Prabhupada: ...yajno danam tapas
caiva pavanani manisinam. There are four stages of spiritual life. The
brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. For brahmacari, yajna. Yajna
means to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Varnasramacaravata purusena
parah puman, visnur aradhyate [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. The whole
scheme...
(aside:) I thinking I am feeling very hot. I have to take off... In another place it is said, yajnarthat karmanah anyatra karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. (Prabhupada's clothing is being taken off; it sounds like his sweater.) That's all right. That's all right. Keep it now.
So brahmacari, in the beginning of life... Brahmacari means beginning of life, student life. They must be trained up how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the first training. The brahmacari is trained up to rise early in the morning and offers fire sacrifice, then studies of Vedas, then sankirtana. There are so many routine work for brahmacari. So this must be executed. And for grhastha-dana, charity. Grhastha must be prepared or trained up to give charity. And who will accept the charity? The charity will be accepted by the brahmacari and sannyasa. Not the vanaprastha. Brahmacari will accept charity on behalf of the spiritual master. And a sannyasi will accept charity only for his maintenance. That's all. The grhastha cannot accept charity. But a grhastha-brahmana, he can accept charity, but he will not, I mean to say, accumulate money by taking charity. Whatever he gets, he must spend. Then dana-pratigraha. Pratigraha means accept. But he cannot keep in bank a bank balance. He must, whatever extra he has got, he must immediately give in charity. Then he can accept, a grhastha-brahmana, accept charity. There is a proverb in Bengali, that "A brahmana, even if he gets one lakh of rupees, one hundred thousands of rupees, still he is a beggar." Because he will not keep it. He will not keep it for... He will immediately distribute it in charity. Therefore he is called in Bengali lakh take baundigi. (?) It doesn't matter he gets one lakh of rupees contribution, but still he remains a beggar. Because immediately he will distribute. So these things are very important things. Yajna-dana-tapah. And for sannyasi and vanaprastha-tapasya. Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. Tapasya means accepting voluntarily all kinds of inconveniences, voluntarily.
Now, the material activities are that we are trying to avoid inconveniences. Material life is. But spiritual life means to execute tapasya, austerity, penance, even at the risk of all inconvenience. This is called tapasya. So Krsna says, yajna-dana-tapah, karyam na tyajyam. You can give up your family life, but you cannot give up this yajna-dana-tapah. That you cannot, at any circumstances. These things must be continued. Yajna-dana-tapah na tyajyam karyam eva tat. Karyam means "must," "you must perform." The Mayavadi sannyasis, karma-tyagi, they do not work. Their principle is always study Vedanta philosophy, and whatever they require, a little, they will beg, taking alms from grhasthas, and live and follow the strictly the principles of austerity. They are very strict. Those who are really Mayavadi sannyasi, not false, they follow strictly three times taking bathing. Even in severest cold they must. They lie down on the floor and always read Vedanta and Sankhya philosophy. But in spite of all these austerities, they do not approve the worship of Deity, the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they are impersonalist, they do not worship.
So sastra says that ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah: [SB 10.2.32] "So these people, although they are thinking of themself as liberated, they have become liberated..." The Mayavadi sannyasis address amongst themselves: namo narayana. "Namo narayana" means every one of them has become a Narayana. This is their philosophy. And from this namo narayana principle, Vivekananda Swami has manufactured the word "daridra-narayana." So Narayana has become very cheap thing for them. Everyone has become Narayana; everyone has become God. Just like the rascal God is now in the hospital. God is under operation. (laughter) A "guruji" God. So they have no shame even that "If I am God, I cannot cure my bodily pains, what kind of God I am?" But these rascals will proclaim that they are God, and there is set of rascals, they will accept, "Oh, here is God." Vivekananda also said that "Why you are finding out God? Don't you see, so many gods are loitering in the street?" So God has become a funny thing for them. No. We do not accept such God. Our God is different. Our God is:
yas tu narayanam devam
brahma-rudradi-daivataih
samatvenaiva vikseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
[Cc. Madhya 18.116]
Our Narayana -- that is real Narayana, exalted -- we cannot even compare with that supreme Narayana with such demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, what to speak of these rascals. Yas tu narayanam devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih, samatvena vikseta. Any person, rascal, if he thinks that Narayana is equal to Lord Brahma or Lord Siva... There are Mayavadis. They say "Any demigod is as good as Visnu. You can worship any demigod. It doesn't matter. You..." Because their ultimate understanding is that the Absolute Truth is impersonal, and you can imagine any form. It doesn't matter. You ultimately reach that impersonal, merge into the impersonal.
