Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.22
Hawaii, January 18, 1974
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Pradyumna: (leads chanting,
etc.)
kim ksatra-bandhun kalinopasrstan
rastrani va tair avaropitani
itas tato vasana-pana-vasah-
snana-vyavayonmukha-jiva-lokam
Translation: "The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?"
Prabhupada: So srimad-bhagavatam amalam puranam. The study of Bhagavatam means complete knowledge. This is the mature contribution of Vyasadeva to the human society. Lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. Before writing, by the instruction of his spiritual master, Vyasadeva meditated in bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite amale. Samyak pranihite 'male, apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam.
yaya sammohito jiva
atmanam tri-gunatmakam
paro 'pi manute 'nartham
tat-krtam cabhipadyate
It is said... Vyasadeva, before writing... Writing book is not a whimsical, whatever I like. No. You must be empowered by superior authority; then you can deliver the right things. So Vyasadeva was empowered by his guru, Narada.
Vyasadeva, after writing so many books, he could not find any peace of mind. So he was sitting, morose, and his spiritual master Narada came there, asked him, "My dear Vyasa, you have done so much in writing for the welfare of the society. Why you are not happy?" Vyasadeva replied, "Yes, my lord, I think I have done so much things, but I am not happy." So he was instructed that "You have written so many books, but not about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I admit that you have written so many books. So because you have not described about the superiority or glories of the Lord, therefore you are unhappy." So after that instruction... That means after his writing of the Vedanta philosophy, he was also not happy. But when he wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam under the instruction of Narada, he became happy.
So the purpose of writing Srimad-Bhagavatam is lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam. All the people of the world, they're fools and rascals, lokasyajanatah. Why they are fools and rascals? There are two things. Vyasadeva, by his bhakti-yoga meditation, he found out that there is God and there is maya. Two things are there. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite 'male, apasyat purusam purnam. There is the Supreme Person, the supreme controller -- apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam -- and there is also maya, which is on the back side. Just like if you stand before the sun or light, your shadow will be on the back side. You have got, all, experience. You stand up; you'll see a long shadow on your back side. So that is maya. The maya is the back side. That means if you stand before the sun, in the front, you can see in the sunlight very nicely. But if somebody stands on your back side, he cannot see you. This is the position. Apasyat purusam purnam mayam ca tad-apasrayam.
What is this maya? Why this maya? That is also explained. What is that? Yaya sammohito jiva: "These conditioned souls, they're bewildered by maya, illusion." That is maya. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam: "Being bewildered by this maya, this soul, who is part and parcel of Krsna, or God, he's thinking that ‘I am a material product. I am made of these material things.' " Just like the so-called rascal scientists, they'll never accept that within this body there is the soul because they're always thinking there is no such thing as soul. Only the material, that's all. This is illusion. They cannot explain how this body is moving, why the dead body does not move, what is the difference, what is the thing that is missing. These rascals will not understand. Even there is instruction by higher authorities that within this body there is the soul... Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam [Bg. 2.13]. Dehino 'smin dehe, in this body, dehi. The dehi... Dehi means the possessor, the owner of the body. It is said clearly, and we can understand that when I meditate upon my body, actually what I am. So if one is deep thinker, he'll immediately understand that "I am not this body." Take, for example, study on this finger; and if you think, "I am this finger"? No, you'll come to the conclusion, "It is my finger." Any part of your body, you study; you'll never agree that "I am this." It is "I am in possession of this." We say also, "My body, my finger, my head, my hand." And where is that "I"? You are simply thinking, "My, my, my, my," but where is that "I"? But they have no brain. And still, they're passing on as great philosopher, great scientist, and getting Nobel Prize.
But they are illusioned. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam. Atmanam means the soul. Soul, they're thinking that it is a product of this matter, by evolution, or so on. So many nonsense theories they have, all rascaldom. There is no evolution. Evolution is there in the matter of consciousness. Just like a child. His consciousness is not developed. A child goes to capture a fire because his consciousness is not developed. But that does not mean the child has no consciousness or the child has no soul. Just like some rascal says, "The animals, they have no soul." So why the animals have no soul? Their consciousness is not developed, but soul is there. If the animal has no soul, then the child has also no soul because the child behaves like an animal. In the family, a small child and a dog, they're behaving similarly, and therefore dog is also considered as one of the family members, children, because his consciousness is not developed.
