Never Think I Have Become Big

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.3
Mayapur, February 10, 1976

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Hrdayananda: Oh. "Thereafter Lord Brahma requested Prahlada Maharaja, who was standing very nearby, and asked Prahlada Maharaja to go forward and said, 'My dear son, Lord Nrsimhadeva is very, very angry upon your demonic father, and you can go forward and appease Him, the Lord.' "

Prabhupada:

prahradam presayam asa
brahmavasthitam antike
tata prasamayopehi
sva-pitre kupitam prabhum
 [SB 7.9.3]

So all of them, all the demigods, they wanted to pacify. The Lord was very angry, but they failed. Then, at last, they requested Laksmiji to pacify the Lord. She could not dare to approach Him; what is the speaking of pacifying? Then, at last, they decided that "This five-years-old boy, the Lord may be compassionate upon him. And for him He has appeared, so let him be engaged in pacifying the Lord." So Brahma, the head of all the demigods presented there, he decided, prahladam presayam asa. He pushed him forward: "My dear Prahlada, my dear son, better you go forward and pacify." It is something like to push a little child in the cage of the lion. It is something like that. Nobody dared. So Prahlada Maharaja, he knew very well that "However ferocious He may be, I am not afraid. He is my Lord. I am not afraid." He was jolly, innocent, pure devotee. He had no fear. So he was sent: "My dear Prahlada, you try."

So brahma avasthitam antike. He was very near sitting, but he had no fear. Just on the lotus feet, near the lotus feet of the Lord, he was sitting. Others were contemplating. He was free, that "I am under the shelter of the Lord." Svapada-mule, mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh. "He is Murari, and everything is under His feet." This is the conclusion when one is advanced in Krsna consciousness. Prahlada Maharaja, although he was a boy of five years old, it did not matter. He was first-class devotee, maha-bhagavata. That is possible. The devotional service is nothing material. It is spiritual. So there is nothing impossible, impossible. That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlada Maharaja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. Bhakti does not depend on the age. Bhakti depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. Ahaituky apratihata. First of all, bhakti must be without any motive, without any motive of personal sense gratification. That is real bhakti. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. We have to make all our desires zero. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam. People are trying to understand the whole creation by knowledge, but bhakti does not depend on knowledge. Jnana-karma... Or karma. Karma means fruitive action. Not that because you are a very big businessman, you are very successful, therefore it will be easy for you to understand Krsna. No. That is not possible. Or if you think one is very poor in knowledge, lowborn, no education, still he can understand bhakti and Lord, provided he is pure devotee.

So material conditions, they are not practically applicable to spiritual life. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore, He said, eho bahya age kaha ara. Whatever Ramananda Raya was proposing, "This is the beginning of bhakti..." He suggested varnasrama-dharma, karma-tyaga, karma-sannyasa, even full surrender, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. All, everything, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho bahya age kaha: "These are external formality. If you know something better than this, please explain." So Ramananda Raya, when, I mean to say, quoted a verse from Brahma's prayer, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih prayena ajita api jito... Krsna is ajita. Nobody can conquer Him. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. Nobody is greater in every respect. Not that "Krsna is shorter at least in this respect." He is shorter in one respect, that He could not repay back the obligation He received from the gopis. He was only shorter to the gopis. That is His grace. He said that "I cannot repay you. It is impossible. Please be satisfied with your own service." That is the gopis. So He was shorter always, especially before Radharani. He felt Himself shorter. Otherwise He is the Supreme. He is always the Supreme. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So if you want to conquer over this unconquerable Krsna, then, according to the prayer of Brahma and appreciated by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih: "You remain in your place, it doesn't matter, but you become very humble. Don't be puffed up." Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. You should not think yourself that you are very advanced, "By my speculative knowledge I can understand God." That is mistake. That is not possible. You have to give up first of all this attempt, that "I am very learned," "I am very rich,"or "I am very this and that. Therefore for me to understand God, it is nothing." They think like that. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhih [SB 1.8.26]. Those who are very much proud, they do not take Krsna consciousness very seriously. They think, "These poor fellow who had no money, no foodstuff, they have come in the name of Krsna for begging. So it is for them. It is not for us. I am very rich. I am very opulent. I am very educated. I am very aristocratic. So for me there is no need of." The Indians say like that in your country. "Now we have known this Krsna, Hare Krsna. We have... Now it is not needed. Now it is technology."

