Manvantara-avataras

Manvantara-avataras

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.318-329
New York, December 22, 1966

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Prabhupada:

srjami tan-niyukto 'ham
haro harati tad-vasah
visvam purusa-rupena
paripati trisakti-dhrk

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Brahma, the creator of this particular universe, he says that "I am engaged, I am appointed, by the Supreme Lord." So the creator and the annihilator, Siva, they are appointed agents of the Supreme Lord. They are not Supreme. Srjami tan-niyukto 'ham haro harati tad-vasah. Tad-vasah means we are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Nobody is free or independent. Only Krsna. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. You have this statement in the Bhagavad-gita in the Ninth Chapter, that "Nobody is greater than Him." And another version is there, na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate: "Nobody is equal or greater than Him." There are so many statements in the Vedic literature.

So here is also another statement from Srimad-Bhagavatam. This was spoken by Brahma to his disciple Narada. Narada questioned him that "So far we know, that you are the supreme, but you also sometimes meditate and worship somebody." So in that connection Brahma explained that "We are not supreme. We are all appointed agents. Supreme is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Visvam purusa-rupena paripati trisakti-dhrk. Visvam, this cosmic manifestation, is being maintained by His threefold energies. Trisakti-dhrk. Trisakti means three kinds of energies. When it is materially conceived, the three kinds of energies are the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. And when they are spiritually conceived, the same three kinds of energies are manifested as spiritual potency, material potency and marginal potency. So anyway, the Lord is always full with different kinds of energies, of which these three are main divisions.

manvantaravatara ebe suna, sanatana
asankhya ganana tanra, sunaha karana

Now Lord Caitanya has explained about... Out of six kinds of incarnations, He has explained to you the incarnation of purusavatara, three, then lilavatara, then gunavatara. Three kinds of incarnations are already explained. Now the remainder, three kinds of incarnations, manvantaravatara, yugavatara, and saktyavesavatara, He is going... Out of that three, first the manvantaravatara, Manu... So Lord Caitanya says that "I shall now explain to you about the manvantavatara." And He says, manvantaravatara ebe suna, sanatana: "My dear Sanatana, just now I shall explain to you about the manvantaravatara. You hear it." Asankhya ganana tanra, sunaha karana: "And this manvantaravatara... So far other incarnations are concerned, we have somehow counted three or say ten, like that. But here, when we speak of manvantaravatara, they are countless." Asankhya. Asankhya means countless. Nobody can count how many manvantaravataras are there. How it is so? He is explaining. Brahmara eka-dine haya caudda manvantara: "In one day of Brahma, in one day of Brahma..." That you have calculated according to Bhagavad-gita: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]. Brahmano, or Brahma, arhat. Arhat means one day, twelve hours. What is that twelve hours according to our calculation? Sahasra-yuga-paryantam, sahasra, one thousand yugas. And what is the duration of yuga? Four million, three hundred thousands of years, one yuga. Such one thousand, that makes Brahma's one day, twelve hours. Similarly night, twelve hours. Similarly one month. In this way he has got hundred years' duration of life.

Now, this one day, twelve hours, within this twelve hours, there are fourteen Manus. Twelve hours of Brahma means 4, 3, five zero, eight zero. What is that, 4, 3, eight zeroes? What is the calculation according to your arithmetic, 4, 3, eight zeroes? Huh?

Hayagriva: 4,300,000,000.

Rupanuga: Four billion three hundred and eight.

Prabhupada: 4, 3, eight zeroes.

Devotee: 4,300,000,000.

Rupanuga: Yes. That's right.

Prabhupada: Four billion...

Rupanuga: ...three hundred million.

Prabhupada: 4,300,000,000. That's all right. Within that 4,300,000,000's divide into fourteen. That is the duration of one Manu. Four billion, three hundred millions divide into fourteen. That will make... That one part is the duration of a Manu.

So anyway, fourteen Manus are taking place in one day of Brahma.

brahmara eka-dine haya caudda manvantara
ei caudda avatara tahan karena isvara

They are also incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Caudda eka dine, mase cari-sata bisa. If in one day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus, then in one month of Brahma it comes to cari-sata, 420. Thirty days a month. So 420 Manus in one month of Brahma. Brahmara vatsare panca-sahasra callisa. Similarly, in one year of Brahma there is 5,040 Manus in one year, and he lives for hundred years. So 5,040 Manus in one year. Now hundred. So 5,040 plus two zeroes. So it comes to panca-laksa cari-sahasra manvantaravatara. Panca-laksa means fifty millions. Not fifty millions. Ten millions a laksa. That means five millions and four thousands of Manus are there in one Brahma's life. Five million and four hundred thousand of manvantaravatara, incarnation of Manu, in one brahmanda. And Lord Caitanya... Ananta brahmande aiche karaha. And there are innumerable brahmandas, universes. Now you can calculate how many Manus are there. Therefore you cannot calculate. He said, "innumerable."

ananta brahmande aiche karaha ganana
maha-visnu eka-svase brahmara jivana

And all these Manus and Brahmas, they are living only on the breathing period of Maha-Visnu. Maha-visnura nisvasera nahika paryanta. And just imagine what is that breathing? Eka manvantaravatarera dekha lekhara anta.

So in one breathing of Maha-Visnu, you cannot calculate how many Manus are there. This is called unlimited. We say "unlimited," but we should have some knowledge how it is unlimited. There is no question of counting the energies displayed by the Supreme Lord in so many ways. Because we cannot explain something, we dismiss the whole thing. "There is void, nothing. Void." Because my mind, my intelligence, cannot go so far, we say, "Perhaps, maybe it was like this." So this is all mental speculation. And how we can say? Now, the opposite party may say, "How you can say?" Now, we have got evidence from the Vedic literature. But the other party, they have no evidence. They are simply speculationist. We can give some evidence. The Vedas are accepted by acaryas, and they are following, and they are getting the result. So therefore, sruti-pramana. Sruti-pramana. There are three kinds of evidences. Out of that, sruti-pramana, evidence from higher authorities, that is the first-class evidence. What are those evidence? Pratyaksa, aitihya and sruti. Pratyaksa means direct perception. Direct perception, that is evidence. People with poor fund of knowledge, they want direct perception of everything. That is not possible. Direct perception of everything is not possible. Therefore aitihya. Aitihya means historical, historical, parampara, hearing, traditional. And the next first-class evidence is sruti. Sruti means to hear from the authority. That is sruti. Just like the example we have several times cited here that the evidence "Who is my father?" that evidence is to hear from my mother. That's all. There is no other evidence. The mother says that "This is your father. He is your father." This is sruti, hearing from the mother, authority. And we have no other authority to understand father. Similarly, we have to understand our supreme father from the sruti mother, Vedas mother, mother Vedic mother. We have to accept Vedas as mother, sruti. The Vedas are considered as mother, and the Puranas are considered as sister. That is explained. So, sruti-pramana, sruti-pramana.

maha-visnura nisvasera nahika paryanta
eka manvantaravatarera dekha lekhara anta

Simply one manvantara in one universe, we cannot count how many manvantaras are there, and what to speak of...? There are innumerable, uncountable universes, and there are so many manvantaravataras.

Now He is giving the names of Manus. Just like the sun, the present sun-god, is named as Vivasvan, similarly, in every planet there are heads: sun-god, moon-god, heavenly god, Indra, Candra, Varuna, Vayu, so many, thirty-three koti. Koti means ten millions. Such thirty-three million demigods are there, and each of them has got a separate planet, and their names are similarly there. So here Lord Caitanya is giving some of the names of the Manu. You cannot count how many Manus are there, but for one day the fourteen Manus are named, and that is given here. Svayambhuve 'yajna', svarocise 'vibhu' nama. A different period of Manus are differently named. So the fourteen names are Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, fourth; then Vaikuntha, Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Rsabha, Visvaksena, Dharmasavarnye, Sudhama, Indra-savarnya, Brhadbhanu. In this..., fourteen Manus. Brhadbhanu. I will answer your question.

yugavatara ebe suna, sanatana
satya-treta-dvapara-kali-yugera ganana

Now yugavatara. We have finished manvantaravatara. This is fourth. Purusavatara, lilavatara, gunavatara, and the manvantaravatara, fourth. Purusa incarnation, and then quality, modes of nature, three modes, so gunavatara, then lilavatara. Then manvantaravatara we have finished. Now Lord Caitanya is explaining about the yugavatara, incarnation in every millennium, yuga. What is that?

yugavatara ebe suna, sanatana
satya-treta-dvapara-kali-yugera ganana

Now, there are four yugas. Each yuga is divided into four: Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali. This is the Kali, this age we are passing. Similarly, these four yugas, such thousand four yugas, when passed away, then one twelve hours of Brahma is finished, when such thousand four yugas passes away. So satya-treta-dvapara-kali-yugera ganana. So each yuga is divided into four. Satya-yuga is about eighteen lakhs. Eighteen lakhs means 1,800,000's of years. That is Satya-yuga, 1,800,000's. And the next yuga, Treta, is 1,200,000's of years; and the next yuga, Dvapara, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga is 400,000's of years, 432,000's of years. Out of that, five thousands of years we have already passed. Now, there is balance: 427,000 years, there is balance of this Kali-yuga. And the symptoms of Kali-yuga we have already seen, how it is.

