"Self Attraction-Dirty Or Divine"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.25
Vrndavana, August 6, 1974

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Nitai: Translation: "Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing, all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me."

Prabhupada:

ucchista-lepan anumodito dvijaih
sakrt sma bhunje tad-apasta-kilbisah
evam pravrttasya visuddha-cetasas
tad-dharma evatma-rucih prajayate

Very simple process of awakening Krsna consciousness. This atma-rucih... Atma-rucih means attraction for the self, or soul. There are atma. Atma means sometimes this body. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Gross materialists, they think that "I am this body." That is also atma-rucih. They are busy to maintain this body, to decorate this body, to feed this body, to satisfy the senses of the body. This is also atma-rucih, because the body is also called atma. So this is another atma-rucih, materialist. Then atma means mind also, mental speculation, very much busy in mental speculation. That is also atma-rucih. And the, the topmost atma-rucih, topmost means that is real atma-rucih, to be attracted by the self or Superself. That is atma-rucih.

So our business is to awaken that Supreme atma-rucih. That is Krsna consciousness. Supreme atma-rucih, supreme atma. Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. You can take in different platform different kinds of attraction, but when our attraction is in Krsna, that is supreme. So... Just like for bodily comforts, there are so many scientists, physiologists, biologists. They are trying to understand the constitution of the body. They are busy. And similarly, mental speculators, philosophers, they are also busy. Similarly, the ultimate atma-rucih if we want to know, then we should be busy with such persons who are engaged in that type of atma-rucih. That is called sadhu-sanga. Sangat sanjayate kamah. As you associate, so your desires become, I mean to say, attached.

So here it is said that dvijaih..., ucchista-lepan anumodito dvijaih. Dvijaih, the brahmana... And the supreme brahmana is the devotee, krsnaika-sarana. So Narada Muni, in his previous birth, he was engaged in washing the dishes, eating the foodstuffs left by the dvijaih, by the brahmanas. In this way he infected their disease. As in ordinary material sense if you eat the remnants of foodstuff of a diseased fellow, then you infect that disease. Therefore sometimes when there is a patient suffering from tuberculosis, it is strictly separated from the family to another room or another house so that... It is very infectious. Cholera is very infectious. Smallpox is very much infectious. There are many infectious disease. So as you infect this material disease by eating the foodstuff left by a diseased fellow, similarly, if you eat the remnants of foodstuff left by a Vaisnava you become Vaisnava. This is infection. So we should voluntarily accept this infection. The other infection we should avoid, but this infection we shall welcome. But the process is the same. Param drstva nivartate. You can refrain from the lower class of infection simply by infecting yourself with the higher class, or transcendental class of infection.

So Narada Muni, he was a small boy. It was not possible for him to study Vedanta or philosophy. He was not even educated. But still, simply by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by the devotees, dvijaih, he became so exalted. The explanation is given there that evam pravrttasya visuddha-cetasah. "Because I was engaged in this service, gradually my heart became cleansed." Visuddha-cetasah. Cetasah means heart. So actually, Krsna consciousness is there. As it is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna... Just like father and son. However there may be misunderstanding, but if the father and son come together and their affectionate dealing is begun, immediately original relationship is revived. It does not take much time. Similarly, we are already related with Krsna because Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah: [Bg. 15.7] "All living entities, they are My part and parcel." Aham bija-pradah pita: "I am the seed-giving father." So how this relation can be broken? That is not possible. That is already there eternally.

Therefore it is said in the Caitanya-caritamrta, nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Nitya-siddha means eternally perfect. It is not that we are artificially acquiring this krsna-bhakti. No, it is not artificial. It is natural. This is actual fact. So we are simply... Because our present, in the present material condition, our heart is covered with so much garbage of different types of body... Just like all of a sudden something comes to your mind. It has no connection. Just like a bubble, comes out. Because so many dirty things are reserved on account of our material conditional life for millions and millions of years. Anadi karama-phale padi' bhavarnava-jale. Anadi, we cannot... Anadi means... Adi means the creation. So before this creation. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. We are in this material contamination not that in this millennium -- before that. Just like millennium after millennium. Narada Muni was speaking his life before this millennium. So anadi. Anadi means creation. But not only one creation, several creations, we are forgotten, or we are in this material world. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha... We are searching after material comfort, material comfort, sense gratification, in so many ways. So anadi karama-phale padi' bhavarnava-jale, taribare na dekhi upaya. In this way we are going.

So consciousness is there, but the dirty things contaminated life after life, that is accumulated. We have to cleanse this. That is called visuddha-cetasah. Visuddha-cetasah. Just like infection of disease can be also disinfected by injection, by vaccine, similarly if you take this vaccine, or antiseptic... What is that called? Countering? Counteracting?

Devotee: Inoculation? Inoculation or...

Prabhupada: So many. There are different terms. So this is the process. We are eternally related with Krsna, nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti, and we're eternally very affectionate and obedient servant of Krsna. That is our position. Somehow or other, it is covered. So that garbage that's covering has to be moved. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it is covered by dust you cannot see your face nicely. But as soon as it is nicely brushed and cleansed, you see exactly what you are. Similarly, this Krsna consciousness movement means cleansing the heart of all the dirty things that is accumulated life after life. It is not an artificial thing, we are learning to become devotee of Krsna. We are already devotee of Krsna, but we have forgotten, or the consciousness is covered. Now, by this process, devotional process, especially by kirtana, by chanting, glorifying the holy name of the Lord, the cleansing process is accelerated. Very soon it takes place.

Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. This is the facility of this age, Kali-yuga. This is the only facility. In Kali-yuga you cannot perform meditation or perform big, big sacrifices, as they are mentioned in the Vedas. Or you cannot perform even Deity worship very nicely. There are so many flaws. Everything is very difficult. And charity... And there are so many. Samena damena danena tyagena. So where is the money I shall...? There is no money even to feed me. I am eating... This morning I do not know what shall I eat in the evening. This is the position at the present moment. Prayenalpayusah, kalav asmin yuge janah. The life is also very short duration, and so many disturbances. Not only disturbance of the Kali-yuga, but the disturbance by the government also, by the demigods. There is scorching heat, there is severe cold. And ati-vrsti, sometimes more than we want, there is rainfall. Sometimes there is no rainfall. And in this way there is scarcity of foodstuff. Anavrstya durbhiksa, and taxation. These are the disturbances. So many. One side, taxation by the government, another side, by nature there is scarcity of food and there is scarcity of rain.

So these are stated in the Bhagavatam. Durbhiksa, anavrstya durbhiksa-kara-piditah. People will be so much disturbed. It is already disturbed. Gacchanti giri-kananam. They'll leave their home, their family, and go to the forest, go to the hills, disgusted. So this is the Kali-yuga symptoms. So how one will clean the heart? He cannot sit even peacefully for a moment. Disturbed always. Disturbed in the mind, anxiety, full of anxiety. How it will be possible to meditate? This is all nonsense. This is not possible. In Kali-yuga meditation is not possible. The so-called meditation is a farce. Those who are trying to meditate... Therefore you don't see any improvement in their life. They're making a formal meditation, but they remain what they are. Don't improve anything. That is not possible.

So therefore in this age it is recommended that

krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat

Simply chant Hare Krsna. That is the only way. There is no other method. There are methods, but you cannot perform it. You are so condemned. "You" means we also, everyone. We are so condemned and the age is so condemned that it is very, very difficult. It is not possible. And another process is this, as Narada Muni says, ucchista-lepan anumodito dvijaih. To serve the devotees, a pure devotee. If you serve some way or other, you contaminate his quality. Tad-dharma. Sakrt bhunje. One side is apasta-kilbisah. Kilbisah means the sinful reaction of life. To reduce the reaction of sinful life. Because unless we are sinful, we cannot remain within this... A prisoner means a criminal. As soon as you find a person in the prisonhouse you should understand that he's a criminal. That criminality may be of different degrees, that is another thing, but he's a criminal. Similarly, anyone, beginning from Brahma down to the germ in the stool, they're all sinful. All sinful. People will be surprised that "Brahma is also sinful?" Yes. Brahma has also desired that "I shall be the supreme creature within this brahmanda, whole universe." A little or more.

So anyone who has got this desire that "I shall enjoy in this material world," he's a sinful man. That is sinful. Because suppose something your, something belongs to you, and if I desire, "How I shall take this, possession of this thing?" is not that criminal? Something belongs to somebody, and if you make a plan to possess that thing, is it not criminal? So actually, Krsna is the bhokta. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor, sarva-loka. Not a single plot of land belongs to you. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Actually Krsna is the proprietor of everything, He is the enjoyer of everything. Then why I shall desire to enjoy and own the property? This is criminal. This is criminal. That may be in small portion. That is going on. The ant is also struggling for existence to possess a grain of sugar, and somebody is trying to possess some state, and somebody is trying to possess the whole universe. But the status of mentality is the same. So this mentality means criminality. This mentality: "How I shall become enjoyer? How I shall possess this?" Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. He forgets. When one forgets that Krsna is the enjoyer, Krsna is the proprietor, as soon as he forgets and tries to become himself the enjoyer or himself the proprietor, immediately maya captures.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

"Yes, come one. Now come under my jurisdiction. Not there, here." This is the position.

Therefore we living entities, we are described, tatastha. Tatastha means marginal. Actually, we are spirit soul, our position in the spiritual world, but we are sometimes fallen down in this material world on account of our desire to enjoy. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy, not His manufactured philosophy... This is the actual position. He, when He instructed Sanatana Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami put before Him the question that "I was a minister and I am a brahmana, I'm very learned. They say, of course, that I am panditaji. But actually I do not know what is my position. Actually I am fool number one. I do not know what is my position. These innocent people, they call me I am panditaji, I am minister, I am this, I am that, and I accept that I am that. But actually I do not know what I am." That is the position everywhere. You ask any prime minister that "You are prime minister, but actually what you are? Will you remain prime minister forever?" He or she cannot answer this question. Or they evade this question. But this is really the question, athato brahma jijnasa. One should try to understand "What I am?" but they do not rea... They do not inquire, neither they are interested. So foolish persons, they may be prime minister in this life, next life a dog. They don't care. But this is not life. Athato brahma jijnasa. One should inquire and purify himself.

