Soul-Killing Civilization

Soul-Killing Civilization

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.11
Bombay, December 29, 1976

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Pradyumna:

te ca hy aravaktanaya nija-loka-yatrayandha paramparayasvastas tamasy andhe svayam eva prapatisyanti
 [SB 5.6.11]

"Low-class people, due to their gross ignorance, introduce a system of religion that deviates from the Vedic principles. Following their own mental concoctions they automatically fall down into the darkest regions of existence."

Prabhupada: "Low-class people, due to their gross ignorance, introduce a system of religion that deviates from the Vedic principles." The other day I was speaking that system of religion can be given by God Himself. But they do not know who is God, where is God, what is His principle, why does He want to give us religion. They are so ignorant, especially in this age, they do not believe in these things at all. Very awkward position. So they deride at Vedic principles, nastik. According to them, bhasmi bhutasya dehasya kutah punar agamano bhavet. The body, which is burned down into ashes, what is the meaning of talking about this body, that again it comes and takes birth in a different form of life? Nobody believes these things. And now everything, very precarious condition of this age. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10].

So therefore the process of reviving their Krsna consciousness is Krsna's. No other process will help. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was Krsna Himself. He advised, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. The only hope is if you go through the sastras, Vedic literature, that is the way to understand. But at the present moment people are so engrossed with material affairs that they are not interested even to hear or to talk about Krsna consciousness. That is not a very good sign. It is the feverish condition of durbhiksa. That is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that people in general, when they come to the point of suffering from natural law, then they will revive their nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. So therefore, as I was speaking in this morning, we have to elevate the human civilization from a platform which is on equal level with hog civilization. We should very carefully study and try to know whether the advancement of civilization which we have accepted is genuine. No. It is not genuine. It is misleading. Our aim of life is not to get a comfortable life for few years. Actually, there is no comfortable life. Still, we consider and forget our real business, self-realization. Apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2].

So these persons, maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. They have been described by Prahlada Maharaja as the most hated, foolish persons, vimudhan. Bhagavad-gita, Krsna has mentioned this class of men as mudha. And Prahlada Maharaja has described these classes of men, not only mudha but vimudha. Vimudha means particularly mudha. Pramattah. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Same thing, vimudhan. It is very dangerous civilization. They are spoiling their human form of life. This human form of life is meant for different purpose, tapasya. But they have been engaged in the lives of hogs and dogs, work very hard, get some money, and enjoy for sense gratification. This is not human civilization. So following their own mental concoction they automatically fall down into the dark region of existence. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram [SB 7.5.30]. Here yesterday I went to Malad(?) to some friend's house. How they are living, middle-class men. In Bombay especially we see they are living very awkward position, not very comfortable life. Still, they stick to the city life, and if we call them, "Come to Hyderabad. We shall give you nice place, nice food, nice milk, nice cloth. That is your problem. We shall give you. Please come and live with us," "No." Therefore it is called hog civilization. Hog, they are living in a filthy place, eating stool. If you request the hog, "Please come with me. I shall give you nice place to live in. I shall give you halava," they'll not come. So this is the position.

Therefore they fall down. Fall down means from our spiritual identification we fall down to material identification, upadhi. Material identification, upadhi, designation. I am now speaking, "I am Indian," but "Indian," that is (not) my designation. I am neither Indian nor European. You are not Indian, European. We are giving more stress on the designation. That is the mistake of modern civlization. And in the sastra such persons who designate himself with this body, they have been described as go-kharah, sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. So we shall be very careful. Take to Krsna consciousness.

So next... (reading) "In this age of Kali people are overwhelmed by the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Rsabhadeva incarnated Himself to deliver them from the clutches of maya." God has no business to come here. He is Vaikuntha-pati. Vaikuntha means vigata-kuntha-yasmad. Kuntha means anxiety. In the spiritual world there is no anxiety,. and the material world, it is full of anxiety. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grhat. On account of accepting this false, temporary material world, we are always full of anxiety, and Vaikuntha world, kingdom of God, is just opposite: no anxiety. Why there should be anxiety? Here we have got the fear of birth, death, old age and disease, and in the spiritual world there is no such thing, birth, death, old age and disease. And everything is complete there. There is no fight between one person to one person. In this way, the description is there. The summary is that there is no jurisdiction for the three modes of material nature. It is above the jurisdiction. That is Vaikuntha world.

