Lecture--Bengali – March 12, 1973, Calcutta

730312LE-CALCUTTA [22:30 Minutes]

Prabhupada: Pray for forgiveness, then you would be pardoned, there are no other alternatives. Then he return to Ambarish Maharaj after travelled whole Brahmanda [whole universe], visited all places of brahmand, imagine in what great speed he applied to visit all those places in a year, modern scientist are saying, to visit one of the higher planet with our present sputnik technology it may take forty thousand years, simply we can understand by the help of yogasiddhi he able to visit all the planets in one year, though he is a great siddha-yogi but not equal to a devotee of Lord.

Reason is Durbasha has to return to the lotus feet of Ambarish Maharaj and beg for his forgiveness. Ambarish Maharaj also a great Siddha Yogi, but always he think he is an insignificant entity. A devotee does not endeavour to become siddha-yogi, though there actions are much powerful than a Siddha-yogi.

As an example: If anyone abuses a rich mans son, father willing to spend any amount of wealth to punish the offender. Similarly Bhagavan is almighty, who completely surrendered and took the shelter of Lord's lotus feet, and then he does not require performing Yoga Siddha. Another name of Bhagavan is Yogeshwara. Master of mystic power, "yatra yogesvaraḥ krsno"

So a devotee does not require to be a sidha-yogi, the Master of mystic will protect him, an ordinary person working hard to earn thousands, millions or billions but a billionaires son does not need to work to earn money, why to look for employment? Everything is belongs to Bhagavan

In Bhagavad-gita it explains whoever taken shelter of the Lord being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty, because he don't see anything other than Bhagavan, even if he sees any danger or difficulties coming he accepts it as an arrangements of the Lord. Therefore he doesn't have anything to fear or anxiety.

The reason I explains when Hiranyakasipor was killed, by looking at ferocious form of Bhagavan Narasimhadeva, Lord Brahma, Laksmidevi, Lord Siva become terrified but Prahalad Maharaj who is just five years old boy, he is not frightened because he is a devotee.

When Bhagavan Narasimhadeva's form was ferocious and extremely angry, Lord Brahma and many other demigods were sang Vedic mantra and glorify the Lord to calm Him down and they failed, immediately Lord Brahma approach to Prahalad Maharaj, said our attempts were failure please you approach though you are very young and request Him to cool down, he will never refuse your requests, because you are a pure devotee.

At that time Prahalad Maharaj had sang many prayers to pacify Lord Narasimhadeva, today we discuss about some verses from those prayers.

Prahlada Maharaja said Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, and all the saintly persons, could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified.

If we would like to write a poem about Lord needs lots of deep thinking and concentration. Lord Brahma is known as "adi kavi" [original poet] of this Brahamanda. Brahma compose few hymn to pacify Lord Nrishimha deva, brahma-adayaḥ, sura-ganaḥ means the inhabitants of the upper planetary systems and munayaḥ the great saintly persons siddhaḥ who have attained perfection, all of them unable to pacify Lord. Sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaiḥ, uttering spiritual descriptions which will connect religiosity and it is pure, mundane words cannot satisfy Him. Sattvaik means full of knowledge, names of Lord, His activities, His quality, His family.

Whatever we pray to Lord is Kama main base of our prayer is thirst for worldly possessions, Bhagavan please give me. Most of population goes to demigod's temple, people generally go to demigods because quickly satisfied and gives benedictions to his devotees without consideration, in general the greater part of population visits demigods temple because prayers are fulfilled immediately.

Karmanam siddhi jajayanti anyadevata.. Many were praying to localize demigoddess such as mother Sitala, mother Mansa, or mother Durga, Rakhsa-Kali to fulfillment of one's heart's desire, they also promises if my desires were taken care willing to offer a goat for worship. These types of prayer is there sacrifice are call rajo guna, these are the influence of rajas tamas prayer,

One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by promoting oneself to the platform of suddha-sattva. All this can be automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the modes of nature.

Whoever got influence of rajas tamas they have two prominent things in their life, Kama and Lobha [lusty desire & hankering] and whoever under the mode of goodness they will become wise, their knowledge will be enlightened. They will understand Bhagavat Tattva; [the science of transcendental world] also realize relationship with Lord, after realizing when he is in the platform of suddha-sattva. Subject matter is Kama & Lobha

By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.

