Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.11
Los Angeles, January 8, 1974
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Pradyumna: Translation: "Maharaja
Pariksit sat on a chariot drawn by black horses. His flag was marked with the
sign of a lion. Being so decorated and surrounded by charioteers, cavalry,
elephants and infantry soldiers, he left the capital to conquer in all
directions."
Prabhupada: So each king had different colored horses and differently marked flag on the top of the chariot. Just like Arjuna's chariot was drawn by white horses. Sveta. Sveta means white. And his grandson, his horses are of blackish. Not... Syama is not black. Blackish. Swarthy. No, blackish. Turanga, jeweled. They have four horses in chariot, and there is a charioteer and flag marked with lion. This lion is not to be considered an ordinary lion. This lion is Mrgendra or Narahari, Nrsimhadeva. Arjuna's chariot was with flag marked with Vajranga, Hanumanji, Hanumanji. Krsna's chariot flag is marked with Garuda. So these are the distinctive marks. One will understand immediately, "This is such and such king's chariot." That mark is there.
So Arjuna kept upon him Vajrangaji, Hanuman, because he considered Hanuman his guru. Hanuman was servant of Lord Ramacandra. He fought the battlefield of Lanka between Rama and Ravana. He could not use any weapon, but he was very strong. He knew how to throw stones. In this way, he fought in the battle and won over the Ravana. Ravana was killed by Lord Ramacandra. So Vaisnava does not mean he cannot do anything else except chanting. That is, of course, the supreme objective, sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23], to hear about Visnu and chant about Krsna. That is very experienced life, experienced Vaisnava. He can concentrate chanting. Just like Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura was chanting. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, Nityananda Prabhu, they were preaching.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a very young age, twenty-four years only, He took sannyasa. Why? Tyaktva, raja-laksmi. There is that verse? Vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam. That is predicted. "The Lord will give up His Laksmi and will take sannyasa and preach." These are stated in the Vedic literature. So this is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are many evidences in the sastras about Sri Caitanya, the Lord, Supreme Lord's taking of sannyasa and preaching. So we accept Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu not only by His uncommon action, but also on the evidence of the sastra. You can accept. Not that any rascal comes, that "I am incarnation of God." No, no. We cannot accept that. We must first of all see that He is mentioned in the sastra, and He is actually acting uncommonly, which is not possible by any human being. These two things, features, must be... Just like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we accept, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many instances, He is playing like ordinary man, but at times showing, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like in Jagannatha Puri, Ratha-yatra festival, sometimes the ratha, chariot, will be stuck up, will not move. People draw it, but does not move. Even King Prataparudra engaged some elephants, and the ratha is not moving. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would say, "All right, let Me try." So He would go back side of the car and with His head push it, and very easily it will go. This is extraordinary. Even the elephants, big, big elephants, could not draw. But by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pushing by head, even there was no need of drawing it or catching the rope... Similarly, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was performing kirtana, He used to form four parties. And each party will see that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present there.
So there are many other things, which is not possible by ordinary human being. These things are to the test. Not very small, insignificant. Just like in India, there are so many so-called incarnation of God or God. They declare themselves God. But that God is for the fools and rascals, not for any intelligent man. Intelligent will test it by the description of the sastra. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, tinete koriya aikya. Anything we shall accept through sadhu, devotees. A devotee accepts something. That we shall accept. And sastra, not only devotee accepts, but it is confirmed in the sastra, in the revealed scripture. Sadhu-sastra. And guru. And guru also will say, "Yes, it is all right." So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is accepted by sadhus like Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara, Srivasa, Haridasa Thakura, in His own... They are sadhus, accepted. And sastra also says. In Mahabharata, in Srimad-Bhagavata, in the Upanisads, Puranas, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's name and activities are mentioned. Dhyeyam sada paribhava-ghnam abhista-doham. This verse. It is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, also in the Ramayana. And
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
It is mentioned in Bhagavata, Eleventh Canto, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in this age, Kali-yuga, will be krsna-varnam, always describing Krsna. He is Krsna, but krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam. Varna means also category. Just brahmana-varna, ksatriya-varna, vaisya-varna, sudra-varna. In the horoscope, as we discussed the other day, jata-karma, after the birth of the child, everything, characteristic, what will be his future, everything is mentioned in the horoscope. So in the horoscope it is stated, brahmana-varna, ksatriya-varna, sudra-varna, like that, in which category this child belongs. Even if he is born in a non-brahmana family, but what will be his characteristic, that is stated. That is called brahmana-varna. Similarly, ksatriya-varna, vaisya-varna. So everything is predicted by astrological calculation.
