Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.5–8 – January 10, 1971, Calcutta

Material life means simply to desire to enjoy

[microphone moving]

Is that all right?

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupada:

So the Yamaduta is comparing the trustworthy government. Everything is discussed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, but people do not take advantage of all these instruction. They mean... Bhagavatam means that rasa-lila, that's all. So many nice instructions are there in different cantos. Actually, the Krsna is described in the Tenth Canto, and other nine cantos are specially meant for purifying the heart and understanding real Krsna, tattvatah, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gita [Bg 4.9].

They do not know. Those who take advantage of Krsna's rasa-lila only as ordinary story, they do not know Krsna tattvatah. But even though they do not know, because they are hearing about Krsna's pastimes, they are also becoming purified. But if they hear from authorized source, then the result will be bhaktim param pratilabhya [SB 10.33.39]. They will be promoted to transcendental devotional platform, and the result will be that hrd-roga-kamam apahinoti.

Actually, by hearing about rasa-lila the result will be that one will be raised to the platform of transcendental service, and the disease of lust within the heart-that is material disease-that will be completely vanquished. Hrd-roga-kamam apahinoti aciram. Aciram, very soon, they will be able to eradicate the deep-rooted lusty desires in the heart of material existence.

Material existence means lusty life. Krsna-bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare [Prema-vivarta]. Material life means simply to desire to enjoy. Of course, there is no enjoyment. That is... So if one hears rasa-lila from authoritative source, the result will be that he will be promoted to the transcendental platform of loving service to Krsna, and the material disease, lusty desires, will be vanquished.

But they do not hear from the authoritative source. Some professional reciters they hear; therefore they remain in the material existence of lusty affairs, and sometimes they turn to be sahajiya. When Krsna has connection with so many women... You know that in Vrndavana, the yugala-bhajana-one becomes Krsna and one becomes Radha. That is their theory. And so many things are going on.

Therefore we instruct that first of all read the nine chapters [cantos] very carefully, and then... There are so many nice instruction, but they do not hear about this nice instruction, ajamila-sraddha caritra. At least, picked up, some incidences, they should hear.

So,

The charge of Visnudutas for the Yamaduta was that they did not know whom to arrest and whom not to arrest. Therefore he was criticizing. Yamaraja is meant for arresting the criminals, sinful persons. But these Yamadutas came to arrest Ajamila, who was already relieved from all sinful actions simply by chanting "Narayana." That was not known to them. So in order to criticize them, that "You do not know where to go and where not to go," they described in so many ways.

Now they are positively saying that ayam hi krta-nirveso janma-koty-amhasam api [SB 6.2.7]: "Even though he committed sinful activity for millions of years, he is now free." Ayam hi krta-nirvesah: "He has completely counteracted all those sinful activities." How? Yad vyajahara vivaso nama svasty-ayanam hareh. So vivasah: "Somehow or other, he has chanted the holy name of Hari."

Asya papena dande kim artham akrosa kriyate tatrahur ayam hriyate [Sridhara Svami commentary]. "Why you are attempting to arrest this person as criminal?" Yamaduta, yad yada vivasi 'pi harer nama vyajahara uccaritavan: "There was no intention of chanting the holy name of Hari, but even though consciously or unconsciously he has chanted the holy name of Hari, therefore he is now free."

Now, we have to note this important thing, that the powerful hari-nama is so strong that even one unconsciously or conscious... Sometimes they imitate: "Hare Krsna." They have no intention to chant the holy name of Krsna, but they imitate or criticize, "Hare Krsna." That has also effect. That has also effect. Just like the Muhammadans during Caitanya Mahaprabhu's time, they sometimes used to criticize, "These Hindus are chanting Hare Krsna." So they were imitating. So gradually they also became devotees.

Yad vyajahara vivaso nama svasty-ayanam hareh. Vivasi 'pi harer nama vyajahara uccaritavan na kevalam prayascitta. Matram harer nama api tu svasty-ayanam makara-sadhanam api. So Sridhara Svami says that "This chanting of holy name of Narayana, Hari, is not only counteracting his all sinful reactions, but he is now eligible to become liberated and being transferred to the spiritual world. Not only he has been freed from, but there is a reward for it." You see?

A sinful man is very expert in committing sinful activities, but here is a statement that the holy name of Hari is so powerful that even an expert criminal cannot commit as much sinful activity as by once chanting the holy name of Hari it can be counteracted. He is unable. The expert criminal is very advanced in committing sinful life, but sastra says that he cannot commit so many sinful life. The one chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is so powerful.

So one may be not bewildered. They may criticize that it's too much, but it is not too much; it is actual fact. Actual fact. That is aparadha. One who thinks like that, that hari-nama has not so much power that it can counteract, they are offender. For them it is not possible. But one who believes in the words of the sastras, as it is stated here, for him it is actually effective. Artha-vada. Out of ten offenses, artha-vada, one who comments like that, that is artha-vada, and that is offense.

So those who are cultivating this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, they should have firm faith in the statement of the sastras that chanting of harer nama is so powerful.

Now it clearly says that catur-aksaram, these four alphabet-na, ra, ya, na-four, na, ra, ya, na, that "Because he has uttered these four alphabets, Narayana..." But he had no offense in chanting. He sincerely chanted, offenseless chanting; therefore he became free immediately.

Nanu karma syad gunakaram harer nameti yuktam, yasya smrtya ca namoktva tapo-yajna-kriyadisu nunam tam purnakam yati sadyah vande acyutam ity adi-vacanam

So Sridhara Svami is quoting from sastras that baddha parikaratvena moksaya gamanam pratiti smrte, na kevalam prayascittam harer nama api tu satyayana...[?] This is a quotation from smrti-sastra that sakrd uccaritam yena hari iti aksara-dvayam. If anyone simply chants these two alphabets, ha, ri-hari-then baddha-parikaras tena moksaya gamanam pratiti: "Although he is a conditioned soul, his path for liberation is open."

ity adi-vacanam.[?] There is another quotation, that, yasya smrtya ca moktva tapo-yajna-kriyadisu. These are pious activities: austerity and sacrifice, tapas, yajna; and kriya, pious activities. Everything is done simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. There is no need of doing anything. Simply by chanting, one can achieve the result of japa, yajna and other ritualistic performances prescribed in the Vedas.

And this is specially advised to the karma-kandiyas, those who are very much fond of performing ritualistic ceremony. For them, this instruction is specially meant, that if you chant simply Hare Krsna mantra without any offense, then you'll get all the results of japa, yajna and other ritualistic performance.

Sakamtvena tapta-nivantakam harer nama katham syat tatrahuh etenaiva iti agho 'nya anyayatah maghavat sabda...[?]

[aside:] This light is not sufficient. [pause] [end]