|
710224CC.BOM
Hamsaduta: The lecture was recorded the morning of 24th March, 1971, at Akasha Ganga, Bombay.
Prabhupada:
We have explained this verse yesterday, that in order to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhakti, devotional service is required. And in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, bhaktya mam abhijanati: [Bg. 18.55] "Simply through devotional service one can understand Me." Not through knowledge, not through fruitive activities. There are various types of men. The lowest stage is the karmis. Karmis means those who are working very hard for sense gratification. They are called karmis. And the next stage is the jnani. Wiser than the karmis, they try to realize the value of life, what is the value of life. Not that blindly, simply working hard day and night. Actually, human form of life is not meant for that purpose, to work so hard. Because the animals... Our tendency is also... Therefore the capitalists and the laborer class are there. Actually, we do not want to work hard. That is our tendency. But we want more profit for sense gratification. Therefore we utilize other's service, who will work for me, and I shall take the profit. This is the defect of modern civilization. Actually, my tendency is... Just like when a man gets some money, he does not work very much. He takes some profit, either keeping in the bank some balance, and lives in a comfortable place. That is the tendency. Because we are spiritual entities, our natural tendency is to enjoy life. Spiritual entities means by nature, anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12); by nature, they want to enjoy life. Ananda-mayo 'bhyasat. That is the spiritual nature. As Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is by nature joyful, similarly, we being part and parcel of Krsna, we are also by nature joyful. But unfortunately, we have been put into such condition, material condition, that we are trying to enjoy life in this material condition. That is not possible. So karmis, they are trying their best to make material adjustments and enjoy life. They are called karmis. But when they are wiser, that "We have worked so hard, but actually we could not enjoy life. Then what is the problem of life?" that is the platform of the jnanis and the yogis.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that these karmis, the jnanis... In another place, in His instruction to Rupa Gosvami, He has said that in the human society there are different kinds of people. Out of that, those who are followers of the Vedic civilization, they are supposed to be first-class human being. So out of the followers of Vedic civilization, mostly they say that "We are followers of Vedic civilization," but actually they do not do. Actually, they, I mean to say, indulge in anything which is not sanctioned by the Vedic knowledge or Vedic scriptures. Take, for example, that in our Vedic civilization, these four things are prohibited: illicit sex life, animal-killing, intoxication, and gambling. This is the preliminary understanding. Especially those who are higher castebrahmana, ksatriya, vaisyathey are strictly forbidden. That is the Vedic injunction. But although we pose ourself followers of Vedic injunction, we indulge in these things. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "Most people, they call themselves as followers of Vedic civilization, but actually they do not obey all the rules and regulations." Then again He says that "Persons who are actually trying to follow the Vedic rules and regulations, mostly they are karmis." Karmis means they are attracted by the ritualistic ceremonies just like performing great sacrifices, yajna, for elevating oneself to the higher planetary system. They are called karmis. "And above them," He says, "out of many thousands of karmis, one person is jnani or yogi. So out of many such jnanis, one person may be a mukta, or liberated soul. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, there may be one devotee of Krsna." That is the division Caitanya Mahaprabhu makes.
Therefore, to become a person Krsna conscious, a Krsna conscious person, from the systematic way, it is very difficult. But by the mercy of Krsna Himself, He has made the path very easy. Otherwise, Krsna consciousness is not very easy path. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Therefore Krsna says,
Simply by devotional service, one becomes purified even he is born in the family of the dog-eaters. That is the Vedic version. Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Ataeva bhakti krsna praptyera. Therefore He concludes that "If you want at all Krsna..." Krsna... We should, everyone should want Krsna. Because as soon as we get Krsna... Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. If actually we get Krsna, then we shall not consider any other profit more valuable than Krsna. Just like Dhruva Maharaja. Dhruva Maharaja went to practice yoga in the forest, Madhuvana. The idea was to get the kingdom of the father. Now, actually when he saw Krsna, Visnu... The picture is here. You can see. Actually when he saw by his severe austerities and penances..., a small boy, five-years-old boy, then he said, "My dear Lord, now when You offer benediction that 'You take whatever benediction you want, you take from Me,' " he said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. That is the process. If one gets Krsna, he thinks that no more any other benediction is required. He becomes fully satisfied. Svamin krtartho 'smi: "I am fully satisfied." Therefore we find a Krsna-bhakta is always satisfied because he has no demand.
