Loading the player ...
770225SB.MAY
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.5

Mayapur, February 25, 1977
Pradyumna: "Translation: When Lord Nrsimhadeva saw the small boy Prahlada Maharaja prostrated at the soles of His lotus feet, He became most ecstatic in affection toward His devotee. Raising Prahlada, the Lord placed His lotus hand upon the boy's head because His hand is always ready to create fearlessness in all of His devotees."
Prabhupada:
So to become devotee or favorite to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very easy. It is not at all difficult. Here we see the example, Prahlada Maharaja, a five year old boy... [break] He's a devotee. He only knows the Supreme Lord, and he offered obeisances. That is his qualification. Anyone can do that. Anyone can come here in the temple and offer obeisances. Where is the difficulty? Simply one must have the sense that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna or Nrsimhadeva or any one of His multi-expansions."
In the sastra it is said, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Krsna has ananta-rupam. Therefore every rupa is expansion of Krsna's original rupa. The original rupa is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Then there are so many rupas: Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, Balarama, Parasurama, Mina, Tortoise, Nrsimhadeva. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. He's always existing with different forms, not that he is existing only in Krsna form. Every form... Ramadi-murtisu. The same example, as we have given many times: just like the sun, time of sun, twenty-four hours, so out of the twenty-four hours or twenty-four incarnations, any time is present. It is not that now it is, say, eight o'clock. Then seven o'clock is finished. No. There is seven o'clock in any other part of the world. Or nine o'clock. Nine o'clock is also present. Twelve o'clock is also present. We have got one watch given by Gurukrpa Maharaja. (laughter) He has brought from Japan. It is very nice. Immediately you can see what is the time now in different places, immediately. So all of them are existing. Therefore Krsna's lila is called nitya-lila, not that one lila is going on, other lila is finished, no. Everything is existing simultaneous. Therefore this word is used, ramadi-murtisu. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tis... Niyamena. Exactly in due time... Just like the sun, exactly. Formerly there was no watch, but by the shadow one could study. You can study now also. Even now. In our childhood we used to study by seeing the shadow. "Now it is this time"and exactly the same time. So kala-niyamena tisthan, not that haphazardlynow this shadow is one o'clock here, and next day, one o'clock there, no. The same place, you'll find. Kala-niyamena tisthan.
Similarly, Krsna's lila, niyamena tisthanexactly. There are innumerable universes. Here Krsna is born. Now Krsna is taken by Vasudeva to Vrndavana. Same thingimmediately here born, Krsna has gone to Vrndavanain another universe Krsna is born. Krsna is born again. In this way His lila is going on. There is no cessation, neither there is any discrepancy of time. Exactly. Just like Krsna comes upon this earth once in Brahma's day. So so many millions of years, Krsna will appear again, if not personally, by His expansion, amsena. Caitanya Mahaprabhu will appear exactly in due course of time. Lord Ramacandra will appear. So ramadi murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. So this lila, Nrsimhadeva, that is also exactly in time.
So sva-pada-mule patitam tam arbhakam. Very innocent child. If an innocent child like Prahlada Maharaja, he can get so much mercy of Nrsimhadeva, so pierceful appearance of the Lord that even Laksmi could not approach... Asruta. Adrsta asruta purva. There was no such form of the Lord. Even Laksmi did not know. But Prahlada Maharaja, he's not afraid. He knows, "Here is my Lord." Just like the cub of a lion, he is not afraid of the lion. He immediately jumps to the head of the lion because he knows, "It is my father. It is my mother." Similarly, Prahlada Maharaja is not afraid, although Brahma and others, all demigods, became afraid to approach the Lord. He simply as an innocent child came and offered his obeisances. Tam arbhakam vilokya. So, so God is not impersonal. Immediately he could understand, "Oh, here is an innocent child. He has been harassed by his father so much and now he's offering his obeisances unto me." Vilokya devah krpaya pariplutah. He became very much, I mean to say, melted with mercy. So thing, everything is there. Don't think that God has no feeling, thinking, feeling. No. Everything is there. Unless He has got sympathetic feeling in Him, where we have got it? Because everything is coming from God. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1].
