Prabhupada:
kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]
yatha hi purusasyeha
visnoh padopasarpanam
yad esa sarva-bhutanam
priya atmesvarah suhrt
[SB 7.6.2]
I am reciting some verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of Vedic literature. It is said nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. Just like a big tree. What is the essential thing in the big tree? That is the fruit. Suppose a mango tree. Big mango tree. But what we want from the mango tree? The mango. And if the mango is ripened, still, it is very nice. So it is compared, nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam [SB 1.1.3]. Nigama means Vedic literature. Veda, Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vidoh vinte vid vicarane. So vid-dhatu, those who are Sanskrit scholars here, they'll understand. Vid means to know, knowledge. So Vedic literature means to receive knowledge, authoritative knowledge. Not false knowledge. False knowledge, there is difference between false knowledge and authoritative knowledge. So far we are concerned at the present moment, whatever knowledge we are giving or accepting, they are more or less false knowledge. Not authoritative knowledge.
Just like we are studying the outer space, so many scientists are studying. But still they cannot give any perfect information of all the planets. Although we see, actually, we are seeing daily. Take for example the sun planet. We see every morning the sun is there. But actually we do not know what is the sun planet. There are, may be so many theories, but actually, we do not know what is the sun planet. But we can understand from the Vedic literature. The sun planet is as good as this planet. There are also cities, towns, houses, and population, and it is very big. This information we get from the Vedic knowledge. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, Krsna says that, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. "This knowledge of Bhagavad-gita, I spoke first to the sun-god. His name is Vivasvan." Vivasvan manave praha. "And that Vivasvan explained this knowledge to his son Manu." Manur iksvakave 'bravit. "And Manu also explained the same knowledge to his son, Maharaja Iksvaku, King Iksvaku." He's the forefather of the ksatriya dynasty in which Lord Ramacandra appeared. So we get this knowledge from the Vedas, perfectly.
There are so many things, just like the forms of life, how many form of life are there. That is stated in the Vedic knowledge. 8,400.000 species. Jalaja nava-laksani. In the water, there are 900,000 forms of life. It does not say one million or eleven hundred or, no, exactly. Nine hundred. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. Sthavara means the living entities which cannot move. Just like the trees, plants, they are also living entities, but they cannot move. They are called sthavara. Two millions. Now where is the botanist who can give exact information how many plants and trees are there? But you get fully, full information. Sthavara laksa-vimsati krmayo rudra-sankhyakah. This is the evolutionary process, from aquatics to the plant life, then insect life, krmayo. Rudra-sankhyakah. Rudra-sankhyakah means eleven hundred thousand. Paksinam dasa-laksanam. The birds, after insects, the next evolution is to the bird species. So there are one million different species of birds. Paksinam dasa-laksanam. Pasavah trimsal-laksani. Then beast, four-legged beast, animals. There are three millions. And manusah catur-laksani. And then we come to the form of the human being; there are also four hundred thousand species. In this way, altogether there are 8,400,000 species, forms of life.
Now modern botanists and medical men and there are so many people, they are scholars, interested to understand, biologists. But here we get the correct information from the Vedas. Similarly, not only of this information, all departmental knowledge, namely this science, geography, philosophy, religion, sociology, politics, whatever you want, you can learn from the Vedic information. There is perfect information. So it is compared with a tree. So that tree, and the ripened fruit is this Srimad-Bhagavatam. Nigama kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. Galitam phalam idam. A fruit, if you take from the tree, if it is not ripened, you can keep in a store and it gets by temperature... That ripened fruit and the fruit actually ripened in the tree, there is difference in taste. So this Srimad-Bhagavatam is compared as the ripened fruit. Nigama-kalpa taror galitam phalam [SB 1.1.3]. So we have translated this Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is one part, here, you can see. In sixty parts. In the Bhagavatam there are eighteen thousand verses and we are trying to place before you in English translation, and gradually, in other language also. It is being translated in German language, in French language and Spanish. Gradually. Some of our books are being published by Macmillan company, and they are being distributed. What is the name of that?