So this purificatory process, here it is very simple. Try to take shelter of mahat-pada-rajo-'bhisekam. Vina mahat-pada-rajo-'bhisekam. It is stated by Prahlada Maharaja, naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim. Urukrama. Urukrama means Krsna, whose activities are very, very great. Just like Krsna lifts the mountain. It is called urukrama. Urukrama means his power is very, very great. Foolish persons accept a rascal as Bhagavan, but we are not so rascal. We accept Krsna, Bhagavan, Urukrama. He can lift when... He can pick up the mountain, and immediately, He can keep on His finger. We want this kind of God. Not making like this and a grain of gold. (laughter) We are not so fool. We want this kind of God, Krsna, Urukrama. So how this Urukrama, one can surrender? Naisam matis tavad urukrama anghrim. Anghrim means this leg. How one can be attached? Now, what is the use of taking shelter of Krsna's lotus feet? Because these misgivings, this garbage of different types of desires, will be finished. So how it is possible? Niskincananam mahiyasam pada-rajo-'bhisekam. So long one does not take the dust of the lotus feet of a devotee who is niskincana, who has nothing to do with this material world... But he's exalted in Krsna consciousness. Unless you do that, there is no possibility. Mahiyasam pada-rajo-'bhisekam.

So here Narada Muni is doing that. Mahiyasam pada-rajo-'bhisekam. Therefore by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by them, by washing their dishes, by washing their feet... Everyone can do. Therefore this association is required. If one associates with devotee, pure devotee, and somehow or other gives service, one another, to the spiritual master, to the Vaisnava, automatically he becomes purified. Automatically. Without any study of Vedanta, without any... Simply by sincere service to the devotee. Evam pravrttasya. If one is engaged in this way, visuddha-cetasah, he becomes gradually cleansed of the dirty things accumulated in the heart. And tad-dharma evatma-rucih. And the saintly person and devotees, what is their business? The business is atma-rucih, taste for Krsna consciousness. Prajayate. Automatically he will develop.

Therefore every one of us, the members of Krsna consciousness, should remain purified always by the regulative principles given and chanting so that everyone is Vaisnava and everyone is serving everyone. In this way the association will purify the whole stock of their (indistinct). This is the process.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974

"Who Can Understand Krsna?"

74/08/06 Vrndavana, Bhagavad-gita 4.14


Prabhupada: So in another place Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Karma, every living entity is bound up by the resultant action of his own karma, but Krsna is not like that.

The, in the English constitutional law it is said that "The King can no, king can do no wrong." King can order punishment for the criminal, but the king is never criminal. King cannot be punished. Your President Nixon is fighting on this point. Although people wants to impeach him, he's fighting on this point, that "I am not wrong." Actually, that much facilities must be given to the head executive. If he becomes under the laws, then his position is not exalted. The... That is the principle of accepting in the highest order of life.

So in the material condition, that is not applicable perfectly, but so far spiritual condition is concerned, God must be given full freedom. Otherwise there is no meaning of God. If God is also under the, under your laws... Sometimes: "Why God has done like this?" They inquire like that. This question sometimes put. "Why God has put us into this condition?" These are foolish questions. But the real conception of God is that He is free to do anything, whatever He likes. You cannot say, "Why God can... Will... God will do this, will do not that." No. That is not the conception of God.

So here Krsna says that na me karma-phale sprha. He is atmarama. Atmarama. Atmarama means He is fully satisfied in Himself. And He can create so many things. He is creator. So there is no question of desiring something. He can do anything, whatever He likes. But... That will be explained.

He sets example. Just like in the previous verse. We have already discussed.

catur-varnyam maya srstam
guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam
viddhy akartaram avyayam
[Bg. 4.13]

Although He has set up the principle of varnasrama-dharma, but He's not within the varnasrama-dharma. Just like Krsna takes the incarnation of becoming a pig, but that does not mean He is a pig. Ordinary conception of pig we have got. Or He takes the incarnation of a fish, but that does not mean He's ordinary fish.

So similarly, He comes here as a human being, as son of Nanda Maharaja, or husband of Rukmini, or son of Vasudeva, but actually, He is nobody's son. He is everybody's father. He is the origin. Nobody can be cause of His creation. This idea should be understood. And if anyone understands that Krsna, or God, is not under any rules and regulation and laws of this material world, then he understands Krsna perfectly.

Just like Krsna performed the rasa dance. At the midnight many young girls came by hearing His flute, and He danced with them. This is, from Vedic standard, it is not very moral. Because at dead of night, with others' wives or sisters or daughters, to dance... Krsna was young. That is not very good example from Vedic principles. But He did it. So, so... And that is the highest understanding of Krsna consciousness.

Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhuh. All the Gosvamis, even Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu... He was a sannyasi. He was very strict about woman. No woman could come near Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As a sannyasi. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita: "There is no better method of worshiping Krsna than the method conceived by the gopis."

And the Gosvamis also... Srila Rupa Gosvami... Vande srila-rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. The Six Gosvamis, they gave up their material opulence. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat. They gave up their... They were ministers of the government, very exalted position. Their associates were most aristocratic persons. But he gave up everything. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim. Mandala-pati means leaders of the society, big, big men, zamindars or government officers. So he gave up, tucchavat, considering them most insignificant. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya. They have, gave up their opulent family. He was also belonging to the aristocratic family. He gave up. And became a mendicant, beggar, madhukari. They were asking one capati from one grhastha. They would not accept three or four or..., capatis at a place. Only half, one, like that. All in this way.

