680803SB.MON
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6

Montreal, August 3, 1968
Prabhupada:
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]
dhyeyam sada paribhava-ghnam abhista-doham
tirthaspadam siva-virinci-nutam saranyam
bhrtyarti-ham pranata-pala bhavabdhi-potam
vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam
[SB 11.5.33]
tyaktva su-dustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim
dharmistha arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam
maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad
vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam
[SB 11.5.34]
[O my dear Krsna, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopis, especially Radharani. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
[I offer my respects to Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krsna.]
I am very glad that these girls, with great difficulty you come to this class. I very much thank you. This is ahaituky apratihata. The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No. Anyone in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lordif he desires.
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]
The real aim of life is how to get satisfaction, full, complete satisfaction. And that satisfaction, complete satisfaction, can be achieved only by prosecution of devotional service. There is no other method. If you want to be happy, free from all cares and anxieties, then you have to engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord. That will make you free from all material anxieties and all material miseries. We are all seeking after that position, how to become completely happy. Our whole struggle for existence... Anyone, in any place, any country, they are all struggling for existence, either human being or animal or birds or beasts, how to become happy. This happiness of the mind, atma, is only possible when we are engaged in Krsna consciousness. That is the only remedy. There is no other alternative.
So Lord Krsna said that,
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]
"My dear Arjuna, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of execution of real purpose of life..." That is called dharma. Dharma, this word, either you take it "religion" or "duty" or "nature," as you like, but, as explained before, dharma means your actual, constitutional position. It is nothing artificial. The example again I am repeating: just like fire is hot, warm. Fire has light. You cannot separate light from fire or heat from fire. Therefore heat and light is dharma. That is its real religion. So our dharma, living entity, that is defined very nicely by Lord Caitanya. Our dharma, or religion, is to obey the orders of the Supreme Lord, to become, to engage ourself in the loving, transcendental service of the Lord. Whenever this principle is crippled or checked by our material activities...
Just like at the present age they have no idea what is God. They are asking, "What is God?" and they are proud of their education. Just see. This is the godless result of godless civilization. This is discrepancy of dharma. So at this age, at this stage, when people have forgotten God, when they are speaking that "God is dead," now this Bhagavad-gita or this Hare Krsna mantra has descended, just like Krsna says,
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]
"At that time, I appear." So this is... Krsna has appeared in His holy name, Hare Krsna. There is no difference between this holy name Krsna and the person Krsna, because Krsna is absolute. There is no difference between His name, between His form, between His quality, between His pastimes, between His abode, between His entourage. There is no such difference. Materially there is difference. I am Indian, I am person, and my place, India, is different. You are American. This is all designation of this body. So Krsna says that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7].
Now, this srjami, this word, is used in Sanskrit: "something manufactured." Something manufactured. Just like I make this spectacle case. Or you make. This is called srjami. But actually we understand like that, but here srjami, this word, as explained by Baladeva Vidyabhusana, a learned scholar who said that srjami means prakatami(?), "I appear." Now, if you say this word means manufactured... The Mayavadi philosophers, they take advantage of this word, and they say that "Krsna or anyone," I mean to say, "incarnation of God, that is created." That means they understand that as so many material things are created... Anything which we find here in this room, that is created. This dictaphone, this microphone or anything, that is created. But here, if you say this word in that sense, that "Krsna is created. Anything created, that is material. Therefore Krsna is also material," then you will be in misunderstanding. Here...
Just like if you say that "I create," that means you exist before creation. Is it not? If I say, "I have created this glass case, spectacle case," that means before creation of this case, I was existing. You cannot deny it. So how this is possible, that if this case says that "I have created this case?" No, that is not... One cannot say, "I have created myself." It is impossible. Similarly, when Krsna says that "I...," tadatmanam srjamy aham... This atmanam means body, atmanam means the mind, or atmanam means the soul. But He is the supreme soul, so how He creates His soul. And He is nondifferent, absolute. Therefore the interpretation given by Baladeva Vidyabhusana, that "I create" means "I appear..." "I create my appearance." Just like sun creates its appearance. The sun is there already, but when sun appears, it means that you can say like that, that "Sun creates its appearance."
