly qualities seventy-eight percent, in minute quantity, that is our perfection. That is there, already there. Simply it is covered by this material energy. Otherwise everything is there. So the feelings of affection, there is also in Krsna.

So Krsna expands. Ekam bahu syam. Expands. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih. Krsna expands His energy, ananda-cinmaya-rasa. Rasa, humor, mellows, to enjoy, He expands Himself. Just like Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has given us the definition, Radha-Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad
ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau
caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam
radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam
[Cc. Adi 1.5]

Radha and Krsna, the same Absolute, but Radharani is the expansion of the pleasure potency of Krsna. We have got potency as Krsna has got. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. This is the Vedic injunction. Para, they say. Absolute Truth has many potencies, innumerable, vividhaiva sruyate. One of the potencies is the pleasure potency. Just like we want some pleasure. Pleasure is the constitutional position of spirit soul, or the Absolute Truth. Anandamayo 'bhyasat. God and we, being of the same quality, we are by nature always joyful. So our joyfulness is checked when we are in material condition. Therefore there is struggle. We are hankering after, to revive that joyfulness, but this contamination of material energy, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, they are checking, obstacles.

Therefore we have to get free from obstacles. Sattva-guna, we have to go above the sattva-guna, suddha-sattva. Then again we revive our original position of joyfulness. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. This is the joyfulness: no lamentation, no hankering. We hanker after something which we want, and we lament for something which we lose. Here there are two business: something gaining and something losing. Just like businessmen. They have got two businesses: either to make profit or to lose. At the end of the year they calculate, "Whether we are loser or gainer?" But in the spiritual world there is no such thing as to gain or as to lose. There is nothing... Absolute. That is Absolute. That idea we haven't got just now. But that is the nature of the spiritual world. There is no question of loss, nor there is any question of gain. Simply ananda, ananda, pleasure. Pleasure means because there is no loss. Anandambudhi-vardhanam. There is ananda, and ananda ambudhi. Ambudhi means the ocean. Here the ocean does not increase. If the ocean increases, then whatever small land we have got, it would have been finished. No. Ocean does not increase. We have seen that Los Angeles on the beach, the big Pacific Ocean, but just about three yards or four yards off from the ocean we are walking. We are confident that "Although the Pacific Ocean is so big, powerful, it cannot come here." Only a few yards off we are walking, confident.

So everyone is working under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Ocean, although very powerful, very big, still, by the order of Krsna, it cannot go beyond the limit. It cannot go. So the... Everything... Yasyajnaya bhramati kala-cakrah. Yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah. Now, this sun, the sun, unlimited heat, asesa-tejah, heat. But it is also limited. It cannot expand so much heat so that we may burn into ashes. The sun can do that. As the big ocean can overpower all your cities and towns in a second, similarly, the sun also can burn the whole universe within a second. It has got so much potency, temperature. But yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. No. The kala-cakra... I think the scientists also say that the sun from the orbit, if it comes this side one inch or that side one inch, one side coming this side, the whole universe will be frozen, and the other side, whole universe will be burned. I do not know whether there is any scientists who say. But it cannot go this side or that side. Sambhrta-kala-cakrah. The orbit which is given by Krsna, that "You shall travel within this orbit..." Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **.

So everything... And what to speak of ourselves, we want to become independent. What is the meaning of independence? Even the sun, moon, or the sea, ocean, nobody is independent. And how we can be independent? We are teeny, very small. There is no question of independence. The so-called independence, as we fight for independence, that is maya. There is no question of independence. When I first met my Guru Maharaja, on the first meeting, he said that "You go to preach in the Western countries." I was surprised. There was no acquaintance. So "Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message, you are all educated young men, you should go and preach." I replied that "We are dependent nation, Indians. Who will hear us? Nobody will hear." So at that time he explained dependence and independence -- temporary, it has no meaning. Actually, at that time I could not realize the independence. We were waiting for independence. What independence we have got? Independence means you go for one kilo of rice and stand there for two hours. (laughter) This is our independence. Everything is controlled. You cannot get. And the price... Before independence the price of rice was two annas or five rupees, six rupees per mound, two annas per kilo. Now it is more than two rupees. Everything. Practically we have increased our dependence. Not independence. In the name of independence, we have increased our dependence. So actually there is no independence. But we manufacture so-called independence. Nobody is independent. I thought, "We are so much dependent on the state rules and regulation. America is independent." When I went to America I saw they are so dependent, that any young man could be called for military service without any objection. So the whole nation is dependent on the whims of the military board. So dependent.