So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other scriptures as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We do not accept Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu simply because He was a saintly person. There is controversy about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu amongst the Vaisnava community. Just like the Nimbarka Sampradaya. They say that "We accept Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as a great devotee," but we, Gaudiya Sampradaya, we say that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because it is stated in the sastra. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam [SB 11.5.32]. He is Krsna, in the category of Krsna, krsna-varna... Just like brahmana-varna. Krsna-varna, same category. But He is, by complexion, yellowish, not krsna. Tvisa akrsna. Tvisa means "by the bodily skin." Just like we have different color, different skin, different color, similarly, tvisa, by His skin, He is not krsna, He is not black. Tvisa akrsna. Akrsna means not black. So "not black" means you can accept any other color which is not black. So that there is proof in the sastra that Lord, Krsna, has also many colors. Suklo raktas tatha pitah. When, similarly, when Krsna's horoscope was made by Gargamuni, he said that "This child formerly had suklo raktas tatha pitah. He was white color, He was yellow color, and He was red color." So this pitah, yellow color, is also Krsna's another color. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. So here, tvisakrsna. Akrsna means not black. So "not black" means you must take the other three, namely white, red, and pita. So other two colors in the Satya-yuga and Dvapara-yuga, was manifested, red color and white color. Hayagriva, white color. So the pita..., krsna color is also finished. Therefore pita, yellowish color. Srila Jiva Gosvami has very nicely
So krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam [SB 11.5.32]. And another feature is sangopangastra-parsadam. Astra-parsadam. Astra means weapon. So in the Kali-yuga, Krsna does not come with weapon. In other yugas, the Lord comes with weapon. Just like Lord Ramacandra. He came with bows and arrows to fight with Ravana. Similarly, Krsna also appeared with His sudarsana-cakra. Because in those days, the demons were killed by weapons. Krsna killed many demons, because Krsna has got two kinds of activities, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam: [Bg. 4.8] for sadhu, simply to deliver them, and for the demons, to kill them. But the result is the same. That is called Absolute. Whether Krsna pats somebody and kills somebody, the result is the same. Therefore Krsna is Absolute. It is not ordinary fortune to be killed by God. It is a great fortune. Just like Ravana and Hiranyakasipu. They were Krsna's personal guards, Jaya-Vijaya. Some way or other, they became offender to the Kumaras. So they cursed him that "You are not well-behaved." They stopped him going in the house of Krsna, Narayana. So they became very angry. They cursed him that "You do not deserve this place. You must go to the material world. In the material world there is enviousness, jealousy. In the spiritual world you have become envious. So you are not fit. You must go down to the material world." So they became very much disturbed. Lord Narayana personally came out to settle up. "So this you have been cursed; it cannot be withdrawn. You have to go. But after going in the material world, if you treat Me as your enemy, then in three births you will be liberated and you will come back. But if you treat Me as my friend, then it will take seven, seven births." So decided, "We shall become Your enemy, Sir." So therefore this Ravana, Hiranyakasipu, they are Jaya-Vijaya, and they appeared to be very strong enemy. To become enemy of Krsna, that is not also joke. He has to fight with Krsna. It is not ordinary thing. No ordinary man can fight. So Vaisnava commentation is that when Krsna wants to fight, the fighting is not possible in the spiritual world. And whom with fight? Everyone is engaged in His service. So therefore, to fight, He has to come here to execute His mission. Vinasaya ca duskrtam, to kill the duskrtam, miscreants. So when He personally fights... The duskrtam can be finished simply by indication of Krsna. The material energy is so powerful. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. Even the sun, the most powerful, asesa-tejah, high temperature. Asesa-tejah, unlimited temperature, that sun is also moving within it's orbit, yasyajnaya, under the order of Krsna. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So to kill a demon in this material world, the Lord does not require to come Himself. But He comes in special case. Just like Krsna came to kill Kamsa, to kill Ravana, to kill Hiranyakasipu, like that. So that is also His pastime.