In other place Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, krsna bhakta niskama ataeva santa [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. So long you have got demands to fulfill your desires, you cannot be happy. Krsna bhakta, krsna bhakta has no demand. They do not demand that "Krsna, favor me in this way or that way." No. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. They are completely free from demanding anything from Krsna. That is Krsna, pure devotee. Krsna bhakta niskama ataeva santa. Therefore they are pacified, they are peaceful. And bhukti mukti siddhi kami sakali asanta. Bhukti means these karmis, they want elevated life of sense gratification, bhukti. That is called bhukti. From bhoga, bhukti. Bhukti or mukti, liberation. They are also not, I mean to say, peaceful because they are making sadhana, austerities, penances, to get liberation. There is demand, that "I shall be liberated." So there is demand. So the karmis, they have also demand; the jnanis, they have also demand; and the yogis, they have also demand because they want siddhi, eight kinds of siddhis. Anima, laghima. A yogi can become very light. They can become the smallest. Such siddhis, such mystic powers, they can attain. So they have also demand. They are trying to get some material perfection. Just like flying in the sky or walking on the waterthese things are very wonderful, and people are very much amazed. If you can walk on the water, so many followers you will get immediately. That is a wonderful thing for common man.
So they yogis want these mystic powers. Therefore they have also demand. Muktis, the jnanis, they have also demand; the karmis also have the demand. But the bhaktas... Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the ideal bhakta. He's teaching us how to become exceptionally perfect devotee. So He says in His Siksastaka, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. "I do not want riches," na dhanam. Na janam, "I do not want number of followers." Na dhanam na janam na kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. "I do not want very beautiful, nice, poetic wife." Mama janmani janmanisvare. Janmani janmani means He does not want even liberation, because when there is liberation, there is no question of janmani janmani. So He says, mama janmani janmani isvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. So this is the sample of pure devotee. A pure devotee does not want even liberation. Diyamanam na grhnanti. If liberation is offered to a devotee, he does not want it. He'll refuse to accept it. He is satisfied only in the service of the Lord. That is the standard of satisfac... Or in other words, to a devotee, liberation is not very valuable thing. Just like our one devotee, Prakasananda Sarasvati... No, Prabodhananda Sarasvati. He says, kaivalyam narakayate tridasa-pur akasa-puspayate. Like that. So devotee's position is very sublime. Devotee's position is the most exalted, transcendental position of a pure devotee who does not want anything except Krsna.
That is...
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ataeva bhakti krsna praptyera. The conclusion is that if you want Krsna, then you have to take the path of devotional service. That will help you. And that bhakti is technically known as abhidheya. That is the technical..., abhidheya. Abhidheya means discharging one's duty. That is abhidheya, or the performance of the means by which one can reach the ultimate goal of life. That is called abhidheya.
He says that "If a poor man gets some money, not only he becomes happy, but the symptoms of his poverty is also immediately vanquished." Just like a poor man gets, say, ten lakhs of rupees. Immediately he'll have a nice bungalow, he'll have two, three cars, and so many other opulences. So simultaneously, the distress out of his poverty-stricken life is also vanquished, and there are symptoms of sukha, symptoms of happiness. We suppose like that. If a man has got a car, we think he's very happy. But this is a symptom of happiness. A poor man cannot get a car, but a rich man cannot get... If one has got a car, it is understood that he is rich man. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that automatically the symptoms of happiness come unto him, and his distress of material condition simultaneously becomes vanquished if one is elevated to the position of devotional service. That is the test. That is the test of how one is advanced in devotional service. This is the test. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca [SB 11.2.42]. He is no more interested in material happiness. He is fully satisfied with Krsna. Taiche bhakti-phale krsne prema upajaya. Krsna bhakti-phale. These, by the, as a result of krsna-bhakti, devotional service... The same devotional service for the neophyte and the same devotional service for the advanced devotee, but the advanced devotee enjoys life, but the neophyte devotee simply practices. That is the difference. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives the example: just like mango. The mango remains the same, but in the unripe stage the taste is little different, whereas in the ripened stage the taste is different. So bhakti in the beginning maybe tastes a little pungent. One may feel very inconvenient to discharge devotional service according to the rules and regulations of the sastra. But when he is advanced, the same service will appear to be very palatable, very relishable.
