"A Slip 'Twixt The Cup And Lip"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.23
Mayapura, October 3, 1974

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Nitai: "O Hrsikesa, the master of the senses and the Lord of lords, You have released Your mother Devaki, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kamsa, and myself and my children from a series of constant dangers."

Prabhupada:

yatha hrsikesa khalena devaki
kamsena ruddhaticiram sucarpita
vimocitaham ca sahatmaja vibho
tvayaiva nathena muhur vipad-ganat

So Krsna... Actually, Kunti is presenting the characteristics of Krsna. He is transcendental, purusam prakrteh param. Then He is person. In so many ways, he, she has already described. Now... That is identification. Now Krsna's activities... Because we have to know Krsna... Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, janma karma me divyam. His birth and His activities, both of them are transcendental, not material, because He is purusam prakrteh param. He is the person beyond this material nature who is not a created being of this material nature. That we should understand. Purusam prakrteh param. The original creator.

That means Krsna existed before the creation. Because He existed before the creation, therefore His activities, His form, His qualities, they're not material. Prakrteh param. But He comes upon this earth or in this material world. His activities are to save the devotees and to kill the demons, simultaneous. That we have already explained. His real activity is to give protection to the devotees. Just like Prahlada Maharaja, he was very much disturbed by the demon Hiranyakasipu. So to give him protection, He appeared as Nrsimhadeva. Similarly, here Krsna appeared. Why? To give relief to Devaki and Vasudeva, the Pandavas. They were in very great danger by kamsena khalena, envious demon Kamsa. And similarly, the Pandavas were also in difficult by the envious Dhrtarastra and company, his sons.

So Krsna comes -- paritranaya sadhunam. That is His mission. So how He saved the honest devotees, that is being described by Kunti. This is studying of Krsna, about His transcendental activities. You have to know how He takes birth and how He acts. If you study these two things of Krsna's appearance, then you become liberated, these two things only, that why does He come, how does He come, how He acts, what is His position. His position is prakrteh param. He is not a living being like us. We are not prakrteh... Although we are prakrteh param, but at the present moment we are under the clutches of prakrti. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. We... just like a person in the prison. He is also a citizen. He's not meant for living in the prison; he is actually meant for living outside the prison. But some way or other, he has come in contact with the criminal department and is put into the prison. Similarly, usually, the citizens and the king or president, they are not inhabitants of the prison house. Similarly, we, along with Krsna, as Krsna is prakrteh param, similarly, we are also prakrteh param, but we have got the aptitude to fall down in the prakrti.

Krsna hasn't got that aptitude. He's a master. Just like "King can do no wrong." This is the British Constitution. You cannot accuse the king in any way, neither you can judge. That is British Constitution. Similarly, Krsna, as it is stated in the Isopanisad, apapa-viddham. He cannot be criminal like us. He's above. He cannot be charged with any criminal charges. Apapa-viddham. Papa does not touch Him. Although it appears that He is doing something which is papa, but that is not papa. We have to understand Krsna's position. Prakrteh param. That is... That means prakrteh param. He is not subjected to any sinful life. Therefore His name is Acyuta. Ratham sthapaya, sthapaya me acyuta. Acyuta means "one who does not fall."

The... We fall down, we, because we are very small, spiritual sparks, and Krsna is the whole fire. And the fire and the spiritual, fire, sparks from the fire, their quality -- the same. They can burn. As the big fire can burn, similarly, the small spark, if it falls down on your cloth, that portion, it will immediately burn. It will become back, black. So the quality is the same. But when it falls down, it's burning quality becomes extinguished. We have got practical experience. Burning quality becomes extinguished. So when we fall down from the spiritual world, we come to the material world, our spiritual quality becomes extinguished. That we have to revive. That we have to revive.
That is stated by Krsna in Bhagava...,

vita-raga-bhaya-krodha
man-maya mam upasritah
bahavo jnana-tapasa
puta mad-bhavam agatah
[Bg. 4.10]

