Who Is Krishna?

1974/06/16 Germany, Bhagavad-gita 2.1

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Prabhupada: (prema-dhvani)

Satsvarupa: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. (devotees repeating). Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

sanjaya uvaca
tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
 [Bg. 2.1]

Prabhupada: Next. Next. Next verse.

Satsvarupa: Sri-bhagavan uvaca. (devotees repeating)

kutas tva kasmalam idam
visame samupasthitam
anarya-justam asvargyam
akirti-karam arjuna
 [Bg. 2.2]

Prabhupada: Next verse also.

Satsvarupa:

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam
tyaktvottistha parantapa
 [Bg. 2.3]
(repeats)

Prabhupada: Next verse.

Satsvarupa:

arjuna uvaca
katham bhismam aham sankhye
dronam ca madhusudana
isubhih pratiyotsyami
pujarhav arisudana
 [Bg. 2.4]
(repeats)

Prabhupada: Next verse also.

Satsvarupa:

gurun ahatva hi mahanubhavan
sreyo bhoktum bhaiksyam apiha loke
hatvartha-kamams tu gurun ihaiva
bhunjiya bhogan rudhira-pradigdhan
 [Bg. 2.5]

Prabhupada: Synonyms? No. Everyone goes to bring that flask, and everyone is lost.

Satsvarupa: Here it is.

Prabhupada: (to translator who translates throughout:) In German language you can just translate this sloka he has ut...

So this was a discussion between Arjuna and Krsna in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So the subject of discussion was that although the battle was declared, Arjuna, when he actually found that "On the other side there are my relatives," how he could slay them? Krsna advised that "Everyone must execute his prescribed duty without consideration of any personal loss or gain." According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of the society. Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural. Just like we can study from our own body, there is head, there is arm, there is belly, and there is leg, similarly, in the society there must be a class of men who should be considered as brain, another class of men should be there who will protect the society from danger, another class of men will be expert in producing food grains and give protection to the cows and make trade, so. And the rest class of men, namely who cannot work as brain neither can work as protector from danger, nor they can produce food grains or give protection to the cows, they are called sudras -- as you cannot avoid, to make your body complete, the brain department, the arms department, the belly department and the walking or working department.

So Arjuna belonged to the group of men who was meant for giving protection to the society. So when he was declining to fight, Arjuna, when he was declining to fight, at that time Krsna gave him advice that "It is your duty to fight." So generally killing is not good at all, but when there is enemy, aggressor, then to kill the aggressor is not sin. So the other party in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, they became aggressor to the Arjuna's party. Now, this is the set up of the Bhagavad-gita. The real purpose is to instruct Arjuna about spiritual understanding.

So spiritual understanding means first of all to know what is spirit. If you do not know what is spirit, then where is spiritual understanding? People are too much engrossed with the body. That is called materialism. But when you understand what is spirit and you act accordingly, that is called spiritualism. So Arjuna was hesitating to fight with the other party because he had bodily relationship with them. So between Arjuna and Krsna there was discussion, but that was friendly discussion. Therefore, when Arjuna understood that simply friendly discussion could not solve the problem, he became His disciple. Krsna... Arjuna surrendered to Krsna, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "My dear Krsna, so long we are talking as friend. Now I become Your regular disciple. Kindly save me by instruction. What I have to do?" Therefore, when this stage was arrived, Krsna is advising Arjuna as follows: sri-bhagavan uvaca. Now, it is said here... Who is saying to Arjuna? The author or the recorder of Bhagavad-gita... Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krsna. It was a discussion between Krsna and Arjuna, and it was recorded by Vyasadeva, and later on it became a book. Just like when we speak it is recorded and later on it is published as a book. Therefore in this book it is said, bhagavan uvaca. Vyasadeva is the writer. He does not say that, "I speak." He says, bhagavan uvaca, means "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said."

So Krsna is accepted by the authorities as Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And what is Bhagavan? Bhagavan means that one who is fully equipped with six opulences. Fully equipped with all opulences means Bhagavan is the richest personality. How much rich Bhagavan, or God, is, we can understand that we are proud of possessing a few acres of land, and Bhagavan means who is the proprietor of the whole universe. Therefore He is considered the richest. Similarly, He is considered the strongest. And similarly, He is considered the wisest. And similarly, He is the most beautiful personality. In this way, when you find a person the richest, the most beautiful, the most wise, the strongest -- in this way, when you find, that is Bhagavan, or God. So when Krsna was present on this planet He proved all these opulences possessed by Him. Take, for example, that everyone marries, but Krsna, being the Supreme Person, He married 16,108 women. But it is not that He remained one husband for sixteen thousand wives. He made arrangement for providing the sixteen thousand wives in different palaces. Each palace, there is described, they were made of first-class marble stone and furniture made of ivory and the sitting place made of very nice, soft cotton. In this way there is description. And the outward compound, there are many flower trees. Not only that, He also expanded Himself into sixteen thousand expansion, personal expansion. And He was living in that way with each and every wife. So it is not very difficult task for God. (devotees offer obeisances) God is said to be situated everywhere. So within our vision, if He is situated in sixteen thousand homes, what is the difficulty for Him?