So long we are in the jurisdiction of three modes of material nature, up to that time we shall disagree with one another and there will be trouble. Therefore the Vaisnava religion is meant for the peaceful person. No trouble. Samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. Those who have come to the stage of seeing everyone on the equal terms... Equal terms means spiritually. That we invite everyone. There is no discrimination. We don't care for the designations. We invite everyone to leave aside the designation and come in your original form and be Krsna conscious and be happy, for which we are prepared to take all kinds of incon... There is no inconvenience, but suppose in the old age I am traveling all over the world. People think that I have taken some hardship. But for Krsna's sake, even it is hardship... Actually, there is no hardship. But even it is hardship, we should take it. Para-upakara. People are in ignorance, they are suffering, and it is especially India's business to release them from this material suffering and give them information about the Vaikuntha world, the world of no anxiety. And try to train them in different ways. That is the real welfare activity in the human society.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

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We're All Asleep

We're All Asleep

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.20
Bombay, December 29, 1974

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Nitai: "Thus, after manifesting variegatedness, the effulgent mahat-tattva, which contains all the universes within itself, which is the root of all cosmic manifestations and which is not destroyed at the time of annihilation, swallows up the darkness that covered the effulgence at the time of dissolution."

Prabhupada:

visvam atma-gatam vyanjan
kuta-stho jagad-ankurah
sva-tejasapibat tivram
atma-prasvapanam tamah
 [SB 3.26.20]

Visvam atma-gatam. This body, everyone's body, is also a small universe. Whatever the arrangement is there in this body, the similar arrangement is there in the whole universe. The principle is the same. The same arrangement is within the seed of a banyan tree. We have got practical experience that a small seed of banyan tree, very small, but the potency within the seed is there, a big tree.

So these universes are also coming like a small seed. Therefore innumerable universes: yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya [Bs. 5.48]. From the breathing of Maha-Visnu, the small particles are coming, and they are developing into big manifestation of universal form. Similarly, our desire is also very small. We are very small, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Still, we have got desires and everything. And according to the desire, as soon as there is creation, everything fructifies, everything comes out. It is called suptotthita-nyaya. Suptotthita-nyaya means just like one man is sleeping, and in the morning, when he is awakened... In the sleeping stage he forgot himself. He is wandering in dream, some other part of the world. He forgot this body and the bodily circumstances, everything. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. That darkness of ignorance, covering, is immediately gone, and he remembers that "I will have to do this. I will have to do that. I will have to go to my office or my business place." But when sleeping, he forgot everything. Similarly, in the dormant stage after annihilation, we living entities, we forget everything. Just like at night we are forgetting everything of this bodily activities, and again, during daytime, we are forgetting everything of the night dream. This is going on. Similarly, at the time of annihilation, prakrtim yanti mamikam. Kalpa-ksaye. When this millennium will be ended, at the end of Brahma's life, at that time the living entities will stay in the body of the Maha-Visnu. (aside:) What is that sound? And again, when we are let loose from the deha, and there is creation, our old remembrances all come in, and we begin our life. This is the process of going... Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Sva-tejasa apibat tivram atma-prasvapanam tamah.

So the darkness is there, and the light is also there. Simply we have to be awakened. Therefore Vedas, they instruct us that "Don't sleep! Get up!" Uttisthata prapya varan nibodhata jagrata. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Thakura also sings, kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole. Jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole. Gauracanda means Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says, "O the living entities, you get up! Be awakened!" We may say, "Now we are awakened." This is not awakened. This is also slumber in darkness of ignorance. Real awakening is when we come to our spiritual consciousness. That is real awakened. Ya nisa sarva-bhutanam tasyam jagarti samyami. This is not, this awakening stage, this is not real awakening. Real awakening comes when we understand, aham brahmasmi. At the present moment we are not awakened, still sleeping, because we are thinking, every one of us, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." In this way we are conscious of the designation. So we have to get out of the designation, and when we shall understand our real identity, not this bodily identity but spiritual soul identity, that is called brahma-bhutah. Otherwise we are jiva-bhutah. So long we are identifying with this body, we are still sleeping. Kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole. Just like a child sleeps on the lap of the mother, similarly, we are sleeping on the lap of mother material nature. This is our position.