So the evolution means developed consciousness, and according to the developed consciousness, one gets a particular type of body. This is nature's law. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah, ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham... [Bg. 3.27]. The evolution means evolution of consciousness. The same child, when he's... He'll get a different body. Just like a female child. By evolution, means when she gets another body, youthful body, her consciousness is different. If you get the body of a pig, your consciousness is different from the consciousness of a man. A pig will very easily eat stool, but a human being will not eat. Similarly, in every behavior... Just like we, Krsna conscious people, we have given up intoxication. Now, if somebody comes and bribes and offers some money that "You take this one thousand dollars and drink," you'll not agree. Because your consciousness is developed. So evolution is not of the body. Evolution of consciousness. And as your consciousness develops, you get a particular type of body. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Therefore, the evolution should be of the consciousness. And this is Krsna consciousness. When you come to Krsna consciousness, then your life is perfect. And fully Krsna conscious, then you, after giving up this body -- tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], no more material body.
So this is Krsna consciousness movement. And it is the duty of the guardians like guru, like father, like the state, they should look to the interest of the wards, subordinate, that he is developing his Krsna consciousness nicely. That is the duty. So when that duty is not done... Just like... We have no business to come so far. In Vrndavana I could live very peacefully, there is two room still, in Radha-Damodara Temple. But because there is Krsna consciousness... Krsna consciousness means serving the Lord. That is Krsna consciousness. So Krsna dictated that "You are sitting here very peacefully without any botheration. No, you go to the Western countries. Teach them." So that is also Krsna consciousness, developed Krsna consciousness, to render service to the ignorant of Krsna consciousness. That is better, because Vyasadeva saw that maya, illusory energy, or the shadow, darkness... Yaya sammohito jiva. The whole world, living entity, conditioned soul, they're bewildered by this maya. Yaya sammohito jiva atmanam tri-gunatmakam. Thinking this body as self, foolish, rascal. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. One who thinks that "I am this body," he's no better than dog and cat. However nicely dressed he may be, he's a dog, he's a cat. That's all. No more than animal. Because he has no knowledge of his self. (aside:) Don't do that. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke... (aside:) You cannot sit like this? Yes. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih. This is going on. People are bewildered, thinking "I am this body," just like cats and dogs. "And the issues from the body or connection with the body, that is mine." Sva-dhih kalatradisu. "I have got some connection, bodily connection, with woman. Therefore she's my wife or my protected," something like that. Children, also -- the same thing, bodily. They have no idea of the spirit soul, simply body. "So the body is born in a particular land. Therefore I am national." Bhauma ijya-dhih. They're sacrificing so much their energy for the particular land because by accident, he's born in this life in that land. Everything is described in the Bhagavata. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. Bhauma means land.
So this is going on. This is called illusion. He has no connection with all these things. When one realizes that "I have no connection with this body, this country, this wife, these children, this soc... They're all illusory," that is called liberation. That is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. People are suffering, identifying himself with these false things, which is not. Atmanam tri-gunatmakam. Tri-guna, these, all these materials, they are manufactured by the three modes of material nature, and he's, he has no connection with the material nature. But somehow or other, he is now fallen in the ocean of the... Just like you have no connection with ocean. Your place of living is land. But some way or other, if you are thrown in the Pacific Ocean, that is a very troublesome business. You have to swim always. You have to protect... But still, you are unsafe. It doesn't matter you are a very great swimmer, doesn't matter. When you are in the Pacific Ocean, you are in danger. So similarly, when that very man is taken away from the Pacific Ocean and put into the land, then he becomes prasannatma, "Oh, I am saved." Brahma-bhutah prasannatma. "Now I am on the saved..." Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54], that when one is in full knowledge that "I have nothing to do with this material world, that everything made by the material nature, that is illusion, I have nothing to do with anything of them, I am spirit, aham brahmasmi. I am spirit soul. Now I have my business with the spiritual world," that is liberation. That is liberation. And the means which help you to come to that position, that is called spiritual life, sanatana-dharma.