So here it is said, sri-bhagavan uvaca. The most powerful authority is speaking. Therefore, whatever He says, it is to be taken as truth. In our this conditional life, just like we are living under material condition, we have got four defects: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, and we want to cheat also, and our senses are imperfect. So knowledge received from a person who is infected with four kinds of deficiencies is not perfect. So when you receive knowledge from a person who is transcendental to all these four kinds of defects, that is perfect knowledge. Modern scientists, they theorize that "It may be like this. It may be like that," but that is not perfect knowledge. So if you speculate with your imperfect senses, what is the value of that knowledge? It may be, I mean to say, partial knowledge, but that is not perfect knowledge. Therefore our process of receiving knowledge is to receive it from the perfect person. And therefore we are receiving knowledge from Krsna, Bhagavan, the most perfect, and therefore our knowledge is perfect. Just like a child. He may be imperfect, but if his father says, "My dear child, this is called spectacle," so if the child speaks, "This is spectacle," that knowledge is perfect. Because the child does not make research to find out knowledge. He asks his father or mother, "What is this, Daddy? What is this, Mother?" And the mother says, "My dear child, this is this." Another example can be given that if a child does not, in childhood, he does not know who is his father, then he cannot make any research work. If he makes research work to find out his father, he'll never find out his father. But if he asks his mother, "Who is my father?" and the mother says, "He is your father," that is perfect. Therefore knowledge, knowledge of God, who is beyond your sense perception, how can you know? Therefore you have to know from God Himself or His representative.

So here Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking, and that is the final authority. He says to Arjuna as follows. He says, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned scholar, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which you should not do." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. Gatasun means this body. When it is dead or when it is alive, bodily conception of life is foolishness. So no learned man takes serious consideration of the body. Therefore in the Vedic literature it is said that "One who is in the bodily concept of life, he is nothing more than an animal." Therefore at the present moment, without knowledge of the self, the whole world is going on under the bodily concept of life. The bodily concept of life is there amongst the animals. The cats and dogs, they are very proud of becoming a big cat or big dog. Similarly, if a man also becomes similarly proud that "I am big American," "big German," "big," what is the difference? But that is actually going on, and therefore they are fighting like cats and dogs.

So we shall discuss more tomorrow.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974

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Medicine for Conditioned Mind

Medicine for Conditioned Mind

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.50
Detroit, June 16, 1976

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Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "Above the five senses of perception, the five working senses and the five objects of the senses is the mind, which is the sixteenth element. Above the mind is the seventeenth element, the soul, the living being himself, who, in cooperation with the other sixteen, enjoys the material world alone. The living being enjoys three kinds of situation, namely happy, distressful and mixed."

Prabhupada:

pancabhih kurute svarthan
panca vedatha pancabhih
ekas tu sodasena trin
svayam saptadaso 'snute
 [SB 6.1.50]

This is the analytical study of our material position. Very clear analysis. We, pancabhih, with five working senses, voice, vak, pani, payu, udara, upastha... Voice, arms, legs, anus, and genital. There are twenty-four, the total material constituent parts are twenty-five, sometimes twenty-six they say. These seventeen and the five elements gross and three subtle elements, in this way, altogether twenty-five including the soul. The soul is pure spirit, and other twenty-four elements, they are different varieties of material covering. In this way we are entangled and we are desiring and nature is giving us facility to enjoy our desires. This is the material world.

So unless we are free from all kinds of desires, we shall be entangled with these elements. Therefore bhakti, bhakti-marga, devotional service, means no more material desire. It is difficult because we are associated with the material desires life after life, from time immemorial. Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings therefore: anadi karama phale pori bhavarnava-jale toribare na dekhi upay. Anadi karama, time immemorial I am fallen in this ocean of fruitive activities and I have no rescue from this ocean. Toribare na dekhi upay. This is our position. Very, very difficult to come out of these elements. But if we practice, that is possible. Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina [Bg. 8.8]. Cetasa nanya-gamina, this is practice. Mind is going somewhere. When we sit down the mind is manufacturing so many ideas. All of a sudden mind is attracted by something which has no connection with my present position, still, mind is dragging me. Therefore Arjuna said, when he was advised by Krsna that "You concentrate your mind..." That is the yoga practice. Yoga-indriya-samyaya. So Arjuna said, "Krsna it is not possible for me."

cancalam hi manah krsna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva suduskaram
 [Bg. 6.34]

"It is not possible for me." But if we concentrate our mind on Krsna, then it is possible. Otherwise, it is not. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane [SB 9.4.18]. If we engage our senses only on Krsna, always fixed up in Krsna, then it is possible.

So to engage the mind means, as it is said here, that pancabhih, the mind means controlling all the senses. So if you control the mind, then all the other senses will be controlled. So therefore it is advised that you engage your mind in Krsna. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. And vak, vani, payu, the voice, voice, arms, legs, anus and genitals. So voice should be engaged in vibrating Krsna activities. You read Bhagavad-gita, read Srimad-Bhagavatam and talk about Krsna. Then voice is engaged. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. Always engage your voice in chanting or speaking about Krsna. The mind is engaged automatically. Then arms, the hands, engaged in cleansing the temple. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira marjanadau **. This is the advice. This is business of guru, to engage. How the arms can be engaged? You can engage your arms for decorating the Deity, for sewing the clothing, dress, garland. In this way you can engage your arms. Voice in speaking about Krsna, eyes to see Krsna, how nicely decorated, come to the temple. For coming to the temple your legs will be used. And after coming to the temple, your hands will be used, your eyes will be used, your ear will be used, your tongue will be used. Chant Hare Krsna, take prasada. In this way, if we engage all our senses in Krsna consciousness, then we are victorious. Otherwise, it is not possible. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane [SB 9.4.18]. We have got our senses. Senses cannot be stopped working, that is not possible. The Mayavadi philosophers, they stay that stop, nirvana. Buddha philosophy: stop sense activity. That is not possible. That is impossible. Then how we can control the senses? You can control the senses by engaging all of them in Krsna's service. Then it is controlled. Otherwise not.

