Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.19 – September 27, 1974, Calcutta
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740927SB.CAL
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.19
- September 27, 1974, Calcutta 740927SB-CALCUTTA [39:17 Minutes]
Understanding-Krishna's Mercy
कृष्णेति यस्य गिरि तं मनसाद्रियेत दीक्षास्ति चेत्प्रणतिभिश्च भजन्तमीशम् ।
शुश्रूषया भजनविज्ञमनन्यमन्य निन्दादिशून्यहृदमीप्सितसङ्गलब्ध्या ॥ ५ ॥ Nitai: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [Prabhupada and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]
tada rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ
kama-lobhadayas ca ye ceta etair anaviddham sthitam sattve prasidati [SB 1.2.19] [Prabhupada interrupts to correct pronunciation of anaviddham]
[break] [02:15]
"At the time loving devotional service is established in the heart, the modes of passion [rajas] and ignorance [tamas] and lust and desire [kama] disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy."
Prabhupada:
tada rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ
kama-lobhadayas ca ye ceta etair anaviddham sthitam sattve prasidati [SB 1.2.19] So the principle is that we have to place our mind, or consciousness, in the sattva-guna. That is the first business. Because the material world means sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Sattva-guna is the qualification of pure brahmana. Samo damas titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg 18.42]. Sattva-guna. These are the symptom of sattva-guna. Without coming to the platform of sattva-guna, or brahminical qualification, one cannot make any advance in spiritual life. Therefore in our Krsna consciousness movement we first of all bring anyone to the platform of brahmana. Therefore at the time of second initiation we offer the sacred thread, to recognize him that "He is now brahmana."
Without becoming a brahmana, nobody can become a Vaisnava. Or, when one is Vaisnava, it is to be understood that he is also brahmana. The common word... In India it is said, brahmana-vaisnava. Brahmana should become Vaisnava. Or one who is Vaisnava is already a brahmana. Brahma janatiti brahmanaḥ. So a Vaisnava not only knows brahmana, er, Brahman, but he knows Paramatma and he knows Bhagavan. So brahma janatiti brahmana. Simply by knowing Brahman, one can become a brahmana. But a Vaisnava, not only he knows what is Brahman, but he knows further-what is Paramatma and what is Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate .
The Absolute Truth is present in three features: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. So Brahman realization is the first. Aham brahmasmi. That is the self-realization: "I am not this body." Aham brahmasmi. That is called brahma-bhūta stage. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma [Bg 18.54]. Here is also the... That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gita.
Here is, also it is stated that sthitam sattve prasidati. Everyone is hankering after how to be peaceful in mind. Everyone. Everyone says, "Swamiji, kindly say how I can get peace of mind." The peace of mind, how it can be attained is stated here: sthitam sattve prasidati. If you fix up in sattva-guna, not in the rajo-guna, tamo-guna... Tamo-guna is the life of the karmis, tamo-guna and rajo-guna. Or rajo-guna is actually karmis, and sattva-guna is the life of jnanis. And after coming to the sattva-guna, being peaceful in mind, that is called...
[baby crying] [pause]
...brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma [Bg 18.54]. You have to come to the platform of sattva-guna. Then you'll be prasannatma.
Prasanna means happy mode of life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma. What is the happy mode of life? Na socati na kahksati. He does not lament. He does not hanker. Here in the material world we are hankering. We want this dhanam dehi rūpam dehi yaso dehi rūpavati bharyam dehi. Dehi dehi. That is hankering. This is not the stage of brahma-bhūta. Brahma-bhūta stage means na socati na kahksati. He does not hanker, neither he laments. Then samaḥ sarvesu bhūtesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg 18.54]. Then bhakti begins, when actually you are in peace of mind. In disturbed mind you cannot execute devotional service. Therefore in the beginning, if somebody all of a sudden becomes a Vaisnava and in a solitary place, "I am chanting," that is cheating. How you can be...? How you can chant? You cannot, because your mind is not fixed up. Your mind is not... Na socati na kahksati. Unless you are purified, your mind is always disturbed. That is the material condition. The mind must be disturbed.
Sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Prahlada Maharaja says. That is the material symptom. What is the material symptom? Always full of anxiety. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Why? Asad-grahat. Because he has accepted the temporary position, asat. Asat means "which will not exist." Here everything will not exist. This body, it will not exist. But I have taken this body as everything. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am the father of this family," "I am the manager of the so big business," and so on, so on, so on, so on. Asad-grahat. But everything concentrated on this body. So you must be an..., full of anxiety. Asad-grahat. You accepted this body as fact. But it is not fact. Similarly, the whole world. Asad-grahat samudvigna-dhiyam.