So the more we will pass this Kali-yuga, the symptoms will be more acute, intolerable. So we should care. We should take care of this so that we may not come back again to this Kali-yuga. (laughter) You see? This life should be utilized. Now we are conscious, Krsna conscious. It should be so utilized that no more coming back to United States of America and no more coming back of this condemned earthly planet. That should be the aim. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. We have to be determined to go back to Godhead, to Krsna, where going nobody will come to this condemned place. One should know that this is a condemned place. Unless one is fully convinced that this is a place, condemned, one cannot make progress. If he is satisfied with this condemned condition... Just like these Bowery Street men, they are lying on the footpath. They are satisfied. Condemned condition, but they are satisfied. We should not be satisfied in that way. That is very wretched condition. So we are all in wretched condition under the grip of material nature, always suffering threefold miseries. So we should be conscious. Unless we are conscious about this fact, then our human life is spoiled. They say that you spiritualists, you are very pessimistic. Yes. He should be pessimistic. There is no question of being optimistic. Where is the optimistic view?

So unless one becomes very much pessimistic of this material world... Actually, they are, but they want to forget. Somebody is trying to forget it by liquor. Somebody is trying to forget by LSD, and somebody is marijuana, or ganja. But that forgetfulness will not save you. You have to actually forget it, that "This is a condemned place," and you cannot forget this unless you have got ideal place before you. Therefore this sruti-pramana, the Vedic knowledge, will give you: "Here is your ideal place, Krsna. Come back to Krsna. Try for it. Try your best for this." That is the life. That is human life. And unless one is not conscious to this platform, he is defeated. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jatah. We are born ignorant. And if we are educated more, more, more into the platform of ignorance, then our life is all defeat, parabhava. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. So long one is not awakened to spiritual consciousness... "What I am? Why I am suffering? Is there any remedy? How I can save me?" -- these questions should arise. This is called brahma-jijnasa. The Vedanta-sutra explains this brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. Athato: "Now. Now it is the time for you to inquire about your Brahman realization, of your Brahman life." That Brahman life begins when we understand that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul." That is brahma-jnana. And one who has got this knowledge, he is brahmana. He is brahmana. One who has actually attained this knowledge, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," that is brahma-jnana.

Now, simply to have brahma-jnana is not sufficient. When you act like Brahman, that is called Vaisnava. That is Vaisnava. That is Krsna consciousness. To understand yourself, that you are not this body, you are Brahman, and when you act factually in that Brahman stage, that is called bhakti. Bhakti. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita,

mam ca (yo) 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena yah sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
 [Bg. 14.26]

So as soon as you begin your activities in Krsna consciousness, you at once come to the stage of Brahman. And the more you execute functions for satisfaction of Krsna, the more you realize yourself and more you are well-situated in spiritual life. And kaunteya prati... I was discussing. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. The Lord declared through Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, declare it to all the world that anyone who is My devotee, he will never be destroyed." So we should take up this Krsna consciousness very seriously and try to execute it thoroughly under the guidance of the sruti-pramana. The Vedic literatures are there. Everything is there. We should utilize it.

Thank you very much. Any question? Yes.

Kirtanananda: You spoke of the energy of the Lord as being threefold... (end)

 

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The World Is Impersonal

The World Is Impersonal

 Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.10

Bombay, December 22, 1974

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Nitai: "The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifested state and is called pradhana. It is called prakrti when in the manifested stage of existence."

 

Prabhupada:

yat tat tri-gunam avyaktam
nityam sad-asad-atmakam
pradhanam prakrtim prahur
avisesam visesavat
 [SB 3.26.10]

Visesa means varieties, and avisesa means without variety. Just like we have got experience: the earth is there. Now, if... From the earth, you can make so many other things. You can make doll. You can make pot. You can make balls. You can make bricks. You can make house. So many things you can make. So this transformation into forms, that is called visesa, varieties. And when the transformation is not there, that is called avisesa or nirvisesa.

So visesavat. The word is used here, visesavat. It appears like visesa, variety, but actually it has no variety. It is the material element. In another place it is said, tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayo yatra tri-sargah amrsa. Somebody says, amrsa. It is created. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said this creation is going on, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. It is created at a certain time, and then again it is annihilated. And when annihilated, mixed together, that is avyaktam. And when they are again created into forms, that is called vyaktam. Just like you lump of gold and prepare many ornaments. You can make bangles, you can make necklace, earring, and so many things. And again melt it -- it becomes lump of gold. So that is the distinction between vyaktam and avyaktam. When they are made into varieties, that is called vyaktam, and when it is again mixed together, then it is called avyaktam.

So sri-bhagavan uvaca. Kapiladeva is speaking, He is Bhagavan. The word Bhagavan we have explained several times. Bhagavan is person. Uvaca. Bhagavan said... "Bhagavan said" means Bhagavan is person. Unless one is person, he cannot say, he cannot speak. So the source of knowledge is Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the origin. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, aham evasam agre: "Before the creation, I was there." And when Bhagavan speaks "I was there," that means He was not alone. Just like here is Krsna, Bhagavan, He is not alone. He is with Radharani and the gopis and the cowherds boy and His friends. That is described in the Brahma-samhita. Bhagavan is not alone.

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
 laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.29]

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.30]

alola-candraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi-
ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam
syamam tribhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.31]

There are hundreds of verses like this.

So Krsna is not alone. Krsna is always in varieties. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). He is anandamaya.

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.37]

He is ananda-cinmaya-rasa, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. So Krsna is not nirvisesa; He is savisesa. But this material world is actually nirvisesa, but it appears something like varieties. The same thing, the example, I have already given: a lump of matter -- either you take earth or water or gold or silver -- and you can make varieties of things, cause and effect. But that is nirvisesa. But the spiritual world, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], as it is said in the Vedanta-sutra, the origin of everything, the cause of all causes, that is full of spiritual varieties. That is not nirvisesa. Here in this material world we are seeing these varieties. We have got these planets. On the planets there are so many mountains, so many trees, so many plants, so many houses, in each and every planet. Don't think the other planets, that is void. No. They are also full of varieties. Full of varieties.

We get information: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. Vibhuti-bhinnam, different varieties. Krsna and Krsna's creation, they are full of varieties, anywhere you go. Vibhuti-bhinnam. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi [Bs. 5.40]. Vasudha means planet. Vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam. In every vasudha, in every planet, there are different atmosphere. Just like we get information from here by the scientists that the moon planet, the temperature is two hundred degrees below zero. So that is another variety. Similarly, on the sun planet many thousand times temperature, thousand times the temperature is very, very high. Fire, it is almost fire. So vibhuti-bhinnam. Different planets, different.

So these varieties are material varieties. Material varieties means when it is nonmanifested, it is called pradhana, and when it is manifested, it is called prakrti, or nature, material nature. But these varieties, the material pradhana... Pradhana is nityam, but the prakrti is not nityam. Nityam means eternal. But there is another world, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. That is sanatanah. That is eternal. We have got this experience of this material world. This is not eternal. This is... Just we have got experience of this body. This body is created at a certain stage, and it will stay for some time, and it will transform into many other forms from this body, and then it will dwindle, and then it will vanish. Similarly, the whole material creation is like that. It is created by the interaction of the three modes of material nature. First of all it is a lump of matter, mahat-tattva. It is called mahat-tattva. That mahat-tattva is above this universe, above the sky. Above the sky there are seven layers. Each layer is ten times more than the other layer. In this way, that is called mahat-tattva. Total material elements, they are stocked there. And then these varieties take place. And above that mahat-tattva, there is spiritual world, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20], another material nature. That is called Brahmaloka or Vaikunthaloka. There are also spiritual planets. And above all such planets...

Just like in this material world there are millions of planets and the topmost planet is called Brahmaloka, where Brahma lives. From Brahma, all other things are created. So beyond that... This is manifested, prakrti. Beyond that, there is nonmanifested, total stock. That is called avyakta or pradhana. And beyond that, there is the spiritual world. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. There is another bhava, or nature. Bhava, svabhava, or nature -- the same word. So that is sanatana. When everything will be annihilated in this material world... Because material world... Anything in this material world, it will be annihilated at a certain stage. Just like my body will be annihilated. Anything. This table will be annihilated. This microphone will be annihilated. Anything will be annihilated. But there, the same things are there, but they are eternal and spiritual. They are eternal; they are never to be... Even after annihilation of this whole cosmic manifestation, the spiritual varieties will not be annihilated. This information we get from Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literature.

So Kapiladeva, the Personality of Godhead, He is person. We should always know that Bhagavan, Bhagavan is person, full of six opulences. And because He is full of six opulences, therefore He has got His form.