Therefore our business is... "Artificially, I shall not see anything." Now how it is possible? You'll see in the mind. Suppose you close your eyes, but there are so many impressions, they will come within the mind. Even if you close your eyes. The so-called meditation means he has closed his eyes but he's thinking of his beloved or his business or something like, something like that. So is not possible. First of all, you have to fix up your mind in Krsna. Always think of Krsna. That is advised by Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. These four principles guarantees, Krsna says. Mam evaisyasi asamsayah [Bg. 18.65]. If you simply execute these four things, then Krsna guarantees, asamsaya, without any doubt you are coming back to me, back to home, back to Godhead. It is so nice. So mind engaged in Krsna. Always think of Krsna. We are seeing Krsna here so nicely dressed, decorated, and immediately there is impression with the mind and you can think the whole day. And Krsna says he is first-class yogi who,

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

He is first-class yogi. There are different types of yogis. Krsna says yoginam api sarvesam. Sarvesam means all different kinds of yogis. There are many. "But one yogi, bhakta-yogi or dhyana-yogi, who is always thinking of Me within the mind, he is first class." He is first class. That we have to practice. We have got our senses and the sense... We are covered by the network of the senses. The knowledge gathering senses, the working senses, the sense objects... Everything is explained here.

pancabhih kurute svarthan
panca vedatha pancabhih
ekas tu sodasena trin
svayam saptadaso 'snute

This is practice. This is called bhakti-yoga, practice. Engage your senses, all senses, working senses and perceiving senses, everything in Krsna, and that will make you perfect.

So the mind, as it is said here... Similarly, Krsna personally says that sa vai, yoginam api sarvesam [Bg. 6.47], sa vai manah krsna, mind, engage always mind. Do something for Krsna. Then the mind automatically will be engaged. Something. Just like a nationalist, a family man, he is doing always something for the welfare of the family. Or for the welfare of the society. Or a big, big nationalist, leaders. Why they become big leaders? Why they are worshiped? Because they are thinking always of the nation, of the community. That is good. But a Vaisnava is not only thinking of the community or society or family, he is thinking of all living entities. That is Vaisnava. Lokanam hita-karinau, all planets. That is Vaisnava. Nana-sastra vicaranaika nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau. This is Vaisnava business. They are not thinking for a particular... That includes, Krsna includes everything. So if you think of Krsna, then automatically you'll think of everything. The same process, watering the root. Why we are preaching? Why, what was the necessity to come in the Western country? No. Krsna wants, Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants. Therefore devotee goes from town to town, village to village. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama. This is Vaisnava. He is thinking for everyone. Because it is a fact, without Krsna consciousness, everyone is suffering. That's a fact. So therefore preaching is so important -- to awaken them. Jiva jago, jiva jago, gauracand... This is Gauracand, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, to awaken everyone from this material entanglement. That is preaching.

Actually, they are suffering. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. We are getting these elements according to the circumstances, according to the body. The same encagement, but quality. A dog has got body, I have got body. The body is made of the same ingredients, but according to the body or quality of the body, the thinking, feeling, willing and activities are different. Because mind, mind's sphere of activities is thinking, feeling and willing, psychology. So according to the body... Just like a child. His thinking, feeling, willing is different from the child's father. Why? Because he has got a body, child, and the father has got a different body. People cannot understand. We are changing. Child is the father of man. So the same child, he has become now father, but he's not talking nonsense now because the body has changed. The child is talking so many nonsense things. People laugh, enjoy. But if the father talks nonsense, then he'll be called, "Here is a rascal." Because the body has changed. So in this way, body is being changed. The child is becoming father, the body has changed. Still, you cannot understand how the change of body, transformation of the body, does not make any transformation of the owner of the body. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam [Bg. 2.13]. He is there, but according to the body he is behaving differently. When he's in the cat's body, he's behaving differently. When he's in a dog's body, he's behaving differently. When he's human body, he's behaving differently. When he's child's body... This is all due to the body.

So therefore when we come to the full-fledged human form of life, developed consciousness, we must utilize it, as it is advised by Krsna Himself, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "Always think of Me, man-mana," And who can think of Krsna unless he's devotee? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. Who is nondevotee, he'll think of something else. "Why I think of Krsna?" Therefore to stick to this principle, to apply the mind always in Krsna, that means he's devotee. This is devotee. Devotee means not with four hands or four legs, no. The hands, legs are the same. But his mode of thinking different. That's all. That is devotee. Devotee does not depend on the country, color or religion or circumstance. Devotee means the mind. Anyone who is always thinking of Krsna, he is devotee. That is the first qualification of devotee. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. Therefore we have to practice. Abhyasa yoga-yuktena... [Bg. 8.8]. This is called abhyasa. Mind is going out of my control. I want to think of Krsna, but mind is thinking something else. This is called yoga practice. So we have to catch again mind: "Why you are going there? Come here. Think of Krsna." Then that is practice. That is called yoga. You cannot allow the mind. And when you can control the mind... Generally, we are controlled by the mind. That is the position of our conditional life. Baddha-jiva, mukta-jiva. Liberated soul and conditioned soul. What is the difference? Conditioned soul means who is becoming conditioned by the mind or controlled by the mind, he is conditioned soul. And liberated soul means who is not conditioned by the mind. Mind says, "Why not smoke one cigarette?" And when you'll be able to say, "No cigarette!" then you've controlled the mind. Mind will say always for some sense gratification. But when you control the mind, then you are liberated person. Therefore the svami, svami means controller or gosvami. Svami does not mean you simply stamp over your name "Svami." No, svami means the controller of the mind. He is not controlled by the mind; he controls the mind. Then he is svami. Gosvami. Go means senses and svami means master. When you are able to control your senses, then you are a gosvami or svami, the same thing. Otherwise, godasa. Dasa means servant. Everyone in this material world, he's godasa. Godasa means servant of the mind, servant of the senses. Everyone, servant of the senses. He may be very big man, but he's servant of the senses.