So we are dependent. So long we are under the control of maya, we are dependent. We are depend... Our constitutional position is dependence, servitude. So by false declaration we think that "We are now going to be independent. We shall not service Krsna. We shall become independent. I shall become Krsna." As the Mayavadi thinks that he shall become Krsna, "I shall become God," that is another dependence. You cannot be independent. That is not possible. And to remain dependent, that is our happiness. That we do not know. Instead of declaring independence, if we remain dependent, that is our happiness. Just like children, women, sudras, dogs. Their happiness is when they are dependent. Artificially... Now in India also, the women are imitating independence. But I have seen in the Western countries, in your country, the independence, declaration of independence by the woman class, is not their happiness. They are unhappy. Better to become dependent upon father, upon husband and upon elderly children. That is their happiness.

Just like Kunti. Kunti, so much qualified lady, she can call any demigod. She got one benediction from Durvasa Muni. When she was young girl, she served Durvasa Muni. Maharaja Kuntibhoja used to invite so many saintly persons. That is the system in India still. So once Durvasa Muni became a guest of Maharaja Kuntibhoja, and Kunti served the Durvasa Muni. He was very pleased, and he gave her one benediction, that "You can call any demigod by your sweet will. As soon as you desire, the demigod will..." So Kunti, she was a girl; she made an experiment, immediately called the Surya, the sun-god, and he came. So Surya asked him (her) that "You have called me. You take some benediction. son from me." She refused. "No, I am unmarried. I cannot." "No, there is no harm. Your son will be born from the ear." Generally, the son is born from the vagina, but Kunti's son was born from the ear. Therefore Karna. The first son was Karna. Unmarried. Therefore Karna was, I mean to say, given away, because she could not show, and when Karna was floating on the water, that one carpenter picked up and he raised him. So Karna was known as the carpenter's son, sudra's son. Actually, he is Kunti's son. So when Karna was killed, Kunti began to cry. And Yudhisthira Maharaja inquired, "Mother, why you are crying?" At that time she admitted, "Karna was my son." "Oh? Such a secret you did not disclose? We treated Karna as our enemy. We could have taken..." There are so many incidences like that.

So there are so many things in the Mahabharata, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. You can learn social, political, economical, philosophical, religious, anything. Veda, veda means knowledge. So these are Vedic literatures. Pancama-veda. Mahabharata is pancama-veda. And Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of Vedic knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. Nigama. Nigama means Vedic literature. And it is kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means desire tree. Whatever knowledge you want, you will get it. Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vida jnana(?). So Veda means jnana, knowledge. Any type of knowledge you want, there is in the Vedic literature. So it is meant, Veda, jnane, knowledge is meant for the human society. It is not meant for the animals. Animals cannot study Veda. And what is the purpose of Veda? The purpose of Veda is to understand Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. This is Veda. If you try to understand, or if you understand very little... You cannot understand Krsna fully. Krsna Himself cannot understand Himself. So it is not possible. But whatever Krsna is speaking about Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, if one hundredth part, one percent you can understand, then your life is successful. Vedic knowledge. That is Vedic knowledge. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15].

