Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.20 – December 29, 1974, Bombay

We're All Asleep

Nitai: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [Prabhupada and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

[break] [02:40]

"Thus, after manifesting variegatedness, the effulgent mahat-tattva, which contains all the universes within itself, which is the root of all cosmic manifestations and which is not destroyed at the time of annihilation, swallows up the darkness which covered the effulgence at the time of dissolution."

Visvam atma-gatam. This body, everyone's body, is also a small universe. Whatever the arrangement is there in this body, the similar arrangement is there in the whole universe. The principle is the same. The same arrangement is within the seed of a banyan tree. We have got practical experience that a small seed of banyan tree, very small, but the potency within the seed is there, the big tree.

So these universes are also coming like a small seed. Therefore innumerable universes: yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya [Bs 5.48]. From the breathing of Maha-Visnu, the small particles are coming, and they are developing into big manifestation of universal form. Similarly, our desire is also very small. We are very small, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Still, we have got desires and everything. And according to the desire, as soon as there is creation, everything fructifies, everything comes out. It is called suptotthita-nyaya. Suptotthita-nyaya means just like one man is sleeping, and in the morning, when he is awakened... In the sleeping stage he forgot himself. He is wandering in dream, some other part of the world. He forgot this body and the bodily circumstances, everything. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. That darkness of ignorance, covering, is immediately gone, and he remembers that "I will have to do this. I will have to do that. I will have to go to my office or my business place." But when sleeping, he forgot everything.

Similarly, in the dormant stage after annihilation, we living entities, we forget everything. Just like at night we are forgetting everything of this bodily activities, and again, during daytime, we are forgetting everything of the night dream. This is going on. Similarly, at the time of annihilation, prakrtim yanti mamikam. Kalpa-ksaye. When this millennium will be ended, at the end of Brahma's life, at that time the living entities will stay in the body of the Maha-Visnu. [aside:] What is that sound? [indistinct answer from devotee] And again, when we are let loose from the deha, and there is creation, our old remembrances all come in, and we begin our life. This is the process of going... Bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19].

Sva-tejasa apibat tivram atma-prasvapanam tamaḥ. So the darkness is there, and the light is also there. Simply we have to be awakened. Therefore Vedas, they instruct us that "Don't sleep! Get up!" Uttisthata prapya varan nibodhata jagrata [Katha Upanisad 1.3.14]. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Thakura also sings, kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole. Jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole. Gauracanda means Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says, "O the living entities, you get up! Be awakened!" We may say, "Now we are awakened." This is not awakening. This is also slumber in darkness of ignorance. Real awakening is when we come to our spiritual consciousness. That is real awakened. Ya nisa sarva-bhūtanam tasyam jagarti samyami [Bg 2.69].

This is not, this awakening stage, this is not real awakening. Real awakening comes when we understand, aham brahmasmi. At the present moment we are not awakened, still sleeping, because we are thinking, every one of us, "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." In this way we are conscious of the designation. So we have to get out of the designation, and when we shall understand our real identity, not this bodily identity but spiritual soul identity, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise we are jiva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are identifying with this body, we are still sleeping. Kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole. Just like a child sleeps on the lap of the mother, similarly, we are sleeping on the lap of mother material nature. This is our position.

So we have got the power to be awakened. Sva-tejasa. That power we have got, but we have to awaken it by good association, by sadhu, sadhu-sahga. Sadhu-sahga is good association. Then we are awakened. Adau sraddha tataḥ sadhu-sahgaḥ [Cc Madhya 23.14-15]. If we have little faith that we require awakening of spiritual consciousness, we should not sleep under the spell of this material consciousness... A little faith will help us. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat [Bg 2.40]. Mahato bhayat. There is great dangerous position. That we do not know because we are sleeping. If a man is sleeping and somebody is coming to kill him, he does not know that "Somebody is coming to kill me. Immediately I will be dead." There are so many cases of murder while a man is sleeping. Similarly, in this sleeping state of ignorance, that "I am this body," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," there is greatest danger.

So somebody required. A man is sleeping, and another man is coming to kill him. A third person is required to awaken: "Mr. Such-and-such, get up, get up, get up! The man is coming to kill you." So the ear is open, although the man is sleeping, all other parts of the body, limbs of the body are inactive. So the ear is open. So therefore the Vedic mantras are called sruti. We have to hear the mantra, Vedic mantra. Just like if a man is bitten by snake, he is caused to hear the snake charmer's mantra-still there are-so that he can become awakened. And it is said in the Canakya Panḍita sloka, mantrausadhi-vasaḥ sarpaḥ. Mantra is powerful still. By mantra, a snake-bitten person can be brought into life. There are still some snake charmers in the villages. In our Mayapur there is a Muhammadan, he, he can cure the snake-bitten case by mantra still.