So these puffed-up persons cannot understand Krsna. One has to become very humble. Christ also says, "The kingdom of God is for the humble and the meek." That is actually... And Krsna also says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the beginning of humbleness: "Yes, I have nothing, insignificant." Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam [Bg. 7.19]. This is real knowledge, to remain always insignificant before guru -- Krsna. Then it is profit. If somebody thinks that "I have become more than my guru, more than Krsna," then he is finished. So one should become very humble and meek. It doesn't matter where he is situated, either this institutionally, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. Even one has taken sannyasa, he should remain always humble. So never we should think that "I have become very big personality." That was the instruction of my Guru Maharaja, that bada vaisnava -- "I am very big Vaisnava. Everyone should come and obey my orders" -- this is condemned position. The real position is one should be very humble and meek. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Namanta means humble. One should be prepared to learn from... Namanta eva san-mukhari... Those who are pure devotee. From them one should be very much anxious to hear. That, the same thing, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Who has no other desire in the material world except to serve Krsna, he is pure devotee. So one should be anxious in humbleness to hear from such personality. Sthane... It doesn't require to change. There are so many questions sometimes: whether it is necessary to take sannyasa and It is... By the routine work, it is necessary. But if one is serious, so for him it is not necessary -- ahaituky apratihata -- because for a serious student of devotion, Krsna is in his hand. So anyway, even if you are a sannyasi or grhastha or vanaprastha, it doesn't matter. You should remain very humble. That is required. Sthane sthitah. And you should hear from the realized soul in humbleness. Then the Krsna, the great, He will be conquered by you.

So Prahlada Maharaja was that type of maha-bhagavatam. He was not... As a child, he had... He did not know the sophistry or formality to become unnecessarily very prestigious. He was by nature a small boy. Just like here, these boys. If you insult, he doesn't care for it because he is child. Or if you praise him, he does not think himself very much puffed up. This is child's nature. So Prahlada Maharaja was in that position. He didn't care. His father wanted to chastise him in so many ways. He didn't care. He (was) always thinking, "He is my father. He is joking. That's all." This is simplicity. This is simplicity. This simplicity is very valuable. So Prahlada Maharaja was in that position. Therefore Brahma selected him, that "My dear Prahlada, my dear child, please approach the Lord. You can try to pacify Him." Prahradam presayam asa brahmavasthitam antike, tata: "My dear child, my dear boy," tata prasamayo upehi, "please go forward and try to pacify Him." Sva-pitre kupitam prabhum: "Our Lord, Prabhu, He has become very, very angry." Nobody can excess in His anger. Just like nobody can excel the Supreme Personality of Godhead in anything, similarly, when He is angry, nobody can excel Him. He becomes so angry. So He is always... "God is great" means great in everything. When He is angry, nobody can excel Him in His anger. And when He is very peaceful, nobody can excel Him. This is God. Asamaurdha. God means nobody is equal; nobody is greater. So when the Lord was angry, nobody can show His anger equally and nobody can become greatly anger or more greatly angry than Krsna. He is always topmost. This is... So such anger was exhibited. Why? Now, it is said, sva-pitre kupitam. He's inducing, Brahma inducing, that "We never seen the Lord so angry, but it is on account of your father, so it is your duty. You go there." (chuckles) The child will accept, "Yes. My father committed so many offenses. Therefore it is my duty to pacify the Lord." Therefore he is reminding because he was a child, "My dear child, it is for your father He has become so angry, so it is your duty. Go and pacify Him." So every word in Bhagavata, there is meaning. Sva-pitre kupitam prabhum: "Don't think that it is our duty; it is your duty. Although we are Brahma, Laksmi, all right. So real duty is yours." This is little joking.

