"Somehow or Other...Establish Your Personal Relationship With Krsna"
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Pradyumna: (reading:) "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Sri
Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the
reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or
passive adoration; servitorship; friendship; parenthood; conjugal love; comedy;
compassion; fear; chivalry; ghastliness; wonder; and devastation. He is the
supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive
features, He has captivated all the gopis, headed by Taraka, Palika, Syama,
Lalita and, ultimately, Srimati Radharani. Let His Lordship's grace be on
us..."
Prabhupada: Krsna is the reservoir of all rasas. Rasa is a very peculiar word. Rasa, it may be translated into English as "taste," as "mellow," or as "humor." So our relationship with Krsna, there is some taste. Without taste, we cannot continue our relationship with anyone. There must be some taste. So these rasas, or tastes, are twelve kinds. Primary rasa is the relationship between inert things and our... Just like I am sitting on this chair. So the comfort I am feeling, that is the rasa, taste. We want very nice cushion, sitting position. So that tasting, that "I am now comfortably seated," this is called santa-rasa. Then above the santa-rasa, there is dasya-rasa. Dasya-rasa... Just like my students, my disciples, they want to serve me, and I want to take service from them. This is also an exchange of rasa, a taste. Santa, dasya. Similarly, next advanced stage is sakhya-rasa. Sakhya means friendship. Just like one is serving somebody, but if that service is very intimate, then there is the rasa of friendship, dasa, sakhya-rasa. And when that is advanced... (feedback) (aside:) What is this sound? When that is advanced, it becomes vatsalya-rasa. Vatsalya-rasa means the taste of relationship between parents and the children. These are advanced. Santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, and then vatsalya-rasa, parenthood, filial love. And above this, there is madhurya-rasa. Madhurya-rasa means the taste between husband and wife, lover and the beloved. That is called madhurya-rasa. Similarly... These are the primary rasas. (aside:) The draft is coming this side, or...? It is open.
Syamasundara: I'm just closing it because the noise from outside is coming in.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Syamasundara: Just closing the doors because the wind was blowing through them.
Prabhupada: No, wind is coming from this side.
Others: No. No, from this side.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Indian man: The door is half-closed.
Indian man (2): Yes, yes. Close it. One of you close it. That's better.
Prabhupada: Hmm. So our relationship with Krsna, or God, there are different rasas. These are the primary rasas. And there are secondary, indirect rasas. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa wants to kill Krsna. That is also another rasa. So what are the rasas, indirect rasas? Just read.
Pradyumna: "...which are called neutrality, servitorship..." Oh, indirect. "Comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry..."
Prabhupada: Eh? What is that?
Pradyumna: Uh, comedy.
Prabhupada: Comedy, hasya-rasa, creating a situation that everyone will laugh. That is also rasa. Hasya-rasa. Then?
Pradyumna: Compassion.
Prabhupada: Compassion. Suppose you find some poor man lying on the street. You feel compassionate. That is also another rasa, compassion rasa. Then?
Pradyumna: Fear.
Prabhupada: Fear. Suppose if you find a tiger or a something ghostly, you become afraid. That is also rasa. Then?
Pradyumna: Chivalry.
Prabhupada: Chivalry. Suppose you are fighting with an enemy. You are defeating him, you are killing him. That is also another rasa. Then?
Pradyumna: Ghastliness.
Prabhupada: Ghastliness. That means after killing somebody... Just like a butcher. The butcher is enjoying by killing. Ghastly. Just like the hunter was killing every animal. He was also enjoying some rasa. Then?
Pradyumna: Wonder.