So the spiritual process, spiritual advancement means that at the present moment we are all servants of the senses or of the mind. Mind is the master of the senses, central point. Therefore if you can control the mind, then you can control the senses. So among the senses, the tongue is the most formidable, very difficult to control. So Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, tar madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati ta 'ke jeta kothina samsare. Of all the senses, the tongue is the strongest enemy, always proposing, "Eat this, eat this, eat this, eat this, eat this." Just see, for tongue, only one person eats little bit of beef only, not much. No, I have seen. A piece of beef. But for the satisfaction of the senses, thousands of innocent animals are being killed. Just see. They cannot control this, a bit of beef. They cannot control. If they decide that we shall not... We are prohibiting, "No meat-eating." So this is controlling the sense. Because unless you bring the senses under control, there is no question of spiritual advancement. Tar madhye jihva ati. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Trpyanti neha krpana bahu-duhkha-bhajah. The sense, the tongue, the belly, the straight line, and then the genital. If you can control the tongue, then you can control your belly and then control your genital. And that is required. Unless you can control the genital, there is no question of liberation from this material bondage. This is the principle.

Therefore by practicing bhakti-yoga, gradually,... Immediately it is not possible. But gradually, by sticking to the regulative principles and chanting Hare Krsna, we shall be able to control the senses, and the first sense is the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. The senses are so strong, they'll not allow me to become Krsna conscious. They'll not allow me. Atah sri-krsna-namadi. Krsna consciousness means to understand Krsna, His name, His form, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, so many things. Krsna is the Supreme Lord. How much we have to learn about Him, just imagine. So all these things cannot be understood by these blunt senses engaged in material sense enjoyment. That is not possible. Therefore we have to control the senses. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our indriyas... We are now habituated to use this indriya for material sense enjoyment. Therefore these indriyas, senses, is not fit for understanding Krsna. It has to be purified. The senses, you cannot stop the activities of the senses, but you have to purify. That is recommended. That purification of the senses begins from the tongue. Therefore we have recommended that don't eat meat, don't taste intoxication, don't, and illicit sex. From the tongue, it goes to... Sex is not prohibited, but illicit sex, that is controlled, that is controlled. If one is allowed to have unlimited, unrestricted sex, then he is doomed. Better restrict your sex in one wife, woman (indistinct). That means gradually it will be controlled.

So we have to follow this. If we are actually serious about Krsna consciousness and going back to home, back to Godhead, make our lives successful in this very life, then... Life successful means mukti, to be not entangled again with this material body. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. That is success. That after giving up this body... This body means the combination of the so many, twenty-four elements. So long we'll be entangled within this network of twenty-four elements, it is called conditioned life. And mukti, liberated, means no more entanglement. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam. We are now entangled in these twenty-four elements, and mukti means we are not entangled. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam. Because we are entangled, we are thinking otherwise. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that," "I am that," "I have got so many duties." These things. But when one understands that these so-called duties and entanglement of these twenty-four elements of matter, "I do not belong this. I am aloof, I aloof," this understanding is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. At least theoretically if we understand, then our duty changes. Prasannatma, fixed up. That whatever I am doing now, I am doing with this material, for the benefit of this material, not for my personal benefit. I am not these twenty-four elements. This is called mukti.

So we have to practice. We are accustomed to this material entanglement. This practice is there. Then gradually we shall be freed from this entanglement. Sarvopadhi vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is purification, when we become free from this designation. Then hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. And when you are freed from this... Therefore bhakti actually begins after liberation. Bhakti is not... Nivrtta-tarsair-upagiyamana. Nivrtta means one who has ceased trsna. Trsna means aspiration. We have got so many aspirations. So this transcendental life or chanting of Hare Krsna is means for the liberated person. Nivrtta-tarsair-upagiyamanad bhavausadhac-chrotra-mano 'bhiramat [SB 10.1.4]. This chanting is the medicine for our conditioned stage.

nivrtta-tarsair-upagiyamanad
bhavausadhac-chrotra-mano 'bhiramat
ka uttama-sloka-gunanuvadat
virajyati puman vina pasughnat
 [SB 10.1.4]

Pasughnat, animal killer. Pasughnat has two meanings. One who is killing himself, he's also pasughnat. And one who is killing animals, he is also pasughnat. Therefore meat-eating is prohibited, that if you remain a killer of animals, then you cannot be purified. That is essential. No meat-eating. So in this way... You cannot stop the activities of the senses. That is not possible. Because I am living being. If the sense activities are stopped, then where is my life? I'm finished. So that cannot be. This is impossible. The Buddha philosophy is stop, nirvana: "Stop the activities of the senses." That is not possible. Stop means you stop material activities. A boy is, when he's child, he is simply doing all nonsense and creating some disturbance. The same boy, when he's engaged in reading and writing, going to school, he's a good boy, Similarly, you cannot stop the activities of your senses, but when you engage your senses in the activities of Krsna, that is perfection of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976

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Ear Holes Like Snake Holes

Ear Holes Like Snake Holes

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.20
Los Angeles, June 16, 1972

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

 bile batorukrama-vikraman ye
na srnvatah karna-pute narasya
jihvasati dardurikeva suta
na copagayaty urugaya-gathah

(Prabhupada corrects pronunciation several times during chanting of verse.)