When a person pull towards to Bhagavat Dharma then all sattwa guna, rajo guna, tamo guna will be annihilated. Most of the population are influenced by rajo and tamo guna, almost very little influence of sattwa mode is left. Therefore prayers performed by Lord Brahma and all sura-ganaḥ they are not under the mode ignorance or lust, their prayers are mode of goodness.

Prahladh: That is the reason saying even though they are in mode of goodness and their prayer was pure, and their attempts were failure Him to cool down, then Brahma said: he will never refuse your requests, because you are a pure devotee.

Prahladh: naradhitum puru-gunair adhunapi pipruḥ kim tostum arhati sa me harir ugra-jateḥ, I am ugra-jateḥ-am born in an asuric family. My father Hiranyakasipu is personification of rajo-guna, full of kama and lobha. I am the son of him. What are you expecting from me? How can I be able to satisfy Him? This is the quality of a pure devotee of Lord, look at his humbleness.

He is [Prahlada Maharaja] such an exalted devotee, to kill Hiranyakasipu and protect His pure devotee Lord descended Himself. Prahlada is one of the highly elevated devotee and he is a Vaisnava Guru. In the community of Vaisnava there are twelve Mahajanas, among them he is one of Mahajana. Twelve Mahajana Sayambhu, Narada, Sambhu, Meaning of Sayambhu is Lord Brahma, who had taken birth on the Lotus flower, of course his father is Bhagavan, the Lotus flower appear from the navel of Bhagavan, Brahma has no relation with his mother, mother was sitting in front, mother Laxmi, but Bhagavan gave birth of Brahma not as an ordinary men and women meeting. By His sweet will he brought Lotus flower from His navel and Lord Brahma appear from her navel.

We now conclude that Bhagavan does not need any help from outsider for His activities. To beget a son we have to get married need a wife. There is proverb in Bengal "crying for a son who don't have a woman." If you need a son you must have woman, for Bhagavan he don't need any help from anyone.

If He need a son he do not require a wife, His wife Mother Laxmi massaging His lotus feet, Lord Narayana did not seek any help from Her. That's why His name is Almighty [sarva-saktiman] Almighty means He do not require any help from outsider, "parasya saktirvividhava" [Sri Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8].

He does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All his senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.

This is the original identity of Bhagavan, all His activities are natural and simple but His energy is always active, people have little knowledge they never realize the strength and activities of Lord.

Earlier many times we had discussed this subject matter, suppose if we would like to draw a beautiful rose flower, we have to get different colours, and brushes in addition to do the intensive hard work to get very close look of a roses though it never be as good as real rose. In other hand we can get thousands and millions of roses naturally blooming at the rose tree, by the strengths of Bhagavan everything are happening spontaneously.

We can realize from an electronic machine, press a button and it will work, difference between a foolish person and a scientist is scientist knows how the machine operates, foolish person thinks how we are typing here and it will type ten thousand miles away but scientist have knowledge about the electrical machines and how the electronics are operating within.
Similarly by the strengths of Bhagavan everything is happening, how it's happening only known by who has relationship with Bhagavan.

General public cannot comprehend; they are saying it is nature, spontaneously happening. As we know everything done by Bhagavan, this is brain of Bhagavan, who do not understand, their opinion Bhagavan is formless [nirakar], most of them acknowledge nature is doing everything. But background of nature is Bhagavan.

This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.

General public do not know secret of this and they do not realize importance of this, without fallowing this path they becomes demon mayayapahrta-jnana. This kind of knowledge, scientist or so called scientist they could not realize, other day at Madras I asked one scientist that your scientific process saying mixing of hydrogen and oxygen becomes water. This vast huge ocean how many tons of hydrogen and oxygen it requires and who had supplied? Where this water appeared? Do you have any evidence? He is just keep quit.

Is here any scientist present? Who can answer this how many million ton of hydrogen and oxygen supplied? Everyone agreed that water produced by the mixer of hydrogen and oxygen chemist are saying this, beside there are so many more other things are also is there, answers are there in Bhagavad-gita......

