Fight for Freedom

Fight for Freedom

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.2
Los Angeles, June 26, 1972

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting)

atma-jaya-sutagara-
pasu-dravina-bandhusu
rajye cavikale nityam
virudham mamatam jahau

Prabhupada: That's all right. So, virudham mamatam. Virudham. Just like you have seen some big trees, standing for so many, many years. The root is firmly captured. You have seen, experienced. The business is to stand up for 10,000 years, but the root is capturing the earth like anything, strong. This is called virudham, attraction. Suppose when you have got sense, improved consciousness, human being, if one asks you to stand up here for one hour, it will be so troublesome. And even if you are forced to stand up for one hour, you'll feel so much uncomfortable. But this tree, because it has not developed consciousness, it is standing up for 10,000's of years, and in open atmosphere, tolerating all kinds of excessive heat, rain, snowfall. But still, it is capturing. This is the difference between developed consciousness and undeveloped consciousness. A tree has also consciousness. Modern science, they have proved, they have got consciousness. Very much covered, almost dead.

But it is not dead. There is consciousness. So the more you develop your consciousness, the more you become a freedom lover. Just like in the human society, there is fight for freedom. But in the animal society, they do not know what is freedom. Ours also, the so-called freedom. But still, we have got some consciousness that we fight for freedom. And they fight for eating. That's all. So here, Pariksit Maharaja... This emancipation... Krsna consciousness means emancipation from this material attachment. So he became so much advanced... Because from his childhood, from his birth, from the womb of his mother, he was Krsna conscious. So as soon as he understood that "Krsna is my goal," immediately, virudham mamatam jahau, immediately gave up. Jahau means "gave up." What kind of things he is giving up? The empire. Formerly the emperor in Hastinapura, they were ruling over the earth, the whole world, Pariksit Maharaja, at least, 5,000 years ago when Pariksit Maharaja was the king.

He was emperor of the whole world. So he's giving up that. Not that a teeny village or something. No. And that empire also, without any disturbance. He was so powerful that nobody could go against him. Rajye ca avikale. Avikale. Vikala means "broken" or "disturbed." But his kingdom was never broken or disturbed. Now the whole world is broken and disturbed, at the present moment. They have got so many countries, independent countries. That means the world is broken into pieces. Formerly there was no such piecework. One world, one king. One God, Krsna. One scripture, Vedas. One civilization, varnasrama-dharma. Not very far away. They are giving history of... They are studying the earth layer, but while they were studying earth layer from millions years, and millions of years there was perfect civilization. Perfect civilization, God conscious. Happy civilization. Now they are broken, disturbed. It was not the case formerly.

So this virudham mamatam. Mamata means "It is mine." That is called mamata. Mamata. Mama means "mine." The consciousness of "mine" and "I," this is called mamata. "I am this body, and in relationship with this body, everything is mine. My wife, my children, my home, my bank balance, my society, my community, my nation, my country, my." This is called mamata. So how this mamata, or the consciousness of "my," grows? There is a machine, manipulated by maya, illusory energy. The beginning. What is that? Attraction. A man is attracted by woman, and the woman is attracted by man. This is the basic principle. Here, in this material world, there is no attraction for God, but there is attraction. That attraction is, on the whole, sex attraction. That's all. The whole world, not only human society, animal society, bird society, beast society, any society, any living being, the attraction is sex. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. The attraction here, the center of attraction, is sex. So, boys and girls or any, in younger age there is that sex impulse increase and want mating.

A female wants male, a male wants female. This is the attraction. This is the basic principle of binding the conditioned soul in this miserable life of repeated birth and death. This attraction. Therefore Vedic civilization is based on how to get out of this attraction. The varnasrama-dharma... There is attraction, you cannot avoid it. To best, to make the best use of a bad bargain. Therefore, from the very beginning, a child is trained how to become brahmacari. Brahmacari. No sex life. Up to twenty-five years. Throughout the whole life, but at least for twenty-five years. That is called brahmacari-asrama. But if one is still persistent for sex life after being trained for twenty-five years, he is allowed to marry. That is called grhastha-asrama. And because he has been trained up to be detached from sex life, so, for some time he enjoys, then he gives it up. Just like Maharaja Pariksit. Jahau. Virudham mamatam jahau. There was training; therefore Pariksit Maharaja could give up.

It is not so easy to give up attraction for kingdom, wife, children, and motorcar, and pasu, and animals, and so many... He was king, emperor. How much possessions he had! So it is not very easy to give up the attraction for these possessions. Therefore it is called virudham, virudham mamatam. The attraction is so deep-rooted. The example is this, a tree standing. It does not want to give it up, capture. So the attraction begins from this sex attraction. Pumsah mithuni-bhavam, pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. In the beginning there is attraction. A man wants woman, woman wants man. But as soon as they're united, that attraction becomes deep-rooted. First of all desire. At that time, the attraction is not deep-rooted, but as soon as they are united, either legally or illegally, that attraction becomes deep-rooted, virudham. Pumsah mithuni-bhavam, pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam tayor mithah, as soon as they unite, hrdaya-granthim ahuh, is, they, now that attraction becomes a hard knot into the heart.

Always thinking of "Oh, he's my lover," "She is my lover," like that. That attraction. So then, after they're united... Just like one married couple. As soon as they're married or united, atah grha. Grha. Grha means apartment, home. They must live very nicely. Then ksetra. Ksetra means field. Formerly there was no industry. The earning, means of livelihood, was agriculture. Everyone must have some land to produce grains, fruits. That's all. Milk. First of all, apartment; then, to maintain the expenditure, now we have invented industry or trade and so many things. Pickpocketing, killing. So many things. Formerly the means of livelihood was very simple. Take some land and work little, produce your grains, and the cows are there. You take milk. So milk, vegetables, grains, your economic question is solved. So first of all, grha, home, then ksetra. Ksetra means "field." I must produce my food. Ato grha-ksetra, then child. Because married life without any issue, that is not very happy.

Canakya Pandita has said, putra-hinam grham sunyam: "Family life without a child is zero." It is zero. There are... He has calculated some zeros. First zero is: avidyam jivanam sunyam: "One who is not educated, his life is zero." Avidyam jivanam sunyam disah sunya abandhavah. You are going to some touring, visiting, but if where you are going, if there is no temple or friend, then your touring will be zero. Therefore Indian system is when they are tourist, they go to different pilgrimages, or some friends' house. Avidyam jivanam sunyam disah sunya abandhavah putra-hinam grham sunyam. And you have married, but if there is no issue, then it is zero. Putra-hinam grham sunyam. Sarva-sunya daridrata. And if you have no money, then everything is zero. Even in spite of having a home or child or education... There are so many educated. If they have no employment, their life is zero. So, ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih. As soon as we are united, male and female, then these things are required: nice home or apartment, some field for producing food, then some friends, suta, then children. Children, friends... Then money also. Without money... because without money, everything will be zero. In this way, just like a tree gradually expands his root, so our attraction, that male-female attraction, becomes deeply rooted by these things. Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam. This is illusion. This is illusion. Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This mamata. "This is ‘I,' this is mine." And one day, the Mr. Death will come, he'll break everything, smash everything. We forget that. But we want to remain here with this sense of "I" and "mine," but Bhagavad-gita says, Krsna says, that "These rascals who are not God conscious and creating aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], very, very big scheme to become happy, the whole happiness is dismantled by Me as death." Krsna ultimately comes as death. Just like Hiranyakasipu. He was planning so many things, but Nrsimhadeva appeared as death and smashed everything, everything.

Therefore, when Prahlada Maharaja was offered material benediction, so he said, "My dear Lord, what You are offering me? I have already seen all these things. My father was so powerful that even demigods would be threatened by his red eyes, and he expanded his influence all over the universe. But You have finished it within a second. So why shall I ask for such benedictions? If You want to give me some benediction, please engage me in some service of Your servant. That is real benediction." Caitanya Mahaprabhu also recommended: gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. To become a servant of servant of servant of servant of Krsna. This is parampara system. In that way one can give up the deep attachment for all these, our creation, our developing attachments, grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih. At any moment, all these production of attachments can be dismantled, and it is being done so. But they have no knowledge. They have no knowledge. They are thinking that they will be able to enjoy this expansion of attachment, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. No. You cannot enjoy. Even if you enjoy, it is for a few years only.