So we have got the power to be awakened. Sva-tejasa. That power we have got, but we have to awaken it by good association, by sadhu, sadhu-sanga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Sadhu-sanga is good association. Then we are awakened. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. If we have little faith that we require awakening of spiritual consciousness, we should not sleep under the spell of this material consciousness... A little faith will help us. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Mahato bhayat. There is great dangerous position. That we do not know because we are sleeping. If a man is sleeping and somebody is coming to kill him, he does not know that "Somebody is coming to kill me. Immediately I will be dead." There are so many cases of murder while a man is sleeping. Similarly, in this sleeping state of ignorance, that "I am this body," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," there is greatest danger. So somebody required. A man is sleeping, and another man is coming to kill him. A third person is required to awaken: "Mr. such and such, get up, get up, get up! The man is coming to kill you." So the ear is open, although the man is sleeping, all other parts of the body, limbs of the body are inactive. So the ear is open. So therefore the Vedic mantras are called sruti. We have to hear the mantra, Vedic mantra. Just like if a man is bitten by snake, he is caused to hear the snake charmer's mantra -- still there are -- so that he can become awakened. And it is said in the Canakya Pandita sloka, mantrausadhi-vasah sarpah. Mantra is powerful still -- by mantra, a snake-bitten person can be brought into life. There are still some snake charmers in the villages. In our Mayapura there is a Muhammadan, he can cure the snake-bitten case by mantra still.

So this mantra is required, the Vedic mantra, to hear mantra. This chanting of these verses is also hearing the Vedic mantra. So we should take chance, and the most important mantra is maha-mantra. Maha-mantra. We are sleeping, but this maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, if we hear somehow or other... Therefore the greatest beneficial activity or welfare activity is to chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra so that others can hear. But unfortunately, when we chant loudly, others they think, "It is nuisance." That is the difficulty. But actually it is the process of awakening: "Get up, get up, get up, get up." Ceto-darpana-marjanam. If we hear this mantra, Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then the mistaken ideas... Ceto-darpana-marjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] cleansing the mirror of the heart.

Everything, whatever we are thinking, doing, imagining, making plan, etcetera, the heart is so nice, it keeps a stock, photographic stock. Sometimes we have got experience: all of a sudden a thought comes which has no connection with my present activities. Still, all of a sudden comes. So in the heart there are so many stocks of different lives because I am passing through different lives. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. So stock is there. It comes like bubble. Just like we will find in some reservoir of water, big, all of a sudden some bubble comes. Similarly, the heart is the stock of so many dirty things. Dirty things means this experience of this material world. That is called dirty things. Because we are covered. We are spirit soul; we are now covered by these material dirty things. So it can be removed. Sva-tejasa. There is such potency of the spirit soul that it can come out. Simply the attempt should be made, assisted by or guided by a superior person. That is called spiritual master. He can guide, and we can come out of this slumber, sleeping in ignorance.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us a very easy process, this chanting of Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
 [Cc. Adi 17.21]

There is no other method for our spiritual progress. Simply chant Hare Krsna mantra. And there is no loss on our part. And if we chant Hare Krsna mantra, there is no loss. You can chant, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, niyamitah smarane na kalah: "There is no hard and fast rule for chanting this Hare Krsna mantra." Everyone can attempt. Even the children, they are also chanting. There is no loss, but gain is very much. That is the greatest gain, ceto-darpana-marjanam. Ceto-dar... That requires. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Just like in the mirror, if it is covered with dust, you cannot see your face, but if you cleanse the mirror very nicely, then you can see your actual face. Similarly, when our this heart is cleansed... And within the heart, Krsna is there. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. If we try to cleanse our heart, then -- Krsna is already there -- He will help immediately.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
 [SB 1.2.17]

Abhadrani, the same dirty thing. Krsna is always ready to help us provided if we take His help. Krsna is so nice. As Paramatma, He is living within the heart, and He is always ready to give us good advice and guide us. Caitya-guru, the guru within the heart. And this external spiritual master, he is Krsna's representative. When He sees that "This living entity is little serious. He wants to know Me. He wants to come to Me," so He helps from within, and He sends His representative from without.