Translation: "One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like that of the snakes and a tongue like that of the frogs."

Prabhupada: So the impersonalists or the voidists, so where is their God? So there is no God for them. Impersonal. So there is no activity. What they will hear and where they will chant? If you have no activity, then what I should hear about you? If you are a dead stone, then what can I hear? Simply one, "A big stone." That's all. So they have no this opportunity. These impersonalists, they are so unfortunate that they cannot hear. As soon as there is some activity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they will say, "It is maya." That is called Mayavada. "These are ... our activities, maya, and therefore God's activities are also maya." A poor fund of knowledge or rascaldom. "Because I cannot do this, therefore God cannot do this. I am pleased in this way; therefore God can be ... Permanent, we are identical." Big, big sannyasi explained like that. "When I am pleased, God is pleased. When I am dissatisfied, God is dissatisfied." So roundabout way, their philosophy is to satisfy one's own sense gratification.

That's all. The Mayavada philosophy means, impersonalist means, the same material condition. The material condition means everyone is busy in sense gratification. And ... therefore they cannot understand. And when there is a question of sense gratification ... Just like, "We are dancing here, ball dance. So this is material maya. Therefore Krsna's dance with the gopis, that is also maya." This is Mayavada symptom. The example can be given like this: Just like a patient, since his birth, he is sick, and he is lying in the hospital, cannot walk freely or cannot eat nice things. All bitter medicine, injections, always suffering. So if he is informed that "After your cure, you shall be able to eat nice rasagulla, sandesa," he cannot believe it. He says, "Again eating? Oh, it is horrible." Because he has got bad experience of eating in sick condition, he thinks that eating in healthy condition is also the same. This is Mayavada. He has no experience what is healthy eating.

Therefore his bad experience of this diseased condition, he wants to make it zero. He is thinking that "When my, this drinking of medicine and lying down will be zero, oh, that will be my real healthy condition." This is their philosophy. Because bad experience ... Just like foolish persons sometimes commit suicide or they talk of suicide. The whole thing is zero, wants to make the life zero. That is their happiness. Sunyavadi. Because they have no experience that there is another life, going back home, back to Godhead. There also, Krsna is eating; Krsna is dancing; Krsna is playing; Krsna is killing; Everything is there. They are all transcendental. Everything is there. Here, only perverted reflection, false reflection only. There are five principal rasas: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya. Here also, the same rasas are here, santa, dasya. Just like I am sitting in this comfortable seat. This is santa, santa-rasa. The throne is giving me service in silence.

This is called santa-rasa. Above this, somebody is giving me flower, sandalwood. This is called dasya-rasa, serving. Better than ... This is silence; there is work. The santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, then, again develop, sakhya-rasa, more intimate, friendly. Then vatsalya-rasa, more intimate. Just like the parental affection. And more intimate, conjugal love. Just like young boy, young girl, try to love one another. So these rasas are there. Vrndavana, Krsna is in love with the gopis. He is playing with friends, cowherd boys. His affectionate mother Yasoda, feeding Him, and there are servants also, serving Krsna. And the trees, the water, the flowers, they are serving silently. Panca-mukhya-rasa, five chief mellows, humors. The same thing is here also. Here also the santa-rasa, sakhya-rasa, dasya-rasa is there. But that is mixed with material cranks (grains?). Just like sweet rice. Sweet rice is very nice, but if it is mixed with some grains of sand, just imagine.

How it is pleasurable? So all the rasas ... The Mayavada philosopher, they have eaten sweet rice with cranks (grains?), with sand grains. Therefore when you offer him next sweet rice, "Oh, I have got taste. Don't supply it." Or, "I wish to live without eating -- zero." This is Mayavada philosophy. Try to understand, impersonal, making everything zero, without any varieties. Nirvisesa-sunyavadi. Nirvisesa means without any varieties, and sunyavadi means zero, voidist. The two kinds of Mayavadis, generally headed by Sankara philosophy and Buddha philosophy. But our position is transcendental, above. Karmis ... Karmis, they are on the material field. They are trying to enjoy on the material platform. Jnanis, they are trying to make it varietyless, and the Buddhists, they are trying to make it zero. Our philosophy is substance. This is difference, substance, reality. Vastava-vastu, real reality, not the false thing. So these people, the voidists and impersonalists, because they have no information of the Supreme Lord and His activities ...

Activities are there. Krsna is coming, showing His activities. But they will say, "It is maya. Krsna is maya." Although Krsna is practically showing them that it is not maya, it is completely spiritual, but their dull brain cannot accommodate that Krsna is Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore the so-called scholars, when Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65] -- Krsna says, "Just become My devotee, offer your obeisances unto Me, always think of Me," man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah -- the scholar, the so-called scholar, says, "This is not to Krsna the person. It is to the unborn which is within Him." The rascal does not know that Krsna has no within-without. Krsna is absolute. Otherwise there is no meaning of absolute. When there is duality, how it can be absolute? That sense they haven't got. Still, they are passing as big scholars. Krsna is no such thing as within and without. We living entities, ordinary living entities ... I am soul. I am within this body.