So so much in the renounced order of life. But they lived -- how? Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhuh. They were always thinking of the gopis' dealing with Krsna. So from this standpoint of view, the, the dealings of the gopis with Krsna, that is not these ordinary human dealings. That is all spiritual. Without understanding the spiritual platform of Krsna and the gopis... Nobody try to understand it. Then they will be misled. So... Therefore Krsna says. People may not be misled. Sometimes He's seen to be acting against the social laws. Therefore Krsna warns, na mam karmani limpanti: "These social, political or religious laws do not apply to Me." Na mam karmani limpanti.

This question was raised by Pariksit Maharaja when Sukadeva Gosvami described the rasa-lila. So that... "Krsna appeared on this material world, dharma-samsthapanarthaya, paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8], dharma-samsthapanarthaya. So why He violated these rules of dharma?" Violation because, according to Vedic civilization, nobody can mix with other's wife or other woman. Even in moral principle, as Canakya Pandita said, matrvat para-daresu. "All women should be treated just like mother." Not like the present society. Formerly, every woman should be addressed as "mother," Mataji. And now they have invented "Bahinji." No. Woman should be addressed as "mother." Matrvat para-daresu.

So this question was put forward by Pariksit Maharaja before Sukadeva Gosvami, "How Krsna danced with others' wives and sisters, like that?" This is against principle of dharma. So just to clear the position of Krsna... Krsna is personally said, personally saying also, and this is confirmed by Sukadeva Gosvami that tejiyasam na dosaya. Krsna cannot be polluted.

Because by chanting Krsna's name one becomes purified, how Krsna can be polluted? If, by chanting... Ceto-darpana-marjanam... param vijayate krsna, sri-krsna-sankirtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And in another place, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna, one becomes freed from all sinful activities. Kirtanad eva krsnasya. Especially. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah. He becomes free from all contamination.

In material world we are simply becoming contaminated. Therefore karmani limpanti. In the... We are becoming entangled by the reaction of our karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. By karma, the jantu, means living entity, is getting different types of body one after another, one after another. In this way he's wandering 8,400,000 forms of bodies. This is karma. Therefore to the living entities, as we are... We are bound up by the laws of karma. But Krsna is not like that. Na mam karmani limpanti.

This is to be understood. Unless we understand Krsna, that He is not bound up by the material laws, then we do not understand Krsna. And if anyone understands it perfectly, then what is the result? The result: iti mam yo 'bhijanati karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg. 4.14]. If one understands clearly that Krsna is not under any material laws, then he also becomes not bound up by any material laws. Simply by knowing it. Karmani nirdahati ca bhakti-bhajam.

In the Brahma-sutra it is said... Brahma-samhita. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma... Indra, indra-gopa, and the King Indra, both are named as indra. Yas tu indra-gopam atha maha-indra sva-karma-phala-bhuk. Everyone is enjoying the resultant action of his karma. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti [Bs. 5.54]. Everyone is enjoying or suffering the resultant action of his karma. Sva-karma-phala-bhuk. But karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. But one who is in the devotional service, although he has to suffer the resultant action of his past karma, but that is reduced to the minimum. Karmani nirdahati. Or practically no.

For whom? Bhakti-bhajam, those who are devotees, who are devotees. So who can understand Krsna is not under the laws of any material nature? Only the bhaktas. Bhaktas can understand. Who can understand Krsna? Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Only the bhaktas can understand Him. Therefore Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Arjuna, bhakto 'si, "You are My devotee." So Krsna, Krsna's name, Krsna's form, Krsna's attributes, Krsna's pastimes, they can be understood by the bhaktas only, not the nondevotees. Nondevotees cannot understand that na mam karmani..., this process, that Krsna is not bound up by any material laws.

The example is given by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit: tejiyasam na dosaya. Tejiyasam. Just like the sun. The sun is evaporating the urine from the street. But that does not mean sun is infected. Although sun is evaporating the urine, the stool, or any contaminated place... Rather, he is, sun is sterilizing that process. This is practical. If sunshine is anywhere, even the most contaminated place, the sun does not become contaminated, but the place becomes purified. Is it not a fact?

Similarly, Krsna... Krsna was very beautiful. So gopis became attracted with Krsna. As it is natural, a young boy is attracted with young woman or young girl is attracted... That is natural. Yuvatinam yatha yunah.(?) It is natural. So the gopis, they were attracted by Krsna's beauty. And therefore they went to Krsna. But the result was that the gopis became purified; Krsna remained uncontaminated. This is understanding of Krsna. Some way or other, if one reaches Krsna, he becomes... Kamat krodhad bhayat. Either by lusty desire or by anger or bhayat... Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was always thinking of Krsna, that "Krsna is coming. So how shall I kill Him? How shall I kill Him?" Bhayat, out of fear. So he also got salvation. Krsna killed him. He got salvation. So gopis approached Krsna out of lusty desire, but they became purified. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. So even one approaches Krsna with impurity, he becomes purified. Now, Krsna does not become impure. Don't think like that. Therefore Krsna said,

ksipram bhavati dharmatma
sasvac-chantim nigacchati
kaunteya pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranasyati
[Bg. 9.31]

So somehow or other, approach Krsna. Then your life is perfect. Krsna does not become imperfect. Krsna is always... In the Isopanisad: apapa-viddham. Description of God is there. Apapa-viddham. That Krsna, or the Lord, is never contaminated by any so-called... For Him, there is nothing sinful. This is understanding of Krsna. Na mam karmani limpanti. Why He should be? Therefore, if anyone understands, studies Krsna perfectly, about His activities, about His birth, about His name, about His form, anything... He has got everything like us. He has got His form. He has got His activities. He has got His attributes. Everything is there. But they're all transcendental.