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
 [Bs. 5.1]

His vigraha, His form, is not like our form. And because we do not know that Krsna has got His spiritual form, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, therefore ordinary man thinks that "Krsna is also a man like me." Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. One who does not know what is Krsna, he says, "Krsna is also a man like me. Krsna also gets a body like me." But that is not the fact. Those who do not know about Krsna... Because to know Krsna, that is not ordinary thing.

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
 [Bg. 7.3]

"Out of many persons, they are trying for self-realization, siddhi." That is called siddhi. "And out of many thousands and millions of siddhas" -- siddhas means one who is self-realized; they are called siddhas -- "out of them, one may know what is Krsna." So Krsna cannot be known by ordinary human being. One must be first of all siddha; then, out of the siddhas, the most topmost siddha, he can understand what is Krsna.

But Krsna is so kind that He comes personally and manifests Himself. Tadatmanam srjamy aham.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
 [Bg. 4.7]

"When I appear..." There is time. In one day of Brahma, Krsna appears. Everything is there in the sastra. That means some millions of years after, once Krsna comes within this universe. And when He comes, He comes on this planet and in Vrndavana. Therefore Vrndavana is so important. This Vrndavana is replica of the original Vrndavana. There is Krsna's place.

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.43]

There is the topmost planet in the spiritual world which is called Goloka Vrndavana. So below the Goloka Vrndavana... Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. Everything is below the Goloka Vrndavana planet. And all of them are called devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu [Bs. 5.43]. Devi-dhama, the devi-dhama means this material world. This is controlled by Devi, Durga.

srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.44]

The Vaisnava philosophy is that govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. Govinda is adi-purusa. Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said. Krsna says that "I am the original source of all, everything." So the devi-dhama, the mahesa-dhama, and the hari-dhama, they are all expansion of Krsna. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate. The whole spiritual world and the material world is manifestation of the energy of Krsna.

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
 [Bg. 10.8]

One who understands this science... Iti matva bhajante mam. Who? Now, budha, one who has understood very perfectly well through the sastra, through sadhu. Sadhu, sastra, guru. The source of information is sadhu, sastra, guru.

 

That is also recommended in the Bhagavad-gita:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
 [Bg. 4.34]

So we have to approach to a guru, tattva-darsi. Tattva-darsi. Tattva-darsi means... What is tattva? Tattva means truth. One who has seen the truth. We have to approach such tattva-darsi. And what is that tattva?

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
 [SB 1.2.11]

Tattva means the tattva-vastu, the Absolute Truth, is manifested in three features: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. They are actually the same thing, but different realization.

I have given several times this example: Just like the sunshine, the sun globe, and the sun-god, Narayana, within the sun globe, that is one thing. One thing means that Narayana within the sun globe, his bodily effulgence is so glowing and bright. This is called sun's blazing effulgence. So the sunshine is also expansion of that glowing effulgence. So they are one thing. Just like fire. Fire, direct fire, temperature, and just outside the fire, temperature, and the heat of the fire outside -- although they are one, but the temperature different. Similarly, the sun-god and the sun globe and the sunshine, they are one, but different temperature. So one who knows this... That means one who knows that the Brahman effulgence is just like the sunshine outside, and the Paramatma feature is the expansion of the Supreme Lord everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu. He is everywhere, even within the atom. That is Paramatma feature. And ultimately it is coming from Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. So one has to understand. Budha bhava-samanvitah. Budha. Budha means one who knows. So such person we have to... Tattva-darsi, one who knows what is tattva, what is Brahman, what is Paramatma, what is Bhagavan -- we have to approach such person. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].

So in this way, as Devahuti... Devahuti is the mother of Kapiladeva, but she is taken instruction from his (her) son. His (her) son is... Kapiladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So it doesn't matter whether God appears as my son or guru or father. God is there always. So we have to take knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is perfect knowledge. Because He is the origin of everything. Govindam adi-purusam. Adi-puru... The original person. So if we take lessons from the original person, that is perfect knowledge. Otherwise it is imperfect knowledge. So that... Somebody was asking about the parampara. So that parampara is very necessary, to know the knowledge by the parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Parampara is very important thing. Therefore, unless we take to the parampara system, which is, in another word, it is called sampradaya... Sampradaya.

So to understand the Absolute Truth, there are four recognized sampradayas: the Brahma-sampradaya, the Rudra-sampradaya, the Kumara-sampradaya, and the Sri-sampradaya. Sri-sampradaya mean one sampradaya is coming from directly from the goddess of fortune, Laksmi. That is called Sri-sampradaya. And one sampradaya is coming from Lord Brahma. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. The adi-kavi is Lord Brahma. He learned from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Tene brahma hrda. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instructed Lord Brahma from within the heart: tene brahma hrda. Hrda means within the heart. So in this way, instruction is received from Lord Brahma, from Lord Siva, from Laksmiji the goddess of fortune, and the Kumaras, Sanat-kumara, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda Kumara. They have got a sampradaya. So we have to approach the sampradaya. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Abhigacchet: "must approach the sampradaya," either of the sampradaya. Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah: "If you don't take your instruction, mantra, from the sampradaya, then it is useless." It has no meaning, because they do not know. Therefore we have to take sampradaya, accept sampradaya.

So there are four sampradayas of the Vaisnavas. At the present moment they are known as Madhva-sampradaya, or Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya; or Ramanuja-sampradaya; or Visnu Svami-sampradaya; and Nimbarka-sampradaya. Here in Bombay, Vallabha-sampradaya, they belong to the Visnu Svami-sampradaya. So we have to approach the sampradaya. Without sampradaya, whatever we learn, that is not perfect. Sampradaya-vihinas ye mantras te nisphala matah. Just like we have got very nice example that in political field there are parties: "This is Congress party," "This is Communist party," "This is..." So these parties are recognized. Unless you belong to some party, you cannot stand for election. As it is there in the political field, sampradaya-vihina ye, they cannot stand, similarly, if one person who desires to advance in spiritual life, he must take initiation from the sampradaya.

So we belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya. Gaudiya means, Gaudiya... Gauda-desa is called Bengal. There are panca-gauda. Punjab is also called Gauda-desa. There are five gauda and five dravida. In southern India, they are called dravida, and in the north India, they are called gauda-desa. So Gauda, Bengal is also Gauda, and the Vaisnavas belonging to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult, they are called Gaudiya-Vaisnava, Bengali Vaisnava. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu happened to be a Bengali, but He belonged to the Madhva-sampradaya. His guru was Isvara Puri, and his guru, Isvara Puri's guru, was Madhavendra Puri. And Madhavendra Puri belonged to Madhvacarya-sampradaya. The Gopala, the Nathadvara Gopala, that belonged to... Originally it was owned by Madhavendra Puri. Then it was delivered, the Deity was delivered, to the Visnu Svami-sampradaya.

So anyway, if we require knowledge, factual knowledge, we must receive it directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is perfect knowledge. Therefore Devahuti is receiving knowledge. Although Kapiladeva is his (her) son, but because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he (she) is taking knowledge from Him. And if we take knowledge from Him also -- everything is there in the book -- then that is perfect knowledge. Therefore it is said, bhagavan uvaca. As Bhagavan is complete, purna, purnam adah purnat purnam udacyate -- He is purna, sampurna, complete -- so that knowledge is perfect.

So Kapiladeva is giving knowledge, beginning how the creation, the material creation, is begun. He is beginning from that point of view. Pradhanam prakrtim sad-asat and yat tat tri-gunatmakam. This material world is tri-gunamayi, tri-gunatmakam, or tri-gunamayi, the same thing. As Krsna said, daivi hy esa gunamayi, gunamayi [Bg. 7.14]. Guna. This material world, this prakrti, is gunamayi; there are three modes of material nature. So we are controlled by these tri-gunamayi, and we have to become gunatitam. As Krsna advises to Arjuna, traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna: "You just try to become above the three gunas." That is human life. Human life is not meant for remaining within the category of these three gunas and struggle for existence. That is not human life. That is animal life.

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati
 [Bg. 15.7]

Krsna said that "The living entities, they are My part and parcel. They are as good as I am." But because the part and parcel of gold is also gold... It is nothing else. It may be small gold, but it is gold. Similarly, we may be very small fragmental part of the Supreme Person, Brahman, but we are Brahman. This is Brahman. Aham brahmasmi. This is Brahman realization. It is not very difficult. If you simply understand that "I am part and parcel of Krsna," that is Brahma-jnana. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. It does not take very much time, but it requires little brain, that "If I am part and parcel of God, then I must be qualitatively the same." Part of gold is also gold.

So that self-realization is not very difficult. But it requires a little fortune and intelligence. Aham brahmasmi. These big, big saintly person, they are undergoing severe penances and austerities to understand aham brahmasmi. But if you believe in the Bhagavad-gita statement, Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah: [Bg. 15.7] "The living entities are My part and parcel." So if Krsna is Parabrahman... Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. This is accepted by Arjuna when he heard Bhagavad-gita. At the end, he is accepting, "Krsna, You are Parabrahman." So if we are part and parcel of Parabrahman, then we must be Brahman. Where is the difficulty? So this brahmaham, brahmasmi, this Brahman realization, can be understood in a moment if you believe Bhagavad-gita as it is. But if you foolishly interpret in this way and that way, then it will take millions of years. You will not understand what is Bhagavad-gita, what is God, what is... But if you take it as it is, then immediately you can understand that you are Brahman. There is no difficulty.