And why does He create or appear? That is explained in the next verse,
"In every millennium, every yuga..." There are different periods, just like in the whole year there are different periods in your country called summer, winter, fall, spring. They are coming by rotation. Similarly, there is rotation of time which is divided into four millenniums called Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. So Krsna says that dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge. Now, one may inquire that "Krsna appeared in the Treta-yuga. And when He is going to appear in the Kali-yuga?" That is also mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there are three different incarnations mentioned in the Bhagavatam or any other authentic Vedic literature. One incarnation is Lord Buddha, and another incarnation is Lord Caitanya, and another incarnation, in the last stage of this age, is Kalki, so far we get from the authority of Bhagavatam.
So we have to accept according to the authentic scripture who is incarnation. We cannot accept anyone who claims that "I am also incarnation." No. In the sastras there are symptoms foretold of the incarnation. Just like about Lord Buddha there is mention, "In such and such place, in such and such form, in such and such activity, Lord Buddha will appear." Similarly, about Lord Caitanya is there. Similarly, there is a description about Kalki. So far Lord Buddha is concerned, in the Bhagavatam the name of the mother of Lord Buddha is mentioned. And the activities is also mentioned. What are his activities? The activities are not very pleasant. Sammohaya sura-dvisam: [SB 1.3.24] "The Lord will appear as Buddha in order to sammohaya, bewilder, the atheist class of men." Atheist class of... His activities were to cover the atheist class of men, those who do not believe in God. Yes. Lord Buddha said, "Yes, there is no God. There is no God. There is void only. But you believe me, what I say." Just see. He is incarnation of God, and the people amongst whom he is preaching, to them he is saying, "There is no God," but he is God.
Is it not a process of cheating? Yes. So this process of cheating is not exactly cheating; it is for the welfare of the so-called atheistic persons. Just like sometimes father cheats the son. The son is insisting to get one thousand-dollar note, and the father asking, "My dear son, please deliver it." "No, I shall not." So father gives him one lozenges: "My dear son, will you like to take this lozenges?" "Yes, give me." "But you must have to give me that paper." "All right, take." So this kind... [break] ...is not actually cheating, but father knows that "This boy will destroy this one thousand dollars, so it is necessary to give him that two-cent-worth lozenges and take out that one hundred-or thousand-dollar-worth paper." Similarly, when people become too much atheistic, so, in order to bring them back to the understanding of God, there is sometimes necessity like this.
Now, those who follow the Buddha philosophy, they say that "There is no soul. There is no God." But there are thousands and thousands of temples of Lord Buddha, and they worship. Especially in the countries like Japan and China and Burma there are thousands of temples, and they exactly worship in the same way as we are worshiping Jagannatha. The lamp is given, the candle is burned, they offer very respectfully, and there are brahmacaris, sannyasis. The whole principles is there. But officially, there is no question of God. So this is mentioned in the Bhagavata. Similarly, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is also mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
Now, Krsna will appear in the Kali-yuga. His symptoms are this. Just like Lord Buddha's symptoms were described, similarly, Lord Caitanya's symptoms are also described. What is that? That krsna-varnam: "He belongs to the category of Krsna Himself," or, in other words, "He is always chanting 'Krsna.' " Krsnam varnayati, krsna-varnam. Krsna... His business is simply to chant Hare Krsna. Krsna is chanting Hare Krsna. Krsna-varnam. And tvisa akrsnam: "By His... But His complexion is not krsna, black." Lord Caitanya appearedvery fair complexion, very nice, golden color. You have got pictures of Lord Caitanya, very beautiful. He was very beautiful figure. Krsna-varnam tvisa... Tvisa means "by His complexion." Akrsna. Therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara means "very fair complexion." Sundara means beautiful, and gaura means fair. The another name is Gaurasundara, or Gauranga, "whose body is very fair."
So krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam: [SB 11.5.32] "He is always accompanied by some associates," especially Lord Nityananda, Lord Advaita, Srivasa, Haridasa, like that. You have seen the pictures. He is chanting and dancing with the associates and others. When Lord Caitanya was present, whenever He would go, wherever He would go and..., His attitude was dancing: "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna..." And He was so beautiful and attractive that people would follow. Thousands and thousands people will follow, chanting Hare Krsna. Even Lord..., Nawab Hussein Shah... And when He started this movement in Bengal He was a boy of twenty years old. So so many people were following. So Nawab Hussein Shah inquired his minister, "Who is this person, that He is chanting Hare Krsna and so many people are following Him?" So the minister was Hindu. He thought that "He is Muhammadan king, so he may not like this movement." Therefore he wanted to hide it: "My Lord, you have misinformed. He is not very important. Some, I mean to say, people are crazy fellows. They are following. Not... A few only, not many." The Nawab replied, "No, I know it certainly, but you don't try to hide the facts. He must be a great personality. Otherwise so many people are following Him?" That was his remark.
Similarly, Lord Caitanya, wherever He went, that was... Sangopangastra-parsadam: "always followed by many associates." These are the symptoms. And how to worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, in this age? Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah: [SB 11.5.32] "This form of the Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the intelligent class of men." Su-medhasah. Su means very good, and medhasah means brain, brain substance. One who has got very good brain substance, they will understand this sankirtana movement nicely. Just like in our India, especially in Bengal, sometimes they say a dull-brained man, "Oh, you have got cow dung within your brain. You have no brain substance." Actually a man becomes intelligent by the greater amount of brain substance. It is a psychological fact. It is called celebrum... Doctor knows. What is called?
Doctor: Cerebrum.
Devotee: Cerebrum cortex.
Prabhupada: Yes. So psychology... I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class (laughs) is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact.
Anyway, the word su-medhasah... Su-medhasah means one who has got good brain substance. But one thing I must explain here. So far spiritual life is concerned, it does not depend on the material brain substance. It is different thing. It is spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with this bodily construction. You must remember. We don't make any distinction that a man can be better Krsna consciousness than woman. No. A woman can be better Krsna consciousness because they are very simple. They can accept any religious system. Generally the women, they accept it because they are very simple. They have no crooked mind. Sometimes they are exploited therefore. So in the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, although in the material... Just like the bodily construction of man is different from woman, similarly, the brain substance may be also different, but that does not disqualify any woman for spiritual advancement in Krsna consciousness. That is clearly defined in the Bhagavad-gita.
mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te 'pi yanti param gatim
[Bg. 9.32]
"It doesn't matter whether one is woman or a mercantile class of man or a sudra. It doesn't matter." Because these classes are understood less intelligent. But Krsna is opening the path for everyone. Mam hi partha vyapasritya. If one accepts Krsna very seriously, vyapasritya... Vi-purvaka... Vi means... Vi means specifically, vi, visesanam, visesanam, particularly. Asritya, if he takes shelter of Krsna specifically, then either he may be woman or he may be sudra, or laborer class, or may be mercantile class. It doesn't matter. He or she can go to the highest perfection.
Kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha [Bg. 9.33]. Punya. Kim punar brahmanah punyah. And what to speak of the intelligent class? Even this class also elevated to the highest position. So there is no such question. But here the word used, su-medhasah, in the particular sense that for worship of God there are different methods, different religious systems, different methods, different churches, different mosques, different temples. Even accepting that this is Hindu philosophy, so Hindus, they have got many different processes. I think the Hindus have got so many different processes that it can outnumber all the different processes of the world. They have got so many processes.
So su-medhasah means for executing religious life, for achieving the highest perfection of life, one must be very intelligent. A fool cannot achieve the highest perfection of life. Just like a fool cannot be very prosperous even in this material world, similarly, a fool also cannot make any progress in the spiritual world. So su-medhasah means one should be little intelligent. What is that intelligence? Now, if I have got the easiest path to achieve the highest perfection of life, why shall I take a path which is not very sure? This intelligence required.