But your existence is not for few years. You are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. You'll not die after your destruction of this body. Death means sleeping for 7 months. That's all. Then again you get another body. As soon as I give up this body, I enter in the womb of another mother to get another body. The mother creates the body, and as soon as the body's fit, it comes out. So the period when I give up this body, enter into the womb of mother and manufacture another body and come out, it takes about seven months. So during that seven months, we do not know what is happening. That is death. Death means that. Otherwise, there is no death. The spirit soul is eternal. So we do not know what is our eternal need. We do not know. There is no such education, neither these rascals know that they're eternal. They think that "By chance, we have got this body, some way or other, and as soon as the body's finished, everything's finished. So long this body is there, the senses are there, let us enjoy sense enjoyment."

This is the civilization. Because there will be no more sense. They give importance to the senses, that this is an opportunity of sense gratification. But they do not inquire wherefrom this sense came, and it is so important, and we are taking, giving so many importance to the sense enjoyment program. That they do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. Neither do they know what is living entity, what are the senses, what is the goal of life. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. They are simply making plans for driving car and flyways and so on. Plan is going on, one after another, one after another. But the problems are increasing. Therefore, Pariksit Maharaja's example is very nice. As soon as he understood from his spiritual master that "Krsna is the goal of life" and he became Krsna conscious, he immediately, oh, the mamatam jahau, virudham mamatam jahau. This is required. Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "To become liberated means to become free from dehatma-buddhi, the illusory attachment for personal bodily coverings and everything connected with the body, namely wife, children, and all other entanglements. One selects a wife for bodily comforts, and the result is children. For wife and children one requires a dwelling place, and as such a residential house is also necessary. Animals like horses, elephants, cows, and dogs are all household animals, and a householder has to keep them as household paraphernalia. In modern civilization the horses and elephants have been replaced by cars and conveyances with considerable horsepower. To maintain all the household affairs, one has to increase the bank balance and be careful about the treasury house, and in order to display the opulence of material assets, one has to keep good relations with friends and relatives, as well as become very careful about maintaining the status quo. This is called material civilization of material attachment.

Devotion for Lord Krsna means negation of all material attachments as detailed above. By the grace of Lord Krsna, Maharaja Pariksit was awarded all material amenities and an undisputed kingdom in which to enjoy the undisturbed position of king, but by the grace of the Lord he was able to give up all connections with material attachment. That is the position of a pure devotee. Maharaja Pariksit, due to his natural affection for Lord Krsna as a devotee of the Lord, was always executing his royal duties on behalf of the Lord, and as a responsible king of the world he was always careful to see that the influence of Kali would not enter his kingdom. A devotee of the Lord never thinks of his household paraphernalia as his own, but surrenders everything for the service of the Lord. Thereby living entities under a devotee's care get the opportunity for God realization by the management of a devotee-master. Attachment for household paraphernalia and for Lord Krsna go poorly together.

One attachment is the path of darkness, and the other attachment is the path of light. Where there is light, there is no darkness, and where there is darkness, there is no light. But an expert devotee can turn everything to the path of light by an attitude of service to the Lord, and the best example here is the Pandavas. Maharaja Yudhisthira and householders like him can turn everything to light by dovetailing so-called material assets in the service of the Lord, but one who is not trained or is unable to turn everything to the service of the Lord (nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe) must give up all material connections before he can be fit to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Or in other words, one who has seriously heard Srimad-Bhagavatam for even one day, like Maharaja Pariksit, from a fit personality like Sukadeva Gosvami, may be able to lose all affinity for material things. There is no utility simply in imitating Maharaja Pariksit and hearing Bhagavatam from professional men, even for seven hundred years.

To take Srimad-Bhagavatam as a means of maintaining family expenditure is the grossest type of namaparadha offense at the feet of the Lord (sarva-subha-kriya-samyam api pramadah)."

Prabhupada: So Pariksit Maharaja could give up the attachment within a few days. Not abruptly, but he was prepared. His training was there. Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe. That is our philosophy, Rupa Gosvami's definition.

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate

Anasaktasya visayan. Visaya means necessities of the body: eating, sleeping, mating, and defense. So one should understand that "I am this body. I am not this body, but because I am now encaged within this body, so I must maintain the body also, without being attached." Just like you have got a nice car. You require it for movement. But you should, you know very well that "I am not this car. I am taking service from the car. The car should be maintained to give me regular service, not that I shall identify with this car." Similarly, this body is just like car, mechanical car. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61].

Maya has given us this car for satisfying our desires. Sometimes it is called field. Ksetra. We want to work on this, just like agriculturist work on his field and produce some results. Similarly, we are working on this field, we are moving by this car, but I am not this field, I am not this car. If one has understood this philosophy that "I am not this body..." But "I am not this body," that does not mean I shall neglect it. I must maintain it because ... The same example: if I want to move nicely, my car must be maintained very nicely. So our business should be not to be attached by the car or the body, but to maintain it for our work, and our real business is to develop Krsna consciousness. That is our... Just like we move by the car to go some business. So car is not my business. I have got a different business.

Similarly, our real business is this human form of life, how to develop Krsna consciousness. That is our real business. And to execute that real business, we take help of this car. That's all. Maintain it nicely. Cleanse it, give gasoline and Mobil oil, and tire tube. That is required because you have to move. So don't, we don't say that "It is mithya, it is false." That is Mayavadi's ver... Brahma satyam jagan mithya. "This material world is false." We don't say false. We don't say false, because we have to take work from it. Why shall I say false? When I take some work from the typewriter or some other machine, why shall I say it is false? It is real. So our philosophy is, we don't neglect this material world as false. That is pseudo, pseudo renunciation. You cannot give up. Why should you call it false? Sometimes ... Just like some materialists, they criticize that "You are using material things. Why do you say false?" So that criticism is applicable to the Mayavadi philosophy, who says jagan mithya, "This whole material world is false." Brahma satyam jagan mithya. We don't say false. We say, "It is temporary. It is temporary, and I have to take some benefit out of it."

Because I am in this material world. How can I say it is false? I must eat. How can I say eating false? That is not our business. But we must eat something which will help me in my real philosophy. But we must eat something which will help me in my real business. My real business is Krsna consciousness. Therefore I must eat krsna-prasadam. That will maintain my body and help my business. This is our philosophy. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972

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Simply Negating Is No Good

Simply Negating Is No Good

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.2
Los Angeles, June 25, 1972

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting)

atma-jaya-sutagara-
pasu-dravina-bandhusu
rajye cavikale nityam
virudham mamatam jahau

Prabhupada: (interrupts a devotee chanting sloka) Purport of the last sloka was done? Yesterday?

Pradyumna: Uh, part of it.

Prabhupada: The balance, first of all read.

Pradyumna: On page 170. "To become a pure devotee of Lord Krsna, two things are very much essential, namely having a chance of being born in the family of a devotee and having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master. By the grace of Lord Krsna, Pariksit Maharaja had both opportunities. He was born in a family of such devotees as the Pandavas, and just to continue the dynasty of the Pandavas and show them special favor, the Lord specifically saved Maharaja Pariksit, who later on, by the arrangement of the Lord, was cursed by the boy of a brahmana and was able to get the association of such a spiritual master as Sukadeva Gosvami. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that a fortunate person, by the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Krsna, achieves the path of devotional service. This was perfectly applicable in the case of Maharaja Pariksit. By way of being born in a family of devotees, he automatically came in touch with Krsna, and after being so contacted he constantly remembered Him.

Consequently Lord Krsna gave the King a further chance for development in devotional service by introducing him to Sukadeva Gosvami, a stalwart devotee of the Lord with perfect knowledge in self-realization. And by hearing from a bona fide spiritual master, he was perfectly able to concentrate his chaste mind further upon Lord Krsna, as a matter of course."

Prabhupada: So superficially, Maharaja Pariksit, king, the emperor of the world, he was cursed to death. A brahmana boy cursed him that "You will die within seven days." And as a result of this, he left his home, his kingdom, and here, next verse, it is said, atma-jaya. Jaya means his one wife. He was young man. Suta, children; agara, agara means residence, house. Atma-jaya-sutagara. Pasu, animals. He was king. So he had many animals: horses, elephants, cows, bulls. These are household animals, domestic animals. And dravina. Dravina means wealth, riches. And bandhu, bandhusu, friendship. So our... These are our material assets: wife, children, nice house, nice bank balance, and some pasus, animals. Here of course, you keep only one animals, dog. "The best friend." But in India they keep many animals. Those who are rich, they keep elephants, horses, bulls, cows. Dogs are also there, but dogs are not so important there. Asses also. These are domestic...

