Dayananda: Translation: "Prahlada
Maharaja continued to offer his prayer as follows: How is it possible to offer
suitable prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by me, who is born into
the family of asuras, because all the demigods and saintly persons could not
satisfy Him till now, although such persons are exalted, very qualified, in the
mode of goodness. Then what to speak of me? I am not at all
qualified."
Prabhupada:
prahrada uvaca
brahmadayah sura-gana munayo 'tha siddhah
sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaih
naradhitum puru-gunair adhunapi pipruh
kim tostum arhati sa me harir ugra-jateh
[SB 7.9.8]
Ugra-jateh. Ugra-jateh, just like in Europe and America, we see, they are very much fond of ugra-karma, just like big, big factories, big, big bridges, wonderful. Long, long ago when the Britishers came here, they constructed big, big bridges, railway line. People thought, "It is wonderful." There is a song composed in Bihar. So when the Calcutta, the floating bridge made of wood, wooden bridge, floating bridge was constructed, connected Calcutta proper and Howrah, so there was big, wonderful song: ki apana banaylay sahat campani (?). There is song, ki apana banaylay sahat campani upara me ami cale, and..., just like that, niche me pani (?).
So this ugra-karma, formerly this ugra-karma was entrusted to the demons. Those who were in the sattva-guna, they do not like this ugra-karma. Sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Rajas-tamo-bhavah [SB 1.2.19]. The... Those who are under the control of rajo-guna and tamo-guna, they are engaged in ugra-karma, ugra-karma: industrial enterprise, big, big roads, big, big skyscraper. This is called ugra-karma. So ugra-karma is very pleasing to the ugra-jatis (just like) Hiranyakasipu. What was the trouble between the father and the son? The father was for ugra-karma, and the son, Prahlada, was for sattvika life. So when Prahlada Maharaja engaged himself in sattvika life, not only sattvika, suddha-sattvika... In the material world there are three gunas: sattvika, rajasika, tamasika. The sattvika is the best. So, and devotional activity is suddha-sattvika, where there is no contamination. In the material world, sattvika, a person who is a brahmana, he may be contaminated by tamo-guna and rajo-guna. Just like Ajamila. He was the son of a brahmana, and he was executing the brahmacarya regulation very nicely, but he became infected with rajo-guna and tamo-guna, became attached to a prostitute and left everything, all brahminical qualification, and he became a rogue, thief, cheater, drunkard, woman-hunter, so on. There are many instances. And Jagai-Madhai, they were born of very good brahmana family, rich family, but with bad association they became drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater. Now these things have become common thing. Avaidha-stri-sanga, illicit connection with woman, and meat-eating and drinking, it has become a daily fashion. But formerly, at least five hundred years ago, these things were accepted as most abominable. So just like here, our Jagai-Madhai. Jagai-Madhai, they were zamindars and born of brahmana family, but because by bad association they became drunkard, gamblers and woman-hunters, they were condemned. They were taken as papi, sinful. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is to rescue them. That is the song by Narottama dasa Thakura: vrajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta hoilo sei, balarama hoilo nitai, papi tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo, tare saksi jagai and madhai. Everyone wants evidence that how Caitanya Mahaprabhu delivered papi tapi. Now, here is the instance. Tare saksi jagai and madhai. So Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that it can deliver the Jagai and Madhai, ugra-karma. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He began this. Papi tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo. Now this same flow is going on in this Krsna consciousness movement. So ugra-karma.
So Prahlada Maharaja is considering himself born of a father, Hiranyakasipu, as ugra-karma. So he's saying, harir ugra-jateh, that the... Brahmadayah sura-gana, "Lord Brahma and other demigods, they are coming from the higher planetary system, and they are in the sattvika guna, sattva-guna. They are not ordinary person." Just like coming from some pious pilgrimage, he's supposed to be very nice man, similarly, brahmadayah, they are coming from svarga-loka. Why svarga-loka is better than this loka? The thing is, in the svarga-loka, although they are attached to material enjoyment, still, they are great devotees. Therefore svarga-loka is praised. They are not like us. Here, those who are attached to material prosperity, they forget Krsna, or God.
bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam
tayapahrta-cetasam
vyavasayatmika-buddhih
samadhau nadhigacchati
[Bg. 2.44]
Those who are too much attached for material enjoyment, they do not become attracted to Krsna consciousness. That is natural. So anyway, Prahlada Maharaja was doubting because he was requested by Lord Brahma, "My dear boy, my dear child, we could not pacify His Lordship Nrsimhadeva, but He has appeared for you." Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. "Nrsimhadeva, this wonderful form, is there only for you." Paritranaya. "You are sadhu. For your deliverance Nrsimhadeva has appeared and to kill your sinful father. So business is with your father and yourself. So kindly, you take care of the business. He is very, very angry."