So what is the duty of the part and parcel? That is also very easy to understand. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of the finger? I ask the finger, "Please come here." It comes immediately. I ask the finger, "Come here." So that means service. Therefore part and parcel's duty is... Just like in a office, if I say, "This man is one of our part," or "one of my partner," a partner means he is working for the same interest. That is partner. So similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna -- that means we must be partner of Krsna. And what Krsna wants? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg. 18.66]. He wants. So as partner of Krsna, you should preach that "You surrender to Krsna." That is your business.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974

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Self Realized & Body Realized

Self Realized & Body Realized

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1-4
Boston, December 22, 1969

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Prabhupada: ...Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So I am so pleased that you are doing things just to my satisfaction. And stick to this principle and Krsna will bless you, sure. Our line of action is not difficult: chanting sixteen rounds regularly, following the four regulative principles, take prasadam, read books, we have got so many books, speak, discuss about the subject matter amongst yourself, and this is the process.

So Pariksit Maharaja, you know, I have several times spoken, he had only seven days to meet his death. He was young man, but some way or other, he was cursed by a brahmana boy, not a brahmana, that he would meet death within seven days, and... This is Vedic culture, that before death one should prepare very nicely to go back to Godhead. This is Vedic culture. The modern civilization, they do not know what is going to happen after death. But our Vedic culture is not so blind. Vedic culture has got an aim, what is the aim of human life, not aimless life. Aimless life is animal life. They have no aim. By the laws of nature they are going on, transforming from one body to another, and ultimately they are coming by evolutionary process to the human form of life. And especially this civilized human form of life, it is very responsible life. One has to make his choice whether he wants to continue his materialistic way of life and change the body, one after another. That is very risky job. You should always remember that if in my next body I am given a body like a tree, just see, in this part of the world, how condemned life. They are standing in the snowfall. You have got house. You are protecting yourself. They cannot even move. So there is possibility of getting such life.

So we should be so much responsible, how to avoid such laws of nature. We can have any form of life out of 8,400,000 species that are before you. You should always remember that "If by chance I slip to one of them, then how I have wasted my time." This is responsible life. Labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante. Bahu-sambhavante means after many, many appearances. This is appearance. This body, present body, is one of the appearances. It will never appear again. He'll... I will have to or you will have to appear in a different body. But this human form of life is a great opportunity. Bahu-sambhavante. Bahu means many, and sambhava means appearance. After many, many appearances, we have got this. Labdhva su-durlabham. Su-durlabham. Su means very costly. Durlabham means to gain with great difficulty. This responsibility must be there in the human form of life. Labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante. After many, many appearances. And what is this? Manusya, man, human form of body. Artha-dam: and you can achieve a great success in this life. This is the hint given. Therefore for that great success everyone should try his best. And one may think that "Now we are young men, young boys and girls. Let us enjoy life." And that facility is very much easy to obtain in your country. In the school, college or society, the young boys and young girls, they have got ample facility for enjoying material life. Enjoying material life means sex life. So Bhagavata says, "No. You should immediately try for the ultimate success of your life. Don't spoil your life." If we become absorbed in the thoughts of materialistic way of enjoyment, then naturally we have to take birth again in any other form of body, may be human body or may not be human body. But unless we purify our mind and consciousness, we must have to accept the material body.

And if we accept a material body, then all the miserable conditions that we are undergoing with this body, we have to accept it. This is not pessimistic view of life, but this is a fact. Only responsible persons, they can understand. Sanatana Gosvami was minister of government. His society was very aristocratic. Very rich men they were. So rich society, aristocratic society, could not satisfy him. He... They resigned the post and joined Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for ultimate solution of life. These examples are many. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's disciples, direct disciples, they were all very important men, just like Six Gosvamis. Even Svarupa Damodara, His private secretary, he was very learned man, Vedantist. And next to his secretary, the six Gosvamis, Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, they were very, very important rich men of that time. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami happened to be the son of a very big landlord, zamindar. That father's income was twelve hundred thousands of rupees in those days, five hundred years ago. And he was the only son of his father and uncle. So he did not like to enjoy the father's property, but he joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is known as Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. Similarly, Rupa-Sanatana Gosvami also joined. They were also very rich men, important men. And Gopala Bhatta Gosvami... Jiva Gosvami, very learned scholar and philosopher. He was the nephew of Rupa Gosvami. So they were all very important men of the society. They joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu to make life successful. So these examples we should take and make our life successful.

The successful life means to make our consciousness changed into Krsna consciousness. That is success. Labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante. We have got this after many, many births, manusyam, this human form of life. Therefore the sastra says, turnam yateta. I am very glad. You all young boys and girls, you are fortunate. I am not bluffing you. Actually you are fortunate. You have come to the right place, where you can learn Krsna consciousness. This is the greatest boon of life. Turnam yateta. The sastra says that "Very quickly you should try to finish this business." Because Pariksit Maharaja, he was aware that he was going to live for seven days. But we do not know whether our life is still for seven days or seven minutes. Any moment. There is no guarantee. Don't think that "In old age we shall take up this business of Krsna consciousness." By the example of Pariksit Maharaja, we can take the lesson that we do not know when we shall die, but before death we have to become competent in Krsna consciousness. What is that competency? Always, twenty-four hours, thinking of Krsna. That's all. This is competence.

So Pariksit Maharaja, at the last of his life, got the association of a big Krsna conscious personality, Sukadeva Gosvami. So he asked him, "My dear sir, I am now going to die. So what is my duty? Please tell me." Pariksit Maharaja was born in a family of the Pandus. He is the grandson of Arjuna. Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu, he died in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Everyone joined, so he also joined. He was sixteen years old boy at that time, but he was married. Fortunately he was married. And when he was in the battlefield, fortunately his wife was pregnant, and this Pariksit Maharaja was the posthumous child. He was born after the death of his father. He could not see his father. His grandfathers raised him. All the boys died, of the whole family, in the battlefield. Only these five brothers remained alive, and this child was in the womb of his mother. Otherwise, the members of the whole Kuru family died in the battle. It was such a big fight. So this child was also hit by atomic energy, brahmastra, but Krsna saved him. Krsna wanted that "The descendant of My devotees, they must prolong." They were very good family, Krsna conscious family. Krsna wants to give protection to the Krsna conscious men, family. That you know from the Bhagavad-gita. So this child was saved even in the womb of his mother by Krsna. So Krsna also could save him when the king was cursed by a brahmana boy, but Pariksit Maharaja did not like the idea. He took it very seriously that "I have offended the brahmana, and he has cursed me. That's nice." You see? How much liberal he was. So he accepted. Immediately he prepared for death.

So after all, he was a great devotee. In his childhood he was playing with Radha-Krsna Deity. Just like our child, devotee, Mr. DDD. (laughter) Yes. He is playing with Jagannatha. That is very nice. Yes. This is the opportunity. My father also gave me Deities in my childhood, and I had the opportunity to serve Radha-Krsna from childhood. So as such, he asked Sukadeva Gosvami to hear about Krsna. Although he was very much anxious to know about his duty, but he was thinking that "My only duty is to think of Krsna at this stage." Therefore he asked his spiritual master, "Whether I shall hear about Krsna in this last point of my death?" So Sukadeva Gosvami was very glad that "This king is already anxious. I was just going to advise him to think of Krsna, but I see that he is already anxious to think of Krsna." He is always thinking because from the childhood he was playing. From the womb of his mother he saw Krsna. So after his birth he was searching after "that figure who saved me." Therefore his name was Pariksit. He was examiner. So many... He was royal family child. So, so many people were present after his birth. So he was looking after, "Where is that form, Krsna?" Therefore his name is Pariksit.

So when he inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami, "If I can hear about Krsna?" so Sukadeva Gosvami replied,

variyan esa te prasnah
krto loka-hitam nrpa
atmavit-sammatah pumsam
srotavyadisu yah parah
 [SB 2.1.1]

"O my dear king, you are very fortunate. Your question about Krsna is welcome." Variyan. Variyan esa te prasnah: [SB 2.1.1] "You are inquiring about Krsna. So this very question is very important." Variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa: [SB 2.1.1] "And this is not good for you only; it is good for all the human society because you have questioned and I shall reply." So Krsna questions and answers are so important that in future these questions and answers will be discussed in the human society. Actually it is being done so now. We are discussing the same incidents. And he said, atmavit-sammatah pumsam: "And this question is so authorized that atmavit, those who are interested in self-realization, they have got their approval, ‘Yes. This is nice question.' " Atmavit-sammatah. Sammata means approved. It is not bogus question. It is approved. This sort of question should be inquired, Krsna, about Krsna. And if you speak about Krsna... The whole world is full with questions and answers, so these questions and answers are approved by atmavit, those who are self-realized, not bodily realized, atmavit. There are two classes of men. Ninety-nine point nine percent, they are bodily realized men, always thinking of the body. And just there is another class; they are called atmavit, self-realized, Krsna conscious persons. Atmavit-sammatah pumsam srotavyadisu yah parah. Srotavya means worth hearing. There are many kinds of subject matter for hearing, but this is the sublime subject matter of hearing, krsna-prasna.

