Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.47 – April 2, 1976, Vṛndāvana

Demonic Habits Are Being Killed

Anantaram Sastriji: [chants slokas, devotees repeat]

[chants verse; Prabhupada and devotees respond] [break]

Pusta-Krsna: Translation: "By authorized Vedic knowledge one can see the cause and effect of the cosmic manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the cosmic manifestation is also His energy. Both of them are different energies of the Lord and nothing else. The wise man can see how the fire is spread within the wood by consideration of cause and effect. Similarly, persons engaged in devotional service understand, O my Lord, how You are both the cause and effect."

In this book it is vicinate. I think that other book, viciksate?

Pusta Krsna: Vicaksate. And in the other book it says.

Prabhupada: Yes. It doesn't make any difference.

So yogena, this word, is very important in this verse. There are... Yogena means "by the means of"; upayena, "by the means of." So as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says that bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55]: "Only by devotional service one can understand Me." So here the word yogena should not be understood otherwise. If one says that jnana-yogena, karma-yogena, hatha-yogena, dhyana-yogena... There are many yoga system. One can understand. That is the usual proverb[?] nowadays, that "Any means, you can understand the Absolute Truth." Yata mata tata patha. "You can have your own process or yoga, and you can realize God." But that is not possible. Krsna personally says, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55]. In another place, bhaktya ekaya: "Only through devotional service." [SB 11.14.21] And practically we see there are many jnanis and dhyana-yogis, karmis; they have no clear conception of the Absolute Truth. Vague idea. Even in many other religious system they have got some conception of God, not clear idea. But in bhakti-yoga you can understand directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There are many expansion of God. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33]. He has got many forms, but this form which we know as Krsna, that is the original Krsna, or original God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says, mattaḥ parataram nanyat [Bg 7.7]:

"Although I have got many forms, but the original, supreme form is Krsna." But that does not mean that the other forms of Krsna, not our manufactured, but as it is stated in the sastra... Krsna has got many names: Rama, Govinda, Nrsimha, Varaha. There are other forms. Ramadi-mūrtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs 5.39]. Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha. He has got many forms. Rama is also expansion of Krsna. So these forms... We should not consider they are less powerful than Krsna. Not that. But Krsna is the original form. The example is given in the sastra: just like candles. Diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya [Bs 5.46]. The... There are thousands of candles, so we get one of them ignited, light up, and then second, then third, then fourth, then fifth-you can go on increasing millions. The each light, each candle, is equally powerful. There is no doubt. Krsna's expansion not... The visnu-tattva. It is called visnu-tattva. Diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya dipayate na hi tatha prthag asti hetu [Bs 5.46]. So visnu-tattva. Visnu-tattva is one, but still, just like the example, candle. One candle, first candle, is Krsna. Sarva-karana-karanam [Bs 5.1], govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. This is the conclusion.

There are sometimes controversy that "You do not worship Lord Ramacandra" or "You do not chant the name of Ramacandra first." These are all material consideration. Either you chant Hare Rama or Hare Krsna, it does not make any difference. If you like, you can begin with Hare Rama, and if you like, you can... These are, I mean to say, neophyte question, that "You are not chanting Hare Rama. You are making discrimination." We do not make any discrimination. We equally. But I like the form of Krsna. Hanumancandra liked the form of Rama. But that does not mean that you like any form and he'll be God. No. You have to go according to the direction of the sastra. Ramadi-mūrtisu. Visnu form, they are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. You have to accept the direction of the authorities.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asked by Sanatana Gosvami that "How we can understand the incarnation of God?" So Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied that "You will understand the incarnation of God with reference to the sastra. Don't manufacture your incarnation of God. That is not allowed." Then Sanatana Gosvami wanted to say Caitanya Mahaprabhu was incarnation, because in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said... Not only in Srimad-Bhagavatam, in many other, Mahabharata and Upanisad, there is mention, maha vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam. This mahapurusa, Mahaprabhu, this vande mahapurusa, it is applicable to Lord Ramacandra.

This sloka is applicable to both Ramacandra and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Visnu is always mahapurusa. Therefore Pariksit Maharaja is addressed sometimes, mahapaurusika. Because he is devotee of Mahapurusa, so he is addressed as mahapaurusika, like that. So by the sastra indication, especially in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's incarnation is described:

This is the most important verse indicating Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Krsna. Krsna-varnam. He is in the same category. And another meaning, krsnam-varnayati: "The incarnation of Krsna who is always describing Krsna or chanting Hare Krsna." Varnayati. But tvisa akrsnam: "But by complexion, akrsna, not black." So "not black," that may be many other colors. Then which of them I shall take? That is also stated in the sastra. While making the horoscope of Krsna, Gargamuni, he said, idanim krsnatam gataḥ. Sukla-raktas tatha pitam idanim krsnatam gataḥ: "Nanda Maharaja, your son, this child, has now appeared as krsna, blackish." Idanim krsnatam gataḥ. "Otherwise this very child appeared in previous ages." Sukla-raktas tatha pita: "He... Sometimes He appeared in white color, sometimes red, sometimes yellow." This yellow color refers to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, golden color. So this is also confirmed. Not... If somebody says that "He is Krsna. Why He is not blackish?" No. He appears as the devotee of Krsna in golden color. We say, therefore, "golden avatara."

So krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam sahgopahgastra-parsadam. He is with His soldiers, sahga, upahga, part of the part: Advaita Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu is directly part; Advaita Prabhu is part of the part. And astra. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also has His astra, weapon. The astra means to, I mean to say, paritranaya sadhūnam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg 4.8].