This is their philosophy. But that is not the fact. The ultimate issue of the Absolute Truth is Krsna, Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: first of all impersonal Brahman, then localized Paramatma, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. The Absolute Truth is described as Bhagavan, and there are many expansions of Bhagavan. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rupam. Krsna has expansion, millions and trillions. Just like as Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Not only He resides in everyone's heart, but in every atom also. Andantara-stha-paramanu-
So that is the conception of Krsna. So unless you, from the very beginning you practice yajna, or if you are a grhastha, give in charity, and when you take sannyasa, you undergo tapasya, how you will understand this philosophy? It is not possible. In the Kali-yuga, however, this yajna is not possible. As there are ritualistic yajna, sacrifice as recommended in the Vedas, that is not possible. It is very expensive. You have to acquire so much ghee and grains and so many other things. Feed so many, daily, people. It is very difficult task to perform the ritualistic yajna. Therefore Krsna has made easy. What is that? Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah. That is recommended in Srimad-Bhagavatam:
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
This is the process of performing yajnas. Yajna-dana-tapah. What is that yajna? Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. Krsna-varnam. Varna means category. Just like brahmana-varna, catur-varna. Varna means class. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. As Krsna said. So krsna-varnam: in the category of Krsna. So krsna-varna. Or "One who is describing Krsna," varnayati. Krsnam varnayati iti krsna, iti krsna-varna. Either belonging to the category of Krsna... He is not belonging to the category of the jiva soul. He belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, krsna-varna. Or chanting always the holy name of Krsna. Krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam. Means He is Krsna... Because He belongs to the category of Krsna, therefore He is Krsna. But we have got conception, Krsna is blackish. Yes, that's a fact. Asitambuda-sundarangam. Asita. Asita means black. Asitambuda. So black cloud. Ambuda means cloud. Asitambuda-sundarangam. His complexion is like blackish cloud, but very, very, very, very beautiful. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniyam. He is so beautiful that many millions of Cupid cannot be compared with Him, although He is black. So here the same Krsna, krsna-varnam, although He belongs to the same category of Krsna, tvisa, by complexion, akrsna. Akrsna. Akrsna means "not Krsna." So it may be any other color. It may be... There are so many colors.
So akrsna. He's not krsna, not blackish. So there may be... But no. There are fixed colors for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sukla, suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah. When Krsna was born at Nanda Maharaja's place, or Krsna appeared then,... So according to Vedic system there is jata-karma. As soon as child is born, immediately horoscope is made and according to horoscope his name is given. There are dasa-karma. Dasa-karma. So one of these is at the birth, that before the child is begotten, there is one samskara, garbhadhana-samskara. Similarly, after the child is born, then another samskara, jata-karma-samskara. So there are so many samskaras. Samskarad bhaved dvijah: By following the samskara, purificatory process, one becomes brahmana. The upanayana-samskara, the sacred thread samskara. So when Krsna was having the jata-karma-samskara by Gargamuni, the priest of Vasudeva... He was sent to Nanda Maharaja to perform the Krsna's jata-karma. So he was a learned astrologer. He said, "Nanda Maharaja, your this son formerly had three other colors: suklo raktas tatha pita. He was of white color, He was of red color, He was of yellow color." Idanim krsnatam gatah. "Now He has appeared in blackish color." Idanim krsnatam gatah. So krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam [SB 11.5.32]. Tvisa means by complexion He is not black. Then He must be either of the three-white, red and yellow.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's color is yellowish golden color. Therefore it is said, "He is Krsna, but now He has appeared in golden complexion." Krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam. And sangopangastra-parsadam. "He is always surrounded by His associates." Anga, upanga. Anga means personal, and upanga means expansion of the expansion, which is called kala. The first expansion is called avatara, and when there is another avatara from avatara, that is called kala. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. Very scientific analysis in the sastra. Not that any rascal comes, "I am God." This is not acceptable. We have to understand sastra-vidhi, as sastra it is said. So about Sri Cai... Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so many rascals have imitated: "Well, this Nimai Pandita, if He can become avatara, then why not Gadadhara Pandita?" This Ramakrishna, his name was Gadadhar Chatterjee. So he was also imitation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Where is the reference in the sastra? So far Caitanya Mahaprabhu is concerned, there are so many innumerable references, in Mahabharata, in Bhagavata, in Purana, in Upanisad. Therefore we accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not by rascal's vote that "Let us vote this man is God; then he becomes." So krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam [SB 11.5.32]. He associated with other devotees -- Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, then Gadadhara Prabhu and Srinivasa. Sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. Whenever Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present, there are so many devotees. Gaura-bhakta-vrnda. So sangopangastra-parsadam. This is the incarnation of Kali.
So yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Those who have got brain substance, not dull, filled up with cow dung, they cannot understand what is the sankirtana-yajna. But sastra says, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah: "Those who have got nice brain substance, they can perform this yajna, sankirtana-yajna." Then it fulfills the injunction of the Bhagavad-gita, yajna-dana-tapah-karma. So for this sankirtana movement, sankirtana-yajna, in this age, before the Deity of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and associated (with) Nityananda, Advaita, others... If not all, at least Nityananda or Gadadhara. Gaura-Gadadhara or Gaura-Nityananda, or all of them, five. Sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda. You have got Panca-tattva? No picture here? It was there.
