680821SB.MON
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.13

Montreal, August 21, 1968
Prabhupada:
sarve hy ami vidhi-karas tava sattva-dhamno
brahmadayo vayam ivesa na codvijantah
ksemaya bhutaya utatma-sukhaya casya
vikriditam bhagavato ruciravataraih
[SB 7.9.13]
Prahlada Maharaja is induced to pray Lord Nrsimhadeva to pacify. He was in violent feature. So he's requesting, "My dear Lord," sarve hy ami vidhi-karas tava sattva-dhamno. "Now, all these demigods, they are Your assistants, and they are situated in transcendental position." Sattva-dhamno. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam. Our situations are differently calculated. Not that every one of us is situated on the same platform. On the material platform, we are situated in three different positions: sattva-raja-tama. Sattva means goodness, raja means passion, and tama means ignorance or darkness. So, so long we are in the material platform, the highest positional situation is in the modes of goodness.
So here it is stated that all these demigods, they are in the modes of goodness. Brahma janati iti brahmana. Modes of goodness means those who are brahmanas. And who are brahmanas? Brahma janati: one who knows what is Brahman or the Absolute Truth, he is called brahmana. And he is situated in the modes of goodness. The less intelligent, that means those who are less aware of the Absolute Truth, according to the less awareness, the position is different. The first-class position is one who is aware of the Absolute Truth, he is in the goodness. Less awareness is the ksatriya, or in the modes of passion. Less awareness is the vaisyas, the mercantile class of people. They are in the third position. And the sudra, they are in the fourth position, in the darkness, unawareness. And again, the degree of unawareness makes more and more abominable condition of life. Just like animal life. So here Prahlada Maharaja says that you have nothing to be disturbed by these people because they are in the modes of goodness. Therefore if we can produce population in the modes of goodness, there will be no problem in this material world even. Just like in the Satya-yuga, they were all brahmanas, in the modes of goodness, so there was no trouble. And again, Treta-yuga, seventy-five percent, modes of goodness. In the Dvapara-yuga, fifty percent, and the Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent calculated to be in the modes of ignorance. Therefore we are feeling so much disturbances in the social condition, in the political condition.
So Prahlada Maharaja assures that brahmadayo sarve hy ami vidhi-karah. Vidhi-karah means administrators. The demigods are different administrators appointed on behalf of the Supreme Lord. Just like the sun-god, he is also called god because he is godly. So he is supplying us heat and light. Similarly, there is Indra. He is supplying us water. Candra is supplying us moonlight. Varuna is supplying us air. There are different controllers. Don't think that there is no controller. There is controller. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] "All these natural rules and regulations, they are being conducted under My superintendence." It is foolishness to understand that there is no director or no supreme controller or superintendent in these affairs. This is scanty explanation, that "Nature is doing." No. Nature cannot do. Nature is dull. Nothing can move without spiritual touch. Matter is dull. A stone, however great it may be, without touch of a spiritual individual soul, the stone cannot move. So similarly, the whole gigantic material cosmic manifestation is being moved by the spiritual touch, and there are different departments, and they are called vidhi-karah. Vidhi means regulative, and karah means the performers. So he says, sarve hy ami vidhi-karas tava sattva-dhamno brahmadayo. And he specifically mentions now, brahmadayo, headed by Lord Brahma.
Brahma is considered to be the head of all demigods. So brahmadayo vayam ivesa na codvijantah. Vayam iva. He is taking the part of his father. He's born of a father, a first-class atheist. So he is taking the side of his father, although he's more than Brahma. Because Brahma could not pacify the Lord. Brahma requested Prahlada, "My dear boy, the Lord has appeared to mitigate your trouble; so you try to pacify Him. We have failed." But just see. This is the behavior of Vaisnava. He is the prominent personality in that assembly. Still, he says that "All these demigods, they are not like us, disturbing. I am born of atheistic father. Our family, our community, our society"vayam, vayam means "we""Our society, country, family, they're all disturbing." Prahlada Maharaja says, "We are all disturbing because we are atheistic." In other words, the more the population is atheistic, the more disturbance in the society. So he says that these demigods... As I explained the other day, there are two classes of men everywhere: one godly and the other atheist. The atheistic are always disturbing, and godly persons, they're peaceful. They're not disturbing. Whenever we'll find disturbance, you must know there is atheistic population. And peaceful country or a godly persons, they are never disturbing. So Prahlada Maharaja takes the side of the atheistic population because he was born of atheistic father, and he recommends that "These brahmadayo, these demigods headed by Brahma," he isa, "my dear Lord," vayam iva, "just like us," na ca udvijantah, "they are not disturbing. They are very peaceful."