When we become purified, again we revive our spiritual quality, then mad-bhavam agatah: "Then he comes back to My nature." That is back to home. This is the process. It is not very difficult because Krsna says, bahavah: "many." "Many" means it is not difficult. Not that... Because we, by nature, we are spiritual, simply extinguished... Just like a lamp is extinguished. You can burn it immediately with a real matches, not false. You can burn it. The capacity is there. Similarly, our spiritual qualities are there already. It is permanent. Aham brahmasmi. That Brahman quality is already there. It is not to be attained. Simply this non-Brahman covering has to be removed.

That is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That covering is designation. We are thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am this," "I am that." These are coverings. Actually I am aham brahmasmi. Krsna is also Parabrahman. Brahman... By quality, He is Brahman; we are also Brahman. But He is Parabrahman. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He's singular number; we are plural number. That is the Vedic instruction. He is the singular number eternal, and we are plural number eternal. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is singular number living entity, and we are plural number living entity. Therefore in the dictionary you'll find, this Oxford Dictionary, "the Supreme Being." God means "the Supreme Being." He's a being. He's not a stone. He's a living being. Even the dictionary accepts. He's not a stone, dead stone. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavata, janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "The Supreme Absolute Truth is the original source of all creation." Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything that we see, matter and life, everything comes from Him. But whether He is matter or life? That is explained: yes, He is life. Janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah [SB 1.1.1]. He is life because He knows. So who knows? A dead stone cannot know. Unless one is a living being, he cannot know.

Therefore it is said that anvayad itaratas ca abhijnah. How does He know? Now, svarat. Because to know means we require some master, some teacher... But because He is the Supreme Being, He does not require any teacher. Svarat. Svarat means independent. Vedaham samatitani. He knows everything automatically. That is the difference between God and ourself. Just like Krsna said that "I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god," and Arjuna became doubtful: "What Krsna is saying? He is my contemporary. I do not know how He knows." So he questioned that "Krsna, how can I believe You, that you spoke this, this philosophy to the sun-god millions and millions of...?" So Krsna explained, "Yes, at that time, you were also there because you are My constant friend. But the difference is you have forgotten; I have not forgotten. That is the difference." Svarat. Abhijnah. We are not fully abhijnah. We do not know.

I claim, "These hairs, my hairs, my head." But I do not know how many hairs are there. So many things. The nail is coming from my body. I do not know how it is coming. I am eating foodstuff. I do not know how it is being turned into blood and other secretions, and it is being transferred through the veins, through the pipes, here and there, and so many mechanical machine. It is machine. It is going on. But this machine is not my creation. This machine is created by this material nature. This machine is manufactured in the womb of mother. According to my karma, I enter into a particular type of mother's womb, and this machine is made by the prakrti, by the nature. Just like this flower. There is machine. The seed will fructify, and a particular type of flower from the seed will come because the machine is like that. Just like typewriter machine you can type, but typewriter machine, you cannot go. That you have to accept the motorcar machine. This is also machine. That... Similarly, there are different types of machine, and from that machine, this body is coming out. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61].

Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, "Krsna is situated everyone's heart." And He's studying the inclination of the living entity, that he wants to enjoy this material world like this. So parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. He hasn't got to do anything personally. He orders the material nature, "This living entity wants to enjoy like this. Give him the, this machine." So you get this machine. We have got this machine. A living entity, he does not discriminate of eating; whatever he gets, he eats. So Krsna says that "He wants to eat everything. So give him this machine, hog's body, so that there will be no discrimination." "He wants to remain naked. All right. Give him this body for five thousand years, standing naked as tree." The life was meant for understanding Krsna, but he is cultivating the culture of naked civilization, how to become naked. "So all right, next time you'll remain naked for many thousands of years, standing in one place as tree." This is going on. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah.