So this mantra is required, the Vedic mantra, to hear mantra. This chanting of these verses is also hearing the Vedic mantra. So we should take chance, and the most important mantra is maha-mantra. Maha-mantra. We are sleeping, but this maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, if we hear somehow or other... Therefore the greatest beneficial activity or welfare activity is to chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra so that others can hear. But unfortunately, when we chant loudly, others they think, "It is nuisance." That is the difficulty. But actually it is the process of awakening: "Get up, get up, get up, get up." Ceto-darpana-marjanam. If we hear this mantra, Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then the mistaken ideas... Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12]: This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it iscleansing the mirror of the heart.

Everything, whatever we are thinking, doing, imagining, making plan, etc., the heart is so nice, it keeps a stock, photographic stock. Sometimes we have got experience: all of a sudden a thought comes which has no connection with my present activities. Still, all of a sudden comes. So in the heart there are so many stocks of different lives because I am passing through different lives. Bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19]. So stock is there. It comes like bubble. Just like we will find in some reservoir of water, big, all of a sudden some bubble comes. Similarly, the heart is the stock of so many dirty things. Dirty things means this experience of this material world. That is called dirty things. Because we are covered. We are spirit soul; we are now covered by these material dirty things. So it can be removed. Sva-tejasa. There is such potency of the spirit soul that it can come out. Simply the attempt should be made, assisted by or guided by a superior person. That is called spiritual master. He can guide, and we can come out of this slumber, sleeping in ignorance. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us a very easy process, this chanting of Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

There is no other method for our spiritual progress. Simply chant Hare Krsna mantra. And there is no loss on our part. If we chant Hare Krsna mantra, there is no loss. You can chant, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, niyamitaḥ smarane na kalaḥ: "There is no hard-and-fast rule for chanting this Hare Krsna mantra." Everyone can attempt. Even the children, they are also chanting. There is no loss, but gain is very much. That is the greatest gain, ceto-darpana-marjanam. Ceto-dar... That requires. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. Just like in the mirror, if it is covered with dust, you cannot see your face. But if you cleanse the mirror very nicely, then you can see your actual face. Similarly, when our this heart is cleansed... And within the heart, Krsna is there. Īsvaraḥ sarva-bhūtanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg 18.61]. If we try to cleanse our heart, then-Krsna is already there-He will help immediately.

Abhadrani, the same dirty thing. Krsna is always ready to help us, provided if we take His help. Krsna is so nice. As Paramatma, He is living within the heart, and He is always ready to give us good advice and guide us. Caitya-guru, the guru within the heart. And this external spiritual master, he is Krsna's representative. When He sees that "This living entity is little serious. He wants to know Me. He wants to come to Me," so He helps from within, and He sends His representative from without.

So from within and from without, Krsna is ready to help us, provided we become little anxious. Sraddha. To create this sraddha, little faith, we are trying to open these branches all over the world, and people who are taking advantage of this..., little inclination will help. But there must be inclination. We are not dull stone that we have no power. We have got little power. That little independence is there because we are part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is fully independent, and we, being minute part and parcel of Krsna, we have got also little independence. You don't forget this. And misuse of this independence is the cause of our material existence. Misuse. So still, Krsna is so kind, He comes, paritranaya sadhūnam vinasaya ca duskrtam, dharma-samsthapanarthaya [Bg 4.8].

If we simply become little inclined, svalpam apy asya dharmasya, little inclined, then Krsna will help us. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17]. If somebody is little inclined and out of sentiment or understanding he gives up everything, sva-dharmam, that is the primary requisition.

Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg 18.66]. This sarva-dharman means everyone has got a particular type of occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Generally, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sūdra, they have got particular type of duties. And as Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya: "You give up your brahmana-dharma or ksatriya-dharma or vaisya-dharma or sūdra-dharma or Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this dharma, that dharma." Sarva-dharma means "everything." Sarva-dharman parityajya. If we are little inclined, that is called..., that is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareḥ. He gives up all other duties: "I am no more any followers of any dharma. I am followers of Krsna's lotus feet." If this determination is there, then everything is possible.

There is a verse, aradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ kim [Narada Pancaratra]: "If you take the shelter of the lotus feet of Hari, Krsna," aradhitaḥ, "and worship it," aradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ kim, "then there is no more necessity of austerities, penances and so many other things. Simply this is required." Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ kim... Naradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ kim: "And after undergoing your religious principles and ritualistic ceremonies and austerities, penances, fully executing the occupational duty, everything done," but naradhito hariḥ, "but you could not understand how to worship Hari," so tapasa tataḥ kim, "then what is the use of your this tapasya?" There is no use. It is simply waste of time. Srama eva hi kevalam. This is confirmed everywhere. Srama eva hi kevalam.