So they do not know the peace formula. They are creating atheistic population and they want peace. How it is possible? Just like I remember, I read in a paper that Archbishop of Canterbury, he said in a lecture that "You want kingdom of God without God." So similarly, the world is after peace. There are so many associations, societies, United Nations. They are after peace, but they are all groups of atheistic people. Therefore the members of the United Nations, they are themselves fighting some way or other. How there can be peace, because they are themselves disturbing? How they can be in peace? You cannot expect any peace in atheistic society or animalistic society. So they must be made godly. God conscious, Krsna conscious. Then there will be peace. God conscious and atheistic people, what is the difference? The difference is that atheistic person thinks "mine." "Everything mine. I am the lord of all I survey. I am the king. I am the leader. I am everything, and everything belongs to me." This is atheistic temperament. And godly persons? They think everything God's. That is the difference. The thing is there. Take anything, your country, your home, your wealth, anything. As soon as you say, "It is mine," then it is atheistic. And as soon as you say "It is God's," then you are godly. You are there, the things are there. Simply change of consciousness. That's all. Simply change of consciousness. Just like in India, twenty years ago, say, in 1947, we were under the British rule. Now, what is the independence? Independence means they're thinking that "I'm not in British rule." That's all. The government is the same, the clerk, the minister, the secretary, the government house, the administrative, I mean to say, processeverything is there. Simply a change of consciousness. A change of rubber stamp. That's all. Formerly the rubber stamp was "His Majesty's Government," and now the rubber stamp is "Indian Government." That's all.
So Krsna consciousness does not mean... God consciousness does not mean that you have to revolutionize everything. No. Simply you have to change. And actually that is the fact. When I think it is God's... Say, for my country. I am claiming now, "My country," but actually it is not my country. Everything God's. Who has created this country, this vast land, the sky, the sea, the ocean? I have not created. So how can I claim that this is mine? I have come empty-handed from the womb of my mother, and I shall go empty-handed. So why do I claim it is mine? So this is ignorance. Actually, I am claiming others' property as mine. This is atheistic. Just like thieves. Bhagavad-gita it is said, stena eva sa ucyate [Bg. 3.12]. Stena eva sa ucyate. One who thinks that "The world belongs to me or to my nation or to my family or to my community," he is thief. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. The Vedic literature informs us that everything belongs to Isa, God. Isavasyam idam sarvam yad kincit jagatyam jagat. And by Him it is going on: the Supreme Spirit. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. Just like what is the value of this city of Montreal? Because there are so many living entities. That's all. If the all men and women immediately becomes dead, what is the value of this city? Is there any value of the matter? No. Because the living entities, the living force is there, therefore the city has value, the land has value. Suppose if everyone was dead, what was the value of this apartment? Nobody would come and ask for rent. Valueless.
So we have to understand that behind every value there is spirit, Supreme. And the Supreme Spirit is the real value. So Vedic instruction is isavasyam idam sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." The world is moving due to that Supreme Spirit or the small spirit. We are small spirit, and God is Supreme Spirit. So we are changing... We are under Him. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). We are under His control. So we are also moving; we are also creating. But He is the greatest creator, He's the greatest mover. God is great; we are small. Actually, it belongs to the great. Yat kincid jagatyam jagat tena tyaktena bhunjitha [Iso mantra 1]. Therefore tena. Tena means "therefore." Tyaktena bhunjitha. Tyaktena bhunjitha means tyakta. Tyakta means "sacrificing." Because it is God's, therefore you must go to the God. That mentality is Krsna conscious. Just like suppose in this room there is one note, hundred dollars. Somebody finds: "Here is a hundred dollar note." Now it belongs to somebody. It has fallen some way. Somebody has lost. So how to utilize this hundred dollar found by me? If I take it in my pocket, then I am thief. And if I neglect it, somebody may take it away. It is misused. The best use is to find out the man, the owner, and hand it over to him. That is the best use. Similarly, if everything belongs to God, if I want to occupy it by force, I am thief. Stena eva sa ucyate [Bg. 3.12]. Every one of us who is trying to occupy some portion of land, country, in the name of "It is my country," and fighting, both of them, they are thieves because that land does not belong to anyone. No nation. It belongs to God. If... We can understand, if the United Nation passed resolution that "The whole planet belongs to God; we are sons of God; so let us live peacefully as sons of God," oh, there is no quarrel. But that they will never understand. They'll simply try to divide. Just like some gangs of thieves, they have stolen some property. Now they have come out, and they're dividing, and one of them is asking, "My dear brothers, let us divide piously. Let us divide piously." (laughs) Nonsense. The whole property is impious. So what is the meaning of your piously divided?