Devotee: When... Revatinandana Swami takes with him travelling.
Prabhupada: Oh, all right. So Gaura-Nityananda is here. That's all right. So this is the yajna. So yajna-dana-tapah-karma na tyajyam. You cannot give up in any stage of life, but because the yajnas mentioned in the Vedas it is not possible to perform in this age Kali-yuga because they are mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. In this age people may advertise themselves they are making very good progress. They are all unfortunate, disturbed. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah. Manda-bhagyah means unfortunate. And upadrutah, always disturbed. This is the position of the people in this age. How they can perform the Vedic ritualistic ceremony? It is not possible. So this is the yajna. So yajnaih sankirtanaih, you keep Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and perform yajna, the sankirtana-yajna before Him, and you become all perfect. So easy. So easy. Because you cannot give up yajna. But in this age, Kali-yuga, people are so unfortunate, so rubbish, that it is not possible to perform the Vedic ritualistic yajna. That is not possible. Therefore Krsna has given you the opportunity that you can perform. Kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih [SB 12.3.52]. Makha means yajna. That was performed in the Treta-yuga. And in the Satya-yuga, meditation. In the Dvapara-yuga, Deity worship. Kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. In the Kali-yuga, simply by kirtanad eva krsnasya [SB 12.3.51]. And this is the sastra's injunction.
So I am very pleased that you are keeping this center nicely in our own standard by performing yajna, by sankirtana, and today is Radhastami. You perform. Our yajna is sankirtana, and Srimati Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krsna. Radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau, sri-caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam [Cc. Adi 1.5]. When Krsna... Krsna is one. Ekam advitiyam. But eko bahu syat. He can expand Himself. So when He wants to enjoy, so the pleasure potency is manifested from His personal body. That pleasure potency is Radharani. Radharani is not ordinary living entity. Radharani is Krsna's personal pleasure potency. Hladini-sakti.
So just today is the appearance day of hladini-sakti. So if you want to please Krsna... Because our business is to please Krsna. Hari-tosanam. Our this movement is hari-tosanam. Samsiddhir hari-tosanam. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Varnasrama-vibhagasah. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Not only our. This is the aim. In the Bhagavad-gita it is also said, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. The whole Vedic literature is meant for searching out Krsna and to satisfy. So Krsna personally comes to give you the information. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam: [Bg. 18.66] "You rascal, you give up all these engagements. Simply you surrender unto Me."
And what about other demigods? There are so many demigods. What we have to do? Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah [Bg. 7.20]. "This demigod is worshiped by persons who have lost all intelligence." Hrta-jnana. Hrta-jnana means nasta-buddhayah, one who has lost of the intelligence. There is no need. Simply mam ekam. That is the instruction of Bhagavad... That is the sastra instruction. Visnur aradhyate pantha nanyat tat-tosa-karanam. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti. This is Rg Veda mantra. Actual aim of life is to satisfy Lord Visnu, and Krsna is the origin of visnu-tattva. And He is pleased through Radharani. Therefore we don't keep Krsna alone. No. Radha-Krsna. First Radharani. So that day is today. First you have to worship Radharani. If you go through Radharani...
Therefore in Vrndavana you will see all devotees, they will address one another, "Jaya Radhe." Still. Because they know that "If Radharani is pleased, if I can please Radharani..." Radharani is presented, the original pleasure potency, always absorbed in thought of Krsna. So anyone who comes before Radharani to serve Krsna, oh, She becomes so pleased, "Oh, here is a devotee of Krsna." She immediately recommends, "Krsna, oh, here is a devotee. He is better than Me." This is Radharani. I may be a, not devotee. I may be most fallen rascal. But if I try to reach Krsna through Radharani, then my business is successful. Therefore we should worship Radharani first. That is our business. Instead of offering directly one flower to Krsna, you just put it in the hands of Radharani: "My mother Radharani, Jagan-mata, if you kindly take this flower and offer it to Krsna." "Oh," Radharani says, "Oh, you have brought a flower?" Krsna said, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26], but don't try to offer Krsna directly. Just offer through Radharani. It will be very much appreciated by Radharani.
So this is our philosophy, to please Krsna through Radharani, and just today is the auspicious day of Radharani appearance. So we should offer puspanjali and pray to Radharani that "Radharani, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Krsna. To Your Krsna. Krsna is Yours." Krsna, Radha-Krsna. Krsna is not independent. Krsna is Radharani's property. So you have to approach Krsna through Radharani. That is, today is the auspicious day. Worship Radharani very nicely and be happy.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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