Now, Lord Caitanya, as He is described, if you accept... We are explaining that paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam, sambhavami yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. So Lord appears in this age also. And according to sastra, authentic scripture, He has appeared as Lord Caitanya. So if we accept this principle on the method of authentic scripture, that is our intelligence. That is our intelligence, not that you have to become a great psychologist or a great scientist or mathematician. No. You have to take the orders of the authority. Just like you are driving car. It is written there, "Keep to the right." It does not require a very nice intelligence. You keep your car to the right; you are all right. But if you go to the left, you are fool number one. Why? It is di..., written there, "Keep to the right." Why you go to the left? That means you are fool number one. So this much intelligence we must have, that "Here is police direction, 'Keep to the right.' Why shall I go to the left?" This much intelligence can be had by any common man. So similarly, if the sastra says that yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32], that "Those who are intelligent, they will perform worship of the Lord by chanting Hare Krsna," this yajna...
Yajna means anything sacrificed for the satisfaction of Visnu. That is called yajna. Yajna means to satisfy the Supreme Lord Visnu. That is yajna. Now, in this age the Supreme Lord is satisfied simply by sankirtana, or congregational chanting: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is mentioned in the sastra.
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]
In this age of disagreement there is no possibility of executing different process of self-realization. No. They say that there are as many paths as one can manufacture. It may be true. But in this age, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha: "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this age." Therefore an intelligent man will take up this Krsna consciousness movement. That is the test of one's intelligence. And it is very easy. And by simply chanting Hare Krsna you gradually develop your Krsna consciousness to the highest platform. So one who has accepted the simply method recommended for this age, he is called the intelligent. That is required. That much intelligence we must have.
So it is quarter past eight. I will stop here. Next meeting we shall explain further. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. [break]
This is the plain fact. What do you think, Dr...? It is very challenging, (chuckling) that we are challenging everyone, that "You are not intelligent because you are not coming to this class." Do you agree with this statement?
Doctor: (indistinct)
Prabhupada: Now, when you say that "Why do you say like that, 'Only persons who are joining this movement, they are intelligent and others are not intelligent?' " that is our challenge. Now you can defend on behalf of those who do not accept this proposal. This is my challenge. This is a fact. As I... Now you can talk. It is very intelligent question also. And Janardana will reply.
Doctor: Nothing like this taken thrice (indistinct), it might happen (indistinct). That experience (indistinct).
Prabhupada: No, if... Our proposal is the sankirtanaih, the chanting, chanting of the holy name. So if somebody takes this principles, that "Well, we have got our holy name of God. We shall chant that holy name of God," so we have no objection. So that is not our objection. Our objection... Our submission is that "You chant the holy name." Just like Lord Caitanya said, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. The sastra says. So it does not mean harer nama is only Krsna. If you have got any other name of Hari, the Supreme Personality of... But that name must be actually the name of the Supreme Personality of God, as it is recognized by scripture.
You may have our own scriptures, but if you have a name sanctioned by the scripture, that "This is the name of God," just like in Jewish scripture they say Jehovah... Similarly, in Christian scripture, if you have got name... Just like Buddhists, they have got God or the Supremethey accept Lord Buddha. Similarly, if you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant. We are not insisting that you chant Krsna. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant Krsna? This is not very bad proposal. Any intelligent man... If you have, you chant. Our Lord Caitanya says that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih, bahudha nija-sarva-sak..., tatrarpita niyamitah smarane. There are many names. As there are many potencies, there are many names also. Just like take for Krsna. So Krsna is not understood simply by uttering this word "Krsna." Krsna is understood if you call "Govinda." That is also Krsna. If you call "Madhava," He is also Krsna. If you call "Vamsi-vadana," He's also Krsna. So the aim should be that it is God's name or the Supreme Lord's name. If the name is different in vibration or form, it does not matter. (aside:) Yes, you can come in. Why you are standing there? Yes?
Guest: Is it simply the nature of the name Krsna that this particular name is the most powerful?
Prabhupada: Yes. God... God's name is according to His action, God's name. Just like Krsna. This "Krsna" name is given... That is explained also.