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-all together these eight constitute My separated material energies. Krishna saying, it is My separated material energy, it is My strength, My inconceivable strength, all these are happening by the strength of Bhagavan. That's why Prahlada Maharaj saying "brahmadayaḥ sura-gana munayo 'tha siddha sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaiḥ."

Pravahaiḥ, such as waves of river keep coming one after one, it's countless, similar way the great poet like Lord Brahma and other demigods to sing in praise of Lord, glorify the Lord in the mood of transcendental goodness. Everyone were praying in the mood of higher transcendental mood, no one were contaminated by even a tinny tinged of mode of passion or ignorance, and everyone failure to calm Him down, then what is my position that I am able to pacify Him. My body contaminated [rajas tamas guna] by modes of passion and ignorance, my father is fully contaminated person and I am influenced by him.

This is humility of a Vaisnava.Such as writer of Caitanya Caritamrta saying. purisera kita haite muni se laghistha, I am even lower than the worms in the stool. purisera kita haite muni se laghistha jagai madhai haite muni se papistha. I am very sinful person, I am thousand time sinner than Jagai and Madhai, Jagai Madhai was less sinner that's why Caitanya Mahaprabhu save them, whereas my position is lower than them, who will rescue me? This is the way he is showing his humility. He is not falsely exhibiting or displaying his humility.

A real Vaisnava always thinking he is fallen, a person is in a stage of maha-bhagavat always thinks everyone is doing [Bhagavat Seva] a great service to Lord except me. A neophyte devotee "kanistha adhicari" always thinks he is a great devotee, and all other lower than him.

A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a prakrta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position. These are the circumstances, na tad-bhaktesu canyesu sa bhaktaḥ prakrtaḥ smrtaḥ. Prahlada Maharaj is Maha-bhagavat, He is Mahajana "brahmadayaḥ sura-gana, Brahmaha is one of the Mahajana, there is twelve Mahajana, one of them is Prahlada Maharaj.

He is humiliating; He is not falsely exhibiting his humility. He perceiving himself that my father is contaminated [rajas tamas guna] by modes of passion and ignorance, my father is fully contaminated. Prahlada Maharaj saying: ugra-jateḥ... ugra-jateḥ means, contaminated by modes of passion and ignorance, whoever influenced by rajas tamas guna they always remain in state of cruel, violent and rough [ugra-jateḥ]. There mood is covered by rajas tamas guna and their opinion is, Yes, who is bigger than me? I am the greatest.

In the contrary person is under the influence of sattva guna whose consciousness are revealed in pure goodness is exhibiting eternally that Lord is greater than everything. That is the reason he always remain humble.

"One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. ln such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." [Siksastaka 3] "trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyaḥ sada hariḥ"

This is the difference between Bhagavat Bhakta and ugra-jateḥ That is the reason Prahlada Maharaja saying: everyone requesting me to utter prayer to pacify the Lord, but I have no qualifications, I born in demoniac family [ugra-jateḥ].

Prahlada Maharaja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him.

By this we understand to pacify Lord these qualifications are useless "manye dhanabhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-srutaujas" These ware we received by our previous pious activities. Beauty, aristocratic family, physical strength, influence, possess wealth, intelligence, luster, diligence, even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Lord.

If someone thinks I have lots of money, I will buy the Lord with my money, I am very learned, I can proof my literacy, I will utter Veda, Vedanta and able to achieve Bhagavan or with my bodily strength, these are all material wealth, that is reason Prahlada Maharaja saying: "dhan abhijana -rūpa-tapaḥ-srutaujas-tejaḥ-prabhava-bala-paurusa-buddhi-yogaḥ" These were all material wealth, He is saying: naradhanaya hi bhavanti parasya pumso.

He is Aprakrta Bhagavan means non material substance; He is not Prakrta "parasya pumso" that means Bhagavan is not from this material world. This is also commented by Sri Sankaracharya though His commentary is not matching with Vaisnava philosophy He said "Narayana Para vaktyat", and Lord Krishna saying:

Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be. Although appearing like a human and dalliance, foolish people thinks I am also a human being. Therefore it is not possible pacify Bhagavan with any mundane matter.