And cats also. These are domestic animals. These animals, they like to live with human beings... They do not go to the forest. So superficially, Pariksit Maharaja... Upadharya matim krsne. For becoming Krsna conscious... Matim. Mati means consciousness; krsne, in Krsna. Practically he was bereft of everything. Just try to understand. He was cursed to death, and because he was preparing for next life, so he had to leave everything. And so..., what people will think? "Oh by Krsna consciousness, one has to lose all, everything? His kingdom, his everything." Therefore people are afraid to take to Krsna consciousness. "Oh, we shall be lost of everything. Even up to life." This is the example of Pariksit Maharaja. Pariksit Maharaja... (reads purport) "To become a pure devotee of Lord Krsna, two things are very much essential, namely having a chance of being born in the family of a devotee and having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master. So Pariksit Maharaja had both blessings.

He, from the very childhood, from the womb of his mother, he was Krsna conscious. And he had the opportunity of taking birth in a family where every member was Krsna conscious, especially his grandfather Arjuna. So that chance was there. From the very beginning of his life, he was given the chance of worshiping Krsna Deity. Not only that. He was king. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate. Yoga-bhrasta means one who falls down from the path of spiritual advancement. For them, the facility is that they are given another chance to take birth in the human society. Not only in human society... Sucinam srimatam gehe, in very rich family and very pure family. Sucinam means pure, brahmana. So in India still, if one is born in a very nice, rich and pure family, he is considered to be very pious in his past life. That's a fact. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. These four things, janma, high grade birth; aisvarya, riches. Janmaisvarya... sruta, education; and sri, means beauty.

These four things are obtained by pious activities in one's past life. So Pariksit Maharaja had all these assets. That means in his previous life he was also a great devotee. So now, in this life, he's bereft of everything. After executing spiritual life so strenuously, life after life, in this life we see that he's bereft of his kingdom, he's going to die within seven days, and he had to leave his beautiful wife, children, home, kingdom, his animals. Everything we keep, there is affection. It is not that animals are meant for killing. They are also treated like children. (aside:) Don't move your leg like that. So anything you associate, you get affection. That's a fact. Therefore here it is stated, rajye cavikale nityam virudham mamatam jahau. And his kingdom was very safe kingdom. It was not that there was disturbance in his kingdom. Somebody has attacked, so he was bereft... No. Cavikale, without any disturbance. Very nice kingdom. So what people will think?

That "To become Krsna conscious means to lose everything, up to life? Does it mean?" Sometimes, superficially, they take it like that, but actually that is not the fact. There is another story in which one saintly person came in an assembly. So he blessed... A saintly person, they, everyone expects some blessings. So there was a king's son. So he blessed him, raja-putra raja-putra ciram jiva. "My dear king's son, you live forever." And there was another's son, he was muni's son, saintly person's son, and he blessed him, muni-putra muni-putra ma jiva. "You muni-putra, son of a saintly person, you don't live. You die." Raja-putra raja-putra ciram jiva. "The king's son, you live forever," and muni-putra, ma jiva, "You don't live." Muni-putra muni-putra ma jiva. And there was a hunter also, and there was a saintly person also. The saintly person he blessed, ma jiva, jiva va mara va. "Either you die or live, it is all the same." And there was a hunter.

He blessed him, ma jiva ma mara, "Don't die don't live." This is very instructive. "You don't die, you don't live." One was blessed that "You don't die," the raja-putra, "Don't die." And the muni-putra, he was blessed, "You die." And the saintly person was blessed, "Either you die or you live." And the hunter was blessed, "You don't live, don't die." So this was a puzzle. So the king, he invited his ministers, that "What is the meaning of this?" The ministers were very intelligent, so he explained that "Your son has been blessed"ciram jiva " Because your son is so licentious that as soon as he dies he is going to hell. So therefore he has blessed ‘You better live forever; otherwise you are going to hell. (laughter) Your life is so sinful that next life is hellish. So better you live forever.' " Then, the next, muni-putra. Muni-putra means... Just like our disciples. They have to undergo austerities: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, so many no's.

But similarly, muni-putra, he is also execute all these functions, and there is no comfortable life. A muni-putra lives in a cottage. There is no good bedstead, and eating simple fruits and flowers. So from materialistic point of view, this is a miserable condition of life. So he was blessed that "You have sufficiently undergone austerities. Now your next life is in Vaikuntha. So better you die and go to Vaikuntha. Why you should suffer any more?" So therefore he was blessed that muni-putra muni-putra ma jiva. And the saintly person, he was blessed by the words jiva va mara va. "Either you die or live, the same thing." Because, a saintly person is engaged in the service of the Lord so his life is so blissful. So either he lives or when he dies, he goes back to home, back to Godhead. He'll do the same business. So there is no difference. Just like you are engaged in Krsna's service. You are getting the same service, eternally. This is a progressional period only.

Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaun... [Bg. 4.9]. Krsna says, anyone who can understand Krsna as He is, then after leaving this body he comes to home, back to home, back to Godhead. Mam eva. So saintly persons, their life is so pure that in this living condition, they are in Vaikuntha, and after leaving this body, they are going to Vaikuntha. So jiva va mara va. Both ways they are benefited. And the hunter was said, ma jiva ma mara, "You don't live, don't die." What is that? "Now you are hunter, butcher. So nasty life you are living. It was better death. Better for you to death, die. But if you die, then you go to hell. Therefore don't die, don't live." So... (aside:) Don't close your eyes. So Pariksit Maharaja's... This was blessing. Pariksit Maharaja... Don't think that Pariksit Maharaja lost everything. Because he has understood Krsna, so according to the statement of Bhagavad-gita, it is fact that he is going back to home, back to Godhead.

Therefore Pariksit Maharaja... What is the value of this kingdom, of the wealth of this material world? They are temporary. Even if you have got very good kingdom, very nice wife, very nice society, very... How long? And if there is any mistake, next life you can get something else. But so Pariksit Maharaja's life... Because he's born devotee. From the childhood, he's a devotee of Krsna. Now, when he was cursed, it was blessings for him and for all others because he was cursed, there was necessity of the recitation of this Srimad-Bhagavatam. And after hearing this Srimad-Bhagavatam... Sri-visnoh sravane pariksit. Pariksit Maharaja simply by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, he got salvation. So this superficial awkward position that he lost his life, lost his kingdom, he had to leave his wife and children and everything, don't take in that "By Krsna consciousness, he became bereft of all assets. No. He was going to be rewarded very highly, going back to home, back to Godhead.

So another instruction is, in this connection, that one should be ready. If one is serious to become Krsna conscious, then one should be ready to give up all sorts of material enjoyment. That is the fact. If you become Krsna conscious for your material improvement... You can get it. Krsna is all powerful. But that is not the desirable thing. To become Krsna consciousness means to make our materialistic way of life nil. That is the... That is the purpose. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11]. If you want from Krsna that "Give me material happiness..." As you have studied,

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusam param
 [SB 2.3.10]

Either you are materially desirous, anxious to get so many things, karmi... Akama means devotee. Sarva-kama means karmi. Karmis, they are simply wanting, "Give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that." So many things. There is no end of their demands. That is called karmi. And jnanis means they also want...

They want salvation, to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Lord. And yogis, they also want some mystic power. So karmi, jnani, yogi -- everyone wants something, but a devotee does not want anything. That is devotion. They know, "What shall I do with all these things?" They have no attraction for anything material. These are all material. Some, a better position, and in some lower position. That's all. Karmis are entangled in this materialistic way of life, and the jnanis, they are also some or less entangled. Because they have no idea what is God, they think God is impersonal. God is impersonal means there is no God. So if they have no idea of God, how to go back to kingdom of God? So they are also materialistic. Negation of material, negation. Because they are very much frustrated. Just like in your country, the hippies. The hippies means negation of a positive materialistic life. That's all. Negation. They are simply denying that "I, we don't want the way of life as our father and grandfathers are going on."

That's a negation, but there is no positive gain. So negation is no good. You must have some positive gain. So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is negation of the materialistic way of life and regain the blissful eternal life of spiritual understanding. So simply negation is no gain. With something, if you are disgusted, "I don't want it," but... Just like sometimes a man commits suicide, "I don't want this life." So what is the gain? And that is ignorance. He does not know that committing suicide... He's eternal. He's eternal. Living entity is eternal. He thinks that "By killing this body, I am free from this bodily miserable condition of life." No. He's immediately..., either he has to accept a next abominable body or he'll have to become a ghost. One who commits suicide. Ghost means no material gross life, but the mental, material subtle life is there. A ghost is carried by the subtle body: mind, intelligence and false ego. And one who gets a body, gross body...

