Don't Take Krishna Lightly
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.42
Bombay, December 10, 1974
download flash player
Take a testBombay, December 10, 1974
download flash player
Nitai: "(It is because of My
supremacy that the wind blows, out of fear of Me; the sun shines out of fear of
Me, and the lord of the) clouds, Indra, sends forth showers out of fear of Me.
The fire burns out of fear of Me, and death goes about taking its toll out of
fear of Me."
Prabhupada:
mad-bhayad vati vato 'yam
suryas tapati mad-bhayat
varsatindro dahaty agnir
mrtyus carati mad-bhayat
[SB 3.25.42]
The ultimate, mrtyus carati mad-bhayat . So bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat. In the previous verse the Lord Kapiladeva said that "If anyone wants to get out of this fearful situation..." Bhayam tivram nivartate. Atmanah sarva-bhutanam bhayam tivram nivartate. We are always fearful. Material life is not very happy life because we are always fearful. That's a fact. Nobody can say, "No, I am not afraid of anything." That is false. Everyone is afraid of something, everyone -- bird, beast, human being, everyone, bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat -- because we have got absorption in the second category of life. Second category means this bodily conception of life, dvitiya abhinivesa. I am thinking at the present moment that "I am this body." Everyone is thinking. Therefore, when there is fear of destruction of this body, we become very much afraid, perplexed. We have seen in Los Angeles. There was earthquake, and all the neighborhood, women especially, began to scream, fearful, "Now death is coming."
So everyone is afraid. This is the material nature, ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna, four things, material wants: eating, sleeping, fearing, and defending. So Krsna said that if you want... Kapiladeva and Krsna the same. Krsna has many form. Kapiladeva is one of the form, avesavatara. There are many incarnation. Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of different avataras, and the conclusion... Lord Buddha's also name is there. Kikatesu bhavisyati, sura-dvisam. So Lord Buddha's name is there, and Jayadeva has also given his poem Dasa-vidha, Dasavatara-stotra. In that Dasavatara also, Lord Buddha's name is there: kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. So Vaisnavas, they know, by the grace of Krsna, how many avataras are there. They do not accept therefore any bogus avatara. Some rascal will say that "I am avatara." The Vaisnava will not accept. Tasmat sastra-vidhanoktam. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that sastra-vidhanoktam, karyakarya. We have to accept and reject according to the sastra, not that any bogus man comes and says that "I am avatara." That is not acceptable. The Vaisnava will not accept. A foolish man may accept; that is a different thing. So certainly, the Supreme Personality has got many avatara, but each avatara has, has been mentioned in the sastras, different avataras. So Kapiladeva is avatara. Therefore He is saying, "Me," mad-bhayat . Mad-bhayat.
So mad-bhayad vati vato 'yam. These are the very strong sources of fearfulness. If there is cyclone, it is very fearful. It is going on very nicely, but if it is a big cyclone, then it is fearful. So there is necessity of cyclone also. There is necessity of scorching heat. There is necessity of rainfall. So there are different directors and officers, and they are all servant of Krsna. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says, ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. The only master, supreme master, is Krsna, and all others, they are bhrtya, servant. The demigods, the demigods, they are all servants of Krsna. Demigods there are: Surya, Candra, Vayu, Varuna, and Brhaspati, so many, thirty-three crores of demigods. They have got different planets. But all of them are servants of Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. The modern so-called scientists, they say, "There is no demigod. There is no God. This is all natural function." That's all right. Nature is working. But nature is matter. Matter cannot work without the direction of the living being. You cannot say matter works independently. That is not possible. Everything is...
Just like here it is said... Now we have got experience in the beach. There is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative sastra. Here Kapiladeva says that... There is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayat vati vatah. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it is automatically happening, no. There is direction. Krsna says that mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] "Under My superintendence, prakrti, nature..." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Krsna, or God, but you cannot defy the natural, nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."