So questions and answer about Krsna, srotavyadisu yah parah... Para means sublime; srotavya means worth by hearing. So why it is para, sublime? He said,

srotavyadini rajendra
nrnam santi sahasrasah
apasyatam atma-tattvam
grhesu grha-medhinam
 [SB 2.1.2]

This Bhagavata is so, I mean to say, exalted transcendental knowledge that there are eighteen thousand verses, and if you analyze each verse, each word, you will get a great transcendental information. There is no comparison with this Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam amalam puranam. Amalam, spotless. This puranam, this old history of the world... This is also history. Just like this incidence, Pariksit Maharaja was cursed by a brahmana, he was the king, emperor of the world, and how he met his death, these things are described in this history. Is it not? So this is also history. But it is not ordinary history, not history, chronological history, as we generally mean, but it is a history of the most important men in the world. Just like Pariksit Maharaja. He is the most important, at least one of the most important kings in the world. His history of death and life is historical fact.

So Sukadeva Gosvami said that "My dear king," srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah: [SB 2.1.2] "for ordinary men there are many, many subject matters for hearing." Just like you see the newspaper, there are many varieties of news, but they are meant for whom? For ordinary men. They are not meant for us. We don't care for what is happening in the newspaper. At least our boys and girls, they do not care for these things, although everyone is anxious to read early in the morning the newspaper. You see? This very fact is stated here: srotavyadini. What is this newspaper? Newspaper, the Sanskrit word is srotavyadini. Srotavya means "the things which is to be heard." So what is this newspaper? Unless there is some news, what you will hear? So this word, very word, srotavyadini. Pradyumna, you understand srotavyadini? No? Srotavyadini means subject of news. So he said, "There are many subject of news, or newspaper." Srotavyadini rajendra [SB 2.1.2]. He is addressing the king, rajendra. He was the emperor. Therefore, "the king of the kings," rajendra. "My dear rajendra, emperor, there are many varieties of subject matter for hearing." For whom? Nrnam: "for the human society." Nrnam means human beings. Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah [SB 2.1.2]. But what class of human being? Apasyatam atma-tattvam: "Those who are fools and rascals without any self-realization knowledge. For them." Apasyatam. Apasyatam means blind, cannot see. They have got their eyes, but they have no introspection, what is the value of life. Therefore he says, apasyatam. Simply they have eyes like the peacock feather. (laughter) They have no introspection. Eyes means introspection. Therefore Vedic culture says, eyes... Sastra-caksus: "You should see through sastra. Don't try to see by these eyes." These are, what is the value of this eye? They are conditioned in so many ways. You don't believe the eyes. See through the sastra, through the spiritual master, through the sastra. Try to see through this. That is perfect seeing.

So the subject matter for hearing for the ordinary person, those who are engaged in family matters, grhesu grha-medhinam... So does it mean to become a family man is bad? No. It does not mean. But if you become grhamedhi, that is particularly said, grhesu grhamedhi. Grhesu, living in family life, but in family life there are also two classes of men: grhastha and these grhamedhi. Therefore I say that each and every word of Srimad-Bhagavatam, you will have new enlightening, new. Difference, there is difference between grhastha and grhamedhi. Grhamedhi, just like ordinary persons, their household life means they have made the home as the center of their existence. Just like I was seeing just now the rooms of our grhastha, householder, boys and girls. Things are scattered. (laughter) But if you go to another person's, grhastha (grhamedhi), you will find their apartment nicely decorated, chairs, cushions, and sitting place, but they have no vision about self. And here, although we see that household affairs, their resting place, is not so nicely decorated, but their aim is Krsna. So that is the difference between grhamedhi and grhastha. Grhamedhi means they simply want to decorate their apartment and children and wife. That is their end of life. That is all. They have no other business. Apasyatam, blind of the value of life. Whereas the grhastha, he is not blind about the value of his life. He is simply looking forward, how to become successful, Krsna conscious. So those who are blind of the point of self-realization, such householders, they have got many subject matter of hearing in the newspapers. Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah [SB 2.1.2]. Sahasrasah means thousands of subject matters. For whom? Grhesu grha-medhinam. Such householders who made their aim of life to decorate the apartment. That's all. Work whole day and night, and have good dress, good apartment. That's all. They think this is success. These things are, were before also.

So these are being pointed out, grhesu grha-medhinam. For them there are many thousands of news items. Why they have got thousands? Now, what is their mode of life? That is explained. Their mode of life, Sukadeva Gosvami explained to Pariksit Maharaja. Nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va vayah: [SB 2.1.3] "At night they are wasting their duration of life either by sleeping or by sex life." That's all. This is their business at night. Then, at daytime, what is their business? At daytime, diva carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va: [SB 2.1.3] "And daytime, they are always busy: ‘Where is money? Where is money? Where is money? (laughter) Where is money?' " Diva carthe. Arthe means money. Ihaya, hankering after money. Then? They are getting money. Why they should waste their time? No. Nidraya... Diva carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va: [SB 2.1.3] As soon as there is money, there is immediately program how to spend it for family. Kutumba-bharanena va. Kutumba means family, relatives. You see? They will spend thousands of dollars for family and relatives. But if you ask some dollars for Krsna consciousness, they are not interested (inclined?). You see? So for these persons there are varieties of material news. Nidraya hriyate naktam. At night... So their life means day and night. So this is the program of their life. At night those, either sleeping or going to the night club or dancing club, sex life. That's all. Not that these things are new. These are old things. People were accustomed to all these things only... The human nature is always... They are thinking, "modern days." What do you mean by "modern days"? Nothing has changed. "Putting the old wine in new bottle." That's all. (laughter) The practice is going on. Diva carthehaya.

So the question is why they are wasting their life in this way? So that is answered also. He says,

dehapatya-kalatradisv
atma-sainyesv asatsv api
tesam pramatto nidhanam
pasyann api na pasyati

Dehapatya. Dehapatya. Deha means this body, and apatya means change of. Dehapatya-kalatra. Kalatra means wife. Dehapatya-kalatradisu atma-sainyesu. Just like a nation feels himself well-protected when the nation has got good defense measure, similarly, an ordinary man, he thinks that "If I have got strong built body and very faithful wife and nice children," dehapatya-kalatradisu, "and after this," means, "some good bank balance, some landed property, security, these things," one person accepts, "they will give me protection. Yes. They will give. I am now well-protected. I have got nice children. I have got nice wife. I have got good bank balance. I have got so many properties. So why shall I go to Krsna conscious? I am well-protected. These boys and girls, they have no bank balance. They have no home. Therefore they should go." But they are blind. How they are blind? They are thinking that these things will give him protection. Pramatta. Pramatta means crazy. (laughter) Crazy. By craziness he is thinking that "These things will give me protection." No. Tesam pramatto nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. Because he is crazy, he does not see to the destruction of these things although he is seeing others, that they are being destroyed every moment. "My father has died. Naturally I shall die. Naturally my sons also will die. So why I am so much anxious of protecting this family? Everyone will die." Pasyann api na pasyati. They see, but still do not see. They see daily that "I am working so hard for these things, but these things will be destroyed, as it has been destroyed previously in the history." So many empires were destroyed. The British empire destroyed, the Roman empire destroyed, the Egyptian empire destroyed, the, I mean to say, the Indian empire... Formerly..., just like Pariksit Maharaja. He was the emperor of the world. So these things, pasyann api na pasyati, they see that "They cannot give me protection. When I shall be called for death..." Just like Pariksit Maharaja is preparing. "At that time, all these, my soldiers, my bank balance, my good wife, my good children, my good countrymen -- no. Nobody can give me any protection." Just like when you have to fly in the sky, you have to protect yourself. No other can... Take it for the birds or for the airplanes. If you are being crushed in the airplane, no other airplane can protect you. You'll have to come down from the sky. (laughter) Similarly, when death will come, none of you will be able to give me protection. Either my good state or good family or good bank balance or good this, that. No. That's all, finished. You see?