So all these relatives of Krsna, the Pandavas, His sister Subhadra -- Krsna, Balarama, Subhadra. Subhadra was sister of Krsna. So Baladeva wanted to hand over the sister to Duryodhana, and Krsna wanted to hand over the sister to Arjuna. Two brothers, difference of opinion. But elder brother's order cannot be disregarded. Therefore Krsna planned that Arjuna may kidnap His sister. So Subhadra was kidnapped by Arjuna in the dress of a sannyasi. Don't learn this business, sannyasis. (laughing) But Krsna planned it, that "You come..." Because he was known, if he comes as ordinary Arjuna, then he will be recognized because he is the cousin-brother. Therefore he covered himself as a sannyasi just like Ravana. Ravana also kidnapped Sitadevi as a sannyasi.

So in former days also, the sannyasis were very expert in kidnapping. Yes. Therefore in the Kali-yuga sannyasa is forbidden, because they'll not be able to follow the rules and regulations. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu inaugurated. He Himself became sannyasa. Therefore we are trying to follow His footsteps, to accept sannyasa. But we should not become a sannyasi like Ravana. No. We should try to follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was very strict. No woman could approach Him. They were allowed to offer obeisances from distant place. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very strict about asso... Even in His grhastha life He was very strict. He would not play any joke with any woman except His wife. And that also, once He joked with His wife, not with any other woman. So He was so strict. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's opinion is that sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato 'py asadhu. Visayinam sandarsanam, to mix very intimately with the visayis. Visayi means those who are very much fond of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are called visayi. They have no other business.

So practically, at the present moment, the whole world is visayi. But this line, Krsna consciousness line, is so transcendental that one has to give up this visayi idea. Visaya chariya se rase majiya mukhe bolo hari hari. We chant "Hari, Hari," but actually, "Hari, Hari," we can chant "Hari, Hari" only when we give up visaya. Visaya chariya se rase majiya. Otherwise "Hari, Hari" is not purely chanted. Therefore there are ten kinds of offenses we have to give up. Suddha-nama. When we chant pure Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then we are elevated to the platform of transcendental love. Otherwise we can attain up to liberation. Not on the platform of loving. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very strict about visayi and stri-sangi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asked how to, what is the business of a Vaisnava. He summarized in two lines: asat-sanga tyaga, ei vaisnava acara. Asat-sanga tyaga, to give up the association of asat. Asat means materialistic. So who is asat? Now, asat eka stri-sangi and krsna-abhakta. Those who are too much attached for material enjoyment, they are asat. And one who is not devotee of Krsna, he is also asat. So we have to give up the company of these kind of people, who are too much materially attached and is not devotee of Krsna. If we can avoid these two persons, then we can be fixed up in devotional service.

So,

usitva hastinapure
masan katipayan harih
suhrdam ca visokaya
svasus ca priya-kamyaya

Svasu means sister, and the relative... So although Krsna is unattached, still He observed the social obligation. There was great fight. All of them lost their relatives. Not only the Kauravas lost everything, but the Pandavas also. Just like Subhadra's son Abhimanyu. He was only sixteen years old. His wife, Uttara, she was once taught by Arjuna. She was disciple, student. Arjuna was teaching her dancing. Virataraja, King Virata's daughter, Uttara. So they were in disguise. Ajnata-vasa. So the Virataraja did not know that Arjuna was living in his house. So this daughter of Virata, Uttara, when Arjuna was known that he is Arjuna, he requested that "You marry my daughter." So Arjuna said, "No, how can I marry? She is my disciple. She is my student. She is just like my daughter. How can I marry?" Then he promised that "I shall get her married with my son, although he is not very grown up."

So Abhimanyu was Krsna's (Arjuna's) son from the womb of Subhadra. So he was married. Only sixteen years. Almost the same age. Fortunately Uttara became pregnant. So Abhimanyu went to fight in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra and never returned. So Pariksit Maharaja was posthumous child. He took his birth after the death of his father. He did not see. Not only father, many. Because it was after the battle. He was the only survivor of the whole Kuru dynasty. So he was also attempted to be killed by Asvatthama by brahmastra. Krsna saved. So Pariksit Maharaja was born after the death of his father. The grandfathers took care of him, and as soon as the child was grown up, all the grandfathers, Pandavas, entrusted the kingdom to Pariksit Maharaja, and they left home.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973