So from within and from without, Krsna is ready to help us provided we become little anxious. Sraddha. To create this sraddha, little faith, we are trying to open these branches all over the world, and people who are taking advantage of this..., little inclination will help. But there must be inclination. We are not dull stone that we have no power. We have got little power. That little independence is there because we are part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is fully independent, and we, being minute part and parcel of Krsna, we have got also little independence. You don't forget this. And misuse of this independence is the cause of our material existence, misuse. So still, Krsna is so kind, He comes. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam, dharma-samsthapanarthaya [Bg. 4.8]. If we simply become little inclined, svalpam apy asya dharmasya, little inclined, then Krsna will help us. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17]. If somebody is little inclined and out of sentiment or understanding he gives up everything, sva-dharmam, that is the primary requisition.

Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. This sarva-dharman means everyone has got a particular type of occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Generally, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, they have got particular type of duties. And as Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up your brahmana-dharma, or ksatriya-dharma, or vaisya-dharma or sudra-dharma, or Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this dharma, that dharma." Sarva-dharma means everything. Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. If we are little inclined, that is called..., that is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh [SB 1.5.17]. He gives up all other duties: "I am no more any followers of any dharma. I am followers of Krsna's lotus feet." If this determination is there, then everything is possible.

There is a verse, aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim: [Narada-pancaratra] "If you take the shelter of the lotus feet of Hari, Krsna," aradhitah, "and worship it," aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim, "then there is no more necessity of austerities, penances, and so many other things. Simply this is required." Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim... Naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim: "And after undergoing your religious principles and ritualistic ceremonies and austerities, penances, fully executing the occupational duty, everything done," but naradhito harih, "but you could not understand how to worship Hari," so tapasa tatah kim, "then what is the use of your this tapasya?" There is no use. It is simply waste of time. Srama eva hi kevalam. This is confirmed everywhere. Srama eva hi kevalam.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
 [SB 1.2.8]

You are executing your occupational duty very nicely. Suppose if you are, from material point of view, you are big businessman or big medical practitioner, big engineer, or anything. Everyone has got some occupational duty. So if you are doing your duties very nicely, dharmah svanusthitah, very nicely you are doing, pumsam, but you have no Krsna consciousness... Your, you are functioning your duties, occupational duties, very nicely, but you do not develop Krsna consciousness. Dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah [SB 1.2.8]. Visvaksena. Krsna's another name is Visvaksena. So if we do not become interested in hearing about Krsna... Krsna, Rama, or there are so many names of Krsna-Govinda, Narayana. He has got many forms. So Krsna means including all these forms. So visvaksena-kathasu yah, notpadayed ratim yadi: "If you do not get interested to hear about the Supreme Lord, then," srama eva hi kevalam, "your discharging very faithfully your occupational duty is simply labor of love. It has no meaning."

So this is the point. Therefore Bhagavata's instruction is that you must be careful of being successful by discharging your duties. That should be your point of view. You do not remain blind. You see that you are successful. So how it is successful? That is also given indication in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: dharmah svanusthitah pumsam [SB 1.2.8]. This is also there. Samsiddhir hari-tosanam. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah. There was a big meeting of very, very learned brahmanas at Naimisaranya. Perhaps you know Naimisaranya, there is a place. In Uttar Pradesh near Lucknow, there is a place, Naimisaranya. So long, long ago, say, four thousand, five thousand years ago, there was a big meeting of learned brahmanas. In that conference this resolution was passed. What is that resolution? Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah: "Now we are assembled here, guided by the learned brahmanas." There were ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras also. So the resolution was passed. The president was Suta Gosvami.

So atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah. They addressed the learned brahmanas, dvija-sresthah. Dvija means twice-born, twice-born: one birth by the father and mother, and the other birth by the spiritual master and spiritual knowledge. Mother, Gayatri or Veda, Veda-mata, and the father, the spiritual master. This is another birth. So the brahmana, ksatriya, and vaisyas, they are allowed, especially the brahmanas. Therefore the brahmanas are called dvija-sresthah: "Amongst the twice-born, the best, the best of the twice-born." So it was addressed to the best of the twice-born. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. They have got different occupational duties as brahmana, ksatriya, as vaisya and sudra, so how they can become successful by discharging their duties? Samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. You never mind whether you are a brahmana or ksatriya or vaisya or sudra. It doesn't matter. See that by your activities, by your occupational duty, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. Then your occupational duty is successful. Otherwise srama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time and energy.

