In the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the universal planetary system have been very nicely explained, and within the planetary system there is some planet, some planetary system which are called hellish planet. Actually in every scripture, not only in Bhagavata, in other religious scripture, the description of hell and heaven are there, some way or other. So in Srimad-Bhagavatam you'll find where are those hellish planets, how it is distant from this planet. Just like modern astronomy, they have got calculation, how far the moon planet is there from here, what is the distance, what is the distance between earthly planet, the sun planet. Similarly, there are hellish planets also. Just like... We have got practical experience. Even on this planet, there are different conditions of atmosphere. Western countries, nearing the North Pole, the climate is different from India because it is near the equator. As there are differences of atmosphere and condition of life within this planet, similarly, there are particular planets also, the condition of life, atmosphere and everything different.

So after hearing all these descriptions of hellish planets... As there are heavenly planets, there are hellish planets also. So Pariksit Maharaja inquiring from Sukadeva Gosvami,

So here Pariksit Maharaja is asking, adhuna, now, iha maha-bhaga. A Vaisnava is addressed as maha-bhaga. Bhaga means fortunate. One who becomes Vaisnava, God conscious, he is to be understood as great fortunate. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore, has said that ei rupe brahmanda kono bhagyavan jiva, guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. The living entities are rotating in different species of life, in different planetary system, all over the universe, brahmanda. Means a living entity can go anywhere, hell, heaven, as he likes, as he prepares himself. So there are many heavenly planets, many hellish planets, many species of life, not only planets. This is varieties, 8,400,000 species of life. So a living entity is rotating, wandering. According to the type of mentality he's creating in the present life, he's getting next life similar body. "As you sow, so you reap." This is going on. So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ei rupe brahmanda brahmite. The living entity is rotating. Out of them... Millions, numberless living entities are rotating. Out of them, one who is fortunate... Ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kono bhaga... [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Kono, not all. If all would have been so fortunate, everyone would have taken to this Krsna consciousness. It is being distributed freely everywhere. But why they are not taking to it? Because unfortunate. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, kono bhagyavan jiva: "Only one who is fortunate." So because... Why fortunate? Because if he takes to Krsna consciousness, all the problems of his life become solved. But he'll not take to it due to his unfortunate condition. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "Only the fortunate persons..." There are many fortunate persons all over the world, and many unfortunate persons also. So those who are fortunate, they're taking to this Krsna consciousness, this ideal life, hopeful life, pleasant life, blissful life, life of knowledge. They're taking to it. But it is the duty of Vaisnava to go door to door to make them fortunate. Although they are unfortunate, but you have to go door to door to make them fortunate. That is your duty.

So a Vaisnava is thinking, maha-bhaga, "How these people can be delivered from this hellish condition of life?" That was his inquiry. "Sir, you have described that on account of these sinful activities, he's put into this hellish condition of life or in hellish planetary system. Now what are the countermethods by which they can be saved?" This is the question. This question... Because he is Vaisnava, he is thinking, "Oh, so many living entities are suffering. How they can be saved?" A Vaisnava comes, God also comes and God's son or very confidential devotee also comes. Their only mission is how to save these sinful men who are suffering so much. That is their mission. They have no other mission. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. When Nrsimhadeva met him, he said a very nice verse. I'll quote that verse. So Prahlada Maharaja says one place,

Then Prahlada Maharaja says, "There is only one anxiety for me." Just see. He has no anxiety for himself, but he has still anxiety. What is that? Soce tato vimukha-cetasa. "I am anxious. I am anxious for these persons who are not persons..., who are not Krsna conscious. That is my anxiety. For me, I have no anxiety. But I am thinking of these persons who are not Krsna conscious." Why they are not Krsna conscious? Now, maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan: [SB 7.9.43] "These rascals, they have created a civilization, a humbug civilization, (laughter) for temporary happiness." Maya-sukhaya. Actually, this is the fact, humbug civilization. So many cars are being manufactured every year, and for that purpose so many roads have to be excavated, prepared, and... Problems after problems. Therefore it is maya-sukha. We are trying to be happy this way, manufacture some way, but it creates another problem. I am giving this particular example of motorcar because in your country you have got the greatest number of cars. But that does not solve the problem. You have manufactured cars. I have practical experience. When Dayananda wanted to take me to a doctor from Los Angeles, it is thirty miles off. Thirty miles off. So I had to take trouble to go thirty miles and come thirty miles before I could consult the doctor. You see? And if you have created cars, then you must have meet your friends and necessities thirty miles off, forty miles off. You can go from New York to Boston in one hour, but go to the airport you will take three hours. (laughter) Therefore it is called maya-sukhaya. (laughter) Maya means false, illusory. We are trying to create some very comfortable situation, but creating another uncomfortable situation. This is called maya-su... This is the way of... If you do not be satisfied by the natural comforts offered by God, or nature, if you want to create artificial comfort, then you have to create another discomfort for counteracting. They do not know that. They are thinking that "We are creating very comfortable situation." Fifty miles going to the office. For earning livelihood, fifty miles, from one place to another. I saw in Hawaii. When Gaurasundara was working to maintain our temple, he was working. Unfortunately, he had to go fifty miles off from the temple to work for it. So I was very sorry to see how this boy is going fifty miles. How Krsna will say? But Krsna has given us chance. Now they haven't got to work.