Prabhupada: Wonder. You see something which is very wonderful, astonishing, that is also rasa. In this way, according to sastra, there are twelve rasas -- five primary and seven secondary. But all these rasas are there in Krsna. Therefore Krsna is called Akhila rasamrta-sindhu. Akhila rasamrta. You can enjoy, you can have contact with Krsna with any of these rasas; therefore He's called Akhila... We have written a small book, Krsna, the Reservoir of All Pleasure. Ghastly or wondrous rasas or chivalrous rasas, although they are not exactly like the five primary rasas, conjugal love, paternal affection, friendly love... Just like Bhisma. Bhismadeva was enjoying the chivalry rasas when he decided that "This day, I must kill Arjuna. Either Krsna will have to break His promise..." Krsna promised that He'd not take any weapon in the battle; He should remain neutral. Because both sides, they were relatives. So it is not good to take part partially in one party and neglect other. Of course, it was divided... Krsna divided Himself, His soldiers, one side, and Krsna, one side. He said, Duryodhana and Arjuna, that "I shall remain neutral, but I am dividing My strength in this way. One side, I am, and one side, My soldiers." So Duryodhana thought that "What shall I do with Krsna? Better take His soldiers." So he took the soldiers in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. And Arjuna said that "I want You." Just like the same thing happened in general politics also. When Gandhi started the movement, noncooperation movement, so he selected some very big men of India, big, big lawyers like C. R. Das, Motilal Nehru. So C. R. Das, at that time, about fifty years ago, he was earning about fifty thousand rupees per month by his legal practice. He said that "Gandhiji, you take all my money, but let me practice. Don't ask me to boycott the British court." But that was on the, one of the programs. So Gandhiji said, "No, I don't want your money. I want you." And actually that was very effective. So similarly Arjuna also decided that "I don't want Your soldiers. I want You." So these are different rasas.
So the fact is, the idea is that you can make your relationship with Krsna with any kinds of rasas. Because beyond these twelve rasas, there is no other rasa. There are... These twelve rasas is complete: five primary and seven secondary. Direct and indirect. Therefore our Gosvamis' instruction is that you establish your relationship with Krsna. Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. Somehow or other, you establish, you fix up your mind in Krsna. Just like Kamsa. He fixed up his mind on Krsna how to kill Him. He was always thinking... He was also Krsna conscious, that... But he was thinking, "As soon as Krsna will take birth, I shall immediately kill Him." And he was anxious, "Whether He is born, whether He's born, whether He's born?" So when his sister, Devaki, was pregnant, he was thinking of the pregnant..., Krsna, within the womb, "When He will take birth, when He will take birth, when He will take birth?" That was... That was also Krsna consciousness, but that kind of Krsna consciousness is not bhakti. The indirect Krsna consciousness, that is not bhakti. That is attachment for Krsna. That will also give benefit. Just like Kamsa and other enemies of Krsna, who were killed by Krsna, they got immediately salvation, immediately got salvation.
So the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami teaches that even if you be attached to Krsna in adverse condition, in opposite condition, that is also good, because Krsna is there. The example can be given in a different way: just like sandalwood. Sandalwood, you rub it, in any way, standing or horizontal, in this way, the pulp will come out and it will give you comfort, it will give you relief. Similarly, you make your contact with Krsna anukulyena... Especially it is recommended: anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167], favorably. That is surrender. Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyam vivarjanam. Surrender means to accept Krsna favorably in five rasas. You serve Him in santa-rasa. You serve Him in dasya-rasa, in sakhya-rasa. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Krsna in sakhya-rasa, as friend. Sakhyam atma-nivedanam. There are nine different processes of devotional service:
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
There are nine different processes. So you can adopt either all the nine processes, as Ambarisa Maharaja accepted all the nine processes: Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane [SB 9.4.18]. So we can do that. Or eight. Or seven. Or six. Or five. Or four. At least one. At least one. Some way or other, become connected with Krsna. Just like sri-visnoh sravane pariksit. Pariksit Maharaja, he simply listened about Krsna. That's all. At the last stage of his life, he was given seven days' life, that "After seven days, you'll die." So he took the full opportunity of seven days, and he simply listened to Pariksit Maharaja. That's all. Uh, to Sukadeva Gosvami. Sri-visnoh sravane pariksid abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. And Sukadeva Gosvami, he simply narrated about Krsna, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is Krsna-katha. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is, yare dekha, yare dekha tare kaha krsna upadesa. This is the mission.
amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa
yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]
So the Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so kind that He wants to send gurus all over the world.
prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
That is His mission. He wants that "All over the world, as many villages and towns are there, everywhere this, My mission must be spread." And who will do it? That is also, He gave instruction:
bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara paropakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
This is India's mission. India's mission is that janma sarthaka kari': "Just make your life successful, and spread this knowledge all over the world." This is India's mission. India's mission is not to imitate technology and work like ass day and night. This is not India's business. Indians are not meant for this purpose. Those who have taken birth in Bharatavarsa, they are not ordinary human beings. Naturally, they are Krsna conscious. Unnaturally they are being forced to be otherwise. Therefore it is misadjustment. It is not taking place. If you, even in this age, in this city, big city, oh, as soon as there is some religious meeting, thousands and lakhs of people gather. Why? They are meant for this purpose. Artificially, they are being withdrawn. "Don't think of Krsna. Don't think of religion." Most artificial. Therefore there is fight. There is always fight. Now Andhra is fighting Telinga(?). Telinga is fighting this way. No peace. India, such a peaceful land. Here, we are killing cows. They are killing animals. You are fighting. You are doing so many sinful activities artificially. This is not our business. Our business is different. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara, janma sarthaka kari [Cc. Adi 9.41]'. Here you have got the advantages to fulfill the mission of life. Janma-sarthaka kari'. Here is Bhagavad-gita. Here is Vedas. Here is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Here is Krsna. Here is Lord Ramacandra. Here is Vyasadeva. And we are going to learn technology? How much degraded we have become, just consider. The, our mission should be, first of all, we must assimilate all the knowledge given by all the great saintly persons -- Krsna and others -- and distribute this knowledge all over the world. And the whole world is also expecting like that. Therefore as soon as the so-called rascal swami goes there, and they immediately gather: "Here is one swami from India. We may get something." But they are cheating. They are cheating and taking money and having illicit sex, and enjoying and coming back. Therefore they could not do anything. But the whole world is waiting for India's culture, India's bhakti, India's spiritual knowledge. Just see the example. Why they have left their fathers' property, their opulence of country, and they are after me? I am a poor man. Only this reason, that they're hankering. And we have got the commodity to deliver to them. This business should be done from India's part. If we want to imitate them, then we create another havoc. That we are doing so. Now we have made secular state, killing state. One cow was attempted to be killed. Maharaja Pariksit immediately took his sword: "Who are you? You are killing cow in my kingdom?" And they are ten thousand or forty thousand cows are being killed, and you want to become happy by plan-making? Simply rascaldom. India, you cannot do it. India's business is different. That you have forgotten. We are simply trying. That there is Bengali, nice song: apana dhana vilaye viye viksa mage pare tache (?). We have thrown away our own culture, and we are begging from others, "Give me, sir, this. Give me, sir, this. Give me, sir, this." Most abominable condition. Just try to understand. India... This is the order of Krsna, Gaura Krsna -- Krsna's also order that anyone who is preaching this Bhagavad-gita, na ca tasmat manusyesu kascit me priya-krttamah. "Nobody's dearer than him to Me."
So this Bhagavad-gita should be taken as it is. One should assimilate. The Indian people, those who are... As Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Those who are actually human beings, not cats and dogs, for them, this is the duty. The duty is to assimilate. What is our asset? Our asset is spiritual asset. Now we are giving up. Bhagavad-gita's not allowed to be instructed in the schools and colleges. How much degraded we are! And we are becoming very proud of our advancement of civilization, material assets. This is simply... Mayayapahrta-jnana. These are described as mayayapahrta-jnana. There is school, college, not only in India, everywhere, all over the world, they... Actually there is no jnana, knowledge. They're all fools and rascals. We can clearly declare -- it may not be very palatable -- the whole world is full of rascals and rogues. That's all. How we can say? Now we can say it from the text of the Bhagavad-gita. What is that?
na mam prapadyante mudhah
duskrtina naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuri-bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]
Na mam prapadyante. As soon as we see a person who is not a surrendered soul to Krsna or God, then what he is? He is duskrtinah, full of sinful activities. Anyone who does not surrender to God, or Krsna, he is, what he is? He must be either of these groups: duskrtinah, always sinful; mudha, rascal, asses; na mam duskrtino mudhah naradhamah [Bg. 7.15], lowest of the mankind; and mayayapahrta-jnana. If you say, "There are so many educated persons. They're not surrendering to Krsna, or God. They're godless. So they have no value?" No, no value, actually, because their actual knowledge has been taken away. Mayayapahrta-jnana. Why? Asuri-bhavam asritah. Because they're following the philosophy of atheism. That's all. This is the root cause.
So Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, this Nectar of Devotion, is giving us the hint that after all, you want to enjoy life. That is your purpose. Actually, everyone's mission is that. But you cannot enjoy. As soon as there is question of enjoyment, there must be other party. You cannot enjoy alone. That is not possible. There must be other party. So you enjoy your life with Krsna -- either in sakhya-rasa or dasya-rasa or vatsalya-rasa or ghastly rasa. Just like Bhismadeva: he enjoyed Krsna's association by ghastly rasa. As I was going to explain, that he decided to kill Arjuna with two propositions that "Either this day I shall kill Arjuna, or Krsna has to break His promise and, to save His friend." That was his promise. So when Bhismadeva was trying to kill Arjuna, his ratha, his chariot became shattered and Arjuna fell down. So when Krsna saw, "Now Krsna..., Arjuna is going to die," so immediately He took one wheel of the chariot and immediately appeared before Bhismadeva: "Stop fighting; otherwise, I am going to kill you." So immediately Bhismadeva gave up his weapons. So this is not breaking His promise, but this is another rasa, that Krsna wanted to show Bhisma that "You wanted to break My promise. Now see, I am..., I have broken My promise. Are you all right?" (laughter) He wanted to please His devotee. That's all. Otherwise Krsna could kill many millions of Bhisma, standing there only. But He came before him that "You wanted to break My promise. Now you see, I have broken My promise. But I have not taken My disc. Then this wheel I have taken. Please stop." So immediately he gave up his weapons. But when Bhisma was piercing the body of Krsna with arrows, he was coming..., he did not spare even Krsna, his charioteer. He pierced the body of Arjuna as well as Krsna. And there was bleeding. So Bhisma, at the last stage of his life, in sarasvajya (?), he was thinking of Krsna, how He was coming forward before Bhisma in bleeding condition. This is ghastly rasa. This is ghastly rasa. We want to see Krsna dancing, or we want to offer Krsna flower -- this is also one rasa. But Bhisma was also seeing Krsna in another rasa. You'll find the Bhisma's prayers to Krsna in his sarasvajya state while he was lying on the bed of arrows; in Bhagavata, you'll find. So this is also another rasa. These things have been explained by great commentators, how this is also very pleasing to Krsna. Bhisma was piercing His body; the blood was coming out. Still how it is pleasing? So that has been explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti that when a lover is kissing and biting, that is also pleasure. The biting also pleas... Although blood is coming out, that biting is also plea..., very pleasing. This has been explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti. These things are possible.
So try to establish your relationship with Krsna in any way, and that is the instruction of Rupa Gosvami. So any way you es... Because you cannot enjoy life beyond these twelve rasas. The, all the twelve rasas you can find. Raso vai sah. This is the Vedic instruction. Raso vai sah labdhanandi bhagavan. So you just contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead in exchange of any kind of rasa; you'll feel pleasure. That is only... You want pleasure. You want pleasure. The whole life, everyone is working so hard. Why? He wants some pleasure of life. But that pleasure you cannot have like dacoit, damn dogs and hogs. Don't try to take pleasure in the material world. Just as the hog is also enjoying pleasure by eating stool, that kind of pleasure will not make happy. It may be happy for the particular body, but actually it is not happiness. If you want happiness, then you have to establish your relationship with Krsna in, by any of these rasas. Then you'll be, feel happy. Therefore Bhagavata instructs,
nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke
kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyed
sattva yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam
[SB 5.5.1]
This is the instruction, that "Don't try to get happiness like the dogs and hogs." That is not actual happiness. That will simply entangle you. Just like I am now human being. Due to my material rasas, because I want to enjoy material rasas... Because enjoyment means sense gratification.
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir...
[Bg. 3.42]
So we are trying to enjoy life first of all gross enjoyment with these material senses, and subtle enjoyment with mind, intelligence. But you have to go, transcend. Raso vai sah. If you are want real happiness, then, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriya grahyam [Bg. 6.21]. Atindriya. We have to purify these indriyas, the senses and... That is called tapasya. Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. By tapasya, by taking little austerity, by tapasya... Tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyed. At present, our sattva, this existence, this is not suddha. This is not pure. Therefore we have to undergo the tribulation of material nature. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. But we don't want this. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-
So if you want real happiness, then you have to take the real method. That is Krsna consciousness movement. It is not a bluff. It is most scientific. You are... Your aim of life is how to become happy, but you do not know how to become happy. You are under the illusion. You are thinking that "This thing will give me happiness. That thing will give me happiness." No. And what is that happiness? Happiness, that is explained here: in twelve rasas. So you accept these twelve rasas in exchange of your affairs with Krsna. Then you'll be happy.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion --
Bombay, January 7, 1973
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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