I am not this body. But Krsna is not like that. Krsna is both body and soul together. Krsna is everything. Krsna has no such difference as material and spiritual. For Krsna, everything is spiritual. Because material and spiritual, they are two energies only, but they are energy of Krsna. So for Krsna, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. He can convert the material into spiritual and the spiritual into material because He is the original source of these two energies. He is the original source. The same example: just like an expert electrician, he can convert the heater into cooler and the cooler into heater, although they are two opposites. Because he knows how to utilize the electrical energy. Similarly, Krsna says that "These material elements, they are also My energy. And the spiritual energy, the jiva-bhutas, they are also My energy." And the whole cosmic manifestation is combination of this material and spiritual energy. Therefore ... But Krsna is Absolute.

He has nothing to do with material or spiritual. Another example can be given. Just like government. Government has got many departments, the criminal department and the educational department. (The) educational department is giving knowledge to the citizens, and the criminal department is punishing, chastising the citizens. Now, to us, we find difference, that "In this department government is so liberal, is giving education. People are becoming learned, enjoying. And this department ... So government is discriminating. This department is favorable, and this department is not favorable." But to the government, it is not like that. To the government, both the departments are equal. Rather, sometimes, the government has to spend more to the criminal department than to the educational department. Because they have to maintain both these departments. To run on the street politically, they have to maintain both these. Similarly, because the individual soul has got little independence, is part and parcel of Krsna, so Krsna has full independence.

And we, being part and parcel of Krsna, we have got that independence quality. How it can be without? Then how we can be part and parcel? The same example -- just like a drop of ocean water, it is also salty, the same ingredient. Similarly, we have got little independence. Just like you have taken to Krsna consciousness out of your independence. There are many other American boys and girls -- they are not taking to it. It is not obligatory. But the door is open for everyone. One who is intelligent, he is taking to it. That is due to independence. And some of our boys are also falling back. After remaining few years, again he falls back, again into hodgepodge. You see, due to this misuse of independence. So because God has given us little independence, therefore there must be two departments: material and spiritual. Otherwise, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. Material is called maya because those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they cannot see Krsna's spiritual energy.

They are covered. Therefore they are called Mayavadi. So the unfortunate Mayavadi cannot chant. They criticize, "This chanting is sentimentalism." Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu was criticized at Benares when He was chanting. You know the story. Prakasananda Sarasvati, a great Mayavada sannyasi, he used to criticize that "This sannyasi is sentimental. Sannyasi's business is reading Vedanta, but this sannyasi is chanting and dancing." So there was strong criticism. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu was arranged to meet this Mayavada sannyasi, and He talked on Vedanta and He defeated him. And the sannyasi , along with his 60,000 disciples, became His followers. So you should not be simply chanting and dancing. Along with, you must know philosophy. There are so many Mayavadis; you have to defeat them. It is not that we are cowards. We are Krsna's soldiers. So as soon as there is Mayavadi attack, you must immediately defeat them. That is wanted. Therefore so many books are being written. Jnanam ca yad ahaitukam.

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
 [SB 1.2.7]

If you become pure devotee, this jnana to defeat this Mayavada philosophy will be revealed unto you. Krsna is within you. As soon as "He's ... Oh, he is very sincere. He's doing seriously," He will give you all intelligence. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. But if you are in doubt, "Oh, whether Krsna is person or not?" then Krsna will not give you intelligence. That is the difficulty. He does not talk with nonsense. He talks, but not with the nonsense. So when you are above the nonsensical platform by sincere service, then Krsna will talk with you from within. (aside:) Sit down properly. So the fact is that "One who has not listened to the messages about prowess and the marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead ..." Now, they have got ... These Mayavadis, they have got their ears, but they cannot hear about the activities of the Lord. They'll reject, "Oh, this is all maya. Let us meditate." So their, these earholes is compared with the snake holes.

When you go, walk on the paddy field, you will find so many holes. Have you got experience? There are so many holes. Even on the beach, you will find so many holes. But especially in the agricultural field there are holes, because the paddy ... The rats and mouse, they come to eat the paddies, and they make hole to live there. And the snakes take advantage. They enter the hole and eat the rat and mouse and live peacefully. So these holes, because there are snakes, nobody utilizes it, that hole. Similarly, when these earholes are not receptive of the message of Krsna, it like that, it is not being utilized properly. Similarly, you have got tongue, but you cannot chant Hare Krsna. Jihvasati dardurikeva. It is just like the tongue of the frogs. The frogs ... You have got experience during rainy season. They use their tongue very nicely. They sing ka-ka-kan, ka-ka-kan, ka-ka-kan.. (laughter) Yes. But what is the result of singing? The result of singing: in the darkness, the snakes, they can understand, "Here is a frog," and it comes and takes, immediately eats.

Similarly, we have got tongue, and we are lecturing all nonsense things, mental speculation, or singing in the dancing club, ho ho, ho ho, like that. So the result is that we are diminishing our duration of life in that way. The opportunity, the human form of life opportunity, is being uselessly diminished. In the previous verse we have learned, ayur harati vai pumsam udyann astam ca yann asau.. Because the sun's business is to take away your span of life gradually. So same. As the frog is calling (to) his death, the snake, "Please come here, I am here," similarly, these persons who are talking all nonsense without krsna-katha, they are inviting the Yamaraja, "Please come soon. I am here. I am here." This is the position. So explain.