Hamsaduta: (indistinct)
Prabhupada: So we are selling our books very nicely, and our whole institution is practically financed by this selling of books. Even in Indian parliament, we are supposed to be very, very rich community. So, in India there are persons who are very suspicious of this Hare Krsna movement, and they are surprised how we are maintaining more than one hundred branches all over the world. "Where you get financial help?" So, they think that America has got a, what is, CID department?
Devotees: CIA.
Prabhupada: CIA Department. So they are financing us, America. Just see the foolishness. The CIA department has taken this sankirtana movement. But these rascals are thinking like that; that it is a branch of the CIA Movement. So, being suspicious, some of the rascals raised the question in Parliament in India, that "This community are fabulously rich. So it is understood that they belong to the CIA Department of America. Is it a fact?" It was raised in the Parliament and the question was put before the home member. "So if they are CIA Department, they are pushing on this Hare Krsna movement under the garb, then what is government's information? This is first question. If not, where they are getting so much money spending?" In this way two, three questions were raised. Fortunately the home member was aware of our movement and he replied that "They do not belong to the CIA Department. We do not have any such information and there is no need of any action. And so far their finance is concerned, we understand that they are selling their literatures and public contribution." That is the fact, actually. We are selling our books about, three, more, not less than three thousand dollars daily, and that is giving us our financial help. We have no other means of income. Although we have got expenditure not less than one hundred thousands of dollars per month throughout the whole world.
So anyway, it is our attempt to give you the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge. This is our attempt. This Krsna consciousness movement is just distributing the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge. So Vedic knowledge, the ultimate goal of Vedic knowledge is to know God. Not only Vedic, any scripture, any book of knowledge. So the ultimate goal of knowledge is to know God. If you do not... Because this human form of life is meant for that purpose. That is explained here by Prahlada Maharaja: kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. This Prahlada Maharaja, he was a small boy, five years old. Somehow or other, he was enlightened in Krsna consciousness, and at the age of five years old, he was going to school and he was trying to preach this Krsna consciousness movement in the school. I'm especially reading these verses because it is university, a school for teaching to the students. So Prahlada Maharaja says that this teaching of this learning of Krsna consciousness, should begin from very childhood. Kaumaram. Kaumara means the age between ten years and fifteen years. That is called kaumara. Kaumara acaret prajno. Prajno means one who is intelligent. So from just one child is ten years old, from the age of ten years up to fifteen years, this period must be used especially for understanding Bhagavata-dharma, for understanding what is God. That is Bhagavata-dharma.
Dharma means it is translated into English as "religion." And religion means a kind of faith. But so far the Sanskrit word dharma is there, it does not mean a kind of faith. It is a fact. It is a fact. Faith, you can believe for some time and again you can reject. That is faith. But what is fact, that cannot be changed. Just like water, water is liquid. That is a fact. It is not a kind of faith, it is a fact. You cannot make water solid. As soon as you talk of water, you have got immediate knowledge that it is a liquid thing. Similarly, if you take stone, the quality of stone, it is hard, it is not liquid. If somebody says, "I have brought some liquid stone." Is it possible? No, what is this nonsense. So dharma means that quality which cannot be changed. As soon as you take water, it must be liquid. If... You can say that water sometimes becomes ice, very hard. But that is not the unnatural, uh, natural state. Ice is there, but it is trying to come to the natural state to become again liquid. Again liquid. Because liquidity is the natural stage of water. It cannot be changed. Similarly dharma means, the exact word, Sanskrit, those who are Sanskrit scholars here, they will understand. Dharma means you cannot change. That is not possible. In any circumstances, you cannot change.
So here it is said, kaumaram acaret
prajno dharman. Dharman bhagavata. So dharma, which is generally translated into
English, that is one for everyone. It is not that we are Hindus, somebody else
Christians, somebody else Buddhists, "we have got different faith," "we have got
different faith." What is depending on faith, that is not dharma, that is not
religion. The quality which you cannot change, that is religion. Therefore, the
definition of dharma is given in the Vedic literature: dharmam tu saksad
bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the codes or the laws which is given
by God. This is the simple definition of dharma. Dharmam tu saksad
bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like law. What is that law? Law means the
codes or the order given by the state. That is law. You cannot manufacture law
at home, that "I have manufactured something." So at the present moment the
so-called religion is going on in the name that it is religion but it is
manufactured by some concoction and it is being supported by persons that "You
can manufacture your own religion." No, that you cannot. You cannot manufacture
your own religion. Religion means the codes given by God. Just like law means
the order given by the state. Just like the law is "keep to the right." That is
given, the order is given by the state. You cannot say, that "Now I have made a
law, keep to the left." That is not possible. Nobody will be pleased or nobody
will accept that. So dharma you cannot change.