Therefore His name is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. His vigraha is sac-cid-ananda. His vigraha is not like us. The Mayavadis, they mistake. Therefore they imitate Krsna. The rascal Mayavadis, they imitate Krsna. "I am Krsna. I can play flute like Him. I become Krsna, by playing flute." This is all rascaldom. Krsna's vigraha is different. You cannot imitate Krsna. Even you imitate, that does not mean you become Krsna. This is rascaldom. Krsna is not... Na mam karmani limpanti. Therefore Krsna says, this, janma karma me divyam. That is all transcendental. Krsna's body... Just like sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Krsna's body is eternal. My body is not eternal. So how can I imitate Krsna? Krsna's body is eternal, sat. Krsna's body is full of knowledge. And I am full of ignorance, my body. I do not know. If there is some disease in the finger. But...

Just like the other day. There was some trouble. Now automatically, the skin is being purified. So I do not know how it is being done. Therefore full of ignorance.

But Krsna is not like that. Sat cit. Cit means knowledge. He knows everything. Not only Himself. He knows everything. Vedaham samatitani. Krsna says, "I know everything." In the Bhagavatam it is said, janmady asya anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah [SB 1.1.1]. Krsna knows everything. But I do not know. I do not know how many hairs are here. And still I am claiming I am Krsna.

So do not compare Krsna with any human body. That is great offense. To think of Krsna as, ordinary human being and as equal, or a human being is Krsna, these are, two things are offensive. Aparadha. Mayavadi haya krsne aparadhi. That is the statement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Mayavadi, those who think that "Krsna is like us," Mayavadis, they are aparadhi, they are offender to Krsna. They are punishable. They are punishable, offender. Therefore we should rightly understand Krsna.

His activities we should not imitate. Krsna's activities are worshipable. We cannot imitate Krsna's activities. Janma karma me... His activities are transcendental. You cannot... How you can imitate? Can you imitate to lift a mountain as Krsna did? You can imitate falsely Krsna's rasa-lila. That is very easy. But can you imitate Krsna to lift up the mountain? Then how you are Krsna, equal with Krsna? This is all rascaldom. Krsna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], and you have got this rotten material body. Therefore cannot be compared with Krsna. This rotten material body is subjected to the material laws. But Krsna is not under the material laws. That is real understanding of Krsna. Janma...

And if you really understand... That is stated here. Iti mam yo 'bhijanati. In this way, if one understands Krsna, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he does not become entangled with the karma. In another place it is also confirmed: janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. If one understands Krsna's activities, Krsna's birth and Krsna's form, Krsna's attributes, if one can understand tattvatah, in truth, not by mental speculation. In truth, as it is, then what happens? Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. He does not get any more material body after leaving this body.

So try to understand Krsna on this principle, as Krsna says. Don't imagine, don't speculate. Then your life will be perfect.
Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [break]

Jagadisa: ...Srimad-Bhagavatam there is one sloka which describes that Maharaja Yudhisthira and his younger brothers all attained the spiritual world in the self-same body. Does this mean that they had their spiritual bodies while they were on the earth?

Prabhupada: Yes, that is possible. They went to heaven, heavenly planet? No? No, where? Where it is?

Jagadisa: Bhagavatam, they are, you described that they were going to the Krsnaloka planet.

Prabhupada: Hm. So that's all right. But not this body. With their spiritual body. Yes.

Brahmananda: In your lecture you quoted Canakya Pandita that a man must see every woman other than his own wife as mother. How should a woman see other men?

Prabhupada: As son. (laughter)

Brahmananda: That was my idea.

Prabhupada: Yes. If I see woman as mother, she must see me as son. That's all. That is the system. The brahmacari, the sannyasi go to beg alms from door to door. "Mother, give me some bhiksa, alms." And it is the duty of the grhastha to treat brahmacari and sannyasi as their son. As they maintain their children with food, shelter, cloth, similarly the brahmacaris and sannyasis, they are dependent on the society. They should be treated as the sons of the society. And they must supply their necessities, bare necessities. A sannyasi, brahmacari, does not want more than what they need. They should not collect more than what they need. Bhiksa nirvahana. Not collect more and enjoy at others' cost. No. That is not the business of sannyasi. They can collect so much as they need. That's all.

Devotee: When you address a woman, do you...

Prabhupada: Hm?

Devotee: When you address a woman do you use the word "Mataji"? Is that the right, proper word for her?

Prabhupada: Mataji. Yes, very good. "Mother." All right. Chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974

"How To Utilize Fighting Spirit"

73/08/06 London, Bhagavad-gita 2.6



Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

na caitad vidmah kataran no gariyo
yad va jayema yadi va no jayeyuh
yan eva hatva na jijivisamas
te 'vasthitah pramukhe dhartarastrah
[Bg. 2.6]

Translation: "Nor do we know which is better -- conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhrtarastra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield."