yam labdhva caparam labham
manyate nadhikam tatah yasmin sthite gurunapi duhkhena na vicalyate [Bg. 6.20-23] So devotional service... Because it is transcendental, pure, spiritual, and we are, every one of us, hankering after to be elevated to the spiritual stage of life because we are spiritual entities. The same example, as I have repeatedly explained, that if you take a fish out of the water, however you may keep comfortably on the land, it will never be happy unless and until it is again thrown in the water. Similarly, we are all spiritual sparks, part and parcel of Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. So however we may try to make ourself happy by material adjustment, it is not possible. We must turn to the spiritual life, or devotional... Spiritual life means devotional service. That is real spiritual life. As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mam ca vyabhicarini-bhakti-yogena yah sevate. "One who is engaged in bhakti-yoga service," sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26], "he's already in the Brahman stage." People cannot understand how bhakti is on the Brahman platform. But here the Lord Himself says, brahma-bhuyaya kalpate.
So when one is elevated in the platform of devotional service, it is not that he gets some material happiness, that is the result. No. Material happiness automatically comes to him. Material happiness..., a devotee is not bereft of material happiness. Automatically (it) comes to him.
So that is not the ultimate goal of a devotee's life. A devotee's ultimate goal of life: how he becomes, I mean to say, a lover of the Supreme Lord. The example are the gopis, or the inhabitants of Vrndavana. They had no other desire. They simply wanted to love Krsna. They wanted to see Krsna very happy. That feeling of happiness, that thinking of Krsna, that is the highest perfection of life. Always, constantly thinking of Krsna. That was their happiness. They did not try to derive any material happiness by loving Krsna. There was no such thing. That is pure love.
So we should be trying for that position when we shall relish what is the position by loving Krsna, by loving God.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu concludes again that we are after dhana. Dhana are riches. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that Krsna and krsna-bhakti, devotional service, and love of Krsna, these three items are the topmost riches of our life. Vedadi sakala sastre krsna-bhakti, devotional service, and love of Krsna, these three items are the topmost riches of our life.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu further says that the purpose of studying Vedas means to understand Krsna. And as soon as one understands Krsna, automatically the tinges of maya, the influence of maya, automatically becomes vanquished. That is also stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam..., er, Bhagavad-gita, that,
"It is very difficult to surmount the stringent laws of material nature, but anyone who surrenders unto Me, very easily, automatically, simultaneously he becomes freed from the contamination of maya."
Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "Directly or indirectly, whichever Vedic literature you study, you'll find that the aim is to understand Krsna." When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was speaking, He proved that in the Koran there is krsna-bhakti. When He was coming back from Vrndavana, at a place... It is known as Soro. Perhaps you know, Soro. That is a holy place, Soro. Still, people go there. There is a nice place, Soro. So there Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was chanting and dancing, He sometimes fainted. So in the course of His chanting and dancing, when He fainted, then His personal assistants, they were treating Him. So one batch of soldiers, Moghul, Pathan soldiers, were passing that way. So the chief of the soldiers, of the army, they were surprised that "How is that? One man is lying unconscious, and others are treating him. This must have been, this man must have been poisoned by these men." So they came down, because they were government men, they came down and challenged all these men that "You have given this man some drug so that he's fainted, and you wanted to plunder him. So we arrest you." Then they said, "No, sir. We have not done anything such. He faints like that while chanting. Now He'll be... Very soon He'll get up, because we are also chanting. Hearing, hearing, He will get up." So in this way, when He came to His consciousness, the Muslims, these Pathan soldiers, they were very happy to see Him. So there was a Mullah. So he talked with Him. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu... I am summarizing the story; this story is very big. He talked with that Mullah, and He proved from the Koran that there is krsna-bhakti. He proved from the Koran that there is krsna-bhakti, there is hint of krsna-bhakti. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says here also that indirectly... When I speak of Krsna, you should know, Krsna means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You may call Him by any other name; that is a different thing. But Krsna means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,
You take any literature, any Vedic literature, religious literature, you'll find that the whole literature, whole knowledge is aiming at Krsna. That is the purport of all Vedas and religious scripture.