Upon this mind, intelligence and ego, one develops a gross body of five elements: earth, water, air, fire. This is the two kinds of body, a condition. And when he's actually Krsna conscious, he's transcendental to this gross and subtle body. He attains a spiritual body which is never to be finished, eternal, blissful life. So sometimes, when Krsna, He's especially kind to a person who thinks that "By... I shall execute Krsna consciousness; at the same time, I shall enjoy this material life," this is foolishness. This is foolishness. If you want Krsna, go to home, back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to finish your material desires. Because Krsna is so kind that even if you have a pinch of material desire to enjoy in this material world, He will give you a chance, "All right, you do it." That means we become entangled. Therefore, those who are executing Krsna consciousness, they should try to become free from all material desires. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [BRS 1.1.11].

Jnana means knowledge. Or the jnanis, they also want to be become one with the Supreme. And karma. Karma means karmis, those who want to enjoy. So one should be uncovered, to covered by this jnana, by karma or by any material desires. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam, anukulyena krsnanusilanam [Madhya 19.167]. Simply favorably serving Krsna. Favorably, not unfavorably. Consciousness favorably. Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was also Krsna conscious, but he was simply planning how to kill Krsna. That kind of Krsna consciousness is not good. Of course, Krsna is so kind, so any way one becomes Krsna conscious, he gets the benefit, at least, of liberation. Just like Kamsa was liberated. Although he was unfavorably Krsna conscious, but he was thinking of Krsna. Hiranyakasipu, he was also thinking of Krsna. But unfavorably. So that is not bhakti. We must think of Krsna favorably. And that is bhakti. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam. Culture of Krsna consciousness favorably.

Bhaktir uttama, that is pure bhakti. So a person who is thinking of Krsna haphazardly, namely that "By executing Krsna consciousness, I'll be materially happy," He can be materially happy because... As Sukadeva Gosvami says, akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udara-dhih [SB 2.3.10]. His desire will be fulfilled. Just like Dhruva Maharaja. He went to worship Krsna in the forest with material desires, that "I may get the kingdom of my father or better kingdom." That was his determination. So he got it. But when he got it... By executing Krsna consciousness, he was intelligent. He was very sorry that "What I have asked? This material happiness I have asked..." So when he actually saw Krsna, Visnu, he was offered, "Now you take benediction as you desire." He was very sorry. He said, "My Lord, I have no other desire now. I have finished all my desires." Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. "I don't want any this, any kind of benediction. I have got You. I have no more necessity of any benediction."

But Krsna is so kind, He gave him both, that "Dhruva, you desired for some material prosperity, a kingdom. So I have created one kingdom, Dhruvaloka, for you, which is so many times bigger than your father's kingdom. So you will... So that is especially for you. That is Vaikuntha. You will go there. But you wanted your father's kingdom. So you take your father's kingdom also." So he enjoyed his father's kingdom for 35,000 years. In those days, a man used to live for 100,000's of years. Satya-yuga. So Krsna is so kind that whatever desires you have got within, He'll give you all facilities. Akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udara-dhih [SB 2.3.10]. But intelligent persons, they will not ask anything from Krsna. Just like a dependent child, he's fully dependent on the father. So father knows how to raise him to be a perfect man. He knows what is his necessities. Similarly, we have to give up to the care of Krsna, without any condition. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life.

So sometimes Krsna favors a devotee when He is in doubts, "Whether this or that? This or that?" So sometimes He takes away the sources of his material opulence and gives him shelter under His own lotus feet. So you can read the word meaning?

Pradyumna: (reads synonyms) Translation: "Maharaja Pariksit, as a result of wholehearted attraction for Lord Krsna, was able to give up all deep-rooted affection for his personal body, wife, children, palace, animals, horses, and elephants, treasury house, friends and relatives, and his undisputed kingdom."

Prabhupada: So this is Krsna consciousness. Upadharya matim krsne. So it is a great sacrifice. It is not like that, dharmartha-kama-moksa. No. It is above. People are generally become religious to get some material benefit. Dharma artha. And as soon as he gets material benefit, he enjoys his senses, kama. Dharma artha kama. And when he fails to satisfy his senses, then he wants to become one with the supreme. That's moksa. So Krsna consciousness is above these four principles, dharma, artha, kama, moksa. Krsna consciousness is transcendental. Therefore one can give up, immediately. Just like sometimes Bharata Maharaja, under whose name India is called Bharata-varsa. He also gave up. He gave up is kingdom at the age of twenty-four years. Young wife, young, nice children, big, whole empire. And it is said that he gave up everything just like one gives up his stool, evacuates. Immediately goes away. So he gave up. So this is actually Krsna consciousness, that we become completely free from any material possession, any material possession.

It is very difficult. But just see, here Pariksit Maharaja, due to his association with his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami, he understood... He, according to his instruction, he gave his mind and everything to Krsna and he gave up the idea of enjoying his wife, children, palace, kingdom, or animals, and so many things. So it is little difficult also. But by Krsna's grace, if we continue regularly these Krsna consciousness rules and regulations, then automatically we shall be disinterested. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. These are not to be artificially attained. You cannot give up your wife, children, kingdom, artificially. Artificially, if you give up, then you will again fall down. Artificially, I give up my wife, and then I seek another's wife. This is nonsense. This is nonsense. This is falldown. When you are actually mature, then you give up. So Pariksit Maharaja was mature. From the very childhood, he was Krsna conscious. So when he was cursed by a brahmana, he took it as an opportunity, "Now give up everything. Let me go back to home, back to Godhead." This is the philosophy. Thank you. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972

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Searching After Krishna

Searching After Krishna

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.1
Los Angeles, June 24, 1972

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Pradyumna:We chant all the verses in this chapter, all together, starting from the beginning. Sri-suka -- everyone can chant together -- sri-suka uvaca... (Srila Prabhupada and devotees chant together all verses in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Second Canto, Chapter 3.)

Prabhupada: So it takes not more than five minutes. If you practice, then you become learned scholars, simply by chanting these mantras, and the translation, transcendental vibration, will keep you fit for spiritual advancement. Every verse in Vedic literatures, especially Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are not ordinary sounds. Simply if you chant the mantras, you become purified. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Simply by hearing and chanting you become pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Even you don't understand the meaning, the very sound vibration will help you. Now we have finished one chapter within five minutes. How much time it took? I don't think more than five minutes. So everyone should chant every day at least one chapter. Then? Next chapter? Which chapter?

Pradyumna: Text number one (leads chanting, etc.)

suta uvaca
vaiyasaker iti vacas
tattva-niscayam atmanah
upadharya matim krsne
auttareyah satim vyadhat

Translation: "Suta Gosvami said: Maharaja Pariksit, the son of Uttara, after hearing the speeches of Sukadeva Gosvami, which were all about the truth of the self, applied his concentration faithfully upon Lord Krsna."

Prabhupada: So here is, vacas tattvam atma ni,...atma, vacas tattva, niscayam atma. Vacas tattva-niscayam atmanah. Vaiyasaki. So atma-tattva, self realization, this is required. So we have to approach a person like Vaiyasaki, Sukadeva Gosvami. Niscayam. Vacas tattva-niscayam. If you want to know positively, niscayam, without any mistake, then you have to approach a person like Sukadeva Gosvami or the parampara system, who is coming in disciplic succession of parampara system. The parampara system means... Just like we claim parampara system from Krsna. So whatever Krsna says or He said 5,000 years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called parampara system. Not that "The world has changed. Scientific advancement is very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way." This is all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niscayam atmanah.

 If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jnaninas tattva-darsinah. Just like here it is tattva-niscayam atmanah. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the parampara system. Krsna said this, and then Brahma said the same thing, then Narada said the same thing, Vyasadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvacarya, Madhavendra Puri, Isvara Puri, Lord Caitanya, Sad-gosvami, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Srinivasa Acarya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. In this way. Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Then we are speaking. The same thing. Not that "Because we are modernized... Your modern science has changed." Nothing has changed.

It is all foolishness. That change is a scheduled change. Just like day after night. And again, night after day. Again, day after night. This is not change; this is a system. So because our poor fund of knowledge... Just like there are many insects. Their birth, death, marriage, and everything is finished within night. They never see the day. So if they see day by chance, they will say, "Oh, it has changed." Because their experience is they have never seen day. Their experience with night. So all of a sudden, if he sees that there is daylight, "Oh, what is this? Oh, the whole world has changed." No. You have not seen. The so-called scientific discovery, they are seeing something, but the next stage, they have no power to see, and they think, when they see the next item, "Oh, the world has changed." There is no question of changing. It is on the process. Just like another example can be given: the film. If you see the film as it is, each picture you will see different picture.