Prabhupada: So these two groups of cousin-brothers... Maharaja Pandu had five sons and Dhrtarastra had one hundred sons. So it is family, the same family, and it was understanding between them that when others beyond the family would come to attack them, they would join, 105 brothers, and fight. But when there was fight amongst themselves -- one side, hundred brothers; one side, five brothers. Because a ksatriya family, it is to be understood they must go on fighting. Even in their marriage there would be fighting. Without fighting, no marriage takes place in ksatriya family. Krsna had 16,108 wives, and almost in each time He had to fight, to gain the wife. It was a sporting. For ksatriya to fight, it was a sporting. So he is perplexed whether this kind of fighting he should encourage or not.

There is a proverb in Bengal, khabo ki khabo na yadi khao tu pause. "When you are perplexed, Whether I shall eat or not eat,' better not eat." Sometimes we come to this point, "I am not very hungry, whether I shall eat or not eat?" The best course is not eat, not that you eat. But if you eat, then you can eat in the month of December, Pausa. Why? It is... In Bengal... Bengal is tropical climate, but when it is winter season, it is advised that "If you eat it is not so harmful because it will be digested." The night is very long, or the cold season, the digestive power, is nice. So when we are confused, "to do or not to do," jabo ki jabo na yadi jao tu sauce: "When you think, ‘Whether I shall go or not?' better don't go. But when it is a question of answering the call of nature, you must go." Jabo ki jabo na yadi jau tu sauce, khabo ki khabo na yadi khao tu pause. These are very common sense. Similarly, Arjuna is now perplexed, "Whether I shall fight or not fight?" That is also everywhere. When there is declaration of war between the modern politicians, they consider... Just like in the last Second World War, when Hitler was preparing for war... Everyone knew that Hitler was going to retaliate because in the first war they became defeated. So Hitler was again preparing. One, my God-brother, German, he came in 1933 in India. So at that time he informed that "There must be war. Hitler is preparing heavy preparations. War must be there." So at that time, I think, in your country the Prime Minister was Mr. Chamberlain. And he went to see Hitler to stop the war. But he would not. So similarly, in this fight, to the last point, Krsna tried to avoid the war. He proposed to Duryodhana that "They are ksatriyas, your cousin-brothers. You have usurped their kingdom. Never mind, you have taken some way or other. But they are ksatriyas. They must have some means of livelihood. So give them, five brothers, five villages. Out of the whole world empire, you give them five villages." So he... "No, I am not going to part with even an inch of land without fight." Therefore, under such condition, the fight must be there.

So there is no question of Arjuna's considering whether he would fight or not. It is sanctioned by Krsna; so fight must be there. Just like when we were walking, the question was raised that "Why war takes place?" That is not a very difficult subject to understand because everyone of us has got a fighting spirit. Even children fight, cats and dogs fight, birds fight, ants fight. We have seen it. So why not human beings? The fighting spirit is there. That is one of the symptoms of living condition. Fighting. So when that fighting should take place? Of course, at the present moment, by the ambitious politicians, they fight. But fighting, according to Vedic civilization, fighting means dharma-yuddha. On religious principles. Not by whims of political ideas, ism. Just like now fighting is going on on two political groups, the communist and the capitalist. They are trying to avoid only fight, but the fighting is going on. As soon as America is in some field, immediately Russia is also there. In the last fighting between India and Pakistan, as soon as President Nixon sent their Seventh Fleet on the India Ocean, Bay of Bengal, almost in front of India... This was illegal. But very puffed-up, America. So sent the Seventh Fleet, maybe to show sympathy to the Pakistan. But immediately our Russian friend also appeared there. And therefore, America had to come back. Otherwise, I think, America would have attacked on behalf of Pakistan.

