Loading the player ...
740928SB.MAY
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.18

Mayapura, September 28, 1974
Prabhupada: Now, you editor, I think it has to be correct. Tva means "You." It is not "although." Read.
Nitai: (reads translation responsively with devotees) "Srimati Kunti said: O Krsna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of material nature. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all."
Prabhupada:
So Kunti is the aunt, pisima, aunt of Krsna. Vasudeva's sister, Kunti. So when Krsna was going back to Dvaraka, after finishing the Battle of Kuruksetra and establishing Maharaja Yudhisthira on the throne, His mission... His mission was that Duryodhana should be thrown out, and Yudhisthira must sit down on the throne. Dharma, Dharmaraja.
That is the desire of Krsna, or God, that the state executive head should be as pious as Maharaja Yudhisthira. That is the scheme. Unfortunately, people do not want that. They have now discovered this democracy. Democracy... "Demon-cracy." Shortcut of "demon-cracy" is "democracy." All the demons and rogues, they gather together, somehow or other votes, and occupy the seat, and the business is plundering. The business is plundering. If we talk very much upon this, it will not be very favorable, but according to sastra... We, we talk according to sastra, that the democracy means assembly of rogues and plunderers. That is the statement in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dasyu-dharmabhih. The government men will be all dasyu. Dasyu means plunderer. Not pickpocket. Pickpocket, somehow or other, if you do not understand, takes something from your pocket, and the plunderer, or the dasyu, he catches you and by force, "If you don't spare your money, I shall kill you." They are called dasyu.
So the, in the present age of Kali, the government men will be dasyu. This is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Dasyu-dharmabhih. You can, we can see practically. You cannot keep your money. You earn with hard labor, but you cannot keep gold, you cannot keep jewelry, you cannot keep money. And... They will take it away by laws. So they make law that... Yudhisthira Maharaja was just quite opposite. He wanted to see that every citizen is so happy that they are not troubled even by excessive heat and excessive cold. Ati-vyadhi. They are not suffering from any disease, they are not suffering from excessive climatic influence, eating very nicely, and feeling security of person and property. That was Yudhisthira Maharaja. Not only Yudhisthira Maharaja. Almost all the kings, they were like that.
So Krsna is the original king. Because He is stated here, purusam adyam isvaram. Isvaram means controller. He's the original controller. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Mayadhyaksena [Bg. 9.10]. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram. Even this material nature, wonderful things are going on, that is being controlled by Krsna. This is to be understood. So we are reading Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vedic literature. What is the purpose? The purpose is vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. The purpose is to understand Krsna. If you don't understand Krsna, then your reading of so-called Vedas and Vedantas and Upanisads, they are useless waste of time. So here Kunti is directly saying that "My dear Krsna, You are adyam purusam, the original person. And isvaram. You are not ordinary person. You are the supreme controller." That is understanding of Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Everyone is controller, but the supreme controller is Krsna.
So although this material world is condemned... Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], Krsna says. It is also Krsna's kingdom. Because everything belongs to God, Krsna. So this condemned place is created for suffering of the condemned persons. Who are condemned? Those who have forgotten Krsna and wants to become happy independently, they are all condemned demons. And those who are surrendered to Krsna, they are not condemned. That is the difference. So although Krsna has created this material world for the condemned persons, still, He wants to see that they are having their necessities of life and..., so that they may live prosperously. And let them enjoy for some time this material world according to their inclination. But at last, let them come back home, back to home, back to Godhead. Just like the prisoners: they are condemned, and the government puts them into jail. So for their criminality they are punished within the jail. But the government does not want that these prisoners may remain perpetually within the jail. The same thing. Try to understand. Government does not want. Government wants that "They have been condemned. So for their criminality, let them suffer for some time. And then they correct themselves and again they are freed." Not that government does...
Sometimes government arranges nice instruction, classes. Perhaps those who were with me in Ahmedabad... We were invited by the jail authorities to speak. Who were with me? Nobody? In Ahmedabad?
Devotee: I was.
Prabhupada: Yes. So I was given place just in front of the room where Gandhi was imprisoned. That, that room is considered as sacred. So government makes such arrangement that "These prisoners may be corrected." Similarly, in this material world, although we are all condemned... Anyone who is within this material world, he is condemned. Simply there is division. Just like in jail also, there are first-class prisoners, there are second-class prisoners and third-class prisoners. The first-class prisoners, they are given some facilities. Just like political prisoners, they are given separate bungalow and servants, newspaper, book. But they cannot go out of the prison. That is called first class. Similarly, there are second class. And third class, ordinary.
So here also, we are first-class, second-class, third-class prisoners. Therefore we find so many varieties of living condition. But we are all prisoners. And He's the supreme controller. Therefore Krsna, as supreme controller, He wants His representative to rule over this material world. That is Krsna's mission. In every planet there is a person, representative of Krsna, who is ruling over the planet. Just like the sun planet. The sun planet is being ruled by the sun-god. His name is Vivasvan. He was also instructed by Krsna, and that is explained in the Fourth Chapter: imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. "I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gita..." Just like He spoke to Arjuna, similarly He spoke also. And who can know? He spoke to all the rulers of different planets-Indra, Candra, Varuna, sun-god, moon-god, that... So many. Thirty-three millions of planets and thirty-three millions of rulers. So He wants His representative.