Now Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explaining what is the identification of Krsna. In the beginning He says, krsnera svarupa ananta. Krsna has form, svarupa. Krsna is not formless, but He has got many millions of forms. Not one form, many millions of forms. But He has form. He is not impersonal. Krsnera svarupa ananta. Ananta means unlimited. That is also confirmed in the Brahma-samhita:
advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.33] The Brahma-samhita says that advaita acyuta. Advaita means although Krsna has many forms, many expansions, still, they are one. There is no duality. Just like Krsna and Rama, They are one. They are not different. Similarly, ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. Beginning from Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, He has got innumerable forms. Tisthan: He is existing always with all these forms, expansions, ramadi-murtisu kala. Just like Krsna existing in everyone's heart. There are millions and trillions of living entities. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is existing. That is Krsna's omnipotency. If you do not try to understand God, or Krsna, with inconceivable omnipotency, then you cannot understand God. That is not possible. So Krsna... Just like we are sitting here; we are not sitting in the other room. But Krsna can see in innumerable rooms simultaneously at one time. Therefore He is all-pervading. Just like Krsna married 16,108 wives. Narada came to see Krsna, and every palace he entered he saw Krsna was there. And with some wife, in some wife's palace He is playing with children, or some wife's He's just taking bath. In another palace He was playing chess. In this way he differently saw Krsna in different palaces. So in 16,000 palaces he saw Krsna. That is Krsna. Not that He married 16,000 wives, but He remained one. He also expanded Himself sixteen hundred times. That is Krsna. He can expand Himself. Rasa-lila... Rasa-lila, every gopi was feeling that "Krsna is dancing with me." So many gopis. That is Krsna. He can expand. But He has got form. He is not formless. The Mayavadi philosopher thinks because Krsna is all-pervading, therefore He has no form. No. That is not fact. He has form, but His form is not like your form and my form. This form is explained in the Brahma-samhita: advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Acyuta. And He does not fall down. Acyuta means thing which does not fall down. So just like we are, we are living entities, we fall down in the clutches of maya. But Krsna does not fall down. The Mayavadi philosophers mistake that. They think that as we come to this material world with a material body, similarly, Krsna also comes with a material body. No. That is not the fact. Therefore Krsna says, avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritah [Bg. 9.11]. Mudha. Mudha means those who are not intelligent. "They think that I am also ordinary man." Therefore there is controversy, "Why I shall worship Krsna? Krsna cannot... The Supreme Lord cannot come in this way, just like ordinary man, and making friendship with Arjuna and driving his chariot, or dancing with the gopis." They cannot conceive. They cannot accommodate within their tiny brain that Krsna is so powerful. He's so... We say that Krsna, God is all-powerful, God is all omnipotent, but when God shows actually that He's omnipotent, all-powerful, they do not believe. That is their defect. But the manifestation which Krsna showed when He was actually present, He's the Supreme Lord.
aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah jnana-vairagyayos caiva sannam bhaga itingana (Visnu Purana 6.5.47) He fully manifested, or demonstrated, the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no other supreme power or supreme personality than Myself."
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the same thing. What Krsna has said in the Bhagavad-gita, what is spoken about Krsna in all the Vedic literature, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the same thing in His teaching to Sanatana Gosvami. So we shall discuss further.
Thank you very much.
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupada: What is that? Mecca?
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupada: As have got pilgrimage, everyone has got pilgrimage. Muslims have got, Christians they have got, Hindus they have got. That means they go to pilgrimage with God consciousness. So in Koran there is God consciousness, in Bible there is God consciousness, in Vedas God consciousness. Now you have to utilize it, develop it. The aim and objective is already there. But in the Vedic literature they are very explicitly presented. That is the difference. The Christians, they agree, "God is great." We also agree, "God is great." But how God is great, that is explained in the Vedic literature. That is the difference between... There is no difference of opinion if one is actually religious. God created this world, God is the supreme father, God is great. This is accepted by everyone, either Hindu or Muslim or Christian. There is no doubt about it. But in the Vedic literature you'll understand how God is great, how He is acting as father. That's all. Even God's name is there, God's address is there. Do you agree to this point? Yes, that is the difference. Any other scriptures, if you ask what is the name of God, what is His address, what He is doing, they cannot give you. But we can give. We do not give; God Himself gives, Krsna. Krsna says, "My address is like this." What is that? Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. That is address. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. God is giving address. We have to note down. And His name is Krsna. You'll find Vyasadeva is writing sri bhagavan uvaca, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking, or Krsna." And in the sastras there is list of incarnation of God. And Vyasadeva concludes: ete camsa kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "All the list, comprehending list, they are either part or part of the part of God. But the name Krsna," krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Similarly, in the Brahma-samhita it is said,
Sarva-karana-karanam. And Krsna also says, mattah parataram kincid asti, kincid asti dhananjaya. "There is no more." Everyone is cause. You are... You are... Your cause for appearance is your father. The cause of your father's appearance is his father. You go onfather, father, father, fatheryou reach Brahma, who is called the supreme forefather. Then Brahma is also born of Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu. And the Garbhodakasayi is also appeared from Karanodakasayi Visnu. In this way, go on, go on. And Sankarsana, Narayana, Pradyumna, Aniruddhathere are so many. And at last you reach Krsna. Therefore Krsna is the cause of all causes.