This was a question several times. This is very nice question. So Hiranyakasipu asked his son, Prahlada Maharaja, "My dear boy, what you have learned the best thing? You are student." He said, tat sadhu manye asura-varya. He addressed his father, he addressed him as asura-varya, "the best of the asuras." He did not address him as "father," but he said, "My dear the best of the asuras..."
tat manye sadhu asura-varya dehinam
sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat hitvatma-patam grham andha-kūpam vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5] That is the best thing. One is rotting in this family life, which is just like a blind well, andha-kūpa, atma-patam. Just like a man falls in the blind well, he has no other alternative than to die, crying, crying. That's all. So he advises, hitva, "Just give it up." Hitvatma-patam andha-kūpam, grham andha-kūpam. Then where shall I go? Vanam gato. Vanam gato. Vanam gato, "Go to Vrndavana, or in the forest." Then how shall I live? No, harim asrayeta: "Just take shelter of Krsna, Hari. He'll give you protection." This is the instruction of Prahlada Maharaja.
So here Bhagavata says tada. Tada means "at that time." At that time. When? It is, in the previous verse it has been explained that,
nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naisthiki [SB 1.2.18] At that time, when you are fixed up in devotional service. At that time, tada. Not otherwise. If you have no connection with devotional service, if you are attached to karma, jnana, yoga, you cannot be fixed up. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali asanta [Cc Madhya 19.149]. Here we require... Tada, sthitam sattve prasidati. Prasidati means peace of mind, fully satisfied. But bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu... They cannot have peace of mind. It is not possible. Bhukti means karmis. They're trying to enjoy this material-more money, more woman, more eating-more, more and more. That is called bhukti. They are not satisfied by enjoying on this planet. They perform various kinds of yajnas so that they may be promoted to the higher planetary systems, Svargaloka, or Janaloka, Maharloka, like that. But Krsna says, abrahma-bhuvanal lokaḥ. "You rascal, you are trying to be promoted to the higher planetary system for more and more material enjoyment..." Certainly there is thousands and thousand times more material comforts in the heavenly planets, in the Candraloka. In the Candraloka... They are trying to go into Candraloka, but according to sastra, if one goes to Candraloka, he gets ten thousands of years his duration of life, and enjoy.
So certainly there are many times more comfortable life, standard of life, very, very high, in the heavenly, other planetary systems. But Krsna says that in any one of the planet you can go, but the material disease will not be relieved, the material disease, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi So that is the standard of highest perfection. If you do not die, if you do not take birth... If you know what are the miserable condition of birth, to remain within the womb of the mother... Not only to remain. Nowadays, modern advanced civilization, they are being killed by the mother. Not only abortion, but they are being killed. Now the Western world is very familiar with these things. So just imagine: First of all, you have to remain within the mother's womb, head down, packed-up condition. You cannot move, ten months. And that is also not secure. Even within the... Now this is the... Within the mother's womb you are not secure. At any moment the doctor may advise that "Kill the child." So these are the miserable condition of birth, but we do not remember them. We have to know it from the sastra. So similarly, at the time of death, coma and... Nowadays it is a very common disease. For seven days or fifteen days he's unconscious, crying.
So this is the miserable condition of death, this is the miserable condition of birth, and between birth and death there are so many miserable conditions: this old age, this disease, so many calamities, catastrophes. So still, we do not want to make a solution of these problem. And the solution is very simple. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9].
If you simply know Krsna, what is Krsna, why does He come, why He works like ordinary man-janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ-in truth, in actual fact... Not that "Oh, Krsna was born in Mathura, and then He was taken to Vrndavana." This is also knowing. But still, you know what is Krsna.
It is very difficult to understand Krsna tattvataḥ, not superficially, but in fact. So Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ. So one who understands Krsna in truth, he becomes free. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9]. These things are there. So why don't you be serious to study Krsna, to understand Krsna? But to understand Krsna, it will require Krsna's mercy. Without Krsna's mercies... So how you get Krsna's mercies?
One can understand Krsna by being constantly engaged in His service. Tesam satata-yuktanam. Not that weekly once go to the church. No. Twenty-four hours, satata-yuktanam, engaged in Krsna's service. That is Krsna consciousness movement. We are teaching people how to become twenty-four hours engaged in Krsna's service. This is our business. We don't allow karma, jnana, yoga. No. Simply. And that is krsna-bhakti. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Cc Madhya 19.167]. There is no question of jnana and karma. That is not pure bhakti. Pure bhakti means anyabhilasita-sūnyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam, anukūlyena krsnanusilanam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11], simply to serve Krsna favorably, as Krsna becomes pleased. This is bhakti. This is pure devotion.
So this Krsna consciousness movement, therefore, teaching pure devotional service to Krsna, that will solve all problems. So how one can come to that stage? That is being explained in this portion of the Bhagavata, that srnvatam sva-kathaḥ krsnaḥ punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Just hear. You haven't got to do anything more. Just hear about Krsna. Srnvatam sva-kathaḥ... Then everything will be cleared, gradually. This is our purpose. This center is giving chance that you come here and hear about... We, we don't make any flattery to satisfy the whims of the audience. We speak from Srimad-Bhagavatam, we speak from Bhagavad-gita, and present them as it is, without any adulteration. This is our position. If you like, then you make progress. If you don't like, that is your option. But we cannot make any compromise. We must present the sastra as it is.
And where is the difficulty? Everything is explained here. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. You have to attend Bhagavata class and serve the bhagavata person nityam, daily. If you cannot, that is a different thing. But this is the process. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu. This conclusion comes when one is partially advanced, nasta-prayesu. Not fully. Then it will come. He'll be ready to serve Bhagavatam-bhagavata, the person bhagavata and the book Bhagavata. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya, bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naisthiki. Nistha, I have explained already yesterday. Tada, at that time, when you are fixed up, "Now I shall devote my life in Krsna consciousness," when you come to this conclusion... Nityam. That will come. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya, bhaktir bhavati naisthiki [SB 1.2.18].
Not deviation. But... Not this worship, that worship, this worship, this worship. No. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnana yajante anya-devataḥ [Bg 7.20]. Those who are worshiping other demigods, that is recommended for the less intelligent class men. Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. These things are recommended for the persons who are less intelligent, whose brain is packed up with cow dung, not intelligent persons. Intelligent persons-sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. That is intelligence.
So when one comes to this conclusion, bhaktir bhavati naisthiki... Bhakti where? Not that bhakti to this god, that god. No. Bhagavati: unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhaktir bhavati naisthiki. Naisthiki, without any disturbance. Tada, at that time. Tada... What is the result? Rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ. There are three bhavas: rajo-guna-bhava, tamo-guna-bhava and sattva-guna-bhava. So as soon as you come to the platform of devotional service, the two inferior qualities, namely rajo-guna and tamo-guna, they become finished. Simply sattva-guna remains. Because there are three gunas. If two gunas are finished, no more useful, then the other one is there. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ [SB 1.2.19].
What are the symptoms of rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ? Now, kama and lobha. Those who are infected with this rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ, they are very lusty, greedy, lobhi. They are not satisfied. The modern civilization is based on rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ. Nobody is satisfied. Everyone is greedy. And lusty. Kama-lobhadayas ca ye. Kama. So long you are lusty, so long you are greedy, there is no question of devotional service. There is no question of advancement to spiritual life. So therefore you have [to] come to the platform of sattva-guna, where simply knowledge. There is no other thing, ignorance or greediness, only knowledge.
So at that time, it is said, ceta etair anaviddham. Because everything is within the heart. We become greedy, we become lusty on account of distortion of the heart disease-kama. Tada hrd-roga-kama apahinoty [SB. 10.33.39]. That is a heart disease. This kama and lobha is a heart disease. Actually, you don't require this, but it is a kind of disease. "More and more and more and more and more." Never satisfied. So we have to cure this disease. And this process, simple process, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given: ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12].
This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isTo cure the heart disease of lusty desires and greediness is chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sahkirtanam. These are the sastric injunction, and spoken by personalities like Lord Caitanya and other acaryas. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].
Don't follow rascals and fools. Then it will be useless waste of time. Follow the great acaryas. Acaryavan puruso veda. One who is acaryavan, who has accepted acarya, he knows. Others, all are fools, rascals. Acaryavan. Acaryopasanam. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam, acaryopasanam [Bg 13.8]. You have to first of all worship the acarya. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [Munḍaka Upanisad 1.2.12].
Guru and acarya, the same thing. So these are the process. Mahajano yena gataḥ. You cannot manufacture your ways of thinking. What you are? You are most insignificant living entity. And without following the acaryas, without following the mahajanas, without following the sastra, how you can teach?
But people are doing that. Without being followed by the acarya, without being followed by the sastras, they become guru, they become svami, they become yogi. It is useless. You cannot get... Here are the process. Process is given: tada rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ kama... [SB 1.2.19]. Tada means when you are fixed up in devotional service, then you can get out of these infection. These are infection. In... It is so dangerous infection. Infection, anyone can understand nowadays, scientific days. If you infect some disease, you have to suffer. You cannot escape. You infect today somehow or other-not today, not tomorrow, but some day it will come out. It is called kūtastha, phalonmukha, prarabdha, papa-bija. Papa-bija remains as seed, kūtastha. Then it is fructifying, phalonmukha. Then you suffer, prarabdha. This is called prarabdha-karma, infection.
You are under the complete subjugation of nature. Prakrteḥ kriyamanani gunaiḥ karmani sarvasaḥ [Bg 3.27]. These gunaiḥ. The prakrti is forcing you to work because you have infected a kind of guna. Karanam guna-sahgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg 13.22]. Karanam. Why one man is born, one living entity is born as a very rich man and one is born as a dog? Sad-asad-yoni. Yoni means mother, and bija means father. Yatha yoni yatha bijaḥ. So the every living entity is born bija and yoni, father and mother. So why there are varieties? Nature is working. Why not one, one kind of living entity? No. Sad-asad-janma-yonisu. There are 8,400,000's of species. One has to take. Tatha dehantara-praptiḥ [Bg 2.13]. You have to change. But why one is in the lower grade birth, why in the higher grade? Now, karanam guna-sahgo 'sya. These guna. These guna, sattva-guna, rajo-guna.
So we have to give up the association of rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Then there is question of progress. Otherwise it is simply bluff. Therefore in our Society we say, "Don't associate... Don't be infected by this rajo-guna, tamo-guna." This meat-eating and illicit sex life and drinking and gambling, they are rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Kama-lobha. You see? There is a big rest[?] ground, gambling, tamo-guna. They are going there. Thousands and thousands of people are going there for gambling. This is tamo-guna. Why? Lobha: "I must get more money. I must get more money." Lobha, kama. Kama-lobhadayaḥ. So we have to get out of all this entanglement. Then there is spiritual life. Otherwise, don't talk of spiritual life.
So this is fact. Tada. Tada means when you are fixed up in devotional service. Tada, kama-lobhadayas ca ye. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ [SB 1.2.19]. We have to get rid of this rajo-guna and tamo-guna. We have to be fixed up in sattva-guna, pure life. Then sthitam sattve prasidati. If you are situated in the sattva-guna, then you will be peace of mind. And that is krsna-bhakta. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta.
Krsna-bhakta, he does not desire anything. Krsna-bhakta says, "I don't mind I am born lowborn." No, because he'll chant Hare Krsna. Lowborn or highborn, he has nothing to do. If one is engaged in devotional service, it doesn't matter whether he's lowborn and highborn. As soon as he takes to devotional service, he becomes above lowborn and highborn. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhūyaya kalpate [Bg 14.26]. He's in the Brahman platform.
So in this way, as they are stated in the sastra, if you follow, then it is step by step. First beginning is srnvatam sva-kathaḥ krsnaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Try to hear Krsna's message. That is Bhagavad-gita as it is. You hear it. You understand it. What is the difficulty? Srnvatam sva-kathaḥ. Don't misinterpret. Hear it as it is. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg 18.65].
Hear it and execute it. Where is the difficulty? But we shall not agree to; we shall not hear. We shall not act according to the instruction given. And that is our misfortune. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says, etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragaḥ: "You are so merciful that in this age You have incarnated, You have descended, in Your name." Namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktiḥ. And in the name there is all potencies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva srūyate [Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8].
There are multipotencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the potencies are there in the holy name of the Lord. Namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitaḥ smarane na kalaḥ. Desa-kala-patra. There is no distinction. Anywhere, either in England or in Vrndavana or in Calcutta, you can chant Hare Krsna. Niyamitaḥ smarane. No kalakala-vicara, that "This is asuddha-kala, this is suddha-kala." Anytime. Kirtaniyaḥ sada hariḥ . You have to chant only Hare Krsna.
So this opportunity is there. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, etadrsi tava krpa: "My Lord, You have..., You are so kind, You have given us this chance." Durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragaḥ .
"But I am so unfortunate, I have no attraction for this chanting Hare Krsna." This is our position. So if you are serious about peace of mind, if you are serious about advancing in spiritual culture, spiritual life, then you must follow what is there in the sastra and spoken by Krsna Himself, spoken by Lord Caitanya Himself. Then life is successful.
Thank you very much.
Devotees: Hare Krsna. [end]
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/1/2/19/calcutta/september/27/1974
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