So this uttisthata jagrata is... Sva-tejasapibat tivram. Sva-tejasa, we have got that potency to come to the light. Everyone, we have got that potency. Simply we must be willing. That independence is there. I may not like it. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You do it." Krsna is all-powerful; He can force you to accept this principle; but that He will not do. He will not touch your independence. He will ask you to do it, but He will not force you to do it. If you do not take it, that is your choice. But this is the assurance. To become illuminated, to become awakened to spiritual consciousness -- we can do it at any moment if we want to accept it. Sva-tejasa, we have got that potency. So this Krsna consciousness movement is for giving enlightenment to the people that "If you like, you can take to Krsna consciousness, and then your life is successful." Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. That is the most welfare activities.

So tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh [SB 1.5.17]. If by sentiment also, you take to Krsna consciousness... Because in the beginning nobody is very serious. Sometimes by sentiment they take it. Even at... This is also good, by sentiment. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam. And one who takes by sentiment, he may fall down. It doesn't matter. Because in that sentiment... Just like here we find the children -- they are dancing, they are chanting, they are playing the cymbal. All these activities are taken into account. Krta-punya-punjah. We collect all these effects of pious activities. This devotional service is so nice that whatever you do, little bit, that is pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. Even if you do not do anything, simply if you hear, that is also punya. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. And if I speak just like a parrot, if I do not know anything about, it doesn't matter; still, it is pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Someway or other... The children, what do they know about Krsna consciousness? But they are becoming pious, purified.

Therefore, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, krta-punya-punjah. Sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah [SB 10.12.11].

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
 [SB 10.12.11]

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami is describing when the cowherd boys were playing with Krsna, that description. He says that "These cowherd boys, they are not ordinary human being." Krta-punya-punjah: "They have accumulated many, many births' pious activities, as the result of which, they are now playing with Krsna." And who is Krsna? Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya: "Big, big rsis and yogis, those who are interested in brahma-sukha or to merge in the Brahman effulgence -- the source of Brahman effulgence is here playing: Krsna." Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda [Bs. 5.40].

So this little, little accumulation of punya, very easy. No expenditure, no experience, no education, nothing. Simply come here and join this chanting and dancing. Even a child. Krta-punya-punjah. Little, little, little -- one day he will be able to play with Krsna.
Thank you very much. (end)

 

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The Best Form Of Government

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.1
Los Angeles, December 29, 1973

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Pradyumna: Translation: "Suta Gosvami said: O learned brahmanas, Maharaja Pariksit then began to rule over the world as a great devotee of the Lord under the instructions of the best of the twice-born brahmanas. He ruled by those great qualities which were foretold by expert astrologers at the time of his birth."

Prabhupada: So there are many important words in this verse. The first is dvija-varya-siksaya, "trained by the best of the brahmanas." Dvija. Dvija means twice-born: first birth by the father and mother, and second birth by the spiritual master. That is Vedic civilization, dvija-varya. One must take twice birth. Once birth, father and mother, that is done by the cats and dogs. Any birth, either you take birth as a cat or dog or human being or anything, there requires father and mother. So that birth is not sufficient. Therefore a Vaisnava kavi says, janame janame saba pita-mata paya, krsna guru nahe mile bhaja hari ei.(?) In any birth you will get father and mother. It is natural. Without father, mother, how can you get a body? So therefore it is said, janame janame, in any birth. Either human being, or cats, dog, snake, or tree or insect, you will get father and mother. But in every birth you cannot get Krsna and guru. That is not possible.

So this birth you can get. This human form of birth you can get. That is the special significance. Father, mother, you can get anywhere. It doesn't matter. But you cannot get Krsna and guru. That you can get in this birth. Therefore twice-born. You must get another birth, through the initiation of the spiritual master, diksa. Diksa means initiation. Di means divya jnanam, and ksa means ksapayati. From the day of initiation, you simply get spiritual knowledge, transcendental knowledge. That is the special significance of human form of body. Therefore in the Vedic civilization, the classification is made: first-class, second-class, third-class, four-class men.

