Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.41–42 – October 2, 1976, Vṛndāvana

Servant of Servant of Servant

Pradyumna: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [devotees repeat] [chants verse]

[03:35]

Translation: "After reaching his own camp, Arjuna, along with his dear friend and charioteer, Sri Krsna, entrusted the murderer unto his dear wife, who was lamenting for her murdered sons."

[04:54]

Translation: "Sri Sūta Gosvami said: Draupadi then saw Asvatthama, who was bound with ropes like an animal and silent for having enacted the most inglorious murder. Due to her female nature, and due to her being naturally good and well-behaved, she showed him due respects as a brahmana."

[break]

Prabhupada: You read the purport also.

Pradyumna: Both verses?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pradyumna: Purport: "The transcendental relation of Arjuna with Krsna is of the dearmost friendship. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord Himself has claimed Arjuna as His dearmost friend. Every living being is thus related with the Supreme Lord by some sort of affectionate relation, either as servant or as friend or as parent or as an object of conjugal love. Everyone thus can enjoy the company of the Lord in the spiritual realm if one at all desires and sincerely tries for it by the process of bhakti-yoga.

"Asvatthama was condemned by the Lord Himself, and he was treated by Arjuna just like a culprit, not like the son of a brahmana or teacher. But when he was brought before Srimati Draupadi, she, although begrieved for the murder of her sons, and although the murderer was present before her, could not withdraw the due respect generally offered to a brahmana or to the son of a brahmana. This is due to her mild nature as a woman. The woman as a class is no better than a boy, and therefore they have no discriminatory power like a man. Asvatthama proved himself to be an unworthy son of Dronacarya or of a brahmana, and for this reason he was condemned by the greatest authority, Lord Sri Krsna, and yet a mild woman could not withdraw her natural courtesy for a brahmana.

"Even to date, in a Hindu family a woman shows proper respect to the brahmana caste, however fallen and heinous a brahma-bandhu may be. But the men have begun to protest against brahma-bandhus who are born in families of good brahmanas but by action are less than sūdras.

"The specific word used in this sloka is vama-svabhava, 'mild and gentle by nature.' A good man or woman accepts anything very easily, but a man of average intelligence does not do so. But anyway, we should not give up our reason and discriminatory power just to be gentle. One must have good discriminatory power to judge a thing on its merit. We should not follow the mild nature of a woman and thereby accept that which is not genuine. Asvatthama may be respected by a good-natured woman, but that does not mean that he is as good as a genuine brahmana."

[break]

So this is already explained in the purport that woman's nature is very mild and man's nature very strong. That is the difference. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, the woman must be protected because they are very simple. They can be led to goodness also very easily, and they can be polluted also very easily. By nature, they are very simple. Therefore sastra says that... Just like child. If you mold the character of a child from the very beginning, then he can become a great man. Similarly, if you train woman from the very beginning how to become chaste and faithful to the husband, they can become a very good mother, very good asset in the family.

So there is sufficient information in the Vedic literature how a man should be trained up, a boy should be trained up, a girl should be trained up, so that in future they may become happy. The ultimate aim of life is how to become connected with Krsna. That is the ultimate. Athato brahma-jijnasa. If I say to anybody that "Your ultimate goal of life is to understand Krsna, or Visnu," naturally there will be inquiries: "Who is Krsna?" "What is Krsna?" "What does He do?" So many questions. That question is recommended in the Vedanta-sūtra: athato brahma-jijnasa. That is life. So the boys and girls should be trained up how to inquire about the ultimate goal of life, Krsna, or Visnu. That they do not know in the modern civilization. That they do not know. Not only in the modern civilization; in the past also, those who were entrapped by the modes of material nature, ahahkara-vimūḍhatma [Bg 3.27], the material conception of life, false ego... Ahahkara this is called... Ahahkara there is. But when we are in a false ahahkara, that is our cause of all trouble, miseries. Ahahkara, ahah... If we become entrapped in false ahahkara, then we are vimūḍhatma, entrapped by nature. That is the difficulty.