But actually, it is not different. It is the scene. It is the process. How the hands and legs will move, the picture is made in such a way that when it is put into the machine, you'll find the hands and legs are moving. So change... Srsti-sthiti-pralaya, srsti-sthiti-pralaya. There are three kinds of changes. First of all change is the srsti. Srsti means creation, creation. This material world... There was no material world. Simply there was spiritual world. Just like when all of a sudden cloud appears in the sky. The sky was there, the cloud has appeared. Similarly, this material creation is like that. It is just like a cloud in the vast spiritual ocean, sky. The sky is spiritual. This sky in which we are now existing, that is not spiritual. Just like the sky, covered by the clouds, is the same sky, but it is covered. Similarly, we are living within the covered sky, and if you penetrate the cover, then you go to the spiritual sky. While going to the spiritual sky, you have to give up your body.

The body is a combination of five elements. So there is stock in the... This universe is covered by seven layers: earth, water, fire, air, like that. When we shall be going to the spiritual sky, we have to pass through the seven layers. And each layer is ten times bigger than the first. Suppose we pass the air layer; the next layer, the fire, is ten times bigger. Then water, ten times. In this way, we have to pass through. We are so much tightly packed up. It is not so easy that I sputnik and go anywhere. No. That requires sadhana-bhajana, practice, how to give up this encagement of seven layers and then completely pure spirit soul, you enter into the spiritual sky. That is merging in the spiritual effulgence. Brahmajyoti. Then you can go further and enter into the spiritual planets, if you are fit for that. Otherwise you'll remain in the brahmajyoti. Nirvisesa, without any variety. Simply light. As the jnanis, they want. But you cannot stay there.

Because you are a living entity, you are part and parcel of Krsna, so actually you are trying to go to Krsna. Just like a child is crying. The idea is that the child wants mother. Or mother's breast milk. That is his demand. But sometimes we do not know. We try to make the child comfortable in different ways. Similarly, all of us are searching after Krsna. That is the fact. Krsna, being the Supreme, we are all, being parts and parcels, our natural tendency is to approach Krsna. Manusyah partha sarvasah. Mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find this. Mama vartmanu... "They are all trying to come to Me." But they are being hampered by different types of maya. So the spiritual advancement means ultimately to approach Krsna. This is very nicely explained by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The bhakti-lata, the creeper of bhakti, is growing, but it will go on growing, growing, growing, until the bhakti-lata, I mean to say, catches the lotus feet of Krsna.

You'll see, the creepers they grow, they try to catch something, small. As soon as they get a feeler or root, immediately, by nature... Similarly, you go on increasing your bhakti creeper. The bhakti creeper...

ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija
 [Cc. Madhya 19.151]

Bija. Bija means seed. Guru-krsna. Krsna and guru. When both of them are merciful, then you can get the seed of bhakti-lata creeper. Mali hana kare sei bija aropana [Cc. Madhya 19.152]. When you get a nice seed... Just like you are growing, nursing the tulasi seed very carefully... Tulasi seed, that is the example of bhakti seed. Similarly, you have to nurse the bhakti seed by giving all protection, watering daily. So what is your watering process? This watering process. (devotees chant Hare Krsna...) sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana.

mali hana kare sei bija aropana
sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana
 [Cc. Madhya 19.152]

You have to become a gardener and... Where is that Pravinacandra? He's not here? Yes. That's all right. Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana. Hearing. If you want to come to the right conclusion, then you have to hear from persons authorized, not from the nonsense rascals, politicians, diplomats. No. Just like here it is said, vaiyasakeh. You have to hear from Vaiyasaki or his representative. Vaiyasaker iti vacas tattva-niscayam atmanah. If you hear from the right person, then tattva-niscayam, then positively you can realize self. And if you hear from some rascals, they have no connection with Vaiyasaki, simply by dint of mental speculation, interpreting, "I think this may be this, I think this,"... What you are, nonsense? You think? We don't accept such nonsense things. It must be positively authorized. As it is said here, vaiyasaker iti vacas tattva-niscayam atmanah. When we hear from the right person...

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

 Jnana and tattva-darsi. Simply jnani, simply a-b-c-d knowledge, academic education will not help. You must be jnani, at the same time, tattva-darsi. That tattva-darsana cannot be possible by mental speculation. Ciram vicinvan.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

Who knows the tattva? Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita. "One person who has got a slight benediction from Your lotus feet." Not that all. A slight. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. If you get a slight, a glance, then your life is perfect, immediately. Not that you have to get all the mercies of the Lord. Even little, very insignificant part. That means, insignificant part, that is, Krsna is teaching Himself, "Just surrender." So this much mercy everyone of us we can take. How? "Krsna, I was wandering throughout the whole universe in so many lives. I did not know that You are my supreme master. Now, from this day, I surrender unto You." Krsna is ready: aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. "Yes, you do it. I shall give you protection from all sinful resultant action. Immediately." A simple process. So this much mercy we can take, if we will. But we are not willing. We surrender to some rascal, but not to Krsna. That is our position. We shall surrender to this man, that man, this man, this one ... Why not Krsna? "No," maya will say. "No, no, no. What is Krsna? You surrender to such big politician, big yogi, big bluffer, cheater. You surrender there." Maya is always after you to bewilder you. Because we have forgotten Krsna by our independence, misusing our independence, so maya wants to give us some good lesson, that "Forgetting Krsna, you are trying to be happy. All right, I shall give you nice happiness." This is going on. Therefore, maya is very strong. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot get out of the clutches of maya so easily.

Then? How it is possible? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. The same thing. "If anyone fully surrenders unto Me, then he can get out of the clutches of maya." So here, Pariksit Maharaja is fully surrendered to his spiritual master. Vaiyasaker iti vacah. Whatever he said... Vaiyasaki, Sukadeva Gosvami, he placed the whole thing before him, how to concentrate one's mind on Krsna. So upadharya matim krsne. Then immediately this is the result. If you approach a bona fide representative, then, taking lessons from him, the result will be upadharya matim krsne, your surrender will be on Krsna. Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "The word satim is very significant. This means "existing" and "chaste," and both imports are perfectly applicable in the case of Maharaja Pariksit. The whole Vedic adventure is to draw one's attention entirely unto the lotus feet of Lord Krsna without any diversion, as it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15). Fortunately Maharaja Pariksit had already been attracted to the Lord from the very beginning of his body, in the womb of his mother. In the womb of his mother, he was struck by the brahmastra atomic bomb released by Asvatthama, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from being burnt by the fiery weapon, and since then the King continually concentrated his mind upon Lord Krsna, which made him perfectly chaste in devotional service. So by natural sequence he was a chaste devotee of the Lord, and when he further heard..."

Prabhupada: Here, one important matter is there, that Pariksit Maharaja, while he was in the womb of his mother, there was brahmastr a targeted on him by Asvatthama. And he was to be killed. Practically he was killed. His mother felt a miscarriage and immediately approached Krsna, that "I am feeling like this. The only son of the Pandava dynasty is going to be lost." So Krsna immediately entered the womb of Uttara and saved the baby. Now, Pariksit Maharaja is recognized devotee; otherwise Krsna would not have taken so much trouble. He wanted that Pariksit Maharaja. Now, when he was cursed by a brahmana to die within seven days, why Krsna did not save him, or why he did not seek Krsna's protection? This question may be raised. He was young man. He was not old man. He could live. That question was made also: "The Pariksit Maharaja, such a nice king, his life was dedicated for the welfare of his subjects. So actually, his body was meant for the benefit of others.

Why did he leave it, did he quit it?" This question was there. Because anyone who has dedicated his body for the service of all humanity, that is, means, that means he has dedicated the body for Krsna, because Krsna, He is suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Krsna is the sincere friend of everyone, so one who is trying to spread Krsna consciousness, that means he's also trying to make others to feel that Krsna is the supreme friend. So that body is Krsna's body. Now, why Pariksit Maharaja decided that? He could counteract the brahmana boy. It was not difficult for him. But he did not act it counter, and he agreed to die. And Krsna also, from within dictated, "Pariksit, now agree to die." Why? If Pariksit Maharaja was not in this position, that he was to die within seven days, this Bhagavata would not have come. This is the purport. That was the purpose. Otherwise, he could counteract. He could save himself, personally or with the help of Krsna.

He didn't care for any curse, but if he would not have taken this position, this Bhagavata would not have come. It was for Pariksit Maharaja. So we have to study in this way. Thank you very much. (pause) Begin. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972

Spiritual Realization

Spiritual Realization

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.25
Los Angeles, June 23, 1972

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

athabhidhehy anga mano-'nukulam
prabhasase bhagavata-pradhanah
yad aha vaiyasakir atma-vidya-
visarado nrpatim sadhu prstah

Translation: "O Suta Gosvami, your words are pleasing to our minds. Please therefore explain this to us as it was spoken by the great devotee Sukadeva Gosvami, who is very expert in transcendental knowledge, and who spoke to Maharaja Pariksit upon being asked."