There are three gunas. The material world is conducted by three gunas, means the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, the quality of ignorance, and mixed. So first, second, third, and the mixed is called fourth. That is called varnasrama. Catur-varnyam. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. According to quality and karma. So the first, second, and third-class division, they are all dvijas, twice-born. Brahmana, ksatriya and vaisya. Dvija means samskara, reformation, to mold the character. That is called samskara. Just like you can train even a tiger, even an animal, to dance according to your desire. That is practical. So you cannot train a human being to become a brahmana? With such intelligence? But there is no such training. They are simply training all cats and dogs. But the Vedic civilization takes this opportunity of human being, to make him perfect in his life. What is that perfection? That perfection is to understand God and become His devotee. That is perfection, not that to become very stout and strong, as strong as the tiger, or as cunning as the jackal. Not that. That is not training.

So according to division, the training was there. The first-class training is brahmana. Brahmana means they must be truthful first. Satyam samo damas titiksa. They must be able to control the senses, control the mind. Satyam samo damas titiksa. Must be tolerant, titiksa; arjava, very simple; jnanam, full knowledge; vijnanam, practical application in life. Satyam samo damas titiksa. Sucih, cleanliness. Brahma-karma svabhava-jam. So they should be trained. A class of men should be trained for these qualities. They are called brahmana. Similarly, another class, second class, they should be trained up as ksatriya, very powerful, never goes away from the challenge of fighting. Yuddhe capy apalayanam. Not that the fighting is going on, and the so-called president is sitting in his parlor and smoking cigarette. No. Yuddhe capy apalayanam: "Oh, everyone is fighting there? I must go in the front." He will fight. Otherwise how people will be encouraged? The chief man is in the background, and poor men, they are fighting? No. Yuddhe capy apalayanam. That is ksatriya.

So similarly, vaisya. Vaisya, they should be trained in three things, productive -- krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44] -- krsi, agriculture; go-raksya, cow protection. Go-raksya. That is essential, agricultural and cow protection. And vanijyam. Vanijyam means trade. If there is excess milk product, if there is excess grain product, then you can sell to others. Nowadays the trade is that you take as much milk as you can, and then kill the animal and sell the flesh to other countries. That is going on. No. Go-raksya. Go-raksya. Cow protection is very, very essential in human society because it gives the milk, the miracle food. You can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation, all not only delicious, but brain-maintaining. You can get good brain. Therefore go-raksya, cow protection is especially recommended, not that animal protection. If you want to eat meat, you can eat many other animals. There are. But don't eat the cows. This is Vedic civilization. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Paricaryatmakam karyam sudra-karma svabhava-jam. And those who are neither brahmana... They have no brain to become brahmana or to become ksatriya or vaisya, they are called sudras. And sudra's business is to serve the other upper three classes, laborer, worker classes, and satisfied with some service.

 

So here it is said that tatah pariksid dvija-varya-siksaya: "He was educated and trained up by the best class of the brahmanas," not by the sudras. Sudra's training, what he can become? He can become a rascal, that's all. The training was entrusted to the first-class brahmana, who is himself trained up to speak truth, satyam samo damah, to remain clean, to become very simple in habit, to become master of knowledge, and practical application. Such person should be the trainer, should be the teacher. Not a third-class rascal becomes a teacher and professor. He has no idea how to speak truth. He is speaking all lies, theories, and getting Nobel Prize. Such a sudra is honored at the present moment. You see? Who has no knowledge. So many so-called philosophers and scientists, simply speaking lies and untruth. They have no knowledge. As soon as you challenge them, they will say, "Yes, we are trying. In future we shall do it." But if you are trying, then where is your knowledge? Why you are taking the post of a teacher? You are a cheater. You have no full knowledge, and still, you are putting some theory to mislead the people.

For example... Just like they are putting on this theory that matter, from matter, life has come. "All right, matter, life has come from matter. Just prove it. Take matter, whatever materials you want, take, and produce life." "That we shall see in future." Then why you are talking this nonsense? Science means observation and experiment. There must be experiment also. But without experiment, they are putting on this theory and getting Nobel Prize. Although it is not a fact. We know. We. We are followers of Vedic principles. We know that matter or life, everything comes from life, not from matter. We know it certain. How do you know? Krsna says. Mattah sarvam pravartate: "Everything comes from Me." And Krsna is the supreme life. So we have no difficulty, because we know, mattah sarvam prava... Sarvam means matter and life both, everything. There are two things: matter and life. There is no third thing. So Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavah: "I am the original source of everything." "Everything" means matter and... There are two things: matter and life. That is not very difficult to understand. So sarvam...