Just like in India, nonvegetarian diet, according to Vedic system it is condemned. Nobody can eat any meat. But now they have learned how to eat meat. They are doing that. So somebody is saying, "Yes, today I have cooked meat, but in the Ganges water." Ganges water is considered to be pious. So he thinks by cooking meat in the Ganges water, it has become purified. You see? This is our mentality. We are bent upon doing all nonsense, and we want to get it supported by religious cover. Just like recently, the Christian world, they wanted support from the Pope of contraceptive method. That contraceptive method is condemned, but they want to be supported by the religious head. "If you don't support, then you are not good man. And if you support my nonsense, then you are very good man." Just like that Maharishi came here, and he supported that "Whatever nonsense you like, you do. You simply pay me thirty-five dollars and I give you one mantra, and within six months you become God." Oh, he looted your country. And after looting, he said, "Oh, my mission is failure." Because he has got his money, now he'll go. This is going on because we want to be cheated. Therefore cheaters come and cheat us. And as soon as say, "No. Everything belongs to God, my dear friend. You don't claim anything as yours. Because it belongs to God or Krsna, you employ everything for His service""Swamiji is very conservative." You see. So actually, it is the fact.
So Brahmadaya, Prahlada Maharaja says that "These demigods, they are not disturbing like that." Brahmadaya. Brahmadaya vayam means "We are disturbing because we are atheistic. We do not accept God. My father never accepted God and he wanted to teach me that there is no God. So I refused my father's teaching. So he tortured me so much." Still, he is taking his father's side. Now we have to study this fact, that a Vaisnava is never proud of his assessment. He'll never think, "Because I am Krsna conscious, so I have become so great." No. He thinks always very humble and meek. This is the example. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He was so powerful devotee that Lord Caitanya used to come daily at his place. But he was thinking, "Oh, I am born in Muhammadan family, so I cannot enter into Jagannatha temple." Similarly Sanatana Gosvami, he was also not entering the temple of Jagannatha. That does not mean that they were lower than somebody else. No. But it is the, I mean to say, general tendency of a devotee that he always thinks that "I am lower than the lowest. Lower than the lowest." Purisera kita haite muni se laghistha [Cc. Adi 5.205]. Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the author of a literature, Caitanya-caritamrta, unique in the world, he said that "I am lower than the worm in the stool." Purisera kita haite. Purisa means stool and kita means worms. There are some worms in the stool. So he said that "I am lower than that worm in the stool." Just see.
Similarly Prahlada Maharaja says, "My dear Lord, these demigods, they are all devotees. They are Your obedient servant. Sattva-dhamno. And they are not like us, disturbing." Ksemaya bhutaya utatma-sukhaya casya vikriditam bhagavato ruciravataraih. "And Your appearance as Nrsimhadeva is not for me, but for them. Because I am born in atheistic family. It is Your determination that You want to cut down the atheistic people. So it is automatically You have cut down, You have killed my father. But Your real business was to protect these demigods, Your devotees." In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam, yuge yuge sambhavami [Bg. 4.8]. Dharma samsthapanarthaya yuge yuge sambhavami. So the Lord appears with two missions. Paritranaya sadhunam: just to rescue the devotees or the persons in goodness, sadhu. Sadhu. There is description, definition of who is a sadhu. Sadhu means saintly person. In French language, I think it called saint? Saint? But actually the saint is in Sanskrit language also. Santa. Santa. Santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. In Sanskrit language the saintly persons are called santa. Maybe it is Latin derivative, because in Latin there are many words resembling Sanskrit. And Professor Rowe, a great English scholar in India, an Englishman, professor in Presidency College, he wrote one grammar, English grammar. In our childhood we had to read. He has stated that "Sanskrit is the mother of all languages." Anyway...
So when God appears, incarnates, descends, His business is to protect the devotees, paritranaya sadhunam. That is His first business. Vinasaya ca duskrtam: and to kill the unfaithful, miscreants. For them, God does not require to come Himself. Side by side, He does so. If God likes, He can kill thousands of miscreants by one stroke. So that business does not depend on Him, that He would come to kill a demonic person. The real business is to protect the devotees, the faithful. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, ksemaya bhutaya utatma-sukhaya casya vikriditam: "Actually, You have appeared for these persons, to protect them, for their happiness," sukhaya, "and for their elevation." Just like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, or Vedic literature, or any scripture. For whom they are meant? Those who are godly, for their elevation, so that they can elevate more and more. It is not for the atheistic persons. They do not believe in God. So Bible or Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavata, they are not meant for the atheistic persons. So whatever auspicious things are in the world, they are meant for the faithful, not for the atheistic persons.