So we have to understand the activities of Krsna. He's not dull-headed, nirakara. Why nirakara? He is acting in so many ways, and who acts in different ways unless he's a person? This is the conclusion. Unless He's a person, how He can act in so many different ways, according to circumstances? Just like we are receiving so many letters from different centers. So unless I am a person, how can I give direction? It is not a dull stone. So Krsna is not dull stone. Therefore we have to study Krsna's activities. And if we can study Krsna's activities, if we can understand Krsna's birth and activities, janma karma me divyam, immediately we become liberated.

So these books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, are there, and many other books, Puranas and others... They are simply describing the activities of Krsna so that you can understand Krsna. That... There is a verse in Caitanya-caritamrta: anadi bahirmukha jiva nahi jnana, krsna... Means "From, since a very, very long time, he has forgotten Krsna." Just like anyone you can ask, in this country even, and what to speak of others, that "Do you know Krsna?" So you'll find so many, I mean to say, major portion, people, will say, "No, we do not know what is Krsna." Just like our Syamasundara's daughter, Sarasvati. She preaches, "Do you know what is Krsna?" Even one knows, because he (she) is child: "No, no. I do not know." "Oh, Supreme Personality of Godhead," she will say. She is so intelligent. She will say. So similarly, we can do. We can do Krsna's service like this. Even a child can do. You go. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. That becomes... You becomes spiritual master. If you take this vow, that "I'll preach only Krsna," then you are spiritual master. You become spiritual...

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Just like that child, Sarasvati's, preaching, "Do you know Krsna?" He says, "No." "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Simply say like that, "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," and "Chant His holy name, Hare Krsna." If you do this, then you are preacher; you are spiritual master. It is so nice. You don't require to become very... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He does not say that you become a learned Vedic scholar. That is the goal of Vedic scholarship. If you simply know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then your Vedic study finished. You are M.A., doctor of Krsna philosophy, simply if you know this. You may not know in details, but if you simply believe, firmly convinced, that "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is my master. He is my savior," in this way, if you accept, then you become perfect, and you become liberated.

So here one thing is specifically mentioned, that muhur vipad-ganat. Muhuh means twenty-four hours, or always, almost twenty-four hours. Muhuh. Muhuh means "again and again, again and again." So vipat. Vipat means "danger." And gana, gana means "multi," not one kind of danger but different kinds of danger. So the muhur vipad-ganat, who is suffering? Now, Kunti. And who else is suffering? Now, Devaki. Devaki is the mother of Krsna, and Kunti is the aunt of Krsna. Both of them, not ordinary women. To become mother of Krsna or to become aunt of Krsna, it is not ordinary thing. It requires many, many lives' tapasya. Then one can become mother of Krsna. So they were also suffering muhur vipad-ganat, always vipat. Although Krsna was their very, very easily obtain, obtainable personality, mother, but still... Devaki gave birth to Krsna, but the danger was so horrible that she could not keep her son. It has to be immediately transferred. Just see how much vipat, how much vipat. The mother of Krsna could not keep her son on the lap. Every mother wants, but because there were Kamsa khalena, she could not keep. And to the Pandavas, Krsna was constant companion. Wherever there are Pandavas, Krsna is there. Krsna... Draupadi is in danger. She was to be naked by the Kurus, Duryodhana, Duhsasana. The Krsna supplied cloth. So for a woman in the assembly of so many men, if she is to be naked, it is the greatest danger. It is the greatest danger, and Krsna saved. Similarly, Kunti was saved... The dangers will be described in the later verses. She says, vimocitaham ca sahatmaja vibho: "I was released from so many dangerous positions, not only myself, but along with my sons."

