Seeing Is Not Believing

Seeing Is Not Believing

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.13
Vrndavana, September 15, 1975

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Prabhupada:

athainam mapanayata
krtasesagha-niskrtam
yad asau bhagavan-nama
mriyamanah samagrahit
 [SB 6.2.13]

The most important word here is mriyamanah samagrahit. Ordinarily there are discrimination of nama, namabhasa, and namaparadha-suddha-nama, pure name; namabhasa, almost pure; and namaparadha, chanting the holy name with aparadha. There are ten kinds of offenses, that nama... Namnad... Out of the ten kinds of offenses, the most offensive chanting is namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. One aparadha is guror avajna. If we neglect the orders of guru and chant Hare Krsna, then it is aparadha, offense. Guru-avajna sruti-sastra-nindanam. The Vedic literature, whatever injunction is there, if I don't obey or I decry -- "Oh, there are so many rules. It is not possible" -- sruti-sastra nindanam. Nama artha-vada. We interpret in our own way about the nama. And to consider the holy name of Visnu and other name equally potent, that is namaparadha. And namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. And because one is chanting Hare Krsna, he thinks, "Even if I do something sinful, it will be counteracted." That is aparadha. And to instruct to a person who has no interest in hari-kirtana, that is also aparadha. So we should not be very much interested to preach Krsna consciousness if one is not very much interested. But tactfully, if you can, just try to give him a book. In this way there are ten kinds of offenses. We have discussed many times, and I think all of you know it.

So here it is said, mriyamanah samagrahit. Because at the time of death he has uttered "Narayana," so now there is no question of offense. There is no question of. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita that yesam tu anta-gatam papam: by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, one gradually becomes free from all sinful reaction. Yesam tu anta-gatam. Te dvandva-moha-nirmukta bhajante mam drdha-vratah [Bg. 7.28]. And the proof is, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gita,

anta-kale ca mam eva
smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah
 [Bg. 8.5]

If at the time of death one can chant Hare Krsna, then he is glorious. Nasty atra samsayah. Here is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gita, nasty atra. Anta-kale: "At the time of..." I have several times said, the test will be examined at the time of death. They say in Bengal, bhajan koro pujan koro murte janle haya.(?) Your austerity, penances, chanting of the holy name, all these things... Just like there is examination. Before promotion to the higher class, one is examined in the school, and the, if the marks are sufficient, then he is promoted. So our promotion will depend at the time of death, where we are going. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. We are going to change our... Death means we are going to change our body. So this change of body will be decided at the time of death. It is already decided what kind of body we are going to get, but the final decision will be taken at the time of death. That is said by Krsna. So how the test... You... Everyone can understand. If at the time of death one chants Hare Krsna, then you know certainly that he has gone to Vaikuntha. There is no doubt about it. Anta-kale. And even there is aparadha, that is not taken into consideration, because at the time of death he has uttered. This is special consideration. Anta-kale.

Here it is said, yad asau bhagavan-nama mriyamanah samagrahit. Sama means samak, "perfectly." "Now he is quite fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. So you do not touch him. He is completely free." So if we are serious about our life, the method is very easy. The prescription is man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Where is the difficulty? We are now serious. Chant Hare Krsna and hear Hare Krsna. Then mind is fixed up. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. Our business is to fix up my mind on the lotus feet of Krsna. So this Krsna, Hare Krsna chanting, will help us. As soon as we chant, we hear. It is not that simply by seeing Krsna you become perfect. By hearing Krsna also. This is also another sense. We gather knowledge from different senses. Suppose there is a good mango. So when you say, "Let me see how the mango is," but you are seeing. No, this seeing is imperfect. You take little portion of the mango and taste it; then you can understand. So experience is gathered from different senses. Why you are giving stress only on seeing? This is foolishness. Just like you can... Even if you do not taste -- the mango seller may not allow you to taste -- but you can smell. By smelling, you can understand whether the mango is good or bad. After all, you have to get experience. So why we should stress upon seeing Krsna? That is most foolish proposal. You have other senses. Krsna is prepared to be perceived by you by other senses. What is that? If you hear Krsna, then you must know there is Krsna. There is Krsna. Krsna is not different from His name, from His form, either form or name or quality or paraphernalia, anything. He is Absolute. There is no duality. Anything you perceive, that is Krsna. This Krsna temple is also Krsna. So we have no sufficient knowledge how to understand Krsna. Krsna is prepared to be understood by us in so many ways. So the Kali-yuga, therefore, name is so important. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. This formula should be seriously taken. Krtasesa agha-niskrtam. Asesa. Unlimited amount or unlimited number of sinful activities are already finished.