So His devotees are also like that. They have to execute the mission of Krsna. Just like here, Pariksit Maharaja, he is a great devotee of Krsna. So he is going out with soldier to fight. Similarly, Dhruva Maharaja also, he fought. Prahlada Maharaja fought. Because they were kings, so their duty is to subdue, to conquer over the demons. Not that because one is Krsna's devotee, he should not do any other thing. If required, a devotee can do anything, as ordered by Krsna. As Krsna ordered Arjuna to fight. Arjuna personally was not inclined to fight. He is Vaisnava. He, rather, wanted to forgive. "Let them enjoy, Krsna. I do not wish to fight with my cousin-brothers. I cannot tolerate their death, my grandfather. So better I will not fight. Let them enjoy the kingdom." So Krsna said, "No, that cannot be. It is My plan that they should be killed. So you must fight." So therefore a devotee's duty is to carry out the order of Krsna. Therefore he fought. Personally he did not want to fight. But he cannot disobey the order of Krsna. That is not possible. Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. When Krsna inquired, "What is your decision?" he said, "Yes, even though I do not like to fight, still, because it is Your order, I must fight." Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73].
So devotee hasn't got any personal decision. That is the process of Krsna consciousness. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. We should decide by the order of Krsna through the disciplic succession, via media, the spiritual master. That is required. A devotee cannot decide personally. If Krsna desires... If somebody says that "We cannot see Krsna personally," then you have to decide by Krsna's representative. If your spiritual master, guru, says that "You do this," that is Krsna's order. That is Krsna's order. Therefore it is said, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. By satisfying the spiritual master, you satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is very natural. Just like when you go to your work, the immediate person who is in charge of your work, he must be satisfied. You don't jump up to the proprietor. The proprietor will be automatically satisfied. If something is done and the proprietor sees that the immediate office superintendent is satisfied, then he accepts, "Yes, that's all right." He hasn't got to inspect personally. If the superintendent of the office says that "Yes, this clerk or this man works nice," then proprietor accepts. Similarly, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. We have to satisfy our spiritual master, sevaya.
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]
So Pariksit Maharaja is going to conquer over the world. He was appointed by his grandfathers to become the emperor of the world. But he was not a coward. Not that because his grandfathers appointed, he will sit down in the, comfortably in his capital and let things go on as it is. He doesn't care. No. Personally he wanted to prove himself that he is not a nominated president only. He is actually president. He is not nominated. "Because his grandfather nominated, therefore he has become. He may be a rascal number one." No. The nomination was there, but also on full strength... But if the people are given for nomination, as it is the practice now, by vote, then ordinary people, they are all rascals What is the value of their vote? Therefore another rascal is selected. Because one who is voting, he is a rascal. He does not know whom to give vote. He is not trained up. Simply by number, "Yes, I vote." And that vote you can purchase by bribing, by propaganda. So this kind of democracy is no value. It has no value. If somebody is voted by a number of asses, so what is the value of such vote? Those who elect, they must be very sober. So formerly a king was nominated not only by his father or grandfather, but confirmed by the society of learned brahmanas and saintly persons. So... And he must personally prove that he is actually king.
So here Pariksit Maharaja, digvijayaya. Digvijaya. Vijaya means to own victory, conquering. Just like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu argued with a digvijaya-pandita. There were several kinds of digvijaya. A learned scholar also would travel all over the world and challenge the other scholars about philosophical discussion, literary credit, so many other fields of activities. So one digvijaya-pandita came from Kashmir. He got victory all over India and then came to Navadvipa, Nadia. Because Nadia, still there are many, many learned scholars, and in those days, it was simply full of learned scholars. Some of the Indian cities were famous for learned scholars, like Navadvipa, Nadia, Varanasi, and there were several places, in Garabanga,(?) in the southern India also, there is a place. So there were several places where different schools, Mayavadis... Chiefly there are two schools of transcendental subject matter, namely the Mayavadi school and the Vaisnavas. So Mayavadis, were there in Varanasi, mostly. And Vaisnavas also they have their place, especially in Navadvipa, Vrndavana, like that. So one digvijaya-pandita, Kesava Kasmiri, he also came to Navadvipa. He got victory in all other cities, but when he came to Navadvipa, he became defeated, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu was there.