 

So Sukadeva Gosvami giving right instructions to Pariksit Maharaja. Then what should be the subject matter? This so-called rascaldom news, they are not meant for hearing. Therefore he concludes,

tasmad bharata sarvatma
 bhagavan isvaro harih
srotavyah kirtitavyas ca
smartavyas cecchatabhayam

Icchata abhayam. Abhayam. Bhaya means fear, and abhayam means fearlessness. If one is actually expecting that he should be protected, abhayam, there should be no more anything of fearfulness. Then Sukadeva Gosvami is instructing that tasmat... Because these things, if you simply divert your attention to the varieties of newspaper or any other information of this world which is full of this grhamedhi, whose business is to sleep at night and work hard at daytime, that will not give you protection. Then? What I have to do? "You have to hear about Bhagavan, Hari, Isvara." Tasmad bharata sarvatma. "Bharata" because Pariksit Maharaja happened to be a descendant of the Kuru dynasty. The Kuru dynasty was begun from King Bharata, Bharata. There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Ramacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Ramacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Maharaja Dasaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Ramacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty. His name is also Bharata. And another Bharata was the son of King Rsabhadeva, by whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa. This whole planet is called Bharatavarsa. So he is addressing Pariksit Maharaja as the descendant of King Bharata, Bharata." He bharata. You have to talk and hear about sarvatma, the Supersoul who is sitting in everyone's heart, Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences." Bhagavan, this word, every word, suggests volumes of meaning. And Hari: "who can take away all your sufferings." Isvara: "and He is the controller, supreme controller."

So instead of diverting your attention to the varieties of news of this world, you just try to... No, not try. You must. You must. Sarvatma harir isvarah. What is that? Srotavya: "Always hear about Him." Srotavyah kirtitavyas ca. Kirtana. Hearing, then preaching. Therefore we have got our Kirtanananda Maharaja, kirtitavya, who will now preach. Kirtitavya. Hearing, then kirt... After hearing, the next stage is spreading, pushing on, the news of Krsna. First of all hearing, then kirtitavyas ca, spreading. And smartavya. Smartavya means thinking always. Otherwise what you will preach? You hear, you think of it, you preach -- this is the business. Smartavya h kirtitavyas ca, srotavyah. For whom? Icchata akuto bhayam. Icchatabhayam, those who are actually seeking protection. Not this protection, that your bank balance, your good wife, this and... No. They will not give you protection. So Pariksit Maharaja was advised by Sukadeva Gosvami, his spiritual master, "This is your business at the point of death." So not only at the point of death. You cannot take to this business all of a sudden, even it is advised. You have to practice. Just like you cannot become a good soldier on the battlefield. You have to be trained yourself before going to the battle, military training. So this Krsna consciousness movement is training before you ultimately meet death, fight with. So this is the advice given by Sukadeva Gosvami, and we shall read later on.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1-4 -- Boston, December 22, 1969

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Our Real Problem Isn't Petrol

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.44
Los Angeles, December 22, 1973

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

udicim pravivesasam
gata-purvam mahatmabhih
hrdi brahma param dhyayan
navarteta yato gatah

Translation: "He then started towards the north, treading the path accepted by his forefathers and great men, to devote himself completely to the thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And he lived in that way wherever he went."

Prabhupada: Udicim pravivesa. So one who goes to the northern side, it is to be understood he never comes back. Northern side means the Arctic zone, covered with snow. So this was known in Bhagavata days. Not only in Bhagavata days, some, about a thousand years ago also, there is Kalidasa's book Kumara-sambhava. Kumara-sambhava, "The Birth of Karttikeya." So in the book the beginning is asty uttarasyam disi himalayo nama nagadhirajah. Uttarasyam disi, in the northern side, there is mountain which is covered with snow, Himalaya. Hima means ice, hima. Asty uttarasyam disi himalayo nama nagadhirajah: "In the northern side, there is a hill or a mountain which is always covered by snow." Although at the present moment, Himalaya, there is one mountain that is also called Himalaya, Mount Everest, but I think this Arctic zone was referred. Because it is said that "touching both sides, water." Asty uttarasyam disi himalayo nama nagadhirajah, toya-nidhi avagahya. Toya-nidhi. Toya-nidhi means oceans, both sides ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Avagahya, touching. So the Arctic zone was referred in many books, Vedic literature. It is not that it was unknown. Everything was known. The modern historians, they say like that. They say the Bhagavata was written about 1,500 years ago. No. Five thousand years ago. They bring everything within the Christian era. And before that, there was no history, according to them. But that is not the fact.

Anyway, Maharaja Yudhisthira went to the northern side. Gata-purvam mahatmabhih. His forefathers, they were also mahatmas. Formerly the kings were not, I mean to say, licentious drunkards. They were all rsi, as good as great saintly persons, rajarsi. Therefore Bhagavad-gita was taught to the saintly kings. The modern people, they say that "Why not this movement amongst the poorer-class men?" They do not know who is poor. Anyone who is poor in spiritual understanding, he is poor. By material opulence, one does not become rich. He is animal. By material opulence, one may be polished animal, but he is animal. One who is spiritually advanced, he is actually in knowledge. Because basic principle is spirit. Without spiritual knowledge, anything, any so-called knowledge, advancement of knowledge, is simply mistake, mistake. Just like if you, in calculating one mathematical sum, if you commit mistake anywhere, the whole thing is spoiled. Whole thing is spoiled. You go on. You are making progress. But real mistake was there. It will never carry. The balance, it will not come into being.

So the real mistake they are committing: dehatma-buddhi, this body as self. That is the basic mistake of all education. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who has accepted this body as self, yasya atma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke... This is a bag of three elements: kapha, pitta, vayu. And on this basis, sva-dhih kalatradisu... Sva-dhih. Sva-dhih means thinking, "my own men." Kalatradisu. Kalatra means wife, and through wife, children, then other relationship. Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih. And the land in which one is born, that is worshipable. Nowadays nationalism. Nationalism means the land. In so many ways the whole basic principle of education is wrong. Therefore such persons who are making so-called progress on the basic principle of mistake, so parabhavas tavat, they are simply being defeated, because the basic principle is wrong. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. Atma-tattvam, spirit, spiritual knowledge, one who hasn't got, so whatever they are doing in the name of progress, they are all being defeated. That's all. It will never be successful. They will never be happy. There will be no peace and prosperity in the world, because the basic principle is wrong.

So here it is said, mahatma, gata-purvam mahatmabhih. We have to follow great personalities for advancement of knowledge. Actually we do. We accept authority, go to school, college, to learn something from the teacher, professor. But unfortunately, the teachers, professors, they are all rascals. Therefore we do not get proper education. Wrongly directed. They are changing. Changing is not knowledge. That is not knowledge. Just yesterday we were talking some theosophist. He is changing his view. Formerly it was right; now it is wrong. That is not knowledge. Knowledge means what you accept as right, it must be accepted perpetually right. That is knowledge. That is knowledge. Just like our principle. Krsna says that "I am the Supreme," five thousand years ago. So Arjuna who heard from Krsna, he also said, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. He accepted. I am speaking of five thousand years. Otherwise perpetually. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Long, long ago, before speaking to Arjuna, this Bhagavad-gita was spoken to the sun-god, forty millions of years ago. The same principle. In the Bhagavad-gita: "I am speaking to you the same principle." Not that "Forty millions of years have passed, so things have changed." No. Nothing has changed. The sun forty millions of years ago used to rise from the eastern side. Forty or trillions of years. Still it is rising from the east. Can you make any new thing, "Let the sun rise from the west?" No. That is not possible.

So knowledge means without any mistake. Anything without any mistake, that is perpetually right. And anything based on mistaken idea, that will change. You have to correct the mistake. The so-called modern scientists, they are simply correcting their mistake. Therefore they have no real knowledge. Nobody can have real knowledge, because we are imperfect. Our senses are imperfect. That is our defect in the conditioned life. We have got four defects: we commit mistake, we become illusioned, our senses are imperfect, and we cheat. Because our knowledge is imperfect, still, we take the position of teacher; therefore we are cheater -- not teacher, but cheater. So the teacher society nowadays is the cheater society. And this modern world is a society of the cheater and the cheated. That's all. Somebody is cheating and somebody is being cheated. This is going on.

So how can we not be cheated? That is mahatmabhih. You have to follow the previous great acaryas, mahatmabhih. Just like Krsna is accepted. Krsna said He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna accepted, "Yes, param brahma param dhama [Bg. 10.12]," after hearing from Him. Param brahma. And then, after Arjuna, disciplic succession. Lord Caitanya accepted. All the acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, accepted Krsna, the Supreme Personality. Sastra says, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. So we have to follow these mahajana. Otherwise we cannot get the right knowledge. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to follow great authorities. So who are authorities? They are mentioned in the sastras:

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
 [SB 6.3.20]

Everything is there, sastra. So Yudhisthira Maharaja followed the principles as it was done by the previous mahatmabhih, great personalities, not only in his family but also otherwise. Because knowledge is... Right knowledge is not different. "Two plus two equal four," it is right in Europe, in America, in Asia, in white, in black, everywhere. It is truth, "Two plus two..." You cannot make "Two plus two equal to five." That is not possible. That is truth.