So what is that false ahahkara? The false ahahkara is that "I am this body." This is false ahahkara: "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am sannyasi," "I am brahmacari," and so on, so on, so on, so on. All designation of this body. This is false ahahkara. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us how to become free from the false ahahkara. He said that naham vipro na yatir va :

"I am not a brahmana. I am not a sannyasi. I am not a grhastha. I am not a vanaprastha. I am not this. I am not that." All material designations He refused, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. "I am not this, I am not this, I am not this." Even if I am very much proud of becoming a brahmana or I become very much proud of becoming a sannyasi... That is the highest stage of human status, to become brahmana or sannyasi. Sannyasi is supposed to be the guru of everyone. There are four varnas and four asramas. Brahmana... [break] ...and ksatriya. And in the spiritual order, the sannyasi is guru of all, even of the brahmana. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "I am neither brahmana nor sannyasi." He refused. Naham vipro na ca nara-patir na yatir va [Cc Madhya 13.80]. Yati means sannyasi. So He refused.

So this is false. Even if you become very much proud that you are a very learned brahmana or very advanced sannyasi, that is not your freedom. You are not yet liberated. You are still in conditional life. Then? When you become liberated? That is stated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu: gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80]. This is liberation. Gopi-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopis, Gopijana-vallabha. Krsna's business is how to please the gopis, the inhabitants of Vrndavana. Yasoda-nandana vraja-jana-ranjana. As the vrndavana-vasi, they have no other business than to love Krsna, similarly, Krsna has no other business than to please the gopis and the inhabitants of Vrndavana. Gopijana-vallabha. So how...? Why Krsna is so much attached to vrndavana-vasis? As soon as there was some difficulty-we read it from Bhagavatam-as soon as there is some fire... The vrndavana-vasis, they do not know anyone but Krsna, and Krsna devours the fire. As soon as there is torrents of rain, Vrndavana was going to be overflooded, Krsna immediately came to their rescue and lifted the Govardhana Hill: "Come under Me." That is Gopi-jana-vallabha. They do not know anything. They do not know even that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they do not like to love anybody than Krsna. This is their only qualification. They did not love Krsna understanding that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, param brahma param dhama [Bg 10.12].

They did not know this. But they did not like to love even Visnu than Krsna. That is their qualification. Gopi-jana-vallabha. So when we come to that stage, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching, the gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ... He's also bringing the reference of the gopi because Krsna is completely under gopis. He's so much indebted to the gopis that He said that "I cannot repay your debts. It is not possible." Krsna, the all-powerful, all opulences, but He had no means to repay the debts of the gopis. This is the position of the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhū-vargena ya kalpita [Caitanya-manjusa].

There is no other better shape of worshiping Krsna than it was planned by the gopis. Ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhū-vargena ya kalpita. This is the highest. In the same way, He says, gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa... Gopi-jana-vallabha. Gopi-jana-vallabha is Krsna; pada-kamalayoḥ, one who has taken shelter. Don't try to become gopis. No. Rather, try to become the dust of the lotus feet of the gopis. Gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80].

Just like Uddhava. Uddhava wanted to become one grass in Vrndavana because the gopis will trample over it. This is the highest perfection. So liberation... Liberation means gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasaḥ. The more you become servant of the servant, servant of Vaisnava, then your perfection is there [Cc Madhya 13.80]. That is qualification. Our the Vedic injunction is just try to understand yourself, aham brahmasmi. That is a fact. But if I simply try to become aham brahmasmi without knowing the full philosophy, then I shall be fallen again, that "I am equal to God." Aham brahmasmi means "I am the Supreme God," as the Mayavadis, they think that liberation means "I become one with God." No. That is not your position. You cannot become... That is another maya. That is the last dictation of maya: "Why you shall become the servant of gopi-bhartuḥ? You become God." That is maya. That is the last snare of maya. Therefore they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tataḥ patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-ahghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

Anadrta. With great austerity, penances and vairagya, they can go up to the param padam. Param padam means Brahman. Nirvisesa-brahman. Not in the material existence, but in the spiritual existence. Aruhya. They can rise up to that. Aham brahmasmi: to understand that "I am not this matter, I am Brahman." But unless one takes shelter of the gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa, he'll fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Why? Anadrta-yusmad-ahghrayaḥ. Because one does not know, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches, that gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80], he falls down. He has no shelter. Anadrta-yusmad-ahghrayaḥ.

So we must always remember that if we want to be recognized by Krsna, if we want to become inhabitants of Vrndavana, then we must take this lesson given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ. So to endeavor to become gopis, that is also Mayavada, that "I shall become gopis." No. You have to become the servant of the servant of the servant of gopis. That is... Otherwise, the same ahahkara. Ahahkara-vimūḍhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg 3.27]. Then again we'll be misled. This is material disease. Everyone is full of some ahahkara: "I am this," "I am this," "I am brahmana," "I am a sannyasi," "I am lord," "I am this." So many things. So long this mentality will continue, then that is maya. Ahahkara-vimūḍhatma kartaham iti manyate. Actually, he is not that position. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches from the very beginning, jivera svarūpa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. Unless you come to that point, that "I am eternal servant of Krsna,"... That is real knowledge. This knowledge is achieved bahūnam janmanam ante [Bg 7.19]. Ante. Ante means at the end of many, many births' endeavor. Jnanavan. Not foolish rascals, but jnanavan. Then bahūnam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. This gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80], after many, many births.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches from this point, that you are dasa. Give up this idea that you are independent master, or one with God, or so many rascal ideas. That is not good. Just begin with this point, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches, that jivera svarūpa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches from the point when Bhagavad-gita ends. Bhagavad-gita says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. This is the relationship. We are trying to become master here, everyone. Krsna says, "You give up this idea. You are planning so many things, to become master of the world, 'I am the monarch of all I survey.' Give up this idea. Then you'll be in proper position." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam. That means "I am master. If you want to be peaceful, then accept this proposition that I am master; you are servant."

Therefore Yamunacarya said, kadaham aikantika-nitya-kihkaraḥ praharsayisyami sanatha-jivitam [Stotra-ratna 43]: "I have troubled myself in so many lives, therefore," bhavantam evanucaran nirantaraḥ prasanta-niḥsesa-mano-rathantaraḥ. He's praying, "My Lord, when I shall be constantly Your servant?" Bhavantam evanucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantara means "always." Prasanta-niḥsesa-mano-rathantaraḥ. We are being conducted by the mental speculation.

So, completely santa, no more mental speculation. Bhavantam evanucaran nirantaraḥ prasanta-niḥsesa-mano-rathantaraḥ kadaham aikantika-nitya-kihkaraḥ. "When I shall become the most attentive servant," aikantika, "no other business?" Kadaham aikantika-nitya... Praharsayisyami: "I shall become engladdened," praharsayisyami. Sanatha-jivitam. Sanatha. Those who are not Krsna conscious, they are anatha. Anatha, just you know anatha.

Anatha means no father, mother, no protection. That is called anatha. And he's aspiring to become sanatha. Sanatha means, "Yes, I have got my protector. Krsna will protect me." Praksisyati iti visvasa-palanam. [Hari-bhakti-vilasa 11.676]

"Yes, I am surrendered to Krsna, and He'll give me protection." This is surrender. Saranagati means... This is one of the item of saranagati, that "I have surrendered to Krsna fully. So Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg 18.66]. Then I am fully protected. He'll give me protection." To believe in this word of Krsna, that is fully surrender.

So it is not theoretical-practical. Just like in our Krsna consciousness movement, even in America they inquire, these, our devotees, "How is that you do not work? You simply dance and you get big, big buildings, and you have got so many cars, and you eat nicely." They are surprised. Why surprising? Sanatha-jivitam: we are under Krsna's protection. Why shall I live poverty, poorly? No. Krsna's servant must have the whole opulence. Because sanatha-jivitam. This is Krsna consciousness. So don't forget this philosophy. If you surrender fully to Krsna... And Krsna is always anxious, Gopi-jana-vallabha, Vraja-jana-ranjana. So to love Krsna, to be fully under Krsna's control, that is gopi-jana-vallabha..., that is gopi-jana. And He's always anxious. Sanatha-jivitam. In all respect, you simply remain under the control of Krsna, fully under the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, then all happiness will be available without any endeavor. That is svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. That is called mukti. Mukti means to live in this condition, that "I am Krsna's eternal servant. He will give me all protection. My only business is to carry out His order." This is called mukti.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada. [end]