But that is not fact. Nature is working under the direction. This is theism. One who knows. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that these natural, I mean to say, ingredients, prakrti, jada-prakrti, or material nature, five elements, ksitih, apam, tejas, marut, vyoma, this marut, vayu, and tejas, this sunshine, ksitih, apam, tejas, and water, the seas and oceans, the land, vast land, ksitih, apam, tejas, marut, vyoma, then sky -- they are different manifestation of Krsna's external energy. They are not independent. There are many sastras. Therefore one has to consult the sastras. In the Brahma-samhita it is also said, "The material nature is very powerful." Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-
Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-
But how the material nature is working? Chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. The material nature is working just like shadow. Shadow. If you have got this real hand and there is shadow, if you move your hand, the shadow of the hand also moves. Similarly, this material nature is working in touch with the spirit soul. Just like big pilot is flying in the sky -- we have got experience -- but it is not independently flying. There is the pilot. He is pushing the button, and it is flying. A big car, big machine, big factory -- without touch of spiritual touch, there is no question of moving. We have got this practical experience. Where is the evidence that, without the touch of spirit soul, that machine is moving? Is there any evidence? Then how you can say that without God, the whole universe is moving? There is no evidence. We have no such experience. Then how you can say that without the direction of God, the material nature can move? There is no such experience. And from the evidences of sastra... Here it is said, "The wind is blowing, the water is moving, the sun is giving scorching heat, everything, all under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Not only that, direction, but it is said, bhayat . Bhayat . Bhayat means if the respective directors or agent of different material elements, if they do not work properly, then he is punished as the master punishes the servant. Mayadhyaksena [Bg. 9.10].
When Krsna was present, there was Giridhari. Giridhari, He lifted the mountain, Govardhana Hill. Govardhana-dhari. So Nanda Maharaja was arranging to worship the Indra, Indra-yajna. There are different kinds of yajna. But Indradeva was little proud that he is all in all. Everyone thinks... If he is in power, then he tries to give some trouble to others. Similarly, all the demigods, they are, if they are not satisfied, they will give you trouble. Similarly, the Indra-yajna was there, but Krsna said to His father, "My dear father, there is no need of Indra-yajna. You better worship Govardhana Hill. He is symbolic representation of God because the cows, they get their food, grasses. So better you make this Govardhana-yajna." So first of all, Nanda Maharaja was not willing, but out of the affection of Krsna... That is devotee, that Krsna... Devotees of Krsna, they are acting always in love for Krsna. So Nanda Maharaja changed his idea of worshiping Indra. Rather, on the contrary, all the ingredients he collected, he worshiped the Govardhana Hill and stopped Indra-yajna. So Indra became very much angry, and he sent the vicious cloud, and whole Vrndavana was inundated by flood. And Krsna showed that "Your power is not even competent to compare with the finger of My hand." Therefore He lifted the Govardhana Hill with the finger of His left hand and saved all the people of Vrndavana. Then Indra came to worship Him. These things are there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
So everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. You do not... You, you can perform yajnas for ordinarily, but if you keeps, if you be simply under the shelter of Krsna, you do not require to perform different demigod yajnas, deva-yajna. That is not required. The example is given that if you pour water in the root of the tree, you do not require to pour water in the branches, in the twigs, in the flowers, in the fruits. It is automatically done. If you supply food to the stomach, then you do not require to feed the eyes, hands, legs, separately. There is no need; neither it is possible to give separate, I mean to say, food, materials for nourishing the different parts of the body. One place is sufficient. Similarly, if we worship Krsna, the source of everything, the root of everything... Aham adir hi yajnanam, devanam, deva-yajna.
So Krsna says that you don't require to perform different yajnas. That is not possible in this age especially. It requires large amount of wealth to perform such yajnas. Nowadays people are suffering for want of sufficient food grains, and in the yajna tons and thousands of mounds of food grains are offered in the fire. That is good. But there is no food grains; there is no ghee. That is not possible in this age. Therefore yajna is not possible. The... You can perform very easily the sankirtana-yajna. Then everything will be performed. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Those who are intelligent person, they can perform yajna, sankirtana-yajna.
This is recommended in this age. Other yajnas is not possible. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih [SB 12.3.52]. Tretayam. Yajna performance was very prominent in the Treta-yuga, at that time. But at present moment it is not possible. Dhyana-yajna, dravya-yajna, jnana-yajna, and sankirtana-yajna. So in this age, sankirtana-yajna is recommended. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Sumedhasah means those who have got good brain. And it is so easy, anywhere you can perform. Any part of the world, you assemble together. Sankirtana means bahubhir militva, by intermingling various persons. Just like we are doing here sankirtana-kirtana and sankirtana. Kirtana means alone, and sankirtana means in the assembly of many others. That is called sankirtana. So that is recommended, that many persons, you sit together. There is no need of even instrument, but because Lord Caitanya introduced this khol, karatala. Otherwise this clapping is sufficient. So it is very easy, sankirtana-yajna. You sit down familywise, all the family members. If you perform sankirtana, Hare Krsna maha-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is sankirtana-yajna, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing sankirtana-yajna in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tivram bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools. We are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Mayar bose, jaccho bhese', Khaccho habudubu bhai. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth -- there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.