So Prahlada Maharaja says, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. "My dear friends, from the beginning of your kaumara age, as soon as you are on the age of ten years,"... Of course, he was preaching when he was five years old. Actually, education begins, that is the Indian system, from five years. Up to five years, the children are not bothered with any kind of education. They play and become free. But as soon as he is five years old, he's sent to the school. And actual education begins from tenth year. So Prahlada Maharaja says, "My dear friends, that, you try to be educated in religion, especially in the Bhagavata religion." Bhagavata religion means the Science of God, to understand what is God. So why it is so urgent? That is replied here. Durlabham manusam janma. This human form of life is very rarely obtained.
As I have explained, that, there are 8,400,000 species of life. But unfortunately, there is no proper education how the living entity, what is that living entity and how it is transmigrating from one body to another? Tatha dehantara-praptir. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptir [Bg. 2.13]. Krsna says, the authoritative knowledge, that, as the soul, dehi, the proprietor of the body. We do not know whether I am this body or I am the proprietor of this body. That knowledge is also lacking. Big, big professors, they do not know. I was talking in Moscow, one big professor, Professor Kotofsky, he said: "Swamiji, after this body's finished, everything is finished." This is their knowledge. Blunt knowledge. No, it is not finished. We get from the Vedic literature, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Nityo sasvato yam na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. The soul is eternal. Soul is eternal and soul does not take birth. The body, we get a new body, that is called birth. And when this body is annihilated, that is called death. So birth and death is in reference with the body, not with the soul.
I don't think in any university throughout the whole world there is such educational department where this science is handled. The soul. Whether I am this body or I'm not the body. I am not this body; that is the fact. The example is given. What is that? Dehino asmin dehe, in this body there is the proprietor, the soul. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Within this body, there is proprietor. And he's changing bodies. Just like the same soul in a childhood body, in a boyhood body, in a youth-hood body. Then again in a body like me, an old body. So all the previous bodies, they are now finished. Although I know I am soul, I know that I possessed a childhood body, I possessed a boyhood body, I possessed a youthhood body, that those bodies are not existing. They are finished. But I am existing. I know. Therefore this is very simply formula Krsna gives. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. This body is changing, but the soul is eternal. Nityo sasvato yam purano. Although it is very, very old. Because soul is the part and parcel of God. As God is existing eternally, similarly, the soul is also existing eternally. This is a great science.
Therefore Prahlada Maharaja is requesting, "My dear friends, you try to learn this science," dharman bhagavatan iha, "from this very childhood life." Because this human form of life, he says that, durlabham manusam janma. Manusam janma. This form of body... We have got by evolutionary process. It is a chance given by the nature to understand what is God. This is the main business of this body. Not that economic development. That is not the business of human body. Sense gratification. Sense gratification is there in the animals. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. The human form of life is not meant for to live like the dogs and the hogs. They are busy always for maintaining the body. They are busy. They have no other business. They cannot understand. If I bring some dog in this meeting and try to make him understand, "Please note that you are not this body." It is not possible for them to understand. But a human being, he may be educated like dogs and hog, but if he's given reasonably the, as Krsna is giving that the soul is the proprietor of this body and he is as he's changing in this body He's a child-child means he has got a child's body. Baby means he has got a baby's body. Young man means he has a youth's body. So this body has been changed. Similarly when this body is useless, no more can be used, then he transmigrates to another body. Tatha dehantara-praptir.