Prabhupada: So Pariksit Maharaja was asking and Sukadeva Gosvami was replying. Both of them were fit to ask and to reply. Bhagavata-pradhanah. Maharaja Pariksit was disciple, and Sukadeva Gosvami was his spiritual master. If both of them become fit, are fit, then the discussion of Srimad-Bhagavatam is very pleasing. The student and the master. If the master is learned and the student is foolish, then it will be not very much pleasing. Or the master is foolish and student is also foolish, that will also not be ... Both of them should be ... Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. Virya, virya means potency. Just like if a potent husband and potent wife have sex intercourse, immediately there will be pregnancy. Therefore this word is used. Potent. Formerly, this was being used. Both the husband and the wife remained potent, not impotent and sterilized. They remained potent, voluntarily. But when they wanted to beget a child, that one sex intercourse is sufficient. There is child.

Therefore it is said, satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. If the Bhagavata discussion is done between the two potents, the disciple and the master, then immediately, sadyah hrdi avarudhyate. As it is said in the beginning. Have you got Bhagavata? The first, beginning? Sadyo hrdy avarudhyate. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam [SB 1.1.3], Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sadyo hrdy avarudhyate, susrusubhis tat-ksanat. Susrusubhih, those who are serious about understanding about the Supreme Absolute Truth, so for him, immediately God becomes entrapped within the heart. God is there, but especially... Hrdi avarudhyate, kim va paraih... Avarudhyate means you capture God. If there is discussion between devotees... Tusyanti ca ramanti ca. In Bhagavad-gita it is said. Tusyanti ca ramanti ca. When Bhagavata discussion is there amongst devotees... It is the business of the devotees, not the business of the nondevotees. Unfortunately, India, it has become a profession.

Some unscrupulous persons, they recite Bhagavata-saptaha, and the audience gather also for some material benefit. They take it as auspicious activity, subha-karya. They don't care for neither the speaker nor the devotee. They don't care for understanding the science of God. They are after some material profit. The professional reader, he reads, he takes some contribution, some money, some clothing, some umbrella, some shoes, some food, some money. In this way, he collects a very lump sum for his maintenance of his family, and the audience also thinks that "By hearing Bhagavatam, I'll be very much profited materially." This is going on. Bhagavata-saptaha. Bhagavata-saptaha, imitation. Pariksit Maharaja heard for one week Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Gosvami. So they are imitating this one week. But where is Pariksit and where is Sukadeva? Both of them have got some ulterior purpose to hear Bhagavata. Therefore it is not affecting. They are hearing Bhagavata for thousands of years, but still, they are where they were formerly.

But actually, if Srimad-Bhagavatam is heard... Just like Pariksit Maharaja is hearing... Sri-visnoh smarane. Sri-visnu, abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. Sravanam kirtanam. Sri-visnoh sravane pariksit. Pariksit Maharaja got salvation simply by hearing about Visnu. Sri-visnoh smarane, sravane. Pariksit Maharaja he was king, he was politician. So he had no much knowledge about Vedic instruction. But when he was cursed that he would die in seven days, he became very serious, and all the sages and saintly persons agreed that "Maharaja Pariksit, for the last remaining days of his life, seven days, he should hear attentively Srimad-Bhagavatam." So sri-visnoh sravane pariksit. He got salvation simply by hearing about the glories of the Lord or activities of the Lord, which is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sri-visnoh sravane pariksid abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. And Vaiyasaki... Vaiyasaki's name is mentioned here. Vaiyasakir atma-vidya. Vaiyasaki means Sukadeva Gosvami.

He simply went on narrating. In the middle, there were some questions, intelligent questions, by Pariksit Maharaja. Question is also required. If you simply hear, do not understand, just like dumb stone, that's not good. You should hear attentively, and as soon as there is some difficulty, you should question. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that you should understand... First of all surrender. Pranipata. Tad viddhi pranipatena. Pranipatena means you must find out an able teacher, where you can surrender. So nobody wants to surrender, but if he sees that there is a greater personality than him, he surrenders. That is nature. So this pranipata word means that you do not go for understanding Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavata to a store-keeper. You should go to a person where you can surrender. Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. And pariprasnena. And inquiry. And sevaya. You should not take... You should not inquire gratis; you must give service.

Just like if you purchase something, you must pay for it. Therefore it is called sevaya. You cannot pay by returning the value which is taught by the spiritual master. That is not possible. Therefore it is called sevaya. Dedicate your life for his service. You cannot pay. What you have got to pay to a spiritual master? Just like our King Prthu Maharaja. When the Kumaras preached to him about transcendental knowledge, he very humbly submitted, "My dear spiritual master, you have taught me so nice. I require to give you some daksina." Daksina, that is required. After initiation, one should pay daksina. That is a system. "I should pay daksina, but what shall I pay? I haven't got anything as my personal possession. It is already by the mercy of the brahmanas that I am enjoying this kingdom. So it is already belonging to you. My kingdom, it is already belonging to you." That was the system. If any saintly person, brahmana, will ask from a ksatriya king, he cannot deny.

Karna, he gave his son to be sacrificed. A brahmana asked that "I want your son to be sacrificed by you." He was incarnation of God. He tested Karna's charity. He was very charitable, so he asked him that "I want your son, and you shall sacrifice, you both, husband and wife." He agreed, Karna, "Yes, I'll do that." So there was some test like that. So actually, formerly, the kings, they possessed their kingdom just to manage, not thinking "It is my property. I am the king." As soon as the kings thought like that, the monarchy finished. The king never thought like that. He thought himself as appointed agent of God, king. So he never thought. So Par... Suka. . . Prthu Maharaja said that "Nothing belongs to me, and even if I can pay from my treasury, so I cannot actually pay for the benefit I have derived from you. Therefore, the only way I can pay -- that I surrender unto you. You can utilize me in any way." So, tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. Therefore the disciple's duty is to be ready always to serve the spiritual master, at any cost.

That is the disciple's duty. Sevaya. Upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah. So real knowledge can be achieved in this process. Pranipata... Not that I can challenge, "Oh, I can know. I have got so much education and degrees. I can understand what is God," or "There is no need of God. I am God. We are the controller." So these are all rascaldom. Real thing is tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena, as Pariksit Maharaja, the emperor of the world, he's hearing from Sukadeva Gosvami, you have seen that picture in our Bhagavata, newly published, how Pariksit Maharaja humbly asking and sitting before Sukadeva Gosvami. So bhagavata-pradhanah. Bhagavata-pradhanah. So Sukadeva Gosvami is the chief bhagavata. Bhagavata, there are two kinds of bhagavata: grantha bhagavatam and this person bhagavatam. So Sukadeva Gosvami was person bhagavatam, bhagavata, chief. Bhagavata-pradhanah. Bhagavata-pradhanah means realized souls. We should not hear Bhagavatam from a professional man, who are observing the Bhagavata-saptaha.

 I know, in Bombay there is a big speaker of Bhagavatam. He preaches that "You remain in your family life very peacefully. This is the instruction of Bhagavata." He never teaches that you have to give up this nonsense family life and you have to go back to home, back to Godhead. He never preaches that. There are so many examples. He comes to the conclusion that "You live peacefully," as if to live peacefully in this material world is the highest achievement of life. They will never disclose the actual fact that nobody can live in this world peacefully. It is not possible at all. But they want money. So they'll flatter or they'll go to Krsna's rasa-lila, presenting Krsna as ordinary human being and the gopis are ordinary girls. So this is very palatable for us, kissing, embracing young girls. So Krsna is doing, but they take it that their embracing and kissing is supported by Krsna. This is going on. That is a different subject matter; they do not know that.

Therefore the Krsna's dealing with the gopis have been described in the middle of Tenth Canto. And nine cantos have been devoted, describe, so that one may understand what is Krsna. What is Krsna. The beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Begins, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. What is this Vasudeva, Krsna? Janmady asya yatah. "He the origin of everything." And we, if we take Krsna as ordinary person and He's dancing with the gopis just like ordinary thing, then what Bhagavata he will understand? He will go to hell. He's deriding, taking Krsna very insignificantly. Avajna. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. "These rascals, because I observe My pastimes just like human being, they're accepting Me as human being, ordinary." Manusim tanum asritam. Param bhavam ajanantah. They do not know what is the background of Krsna. The background of Krsna is in the beginning said janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. The first aphorism of Vedanta-sutra.