So Prahlada Maharaja is prepared, "All right," either for his father or for everyone. That is Vaisnava. Vaisnava does not consider that "I have to pray to Krsna for my father, for my mother." No. Vaisnava is ready to offer prayer... Para-duhkha-duhkhi. He is always unhappy, seeing these fallen conditioned souls unhappy. Other... Vaisnava personally, he has no unhappiness. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyah. That will be explained. Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah, soce tato vimukha-cetasa, indriyartha-maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. So Vaisnava is always sorry for the rascals in the world. Otherwise he has nothing to be unhappy. He can sit down anywhere; he can sleep anywhere; he can eat anything. He doesn't require anyone's help. He... As Krsna is self-sufficient, similarly, Krsna, not exactly like that, but a Vaisnava is also self-sufficient, depending only on Krsna. That is Vaisnava. So he has nothing to lament or nothing to regret. He is always pleased in the service of the Lord, but he is always sorry for the conditioned souls who are for suffering the material pangs on account of ignorance.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976

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What Caused Our Coming Here

What Caused Our Coming Here

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.7
Los Angeles, February 10, 1975

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Prabhupada: Where is karatala? My karatala is in that... Where is Nitai?

Jayatirtha: It was planned for you to lecture this evening, rather than this morning.

 

Prabhupada: Management?

Devotee: He thought you were lecturing this evening.

Prabhupada: Evening? Not in the morning?

Pusta Krsna: Where is Nitai?

Prabhupada: I was lecturing in the morning at...

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupada: If you like, I can speak in the evening also.

Devotees: (very loud) Jaya! Haribol!

(Prabhupada sings Jaya Radha-Madhava) [break]

Nitai: (leads chanting) Yad adhatu-mato brahman... [break]

Prabhupada: ...being completely aware of Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, not a bogus. If you want to receive knowledge, then you must approach a guru who is brahma-nistham. That is the qualification of guru. Brahman, brahmany upasamasrayam. These words are there. He is living in Brahman, Absolute Truth. He has no other business. That is guru.

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

Tattva-darsinah, "who has seen the truth," not imagination. He cannot be guru. Who has actually seen, tattva-darsinah... These are the injunction in the sastras, and Pariksit Maharaja is strictly following the same principles and asking Sukadeva Gosvami, bhavanto janate yatha: "As you have learned from your predecessor." So that is perfect knowledge. The knowledge is coming from Krsna. Krsna is all-perfect, and Arjuna is hearing directly from Him, and the statement of Arjuna is there in the Bhagavad-gita. He understands that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; that is, he acquired knowledge from Krsna.

So here the question is... This question is almost inquired by intelligent persons, that "We have come to this material world and suffering, but the living entity is part and parcel of Krsna, or God. How he has come to this material world?" That is very intelligent question. Therefore it is said here, yadrcchaya: "It is automatically, by nature's law," or hetuna, "or there is some cause? Whether there is any cause about the living entities coming down in this material world? Which one is correct?" So without any cause, there cannot be anything. That is logic. And the rascal philosopher's statement, "It happened automatically. There was a chunk, and the creation came...," this is rascal's philosophy. Jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg. 16.8]. The rascals, they do not accept that there is a cause of this creation. That they do not understand. They do not know, and they theorize. You'll find mostly in the Western countries all these philosophers... The Darwin's theory... He cannot give any reasonable cause. Some theory: "It may be, perhaps, for millions of years there was no..." Speculate. And he admits that "Whatever I am presenting, it is all my speculation." We have seen his letter, some, from 150 years ago. He wrote a letter to a friend. He admitted that "Whatever I am presenting, that is speculation." But science is not speculation. Science cannot be speculation. That is not science. "Two plus two equal to four" -- this is science. And if you speculate -- "Two plus two equal to five" or "Two plus two equal to three" -- that is not science.