So Prahlada Maharaja says that "These vimudhan, these materialistic persons, these rascals..." He has exactly used this word, vimudhan. Mudha I have already explained several times in connection with Bhagavad-gita. Mudha means rascals. And here Prahlada Maharaja uses another nice word with addition, "vi." Vimudhan. Vi means visesa, "particularly." The vimudhan... Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahatah: "They have created unnecessary burden on their shoulder simply for temporary happiness." Temporary happiness. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, a sannyasa, renounced order of life, is recommended for prosecuting spiritual life absolutely without any anxiety. If one can execute Krsna consciousness in family life, that's very good. Just like Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was a family man, magistrate. Still, he executed devotional service so nicely. Dhruva Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja, they are, they were grhastha, householders, but they trained themselves in such a nice way that even householder, as a householder, there was no interruption. Just like Prahlada Maharaja said that "I have learned the art, how to remain always in Krsna consciousness." What is that? Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta: "Simply glorifying the," I mean to, "the victorious activities, pastimes of the Lord." Tvad-virya. Virya means very strenuous, very heroic. Virya means heroic. So Krsna's activities are all heroic. You can read from Krsna book. Tvad-virya-gayana. Krsna's name, Krsna's fame, Krsna's activities, Krsna's associateseverything is heroic. So Prahlada Maharaja says, "For me, I am certain, wherever I shall go, I can glorify Your heroic activities and I am, I mean to say, saved. There is no question of my falling down. But I wish... I am simply anxious for these persons who have created a type of civilization that they are always busy and working hard. So I am thinking of them."

But Prahlada Maharaja says, naitan vihaya krpanan vimumuksa ekah: "My Lord, I do not require salvation alone. Unless I take all these fools with me, I'll not go." (laughter) He refuses to go the kingdom of God without taking all these fallen souls. Just see. This is Vaisnava. He says, naitan vihaya krpanan vimumuksa ekah: "Then what is your process? You are very ambitious. That's all right. You want to take all of them with you to the kingdom of God, but what process?" People may ask, "How you are going to do that?" He says, nanyam tvad asya-saranam bhramato 'nupasye: "I simply want to teach them how to surrender unto You. That's all. That is my process." Because he knows, as soon as he surrenders, his path is clear. Because Krsna assures,

So these are the Vaisnava philosophical thought, how they are thinking for the conditioned souls, fallen souls, how they can be delivered. They are making plan in that way. They are, they always they busy in that business, how to deliver. Just like Gosvamis, about the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, Lord Caitanya's direct disciples, what was their business? That is stated by Srinivasacarya,

Now, Sukadeva Gosvami says,

So one has to suffer. People, they do not believe next life because they want to avoid this botheration. But there... You cannot avoid this botheration. If you do not go according to law... As there is punishment even in this state of our lifeif I commit some sins, criminal activities, the state will punish mesimilarly, if we do something which is punishable, I may avoid the state law, but I cannot avoid God's law. That is not possible. I can hide myself, cheating others, or committing theft, and that, thereby I save myself from the punishment of the state laws, but I cannot save myself from the superior law, the law of nature. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. It is very difficult. There are so many witnesses. The daylight is witness. The moonlight is witness. These are described. You cannot say that "I am committing these things. Nobody is seeing me. There is no witness. So how I can be...?" And the supreme witness is Krsna. He is sitting within your heart. He is noting down what you are thinking, what you are doing. He is giving facility also. If you wanted to do something to satisfy your senses, so Krsna is giving facility. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto: [Bg. 15.15] "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. "From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge," smrtir jnanam apohanam ca, "and forgetfulness."