So the Yamaduta forbade them, that "Don't touch him. He is not fit for going to Yamaloka, but he is fit for going to Visnuloka." Bhagavan-nama mriyamanah. The most important thing is how to become successful. At the time of death chant Hare Krsna. This should be there. Bhagavan-nama mriyamanah. That will be the perfection of life. Then they explain,

sanketyam parihasyam va
stobham helanam eva va
vaikuntha-nama-grahanam
asesagha-haram viduh

Sanketya. Just like sometimes on the street some outsider, seeing you, they chant Hare Krsna only by the symbolic, sanketya. Because they see: "They have got tilaka, kunti." Therefore these things are required. Don't become immediately paramahamsa -- no tilaka, no kunti and no bead bag. This is not good. Sanketya. So that others may understand, "Here is a Vaisnava. Here is a Krsna devotee..." And if he is simple, he'll chant, "Hare Krsna." This chance should be given. Therefore it is necessary, how people can utter. That chanting may save him from the greatest danger. Therefore it is said, sanketyam parihasyam. If somebody jokes... Sometimes they do that. "Hare Krsna" means he is not seriously chanting, but he is trying to joke the other party who is engaged in chanting. And that is also good, parihasya. During Caitanya Mahaprabhu's time, the Muslims, they used to joke the Hindus, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." So the practice made them chanting Hare Krsna. And the police officer was informed by the constables that "These Hindus are chanting 'Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.' " The police officer asked him, "Then why you are chanting Hare Krsna?" By imitating, they became practiced to chant Hare Krsna. It is so nice, even joking, symbolic. Sanketyam parihasyam stobham. Or prema. Helanam eva va. Without any care, "Hare Krsna," any way, if you chant Hare Krsna, then vaikuntha-nama grahanam asesa agha-haram. Agha. Agha means sinful activities.

So nice thing, Hare Krsna movement, some way or other, if we can take it very seriously, then our life will be succesful at the end of life if we can chant. Therefore Yamunacarya says... Not Yamunacarya; Kulasekhara Maharaja. He was also emperor.

krsna tvadiya-pada-pankaja-panjarantam
adyaiva visatu me manasa-raja-hamsah
prana-prayana-samaye kapha vata pittaih
kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te
 [MM 33]

He is praying, "My Lord, now I am healthy. I am quite conscious. So this time, if I absorb my mind in Your lotus feet and die, it is very good. It is very good because in the natural time of death, the three elements -- kapha, vata -- they'll be dismantled, and there will be different sounds, and mind will be distracted. Brain will be falling. So hardly there is possibility of chanting Your holy name. The best thing is: now I am feeling healthy. My whole system, physical system, is quite fit. Let me chant and die immediately." This is desire of the devotee.

So we should keep ourself... Krsna is also very kind. If you chant seriously, without offense, even the mental condition at the time of death is disordered, Krsna will help you how to chant without any offense. So we must... The only qualification is that we must be very sincere. Even by symbolic chanting, by joking, if one can get the benefit, why not do it carefully? Why not do it carefully? What is the wrong there? Be serious and chant Hare Krsna very carefully in order to get success of life at the time of death.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975

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