So the science of Krsna is not speculation. It is exactly science. Tad-vijnanam. Tad-vijnanam. Tad-vijnanartham. Vijnana means science, not speculation. So one should understand God scientifically. That is required, not imagination. The Mayavadi philosophers, they say, "You can imagine your God." This is rascaldom. How you can imagine your God? God is God. God means the supreme controller, the Supreme Being. In the dictionary you'll find this word: "God means the Supreme Being." He is also a being like us, individual. Just like we are here face to face. You are one individual; I am one individual. We are talking or hearing. Similarly, God is also individual. Just like Krsna said,

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
 [Bg. 4.1]

So He's individual person. He instructed the sun-god millions and millions of years ago. So Arjuna inquired, "How it is possible that millions of years ago...? Because You are my contemporary. You are of the same age." So Krsna said that "Millions of millions of years ago, when I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god, you were also present because you are My intimate friend. Whenever I descend, you are also there. But the difference is that you have forgotten; I remember that I said like this."

So that is the difference between Krsna and ordinary living being. Krsna remembers everything, knows everything. Vedaham samatitani: [Bg. 7.26] "I know everything." That is Krsna. But we do not know. That is the difference. Krsna is not impersonal. He's also a person, but He is not a person like us, like you, like me. His personality is supreme. Nobody is greater than Him. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate. These are the Vedic information. He's individual, but He has nothing to do. He's such individual. Just like Krsna is here. The whole world is going on under Krsna's direction, but He has nothing to do. He's enjoying with Srimati Radharani. That is Krsna's position. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). He has to create one universe or destroy one universe -- He hasn't to take any attention. He's engaged in His pleasure -- Krsna, the reservoir of pleasure. His pleasure is never disturbed by all these activities. He's so perfect. Just like in our society, we are not perfect. Still, you boys and girls, you love me. Whatever I say, immediately done. So if an ordinary person like me, he can do things without his personal endeavor, how far..., how Krsna is great, that na tat-samah, there is nobody equal to Him. How great He is, how powerful He is, you can just imagine. If the ordinary person can have some power that he hasn't got to do anything personally -- simply by his desire everything is done -- so why not Krsna also? Where is the difficulty?

In the Bible I think it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." Is it not? So that is Krsna. He simple desires, "Let there be creation," and immediately everything is ready. That is Krsna. How it is being done? Automatically? No automatically. It is done regularly, as you do. Hetuna: there is cause. But the original cause is Krsna's desire. Sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1].

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

The original desire is Krsna's. What we are doing also, that is also... The original cause is Krsna. We cannot do anything independently. If I go to heaven or go to hell, that is also sanctioned by Krsna. Without Krsna's desire I cannot do anything. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
 [Bg. 15.15]

So this theory, that the world is going automatically or we have come into this material world without any reason, without any cause... Kim anyat kama-haitukam. They say, the rascals say, that our coming to this material world is to the lusty desires of the father and mother. Therefore the child has no meaning. It is a by-product of the lusty desire. So if I don't want it, kill it. Destroy it. This is going on. But that is not the fact. The child has come into the womb of the mother, a particular type of mother -- not the sa..., every mother is producing the same type of child. No. Why? There is cause. There is cause, hetuna. Without cause there cannot be anything. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1], the cause is his activities. According to the activities, he is producing the next body automatically. That is automatically. But there is cause, his activity.