Krsna's name... Krs means to become, to appear. Bhu-vacakah. Or attraction. We have got attraction for material enjoying, and nas ca nirvrti-vacakah. Na means ananda. Another meaning is negation. So "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who, by His attractive features, by attraction of His bodily beauty, by attraction of His opulence, by attraction of His pastimes, so many things..." Krsna is all-attractive. And one who is all-attractive, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the meaning of "Krsna."
Similarly, "Govinda." That also has meaning. Go means cow, go means senses, and go means land. So in these three features Krsna can be applied. He gives pleasure to the senses; therefore He's Govinda. He's very kind to the cows; therefore He's Govinda. He is the proprietor of all land; therefore He's Govinda. So in this way "Govinda" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "Krsna" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, if you have got any word which means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you can chant.
Devotee (1): Just like you mentioned (indistinct) that we chant the name of Rama.
Prabhupada: The Rama, that is also God's name.
ramante yogino 'nante
satyanande cid-atmani
iti rama-padenasau
param brahmabhidhiyate
[Cc. Madhya 9.29]
Ram means enjoy. We want enjoyment, but we do not know how we can have permanent enjoyment. When you have got permanent enjoyment by reciprocation of transaction with the Supreme, then that particular accepter of our reciprocation is called Rama. That means by... We enjoy the loving exchange between God and ourselves. That position is called rama. But if you have no idea what is God, how we can exchange our feelings, then there is no question of rama. Rama means when we are in position of exchanging our loving attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then He's known as Rama. The capacity in which He accepts our service, loving service, is called Rama, ramante.
Guest (2): You say that (indistinct) speaking of Rama (indistinct) Just people who (indistinct) Now I don't know...
Prabhupada: Why do you not understand? If I say that "If you give me three dollars, I shall give you this," then what is the difficulty to understand? Eh?
Guest (2): Yes. Is it just... Is it just in the potency of the name? Is that?
Prabhupada: No. As there are different things of different value, similarly, in each name there are potencies of the Lord. But there is degrees of potency. Just like rama-lila and krsna-lila, pastimes. Both of them are the same thing, God. But in the rama-lila you find less potential exhibition of the Lord, but in krsna-lila you find full potential manifestation of Lord. So degrees of potency... Although it does not mean the Rama is less potent. No. Rama is also the same potency. But under circumstances He exhibits a partial potency, not full potency. But krsna-lila, you will find full potency.
Just like Rama, Lord Ramacandra. He married only one wife, Sita. But Krsna married 16,108. Now, if you question why Rama is so moralist or whatever you likeHe is sticking to one wifeand Krsna is marrying sixteen thousand, that means you will... We say that God is omnipotent. That is a, I mean to say, qualification of God. So He is showing His omnipotency. That means why sixteen thousand? If He marries sixteen millions, sixteen billions, still, He is potent, full-fledged potency. So we cannot imagine even that how a person can marry sixteen thousand wives. This is inconceivable potency, to give an example of His inconceivable potency. And Rama presented Himself as an ideal king. He did not manifest Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from symptoms of authentic literature we understand that He is God. But Krsna personally said that "I am the Supreme Personality of God." Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no superior truth beyond Me." The Ramacandra never said that, that... He never said that "I am God." But those who are intelligent, they understood that He is God.
Pradyumna: I'd like to ask you about something, er, about the eternally conditioned souls and eternally liberated souls. I'd like to know what's the meaning of eternal in both those statements.
Prabhupada: Eternal means those who have not come in contact with this material nature. There are living entities, I mean to say, many, many more times than the living entities who are within this material world. They are in the spiritual world. Just like the number of population outside the prison house is very great, and the number of population within prison house is very small, this material world is supposed to be the prison house. Those who are condemned, those who want to try to lord it over, they are imprisoned within the walls of material universe. So their number is very small. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that ekamsena sthito jagat: [Bg. 10.42] "It is only a portion of My creation, little portion." This unlimited number of universes and their unlimited number of planets, and, in each planet, unlimited number of living entitiesall taken together is only a fractional demonstration, manifestation of the potency of the Lord. The major manifestation is in the spiritual world. So they are all liberated, nitya-mukta.
All right. Have kirtana. Chant. (end)

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