Now what kind of body he's going to get? Because I have already explained. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. So the answer is he can get any of these forms. There is no guarantee that he will again get the American body or Englishmen body or Swiss body -- not like that. That will depend on nature. That is not in your hand. As soon as you change your body, the next change will be offered by nature according to your desire. So in this life we are creating different types of desires. Therefore, we find different types of bodies. This is nature's work. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Don't think that you are independent. None of us are independent. We may think independently that "There is no God, there is no nature's work, we are everything." That crazy statements may be there, but there is good management, beyond our conception. As you see there is good management in the natures -- exactly in due course of time the sun is rising, the moon is rising, the seasons are being changed, the water is there in the ocean, it is not transgressing the limit, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean. There is full control of the material nature. And behind this material nature, there is God. Prakrteh kriyamanani [Bg. 3.27]. Prakrti, nature is working, but nature is working under the direction of God. That we get information from this Vedic literature.
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena (kaunteya)
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]
Don't think nature is blind. Nature is matter, material energy. It cannot work independently, just like machine. Machine, it is made of matter. But if there is no driver, however efficient machine may be, it is useless, a lump of matter (only). There must be driver. Similarly, whatever wonderful activities you find within this material nature, that is not being done independently. That is being done under the driver. Just like the big car or this airship is running very nicely so long the pilot is there, so long the driver is there. Without pilot, even the arrangement is very nice, good machinery assembly, but it cannot work. Similarly, this nature, although we find very wonderfully working, but behind this nature, there is the living entity, supreme living entity, God. So to understand that God, how He is working, what we are, what is our relationship with God, why we are here, why we are transmigrating from one body to another -- all these are called bhagavata-dharma. This is called bhagavata-dharma.
Bhagavata means in relationship with God. So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means we are presenting God. People are searching out whether there is God, God is dead or alive. But we are giving, "Here is God. Here is His name, here is His address, here is His activities." Everything we are giving distinctly. Not blindly, but there is philosophy, there is reason, there is logic, and these are all stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, sixty volumes. So Prahlada Maharaja says that everyone from the very childhood, that means when education begins, this bhagavata-dharma. Otherwise, we are missing the point. We are missing the opportunity of this human form of life. We are simply living like cats and dogs and dying like cats and dogs. And if we maintain that mentality like cats and dogs, then next life... Because we are given the opportunity by nature to utilize our consciousness, to utilize our intelligence, to understand God. But if we do not utilize, if we live like cats and dogs, then next life we have to accept, by nature's law, the body of cats and dog. This is bhagavata-dharma. This is an opportunity. Here is the opportunity to make your choice whether again you are going to be cats and dogs or whether you are going to be elevated to the highest position, back to home, back to Godhead.
That is highest perfection. Na te vidhuh svartha-gatim hi visnum. Practically, the so-called civilized men at the present moment, they do not know what is the actual goal of life. The Prahlada Maharaja advising, although he's a child, but he has heard from authority, from Narada Muni, therefore he's instructing his class friend. Because his father was a great atheist, Hiranyakasipu. He was very angry. When Prahlada Maharaja used to talk of God consciousness, he was very much disturbed, he used to chastise him, "Wherefrom this nonsense boy has learned this God, God, God?" He was very much disturbed. So he was very afraid of his father at home. But in the school, as soon as the teachers were away, tiffin hour, he would take the opportunity and preach something about God. That is the statement here. So he says, durlabham manusam: "My dear friends, this human form of life is very rarely obtained." Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam. Adhruvam means it will also not stay. "Because I have got this human form of body, therefore, I'll live forever." No. I'll have to die like cats and dog. But because I have got this human form of life, I can understand what is the truth. That is my opportunity. Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam. It will not stay.
But arthadam. Arthadam means you can realize your self. That is the greatest achievement, if you can realize your self, whether you are this body or you are soul. That is called self-realization. And as soon as you realize your self... There are many statements in the Vedic literature, that is the distinction between a brahmana and a krpana. These two words are used in Vedic literature. Brahmana means in full knowledge and krpana means who could not utilize the facility of the human form of life. He's called a krpana. Krpana, the exact word -- meaning is "miser." Miser means, if you get some hundred thousands of dollars, if you do not utilize it properly, simply see your money, "I have got this so much money," and be satisfied, then you are a miser. You could not utilize the money. And brahmana means one who utilizes this opportunity of human form of life to the fullest extent and can understand what is God, what is my relationship with Him, how I have come here, why I am subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. So many things have to be learned.