So this is going on. Fighting you cannot stop. Many people, they are thinking how to stop war. That is impossible. It is nonsense proposal. It cannot be. Because the fighting spirit is there in everyone. That is a symptom of living entity. Even children, who has no politics, no enmity, they fight for five minutes; again they are friends. So the fighting spirit is there. Now, how it should be utilized? Our Krsna consciousness movement is there. We say, consciousness. We don't say, "Stop fight" or "Do this, do that, do that," no. Everything should be done in Krsna consciousness. That is our propaganda. Nirbandha-krsna-sambandhe. Whatever you do, it must have some relationship with the satisfaction of Krsna. If Krsna is satisfied, then you act. That is Krsna consciousness. Krsnendriya trpti vancha tara nama prema. This is love. Just like you love somebody; for the sake of your beloved, you can do anything, and we do sometimes. Similarly, the same thing should be transferred to Krsna. That's all. Try to educate yourself how to love Krsna and act for Krsna only. This is the perfection of life. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Bhakti means service, bhaja-sevayam. The bhaj-dhatu, it is used for the purpose of rendering service, bhaja. And bhaja, there is Sanskrit grammar, kti-pratyaya, to make it noun. This is verb. So there are pratyayas, kti pratyaya, ti pratyaya, many pratyayas. So bhaj-dhatu kti, equal to bhakti. So bhakti means to satisfy Krsna. Bhakti cannot be applied to anyone else. If somebody says that "I am a great devotee of Kali, goddess Kali," that is not bhakti; that is business. Because any demigod you worship, there is some purpose behind that. Generally, people take to become a devotee of goddess Kali for eating meat. That is their purpose. In the Vedic culture, those who are meat-eaters, they have been advised that "Don't eat meat purchased from the slaughterhouse or from the market." Actually, this system was never current anywhere, all over the world, that to maintain slaughterhouse. This is latest invention. We talk with sometimes with Christian gentlemen, and when we inquire that "Lord Christ says ‘Thou shalt not kill'; why you are killing?" they give evidence that "Christ also ate meat sometimes." Sometimes Christ ate meat, that's all right, but did Christ say that "You maintain big, big slaughterhouse and go on eating meat?" There is no common sense even. Christ might have eaten. Sometimes he... If there was no, nothing available for eating, what could you do? That is another question. In great necessity, when there is no other food except taking meat... That time is coming. In this age, Kali-yuga, gradually food grains will be reduced. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Twelfth Canto. No rice, no wheat, no milk, no sugar will be available. One has to eat meat. This will be the condition. And maybe to eat the human flesh also. This sinful life is degrading so much so that they will become more and more sinful. Tan aham dvisatah kruran ksipamy ajasram andhe-yonisu. Those who are demons, those who are sinful, nature's law is to place him in such condition that he will become more and more a demon so that he will never be able to understand what is God. This is nature's law. If you want to forget God, then God will put you in such a condition that you can never understand what is God. That is demonic life. That time is also coming. At the present moment, still a few men are interested, what is God. Arto artharti jijnasu jnani. But time is coming ahead when there will be no sense to understand God. That is the last stage of Kali-yuga, and at that time Kalki avatara, Kalki avatara will come. At that time there is no preaching of God consciousness, simply killing, simply killing. Kalki avatara with His sword will simply massacre. Then again Satya-yuga will come. Again golden age will come.

So this problem of fighting... We have to understand that fighting spirit is there in everyone. You cannot check it, you cannot stop it. We do not say stop. The Mayavadi philosopher says that "You stop this thing," but that is not possible. You cannot stop. Because you are living entity, you have got all these propensities. How you can stop it? But it should be utilized properly. That's all. You have got the fighting spirit. How to utilize it? Yes. Narottama dasa Thakura recommends, krodha bhakta-dvesi-jane: "Those who are envious of God or God's devotee, you can utilize your anger upon them." You can utilize. The anger you cannot give up. Our business is how to utilize it. That is Krsna consciousness. Everything has to be utilized. We do not say that "You stop this, stop that." No. Krsna says, yat karosi, yaj juhosi, yad asnasi, yat tapasyasi kurusva tad mad-arpanam. Yat karosi. Krsna does not say that "You do this, you do that." He says, "Whatever you do, but the result should come to Me." So here the position is that Arjuna is to fight not for himself, but he is only thinking in terms of himself. He says, te avasthitah pramukhe dhartarastrah, yan eva hatva na jijivisamas: "They are my brothers, relatives. If they die... We do not wish to die. Now they are in my front. I have to kill them?" So still he is thinking in terms of his own satisfaction. He is preparing the background -- how materialistic persons, they think in the terms of personal satisfaction. So that has to be given up. Not personal satisfaction, Krsna's satisfaction. That is Krsna consciousness. Whatever you do, it doesn't matter. You have to test it, whether you are doing it for Krsna. That is your perfection. Not only perfection, that is the perfection of your mission of human life. This human life is meant for that purpose. Because less than human form, the animal life, they are trained, perfection of sense gratification, personal satisfaction. They have no such feeling that "Other animals also..." When there is some eatable, one dog, he will think "How I can get it?" He will never think how other dogs also will be able to take it. This is not animal nature. Animal nature means their own satisfaction. There is no question of "My friend, my family members." Even, they do not share even with their own children. You might have seen. If there is some foodstuff, the dog and the dog's children, everyone is trying to take in his own side. This is animal. So when this thing is changed for Krsna, that is human life. That is the distinction between animal life. So that is very difficult also. Therefore the whole education is there, Bhagavad-gita, how to teach people, "Act for Krsna, act for God, not for your personal interest. Then you'll be entangled." Yajnarthat karmanah anyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. Anything you do, it will produce some reaction, and you have to enjoy or suffer that reaction. Anything you do. But if you do for Krsna, there is no more reaction. That is your freedom. Yogah karmasu kausalam. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Yoga, when you are in contact with Krsna, that is the secret of success in this material world, working. Otherwise whatever you are doing, whatever you are working, it will produce some reaction and you will have to enjoy or suffer.

So here again, the same thing. Arjuna is thinking in terms, na caitad vidmah kataran no gariyo. So he is perplexed, "Which one, which side will be glorious? I shall stop fighting or not fighting?" In the next verses it will be seen... When you are in such perplexity, "what to do and what not to do," so in order to get right direction, you must approach the spiritual master. That will be done in the next verse. Arjuna will say that "I do not know. I am now perplexed. Although I know it is my duty as ksatriya to fight, still I am hesitating. I am hesitating in my duty. So therefore I am perplexed. So Krsna, therefore I submit to You." Formerly he was talking just like friend. Now he will be prepared to take lesson from Krsna.