You are executing your occupational duty very nicely. Suppose if you are, from material point of view, you are big businessman or big medical practitioner, big engineer or anything-everyone has got some occupational duty-so if you are doing your duties very nicely, dharmaḥ svanusthitaḥ, very nicely you are doing, pumsam, but you have no Krsna consciousness... Your..., you are functioning your duties, occupational duties, very nicely, but you do not develop Krsna consciousness. Dharmaḥ svanusthitaḥ pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yaḥ [SB 1.2.8]. Visvaksena. Krsna's another name is Visvaksena. So if we do not become interested in hearing about Krsna... Krsna, Rama, or there are so many names of Krsna-Govinda, Narayana. He has got many forms. So "Krsna" means including all these forms. So visvaksena-kathasu yaḥ, notpadayed ratim yadi: "If you do not get interested to hear about the Supreme Lord, then," srama eva hi kevalam, "your discharging very faithfully your occupational duty is simply labor of love. It has no meaning."

So this is the point. Therefore Bhagavata's instruction is that you must be careful of being successful by discharging your duties. That should be your point of view. You do not remain blind. You see that you are successful. So how it is successful? That is also given indication in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: dharmaḥ svanusthitaḥ pumsam [SB 1.2.8]-this is also there-samsiddhir hari-tosanam. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-sresthaḥ. There was a big meeting of very, very learned brahmanas at Naimisaranya. Perhaps you know Naimisaranya, there is a place. In Uttar Pradesh, near Lucknow, there is a place, Naimisaranya. So long, long ago, say, four thousand, five thousand years ago, there was a big meeting of learned brahmanas. In that conference this resolution was passed. What is that resolution? Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasaḥ: "Now we are assembled here, guided by the learned brahmanas." There were ksatriyas, vaisyas and sūdras also. So the resolution was passed. The president was Sūta Gosvami.

So ataḥ pumbhir dvija-sresthaḥ. They addressed the learned brahmanas, dvija-sresthaḥ. Dvija means twice-born, twice-born: one birth by the father and mother, and the other birth by the spiritual master and spiritual knowledge. Mother, Gayatri or Veda, Veda-mata; and the father, the spiritual master. This is another birth. So the brahmana, ksatriya and vaisyas, they are allowed, especially the brahmanas. Therefore the brahmanas are called dvija-sresthaḥ: "amongst the twice-born, the best; the best of the twice-born." So it was addressed to the best of the twice-born. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasaḥ. They have got different occupational duties as brahmana, ksatriya, as vaisya and sūdra, so how they can become successful by discharging their duties? Now, samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. You never mind whether you are a brahmana or ksatriya or vaisya or sūdra. It doesn't matter. See that by your activities, by your occupational duty, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. Then your occupational duty is successful. Otherwise, srama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time and energy.

So this uttisthata jagrata is... Sva-tejasapibat tivram. Sva-tejasa: we have got that potency to come to the light. Everyone, we have got that potency. Simply we must be willing. That independence is there. I may not like it. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]: "You do it." Krsna is all-powerful; He can force you to accept this principle. But that He will not do. He will not touch your independence. He will ask you to do it, but He will not force you to do it. If you do not take it, that is your choice. But this is the assurance. To become illuminated, to become awakened to spiritual consciousness, we can do it at any moment if we want to accept it. Sva-tejasa, we have got that potency. So this Krsna consciousness movement is for giving enlightenment to the people that "If you like, you can take to Krsna consciousness, and then your life is successful." Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ kim. That is the most welfare activities.

So tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareḥ [SB 1.5.17]. If by sentiment also you take to Krsna consciousness... Because in the beginning nobody is very serious. Sometimes by sentiment they take it. Even at... This is also good, by sentiment. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam. And one who takes by sentiment, he may fall down. It doesn't matter. Because in that sentiment... Just like here we find the children, they are dancing, they are chanting, they are playing the cymbal. All these activities are taking into account. Krta-punya-punjaḥ. We collect all these effects of pious activities. This devotional service is so nice that whatever you do, little bit, that is pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Even if you do not do anything, simply if you hear, that is also punya. Punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ. And if I speak just like a parrot, if I do not know anything about, it doesn't matter; still, it is pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ. Someway or other... The children, what do they know about Krsna consciousness? But they are becoming pious, purified. Therefore, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, krta-punya-punjaḥ. Sardham vijahruḥ krta-punya-punjaḥ.

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami is describing when the cowherd boys were playing with Krsna, that description. He says that "These cowherd boys, they are not ordinary human being." Krta-punya-punjaḥ: "They have accumulated many, many births' pious activities, as the result of which they are now playing with Krsna." And who is Krsna? Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhūtya: "Big, big rsis and yogis, those who are interested in brahma-sukha, or to merge in the Brahman effulgence-the source of Brahman effulgence is here playing: Krsna." Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anḍa [Bs 5.40]. So this little, little accumulation of punya, very easy. No expenditure, no experience, no education, nothing. Simply come here and join this chanting and dancing. Even a child. Krta-punya-punjaḥ. Little, little, little-one day he will be able to play with Krsna.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. [end]