So fact is that even Kunti or Devaki, so intimately connected with Krsna, but they had to face so many dangers, so what to speak of others? What to speak of others, ourself? So when we are danger, we are in danger, we should not be discouraged. We should take courage that even Kunti and Vasudeva and Devaki, they were also in danger, although they were very, very intimately connected with Krsna. So we should not be disturbed by the dangers of this material world. If we are actually Krsna conscious, we should face the danger and depend on Krsna. Avasya rakhibe krsna visvasa palana. This is called surrender, that "I may be in danger, but Krsna... I have surrendered to Krsna. He must save me." Keep this faith. Don't be disturbed when you are in danger, because this world is such... Padam padam vipadam. Every step there is danger. Just like we are walking on the street. Immediately there is some pinprick, thorn. And by pinprick of that thorn, it may become a boil; it may become dangerous. So even by walking on the street, by talking on the street, by eating our food, there... And in English it is said, "There is many dangers between the cup and the lip."

So you should always remember that this material world is simply full of dangers. If you think that "We are very safe; we are very expert; we have made this world very happy," then you are fool number one. Padam padam yad vipadam. But if you take shelter of Krsna, these dangers are nothing. That Kunti will say, that vimocita. Vimocita means released from the danger. Aham. Sahatmaja: "With my..."

So this is the study of Krsna, that if you become Krsna conscious, a sincere servant of Krsna, don't be agitated by the dangerous condition of this material world. You simply depend on Krsna, and He'll save you.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974

"Husband, Wife And Happy Home"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.44
Vrndavana, October 3, 1976

---

Pradyumna: "She could not tolerate Asvatthama's being bound by ropes, and being a devoted lady, she said: ‘Release him, for he is a brahmana, our spiritual master.' "

Prabhupada:

uvaca casahanty asya
bandhananayanam sati
mucyatam mucyatam esa
brahmano nitaram guruh

So Draupadi, in the previous verse it has been described, vama-svabhava krpaya nanama ca. Vama-svabhava. Vama, woman. Women, they are very soft-hearted, vama-svabhava. So although Asvatthama killed her sons very mercilessly, and he was arrested and Krsna ordered him to be killed, and Arjuna was just preparing to punish him, but vama-svabhava, woman, being very soft-hearted, without any consideration, she immediately offered her respect, nanama. Not only she offered her respect to Asvatthama being the son of a brahmana, especially of Dronacarya, their teacher... So she immediately ordered Arjuna, mucyatam mucyatam: "Release him immediately. You have arrested a brahmana." Mucyatam mucyatam esa brahmano nitaram guruh. "Brahmana is always our guru. Although he has killed my sons, still, he stands to be my guru, your guru."

So this is Vedic culture, that they know how to offer respect to the proper persons. But Arjuna, he also decided that although Krsna ordered him to kill Asvatthama, he's guru's son, although he's not brahmana; he's brahma-bandhu. He has been described as brahma-bandhu, not brahmana. But Draupadi, being woman, vama-svabhava, very soft-hearted, she did not consider whether he's actually a brahmana. The son of a brahmana, that much she knew. This is the difference, how to calculate whether one is brahmana or not brahmana. Brahmana and brahma-bandhu, these two words are there. Just like if you are the son of a high court judge, you can be called, you have got the right, that "son of a high court judge." That is all right. But you cannot claim to become the high court judge. That is not possible. Unless you are qualified, unless you are actually acting as high court judge, you cannot be called a high court judge. Simply by becoming the son of a high court judge you cannot become the high court judge. Similarly, simply by becoming the son of a brahmana, you cannot become a brahmana. A woman, vama-svabhava, she can accept that "Because he's the son of a brahmana, he's brahmana." Therefore this word is used, vama-svabhava. Because woman are considered less intelligent. In the Bhagavad-gita... Their heart is very soft. Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyah sudras tatha vaisyah. Krsna says, striyah sudras tatha... They have been put in one group: woman, vaisya and sudra. Because they are not very intelligent. They can be molded by another intelligent man to the proper channel. Therefore they require guidance. They require guidance.

This morning I was reading about Sita-devi's being kidnapped by Ravana. Now, because there was not Ramacandra present and Laksmana was also not present, she was unguarded and Ravana took the opportunity to kidnap her. So even Sita-devi, she is goddess of fortune, she is the spiritual potency of Lord Ramacandra, she is not ordinary woman, but showing us the example that even Sita-devi... Sita-devi is the original potency. Of course, Ravana could not kidnap Sita-devi as she is. That is not possible. This is described in another Purana, that when Ravana came to kidnap Sita, Sita-devi disappeared from there and she kept a maya form, false form, and Ravana kidnapped her. This is stated in very authoritative scripture. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was traveling in South India, a brahmana invited Him. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu at noontime went there, but He saw the brahmana has not cooked anything. There was nothing prepared. And he was crying and reading Ramayana. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, "Brahmana, why you are in such a depressed condition, you are crying?" "Sir, I am so..." He was in the ecstasy of Hanuman. "Sir, I am so unfortunate that Sita-devi has been taken by Ravana and I could not rescue her still." In this way he was puzzled. So he did not cook anything. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu pacified him. Then he cooked. He could understand that "I invited..." It was done. Then, when he was returning, I forget the name of the Purana... Kurma Purana. He got evidences that Sita-devi, when she was supposed to be kidnapped by Ravana, her a false form was kidnapped, and when Sita-devi was tested, putting her into the fire, she entered into the fire and the maya Sita was burned and the original Sita came out. So it was not possible for Ravana to touch even the lotus feet of mother Sita. But apparently it is externally manifested that Sita was taken away just to teach us that even Sita-devi...

Sita-devi is the origin of all potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Cit-sakti. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has got many potencies, multipotencies, and one of the potency is hladini-sakti, pleasure potency. That pleasure potency is Sita, Radharani, Laksmi-devi. This has been described by Svarupa-damodara Gosvami, radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau [Cc. Adi 1.5]. These are described, that the Krsna's pleasure potency, Radharani, is Krsna. But to take pleasure They became two. Ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau. They became divided into two, Radha and Krsna. Again, Sri Caitanya, prakatam. When Krsna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Radha-Krsna combined together. Therefore the devotees of Radha-Krsna or Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they worship sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya. They say. This is a fact. So Lord Ramacandra is also Krsna. Sita-devi is also expansion of Radharani. They are the same tattva.

ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu
krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.39]

So here the example that even Sita-devi, the direct potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she is showing that without being protected, she can be ravished, she can be kidnapped, she can be misused by the raksasas. This is the example. Sita-devi was quite competent, but this is the example.

Another example is that because Lord Ramacandra took Sita in the forest... From moral principle, He should not have taken Sita. Pathe nari vivaryaya(?). The moral principle is that when you are going out of home, you should not take your wife with you, pathe nari vivaryaya, because there may be so many dangers. That actually happened, Sita-devi, because Lord Ramacandra was ordered to go to the forest. Not Sita-devi, neither anyone, neither Laksmana. They, out of their own affection for Lord Ramacandra, they decided to go with Him. But because Sita-devi went with Ramacandra, so many catastrophes happened. She was kidnapped, and there was fight, and the whole dynasty of Ravana was killed, and so many things happened. So this instruction that pathe nari vivaryaya. And another lesson is, even Lord Ramacandra, He was attached. Naturally one is attached to his wife. So if we become attached to a woman, then we have to face so many dangers. This is another instruction. Even Lord Ramacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and still He had to accept so many troubles. They were loitering in the forest, feeling the separation of Sita-devi. So many things happened.

So vama-svabhava. They are, women are very simple, soft-hearted. The whole idea is they should be given protection. No freedom. That is injunction of the Manu-samhita. Na stri svatantryam arhati. Women should not be given freedom. They must be protected. Not that if... Sometimes we receive the complaint in foreign countries, they say that "You keep your women like slaves." I replied, "We do not keep our women as slaves. They're very respectful at home. The sons offer their highest respect to the mother. The husband gives the topmost protection to the wife." This is the example. Just like Lord Ramacandra. Lord Ramacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Ravana took Sita from His protection. Ramacandra could marry many millions of Sitas, or He could create many millions of Sita, but He's showing the example that it is the husband's duty to give protection to the wife at any cost. And He did it. For one woman He killed the whole Ravana's dynasty. This is husband's duty. So protection, not slave. It is protection. The husband should give to the wife the topmost protection, and the wife should be so faithful to the husband that... Sita-devi, she was king's daughter, Videha-raja. She was the daughter... She was not a poor man's daughter. And Dasaratha Maharaja did not ask her to go to the forest with her husband. She could easily say, "My dear husband, You are going to the forest. I am king's daughter. I cannot take so much trouble. Better You go. Let me go to my father's house." No. "I shall take all the troubles with my husband." This is faithfulness.

Similarly, Draupadi. Draupadi also went with the Pandavas in the forest when they were banished, and Kunti-devi also went with her sons in the forest. This is the system. Kunti-devi had nothing to do with the gambling of Pandavas and Duryodhana, but because the sons were to go to the forest, the mother also followed and the wife also followed. This is Vedic system. Vedic system... Caitanya Mahaprabhu also had very nice beautiful wife at home and very affectionate mother. Both personalities are very good asset in family. Canakya Pandita said that if one hasn't got mother at home and the wife is not very agreeable, or not very peaceful... He said,

mata yasya grhe nasti
bharya capriya-vadini
aranyam tena gantavyam
yatharanyam tatha grham

He advises, if one has no mother at home and wife is apriya-vadini, she talks very roughly, not very nicely, then that person immediately leave that home and go to the forest. Yatharanyam tatha grham. For him, either at home or in the forest, the same thing. Yatharanyam tatha grham. This is Vedic culture. Woman should be trained up from the very beginning how to become good wife and good mother. That is the duty. Vama-svabhava. So here is example, Kuntidevi is one example. Draupadi one example. We have got many examples how to train woman. They are very soft-hearted. They can be molded in any way. And Bhismadeva has advised... When Bhismadeva was in the bed of arrows, sara-sayya, so the Pandavas, the Kurus, they took many advices about politics, sociology. Many things -- religion, king's duty, so many instruction was taken. In that instruction he also confirmed the Vedic injunction that woman should be always protected very carefully. There is one quality of shyness. If you break that shyness of woman, it will be very dangerous. It will be very dangerous. That is the one verb,(?) (word) to check.

So modern civilization is not strictly following the Vedic injunction. Therefore, especially I have seen in the Western countries, there is no home practically. There is no homely happiness, because women are allowed to mix freely and there is no protection. They are not married, there is no husband. The father also does not take care. As soon as the girl becomes fifteen, sixteen years, she goes away. Therefore I have practically seen there is no home, there is no peace in the Western countries. These are very important things, that soft-hearted woman, vama-svabhava, they should be given protection. They should be trained up how to become faithful wife, affectionate mother. Then the home will be very happy, and without happiness we cannot make any spiritual progress. We must be peaceful. This is the preliminary condition. Therefore, as far as possible, the Vedic injunction is there should be division in the society, varnasrama. Varnasramacaravata. Because the whole aim is to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Visnur aradhyate pantha nanyat tat-tosa-karanam. Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman visnur aradhyate. Our only aim should be how to approach Visnu.

aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmat parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam

This is the instruction of Lord Siva to Parvati. Parvati's question was, "Which aradhanam is the best?" So he replied, aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param. He said... [break] ...but the knowledge is there. They have not lost the knowledge, but we have neglected. If we take advantage of this knowledge, then the whole world will become happy.

That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. What is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? His mission is... He said,

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

Anyone who has taken birth on the land of Bharatavarsa... It is punya-bhumi. And not only punya-bhumi, not only Lord Ramacandra has appeared here, not only Krsna has appeared here, not only Lord Buddha has appeared, not only Caitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared... Because it is punya-bhumi. Whenever the Lord appears, He comes on this land. Bharata-bhumite manusya. Therefore the human being, not the cats and dogs, must take advantage of this birth on Bharatavarsa and take advantage of the sastras and make his life successful. Janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara. Indians are not made for exploiting others. Upakara: how people will be advanced in spiritual consciousness, how they will understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu. Because they do not know what is the aim of life. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. We are born all fools and rascals, abodha-jata, without any sense. So we require education. What is that education? Atma-tattvam. Apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2]. So we require education. What is that education? Atma-tattvam. Apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam. If we do not culture, cultivate atma-tattvam, then whatever we are doing, we are being defeated. That's all. We are being defeated. Atma-tattvam.

That atma-tattvam is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

This is atma, beginning. Asmin dehe. Within this body there is the soul. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe. Not the body is important. Body's nothing; it is dead matter. When Krsna began His instruction and Arjuna was lamenting on the basis of this body... "If we kill our brothers their wives will be widowed and they'll be bhrastacara(?), the varna-sankara will be there." Everything he was calculating on the basis of this body. All politics, sociology, they are going on the basis of this body. But Krsna, as soon as He was accepted by Arjuna as guru... Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam: "Now, Krsna, I accept You as my guru. Not as friend." Because friendly talking is useless waste of time. He accepted Him as guru. When guru speaks, you cannot argue. That is not the process. You should accept a guru who is infallible. Otherwise it is useless. He accepted guru Krsna because Krsna is infallible. If we accept guru, a bogus guru, then it is no benefit. Guru means Krsna's representative. Not that everyone can be guru.

It is said in the sastra that sat-karma-nipuno viprah. Just like here it is accepted, brahmano nitaram guruh. So generally brahmana is accepted as guru by other orders of society. So, but sastra says that brahmana is guru, that's all right, but sat-karma-nipuno viprah. One brahmana is very nipuna in his karma-kandiya knowledge, sat-karma. Pathana-pathana-yajana-yajana-dana-pratigraha. This sat-karma, nipuna, very expert. Mantra-tantra-visaradah. And he's very expert in chanting the Vedic hymns and execution of tantra and so many things. Avaisnavo gurur na syat. If he's avaisnava, if he's not attached with Visnu, if he does not carry the order of Krsna, gurur na sa syat. Sad-vaisnavah sva-paco guruh. But if a person is Vaisnava, even if he's born in the family of a sva-paca... Sva-paca means dog-eater, candala. If he's a Vaisnava he can become guru. And if one is a brahmana, if he's not a Vaisnava... Naturally, brahmana means Vaisnava. Brahmana means pandita. Still, in India a brahmana is addressed as "Panditaji." Because a brahmana and murkha, rascal, this is contradictory. It cannot be. Unless one is highly learned, unless one has learned what is Brahman, he cannot become brahmana. Brahma janatiti brahmanah. So not only one should be brahmana, but he should become a Vaisnava. Still higher. From brahmana platform he has to come to the Vaisnava platform.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

One has to become brahma-bhuta. That is brahmana. The sign is na socati na kanksati. He does not care for anything material. He's always satisfied. Aham brahmasmi. That is brahmana. But, in spite of this quality, if he does not enter into the bhakti, then he's not a Vaisnava. He may be a brahmana... This is clearly defined in the Bhagavad-gita. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. He's pacified. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. He's equal to everyone. Then he's qualified to become a devotee, Vaisnava. So unless he comes to that stage he cannot become guru. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2].

So here, the Pandava family, they are very enlightened family, and still, vama-svabhava, the woman is soft-hearted. He did not... She did not consider about Asvatthama's position. But so far Krsna is concerned, Arjuna is concerned, they considered that he is not a brahmana, but he is a brahma-bandhu. Brahma-bandhu means son of a brahmana, but behavior is something else. He's called brahma-bandhu.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976