So the human form of life is meant for that purpose, but there is no facility in the educational institution. Many universities there may be, but not very perfectly well-situated. But we are trying our bid, this Krsna consciousness movement, to give education about this bhagavata-dharma and we are trying to present in so many languages. So we wish that you should cooperate, try to understand this philosophy. We have got books, we have got talks. Any way we can convince you about this philosophy of God consciousness, I hope you'll take advantage of it. Not only that, it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Just like you see all our students, they come from Europe, America. Four or five years ago they did not know what is this bhagavata-dharma, what is this Krsna. Now you can see the result, that all over the world, not only in Europe, but in America, Australia, in Japan, in Canada, everywhere, we have got this type of devotees, and they are understanding what is God, what is our relationship with God. It doesn't matter, God is neither Hindu, Muslim, or Christian -- God is God. So it is the duty of everyone. It is not that only Christians should understand God and the Hindus should understand nobody. No. Any human being. Any living entity in the human form of life must understand. Otherwise, he's missing the opportunity. So we have got to say many things about this thing. In short time, we cannot speak so many things, but we invite you to take advantage of this movement, try to understand the science of God and be benefited. [break]
Girl: ...you cannot change dharma. But love can change dharma.
Hamsaduta: She said that love can change dharma. You say that dharma cannot be changed.
Prabhupada: First of all, you have to understand what is dharma. Dharma, as I have already explained, the order given by God. That is dharma. And what is the order of God? God says that "You surrender unto Me." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. God says that "You always think of Me," and, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, "You just become My devotee," and, man-mana bhava, mad-yaji, "You worship Me, and you offer your obeisances." These things we are doing. We are thinking of somebody. Because without thinking you cannot remain. But God says, "You think of Me." You cannot avoid thinking of somebody. Just like a girl is thinking of his lover, a boy, a boy is thinking of his lover. So we must be thinking of somebody. Or in grown-up stage, I am thinking something else, my child, my home. So Krsna says, God says, that "You think of Me." So you have to change your thinking process. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. And we are already devotees. We are devotees of the country, of the society, of the person, of the president, of the king, so many. God says, that, "You become My devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. Mad-yaji: We are worshiping our leader. So God is the supreme leader.
Therefore, this question I put to Professor Kotovsky, that "Your philosophy, Communist philosophy, and our philosophy, where is the philosophically different? Because you have selected a leader, Lenin, and you are worshiping him. And we have selected a leader, Krsna, we are also worshiping Him. So where is the change? How we have advanced? You have selected another leader, that's all. You have to select. So the worship must go on. Either you become Communist or not Communist." So God says that "Instead of worshiping so many others, you worship Me." So, and man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. And "You offer my respect to Me." So these things... You may accept any type of religion; that doesn't matter. But think of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances God, that cannot be changed. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, it does not matter. These four things cannot be changed. Therefore, the principles of religion: thinking of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances to Him, and to become devotee of God, that cannot be changed. That is real religion.
Hamsaduta: Anyone, anyone?
Guest: But this part of the world "Mahaprabhu" (Address to Prabhupada) is very materialistic, as you know. In Europe we always talk about science and technology. The part of the world that you come from, spiritualism has the highest place. I would like to ask you is there any possible way of a balanced combination between spiritualism and materialism.
Prabhupada: Yes. Actually, there is nothing as materialism. Materialism means forgetfulness of God, that's all. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca, apara, prakrtir me bhinna astadha [Bg. 7.4]. Materialism means that you are dealing with earth, water, fire, air, or the ether, or mind, intelligence, so far. These are the subject matters of studying materialism. But God says: "They are My separated energies." These matters, you have not produced this earth, water, air, fire. That's a fact. That is produced by the energy of God. So while dealing with material things, if you remember that this material thing is produced by God then you are perfect. And if you theorize that it has dropped from the sky, then you are materialistic. That is the difference between materialist and spiritualist. A spiritualist knows that wherefrom this earth has come, wherefrom the water has come, wherefrom this fire has come. Then he is spiritualist, God conscious. And one does not know, he's ignorant. Actually, that is the fact. But one who is ignorant of the fact, he's materialist. And one who knows the source of this material elements, he is spiritualist. That is the difference. Therefore the conclusion is one who does not know God, he is materialist and one knows God, he is spiritualist.
Hamsaduta: Anyone else, question?
Prabhupada: All right, have kirtana. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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