So we should not misuse this... Labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante manusyam [SB 11.9.29]. We should not waste our this valuable life, human form of life. We begin our this evolution. First of all, the world is covered with water. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam **. Now, still, three-fourth of this earthly planet is covered with water. In the beginning, the whole earthly planet was covered with water. Gradually, the water is drying up, and the land is coming. Then we are calculating, "This is Asia. This is America. This is Europe." Land is coming out. And gradually land, land, land, land -- there will be only land, no water. That means destruction. When there will be no water and scorching heat, the whole earthly planet will be ablaze and everything will be burned into ashes. Then again there will be rainfall, and everything will be mixed up, and then again there will destruction. This is going on. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. And similarly, our position with this body. This will be also dissolved again. This nice form you have got, I have got, but when it will be finished, this is finished forever. We are not going to get any more. You will get different body, not exactly this body. It is bubble. One bubble lost, that is lost forever. That is lost forever. But we are so foolish, we are thinking, "This is permanent settlement, permanent settlement." This is called ignorance. There is no question of permanent settlement. Temporary under the... Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Under the laws of nature we are getting different types of bodies, different types of opportunities. And it is going on. But we are spirit soul; we are not this material body.
So we must have sense and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to save ourself from this material condition of life, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. And if you think, when Krsna says that "You surrender unto Me. I will give you protection"... So because we are foolish, we think Krsna as ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because we are mudhas, rascals, we think that Krsna is a person like us. Manusim. Krsna is very kind. He comes to be visible by us exactly in the same way as we are. Manusim tanum. But we think, when Krsna comes, "Oh, He is a man. He is a man like us. God is different." Avajananti mam mudhah. Because we are mudhas. Param bhavam ajanantah.
So they do not know what is Krsna. Therefore when Krsna demands, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], we foolish people, we think, "Oh, it is too much. Krsna is so proud that He is commanding us that 'You surrender unto Me.' Oh, I am not so fool. I am not going to do that." This is the position. Mudha. Because mudha, they are taking Krsna as ordinary human being. Because He is so kind He comes as human being and gives you the right information, right instruction. But we are so rascal that we do not accept it, do not accept it. That is our misfortune. Those who are fortunate enough, they accept Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That fortune comes not so easily -- after struggling, after associating with Vaisnavas, with devotees, after cultivating knowledge for many, many births.
So we should take this chance. We should not be foolish. Don't be foolish, mudha. Just surrender to Krsna and execute Krsna's service, what Krsna says. Do that; you will be saved. You will be saved from these clutches of maya, repetition of birth and death. Even if you fall down, if you do not be able to execute devotional service fully, still, you will get next change as a human being. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41]. You will get again chance of this human body. But if you don't take Krsna consciousness, then there is no guarantee. You can become next life a cat, dog, tree, or anything, according to the infection and quality. But if you become Krsna conscious and if you give even little service to Krsna, your next life as human being is guaranteed. And that is not ordinary human life, but sucinam srimatam gehe. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17]. Narada Muni said that "If one engages himself in devotional service out of sentiment, it doesn't matter. Still, if he does some service to Krsna, then he is gainer. And one who is very practical, does not take to Krsna consciousness and take to material activities and thinks that he is very advanced, there is no gain." He is under karma. According karma, he will get body.
But a Krsna conscious human being, even though he is unable to execute properly, even if he falls down, his human life is guaranteed. His human life is guaranteed. And that life in a rich family and in very nice purified family, sucinam. Sucinam means purified family, nice brahmana, Vaisnava family. Or srimatam. Sri means opulence, those who are possessing opulence, means big mercantile family, big rich family, or big nice brahmana Vaisnava family. You get again chance. Just like the children of these Krsna conscious members, from childhood they are getting. Our this boy, Mr. West, he is getting chance to worship Krsna. So this is sucinam srimatam gehe [Bg. 6.41]. And how he is satisfied. There are so many children in our Krsna consciousness movement. From the very beginning of life they have got chance for chanting Hare Krsna, attending mangala-aratrika, taking prasadam, and reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita. Life is successful. Just see.
So we are after giving chance to the bewildered persons, mislead person, materialistic person, to take up this Krsna consciousness movement, and their success is guaranteed. Because Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. If you think Krsna is ordinary person, how? Therefore Krsna says that "Don't think Me that I am ordinary person. Under My direction the wind is blowing, the sea is working, the sun it heating, and the so many things are going on." Mayadhyaksena prakrtih [Bg. 9.10]. "Don't take Me so slightly." Everything is explained. Now it is our business to accept it or not accept it.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
No comments:
Post a Comment