So Krsna's name is there, God's name is there, God's address is there, and how to reach God, the process is there. Then why you'll not utilize this? What is the reason? Why you say, "Can you show me God? Is there any God?" Why do you say like this? What is the reason? Everything, information, is there, and still you say, "Can you show me God? Who is God? There is no God. God is dead." Why do you talk like that? If you say that "How we can understand that Krsna is the Supreme Lord?" then you have to approach authorities. Just like if you want to purchase some diamonds, you cannot understand whether it is diamond, but you go to a jeweler and he'll say yes or no. "Yes, it is real." So you have to go to the authorities. Who are the authorities? At least, in our country. Not only in... All countries. So our authorities, the whole Vedic civilization is going on under the authorities of acaryas. They are coming by disciplic succession. Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami, Lord Caitanyathere are so many authorized acaryas. The sastra is there, the authoritative statement is there, and the activities are there. Then what reason you have got not to believe that Krsna is not God? What reason you have got? Here is God. And those who are devotees of Krsna, actually see their life, how they are advanced in God consciousness, or Krsna consciousness.
But the difficulty is, as Krsna says,
The duskrtinah, the miscreants, those who are always engaged in mischievous activities... Such persons are called duskrtina. So duskrtina class, na mam duskrtina mudha. Mudha means less intelligent or foolish class men. Na mam duskrtina mudha prapadyante. "They do not accept Me," naradhama, "the lowest of the mankind." "No, they have got very much educated." Krsna says, mayayapahrta-jnana. "Yes, they are educated, but their knowledge has been taken away by maya." Why? Asuri-bhavam asritah. "Because they have taken to this view, 'There is no God.' " On this account they cannot understand in spite of high degrees of university education. Mayayapahrta-jnana. So Krsna says like that. The only reason is because duskrtina mudha mayayapahrta-jnana asuri-bhavam... Therefore, in spite of all evidences from the sastras, they'll not accept Krsna as the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. That's it. Just like Prahlada Maharaja requested his father so many times, but still, he did not agree that there is God. [break] But he agreed there is God when he was killed by God. Yes. That you cannot escape. Then you'll see God: "Here is God." The asuras, they'll never accept God, but when they are killed by God, they understand that "Yes, there is God." That is the difference between asuras and devas. The devas, they accept God while living, and the asuras accept God by being killed. That's all. And who can escape killing? Is there any scientist, is there any philosopher, any great man who can stop being killed by the cruel death? Is there any man? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mrtyuh sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. "I am mrtyu." Mrtyu means death, which takes away everything at a time. Just like "I am very rich man," "I am very big industrialist," "I am prime minister," this, that, so many things. "I am in possession of all I survey. I am the master of my country and everything." That's all right. As soon as death comes, "Oh, I am Jawaharlal Nehru," "I am Gandhi," "Oh! Never mind! Please go away! Finish Stop your all leadership." That is God. You don't believe, you may not believe God, but when death comes you have to believe in God. Let the scientists and let the big leaders and rich men protect himself from death. Then you can say that there is no God. [break] This atheism, denying the existence of God, is not very good. Therefore Krsna consciousness movement is very important. (pause) Prasada, you have given prasada? I'll take first of all... (end)
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/cc/madhya/20/137-146/bombay/february/24/1971 Previous: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.137-142 -- New York, November 29, 1966 Next: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966
|