So before that, we have already described, even Laksmiji, he (she) could not go forward. Although she had daily affairs with Narayana, she could not dare to go forward. Brahma, Lord Brahma offered their prayers, other, Lord Siva offered their prayers, but nobody could pacify him. Therefore he is in doubt that "I am born in the family of demons," ugra-karma, ugra-jati. "If Brahma failed, Laksmiji failed, Lord Siva failed to pacify Him, how it is possible by me to pacify the Lord?" That he's doubting. Brahmadayah sura-gana-munayo 'tha siddhah. "All they are exalted persons and siddha." There is a Siddhaloka. In the higher planetary system there is a planet known as Siddhaloka. If there is opportunity, as we are contemplating, we shall show here in Caitanya-candra, er, Mayapura-candrodaya temple. That is our plan, to make a very big temple and to show all the planetary system within that from Srimad-Bhagavatam. It will not be an ordinary temple, so that people from the whole world, they'll come. This is our contemplation. There is a Siddhaloka. We shall show how this planet works, Siddhaloka. From the Siddhaloka the persons who came there, they are called siddhya, siddhya. And in the, on the heavenly planet they are called demigods, devata. Similarly, Siddhaloka... The description of the Siddhaloka is there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Those who have read, they know. The Siddhaloka person, they can go from one planet to another without any machine, aeroplane, Siddhaloka. They can go from one planet to another. This is described. They don't require any machines. Still, like the yogis, those who are perfect yogis, they can go from one place to another without any vehicle. There are many yogis still existing. They take bathing in four dhamas. In Hardwar, in Jagannatha Puri, in Ramesvaram and similarly... Yogis can do that. Yogis, they attain asta-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection: anima, laghima, mahima, prapti, like that, isita, vasita, like that. So the Siddhaloka means they are born siddhas. They haven't got to practice this mystic yoga system. Just like a small sparrow: it can fly automatically. Why a small sparrow? Even a small insect. But if you want to fly, you have to create so many big machineries. So in that case, in the matter of flying, the small insect or the small sparrow is siddha. You are trying to fly in the sky with so many jets and 747 Jumbo. But a small fly, it can fly immediately, I mean, two miles within some seconds. So they are siddhas. What you cannot do, if other can do, that is called siddhi. So there is no question of disbelieving. We can see so many small insects, birds. They can fly from one tree to another. You cannot do that. If you have to go from one tree to another, you have to take so many trouble . So it is not to be rejected, "Ah, there cannot be any... This is unbelievable." But we have got this information from the sastras. We are staunch believer: "Yes, there are siddhas." We are believers. That is called theism: one who believes in the statements of sastra.
So there are siddhas. So they also came. Sura-gana, brahmadayaa sura-gana munayah. Muna, muni, great personalities, philosophers, they are called muni, rsi. Devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam [SB 11.5.41]. Very highly intelligent persons, thoughtful persons, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, so they are called also muni. So they came also to satisfy, and not these ordinary munis, but very exalted munis and siddhas from Siddhaloka. There are many lokas, Caranaloka, other. They are all described. So if there is chance, we shall present these lokas, how they are situated, where they are situated, how they are moving, how the sun is moving around them. The sun is not fixed up; sun is moving. So all these things, we have got such dream to show. If there is opportunity, we shall do, the Siddhas, and the sura-ganas and the munayas. But because they are on the planetary system, higher planetary system... There are three planetary systems. One is called higher, urdhvaloka, and middle, madhyaloka, bhur, bhuvah, sva, up to Svargaloka... We are chanting Gayatri, om bhur bhuvah sva tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi. These are praising the lokas, different planetary system, of which the sunlight is the chief. Savitur sakala-grahanam. He is the chief of all planets.
yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
The sun is not fixed up; sun is moving. The modern scientists or astronomers, they say, "Sun is fixed up. The earth is moving." So we don't say that. It is sa... Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. It has got its orbit. So there are so many things to be known still from Vedic literature, it is not yet unfolded, but we are trying. Siddhya...