So this astra, what is that? Sahkirtana. Sahkirtanaiḥ. Yajnaiḥ sahkirtanaiḥ prayair yajanti hi. This Hare Krsna movement is also astra of Krsna for killing the demons, but it is not like a..., like a sword. It is not active. But it is astra. It is killing the demons, but in a different way. The demonic habits are being killed, demonic habits. Everyone, we can understand it how our demonic activities are being killed by this Hare Krsna movement. This is astra. This is an astra, but it is being used in a different way, because in this age they are so fallen. So... Mandaḥ, manda-bhagya. This real astra weapon cannot be used upon them. It is already dead. So therefore another type of astra to awaken them to life, that is Hare Krsna, maha-mantra astra. Otherwise they are already dead. A dead horse... "Beating the dead horse." A horse is dead; what you will get by beating with whips? It is already dead. So there are big, big demons. Hiranyakasipu, he was required to be killed by the nails of the Lord. He appeared as a ferocious lion. But here, the teeny demons, there is no need of nails or any sword. They are to be awakened simply by Krsna consciousness, chanting Hare Krsna.

So Prahlada Maharaja says that "You cannot understand in this age." In the last sloka he said, mauna-vrata-sruta-tapo-'dhyayana-sva-dharma-vyakhya-raho-japa-samadhaya apavargyaḥ [SB 7.9.46]. The real business is apavarga. Pavarga I have explained yesterday: simply suffering. This material life means simply suffering. Pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. Each alphabet I have explained. It is simply suffering. And human life is a chance how to make this suffering null and void. That is apavarga: a means to make null and void. Pavarga. To make this pavarga life into apavarga. So these ten processes is..., are recommended in the sastra. I have already explained. Mauna, sruta, tapa, these things are required. But they are also not direct method. You cannot understand. There are many, many tapasvis, raha. In Vrndavana you'll find many devotees, they are in a very secluded place. But my Guru Maharaja did not like this process, secluded. We have discussed many times. Sometimes if you sit down in a secluded place, imitating Haridasa Thakura, then you'll complain, "I am being disturbed in this way." One, that African boy, came? So he became disturbed. You must be disturbed. Because your mind is not controlled, if you sit down to get some extra credit, that "I have become so great devotee I can remain in a secluded place and chant Hare Krsna like Haridasa Thakura," it is cheating. It is cheating. You cannot do that. You cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. He met one beautiful young prostitute at dead of night, and the prostitute offered her body, and he was young man. He simply said, "Very nice proposal. You sit down. Let me finish my Hare Krsna." [laughter] So this is not... Don't laugh. It is very serious thing. So you cannot do that; I cannot do that. It is not possible.

So we should not imitate Haridasa Thakura. But we should... My Guru Maharaja used to say, mana tumi kisera vaisnava. ["Vaisnava ke." Stanza 1. The only song written by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.] It is mental speculation that "I shall do like that, raha. I shall... In a secluded place, I shall chant." You cannot do that because your mind is not yet trained up. It is for the highest perfection stage that anywhere one can sit down and chant Hare Krsna and remain happy. That is not possible for the ordinary stages. Therefore my Guru Maharaja criticized, mana tumi kisera vaisnava. Because it is all mental speculation. Therefore he's chastising his mind, "My dear mind, you have become a Vaisnava?" Mana tumi kisera vaisnava, pratisthara tare nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nama kevala kaitava: "In a secluded place, sitting down, chanting Hare Krsna, for you it is simply to get some material adoration and cheating the people." He has said like that. Don't try to do that. Always be engaged actively in Krsna's activities.

We, our Krsna consciousness movement, therefore, engaging each and every one of you in some active service. We don't advise that "You have become so advanced... Now you are initiated. You can sit down in one place and chant Hare Krsna." That is not possible. So therefore, although it is recommended in a secluded place, but that is not possible in this age. We should be always engaged in active service. Then, some way or other, our mind will be engaged in Krsna's lotus feet. That is required, activities. Sa vai manaḥ krsna... [SB 9.4.18] Just like Maharaja Ambarisa. He was statesman, emperor; still, he was fixing up his mind in Krsna's lotus feet. That practice we should... Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena [Bg 8.8]. If we do something... Suppose you are going to distribute books. But what is the idea? "It is Krsna's books; it must be distributed." So Krsna is remembered there. At the same time, because it is Krsna's book, if somebody purchases, if he pays something, he'll look at it, something, that "What this nonsense has written? Let me see." Then he will get some idea. And if he reads one line, he comes hundred times forward to Krsna consciousness. This is the idea. If you want... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato [Bg 2.40].

This is preaching. And a layman, he does not know anything about... [break] ...the wood. Similarly, Krsna is everywhere. Anḍantara-stham paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs 5.35]. Any wood you take, there is fire undoubtedly. Everywhere is Krsna, but sevonmukhe hi svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234]. If you engage yourself in service, then you'll see the fire, Krsna, there, in everywhere. Sarvatra sphuraye tara ista-deva-mūrti [Cc Madhya 8.274]. That stage wanted, that whatever he'll see, he'll see Krsna. "Here is microphone. Here is loudspeaker. Where is Krsna?" Yes, here is Krsna, because we are speaking about Krsna through this microphone. He is there.

So we have to practice this bhakti-yoga according to the direction of the authorities. Then you'll realize Krsna. Then the cause and effect, sarva-karana-karanam... [Bs 5.1]. Everything will be realized, and every moment you will see Krsna. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38]. So unless we get that stage, we should not imitate personalities like Haridasa Thakura and others. We should wait for. That is the ultimate stage. But we should practice and work actively for understanding Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [end]