That means, Vedanta means to understand Krsna. These rascal Vedantists, they try to kill Krsna. They want to become himself Krsna, the so-called Vedantists. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. The purpose of reading Vedanta means to understand Krsna. So without understanding Krsna, without being trained up how to understand Krsna, if one reads about Krsna's rasa-lila, he'll go to hell. Because he has got the tendency of this easy sex, so he thinks, "Krsna is like us." And therefore, for ordinary men, this krsna-lila... Krsna-lila means they simply understand krsna-lila means Krsna's rasa-lila. That's all. And Krsna's killing the Kamsa, that is not lila. Because Kamsas, the raksasas, they are afraid of being vanquished by Krsna. So they do not like that lila. They'll like this lila. So therefore the idea is that if we want to understand Krsna, we should... Krsna understanding is not so easy.

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
 [Bg. 7.3]

So like Sukadeva Gosvami, you should hear patiently, submissively, with service and question. So in that way Maharaja Pariksit attained salvation in seven days. If it is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, actually heard in that seriousness... Where is that seriousness? That seriousness was there in Pariksit Maharaja because he knew it certainly that he was going to die within seven days. So "I have to finish my God realization, self-realization, with seven days." We are not so serious, because we are thinking that "We shall live for seven millions of years, so let me go slowly. Better utilize the time by sleeping." That is our position. If you have got some time, "Let me take this opportunity by sleeping, not by reading the books." So if you do not become serious, then it will take many, many years. But we should be serious more than Sukadeva or Pariksit Maharaja. Pariksit Maharaja had at least time limit seven days, but we do not know whether we will live again seven minutes. Any moment your heart can failure.

You do not know. You are going to the street... Just like the two boys were coming. They did not know that they were going to be killed. So our life is so jeopardized. Any moment I can die. That's a fact. If you don't take seriously like that, that "Any moment, I can die." So Pariksit Maharaja had the opportunity of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam for seven days, so I do not know whether we'll have, I have opportunity for reading Srimad-Bhagavatam for seven minutes. So let me read it very seriously." That should be our attitude. Not that, "Seven... Oh, Pariksit Maharaja was given seven days notice. Oh, I have no such notice. I may live for seven millions of years." That is our disease. Here the most wonderful thing is that everyone is seeing that everyone is dying every moment, but the man seeing, he's thinking that he will live forever. This is the most wonderful thing. Nobody thinks, "No. He is dying, so I will have to die." No. He thinks "I'll live. He is dying." This is the most wonderful thing.

He does not think that "I have seen. My father has died, my mother has died, my brother has died. So everyone has died. So I'll die. So what I am doing before death?" They're not serious. Not at all serious. But death is... "As sure as death." And we do not know when that death is coming to take place. So how much serious we should be. We should be very serious. Labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante. We have got this human form of body, human consciousness, advanced consciousness, after many, many births, after through the evolutionary process. Many millions of years we have passed through many species of life. Asitim caturas caiva laksams tan jiva-jatisu. Asitim caturah, eighty-four lakhs or 8,400,000's. Bhramadbhih purusaih prapyam manusyam. In this way, going through so many species of life, we have got this human form of life.

tad apy abhalatam jatah
tesam atmabhimaninam
varakanam anasritya
govinda-carana-dvayam

In this valuable life, it will also be spoiled if we don't surrender to Krsna. Krsna is canvassing personally,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
 [Bg. 18.66]

Krsna personally comes to canvass. Because we are all Krsna's children, He's very sorry that we are in this miserable condition of life. He's very sorry. But we are so fool, we do not know that what is the condition of our life. We are thinking we are very much happy. This is called maya. He's suffering, he's kicked by the shoes of maya every moment, and still, he's thinking "I am very happy. Why shall I go back to home? I shall remain in America." But you cannot be allowed to remain in America. You are thinking, "All right... You are born of a very rich family, a rich nation, you have got opulence. You have... Your roads and your houses are very nice, but who is going to allow you to live here? Why don't you think like that? You may live for fifty years, or sixty years, or utmost 100 years; then you'll be kicked out. But they do not know that life is eternal.

When I am kicked out, then what life I am going to accept? They are in oblivion. There is no education in the university. This is going on. So this Krsna consciousness movement is a boon to the human society. You should take it very seriously and utilize your human form of life to understand it and be happy. Thank you very much. (pause) Why not begin immediately?
(end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972

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Steel-framed Hearts

Steel-framed Hearts

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24
Los Angeles, June 22, 1972

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tad asma-saram hrdayam batedam
yad grhyamanair hari-nama-dheyaih
na vikriyetatha yada vikaro
netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah

Translation: "Certainly that heart is steel-framed which, in spite of chanting the holy name of the Lord with concentration, does not change when ecstasy takes place and tears fill the eyes and hairs stand on end."

Prabhupada: So here is one word, "steel-framed." Nowadays, the medical science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also, there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad asma-saram hrdayam batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt very easily, similarly, anyone's heart which does not change after chanting Hare Krsna mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that it is steel-framed, made of stone or iron. Actually, harinama... Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. It is especially meant for cleansing the heart. That every... All misconception is within our heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that "I am this body." That is the beginning of all misconception. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. So as you go on chanting, gradually the heart will be cleansed, and you'll be able to understand that you are not this body.

That is the... That is called jnana-vairagya. Jnana. Jnana means to know thoroughly that "I am not this body." This is jnana. And as soon as you know that you are not this body, naturally you become disinterested with anything which has got bodily relation. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. Bhava. Bhava means repetition of birth and death. "You become," bhava means. So "you become" means you die also. Because this is the world. To become does not mean that you stay forever. That is not possible. "You become" means you die also. So... But under wrong impression, as soon as I become, I think that this world is very nice. Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings that "My dear Lord, when I was in the womb of my mother, at that time I saw You once, became visible." Those who are spiritually advanced, they can see God within the womb of the mother. When a child remains packed up and the consciousness is gained, he feels very uncomfortable. So at that time, one who is pious, spiritually advanced, he prays to God, "Please rescue me from this bondage. I am too much suffering. And this time I, after taking my birth, I shall simply be engaged in Krsna consciousness," promises. But Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, janama hoilo pori' maya-jale.

As soon as birth is taken, the maya is there; we forget. Immediately, father, mother, other relatives, they take up the child and pats very nice. So in this way we forget that we were in such a precarious condition, almost suffocating. Almost, it is suffocating. After coming out from the womb of the mother, if you are packed up again in such airtight bag, within three seconds you will die. We live under the protection of the Supreme Lord; otherwise that is not a living condition. Just imagine within the womb. So this we forget, and being taken care of, affectionate father and mother, on the lap, we think life is very nice, this life. But this is maya, this is illusion. Actually, this bhava, to take birth, is very, very unpleasant task. It is blazing fire, bhava-maha-davagni.

So if we can cleanse our heart during this life ... This is that opportunity. It is not possible ... When I take birth as an animal, cats and dogs, that is not possible. But as I have got now this human form of body, we should not be again misled. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni ... [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If we can cleanse our heart, then this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death can be extinguished. But the illusory energy is so strong that we forget our last death-time miseries. At the time of death we suffer very much, so that ... Just imagine, when we give up our life, how much difficult position at that time. So we forget. Birth and death. As soon as there is birth, there is death also. Death means ... The more you are advancing in age, that means you're dying. You are advancing in death. The child is born ... "When this child is born?" "Just yesterday." That means he has already died one day. So in this way death is progressing. As soon as there is birth, the death is there immediately, side by side.

I am one day old means I have died one day. I am seventy-six years old means I have already died seventy-six years. Suppose I live, say, eighty years, ninety years. So I have already died seventy-six years. So death is sure. They say "We are advancing." What is that advancement? Death is sure. You cannot control birth. Birth, death, old age. You cannot stop old age. And disease. You can manufacture nice medicine, but you cannot stop disease. So we have become steel-hearted, steel-framed heart. We do not consider all these things. These are practical. And still, we are under the impression that we are advancing in material civilization. So we are advancing in the art of cutting stone and wood. That's all. This is our advancement. Just like in your country, within two months they can build one wood house. Means expert in cutting wood. This is advancement. Wood-cutter, stone-cutter. But we are not meant for cutting wood and stone. We are meant for understanding our spiritual identity.

There are many birds, the wood-cutter birds. So that is not very expert manifestation of our intelligence. So this cleansing of heart will be possible by hari-nama-dheyaih, this chanting of harinama,

 

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

Anything, any spiritual process, is meant for cleansing the heart. Either you take karma-yoga or jnana-yoga or dhyana-yoga or bhakti-yoga, the ultimate goal is that cleansing the heart. At the present moment I am under misconception, dirty things accumulated on my heart, that "I am this body," and therefore I do not try to realize that I am soul, and under bodily concept of life... As the animals they are also in bodily concept of life, they are busy eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Similarly, human civilization has become like animals. They are interested only in eating, sleeping, mating, and defense. That's all. But that is not our position. It is a chance to get out of the entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease.