Pradyumna: Purport: "Devotional service to the Lord is rendered by all limbs or parts of the body. It is the transcendental dynamic force of the spirit soul. Therefore a devotee is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord. One can engage in devotional service when the senses of the body are purified in relation with the Lord. And one can render service to the Lord with the help of all senses. As such, the senses and the action of the senses are to be considered as impure or materialistic as long as they are employed in sense gratification only."

Prabhupada: The same earholes, you hear some radio message, some materialistic news, some advertisement, so many things you can hear. And in the same earholes, you can hear Hare Krsna. So the hearing is there. But when you hear something for your sense gratification, that is material, and when you hear something about Krsna, that is spiritual. This is the difference between material and spiritual. The things are already there. You have got your ears; you have got your tongue; you have got your hand; you have got your leg; you have got your eyes; everything is there. You can utilize it for material purpose and for spiritual purpose. How you can utilize? If you change your consciousness, then you can realize. So if you change your consciousness to Krsna consciousness and utilize the senses for that purpose ... Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Just like you are American and I am Indian. We are not concerned about hearing about Indian and American.

We have no other business, no more any business. I am not interested hearing about something Indian, and you are also not interested to hear something about American. No. This is called sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. The designation is ... Freed from the designation. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When we simply hear about Krsna, then we are purified. Hearing. The machine is there. People are hearing as American, the message of the President or some politics or ... They are very much interested, "What my country is advancing, how they are killing in Vietnam, how they are doing this, that?" The whole big, big lump of newspapers, you see. For hearing. For hearing. So when one is interested with this big, big lump of newspaper, lumpy newspaper, for American interest or Indian interest or German interest ... Everyone has demarcated. "This is Germany, this is America, this is ..." Everything belongs to God, and these rascals, they have demarcated "This is Germany. This is ..."

Isavasyam idam. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram: He is the proprietor of all the planets. And in this teeny planet we have made, "Oh, this is America, this is Germany, this is Japanese." I come as American, live for, say, 50 years or 100 years, and then kicked out, and I become absorbed in the thought of that land. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. Bhauma ijya-dhih. I'll live for some years, and because I have got this misconception that "I am this body." I am worshiping the land, nationalism. What is this land? Does it belong to you? No. Because I have got this designation, title, "I am American, I am Indian," therefore I am fond of land. Just see how much illusory things are going on. I have got a false designation. On account of this designation, I am thinking, "This is mine." This is illusion. Actually, it is God's. Suppose you are twenty-five years old. Say, before twenty-five years old, where was that country?

That you do not know. Might be it was in China or in the hell. You have no knowledge. And now, since twenty-five years you are born in this land, you are absorbed in thought, "This is my country." People are mad after nationalism and fighting. One nation is fighting with another. But these rascals do not know that "Why they are fighting? The land belongs to God. You simply fight, and die, and go to hell. That's all." This is Krsna consciousness. So when people become Krsna conscious, this nonsense fighting will stop. Otherwise there is no possibility. Otherwise it is not possible. They are trying to stop fighting by the so-called League of Nations, or United Nations. They are disunited. On principle, they are disunited. So many hundreds of flags. How they can be united? They can be united in Krsna consciousness. When they will be really learned, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18], panditah ... When one is learned ... Just like we are sama-darsinah. We don't discriminate American, India, African, this ...We distribute Krsna consciousness to everyone. Because we know, "Everyone is part and parcel of Krsna. Everyone is son of Krsna. They are suffering on account of this material contamination. Let us do something for them." This is wanted. This is Krsna consciousness. Otherwise ...

Now you can have kirtana. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.

"Who Is Krishna?"

1974/06/16 Germany, Bhagavad-gita 2.1



Prabhupada: (prema-dhvani)

Satsvarupa: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. (devotees repeating). Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

sanjaya uvaca
tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah
[Bg. 2.1]

Prabhupada: Next. Next. Next verse.

Satsvarupa: Sri-bhagavan uvaca. (devotees repeating)

kutas tva kasmalam idam
visame samupasthitam
anarya-justam asvargyam
akirti-karam arjuna
[Bg. 2.2]

Prabhupada: Next verse also.

Satsvarupa:

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam
tyaktvottistha parantapa
[Bg. 2.3]
(repeats)

Prabhupada: Next verse.

Satsvarupa:

arjuna uvaca
katham bhismam aham sankhye
dronam ca madhusudana
isubhih pratiyotsyami
pujarhav arisudana
[Bg. 2.4]
(repeats)

Prabhupada: Next verse also.

Satsvarupa:

gurun ahatva hi mahanubhavan
sreyo bhoktum bhaiksyam apiha loke
hatvartha-kamams tu gurun ihaiva
bhunjiya bhogan rudhira-pradigdhan
[Bg. 2.5]

Prabhupada: Synonyms? No. Everyone goes to bring that flask, and everyone is lost.

Satsvarupa: Here it is.

Prabhupada: (to translator who translates throughout:) In German language you can just translate this sloka he has ut...

So this was a discussion between Arjuna and Krsna in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So the subject of discussion was that although the battle was declared, Arjuna, when he actually found that "On the other side there are my relatives," how he could slay them? Krsna advised that "Everyone must execute his prescribed duty without consideration of any personal loss or gain." According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of the society. Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural. Just like we can study from our own body, there is head, there is arm, there is belly, and there is leg, similarly, in the society there must be a class of men who should be considered as brain, another class of men should be there who will protect the society from danger, another class of men will be expert in producing food grains and give protection to the cows and make trade, so. And the rest class of men, namely who cannot work as brain neither can work as protector from danger, nor they can produce food grains or give protection to the cows, they are called sudras -- as you cannot avoid, to make your body complete, the brain department, the arms department, the belly department and the walking or working department.