Thank you. Any questions?
Young man: [break] ...from the modes of ignorance to the modes of passion to the modes of goodness is a very gradual process?
Prabhupada: Why gradual? You can immediately transcend all the processes by becoming Krsna conscious immediately.
mam ca vyabhicarini
bhakti yogena yah sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, the Lord says, "Anyone who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service unto Me, so he is transcendental." Sa gunan samatityaitan. Gunan means these modes, different modesmodes of ignorance, modes of passion, modes of goodness. Goodness is also material. That is not spiritual. If you become very good moralist or very religious, following all the rules and regulations, that is good but that is not spiritual. The spiritual is far above. So one... We have to transcend the position of worldly goodness. Somebody asked me this question, "Swamiji, if a person is moral and dutiful and benevolent, all the good qualifications, so what is the use of worshiping God?" My reply was that anyone who is not God conscious or Krsna conscious, he cannot be good, cannot be moral. It is not possible. Harav abhakta... I am not manufacturing this. This is the statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. So take for example that, our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he was considered to be a very good man... [break] They may be good, but they are not ultimate good. The ultimate good is Krsna consciousness. That is good for you and good for all. Anyone who is in Krsna consciousness, he is good in this sense, because he is in transcendental position, and whatever he speaks, because he speaks about God, therefore speaking is not adulterated. So this position, as soon as you take it a principle of your life, that "I shall simply be engaged in Krsna's service, or God's service. I shall talk about Krsna, I shall work for Krsna, I shall write for Krsna, I shall read for Krsna. Everything for Krsna," that is the transcendental position beyond goodness, better than goodness. So one can be situated in this position immediately by surrendering to Krsna. It is not very difficult. Yes, what is your...?
Young woman: All right. You answered my question. Thank you very much for answering my question. You said... I asked you what goodness was, Swamiji, and you said goodness was knowledge.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Young woman: Now could you explain what you meant by knowledge? What? Spiritual knowledge or...?
Prabhupada: No. First of all what is knowledge?
Young woman: Knowledge is material.
Prabhupada: Knowledge means that you must know what you are. This is knowledge. If you don't know what you are, then what is the meaning of your knowledge? So real knowledge means that aham brahmasmi: "I am not matter, I am a spirit soul." That is real knowledge. On the basis of this real knowledge, whatever is done, that is done in knowledge; otherwise it is done in ignorance. That is the difference. Knowledge and difference. Knowledge is not that you have to get degrees from the university, big, big degrees. No. Real knowledge is that "I am," aham brahmasmi, "I am spirit soul." If one has realized this one word only, then he is in knowledge. He's in knowledge. One who has not realized this thing, he's in ignorance. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who has accepted this body, which is made of three elements, sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma-ijya-dhih, and therefore accepted the bodily productions as his own or the place or the land where this body is produced is worshipable... There are so many other things. Naturally, at the present moment, knowledge means that "This is my country." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Chinese." Why? "Because my body is produced from this land." So this is ignorance. Your body... Why your body? The cow's body is also produced from this land. Why do you kill? It has got also right. But because he has no knowledge actually, therefore he is trying to protect his body, but he's not protecting the other's body produced from the land. This is want of knowledge. If he has real knowledge that "I am Brahman, I am spirit," then he can see, samah sarvesu bhutesu: "Oh, the spirit. The cow is also spirit soul, the dog is also spirit soul, I am also spirit soul. Otherwise how I am moving?" The cow is moving, the dog is moving. So,
This equal vision is possible for a learned man who sees a learned brahmana, a dog, an elephant, a cow, on the same basis. What is that basis? Spiritual understanding. So unless you are in the spiritual platform, the so-called knowledge has no value. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. So real knowledge means spiritual knowledge, that "I am Brahman. I am spirit." Then,
Other things will follow, and he will be very jolly. This is... A person in knowledge should be in, I mean to say, happiness. That is a sign of knowledge. So one who is in knowledge, he is not disturbed. What was my answer? Huh? [break] Yad anyat tad ajnanam iti matam. Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavan said. He has given the definition of knowledge, eighteen items. You'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter. Ahimsa. What is called? There are eighteen items. You'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter. The most important point is mam ca vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate. The principal point is to become Krsna conscious. That is knowledge. Then all knowledge will come automatically. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana. If you take to this knowledge, that Krsna or the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth, He is eternal master and we are all eternal servitors, this very knowledge will elevate you to other platforms of knowledge. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah [SB 5.18.12]. Then all the symptoms of knowledge will automatically manifest in his person. Therefore this is the best process of becoming a man of knowledge or wise man. (end)

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