You can mesmerize people if you have wealth, with money you can enslave people, or if you have aristocracy, such as if you are from a rich family, many people would like give their son or daughter and get married with your family, suppose if you are very handsome many people will attached with your beauty, these are all material wealth, business in this world can be carry on with these wealth, but if you would like to achieve Bhagavan then it's saying "bhaktya tutosa bhagavan gaja-yūtha-paya" the elephant when he was in dangers condition, He call Bhagavan, the reason Bhagavan save Him because He was calling Bhagavan with devotion, although He was an animal not even human.

Such as Hanuman He is not human, family of monkey, His devotion is so pure, He become famous as Ram-Bhakta, His status is high even today people worship Him as Bajrangbali. Bhagavan Himself saying:

One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. To achieve Bhagavan you need bhakti, all substances from this material world is useless, is that means do we have to reject all material things, everything? No, Devotees knew how to utilized everything for Bhagavan, devotees knew everything is belongs to Bhagavan. This is the reality.

This is what I was explaining earlier:

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-all together these eight constitute My separated material energies. This earth, water, sky, fire, air, five elements, Bhagavan saying these are belongs to Me.

Therefore we collect wood, stone, water and build building, house, bed, or furniture similarly we creates many wealth. In fact the original raw materials belongs to Bhagavan, from huge part of stone we create house spend lots of money but that piece of stone comes from where? Is there any factory producing stone? Who produced it? Yes Bhagavan is the producer, then the stone belongs to Bhagavan, you belong to the property of Bhagavan. Your intelligent belongs to Bhagavan. Therefore whole items were belongs to Bhagavan, then who is the owner of the house? How could you claim it's belongs to you. So this is illusion. General public did not aware of this.

Devotee of Lord has complete knowledge about this, he knows everything belongs to Bhagavan; even I am the property of Him, He is the owner of whole universe. This is Calcutta City why it has so reputation? Here we got lots of population and many of them are collectively using intelligent to produce skyscraper buildings, cars, factory, but in reality they are all living entity part and parcel of the Lord, and the raw material using such as wood, stone, these are natural products and it is too part and parcel of the Lord, amalgamation of these two items everything are produced. Therefore original owner is Bhagavan. This is call intellectual statements.

By our material intelligent someone may becomes a scientist, and start manufacturing big big projects but that intelligent comes from Bhagavan, and if by any reason brain stop performing properly. Other day I saw Dr. Radhakrishnan, at Madras, he was a great President, a great Philosopher, he lost his memory, he cannot recognize anyone, where is gone his intelligent? Where is his presidency? Because the strength was given to him it was withdrawn. Therefore he becomes a toy; someone has to feed him, even he not able to ask anything. He got lots of money, everyone taking care of him but......

Therefore till we have the facility of our intelligence and understood that everything are belongs to Bhagavan and I am also His property, for that reason we should serve Bhagavan and this is the only goal of life, this is call Krishna Consciousness. This is what we teach everyone, these wisdoms we are trying to spread all over the world.

Those are clever who were comprehend the whole, they are accepting, we are requesting you too accept this, these wealth are your won and local, why should you reject them, rejecting such wealth is stupidity. Who got little knowledge they will refuse to accept...

Only claver person ... "Krishna ye bhaje sey baro catura", who fallows the path of Krishna Consciousness they are very claver. Unless someone smart will never accept Krishna Consciousness. "mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ"

"'Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the sastras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahajanas advocate.'

Therefore "mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ" Prahlada Maharaj is mahajano, He was very clever person and he had proved which is the correct way to achieve devotion, we may not have that intelligence but if we fallow the footsteps of Prahlada Maharaj the way he did His activities, the way he did His devotional services, I have no intelligence, but we can follow.

Such as a foolish person do not know what is engineering but an engineer knew how a machine operates, similarly "mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ" if we fallow the footsteps of a mahajano if we take a shelter of Bhagavan, then we will realize that we had our eternal relationship with Bhagavan, then our life is in success.

Thank you..

Please ask any question if you have.. [end]