So Arjuna belonged to the group of men who was meant for giving protection to the society. So when he was declining to fight, Arjuna, when he was declining to fight, at that time Krsna gave him advice that "It is your duty to fight." So generally killing is not good at all, but when there is enemy, aggressor, then to kill the aggressor is not sin. So the other party in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, they became aggressor to the Arjuna's party. Now, this is the set up of the Bhagavad-gita. The real purpose is to instruct Arjuna about spiritual understanding.

So spiritual understanding means first of all to know what is spirit. If you do not know what is spirit, then where is spiritual understanding? People are too much engrossed with the body. That is called materialism. But when you understand what is spirit and you act accordingly, that is called spiritualism. So Arjuna was hesitating to fight with the other party because he had bodily relationship with them. So between Arjuna and Krsna there was discussion, but that was friendly discussion. Therefore, when Arjuna understood that simply friendly discussion could not solve the problem, he became His disciple. Krsna... Arjuna surrendered to Krsna, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "My dear Krsna, so long we are talking as friend. Now I become Your regular disciple. Kindly save me by instruction. What I have to do?" Therefore, when this stage was arrived, Krsna is advising Arjuna as follows: sri-bhagavan uvaca. Now, it is said here... Who is saying to Arjuna? The author or the recorder of Bhagavad-gita... Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krsna. It was a discussion between Krsna and Arjuna, and it was recorded by Vyasadeva, and later on it became a book. Just like when we speak it is recorded and later on it is published as a book. Therefore in this book it is said, bhagavan uvaca. Vyasadeva is the writer. He does not say that, "I speak." He says, bhagavan uvaca, means "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said."

So Krsna is accepted by the authorities as Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And what is Bhagavan? Bhagavan means that one who is fully equipped with six opulences. Fully equipped with all opulences means Bhagavan is the richest personality. How much rich Bhagavan, or God, is, we can understand that we are proud of possessing a few acres of land, and Bhagavan means who is the proprietor of the whole universe. Therefore He is considered the richest. Similarly, He is considered the strongest. And similarly, He is considered the wisest. And similarly, He is the most beautiful personality. In this way, when you find a person the richest, the most beautiful, the most wise, the strongest -- in this way, when you find, that is Bhagavan, or God. So when Krsna was present on this planet He proved all these opulences possessed by Him. Take, for example, that everyone marries, but Krsna, being the Supreme Person, He married 16,108 women. But it is not that He remained one husband for sixteen thousand wives. He made arrangement for providing the sixteen thousand wives in different palaces. Each palace, there is described, they were made of first-class marble stone and furniture made of ivory and the sitting place made of very nice, soft cotton. In this way there is description. And the outward compound, there are many flower trees. Not only that, He also expanded Himself into sixteen thousand expansion, personal expansion. And He was living in that way with each and every wife. So it is not very difficult task for God. (devotees offer obeisances) God is said to be situated everywhere. So within our vision, if He is situated in sixteen thousand homes, what is the difficulty for Him?

So here it is said, sri-bhagavan uvaca. The most powerful authority is speaking. Therefore, whatever He says, it is to be taken as truth. In our this conditional life, just like we are living under material condition, we have got four defects: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, and we want to cheat also, and our senses are imperfect. So knowledge received from a person who is infected with four kinds of deficiencies is not perfect. So when you receive knowledge from a person who is transcendental to all these four kinds of defects, that is perfect knowledge. Modern scientists, they theorize that "It may be like this. It may be like that," but that is not perfect knowledge. So if you speculate with your imperfect senses, what is the value of that knowledge? It may be, I mean to say, partial knowledge, but that is not perfect knowledge. Therefore our process of receiving knowledge is to receive it from the perfect person. And therefore we are receiving knowledge from Krsna, Bhagavan, the most perfect, and therefore our knowledge is perfect. Just like a child. He may be imperfect, but if his father says, "My dear child, this is called spectacle," so if the child speaks, "This is spectacle," that knowledge is perfect. Because the child does not make research to find out knowledge. He asks his father or mother, "What is this, Daddy? What is this, Mother?" And the mother says, "My dear child, this is this." Another example can be given that if a child does not, in childhood, he does not know who is his father, then he cannot make any research work. If he makes research work to find out his father, he'll never find out his father. But if he asks his mother, "Who is my father?" and the mother says, "He is your father," that is perfect. Therefore knowledge, knowledge of God, who is beyond your sense perception, how can you know? Therefore you have to know from God Himself or His representative.

So here Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking, and that is the final authority. He says to Arjuna as follows. He says, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned scholar, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which you should not do." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. Gatasun means this body. When it is dead or when it is alive, bodily conception of life is foolishness. So no learned man takes serious consideration of the body. Therefore in the Vedic literature it is said that "One who is in the bodily concept of life, he is nothing more than an animal." Therefore at the present moment, without knowledge of the self, the whole world is going on under the bodily concept of life. The bodily concept of life is there amongst the animals. The cats and dogs, they are very proud of becoming a big cat or big dog. Similarly, if a man also becomes similarly proud that "I am big American," "big German," "big," what is the difference? But that is actually going on, and therefore they are fighting like cats and dogs.

So we shall discuss more tomorrow.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974