So here it is said, the enquiry, that kim ksatra-bandhun kalina upasrstan rastrani va tair avaropitani: "Are you very much anxious that, on account of this Kali-yuga, that ksatra-bandhun, the rulers, they have occupied the rastra position, the government position?" So what is the symptom of such a rascal government? That is also stated. Itas tato vasana-pana-vasah-snana-
Here we see Maharaja Pariksit, as soon as he saw that a cow was being attempted to be killed, immediately he took his sword..., "What are you, nonsense? You are killing my citizen." This is good government. This is good government. Why the cow is not national? He's also, she's also born in the land; so she's as important a national as you are. Krsna has given her the grass to eat. She's not interfere, interfering with your food. Why? What right you have got to kill? You have got your own food. The cow has got the grass for her food. You have got food grains. You have got... Cow is giving you milk, just to give her protection, that "You take my blood, turn into milk. Please do not kill me." So why these things are happening? Because there is rascal government. Kalina upasrstan. Rascal government. So one should lament that this, "We are under this rascal government, under the rascal guru, rascal father. But who are meant for giving protection, they are all rascals. This is our position." This is called Kali-yuga. This is Kali-yuga.
So if you study Srimad-Bhagavatam, you'll be able to understand the whole material position and how you are situated in that material position, how to get out of it. Everything you'll understand, provided you have got the brain. If you have got a dull brain, filled up with cow dung, that is another thing. If there is brain substance, then you'll be able. Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Alpa-medhasam and su-medhasam, they are two words in the Vedic language. Medha means brain substance. So one who has got su-medha, nice brain substance, they will understand something. And one who has got no brain substance but cow dung, they will understand something else. So we are selecting, or even if he is filled up with cow dung, by this Krsna consciousness education, we can make him su-medha, fine brain. That is the Krsna consciousness movement. Even one is filled up with cow dung, su-medha.
Therefore, Bhagavata says,
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
Su-medhasah. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. Lord Krsna, or Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He's Krsna. Tvisakrsnam: by complexion golden. Therefore, by complexion, is not krsna or blackish. But He's Krsna. Krsna has four colors. That is in the sastra, suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah. So when the colors of Krsna is yellow, golden, that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam [SB 11.5.32]. That Lord Krsna now, in the form of Lord Caitanya, Sri Krsna Caitanya, and sangopangastra-parsadam, associated with His personal expansions, Sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda..
So these rascals, position, the rascal guardians, you have to fight with them, but not with sword or any other weapon; the sankirtana movement, yajnaih sankirtana-prayaih. If you stick to this principle of chanting Hare Krsna mantra, yajnaih, if you have got good brain, su-medhasah, then you will take this means, and by the help of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you'll conquer all over the world. All over the world. You cannot take up any other means. That will not be successful because the sastra says, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. So at the present moment, our position is very precarious. We are in the darkness, ignorance, and so many other things, corollaries to these things. Rastrani va tair avaropitani itas tatah. Just see. Five thousand years ago this Srimad-Bhagavatam was written, the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Now you see that, itas tato vasana-pana-vasah-snana. Now everywhere, all over the world, the young boys and girls, they have no fixture where they'll live, where they'll take their bath, where they'll eat or how, or how they'll have sex. No. These are preliminary necessities of life. One must have a good place to live. One must have sufficient nice foodstuff to eat. Sleep. Eating, sleeping, mating -- this is physical necessities. So in the Vedic civilization, these necessities are prescribed in a regulated way so that he can satisfy his physical necessities, at the same time, become Krsna conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead.