So hrdi brahma param dhyayan. This is the principle. If you want to stop repetition of birth and death... This is our real problem, but people are so poor in knowledge, they do not know what is the problem. They are tackling some temporary problem: "There is no petrol, there is no this, there is no that." Well, even petrol is there, but what of yourself? Are you going to live here forever? That is not problem. I am making arrangement for my sense gratification very nicely -- skyscraper building, and very nice car, very nice bank balance, everything. That's all right. But you are going to live permanently? What is the answer, my dear scientist? No answer. Just see. You construct a house with a hope that you shall live here, but if you are informed, "Oh, you are going to die tomorrow," will you take that responsibility, constructing, spending millions of dollars? "Oh, I am going to die?" That is natural. That is natural. So before making nice arrangement for our living condition, first of all make this condition sure that you are going to live actually, you will live comfortably. Is that guaranteed? No, that is not guaranteed. At any moment you will be kicked out. Any moment. So that is real problem. First of all make yourself assured that you will not be kicked out. Just like even we enter an apartment, we make so many agreement with the landlord, this condition, that condition. What is the idea? That I may not be kicked out, I may not be kicked out tomorrow. The landlord may say, "Get out." This is the agreement you make. So what is the agreement for your living condition?

Therefore real problem is that, that we are coming, we are accepting one type of body, either in the human society or animal society or tree society or dog society, accepting some body, karmana daiva, according to our karma. There (are) so many varieties of life. Why so many varieties of...? What is the explanation? Just like there are so many varieties of apartment. So what does this mean? You enter some apartment according to the payment you can provide. Therefore there are so many varieties of apartment. It is a commonsense affair. Otherwise all apartments would have been the same, of the same size, same quality, same... No. There are different tenants, they pay differently; therefore there are different kinds of apartment. Similarly, this is also apartment. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. The spirit soul is within this apartment body. So according to karma, according to payment, one has got American body, one has got African body, one has got Indian body, one has got this body, that body, dog's body, cat's body, tree's body. This is karma. This is karma. This is our real problem. And this human life is especially meant for solving this problem, not the problem of petrol. But they have forgotten this. They are so rascals, the real problem they have forgotten.

Therefore here it is said, dhyayan na avarteta yato gatah. We are trying to go to the moon planet. But is it sure that you will not die there? "No, no, before going there I shall die. That is happy. Still we shall go." This is their proposal. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or any Venus planet, this planet, anywhere within this material world... Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. There are so many planets. The topmost planet is Brahmaloka, Brahma planet, where Lord Brahma lives. And you know the duration of life of Brahma. You cannot calculate his one twelve-hours day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]. This is the Brahma's twelve hours. That is Brahmaloka. You cannot calculate what is the duration of life there. But even if you go there, the problem, death will be there. The problem death will go. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. The problem which is here... Just like the birth-death problem is within the ant society, birth-death problem is there within the animal society, birth-death problem is there in the human society, similarly, birth-death problem is in the moon society or sun society or Brahmaloka society, anywhere in this material world. That is real problem.

But what is my position? My position is that there is no death, no birth. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. In the Bhagavad-gita, teaching, Krsna is teaching that "Soul never takes birth, neither dies." Then what is this death? This is not death. This is changing of body. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Even if you take it is annihilation, yes, but the soul remains. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. People have no brain that "What is my problem? I am eternal. I have no business to accept so-called birth and death and disease and old age, but I am put under this condition. I have to die. I have to take birth. I have to become old. I have to accept disease." This is our real problem. But they have no information. They neglect this, because they cannot make any solution. They think, "It is usual. We have to suffer." Just like an animal. An animal is going, is taken to the slaughterhouse. He knows that "I have no means. I have to suffer," I mean to say, "be slaughtered." He has no means.

But for human society, this kind of ignorance is not good, to submit to the laws of nature against my principles. I do not die. The laws of nature is forcing me to die. I do not wish to be old man. The laws of nature forcing me to become old man. So this can be avoided. And for avoiding this problem, this human form of life is there. But they do not care. They are thinking, "advancing." What advancing? Advancing means this body... Now you have got nice, beautiful American body, but by your work, if you are going to accept next life dog's life, then what is the benefit of your activities? Because there is no guarantee that you will again get the American body. Even if you get the American body again, but there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to live. If you get the American body of a cow, you will be slaughtered, even though you are American. So this is ignorance. Therefore Yudhisthira Maharaja has accepted mahajano yena gatah sa panthah, to follow the footprints of great personality. That is advancement. Otherwise degradation, degradation.

Now the real solution is... Here it is stated, dhyayan na avarteta yato gatah. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita also, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. Tad dhama paramam mama. Dhama means place. Krsna is the proprietor. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. He is the proprietor of all planets. So every place belongs to Him. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. But He has a supreme place, tad dhama paramam mama, where, if you go, you will never return. Yad gatva na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]. That is Krsna-loka, Goloka Vrndavana. If you go there, then you do not come back again. There are many confirmation in the Bhagavad-gita. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya: [Bg. 4.9] "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna," janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, "if anyone knows what I am, what I am, Krsna, My birth, or janma..." Krsna's janma, ajo 'pi sann avyayatma. He has no birth, but still, He appears like taken birth. You can understand very easily. Just like every morning the sun is rising. It is not that a new sun is coming. The same sun of yesterday. It is not that it was finished yesterday. The sun was existing there in the sky, but on different position of this planet, I saw the sun is now set. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna. If we have no birth and death, how Krsna has birth and death? That is not the...

Therefore it is said, ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san. Although He has no birth and death, still, He appears just like He has taken birth from Devaki's womb. It is just like the sun is rising from the eastern side. It does not mean that the eastern side has given birth to the sun. No. Sun is very big than the eastern side. But it appears like that. Therefore Krsna says, janma karma me divyam. Because there are many theologists. They say, "Why God shall take birth?" That is their argument. So our answer is, "Why God shall not take birth? If He is omnipotent, so why you are minimizing His power that He cannot take birth? He must take birth if He likes." And isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Isvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is staying within the heart of everyone. So within the heart for everyone, if He can come out, so what is the difficulty for Him, from within the womb of somebody He can come? What is the difference between heart and womb? And Krsna entered within the womb of Maharaja Pariksit's mother to save Maharaja Pariksit. So Krsna can do anything. Therefore Kunti said that antar bahih: "Krsna is within and without. Still, we cannot see." Krsna is within and without, both ways, but we cannot see either within or without. This is called maya. This is called maya.

So this is the problem. But that is not the problem for Krsna. But that is problem for us. Because we are very minute spark of Krsna, as the spark has the chance of being extinguished out of the fire, similarly, being separated from Krsna, being entangled in this material energy, we have forgotten. Our spiritual quality, burning quality, just like fire, that is now extinguished. It is not exactly extinguished: almost extinguished. We have forgotten. But it can be again brought into the original position by fanning. Just like there is small fire in the charcoal. You fan it, and it will gradually become a big fire. So this Krsna consciousness movement is fanning that spiritual spark to come into full consciousness. Go on fanning like that. That is the rules and regulation, attending this class, hearing this Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita. Twenty-four hours be engaged. That is real business. Dhyayan, always, constantly, hrdi brahma param dhyayan. Dhyayan means medi... This is meditation. And who is Parabrahman? Krsna. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12].

So this is the process. You simply think of Krsna twenty-four hours, dhyayan. That is the process. We are engaged in the Deity worship of Krsna. We are engaged in chanting Krsna's name. We are engaged in Krsna's business or Krsna's propaganda. In this way, if you simply think of Krsna twenty-four..., if you, I mean to say, make your life with that spirit, Krsna... This is Krsna consciousness, twenty-four hours. Satatam smartavyo visnuh. The process if only thinking of Krsna in different engagements. The process, real process, is to think of Krsna. Then hrdi, "within the heart," hrdi brahma param dhyayan navarteta yato gatah, then you will be transferred to the Krsna-loka. Because you are thinking of Krsna always. So tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this body, you will not have any more material body. Yad gatva na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]. You will reach immediately. Tyaktva deham punah, mam eti, immediately. As there are different forces, material forces, then subtler than the matter, mind, mind's force, similarly, there is spiritual force. Mind force, you know. You are sitting here. Immediately, within a second, you can go thousands of miles away, immediately. That is mind's force. And the spiritual force is still more greater than the mind's force. So tyaktva deham, as soon as you give up this body, immediately, within a second, you reach Krsna-loka. That is perfection. That perfection is suggested here. Param brahma dhyayan, param brahma dhyayan navarteta. The real... You don't come back again to accept material body. You are spiritual spark. Again you are with the supreme spirit, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
 [Bs. 5.1]

Krsna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Eternal, sat, cit. Cit means full of knowledge, and ananda, bliss. That is required.

So why should we waste our time otherwise for solving these so-called problems? So-called problem, they will come. Just like now it is winter season. This is also problem. Just little cover it. Then it will... Again there will be summer season; this covering will not be required, not be required. So manage somehow if there is little problem, but don't forget your real problem. That is life. That is life. "Because now it is very chilly, so I shall not take bath." No. You have to do your duty, even it is very cold, severe cold, you have to do duty. "Because it is very hot, warm, we shall not cook, we shall not go to the kitchen." No. You have to go. Similarly, real problem is how to solve this birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Krsna consciousness. In all circumstances, we have to pull on our Krsna consciousness. Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. That business do not forget. Then you are missing the point. Satatam, always, yudhyasva mam anusmara [Bg. 8.7]. That is the instruction. This world is full of struggle. That's a fact, everyone knows. But just like Arjuna was advised that yudhyasva, "You fight; at the same time, remember Me." Yudhyasva mam anusmara [Bg. 8.7]. Similarly, in different fields of activities you have to fight. This is a world of fighting. But do not forget Krsna. Hare Krsna.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973

Demons And Devotees 75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7

Demons And Devotees

75/12/22 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 16.7



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada



Prabhupada:

pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate

Na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca. Pravrtti means inclination, inclined. And nivrtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities -- 8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravrtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Pumsam striyah maithuni-bhavam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point -- sex, man and woman. So this is pravrtti-marga, and nivrtti-marga: just to stop it. This is called nivrtti-marga.