So our the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gita is that: You should not act for yourself; you should simply act for Krsna. So even fighting for Krsna, or even doing something still abominable for Krsna... Just like the gopis. The gopis were captivated by Krsna. Krsna was a young boy, very beautiful, and the gopis were young girls. That is the superficial... Actually, the gopis are eternal associates of Krsna. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih. They are expansions of Krsna, Krsna's pleasure potency expansion. They are meant for Krsna's pleasure. They are not ordinary women. But superficially, just to teach us how to love Krsna at the risk of anything... Therefore gopis, when they were attracted by Krsna at midnight... Krsna was playing flute, and they became attracted and they left home. Some of them were locked up. They gave up their life even. They were so much attracted. Now this kind of behavior, if youngs girls... According to Vedic civilization, they cannot go out from the protection of father, husband or brother. No, they cannot go. Especially at midnight. So this was against Vedic principle. It is openly a kind of prostitution. But because it was done for Krsna, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He recommends, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhubhih kalpita: "There is no more better type of worship than it was conceived by the vraja gopis. Vraja-vadhu. The most abominable. For a young girl to leave the care of husband, father, and go to another young boy, according to Vedic culture, it is the most abominable. So still, because, it was, the center was Krsna, it is accepted as the highest type of worship. That is Krsna consciousness. We have to learn how to act only for Krsna, how to love only Krsna. Then our life is successful. And the human life... Because we have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago. Anadi karama-phale. Anadi means before the creation. We living entities, we are eternal. Even the creation is annihilated after millions and trillions of years, the living entities, they are not annihilated. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. They remain. So when this whole cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, the living entities will remain in the body of Visnu. Then when again another creation will take place, they will come out again to fulfill their desires. The real desire is how to go to home, back to Godhead.

So this chance is given. So if this chance is misused, this life, human form of life, it is very, very risky. Again we will have to accept the cycle of birth and death. And not only that, if we do not fulfill the mission of life, then again there will be annihilation of the whole creation and we will have to stay within the body of Visnu for millions and trillions of years. Again we will have to come. So therefore it is called anadi karama-phale. Anadi means "before the creation." This is going on. And to teach the befooled living entities, Krsna personally comes. Krsna is very much anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna. Suppose if your son is loitering in the street, are you not anxious, "Oh, there may be some accident, and the poor boy will be killed." So you go, try to find out. Similarly, Krsna's position is like that. We are in this material world simply suffering life after life. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is miserable. But maya's illusion, we are taking this miserable condition of life as happiness. This is called maya. there is no happiness in this material world. Everything miserable. The sooner we understand that everything is miserable in this material world and the sooner we prepare ourself to leave this material world and go back to home, back to..., that is our sense. Otherwise, whatever we are doing, we are simply being defeated. Because we are missing the aim. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Durasaya. We are, by hope against hope -- it will never be fulfilled -- we are trying to adjust things here to become happy without God consciousness. It will never be accompli... Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya [SB 7.5.31]. Durasaya means "the hope which will never be fulfilled."
So all these materialistic persons, they are so fools, rascals, miscreants, they are increasing these material activities. They are thinking by this increasing material activities they will be happy. No. That is not possible. Durasaya ye... And their leaders... Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. All of us are tied very tight, hands and legs, and we are thinking we are free, independent. By the laws of material nature... Still, we are thinking that we are independent. The scientist is trying to avoid God, independent by science. That is not possible. We are under the grip of the material nature. Material nature means the agent of Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunair karmani sarvasah. So we are always in perplexity like Arjuna, what to do, what not to do. But if we take this principle, that "We must do for Krsna..." So take direction from Krsna and take direction from Krsna's representative and you do it; then there is no karma-bandhanah. Karmani nirdaheti kintu ca bhakti-bhajam. Otherwise, we are bound up by the reaction of every act. We cannot get out. So this perplexity, "Whether I shall fight or not fight," that will be explained that "Yes, you must fight for Krsna. Then it is all right." Kamah krsna-karmarpane. Just like Hanuman. He fought for Lord Ramacandra. He did not fight for himself. Similarly, Arjuna also, his flag is kapi-dhvaja, his flag is marked with Hanuman. He knew that. So Hanuman, a great fighter, fought with Ravana, not for his personal interest. The interest was how to get out Sitaji from the hands of Ravana, kill the whole family, and get out and let her sit down on the side of Ramacandra. This is the policy of Hanuman, devotees. And the Ravana policy is "Take away Sita from the clutches of Rama and enjoy it." This is Ravana policy. And the Hanuman policy is: "Take out Sita from the hands of Ravana and get her seated by the side of Rama." The same Sita. Sita means Laksmi. So Laksmi means Narayana's property, God's property.

So we should learn the policy that all these materialistic persons, Ravanas, they are trying to enjoy God's property. So some way or other... Of course we cannot fight with Ravana class man. We are not so strong. Therefore we have taken the policy of becoming a beggar: "Sir, you are so nice man. Please give us something. Give us something. Because you are spoiling your life by keeping God's property, you are going to hell. So some way or other, if you become a member, so you will be saved. You will be saved." That is our policy. We are not beggar. But it is a policy. Now we are not very strong to fight with the Ravanas; otherwise, we would have taken all the money by fighting. But that is not possible. We are not so strong. Therefore we have taken the policy of beggar.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973