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

Iti matva. When one understands this, that Krsna is the source of both matter and life... So the devotees are not rascals. They are in full knowledge. Iti matva. "When they are confident that Krsna is the source of everything," iti matva bhajante mam, "oh, they become My devotee." Iti matva bhajante mam budhah. Budha means highly elevated in knowledge, budha. Just like Lord Buddha, elevated knowledge. So budhah.

So how this knowledge can be gotten unless one is trained by dvija-varya-siksaya, first-class learned brahmanas? One has to learn from him, not from the rascals, fools, cats and dogs, No. That is not learning. Dvija-varya-siksaya. So Pariksit Maharaja, his first qualification is... Not only Pariksit Maharaja, but all the kings during the monarchy. Monarchy does not mean because he is the son of king, therefore he should be king. No. He should be fully trained up by the dvija-varya, by the best class of brahmanas. That is monarchy. So Pariksit Maharaja... Tatah... Tatah means "thereafter." After his fathers -- means panca-pandava, his father and uncles -- retired and left kingdom, entrusting everything to the grandchild... Because their sons all died in the Battle of Kuruksetra. Pariksit Maharaja, only he was saved because he was a posthumous child. After the death of his father in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, he was in the womb of his mother. He took birth. And these grandfathers took care of him. This is Pariksit Maharaja's life. He did not see his father from birth. So these grandfathers... So grandfathers, they retired and entrusted the whole kingdom, was entrusted to the grand-child, Maharaja Pariksit. So he was trained up by the first-class brahmanas. Tatah pariksid dvija-varya-siksaya mahim maha-bhagavatah sasasa ha.

Mahim. Mahim means this earthly planet. Up to Maharaja Pariksit, five thousand years ago, the whole world was being ruled over by one king, one emperor. There were no so many nations or no so many presidents or... No. Simply one king. Mahim, this world. Mahim means the earthly planet. This is the history. From Maha-bhagavata, er, Mahabharata we understand that, that the whole world was under one flag, these Pandavas. Now United Nations means three thousand flags, three thousand nations. So that is not democracy, or that is not good ruling. The best ruling is monarchy, and monarch means he must be a perfectly trained-up person by the best brahmanas. That is perfect government. Not that this democracy, some rascals and fools they are voting another rascal and fool, and by hook and crook he comes to the post. He does not like to give it up, and makes things very miserable. This kind of government... Now your Senate is proposing, "Let us pray to God how we can get good government." They are coming down to again. But why not train? Now you are going to pray to God, "Please give us good government." Why don't you elect a person maha-bhagavata?

Maha-bhagavata. That is Krsna consciousness movement, that "People, you become devotees, bhagavata, and you select one maha-bhagavata to be your ruler. Then you will be happy. Not only bhagavata. Not of your caliber, but still further." There are bhagavata... There are three kinds of devotees. Three kinds of devotees means neophyte, middle class and maha-bhagavata. Maha-bhagavata. Maha-bhagavata means one who can see God in everything and everything in God. That is maha-bhagavata. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita, sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed atma: "He does not see anything except God, everything in God and God in everything." That is the qualification of maha-bhagavata. So just see how elevated Maharaja Pariksit, that he was maha-bhagavata. In another place, he has written... I forget that word. That is also maha-bhagavata.

So Pariksit Maharaja was not an ordinary person. He was maha-bhagavata. Mahim maha-bhagavatah sasasa, ruled over, a great devotee. It does not mean a great devotee is simply engaged in chanting Hare Krsna mantra. No. A great devotee may be the chief of the executive function of the state. He can become. That is required. Not that only maha-bhagavata required in church or temples. No. Maha-bhagavata required also as the head of the chief executive function. That is also required. Otherwise how people will be happy? Every field, there must be maha-bhagavata. So my Guru Maharaja used to say that when we shall see that the high-court judges are devotees of Krsna, then our preaching will be somewhat forward. So that is the aim of Krsna consciousness movement, that everyone, at least those who are ruling, those who are on the executive function, they must be all maha-bhagavata. Under them everything should be ruled. Then people will be happy. Because they will never do anything unjustly. Their only desire is... Maha-bhagavata is how to give relief to the suffering humanity. That is maha-bhagavata. So Pariksit Maharaja was maha-bhagavata, and therefore he was entrusted to rule over, not an ordinary man.