We are within this material world on account of this pravrtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life... Whole original life means Krsna conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Krsna as His part and parcel." That is Krsna consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravrtti-marga. This is scientific division, pravrtti-marga and nivrtti-marga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life. So in order to keep to the normal life, we must know how to cure the disease. Just like when you have got fever, you go to the doctor, he says, advises "You do this" and "You do not do this." The "do not do this" means nivrtti-marga, and "do this," pravrtti-marga. If you are serious to cure your disease, then you must know what you should do and what you should not do. But just like a man, a very foolish man, he is suffering from disease but he does not know how to cure the disease, what to do and what not to do, similarly an animal-like man, a two-legged man, he does not know what to do and what not to do. This is explained here.

Pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca, jana na vidur asurah. Jana, there are two kinds of men, asura and daiva. Daiva asura eva ca. There are two all throughout the whole universe, there are two classes of men: one is called daiva, and one is called asura. One who knows his relationship with God, he is called daiva, and one who does not know, just like animal, they are called asura. There is no particular caste or creed, that here is a caste of asura, caste of daiva. No. Anyone who knows what is God and his relationship with God, sambandha, and then works according to that relation, and achieve the goal of life, he is called daiva, or devata. And one who does not know this, what is the goal of life, what is God, what is my relationship with God, he is asura.

So, Krsna has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gita, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Krsna, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahma, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. So these acaryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakata, aprakata, avirbhava, tirobhava. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, so what to speak of the acaryas, or Bhagavan. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Krsna, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.

So this is our relationship. If we understand this relationship, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman, that is our real understanding. Just like in your office or in a factory, there is a proprietor, he is maintaining so many workers, so many clerks. And what is your duty? To serve him. So similarly, if the Supreme Being, the supreme proprietor, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]

If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit -- the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker -- then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Krsna. If we know this, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam... Krsna says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para. Krsna says that "Beyond this material energy," bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca bhinna me prakrtir astadha, "these eight kinds of prakrti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedam dharyate jagat. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhumir apo' nalo vayuh. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jiva bhutah maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.

So this is knowledge. We should understand that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing is manufactured by us, so He is the proprietor; but because we are His sons, we have got the legal right to enjoy the property of the father. That is all right; that is real communism. This is actual understanding of communism: everything belongs to God. Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Krsna is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:

isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincid jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdha kasyasvid dhanam

This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God -- isavasyam idam sarvam -- everything, and tena tyaktena bhunjitha, whatever He gives you as prasadam... Just like our principle is that we are working for Krsna, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering arati, he is also working for Krsna, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Krsna. So as worker for Krsna there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.

So the Krsna consciousness movement means variety of service to the Supreme. The example is just like, the varieties of different parts of the body: the head is there, the hand is there, the brain is there, the leg is there. The head cannot work like the leg, neither the leg can work like the brain. The hand cannot work the belly, or belly cannot work like the hand. Varieties. Similarly, there are varieties of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we serve Krsna with our varieties, sa karmana manasa vaca, then it is everything peaceful. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We do not want to stop the varieties. Varieties must be there. We are not nirvesesa-vadi, impersonalist. No. We are completely personalist. Krsna is person, Radharani is person, the devotees are person, the demigods are person, the cats person, the dogs person, the cows person, the calves person. But what is the meaning of Vrndavana? Vrndavana means everyone -- the father and mother of Krsna, Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, the gopis, the girlfriends of Krsna, Radharani and others, and the cowherd boys, and the cows, the calfs, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water. Everyone is for serving Krsna. This is Vrndavana. Vrndavana means there is variety, and varieties of service and everything for Krsna. That is Vrndavana.

So our this Krsna consciousness movement is educating that the varieties of service should be concentrated for the satisfaction of Krsna. That is pravrtti, and what is not satisfying Krsna, against the... [break]

Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam. This is called surrender. Surrender means that Krsna is asking sarva-dharman parityayja mam ekam saranam vraja. What is the surrender means? Surrender means "Krsna, I am surrendering unto You. I was acting whimsically, by the dictation of my different senses." Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, like that. Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. The sastra says, you should not steal -- an example. But I am stealing. Why? Na kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa. I know I should not steal; therefore I go to somebody's house very secretly, or push my hand very secretly in one's pocket. I know that I should not do this, but I am forced to do it. Why? I am dictated by my lusty desire. So I am become servant of my six senses. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position. Na manina kulya... Everyone knows. A thief knows if he commits theft he'll be punished, either by the police or by the laws of God. Everyone knows, but he still commits theft. Why? He is dictated by the lusty desires.

So pravrtti means we are dictated by our kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Krsna, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Our pravrtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Krsna or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Krsna consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Krsna. That requires qualification. Krsna is there, in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is not far away, but you have to search out where is Krsna within your heart. That is called yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginah, those who are trying to understand Krsna by the yoga process... The yoga means controlling the senses. Without controlling the senses you cannot practice any yoga. Nowadays it has become a fashion, meditation yoga, but that is not bona fide. That is not only (not) bona-fide; that is farce. Real yoga is controlling the senses and concentrating the mind to the Supreme Person. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. That is the... And farce yogi is going like that. And Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita,

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

He is first class yogi. Who? "Always thinking of Me.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Krsna within the heart. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogi. Twenty-four hours, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.14]. Satatam kirtayanto mam: you have to fix up your mind in Krsna by the process of chanting His glories, satatam kirtayanto mam [Bg. 9.14], not otherwise. Mam, Krsna.

So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravrtti, nivrtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura -- demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern... [break] This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented..., not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Krsna and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravrtti nivrtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devata. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devata. The asura can become devata, provided he knows these two things: pravrtti and nivrtti.

So pravrtti we have got, just like we have got tendency -- cent percent person has it at the present moment -- to smoke. This is pravrtti. But we say don't smoke, nivrtti. And if we drink, that is pravrtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the... Loke bhavaya nisamadhya seva nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhavaya. Bhavaya means sex life; amisa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatas; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devata. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devata or demon. A demon can be turned into the devata and devata can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravrtti and nivrtti, what is pravrtti-marga. Pravrtti-sambhutanam nivrtti tu mahabalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravrtti. This is pravrtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivrtti.

Therefore this nivrtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravrtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddyeta satyam. Rsabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam. This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivrtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivrtti? Yena suddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, yad gatva na nirvartante tad dhama paramam mama.

mam upetya (tu) kaunteya
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

[break] ...Vaikunthaloka, Krsna's loka, then you get your original, eternal sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], live there eternally. Just like in Vrndavana they are always with Krsna enjoying life. This is nivrtti-marga. So there is a life, eternal life, very blissful life, full of knowledge. If you want to go back to that life, back to home, back to Godhead, then you must practice this pravrtti, nivrtti-marga.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this pravrtti-marga, nivrtti-marga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, mangala-aratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. All the gosvamis in Vrndavana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidra, sleeping; ahara, eating; and vihara, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyasa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravrtti-marga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivrtti-marga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Krsna, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravrtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Krsna prasadam; krsna bora daya moy kori bare jihva joy sva-prasada-anna dilo bhai. Krsna is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Krsna's mercy. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Krsna is giving you chance.

So the kanistha-adhikari, in the beginning... It is not that kanistha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Krsna is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Krsna is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Krsna is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Krsna is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Krsna. Who can see Krsna everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Krsna for a moment, then Krsna is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Krsna everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Krsna is so kind, ye yatha mam prapadyante. If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Krsna, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.

So this is not fact that Krsna is within your mind; therefore you should not got to the temple, you have become so advanced. No. Better... [break] ...sila-dhir. Do not consider that "Here is a stone Krsna." Krsna is everything. Stone is also Krsna; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Krsna. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Krsna is stone, Krsna is water, Krsna is sky, Krsna is everything. So this is the philosophy. Krsna says bhumir apo' nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca: "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Krsna? Krsna is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Krsna everywhere and everything.

So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravrtti and nivrtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is Vedanta-sutra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.

So my Guru Maharaja, in the parampara system, Krsna comes also, that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glanir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life -- everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanir, dharmasya glanir. Tadatmanam srjamy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Krsna comes, but also His representatives also come. Krsna is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mudha janmani janmani [Bg. 16.20], birth after birth we suffer. So this Krsna consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Maharaja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo vidhuh. So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Krsna spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.
Thank you very much.

Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada. Jaya. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975