So it is the duty of the representative of Krsna to reform these condemned persons to Krsna consciousness. This is their duty. Krsna wants that "These rascals, these condemned persons, who are suffering in this material world, and they cannot understand that 'We are suffering...' They are making plan. No plan will be successful." Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. You can make your plan, but it will never be successful. The only plan will be successful. What is that? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. That is the only plan. There is no other plan. But these rascals, they are being put into severe penalties. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. More and mo... The more they are forgetting God, they are put in, they are put into more and more miserable condition. Practically we see, with the advancement Kali-yuga, people are forgetting his relationship with Krsna, and the price of commodity and the food grains, the price is increasing. They cannot eat sufficiently. So many people are dying of starvation. If they cannot eat, how they will live?
Therefore Krsna gives His instruction. He's the supreme ruler. He gives this order: annad bhavanti bhutani: [Bg. 3.14] "You require food grains." This is practical. Who will disagree with Krsna, that "We don't require food grains; we require bolts and nuts in the factory"? Who will say? This is practical. So they do not... Just like we see here that, that they do not grow food grains. They are growing jute because they will get some money, more money. But the rascal does not know that "I will get more money, and it will be taken away next by the food grain seller." So similarly, we are interested in industry, in plan-making, this, that, so many things. But Krsna does not say that "You open slaughterhouse and industries and brothels and cinema." No. Krsna does not say. Krsna says, "Grow more food, rascal! You'll eat and become strong." And nobody is obeying Krsna. Is it not? Practically try to understand Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavata. Not by sentiment. And preach this philosophy all over the world.
What Krsna says, that is practical. Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. "How we shall get anna? There is no rain." You see nowadays, there is no rain. Why? Because you are, we are all rascals. We do not know how to get rain. Krsna says, parjanyad anna-sambhavah: "There will be food grains when there is sufficient rain." And how rain there will be? Yajnad bhavati parjanyah: [Bg. 3.14] "And if you perform yajna, then there will be sufficient rain." So nowadays you, people may say, "How to perform yajna? It requires so much money, so much ghee, so much food grains to offer as oblations." But Krsna has made it very easy. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayaih. I know, the sastras know that in the Kali-yuga it will be very difficult to perform the ritualistic yajna ceremony because people will be poor, poverty-stricken. Where they will get ghee, and where they will get grains? No. This is yajna: kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. This is yajna.
So people are so rascal, they will not even chant Hare Krsna mantra. Krsna, svayam bhagavan... Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He introduced. Sankirtanaika-pitarau. Gaura and Nityananda is the father of the sankirtana movement. Therefore Vrndavana dasa Thakura has offered his prayer, sankirtanaika-pitarau ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadhatau, sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam(?). So Krsna is teaching. Krsna is so kind. He's personally teaching. That is perform yajna. He's personally chanting, dancing, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The picture is in our front. Personally He's teaching us, "Perform this yajna, you rascal, and you'll get everything. You'll get everything." Now, where is the proof? The proof is Krsna consciousness movement. We are simply chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra and spending crores of rupees. Simply. What we are doing? We are not doing any business. We have not many professional men. But why we are getting...? We are spending eight lakhs of rupees per month. And we have got food, we have got milk. We are, rather, feeding others also, bringing food. So why don't you see practically how these Krsna conscious people... They... They know that we are fabulously rich. This question was raised in Parliament also. So how we became fabulously rich? We do not do anything. I have not taught you anything magic. I simply request you, "Chant Hare Krsna mantra sixteen times please!" But you... We are not even following that. This is the only remedy. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [SB 11.5.32].
So Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Isvara. He's teaching us this yajna. He's giving us the hint. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. If you do not accept this movement, then you'll go on suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering. If you don't accept this principle, then your future is simply suffering.
prayenalpayusah sabhya
kalav asmin yuge janah
mandah sumanda-matayo
manda-bhagya hy upadrutah
[SB 1.1.10]
This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Manda-bhagyah, all unfortunate. All unfortunate. Everyone must suffer. This is the position. But if you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, perform the yajna... Because this is the instruction by the Supreme Person. Purusam tva adyam. Adyam purusam, the original person. The origin of everything. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. The Supreme Person from whom everything has come down. That is the order. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21],... We are certainly in difficult position, but the only remedy is that we must chant the holy name of the Lord repeatedly. And that will solve all the problems. You preach this cult all over the world.