So, sattvaika. They are sattvaika. They are all. All the inhabitants of the upper planetary system, they are in sattvika-guna, brahminical qualification. They are not mlecchas and yavanas. Brahmanas. Sattvaikatana-gatayo. They are not ordinary. Just like here the sattvika means pure brahmana. Samo damah satyam saucam titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. So most of them are brahmanas or even ksatriyas. Mostly they are brahmanas. So urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. You have seen in the Bhagavad-gita: "Those who are situated in sattva-guna, they are promoted to the higher planetary system after death." Madhye tisthanti rajasah: "And those who are in the rajo-guna, they remain in the middle planetary system." Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah: "And those who are in tamasika, in the darkness, ignorance modes of material nature, they go down to the, down planetary system or animal life." So this is an opportunity, this human form of life, to decide where you want to go. Are you going to hell or heaven or back to home, or back to Godhead? That you have to decide. This is human intelligence, not like working like cats and dogs and dying like cats and dogs. That is not human life. Human life is meant for to decide where you want to go next. By the evolutionary process you have come to this human form of life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. By going through so many, 8,400,000 species of life, you have got this human form of life. Now you decide where you'll go. So where I have to go, how to go, there is that information in the sastra. Sastra-caksusah. See through the sastra where you can go. And the master of the sastra, Krsna, is giving you personally instruction,
urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
[Bg. 14.18]
yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam
[Bg. 9.25]
These informations are there. Why you are missing this opportunity? If you like, you can go to the higher planetary system. If you like, you can go back to home, back to Godhead. Mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam. These informations are there.
So without sattva-guna, if you keep people in the rajo-guna, tamo-guna, then your, their future is lost. Rajo-guna, tamo-guna, means people will become more greedy and lusty, that's all. And greedy and lusty means cats and dogs, animal life. Animal life. They're trying to eat -- no discrimination of eating. So that is hog's life. The hog has no discrimination of eating. It can eat even stool. So the... If you eat, become like hog -- no discrimination of eating, whatever you..., just like so many swamis, they say, "Oh, why there is restriction of eating? You can eat anything you like," so nature will give you: "All right, you want to eat anything you like? All right, you become a hog. You eat even stool." Karmana daiva-netrena jantor dehopapatti [SB 3.31.1]. You have to change your body. Tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muh... [Bg. 2.13]. You may say that there is no life after, but that is foolishness. You are under the control of material nature.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
You may falsely be proud. You say, "No, no, I shall not become old man. I shall remain young." But nature will not allow you. Nature will force you to take the old man's body. But these foolish people, they are thinking, "independent." You are not independent. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Sad-asad, good birth or low-class birth, sad-asad, that is... How it is done? Karanam guna-sango 'sya. As you make association with the gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. If you associate with sattva-guna, then you get sad-janma next life. And if you associate with tamo-guna, then you get tamo-guna life. After death your so much prestigious position, so much proud -- everything will be finished. Then you are completely under the laws of nature and you have to accept a body and..., according to your quality. This is the way. But they do not know. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said that "I am born in ugra-yoni, so how can I offer my prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" But he was born in the ugra family, but he was devotee. He's qualified because a devotee is neither belonging to any of these material qualities.
mam cavyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena yah sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
Anyone who is engaged in devotional service, he does not belong to any of these material qualities. Sa gunan samatityaitan. All these qualities, he is transcendental. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Prahlada Maharaja, although born of a demonic father, he was completely pure. He was completely on the transcendental stage. Therefore he could offer prayers to the Lord; others cannot. So a Vaisnava is very humble. He... Although everyone has admitted that he is on the stage of prema, but he is a Vaisnava. He's thinking that "I am the son of Hiranyakasipu. How I can offer?" This is Vaisnava humbleness. That is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. Adi 17.31]
One has to become humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. Then he can become perfect Vaisnava. Because as soon as you become a Vaisnava, your father will be your enemy. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. What was his fault? Five-years-old boy. Simply he became a Vaisnava, Krsna conscious, and his father became enemy. This is the position.
So Vaisnava has to tolerate in order to make progress in spiritual life so many enemies, Even at home, father will be enemy. So don't be hesitant and don't be agitated by such circumstances. Prahlada Maharaja had to suffer so many things. Still, he remained Krsna conscious, and ultimately he saw Lord Nrsimhadeva and had the privilege of offering prayers. We shall discuss later on.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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