So Krsna gives us chance. If you want Krsna, then He will give you full chance how to have Krsna. And if you don't want Krsna, then He'll give you full chance how to forget Krsna. Two things are going on. If you want to forget... If you want to enjoy life, forgetting Krsna, forgetting God, then Krsna will give you all facilities so that you can forget Him. And if you want to enjoy life with Krsna consciousness, then Krsna will give you chance how to make your progress in Krsna consciousness. That is up to you. If you think that without Krsna consciousness you'll be happy, do that. Krsna does not object to that. Yathecchasi tatha kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Krsna, after advising Arjuna, He simply inquired, "Now I have explained to you everything. Whatever you desire you can now do." So immediately Arjuna replied, karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]: "Now I shall execute Your order." That is Krsna consciousness. God does not interfere with your little independence. If you want to act according to the order of God, then God will help you. Even sometimes you fall down, if you become sincere that "From this time, I shall remain Krsna conscious and execute His orders," then Krsna will help you, in all respects. Even you fall down, He'll excuse you and He will give more intelligence, "Don't do this. Now go on with your duty." But if you want to forget Krsna, if you want to become happy without Krsna, He, He'll give you so many chances that you'll forget Krsna, you'll forget. Life after life. That's all.

So here Pariksit Maharaja says that... It is not that if I say "There is no God," there will be no God, and whatever I do, that will not be, I'll not be responsible for that. That is atheistic theory. Atheists do not want God because they're always sinful, and if they think of God, that there is God, then there is a great risk of punishment. They shudder. Therefore they deny God. That is their process. Because if they forget God, there is God, then there is no punishment. He can do whatever he likes. Just like the animals. The rabbits, when they're attacked by a greater animal, they close their eyes. (laughter) He thinks that "I'm not going to be killed." That's all. But he's killed. Similarly, we may deny the existence of God, the law of God, the exigencies of God, but they are already there. Just like in the... Why God? In state, if you say, "I don't care for God," er, I mean, "state, government," but you'll be forced to accept government laws. You'll be put into the prison house, and you'll be forced. "Because you denied the state laws, now you suffer." Similarly, I may decry the existence of God, "There is no God. I am God." That you may think, foolishly, like that. But you are responsible for all your activities, either good or bad. It doesn't matter.

There are two kind of activities: good or bad. If you act nicely, pious activities, then you get good chance. And if you act sinfully, then you have to suffer. So Sukadeva Gosvami says,

So similarly, this is also diseased condition, to... (aside:) Don't... Down. Atonement, the sinful life, this is also diseased condition. Just like we have accepted this chain of birth and death. This is diseased condition of the soul. The soul has no birth and death, no disease. Because it is spirit soul. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, na jayate: "Soul has no birth." Na mriyate: "It has no death." Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire: [Bg. 2.20] "Soul is eternal," sasvatah, "existing everlasting. Don't think that it is lost along with the dissolution of this body. No." Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Na hanyate means it is not killed, or it is destroyed, even after the destruction of this body. This is the missing point of modern civilization. They do not know... There is no educational system in the university, what happens after death. There is no such educational system. The most defective education, because without this knowledge, what happens after death, without this knowledge, one who is dying without this knowledge, he's an animal. The animal does not know that what he's going to have, another body, how it is... He has no such knowledge. But human life is not meant for becoming an animal, simply interested in eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. You may have very nice arrangement for eating or you may have very nice building for sleeping, or you may have very good arrangement for sex life, or you may have very good defense force to protect yourself. But that does not mean that you are in human civilization. That type of civilization is there in the animal life. They are also interested in eating. They are also interested in sleeping. They're also interested in sex life. And according to their own method, they defend also. Then where is the distinction between a human life and animal life if you are simply engaged with these four principles of our bodily necessities?

The distinction is when a human being is inquisitive, "Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? Is there any remedy? Is there any perpetual, eternal life? I want I shall not die. I shall live very happily and peacefully. Whether there is such chance? What is that method? What is that science?" When these inquiries will be there and steps should be taken for answering the question, that is human civilization. Otherwise it is dog's civilization. If there is no such inquiry, then it is animal. Animals are satisfied if they can eat something and sleep and have some sex life and some defense. That's all. There is no defense, actually, because nobody can protect himself from the hands of the cruel death. Therefore Hiranyakasipu wanted to live forever, and he underwent severe austerities. The so-called scientists are also saying that "By scientific method we shall stop death." This is also another crazy utterances. That is not possible. You may make very much advance in scientific knowledge, but there is no solution, by your so-called science, of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. There is no solution. Therefore, one who is intelligent, he'll be eager, how to solve these four prime problems. That is intelligence. Because nobody wants to die. "Why shall I die?" But there is no remedy. I have to die. The... Everyone is very much anxious to stop increase of population by so many contraceptive methods. But still, birth is going on. So there is no stoppage of death. There is no stoppage of birth. And you might have invented very nice medicine by your scientific method, up-to-date medicines, but you cannot stop the disease. Just discover a tablet that you take this tabletthere will be no more any disease. That is not possible. Disease will be there. You can invent some better medicine. That is, that is the way. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. One might think that he has solved all the problems of his life, but where is the solution of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease? That is intelligence.

But there is a solution. That is Krsna consciousness. That is Krsna consciousness. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

Thank you very much. (end)