This is our real business. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We are misguided. Our so-called leaders are mis-leaders. They do not know what is the aim of life. That is the difficulty at the present moment. Not at the present moment. In the material world this problem is always existing, but due to this Kali age, that problem is more acute. That's all. So this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, without offenses, ten kinds of offenses, will cleanse the heart, and then you will be liberated. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirva... Because we know the path how we can get out of these clutches of birth and death. There are so many big, big scientists, philosophers. They don't talk of this important subject matter, how to get out of birth and death. They have no solution. Neither they can think of. But our Krsna consciousness movement is giving us the knowledge that "You can get out of these clutches of birth and death, old age and disease." That is our desire.

Nobody wants to die, nobody wants to go again into the womb of the mother. Nobody wants disease, nobody wants old age. But the so-called scientists, they have no proposal to get out of these clutches. Here Srimad-Bhagavatam gives you hint that hari-nama-dheyaih. By chanting harinama, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Adi 17.21], you can get out of this. And when harinama will be perfect, that symptoms are given here. Netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah. By chanting, when you will, not always ... Sometimes, out of ecstasy, when tears will come down and there will be shivering on the body, that means you are coming to perfection. This is not to be artificially practiced. When you actually come to the perfectional stage, these will automatically appear. So this verse suggests that if a person is chanting Hare Krsna mantra, but his eyes are not tearful or there is no ecstatic shivering of the body, then that means he's not coming to the perfectional point.

So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra without offense, according to, and observing the regulative principles and numerical strength ... Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. The Gosvamis, in Vrndavana, they used to chant keeping in numerical strength. They were all liberated persons; still, for teaching us an example, they also used to chant keeping a numerical strength. Haridasa Thakura, he used to chant Hare Krsna mantra keeping a numerical strength -- 300,000 times. 300,000 times. So our prescription is only 25,000. Not 100,000. So it is not very difficult; it takes utmost 2 hours. We can find out, out of 24 hours, 2 hours. We can find out time. So if we actually follow the rules and regulations and chant Hare Krsna mantra, then these symptoms will come. Netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah. When this comes then you know that "I am coming to perfection." And if it is not coming, then it is to be understood the heart is steel-framed. Steel-framed. So it is steel only. Stone. Stone, if we keep our heart stone or steel-framed, then it cannot be melted. This... These symptoms mean heart is melting or changing. Purport, read.
Pradyumna: "We should note with profit that in the first three chapters of the Second Canto, a gradual process of development of devotional service is being presented..." [Type out or xerox purport, 2.1, pp.174-176]

Prabhupada: So this positive progress will be possible if we follow the instruction of the Vedas. Srila Rupa Gosvami has therefore said,

sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
 [BRS 1.2.101]

Sruti means Vedas, sastras. Sruti-smrti. And smrti means books which follow the Vedic principles. Vedas... Suppose you write one book, or anything. If it is just according to the Vedic conclusion, then it is also... It is called smrti. By remembering the Vedic conclusion... You cannot go beyond the Vedic conclusion. Then it is useless writing. Vedic conclusion must be there. The guide must be there. On that conclusion, if you write something, that is right, and if you deviate from that conclusion, then it is wrong. So we want to read authorized, right books. Not by imagination. You can write so many nonsense things by imagination. That is useless. You must remember what is the Vedic conclusion. So sruti-smrti-pancaratra-vidhim.

Pancaratra-vidhi, this arcana, temple worship, under the direction of Narada. So if one gives up all these regulative principles and wants to become a devotee, a writer, then Rupa Gosvami says, without the conclusive statement of the Vedas, smrtis and pancaratra-vidhi... Sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina [BRS 1.2.101], without following, aikantiki harer bhaktih, the show of a devotee, the aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate, it is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. So such things are happening. Now anyone is manufacturing his own way of self realization, and there are rascals who are supporting, that "Everyone, we are independent. We can find out our own way of worship." But Rupa Gosvami says, "This is simply creating disturbance." That is very natural to understand. Suppose here, in our temple, we have got some regulative principles. But if everyone says that "I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity," then what will be the condition?

It will be simply pandemonium. You see? So that is going on. Everyone is manufacturing a type of religion, meditation, without any reference to the authorized books. Sruti-smrti-puranadi [BRS 1.2.101]. Therefore, people are becoming atheists, no religion, no principles, and the whole world is in chaos due to this. So Rupa Gosvami has forbidden. And in Bhagavad-gita also it is said, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah: "Anyone who does not give respect to the authorized sastras, but he lives whimsically, according to his own way," na sa siddhim avapnoti, "Such kind of discovering new path of religious system, new path of this or that, he never gets perfection," na sa siddhim avapnoti, na sukham, "neither happiness." Na param gatim. Because our whole aim is how to get out of this material encagement and go back to the spiritual world, go back to home. That is the aim. That is called param gatim. Para means transcendental; gati means aim of life. Param gatim.

So those who are not following the authorized instructions, they are simply creating disturbance, and by such process one cannot be happy, neither perfect, and what to speak of going back to home, back to Godhead? We do not therefore accept anything which is not authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There is example that in India there is a tree, sagu, sagu(?) tree. I do not know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little jerking. Sagu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sagu tree. The tamarind tree is Vedic instruction, infallible, without any mistake. As I have given you several times the example that Vedas says that stool of animal is impure, and in another place it says that stool of cow is pure.

Now, if you, if you are a good logician, you can argue that "Stool of animal is impure. That is already said. Why you make ‘The stool of cow is pure'?" Oh, but that's a fact. You analyze the stool of cow. You'll find it is full of antiseptic properties. That is Vedic knowledge. It gives you right knowledge. You cannot conclude that "Stool of animal is impure, so why this animal's stool can be pure?" No. Vedic knowledge is so perfect that you can accept it as it is and you'll be profited. You'll profit. In the Vedic knowledge, the visnoh paramam padam. The supreme goal is Visnu. Om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah. This Rg Veda mantra. The, some rascals, scholars, so-called, they say, "These Vedas, these mantras, are some primitive. Now we are advanced. We shall create our own mantra." You see? This is going on. The primitive... Primitive, we have to study. Primitive means very, very old. So whether in the days gone by, people were actually happy or now they are happy?

Even if you say "primitive," the primitive life is very nice. Primitive life means simple life. Keeping pace with the nature's law. It is very nice. Primitive life ... It gives you anxiety-free life, and therefore, even if you take it as primitive, the saintly persons, sages, they used to live long, long years, and their brain was so sharp, because they were taking natural food, fruits, grains, and milk that helps to develop human brain for understanding subtle subject matter. So even Vyasadeva... You have seen the picture of Vyasadeva. He's writing books just near a cottage only. But he's writing. Nobody can create such literature. But he was leading very simple life, in a cottage. Even, say, 2,000 years ago or little more, there was Canakya Pandita. Canakya Pandita, he was a brahmana, but great politician. His politics are studied even now in M.A. class. And because he was a great politician, diplomat, under his name in our India, in New Delhi, the capital, there is a neighborhood which is called Canakya Puri, and all the foreign embassies are there.

Your American embassy is also there. So he was a great politician. But still, he was living in a cottage. He was not accepting any salary because he was brahmana. Brahmana cannot accept any salary. Just like you have accepted me as your acarya, but you do not pay me any salary. This is forbidden. The teacher will not accept salary. Then he comes down to the sudra platform. The sudra accepts salary. "I serve you, you pay me." And the brahmana will distribute knowledge freely, and the ksatriya will give protection to the brahmana. This is the system of Vedic system. Even in fifty years ago, education in India, there was no charges. A learned brahmana will sit down in corner of a neighborhood and all the children will come there. They will learn primary education. And the parents of the children will send, somebody will send rice, somebody will send dal... Just like we are maintaining, by collecting. Not here, but in Bombay, our center is collecting and distributing.

The whole system was that. Love exchange. I give you some service; you give me something, out of your love. Dadati pratigrhnati. Love means six symptoms. I give you something, you give me something. I give you something for eating, you also give me something for eating. Dadati pratigrhnati bhunkte bhojayate, guhyam akhyati prcchati. If I am in trouble, I express my mind, I open my mind before you, and you also try to help me. These are the six signs of love. That is Vedic civilization. Everything exchange of love. No business, mercantile. All right, let us have kirtana. Hare Krsna. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972

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