Yatha hi sutyam abhijata-kovidah. Here is another important word. So yatha, as he was foretold, sutya. Sutya means in the maternity condition, maternity home or maternity room, sutya. Still, the system is current in India that when a lady is going to give birth to a child, she is offered a separate room where the child will take birth and all taken care. Nowadays they are sending in the hospital. That is another thing. But the system is when the delivery is imminent, then one room is selected. That is called sutika-ghara, or sutika room. That is referred here, sutya, means, sutya, as soon as the child is born, sutya, in that maternity room, immediately, abhijata-kovidah... Abhijata-kovidah means... Kovidah means expert learned scholars, and abhijata, they will immediately make horoscope and tell about this newly born child, what is going to happen in his life in future. That is called astrologer. It is called jata-karma, reformation.

There are ten kinds of reformation. The first reformation is garbhadhana-samskara. Garbhadhana-samskara means when the father is going to give birth to a child, it is not a secret affair. It is open affair. "Now this is the good, auspicious day, and today the father will implant the seed of the son in the womb of the mother." There is great function. That is called garbhadhana-samskara. And there are witnesses, all the brahmanas, that "This day, such and such time, this king or this person has begotten this child." Just like when the child is born, it is recorded in the government book, similarly, when one is going to give birth to a child, that is also recorded. That is called garbhadhana-samskara. Not that like cats and dogs in secrecy we have sexual intercourse, and if there is pregnancy, give some contraceptive pill or kill the child. Oh, how rascal and animals have been introduced in the human society. Just see. Here the garbhadhana-samskara, a child has to be born. How it will be nice? When the mentality of the father and mother is completely Krsna consciousness, so that when there will be sexual intercourse, the mentality of the child will be Krsna conscious. This is the garbhadhana-samskara.

So as before giving birth there is a reformation ceremony, similarly, immediately child is born, there is another reformation ceremony that is called jata-karma. Jata-karma means immediately learned scholar, brahmanas, astrologer, will come and they will make the horoscope of the child. So here it is said, yatha hi sutyam abhijata-kovidah samadisan. As they foretold, that "This child will be hero like this, he will be like this, like this..." That are described in the Bhagavatam. And it was also said at that time that "This child will die, being cursed by a brahmana." That was also foretold. It is still, such kind of astrology there in India. They will speak what you were in your last birth and what you are now, and what you will be in your next birth. That is astrology. So still there are Bhrgu-samhita. Anyone go, and you simply give them your exact time of birth, then they will make immediately horoscope, immediately. Still there is. As I told you that in my horoscope it was declared that after seventieth year, I shall go to foreign countries and I shall establish many temples. In my horoscope that is. Now I see it is coming practically. You see? So that is horoscope.

So these abhijata-kovidah, expert astrologers, whatever they predicted, everything was performed by Maharaja Pariksit. Samadisan vipra mahad-gunas tatha. So all the high qualities... Maharaja Pariksit was in his childhood play, he was worshiping Radha-Krsna Deity. Childhood play. Just like our children, some of them they are worshiping Jagannatha. This is required. From the very childhood. Our Prahlada Maharaja therefore says, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha, durlabham manusam janma [SB 7.6.1]. Just like I began that this human form of life is the only opportunity to become free from this material entanglement, to become perfect. So it is the duty of the father, it is the duty of the guru, it is the duty of the king, government, to give all opportunities, that "No more birth. This is the last birth. Now you go back to home, back to Godhead." That is government. No more again coming as cats and dogs and trees. And if we do not do that, then again we enter into the cycle of birth and death. This is the risk.

So this civilization is so risky that people are not being given the real right that human being has the right to understand God and to make his relationship reestablished and go to home, back to Godhead, back to home. That is the real facility to the people. The program should be made like that, that the human life may not be missed. That is government. Therefore a maha-bhagavata, a great devotee, advanced devotee, should be on the head of the executive function. That is the idea of Vedic civilization.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973

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