That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita: karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Karanam. Karanam means cause. What is the cause? The cause is that as he's associating with a particular type of the modes of nature, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna... If he's associating with tamo-guna, then next life he's preparing in the lower animal kingdoms or most degraded family. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. If one is associating with tamo-guna, ignorance -- no knowledge, in the darkness -- then he is gliding down to the lower species of life: animal, birds, beast, trees, plants, aquatics, insects, serpents, so many. Adho gacchanti. Adhah means going down. Tamasah. And urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. Those who are in the goodness, those who are associating with the modes of material nature in goodness, just like satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42], brahminical qualification, truthful, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, simplicity, tolerant, full faith in scripture and God, full knowledge, practical application of knowledge... This is called sattva-guna. So if you cultivate sattva-guna, then you are elevated to the higher planetary system. Why there are so many planets? The moon planet, the sun planet, so brilliant planets -- why there are? There are also different places for different kinds of living creature. There is hetu. There is cause. And similarly, rajo-guna, passionate...

So madhye tisthanti rajasah. So there is hetu. Hetu means cause. Not without cause. Nobody has taken birth in this material world without any cause. And according to the cause, the particular type of body is built up. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. A big science there is. Unfortunately there is no education for this science. Maybe in future they will take interest. As we are publishing the books and going to the universities and to the professors, there may be. There is possibility now. Otherwise these rascals did not know what is this science. They did not care. Big, big professors, big, big scientists, they are putting the theories that life has come from chemicals, chemical evolution, and they are getting Nobel Prize. And if they are offered that "Take these chemicals. Produce a life," they'll deny.

So this ignorance is going on. Therefore for future guidance, Pariksit Maharaja inquired this question, that "How the living entity got this body, material body? Whether it is automatically, without any cause, or with cause?" But with cause... It will be explained. It is not... When the cause is there... Just like if you infect some disease, automatically you'll suffer from the disease. It will come automatically. That is automatically. But your becoming infected, that is cause. So if you become cautious not to be infected, then the cause of lower birth or suffering you can avoid. Therefore we have started this society, society. Society means that you'll get here the cause of being elevated. Just like there are so many societies, equal class of men. "Birds of the same feather flock together." So here is a society. Who will flock here? Who will come here? Because this society is meant for liberation... People are suffering so much on account of material condition of life. Nobody is happy. That is a fact. But because they are in ignorance, they are accepting unhappiness as happiness. This is called maya. This is called maya.

Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. This maya is very much manifest in sex life. They accept the sex life is very nice, but after that, there is so many distresses. Legal or illegal, it doesn't matter. Legal distresses or illegal distresses, but it is distress. Every one of us, we know. Therefore everything -- to make the best use of a bad bargain. We have got this material body. The cause was there. The cause was there that because we wanted to enjoy and did not like to serve Krsna. This is the cause. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. We are serving Krsna. That is our, I mean to say, place, constitutional position, to serve Krsna, but sometimes we desire: "Why shall I serve Krsna? Why shall I serve the spiritual master? I shall enjoy. I shall enjoy." But that enjoyment was there by serving Krsna, but he wanted to become enjoyer independent of Krsna. That is the cause of falldown. With Krsna, you can enjoy very nicely. You have seen the picture, how with Krsna the gopis are nicely dancing, enjoying; the cowherd boys are playing. Enjoy with Krsna, that is your real enjoyment. But without Krsna, when you want to enjoy, that is maya. That is maya.

So maya is there always, and... Because unless there is darkness, you cannot appreciate the quality of brightness; therefore Krsna has created darkness, maya also, so that you can appreciate what is brightness. Two things are required. Without brightness, the darkness cannot be appreciated, and darkness... Without darkness, the brightness cannot be appreciated. The two things are there, side by side. Just like there is sunlight, and here is shadow, side by side. You can remain within the shadow; you can remain within the sunshine. That is your choice. If we remain in the darkness, then our life is miserable, and if we remain in the light, brightness... Therefore Vedic literature instructs us, tamasi ma: "Don't remain in the dark." Jyotir gama: "Go to the light." So this attempt, Krsna consciousness movement, is an attempt to bring people from darkness to the light. So don't misuse this opportunity. Some way or other, you have come in contact with this movement. Properly utilize it. Don't go to the darkness. Always remain in bright light.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.