At that time Caitanya Mahaprabhu was only sixteen years old. So the learned scholars there first of all decided that "Let now Nimai Pandita..." Caitanya Mahaprabhu's student life was known as Nimai Pandita. His mother gave a very beloved name, Nimai, because He took His birth underneath a tree, nim tree. So His name was Nimai Pandita. As a student He was known as Nimai Pandita. So the scholars there first of all decided that "Let this Kesava Kasmiri talk with Nimai Pandita. So if Nimai Pandita fails to conquer over him, then we should challenge that ‘He is a boy. Now let us talk. You come to us.' " But even the boy, Nimai Pandita, He defeated that Kesava Kasmiri. That is mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrta, how He was digvijaya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This Kesava Kasmiri was a very learned scholar, and he was requested by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that "You are sitting on the bank of the Ganges. You can compose some prayers for the mother Ganges." So he was learned scholar. Immediately he composed one hundred slokas. So out of that one hundred slokas, He found some fault in the sixty-fourth verse. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "You are such a learned scholar, but We are simply student, grammarian. We cannot understand your poetic and literary magnitude of knowledge. So will you kindly explain the sixty-fourth verse which We cannot understand very nicely."
So immediately he was astonished. He thought that, "I have composed these hundred slokas like wind, immediately. And He catch up, He catches up, with sixty-four, one particular sloka. What kind of boy this is?" Then in that sloka, there were so many literary fault. Literary fault. Formerly, amongst the learned scholar, any nonsense you write will not be accepted as poetry. It must be according to the rules and regulation of literary perfection. So there were some literary imperfection, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out, and He was also learned scholar. He admitted that "He is a wonderful boy." So therefore it is said that "You make your enemy a learned man, but don't make your friend a fool and rascal." Because an enemy, even though he is enemy, if he is learned, he will not make injustice. That he cannot. Any learned scholar cannot make any injustice. So he admitted his defeat, because he is learned scholar. That is scholarship. Not that... Just like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. He argued with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as a scholar. But when he became defeated, he accepted His discipleship. This was the method, that two persons may argue, but one who is defeated, he must become his disciple. Not that simply waste time arguing and no conclusion. Formerly this was the system, to come to a conclusion. If two parties are arguing on a subject matter, the one party will be defeated, he must become his disciple, under control.
So here the same digvijaya. Digvijaya, for learned scholar, by arguing on sastra, that is another kind of digvijaya. And digvijaya for ksatriya, by subduing others who do not accept the authority. So here Pariksit Maharaja went for digvijaya just to challenge all over the world, "Now I have been selected by my grandfather as the emperor of the world. If you do not accept my authority, then here is fight. Come on. Here is fight. Let us fight." So if by fight he becomes victorious... Just like in modern sporting also, there are rival parties, and ultimately, the party which defeats all other sportsmen, they get some reward, seal, or some cup. Similarly, this is also another type of digvijaya. Pariksit Maharaja went out of home not king, simply drinking and enjoying the dancing of the young girls just like the Muhammadan kings when they deteriorated. Still there are so many fools. No. King's duty is to subdue the miscreants who will create disturbance. So Pariksit Maharaja was such a nice, what is called, hero, that he got out of his home. Sva-senaya digvijayaya nirgatah. Nirgatah means went out of home, not simply enjoying comfortably at home. Similarly, for a preacher also, that is digvijaya. Go from country and country, from village to village, town to town, and make digvijaya: "Here is our philosophy. There is God. We can prove there is God. Who are you, you deny God? Come on." That is digvijaya.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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