So Krsna is the original person. He has admitted, and sastra admits, and here is another authority, Kunti. Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. Kunti's not ordinary woman. Krsna has gone to offer His respect, to take the dust of her feet. Because materially she happens to be aunt of Krsna, elderly lady, superior. So Krsna has gone to pay His respect before departing. That is the system, Vedic system, to offer respect to the superior first of all. Before going... "No..." Krsna is going. "(S)he knows that 'I am Personality of Godhead.' " No. Krsna was touching the feet of Maharaja Yudhisthira because he was elder brother. When Krsna used to come at the Pandavas' house, every Pandavas knew that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It was not unknown to them. But Krsna was coming down and touching the feet of Maharaja Yudhisthira. And Maharaja Yudhisthira was not returning. He was embracing Him because He was younger brother. So this is the etiquette.
So the idea is that Krsna is the original person. That is admitted by Arjuna also.
They know, knew it. Not only Kunti knows. But Krsna was, when present, how many people knew Him? Only the Pandavas knew Him perfectly. The Pandava family. And some of the other, Kuru family. Bhisma knew Him. Even Dhrtarastra also knew Him. And many other saintly persons, Vyasadeva, Devala, Narada Muni. Narada Muni, of course, does not belong to this planet. So to know Krsna is not very easy job. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Still, if Krsna is pleased, then He can make Himself known to a devotee. Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi, janati tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. Anyone who is in receipt of little favor of Krsna, he can understand Krsna.
So Krsna is the original person. Another significance of this verse: Krsna is not woman. Just like there are some so-called speculators, that "Krsna is also... Krsna, the Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Person, can, is also woman." But He's not woman. He can assume the role of woman if He likes, but does not mean He's woman, woman. He's man. Man means the enjoyer. Man, or purusa. Not man. Purusa. So They are purusavatara. The three Visnus, They are called purusavatara. Karanarnavasayi Visnu and the Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, They are called purusavatara. So Krsna is purusa. Krsna is the enjoyer. And adyam, the original enjoyer. Adyam, purusam. But what kind of purusa? Like you and me? Just like we are also assuming purusa, "I am male." Not like you. Prakrteh param. These purusa... I am purusa, another man is, another living entity is woman. These are dresses given by this material nature.
Actually, we are not purusa. We are all prakrtis. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,
apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat
[Bg. 7.5]
We are all prakrtis. Don't try to become enjoyer. Prakrti means enjoyed. Prakrti is predominated, and purusa is the predominator. So because we are, actually our constitutional position is to become predominated and we are trying artificially to become predominator, that is the trouble. Every one of us, we are trying to become predominator. Actually, we should be predominated. So when we agree to become predominated and agree to surrender to Krsna, "Yes, Krsna, I was so long under misconception that I am predominator. You are predominator. I am predominated. So I surrender unto You." Manasa deha geha jo kichu mora, arpilun tuwa pade nanda-kisora. This is Bhaktivinoda Thakura's statement. If we become like that, then we'll be happy, to be predominated.
And don't try to become imitator. But the imitation is so strong that even persons who are very much elevated in knowledge, they are also falsely presenting that "I am God." The maya's influence is so strong that at the last stage... Therefore they fall down. These people, these Mayavadis who are trying to become God... Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah [SB 10.2.32]. To merge into the existence of the Supreme. You can merge, but you cannot be equal. That is not possible. Asamordhva. But the Mayavadis, they are thinking, "We are as good as Krsna." Therefore they do not go to the temple of Krsna. Because they think self, Narayana, Krsna. But that is a mistake. Therefore sastra says that ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. They are thinking that they have become liberated, become Narayana, Narayana, God, but that is avisuddha-buddhayah. Because... They are thinking like that because their intelligence is not yet cleansed. Avisuddha-buddhayah. Therefore aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. Aruhya krcchrena, by performing severe austerities, penances, they come to the stage of merging in the Brahman effulgence, but that (does) not solve the problem. In the Brahman effulgence they fall down again.
So Krsna is the only purusa. Prakrteh param. So prakrteh param. Therefore Krsna is not a purusa like us. We are within the prakrti. We are within the prakrti. He is beyond the prakrti. Therefore His body is not material. He's not within the prakrti. But the rascals, they cannot understand this. They think that "Krsna is like us." Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. So because they are mudhas, they think that "Krsna is like us, Krsna has a body like us," but that is actually not the fact. Here Kunti says, authority says, prakrteh param. Prakrteh param, alaksyam. The prakrteh param. Suppose something beyond our vision. Just like we are sitting down this house. We cannot see what is going on upstairs. Alaksyam. So if Krsna is a person beyond this material creation, how we can see Him? Alaksyam. Alaksyam sarva-bhutanam [SB 1.8.18]. Still, He is in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61].
So alaksyam, invisible, those who are yogis, they are trying to see. They are trying to... Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Dhyanavasthita. They are trying to see. So there are different processes of seeing, but actually you can see by one process. That is bhakti. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. So those who have taken the path of devotional service, they'll be able to understand that Krsna is everywhere. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. Aham brahmano hi pratistha. Krsna is the origin of this Brahman effulgence. You have heard so many times. Krsna is Paramatma, and Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way try to understand Krsna, and then you are liberated.
Thank you very much. (end)

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/1/8/18/mayapura/september/28/1974

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada