"The Point--Is Krishna Pleased"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.36-37
Vrndavana, September 29, 1976

Take a test

---

Pradyumna: "A person who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, afraid, or devoid of his chariot. Nor does he kill a boy, a woman, a foolish creature or a surrendered soul. A cruel and wretched person who maintains his existence at the cost of others' lives deserve to be killed for his own well-being; otherwise he will go down by his own actions."

Prabhupada:

mattam pramattam unmattam
suptam balam striyam jadam
prapannam viratham bhitam
na ripum hanti dharma-vit

sva-pranan yah para-pranaih
prapusnaty aghrnah khalah
tad-vadhas tasya hi sreyo
yad-dosad yaty adhah puman

So ksatriya's fight, it is not ordinary fight like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs also fight and the ksatriyas in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are not the same. Sometimes in the foreign countries, they do not know. They simply know fight means cats' and dogs' fight. No. Therefore they question that why Krsna induced Arjuna to fight? Certainly they do not know there is fight on the principle of religion. That is real fight. Otherwise fight whimsically, that is animals' fight, cats' and dogs' fight.

So when there is fight on religious principle, there are different rules and regulations. One has to observe these rules and regulations. Just like striking the enemy, it should not come down the waist. You can strike the enemy from head to the waist, not below that. That is illegal. Similarly, when the enemy is like this, mattam pramattam unmattam, one after another... Matta means careless, inattentive. So if by chance, by inattentiveness, one does something wrong, he should not be considered as enemy. He's careless. He should be chastised, but not... Even if he's enemy, he's not subjected to being killed. No. Similarly, pramatta. Pramatta means constitutionally he's not mad, but by some external influence one has become madlike. He's called pramatta.

Just like in this material world almost everyone, 99.9 percent, they are all pramattas. For example, pramattah tasya nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. In the Bhagavata it is said that we are depending, we are thinking, "I am sure." Why? "Now I have got very good wife. I am sure to live very peacefully or happily," or "I shall not die because I have got very good wife, faithful wife." Similarly, "I have got very good husband or very good friend," or "I am born in a very big nation." So on, so on. Security. Because security is a problem. Everyone in this material world, they have got four problems: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to become secure. Security. The animal is also working very hard for these four principles, and the man is also working very hard. That is common. But that is not security. "Because I have got very good means of living, very good means of sleeping, nice house, and very good wife and very good bank balance and good government, therefore I am secure." That is nonsense. Pramatta. That is called pramatta. Means he does not know that at any moment Yamaraja can come and kick him out from this position. At any moment. Mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham. Yamaraja is the representative of Krsna, a servant of Krsna. He is Vaisnava. Yamaraja, we are very much afraid of Yamaraja, but he Vaisnava. Not only Vaisnava, but he's one of the mahajanas. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. He's mahajana in this sense: All the sinful living entities are brought before him, and according to the gravity of criminality, sinful action, he punishes. Just like magistrate. Magistrate, before the magistrate all criminals are brought in, and he considers the gravity of the case, and according to the case, somebody is hanged, somebody is put into the jail for three years, somebody for six years, somebody for six months. That is Yamaraja's duty. So that is... He's also dharma-vit. His name is Dharmaraja. Not that because he is punishing... Simply his only business is to punish. But still he's Dharmaraja, dharma-vit. He knows how to punish a person on religious principles.

So we are, in this material world, we are pramatta. We are thinking "These material conditions will save me." That is pramatta, half-mad, crazy. Pramatta. We are thinking, dehapatya-kalatradisu. I am thinking "I am very strong body..." [break] ...cannot achieve self-realization. Now some of our big sannyasis, he took it that unless you become very strong and stout by eating meat and exercise, gymnastics, you cannot understand spiritual life. This is their interpretation. But that is not the fact. Bala, bala means Balarama. Do you think that because you are very strong and stout, a big wrestler with muscles, you'll live? No. For Yamaraja there is no consideration that "Here is a weak person, lean and thin, and here is a very strong person; therefore the strong person should be left over and the lean and thin will be taken to Yamaraja." No. When the time will come, the lean and thin may be spared, but the strong man may be immediately taken. So this rascaldom, that by exercise... People are very much attached to the body. We have seen everywhere, especially in European, they are very much attached to make the body stout and strong. And in the morning you'll find... Here also you'll find. They're running to make the body... As if the strong body will save him from death. This is rascaldom. Therefore pramatta. Crazy. We do not say that you remain very weak and lean and thin. No. You should maintain this body properly, but not that that is my only business, how to maintain this body. That is pramatta. These are some of the examples of pramatta. He does not know. Pramatta. Dehapatya-kalatradisu. Deha, body. One is feeling secure, "I have got very strong body. I shall live forever." Rascal. Pramatta. That is not possible. Deha and apatya. Apatya means sons. "Oh, I have got so many nice sons, very earning, very obedient; therefore Yamaraja will not touch me." No, no. That is not possible. There is a very joking story in Bengal, gaye gum akale jam care na(?). Gu means stool. So one intelligent person, he thought, "I shall be free from the touch of Yamaraja by one tactics." What is that? "Stool is very obnoxious. Nobody comes to stool. So let me smear my body, whole body with stool so that Yamaraja will not come and touch me." Gaya muk gum akale jam care na(?). This is another pramatta. That crazy fellow, that he is thinking "By keeping myself dirty and obnoxious, Yamaraja is gentleman, he'll not come and touch me." This is another pramatta.

So deha apatya kalatra. Kalatra means wife. "Oh, I have got such a nice wife, and she'll pray to Yamaraja, ‘Please excuse my husband.' " Just like Nala-Damayanti. Not... What is that? Savitri-Satyavan. The Savitri saved her husband from the hands of Yamaraja. That's a long story. It will take much time. So therefore "I have got such a nice chaste wife, she will save me from the Yamaraja hands." Then I can speak shortly that Savitri-Satyavan... Satyavan was to die on the marriage day. But Savitri was attached to Satyavan, so her father, mother said that "You don't marry this boy. He'll die on the very day of his marriage." So love is blind. She said, "Still I shall marry him." So she married, and the husband died. So Yamaraja came. So she pleased the Yamaraja, and Yamaraja, being pleased, said, "My dear girl, you'll have a very good son" -- because every girl expects some son. So Yamaraja gave her the benediction that "You will have very nice son." Then the husband was dead... No, she prayed for a good son, yes. And Yamaraja gave her benediction, "Yes, you'll have good son." First of all she pleased Yamaraja by prayers, and then Yamaraja asked, "What do you want?" "A very good son." "All right, you'll have a good son." So then the Yamaraja was taking her husband, and she was going behind. Then Yamaraja said, "Your husband cannot be returned. He is dead. And it is my duty, I am taking. Why you are coming, following me?" "Now, you said that I will have a son. So if you are taking my husband, how he will have son?" So Yamaraja came to his senses that "I have done a mistake." Then "All right, take your husband."

So these are rare instances. But don't think that because you are very clever and..., you'll be untouched by Yamaraja. No, no, no. Dehapatya-kalatradisu asatsu. Asat. Nobody will stay. Asat. This material world is like that. Asat means temporary, everything. This body is temporary. Your body is temporary, this life is temporary. Tatha dehantara-praptih, Krsna says you'll have to change this body. It may be for fifty years, sixty years, utmost hundred years. But still, you have to change this body. Therefore asat. Asato ma sad gama. This is Vedic instruction. Don't be attached to this asat, temporary things. That is called vairagya. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. If one wants to learn how to become vairagi, no attachment for this material world, then he must take to devotional service. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. That is, bhakti-yoga means vairagya, no attachment for this material world. One who is actually attached to Krsna, he must be no attachment for this material world. That is the sign. Automatically. The jnanis, the yogis, or the karmis, they do not want this no attachment. They want more and more attachment. The jnanis, they want brahma satyam jagan mithya -- detachment. But bhakta, without any endeavor, because he develops attachment for Krsna, he automatically gives up attachment for this material world. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. This is the symptom how one has become attached with this material world. If I am trying under the, I mean to say, cover of becoming bhakta and trying to gather some material profit, that is not bhakti. That is very dangerous. So in this way there are so many things in the material world we take it for acceptance that these things will save me. He's a pramatta. Pramatta means crazy, half-mad. And full mad is unmatta, full mad. He becomes naked. That is one of the symptoms of unmatta -- he'll remain naked. So these men, mattam pramattam unmattam... Just see how the rules and regulations are there. So this pramatta:

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

Pramatta, that word is used. Pramattah tasya nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati. He is seeing every day that "This gentleman had a very good wife, this gentleman had very nice son, very good family -- but they are dying." So who will protect him? He's thinking that "My children, my wife, my friends will save me," but they have died. So how he will be protected?

So nobody can protect anyone. That is not possible. Everyone has to take care of himself. This world is like that. Don't depend. Only Krsna can protect you -- nobody else. If you know this, then you are not pramatta. And if you do not know this, if you are a rascal, then you are pramatta. Only Krsna. Krsna therefore said, He gives assurance, that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam: "I am the friend of everyone. I can give you protection." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. So you have to take shelter of Krsna, otherwise you are a pramatta, rascal, mudha. Krsna is giving advice that "Do this." But we are rascals, pramatta. We think that "My son will give me protection, my wife will give protection, my friend will give me protection, my government will give protection." All these are nonsense, pramatta. This is the meaning of pramatta. Just try to understand. Pramattah tasya nidhanam pasyann api.

Another pramatta is that those who are mad after sense gratification. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. There is another verse, nunam pramattah. Those who are pramatta, those who have no responsibility of life, sometimes unnecessarily stealing and doing some, so many wrong things... Vikarma. Why? Now pramatta, he is also crazy. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And why he is taking risk of being punished? Suppose one man is stealing. He'll be punished. Either by the law of the state or by the laws of nature or God, he'll be punished. He can escape the laws of the state, but he cannot escape the laws of nature or God. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. It is not possible. Just like the laws of nature. If you infect some disease, so you'll have to be punished. You'll suffer from that disease. That is punishment. You cannot escape. Similarly, anything you do, karanam guna-sango 'sya. If you live like a cat and dog, that is infection, guna, the modes of ignorance. Then your next life you become a dog. You must be punished. This is law of nature.

So therefore one who does not know all these laws, he commits so many sinful activities. Vikarma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means what is prescribed. Guna-karma. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. Karma means, as it is in the sastra, as you have developed a certain type of modes of nature, your karma is according to that: brahmana-karma, ksatriya-karma, vaisya-karma. So if you follow... That is the duty of the spiritual master and sastra, to designate when he's brahmacari, that "You work like this." "You work like a brahmana," "You work like a ksatriya," "You work like a vaisya," and others, "Sudra." So this division is made by the spiritual master. How? Yasya yal laksanam proktam pumso varnabhivyanjakam. The spiritual master will say that "You work like this." So that should be determined. That is karma, guna-karma. Spiritual master sees that he has these qualities. That is natural. Just like in the school, college, somebody is being trained up as a scientist, somebody is trained up as an engineer, as a medical man, as a lawyer. According to the tendency, practical psychology of the student, he is advised that "You take this line." Similarly, these four divisions of the society, it is very scientific. So by the instruction of the guru, when he's in the gurukula, he will be specified a particular type of duty, and if he does it faithfully... Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. The real purpose is Krsna consciousness. And according to his guna and karma he's engaged in a particular occupational duty.

Nothing is bad provided it is meant for Krsna's satisfaction. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. The varnasrama-vibhaga must be there. But what is the aim of varnasrama? Simply by becoming a brahmana he's successful? No. Nobody can become successful unless he satisfies Krsna. That is real success. Just like Arjuna did. By the military art, he satisfied Krsna. Similarly, by your vaisya-vrtti, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44], you can satisfy Krsna. By your brahmana-vrtti you can satisfy Krsna. Even by your sudra-vrtti you can satisfy Krsna. That possibility is here, that Krsna says sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. The aim should be how to satisfy Krsna. Doesn't matter whether you are a brahmana or a ksatriya. Krsna confirms it, api cet su-duracarah... No. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni means below the vaisyas, the sudras, they are papa-yonis. Vaisyas also. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim. So there is no impediment to approach Krsna because you are a sudra, or candala or woman or vaisya. No. Everyone can... That facility is there. Therefore our duty should be, "Never mind in whichever position I am posted. Let me satisfy Krsna." It is not that... Suppose we are worshiping Deity. That is the duty of brahmana; but somebody is called that "You cleanse this floor." So he should not think that "I am cleansing the floor; therefore I am lower than the person directly worshiping the Deity." No. Krsna's pleasure wanted. If Krsna sees that by washing the floor you are doing very nicely, Krsna is pleased: "Oh, you are nice." Similarly, one man is decorating Krsna with garland and... If Krsna is pleased, that is the main point. Not that because you are on the Deity room you are very elevated, and the other man who is cleansing the door, he is not elevated. No. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira -marjanadau **. They are all equal. In whichever position you are, simply your endeavor should be how to please Krsna. That is wanted. Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya.

Also it is said, atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Because generally we take divisions, varna and asrama. So Suta Gosvami says in the meeting of Naimisaranya, atah pumbhir dvija-sresthah. They are all big, big, very learned scholars and brahmanas, so they were addressing, dvija-sresthah. Dvija means brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. One who has got the right to take the sacred thread, they are called dvijas. But out of the three, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, the brahmana is called dvija-srestha. Therefore he addressed,

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
[SB 1.2.13]

Samsiddhi. Never mind what you are. Either you may be sannyasi or may be grhastha or may be brahmacari or a brahmana, a ksatriya, or vaisya, sudra. Never mind. Try to satisfy Krsna. Try to please Krsna. Then your life is successful. Otherwise, you are pramatta, mad. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. So long you shall remain a pramatta, you shall act just opposite function, and you'll be entangled. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yajnarthe karmanah anyatra karma-bandhanah. If you do not work for pleasing Krsna, then that work will entangle you in the cycle of birth and death.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976

"Counteracting Kali-yuga"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.32-33
Vrndavana, September 27, 1976

---

Pradyumna:"Thus seeing the disturbance of the general populace and the imminent destruction of the planets, Arjuna at once retracted both brahmastra weapons, as Lord Sri Krsna desired. Arjuna, his eyes blazing in anger like two red balls of copper, dexterously arrested the son of Gautami and bound him with ropes, like an animal."

Prabhupada:

prajopadravam alaksya
loka-vyatikaram ca tam
matam ca vasudevasya
sanjahararjuno dvayam

tata asadya tarasa
darunam gautami-sutam
babandhamarsa-tamraksah
pasum rasanaya yatha

Prajopadravam alaksya. This is the duty of the king or the government -- to see that the citizens are in peaceful condition. So two brahmastra weapons released, one by Asvatthama and by Arjuna, it created a havoc, catastrophe. And the people were suffering. So this is the duty of the government, to see that everyone is in peaceful condition. During Maharaja Yudhisthira's time they were so happy that it is stated that there was not even scorching heat and pinching cold also. Neither people were in anxiety for their livelihood. This is government: to see that people are in good atmosphere in everything. That is the first duty of the government. Of course, we have seen at the present moment also, in some of the European government they have got very good arrangement. In England I have seen, although they have lost their empire, still, people get free education, free medical treatment. And England does not produce practically anything except potato. They, the government imports so many eatables so that people may not suffer for want of food. So that is the way of good government from the time immemorial.

So according to Vedic system, the government has to look after about the ultimate goal of life also. The modern government, they are anxious to give material comforts, but formerly the aim was to, how to educate people for spiritual advancement of life. Therefore the society was divided into four higher and lower divisions: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. You cannot make one class of men. That is not very good arrangement. There must be different departments according to capacity. You cannot engage a sudra in a brahmana's position, neither you can engage a brahmana in the sudra's position. But every one of them should be cooperating. Not that everyone has got the same capacity. Combinedly, they should make progress, and that progress is yajna. Yajna. Yajna means how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu, Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu's another name is Yajna-pati, Yajnesvara. So in the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated... (coughs strongly) Water. Hmm. Another rascal. While drinking water they have to take. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. People have to be trained up to work for Yajna. Yajnartha. If you do not act for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, yajnarthe, yajnarthe karma, otherwise karma-bandhanah: you become bound up or conditioned by your work.

So these things are there, and it is the duty of the government to see how things are going on. But it is simply now dream. People are also not interested what is the aim of life, what is the mission of this human form of life; neither there is guidance. There are so many upadravas. That is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means that people will be more and more unhappy. Prayena alpayusah kalav asmin yuge janah. The first thing is that the duration of life will decrease, alpa-ayusa. And manda, all bad men. Hardly we'll find any good men. Manda. Manda means bad and slow. Both the meanings can be manda. Manda-gati. They're not interested in progressive life. That is also manda. Manda matayah. And they have got their own opinions. They do not follow the standard path, and it is confirmed by the so-called leaders, yata mata tata patha, you can manufacture your own way of life. These are the situation of upadrava. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah [SB 1.1.10]. And this Kali-yuga, everyone is unfortunate, manda-bhagyah. Even in family... There is no family life. It is now increasing. They cannot live even peacefully in family. Family means husband, wife, children, father, mother. Generally, this is family. So in the family also there are enemies. This is prominent nowadays. The family is...

How in the family one become enemy? Canakya Pandita has analyzed how in the family we can become enemies of one another. Canakya Pandita says, rna-karta pita satruh: "A father in debts to others is enemy." Rna-karta pita satruh. Because according to Manu-samhita, the son inherits the property of the father. That is everywhere. So Manu-samhita also makes responsible the son for the father's debt. Nowadays, if my father is debtor, I am not responsible. But according to the Vedic laws, the son is responsible the father's debt. Because he inherits the property, why he shall not inherit the debts of the father? According to Manu-samhita law he is obliged to pay the debts of the father. We have seen one very practical example. Even fifty years ago, in Calcutta there was a very big barrister. He was a political leader. He was Mr. C.R. Das. So his father died insolvent. His father was also very respectable man, but later on he became so much debtor that he died insolvent. Declared... This Mr. C. R. Das, he did not get any property from the father, but by his practice as a barrister he became very rich man. In those days his monthly income was fifty thousand rupees. So he called all the creditors of his father and paid paisa to paisa, that "My father died in debtor. Now I have got money, you can take." So this is the duty of the son. But if one is poor man, he cannot pay. So he becomes a subject matter of criticism. Under the circumstances the father becomes the enemy. So therefore the Canakya Pandita's enunciation, rna-karta pita satruh. And mata satrur vyabhicarini. And if the mother, either she becomes prostitute or marries for the second time in the presence of elderly children, she is enemy. Rna-karta pita satrur mata satrur vyabhicarini. And Canakya Pandita had very bad experience with his wife. So he says, rupavati bharya satruh: "If the wife is very beautiful, she is enemy." And putrah satrur apanditah: "And if the son is a rascal, no education, he is enemy." So these are the family enemies.

So everything is there in the Vedic literature, instruction how family should be maintained, how the aim of life should be fulfilled. Everything is, guidance is there. As I have repeatedly said, that veda-purana, the aim of life being forgotten, krsna bhuli' anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli' gela. Caitanya-caritamrta. Ataeva krsna veda-purana karila(?). So the Vedas, Puranas are there. The instructions are there. Just like here is instruction: matam ca vasudevasya. Matam. The opinion should be taken from Vasudeva, Krsna. That opinion is already there in the Bhagavad-gita, Vasudeva personally giving instruction, but we neither take moral instruction, neither Vasudeva's instruction, neither we have got any intelligence. This is Kali-yuga. Mudha. Generally, we are mudha, especially in the Kali-yuga. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. Here it is said, prajopadravam. So many upadravas. Actually, we are very much harassed on account of the time, place, circumstances, so on, so on. It is a very hopeless condition. Therefore sastra has recommended that "You chant Hare Krsna." It is very hopeless condition. Harer nama. Harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. Three. Three times. When you speak three times anything, it means I am giving stress, "You do this, you do this, you do this." So it is like that, that in order to stop so many inconveniences of the present day life, Kali-yuga... Kali means quarrel, simply creating quarrel, misunderstanding. This is Kali. So sastra has given us... Kali-yuga is very dangerous to... One cannot make his life's mission fulfilled. One is not very happy. There are so many obstacles in the peaceful way of life. Even in the family, in the society, politically, nationally, internationally -- so many difficulties. Everyone has got the experience. Therefore the recommendation of the sastra, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. Kevalam. You cannot rectify all these difficulties, because this is the age for all these difficulties. You must know it. They are trying to mitigate all these difficulties in different ways, but sastra says that it is not possible. Only, it is possible only by chanting the harer nama, the holy name of the Lord. The holy name of the Lord is Krsna, Rama. Other names are there, but they are subordinate. Not subordinate. There is no question of "superior" or "inferior" in the holy name of the Lord. But we have to pick up the order of the sastras. Tasmad sastra-vidhanokta As the sastra gives regulative, we have to accept that. And if we do not accept that, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah, if we do whimsically, then na siddhim savapnoti, you cannot get any perfection of life, na sukham, neither you'll be happy.

So it is the injunction of the sastra, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu also inaugurated this Hare Krsna movement for the benefit of the whole world. And it is being accepted practically. So this is the only way to save us from all kinds of difficulties, upadrava. Upadrutah. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. There will be upadruta, so many times. So we should accept, matam ca vasudevasya. We should accept the instruction given by Vasudeva and the sastra, sadhu. Sadhu, sastra, guru, they'll speak the same thing. Guru means who speaks on the basis of sastra; otherwise he's not guru. And sastra means the opinion of the great authorities. Just like Vyasadeva, Parasara Muni, Narada Muni, modern acaryas. We do not neglect. We may differ from the philosophical point of view -- just like Buddha, Sankaracarya. Vaisnavas, they do not accept the philosophy of Buddha or Sankaracarya. Buddha's philosophy: zero, sunyavadi; and Sankara's philosophy: nirvisesa-vadi, impersonal. So we defy these, nirvisesa-sunyavadi. But we have got all respect for them. Don't think that we disrespect. Kesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. And the Vaisnavas know Sankaracarya. Sankara, svayam sankara, he is incarnation of Lord Siva, and Lord Buddha is incarnation of Krsna. So they come for particular purpose, to benefit the whole world. But that is for the time being. That is not permanent. The permanent solution is matam ca vasudevasya. That is permanent. Matam ca vasudevasya. That is permanent.

So vasudevasya matam? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is vasudevasya. "You simply surrender unto Me." That is real mata. Everyone is surrendered. Even Sankaracarya says bhagavad-gita kincid adhita(?). If you read little, a portion of Bhagavad-gita, your life will be successful. That is the recommendation given by... Sva bhagavan svayam krsna vasudeva devaki-vasudevasya nandana(?). He has admitted. Narayanah parah avyaktat. Actually nirvisesa-vada is for this material world because it is mithya. They say, the Shankarites, they say mithya. We Vaisnavas, we don't say mithya, because mithya it cannot be. If the Absolute Truth is true, how mithya can come from the param satyam? Brahma satyam. If Brahman is truth, how... Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], everything is born from Brahman. How something can be untruth? No. That is not. Truth is there, but when we misunderstand the truth or misuse the truth, then we are in trouble. That is Vaisnava philosophy. We have to find out what is the truth in everything. And that can be understood when you are advanced. Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. Here is truth. Nothing can be mithya; everything is truth. We have to find out the truth.

So what is that truth? The truth is that isavasyam idam sarvam, everything is God's creation. And Krsna, the Supreme Lord, God says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor, but we do not understand that, that truth, that He is the proprietor. We are creating our proprietorship. That is untruth. That is untruth. That is mithya. Jagan mithya. Jagat is not mithya, but our behavior with the jagat, or the world, is mithya. Jagat is not mithya. How it can be mithya? Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. It is coming, emanating from the Absolute Truth. It is truth. Therefore we have to find out the truth, what is that truth. That is described by Srila Rupa Gosvami:

prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate

If we give up everything as mithya, prapancikataya, material... Hari-sambandhi-vastunah. Because everything is in connection with Hari, His energy. So do not reject things as jagan mithya. Do not reject. Prapancikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah. Do not reject, but utilize it properly. That is wanted.

So if we actually follow matam ca vasudevasya, and if we want to stop the upadrava, the disturbances of this material world, as Arjuna is following under the instruction of Krsna... He's doing everything under the instruction of Krsna. But he's doing political, he's counteracting with this brahmastra another brahmastra. As a military man, he's doing his duty, but he's doing everything under the instruction of Krsna. That is wanted. That is truth. Don't do anything thinking yourself as independent. You cannot be independent. If you don't accept matam ca vasudevasya, then by the ear you'll be pulled by the maya to do something. You'll be obliged to do something. You are not independent. As soon as we forget this principle, we become fool enough to consider as independent: "I am as good as... I am God." That is rascaldom. That is rascaldom. So 'ham. So 'ham, that does not mean that "I am as good as. I am God." No. I cannot be God because I am under the obligation of the laws of nature.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

You cannot be independent. You are not independent. If you falsely think that you are as good as God or you are independent, that is ahankara-vimudha. Ahankara-vimudhatma.

So following the mahajanas, the principles, as Arjuna is doing, we must follow the instructions of Krsna. That is fully explained in the Bhagavad-gita. And surrender unto Him. And then our life will be successful. There will be no disturbances. Otherwise, if we declare independence, that is troublesome. It will create simply trouble. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. That is maya. To think oneself independent is maya. We are not independent. We are completely under the control. So, so long we declare independence we suffer. And if we remain fully dependent on the will of Krsna, Vasudeva, then we are happy.
Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976

"Why Do You Make Krsna Impersonal"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.30-31
Vrndavana, September 26, 1976

---

Pradyumna:"When the rays of the two brahmastras combined, a great circle of fire, like the disc of the sun, covered all outer space and the whole firmament of planets. All the population of the three worlds was scorched by the combined heat of the weapons. Everyone was reminded of the samvartaka fire, which takes place at the time of annihilation."

Prabhupada:

samhatyanyonyam ubhayos
tejasi sara-samvrte
avrtya rodasi kham ca
vavrdhate 'rka-vahnivat

drstvastra-tejas tu tayos
tril lokan pradahan mahat
dahyamanah prajah sarvah
samvartakam amamsata

So the heat increased. Radiation heat increased. One weapon was released by Asvatthama, another by Arjuna to counteract, and the heat was so terrible that dahyamanah prajah sarvah, all the inhabitants of different planets, they felt the great heat produced by two brahmastras. And samvartakam amamsata. The samvartaka fire is explained in the sastra, that in the Kali-yuga... At the last there will be Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga there will be no rainfall. So everything will dry. Not this Kali-yuga, but at the end of the universal life there will be great fire all over the universe. That is called samvartaka. And everything will be ablaze. This fire will take place on account of the heat increase of the sun. It is said that the present temperature of the sun will be increased twelve times, so naturally there will be fire. As we know, sometimes there is forest fire. Similarly, the fire will take place, and everything will be burned into ashes. Then there will be rain. After heat... You have got experience when the atmosphere is too hot, then the rain falls. Same process. When everything will be burned into ashes there will be rain, torrents of rain, and it is said just like the trunk of the elephant, the rainfall will be like that. So everything will be covered with water. That is annihilation. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam **. Then there will be pralaya, and by the grace of the Lord the Vedas will be saved. Kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare.

This is the process, going on. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. This material world, in this way, sometimes it is manifested and sometimes it is not manifested. The energy is there, but the material world means the energy sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested. So we are in this material world. Not only. We are changing our body, one after another after some years... That is also according to our different forms of life. In one small insect, it may live for few minutes; some of them for few hours, some of them for few days, and some of them for few months, some of them for few years. And this yearly, we live, we human being, we live for a hundred years, and the demigods, they live for ten thousands of years. But wherever you live, either as insect or as demigod, there is no rescue from the process of janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. That you cannot escape. Either you become a small insect or you become as powerful as Lord Brahma, you have to die. There is no escape. Brahma, he has the greatest amount of years to live. His life is... We have calculation in the Bhagavad-gita, that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]. Sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand. That is the one daytime duration of Brahma. Ahar ratri means morning to evening. Morning to evening, that is sahasra-yuga, one thousand times of forty-three lakhs of years. Similarly night. Then day and night becomes one day. Similarly one month, and then twelve months, a year -- such hundred years. So there is difference between our hundred years and his hundred years. Similarly, ant's hundred years and my hundred years different.

The modern science admits that everything is relative. Relative world. According to the body, according to the time. Relative world, not absolute. The absolute world is different. Where there is no relativity. Everyone is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is oneness. Not that one has become as powerful as the Supreme Lord. No. Maybe as powerful. Still, they're individual. They're not amalgamation. That is wrong theory. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that in the past we were all individuals. He says that "It is not that in the past we did not exist, and it is not that in the future we shall not exist. We shall exist." Nityah sasvato yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. So we are eternal. We existed in the past, we are existing now, and we shall continue to exist. And individual. Krsna says, "You, Me, and all these soldiers and kings, they are all individual, and they existed as individual in the past, and we are existing now as individuals, and we shall continue to exist as individuals." So there are three phases of time: past, present, and future. So there is no question of being amalgamated at any time. They remain always individuals. And this is in the material..., either material world or spiritual world, the individuality is there. It never ceases. Nitya-yukta upasate. Here, we have got temporary life. Therefore we cannot be nitya-yukta. This life will be finished, and the next life we do not know what kind of life we shall have. It may be human form of life or it may be dog's form of life. You have to change this body. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Krsna does not say that a man after death becomes a man. No. There is no guarantee. He says tatha dehantara-praptih. There will be change of body. And so far the body is concerned, there are 8,400,000 of different bodies. So any one of them you have to accept. There is no guarantee. Tatha dehantara-praptih.

So I, as spirit soul, I am individual, existing. I shall continue to exist as individual in this material world either as human being or as an animal or as demigod, or a tree, plants, fish, aquatics -- so many. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. So this is going on. This is material world. And if you go to the spiritual world, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. The difference... What is the difference between the spiritual world and the material world? The difference is that if you go to the spiritual world, then you will not return again in this material world. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Spiritual life means punar janma naiti. Punar janma means this material world. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. One janma, then death, again janma, again death. And between the death and birth or birth and death there is disease and old age. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha. This is our real problem.

So the modern scientists, they do not know what is real problem. They are thinking advancement. Another point is here, that tril lokan pradahan mahat and dahyamanah prajah sarvah. Praja. Praja means living entities. Prajayate: one who takes his birth. So in the three worlds... Three worlds means these upper, middle, and lower planetary systems in this universe. Tril loka. Tril lokan. So everywhere there is praja, there is living entities. Otherwise, how it is said tril lokan? It is a foolish theory that there is no life in other planets. A rascal theory. It has no meaning. Tril lokan. We have got many evidences. I do not know why these rascal scientists say that there is no life in other planet. Why? The other planet is also made of the panca-bhuta, prthvi-ap-tejas-vayu-akasa. They are not different. Maybe something is very prominent. Just like in the sun globe, the fire is prominent. Fire is also one of the five elements: prthvi-ap-tejas. That does not mean there is no life. There must be. Otherwise, how Krsna talked with the sun-god, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]? And the living entity, nainam dahati pavakah. The living entity is not burned by the fire. It is not dried up, it is not moistened. This is stated. So why there will be no life in the sun globe? There must be. Because nainam dahati pavakah, fire cannot burn the living being. So there are germs in the fire also, agni-pa(?).
So we are being misled by the so-called scientists and the math... That is not perfect knowledge. The perfect knowledge is in the Vedas. Therefore it is advised, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. You should go to a guru who has complete knowledge from the sruti. Sruti means Vedas. Acaryavan puruso veda. Veda means you have to approach acarya. He knows everything. Unless he is not followers of the Vedas, sruti, he's a rascal. What is the use of going there? What is the... What you'll get by approaching a so-called rascal guru, one who does not know sruti? Therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami has forbidden. And Sanatana Gosvami has forbidden. Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam naiva kartavyam. Because sravanam, sruti... To go to guru means to hear from him, to inquire from him.

tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
[MU 1.2.12]

You have to approach such guru. And who is that guru? Vaisnava. Not any ordinary person. Therefore anyone who is not Vaisnava, you should not approach. It is false knowledge. Its knowledge has no value. Sanatana Gosvami has strictly forbidden: avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam, sravanam naiva kartavyam. Don't hear. You'll be spoiled. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. If you hear from a Mayavadi impersonalist, then your spiritual progress is doomed, finished. No more spiritual progress. Mayavadi-bhasya sunile. Mayavadi haya krsne aparadhi. The Mayavadis, they are offenders to Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Person, and the Mayavadi wants to make Him imperson; therefore they are offenders.

So what is the use of approaching a guru who is offender to Krsna? Tan aham dvisatah kruran ksipamy ajasram asubhan asurisv eva yonisu -- those who are envious... Krsna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], and the Mayavadis always trying to make Him handless, legless, headless, earless, and this-less, that-less, less, less, less. Then what is remaining? Say zero. Why don't you say zero? No. They are very careful. These sunyavadis, the Buddhists, they clearly say there is no God. Zero. Sunyavadi. So we can understand their position, and the Mayavadis, they're so dangerous that they will not say that God is zero. They will say, "Yes, there is God, but He's handless, legless, eyeless, this-less, that-less, that less." What is the meaning? Say zero. We can understand. But why you say indirectly zero? Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that veda na maniya bauddha haya ta' nastika. Nastika means one who does not believe in the statement of the Vedas. He's nastika, atheist. Just like here, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krsna is person. This is Vedic literature. Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is person, aham. Always He says. Aham adir hi devanam. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. He's person.

So the Mayavadi will always try to explain in the impersonal way. Therefore they're offender. Krsna personally presents. Why Krsna comes? So that the misunderstanding whether the Absolute Truth, God, is a person or imperson, to mitigate this trouble, this misunderstanding, He comes as person. He presents Himself, "Here is I am. I am person. Why do you make Me imperson?" He's person. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Why you are taking so much trouble? Avyaktasakta-cetasam. Klesah adhikataras tesam. Simply you are taking unnecessary trouble. Klesah adhikatarah. And if you take to bhakti, directly personal... And you cannot understand God or Krsna by any other means except bhakti. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to know Absolute Truth, God, then you have to take to bhakti. And what does it mean bhakti? Bhakti means there must be Bhagavan. Otherwise, what is the meaning of bhakti? If I want... Bhakti means to render service. So if the master is not there, then where is the question of bhakti and service? It is all bogus. Bhakti means three things: bhakta, Bhagavan, and the service. That is bhakti. They're individual. Bhagavan is individual, bhakta is individual, and the reciprocation of dealings between two individuals, it is called bhakti. That is bhakti.

Bhakti, bhakti is described in so many places. Just like Rupa Gosvami defines bhakti:

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
[BRS 1.1.11]

That is first-class bhakti. And bhakti means there is activity. Anukulyena: favorably. Krsnanusilanam: to satisfy Krsna. Anusilanam means culture. The culture means there is activity. Bhakti does not mean zero. That is another thing. Zero, nirvana, means make these material activities zero. That hint is given by Sankaracarya. Lord Buddha said that everything is zero, and Sankaracarya gave further improvement that "It is not zero. Brahman is fact. Brahma satyam. Not zero. Jagan mithya. This world is mithya, zero. Not Brahman." Because those who understood this zero philosophy, they're rascals, atheists. They cannot understand more. Therefore further improvement was given by Sankara because he was preaching. The whole world became Buddhist, and he wanted to establish Vedic principles. So they have already made zero. So how Sripada Sankaracarya can say, "No, it is not zero. It is fact." They'll not understand. He said in a different way, that "Zero is this material world." Brahma satyam. But brahma is fact. This is zero.

Now how the fact is working, that is given by the Vaisnava acaryas, especially Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Dharma, artha, kama, moksa is all cheating, all cheating. Up to moksa. The aspiration to become one with the Supreme, moksa, that is kaitava, cheating. That is the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. When you understand that the so-called monism, to become one with the Supreme, it is cheating... That is not fact. Because you cannot remain in the zero. That is not possible. We are part and parcel of God. God is anandamaya, anandamayo 'bhyasat. By nature, God is anandamaya. So if you are part and parcel of God, how you can be niranandamaya? You are also anandamaya. That quality is there. But do you enjoy alone? You sit down in a room alone for three hours, you'll feel disturbed, immediately. And what to speak of eternally. It is impossible to remain alone. And for want of ananda you'll again fall down in this material world. The impersonalists who think that "I have become one with the Supreme..." One with the Supreme means that is eternity, fact, sat. Sat cit ananda. Simply by becoming sat, eternal, you don't get ananda. That is not possible. Therefore,

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

So you have to go to the anandamaya. Yad gatva na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. We have to approach in that way. Otherwise, if we remain in the material world, this will be the result -- dahyamanah prajah sarvah. One after another, one after another, dahyamanah. You'll simply burn into ashes. So therefore the Vedas say, asato ma sad gama. Don't remain here. Go to Krsna and enjoy with Him life.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976

"Who Needs Krishna"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.28-29
Vrndavana, September 25, 1976

---

Pradyumna: "O Arjuna, only another brahmastra can counteract this weapon. Since you are expert in the military science, subdue this weapon's glare with the power of your own weapon.

"Sri Suta Gosvami said: Hearing this from the Personality of Godhead, Arjuna touched water for purification, and after circumambulating Lord Sri Krsna, he cast his brahmastra weapon to counteract the other one."

Prabhupada:

na hy asyanyatamam kincid
astram pratyavakarsanam
jahy astra-teja unnaddham
astra-jno hy astra-tejasa

suta uvaca

srutva bhagavata proktam
phalgunah para-vira-ha
sprstvapas tam parikramya
brahmam brahmastram sandadhe

So counteraction. This is military science. Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. And military science also, one of the part of the Vedas, Dhanur Veda. It is called Dhanur Veda -- how to utilize dhanuh. Dhanuh means bow and arrows. Similarly Ayur Veda. Ayur Veda means medical science, how to protect the ayuh. Because the body is perishable, so in the Vedic knowledge, everything is there to guide the human society. It is stated in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. Nigama means Veda, and that is kalpa-taru. Nigama kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam. It is compared with the tree. What kind of tree? Desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taroh. Kalpa-taru. The kalpa-taru can be found in the spiritual world, not in this material world. The spiritual world is described in the Brahma-samhita. What is that? Kalpa-taru, cintamani kalpa-taru. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-taru. In the spiritual world, Goloka Vrndavana, it is described that the houses, palaces, in that land, spiritual land, Goloka Vrndavana, is made of cintamani, cintamani kalpa-taru.

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

So kalpa-taru means whatever you want you can get from that tree. Because everything is spiritual. For example, he can give you... Just like you are a spiritual being, I am also a spiritual being. If I say, "Bring me a glass of water." You'll bring. "Give me some fruit." You'll give me. "Bring this." You'll bring. Because you are spirit soul, you can supply me whatever I want. This is the spiritual idea. Not that I wanted a glass of water, you can supply me a glass of water only. If I want other things, you can supply me also. This is an example, crude example.

So when there is no material obstacles, then the spiritual world can be utilized for any purpose. Here, because we are covered with the material body... There are two energies, it is described in the Bhagavad-gita: material energy and spiritual energy. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. This is material energy. And Krsna says apareyam; this is inferior. Apara. Itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. There is another, superior energy. What is that superior energy? Living. It is not dead. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. Without spiritual energy, this whole universe is useless, anywhere you go. The modern scientists, they are going to -- so-called -- they are going to this planet, that planet. And they do not find any spiritual energy. They simply see the material energy -- sand and rocks. That cannot be. Because... They can bluff because people are not aware of the whole science. They can bluff. In this material world there are two energies working: material and spiritual. There cannot be only material. There must be spiritual energy. So they say that there is no life, that means there is no spiritual energy. It cannot be accepted. It cannot be. It is out of question. Because here we find jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. There must be living entity who is conducting this material energy. This body is very beautiful, very useful. Why? Because the spiritual energy, the soul, is there. Otherwise, it has no value. So when there is a planet, when there are other things, how it has developed? This is a reasoning. This is sense. Because the material energy cannot develop without spiritual energy. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. There cannot be anything material without spiritual energy. What is this body? How this body came into existence? Because the spiritual energy, the soul, is there. A dead child born, it will not grow because the spiritual energy is not there. So it has to be concluded that as soon as there is material, a manifestation of the material energy, there must be spiritual energy. It cannot...

In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said that this whole cosmic manifestation is combination of material energy and spiritual energy. So therefore in the Vedas... Veda means knowledge, vetti veda vido jnane. In the Sanskrit verb vid, vid-dhatu. Vid-dhatu means knowledge, "to know." Vetti veda vido jnane vinte vid vicarana(?). Labhe vindati vindate. So vid-dhatu. From vid-dhatu the Veda has come. Veda means knowledge. So from the Vedas you can have all different types of knowledge, namely material knowledge and spiritual knowledge, both, perfectly. Because we have now forgotten our spiritual energy, we do not cultivate spiritual energy; therefore the Veda is there. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, in simple Bengali language, it is said, anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli' gela, ataeva krsna veda-purana karila(?). Because these rascals, anadi-bahirmukha, do not know. (bird chirping in background) Just like this bird chirping, but he does not know what he is, wherefrom he is coming, where to go -- nothing. That is low-grade life. So we are now forgetful of our spiritual energy, and because we do not know spiritual energy. Therefore we have no knowledge of God. This is our position, and it is coming since very, very, very, very, long time. Time immemorial. Therefore the Vedas are there. Anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli' gela, ataeva krsna veda-purana karila(?)

So we have to utilize the Veda-purana. The Veda-purana is here in India. It is not for India; it is meant for the whole universe. But still, it is available in India. That is India's special position. Indian civilization is not very much interested with the four-wheel civilization. India is interested in spiritual cultivation, Veda-purana. So this science as it is mentioned here, unnaddham astra-jnah, so Arjuna was expert in military science, and still, he was a devotee. It is not that only a brahmana with very clean cloth and clean habit, satya-saucabhyam... Brahmana's first qualification is truthfulness and cleanliness, satya-saucabhyam. This is the first qualification. Samo damas titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. Tyagena satya-saucabhyam yamena niyamena va. So this is brahminical qualification. But there are others also. A ksatriya, he is expert in the military science, how to kill. So the killing art is there. You cannot make it null and void by advocating nonviolence. No. That is required. Violence is also a part of the society. Just like here is some itching sensation. This is violence. That is required for the comfort. So similarly, Arjuna was ksatriya. He knew the art of killing, and still, Krsna is... Krsna also, He appeared as a ksatriya in the dynasty of ksatriyas. Vasudeva, son of Vasudeva. He also knew the art of killing. That is also one of the part of His business. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7], paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. So vinasa -- requires violence.

So we cannot decry violence. That is also required. Krsna was speaking Bhagavad-gita, the science of God, in the battlefield of Kuruksetra. We cannot condemn violence. That is not possible. But there is no violence in the spiritual world. That is a fact. Violence is only in the material world. Therefore when Krsna desired to fight... Because all desires are coming from Him, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Anything that we have got experience, everything is there in God. Therefore He's God. Not that minus something. Nothing minus. Everything. Akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. Raso vai sah. These are the Vedic injunctions. He is the reservoir of all rasa, humor or mellow. So this is also a mellow. Sometimes cruel men, they take pleasure by killing. I've seen it. One hotel man was cutting the throat of one chicken, half-cut, and it was throbbing, jumping. His child was crying because he could not see such horrible thing. And the man, the hotel man, he was laughing and pacifying the child, "Why you are crying? Just see how he's throbbing, how he's jumping." So one subject matter, the rasa is different. Humor is different. He's one, (?) enjoying one rasa, the father, and the child is crying. That is also another rasa. So the whole world is full of rasa. Adi-rasa. The sex life is called adi-rasa. There is bibhatsa-rasa, hasya-rasa, karuna-rasa, madhurya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, santa-rasa. There are so many rasas -- twelve rasas. Anaya(?) vyatireka, adi-rasa. So janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has described this adi from adi-rasa. Adi-rasa means the conjugal love. That is called adi-rasa. So janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Wherefrom the adi-rasa comes? The attraction between man and woman, that is a fact. The attraction is there in everywhere, either human society or animal society or bird society, bee society, the attraction is there. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This whole world is existing on mithuni-bhava, sex. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. These things are there. So wherefrom it comes, this adi-rasa? Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has described in his comment on Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the beginning, that Krsna is the origin of adi-rasa, janmady asya [SB 1.1.1]. From there, this adi-rasa is generated. That is Radha-Krsna. So everything is there. Otherwise, imperfectness. So as there is adi-rasa, Krsna is enjoying with the gopis and Radharani. Similarly, He enjoys with bibhatsa-rasa, vira-rasa, killing. Killing is also vira-rasa. Because He is the reservoir of all rasas. So janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. So do not think that this violence or fighting is bad. No. Nothing is bad when it is utilized for Krsna. And nothing is good when it is utilized for your sense gratification. Everything is bad.

So here Krsna ordered that this is brahmastra. He could not understand that intolerable temperature, heat, and Arjuna inquired, "Wherefrom the heat is coming?" So Krsna informed him that "This is due to brahmastra released by Asvatthama. This rascal does not know how to counteract it." Naivasau veda samharam. "He does not know." Formerly, in the military science, you have released one kind of arrow. If I am expert, then I can release another arrow which will counteract your arrow. Naivasau veda samharam. It is called samharam. So Asvatthama released that brahmastra. Now Krsna advised Arjuna that "You release this samharastra," how to counteract. Unnaddham astra-jnah. Unnaddham: "You know better than him how to counteract." Hy astra-tejasa: "By another..." [break] ...different astras are released by different expert military men. So that science is not yet discovered. By mantra. Just like here it is said that he took water, apah. Sprstvapas tam parikramya. Apah. Just like we take, om apavitrah pavitro va sarvasvastham gato 'pi va. Similarly, mantra and water can be utilized for very, very important purpose. Simply mantra and water. So this is the science. This is called subtle science, not gross. They have discovered this atomic weapon -- they require so many chemicals. But when you come to the higher stage, subtle, then mantra and water will do. Nothing more. No more chemicals. Simply mantra and water. That is yet you have to learn.

But these things are there in the Vedas. If you are a serious student of Veda you can also learn, you can also fight like Arjuna. There is no difficulty. Therefore Krsna says astra-jnah. Unnaddham astra-jnah. You can also become learned in the higher science of military art. You can also utilize. But that requires brain, good brain. That is not possible now, because the culture is lost. Now everyone is sudra. Nobody is ksatriya, nobody is brahmana. By the time... Kalau sudra sambhava. The sudras cannot learn all these veda. Because sudras have no right to understand Vedic knowledge. It is meant for the brahmanas, ksatriyas. Even not for the vaisyas. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah. They are rejected, woman and vaisya and sudra. Krsna says. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah. But Krsna says te 'pi yanti param gatim: "Even woman, and sudra and vaisyas, low grade, they can also get param gatim, promotion to the transcendental world." How? Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. If you take to Krsna consciousness, then even these low-grade born persons, beginning from striya sudra vaisya, and down, candalas... Candalas means less than the candala. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasah. They are candalas. Kirata means the black clan, or the Africans. So they are called kirata. Hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah. Yavanas, khasadaya, Mongolians, without any moustaches. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah ye 'nye ca papah. "Even there are still more low-grade, sinful society," ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah, "if he takes the shelter of a pure devotee, sudhyanti, becomes purified." Becomes purified. How? Sudhyanti? Because prabhavisnave namah. Lord Visnu has got so exalted power that through His devotee He can purify anyone. Never mind, even one happens to be candala, and what to speak of others. Kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha [Bg. 9.33]. If they can be delivered, then what to speak those who are brahmanas. Brahmana means punya. Without having background of pious activities, nobody can take birth in rich family, in brahmana family. Nobody can become highly learned person, nobody can become beautiful. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. They're the action, reaction of punya. And just the opposite is papa. So everyone -- there is no question of papi or punya -- if anyone takes shelter of Krsna, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32], it doesn't matter. Everyone can be elevated to the transcendental position of Krsna consciousness.

So this movement is there. Take advantage of it and elevate your life and finish the material trouble. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. It is only simply full of miseries and temporary. This business must be stopped. And yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama: [Bg. 15.6] simply by going back to home, back to Godhead, your all problems of life will be solved.
Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976

"Krishna--Blessing"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.27
Vrndavana, September 24, 1976

---

Pradyumna:

sri-bhagavan uvaca
vetthedam drona-putrasya
brahmam astram pradarsitam
naivasau veda samharam
prana-badha upasthite

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Know from Me that this is the act of the son of Drona. He has thrown the hymns of nuclear energy (brahmastra), and he does not know how to retract the glare. He has helplessly done this, being afraid of imminent death."

Prabhupada:

sri-bhagavan uvaca
vetthedam drona-putrasya
brahmam astram pradarsitam
naivasau veda samharam
prana-badha upasthite

So Vyasadeva... This Srimad-Bhagavatam, maha-muni-krte. It is not written by ordinary person. In the beginning it is said, srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte. Not only muni, but maha-muni. Kim anyaih sastraih: under the instruction of his spiritual master, Vyasadeva, revealed the scripture by spiritual experience. Bhakti-yogena, pranihite amale. Bhakti-yoga, he could realize. Narada Muni asked him to write simply on the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He had written so many books -- all the Vedas, Upanisads, Puranas. But he was not feeling satisfied even after writing the Vedanta-sutra. So at that time Narada Muni happened to come to him, and he chastised him that "You have written so many books, but they're not very useful." Because people are generally attracted to dharma, artha, kama, moksa. They're attracted. Those who are civilized men, they are attracted with some sort of religion, system. It doesn't matter whether he's Hindu or Muslim or Christian. They have some sort of religious practice. That is the beginning of human civilization. When there is no religious practice, that is not civilized man. Just like in the jungle, aborigines, or the animals, they have no religious system. In the human society there is some religious system. Therefore when the human society becomes without any religious understanding, dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah, immediately they're animals. They're not human beings. In civilized world...

Now, at the present moment, especially the famous movement, Communist movement, they are after completely driving out religious system. This is the misfortune of this age. So they are not in fault in one sense, because the guardians of the religious system, they are fallen. Just like immediately our Subhavilasa Prabhu was asking me that "We have seen so many temples. Why they are so neglected?" Is it not your question? And why they should not neglect it? The, mostly, the temples, they have become the means of livelihood. That is the defect. Temple is not meant for means of livelihood. Then it will deteriorate. How long you can falsely worship Deity and make show of arati? You cannot go on very long time. That is not possible. You'll be disgusted. Unless there is feeling, bhava, that "Here is Krsna. Krsna has very kindly come here to receive, to take, accept my humble service. He's so great that He cannot be approached by a person like me." Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan.

Suppose for the impersonalist, virad-rupa, the sky is the head of the Personality of Godhead. They think like that. And the big, big mountains are the bones, and big, big oceans are the holes of the body, and the trees, they are... In one sense, it is all right. But if you take the virad-rupa, how you can capture? It is impossible. He has virad-rupa. He has shown virad-rupa to Krsna (Arjuna), but you cannot capture that virad-rupa. You are tiny. Therefore He is so kind that He has appeared before you in this temple so that you can touch Him actually, you can serve Him, you can dress Him, you can offer Him eatables. It is... Therefore, if we think like that... Not think. It is a fact. Because God is not only very big. Mahato mahiyan anor aniyan. He can become smaller than the smallest. That is God. Brahman does not means simply big so that you cannot capture. That is omnipotency. Whatever He likes, He can become. He can put all the universes within His mouth. When Yasodamayi challenged that "Krsna, You are eating earth. Your friends are complaining," "No, mother, I did not. They are telling false." "Now Your elder brother, Balarama, also is saying." "No, He has... This morning He is angry with Me; therefore He has joined with them." "I want to see Your face." So He opened the mouth and the mother saw that millions of Yasoda and millions of universes are within the mouth. Then she thought, "Maybe something... All right, don't do it." That's all. Finish with this (?). Now Krsna, millions of universes within the mouth, He's being punished by Yasodamayi. This is Krsna. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan. This is Krsna.

So when Krsna comes, you cannot see Krsna. You cannot capture Krsna, mahato mahiyan. When He comes before you, arca-murti, arca-vigraha... This is arca-vigraha, Deity. Arcye visnau sila-dhih. Krsna has appeared. Just like the same thing: Krsna... Yasodamayi wanted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his (her) son, for which hundreds of years he (she) undergone, or she undergone austerities. And when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared before him, before her, both the husband and wife: "What do you want?" "Now we want a son like You." So Krsna said, "There is no second one beyond Me, so I shall become your son." So He became son. So He must play perfectly, that Yasodamayi may not understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then the feelings of mother and son will disappear. Krsna is playing exactly like a little child. So that is Krsna's mercy. This is Krsna's mercy. Similarly, to us. We are not so elevated like Nanda Maharaja or Yasoda Maharaja (mayi). We're just beginners. So we do not know what is Krsna. We cannot see Krsna, either His virad-murti or this murti. So what we can see? We can see stone, wood, or material things. So when Krsna appears to be seen by you and He appears like a stone statue, He's not stone statue. Don't think. Therefore we must learn how to see Krsna. So we should not think that "Here is a stone statue." As soon as we think of stone statue, then our, this feeling, bhava, will be lost. So the answer is that if we establish some temple and Deity and take it as a means of livelihood... [break]

So at least we Indians we are trained up like that. Not only trained up, we are born devotees. Anyone who has taken birth in India, that is special facility. In their previous birth, they had performed many austerities, much austerities. Even the demigods, they desire also to take birth in India to get this opportunity. So India... Don't think... India means this planet, Bharatavarsa. There is good opportunity. So we should not think. If we think that "Here is a stone statue," then it will not prolong many days. It will not... Galagraha. No more vigraha, but galagraha. Suppose I have established this temple. Now under my direction, my disciples are worshiping vigraha. Vigraha means the form of the Lord, rupa. But if there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden, that "Our rascal Guru Maharaja established this temple, and we have to worship, early rise in the morning, all botheration." This will be... That is called galagraha, a burden, "He has left with us a burden." This is the risk. Then this, such a big temple will be mismanaged, and you'll find that "This is breaking" and "This is unclean," and there is no attention. This will be our... That is called galagraha. "The rascal has given us a burden."

So it is very difficult. If we lost, if we have lost that feeling that "Here is Krsna. Here is a chance to serve Him..." Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih... Not that. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira -marjanadau **. As soon as... Therefore we are very much vigilant, "Why you did not this? Why you do not this? Why...?" As soon as the feeling of devotional service will be lost, this temple will be a burden. This is the way. It will be such a big temple. To manage, it will be a great burden. So they are feeling burden. Therefore they don't mind if somewhere is broken sometimes. "All right, let us, whatever money we have got, let us eat first of all." This is the position. Vigraha and galagraha. You should understand. If we forget that "Here is Krsna personally present. We have to receive Him very nicely. We have to give Him nice food, nice dress, nice..." Then it is service. And as soon as the feeling comes that "Here is a stone idol..." They say sometimes "idol worship." "And we have been instructed to dress Him, to give Him..., all botheration." Then finished. Finished. That has come everywhere. I have seen in Nasik in many, many big temples there is no pujari, and the dogs are passing stool. Not only they're breaking. In Western countries also the churches are being closed -- big, big churches. In London I have seen, very big, big churches, but they're closed. When there is meeting on Sunday, the caretaker, two, three men, and some old lady, they come. Nobody comes. And we are purchasing. We have purchased several churches. Because it is now useless. It is useless. In our Los Angeles we have purchased and several others. In Toronto. That recently we have purchased. Big, big churches. But they would not sell us. One church, the priest said that "I shall set fire in this church, still I shall not give to Bhaktivedanta Swami." (laughter) This Toronto church was like that also. And in Melbourne, the condition was, sale condition was, that you have to dismantle this church building. We said, "Why?" He said, "Utilize as temple now, then we shall not give you." They refused. You know that? So they do not like that "This Krsna consciousness movement will purchase our churches and install Radha-Krsna Deity." They do not like that. But it is not(?) going on.

So not only the churches in the Western countries, here also. As soon as you will lose the spirit of service, this temple will become a big go-down, that's all. No more temple. So we have to maintain that service spirit. Therefore we are so much particular -- "Why fresh flower is not there?" If you think, "Here is a stone statue. What is the meaning of fresh flower or old flower? We have to give some flower. That's all." But no feeling, that "Here is Krsna. We must give fresh flower." Just like I'm a living man, if you give me a fresh flower, and if you bring some garbage, and if you give me, shall I be pleased? Do you think? So this feeling is losing even in the beginning, that "We shall satisfy this statue with some rubbish, garbage flowers. He's not going to protest." Yes, He'll not protest. But your life will be finished. The protest will come like that. As soon as you lost the feeling, bhava, budha bhava-samanvitah. Who can worship Krsna? When there is bhava. Sthayi-bhava. This has been discussed in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, what is bhava. But if you have no bhava, then you are on the material, kanistha-adhikari. Simply show. A show cannot go on many days. Show will be finished very soon.

So if you do not keep the bhava... Bhava means... That is on the liberation side. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat. First of all, you come to this Krsna consciousness movement. Some of you, not all. Sraddha: "Krsna consciousness movement, Hare Krsna movement is very good. Let us see how it is," or "Let us join." So first of all sraddha. Many people come out of sraddha. Sraddha means little faith. But according to our Gosvami literature, that faith is not little faith. That faith is also very strong. Then the beginning is there. Caitanya-caritamrta karaca has described about this faith. He describes... Faith means sraddha. English word "faith," and Sanskrit word is sraddha, "respectful." Sraddadhana. So this sraddha, adau sraddha... The beginning is sraddha, faith. So this sraddha is defined by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami,

‘sraddha'-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

This is sraddha. According to our Gaudiya Vaisnavas, this is sraddha. What is that? Krsna is asking, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He's asking, demanding. So when we have faith in the words of Krsna: "Yes, Krsna says sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. Yes, I shall do," then sraddha begins. Otherwise, there is no sraddha. That is the beginning of sraddha. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. If you have got faith in these words of Krsna, that "Yes, whatever Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam... [Bg. 18.66], accept it," then sraddha begins. Otherwise there is no sraddha. Ordinary sraddha is..., they are going this temple or another Kali's temple or Durga's temple. They say that "Everyone is all right." Yata mata tata patha: "Whatever you like." That is not sraddha; that is whims. And sraddha means when you firmly believe on the words of Krsna, that Krsna said, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami said, sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya. Krsna said that "Give up everything, I shall give you..." "Yes, it is fact. Why shall I bother with..." That is sraddha. Visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya. Sudrdha means very firm faith. Not flickering faith.

When you have got this kind of sraddha, naturally, the next stage will be "How to keep my sraddha, firm faith in Krsna?" Then you have to mix with devotees who are keeping constantly in Krsna's service. Therefore this temple is required, that devotees will always be engaged in Krsna's service, and those who have got sraddha, they will come and see how the devotees are engaged, how they have sacrificed their life only for serving Krsna. That is sadhu-sanga. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Therefore we have constructed this big house. Why? The people, the ignorant, the rascals, they may, if they have little faith, they may come, live here, take whatever prasada is available, and mix with these devotees. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. And if he mixes with the devotees, gradually his bad habits, anartha... No: bhajana-kriya. Next stage is that, "The devotees are serving Krsna, they are also shaven-head, they have got neckbeads, and they're chanting. Why not myself?" This is called bhajana-kriya.

Then they approach, "Sir, why not initiate me?" "No, we put some regulative principles. If you accept..." This is bhajana-kriya. Then automatically, anartha-nivrttih syat. All nonsense habits, which are not required, anartha... Just like smoking: anartha, unnecessary. Does it mean that if one does not smoke he'll die? But you'll see in the whole world, millions and trillions of dollars' cigarette is selling. Anartha. Unnecessary. Does it mean that if I do not eat meat I shall die? I have seen in the Western countries -- I observe everything -- they eat meat very little. But because everyone is eating little meat, big, big slaughterhouses are being maintained. They can give up. A little piece of meat very easily he can give up. He can take this panir. But the rascal will not do that, because he's a rascal. He'll eat meat, and for this eating meat you have to maintain thousands and thousands of, what is called, organized slaughterhouse. And you have to kill. Killing means he's being implicated in sinful activities. Anartha, unnecessary. So we restrict this. Sex life is all right, required. Be a gentleman, get yourself married, live husband and wife peacefully. Have two and three children. Now they're making forcefully that you cannot have more than two children -- sterilize. This is rascaldom. Teach him that he'll not have sex life more than twice or thrice in life. But no. Trpyanti neha krpana bahu-duhkha-bhajah. The sex life is so strong that one has produced one child and he has suffered... The child has to be taken at night, it is crying, and then you have to give him milk, and so on, so on, so on. He has suffered, but he has no sense, "Why again child?" The answer, trpyanti neha krpana bahu-duhkha-bhajah. He knows that after this sex life, illegal or legal, there are so much troubles. Therefore a brahmacari is a very safe life. No trouble. But those who are not trained up, they are suffering. But they do not know how to stop this suffering because he's not trained up as brahmacari. "All right, make it sterilized." Contraceptive method. Kill the child. More and more and more and more implicated. Bahu-duhkha-bhajah. He does not know, or she does not know, "By killing the child what a risk I am going to take." Bahu-duhkha-bhajah. Behind this killing of child so much trouble is there. But he's rascal, he does not know, either the mother or the father.

So in this way, if we do not take to Krsna consciousness we'll be more and more implicated. You cannot avoid. That is not possible. The God's nature is working so nicely. I have given you several times the example that if you infect some disease, it must develop and you must have to suffer. There is no excuse. Similarly, if you are associating with the modes of ignorance and you are committing some sins, the effect you must have to suffer. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Prakrteh, the nature, God's machine, is working so perfectly that it will act. You cannot avoid. Therefore we should be very careful how anartha-nivrttih syat. For our spiritual advancement of life we must have the sense that "Why we should accept unnecessary things which is not at all important?" The four things are restricted. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Nobody dies. But it is a habit. It is a habit.

So in this way we have to mold our life, and the Krsna consciousness movement is the best process. Therefore those who are sinful, those who are atheist, they have become a little afraid of this movement. Therefore we have got so many enemies, and now in India especially the papers are criticizing us in so many ways. In other countries also. So we have to face this danger. It is not danger. We don't care for their criticism. But if we remain sincere in our actions, there will be no obstacles. Ahaituky apratihata. It is ascertained that Krsna consciousness movement, apratihata. It cannot be checked provided if you remain to the principles. What is that principle? Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. If you stick to the principle of bhakti-yogam then ahaituky apratihata. Nobody can check you. You'll make progress.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976

"Freedom Without Fall-down"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.26
Vrndavana, September 23, 1976

---

Pradyumna:

kim idam svit kuto veti
deva-deva na vedmy aham
sarvato mukham ayati
tejah parama-darunam

"O Lord of lords, how is it that this dangerous effulgence is spreading all around? Where does it come from? I do not understand it."

Prabhupada:

kim idam svit kuto veti
deva-deva na vedmy aham
sarvato mukham ayati
tejah parama-darunam

So Asvatthama's brahmastra... We have discussed about brahmastra. It is almost similar to the modern nuclear weapon or bomb. But it is made with chemicals, but this brahmastra is made of mantra. That is the subtle way. Modern science has not reached to that point of subtle existence. Therefore they cannot understand how transmigration of the soul takes place. The modern science has no knowledge. Imperfect knowledge. They see the gross body, but they have no knowledge about the subtle body. But the subtle body is there. Just like we do not see your mind, but I know that you have got mind. You do not see my mind, but you know that I have got mind. Mind, intelligence and ego. My conception, identity, "I am," that conception is there. That is ego. And my intelligence and my mind, you cannot see. Neither I can see. Therefore how the mind, intelligence, and personal identity or egotism carries the soul to other body, they do not see it. They cannot see it. They see the gross body is stopped, everything is stopped. The gross body is burned into ashes. Therefore they think everything is finished. Bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya kutah punar agamano bhaved The atheist class, they'll think like that. With poor fund of knowledge, they think that "I see the body is now burnt into ashes. Then where is the soul?" So "There is no soul, there is no God, it is all imagination." But that is not the fact, not that is the fact. The fact is that the gross body is finished, but the subtle body is there. Mano buddhir ahankarah. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. So the action and reaction of the subtle thing, subtle matter... Mind is also matter, but subtle matter, very fine. Just like sky, ether. Ether is also matter, but it is very subtle, fine. And finer than the ether is the mind, and the -- finer than the mind is the intelligence. And finer than the intelligence is my egotism: "I am," this conception.

So they have no knowledge. Therefore they can manufacture weapon or bomb with the gross things. Bhumir apo 'nalo -- the chemicals, that is gross. But this brahmastra is not gross. This is also material, but it is made of subtle things: mind, intelligence, and ego. Therefore Arjuna is asking Krsna, "I do not know wherefrom it is coming, wherefrom this such high temperature is coming." It is stated here, tejah parama-darunam. The temperature is so high, intolerable. So we should ask the authority. Krsna is the best authority. So Arjuna is asking from Him, kim idam svit kuto veti: "My dear Krsna, wherefrom this temperature is coming?" Kim idam. Deva-deva. Why he's asking to Krsna? Because Krsna is the deva-deva. Here we have got many millions of different varieties of life, 8,400,000 varieties of life. Out of them, we human form of life, and above this, the demigods in the higher planetary system, their standard of living, their duration of life is many, many times higher, superior than ours. Just like our standard of life, we are human being, it is better than the uncivilized man. And the uncivilized man's standard of life is better than the animal life. Phalguni tatra mahatam jivo jivasya jivanam. The uncivilized man, they cannot produce food; therefore they kill animal. In the forest they live, and they kill some animals and eat. They cannot... They have no such knowledge that the forest can be cleared and we can till the ground and we can get very nice foodstuff, foodgrains, vegetables, so many things. Krsi, agriculture. So the land is there, but this uncivilized man does not know how to get the necessities of life from land. They do not know. Otherwise, in the land everything is there. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, sarva-dugha mahi. Sarva-dugha. No. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Kama, kama means the necessities. We can get all the necessities of our life from the land. The land is so important. But the uncivilized man, they do not know how to utilize the land. Therefore they commit sinful activities for their existence. Instead of utilizing land for the necessities of life, unnecessarily... Although they are civilized -- they should not have done so -- they are killing animals.

The animal killing is for the uncivilized man, one who cannot get the necessities of life by intelligence. Just like modern civilized man, they are getting, suppose, so many machines, say, motorcar, a very useful vehicle. But wherefrom it is obtained? From the land. What is the motorcar ingredients? It is a combination of matter: earth, water, air, fire. You get iron, put into the fire and melt it, and then get the wheel. Similarly so many things. Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. Material civilization means tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah -- exchange of fire, water, and earth -- that's all. It is just like you see nice doll. What is this nice doll? Tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayah. There is earth, water, fire. You mix the earth with water, and make it a nice doll, and put it into the fire and then color it. It will appear just like a very, very beautiful girl. But it is not the fact. Similarly the whole material world is nothing but an imitation of the spiritual world by intermixture of earth, water, and fire -- and nothing else.

But because we are not beyond this material existence, we are in the material..., I am identifying with this body, therefore I am thinking that after the finish of this body everything is finished. This is rascaldom, atheism. No. But Krsna gives information, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. This is right information. Krsna, the supreme authority, gives you the information that don't think that this body is finished, therefore everything is finished. No. Not everything finished. The soul is being carried by the subtle body." The example is given just like when the air passes through the rose garden and you smell very nice fragrance. You cannot see what is that fragrance, but you experience that there is some fragrance. Wherefrom? Sometimes we inquire "Wherefrom this fragrance coming?" You cannot see. Similarly, the soul is very, very small, a small particle of the same ingredient as Krsna. Mamaivamsa. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Jiva is very small particle of the same ingredient as Krsna's body. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. So we have got our vigraha, very small. That is also stated in the sastra. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca: [Cc. Madya 19.140] one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. We cannot even imagine what is the length and breadth of the hair, but the soul is one ten-thousandth part. So how you can see the soul? That small particle is being carried by the subtle body -- mind, intelligence, and ego. And it is pushed through the semina of the father into the womb of the mother, and another body is manufactured in due course of time, and it comes out and works. This is called transmigration of the soul -- from one body to another. That body is given by superior examination, Yamaraja. Yamaraja fixes up what kind of body this soul will get. Karmana daiva-netrena. Just like in the court, there is case, and the magistrate decides what kind of punishment this criminal should be awarded. So similarly, here in this material world, we are simply engaged in sinful activities. Here the so-called pious and impious, that is simply imagination. Really, if I am actually pious, I should not get this material body. Just like to remain in the prison house means criminal. You may be a first-class prisoner, it doesn't matter, but you are a prisoner. You are a criminal. Sometimes the big, big politicians, they are put into the jail and they're given all comforts. But that does not mean he's not a criminal. He's a criminal. Either he may be Gandhi or anyone, because he's put into the jail he's a criminal. Similarly, anyone who is enwrapped with this material body, he's a criminal. He's a criminal. Either he may be in the heavenly planet or in this earthly planet or in the cats' and dogs' life or insect or aquatics. There are varieties of life. Every one of us, as long as we are put into this material body, it is to be understood that we are all criminal.

Therefore Krsna said,

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah
[Bg. 7.28]

The krsna-bhajana is not so easy thing. Yesam tv anta-gatam papam. One who is completely free from the reaction of papa, he cannot (can) take to Krsna consciousness. But in the ordinary way, karma... According to karma... Just like you are working to earn some money, businessman, karma. So ordinary way you have to work very hard day and night to get some money. Suppose if you want one lakh of rupees or one crore of rupees, you have to work for it. But there is another way. Suppose one rich man gives you, that "You haven't got to work. Take this one lakh of rupees or one crore of rupees. You take it." That is another way. Ordinary way to accumulate crores of rupees, it may not be possible in your life. But if some friend or some rich man becomes kind upon you and delivers you, "Take it," you can get it immediately, without any hard labor. Similarly, Krsna, the supreme rich man, supreme rich being, is offering you, sarva-dharman parityajya mam... [Bg. 18.66]. "You haven't got to do anything. Come on. You surrender unto Me, and I give you immediately liberation." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. There is no anxiety.

So that is Krsna. He can give you immediately liberation. Simply you have to surrender. Therefore He's deva-deva. Sometimes we go to this demigod, to that demigod for some material perfection or ultimate liberation. But Krsna can give you liberation within a second. That is Krsna. Within a second. Otherwise, it is not very easy. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. The jnanis, they are trying for liberation and undergoing very severe type of austerity and penances. Krcchrena. Krcchrena means very severe type of austerities they undergo. But still they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. One who does not understand Krsna, then his knowledge, his so-called jnana... Maybe to some extent it is perfect, but it is not completely perfect. Completely perfect will be possible when you understand Krsna.

So if you go on the ordinary way, from the karma platform to jnana platform, from jnana platform to yoga platform, but ultimately you have to come to the bhakti platform. If you do not come to the bhakti platform, then there is no question of liberation. That is not possible. You can get better position by karma, jnana, yoga. Suppose a yogi, he can achieve many wonderful things. Suppose we can fly in the sky by airplane. Many hundreds of miles we can. But a yogi, within a second he can reach even the sun planet. That yogic perfection is there. Prapti-siddhi. It is called prapti-siddhi. A perfect yogi, simply by catching the beam of sunlight, he can go to the sun planet. He can go to the moon planet. Within a second. That is called yoga-siddhi. But even if you go to the sun planet or moon planet by yoga-siddhi or material science, what is the profit? There is no profit. Krsna says, abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna: [Bg. 8.16] "Even if you approach the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, you have to come back again." Again come back, again become grass and again be eaten by cows, and again somebody drinks milk, and he gets the semina, again gives you birth in the womb of woman. These subtle laws they do not know, how things are happening in the subtle ways.

Therefore Arjuna knows, but for our education he's asking Krsna that "Wherefrom this high temperature is coming?" Kim idam svit kuto veti deva-deva na vedmi. We cannot understand. It is not possible. So many things are there even in this material world we cannot understand. We cannot get full information. But if we take Krsna's instruction... He's giving personally the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita. If we take care of them, then we can understand everything very easily. Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that simply by understanding Krsna, you can understand everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. So this is the all-perfect knowledge, perfect culture, perfect advancement of civilization. So everyone should take to it and all questions should be, is answered by Krsna. You take it and become a perfect man.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 23, 1976