So at the present moment there is no fixture even for the physical necessities. Physical necessities. No home. When I first came to America, when I saw in the Bowery Street, they're lying on the street, "And how is that?" I understood, "The Americans are very rich. Why they are lying on the street?" I was surprised. But see, even in such rich country like America, they're lying on the street, no fixture of sleeping, no fixture of sex life. Nobody knows with whom one has to satisfy his sex life. Nobody knows. In New York City I was, I saw, that one friend asking another friend, "Can I take my showers in your room?" Then I understand, "Oh, there is no fixity of even taking bath." There is no fixity of where to sleep. There is no fixity of where to satisfy sex. Everything, although such a rich country. Why? Because the leaders are rascals. The leaders are rascals. These are the first duty of the government to see that everyone is nicely situated, so far his physical necessities are concerned. But a sane man, when he sees this disturbance, or everything mismanaged, he becomes very unhappy and tries to set up by Krsna consciousness movement.
Thank you very much.
Sudama: Any questions?
Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, sometimes it is seen that even materialistic political power is successful in overthrowing government. So is it not possible in this age for devotees to overthrow government?
Prabhupada: Yes, if you become all devotee, it is very easy. Because nowadays, the "government of the people, by the people." So if the people are Krsna conscious, naturally the government will be Krsna conscious. And if you are fools and rascals, the government will be fools and rascals. Because government is the representative of the people. You have got the opportunity because nowadays, democracy, that "government for the people, by the people." Is not that? So if you are Krsna conscious, naturally the government will be, because government is by the people, for the people. So not that kind of revolution. So if you make a revolution of this sankirtana movement, everyone chanting and dancing, the government will be changed immediately. So push this movement.
Bali-mardana: Prabhupada, there are certain groups saying that there's a comet in the sky and there's going to be some very inauspicious effects because of that. Do you know anything about that?
Prabhupada: What is that?
Satsvarupa: The comet.
Bali-mardana: There's a comet in the sky and they're saying that some very inauspicious...
Prabhupada: And what is auspicity now? Eh? What is auspicity now? We are describing all inauspicity, even without the comet. (laughter) Where do you find the auspicity? One man said that "He has kicked me, he has beaten me with shoes, and again he has said that ‘I shall insult you.' " Where is the scarcity of insult? If he is beaten by shoes and kicked by his leg, and still he's expecting some more insult? You are already in inauspicity. Why you are expecting more inauspicity by the presence of comet? We are already in inauspicity. And therefore these descriptions are there. You have no fixture anything -- where to live, where to take bath, where to eat, where to have sex life -- nothing fixed up. Everything catastrophe, chaos. What more inauspicity you want? Everywhere. Here even one problem, another, in another country, another problem, another problem, another problem. He must be problematic. Daivi hy esa... Because anyone who is not Krsna conscious, he must be punished by the laws of nature. He must be punished. Therefore it is said, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam... [Bg. 7.14]. They're already, in inauspicity. The whole atmosphere is inauspicious. So if there is little more inauspicity, what is the wrong there? There is nothing... The more inauspicity will come. Now, still, in your country you are not poverty-stricken. You have got enough food. These things also will be stopped. Now you have got food in chaos, but there will be no food also. Then the mother and father will eat his own children. This is world, this Kali-yuga, everything. No food will be produced. Now by your talent, you are producing nice food, but producing food, the, tilling the ground some way or other, by machine or by this way... There must be rain, so many conditions. But time will come when there will be no rain. Then what you will do with your tractor and machine? You'll have to eat the tractor. (laughter) That's all. What you will do? There will be no rain. It is said that "There will be cloud, there will be lightning, but there will be no rainfall." These are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is the result of our sinful life, restriction. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah, ahankara-vimudhatma [Bg. 3.27]. These rascals are thinking, "We are master." What master you are? You are under the control of nature fully. And they are, these rascals are thinking, "I am free. There is no God. I am free." So, gradually... [break] ...don't you appreciate how, the difference between them and ordinary people? Don't you feel it? You are already known as "the bright-faced." Is it not?
Devotees: Yes, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Before coming to Krsna consciousness, see the photograph of your face and now see. Practical. But if you deviate, if you fall down again, that is your business. But if you strictly follow the rules and regulations and chant Hare Krsna, you'll go forward, nobody can check it. Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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