Athato brahma jijnasa. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of everything. That is Brahman. Brhatvat brhanatvat. So if this feeling is not there in God, then how He can be God, this feeling? Just like if one innocent little child comes and offers some respect to us, immediately we become feelingly merciful: "Oh, here is a nice child." So Lord Krsna, Nrsimhadeva, He also became pariplutah, feelingly merciful, not ordinary merciful, feeling that "How innocent this child is." So feelingly, utthapya: immediately got him up. "My dear child, get up." And immediately put his hand on the head. Utthapya tac-chirsny adadhat karambujam. Karambhuja, lotus hand, lotus palm. So these feelings are there. And He wanted... Because this boy was bewildered that such a big murti came from the thumbs(?), the columns and the father, gigantic father, is dead, naturally he is little disturbed in mind. So therefore vitrasta-dhiyam krtabhayam: "My dear child, don't be afraid. Everything is all right. I am present and there is no fear. Be pacified. I will give you protection." So this is the exchange. So there is no need of very, becoming very learned man, Vedantist and... Simply these things are required: you become innocent, accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and fall down at His lotus feet. Everything is complete. This is wanted, simplicity. Simplicity. Believe in Krsna. As Krsna said, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhanan... [Bg. 7.7], believe it! There is no more superior authority than Krsna.
And He says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is the instruction. This is the substance of all instruction. Believe Krsna, the Supreme Personality. Here is Krsna. Believe that there is Krsna. Innocent child will believe, but our brain is so dull, we will inquire, "Whether the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood," because we are not innocent. We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Krsna says, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinna me prakrtir astadha [Bg. 7.4]. Everything is Krsna. Without Krsna there is no existence. So why Krsna cannot appear as He likes? He can appear in brass. He can appear in stone. He can appear in wood. He can appear in jewel. He can appear in painting. Any way He can... That is all-powerful. But we have to take it that "Here is Krsna." Don't take it that "Krsna is separate from this Deity, and here we have got a brass form Deity." No. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Advaita. He has multi-expansion, but they're all one.
So similarly, He is represented in His name. Abhinnatvan nama-naminoh [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. When you are chanting the holy name of Krsna don't think this is sound vibration and Krsna is different. No. Abhinnatvan. Nama-cintamani-krsnah. As Krsna is cintamani, similarly, His holy name is also cintamani. Nama-cintamani-krsnah caitanya-rasa-vigrahah. Caitanya, full consciousness, nama-cintamani-krsnah. If we associate with name, that you must know, that Krsna is fully conscious of your service. You are addressing, "He Krsna! He Radharani! Kindly engage me in Your service." Hare Krsna mantra means, Hare Krsna, "He Krsna, he Radharani, he energy, kindly engage me in your service." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitam kinkaram mam visame bhavambudhau. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching. "O my Lord, Nanda-tanuja..." Krsna becomes very glad when you associate His name, His activities, with some devotee. He's not impersonal. Krsna has no name, but when He deals with His devotee, there is a name. Just like Krsna dealing with Nanda Maharaja, that Nanda Maharaja's wooden slipper... Yasodamayi asked the child Krsna You have seen the picture"Can you bring the slipper of your father?" "Yes!" Immediately took on the head. You see? This is Krsna. So Nanda Maharaja became very pleased: "Oh, your son is very nice. He can bear such a load." So this is dealing.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu is addressing Krsna, ayi nanda-tanuja. "O Krsna, who is born out of the body of Nanda Maharaja..." Just like the father is the bodygiving person, seed, seed-giving father, similarly, Krsna, although He is the origin of everything, but still, He is born by the seed of Nanda Maharaja. This is Krsna-lila. Ayi nanda-tanuja patitam kinkaram mam visame bhavam-budhau. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never addressed Krsna, "O the almighty." This is impersonal. He says, ayi nanda-tanuja, limited, "son of Nanda Maharaja." Son of Nanda Maharaja. So this is bhakti. He's unlimited. Just like Kuntidevi was surprised that, when (s)he thought that Krsna was afraid of Yasodamayi. That sloka you know. So he was, she was surprised that "Krsna who is so exalted and great that everyone is afraid of Him, but He has become afraid of Yasodamayi."
So this can be enjoyed by the devotees, not the... Atheist class of men or non-devotees cannot understand. Therefore Krsna said, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Only the devotees, no others. Others, they have no admission in this kingdom, to understand. If you want to understand Krsna it is only through bhakti. Neither knowledge nor yoga nor karma nor jnana, nothingnothing will help you. Simply a devotee. And how to become devotee? How easy it is? See here the Prahlada Maharaja, innocent child, simply offering his obeisances. And Krsna is also asking you, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. If you sincerely do these four itemsalways think of Krsna... Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, (devotees chant) Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. So this is thinking of Krsna, man-mana. And you can stick to this principle of Hare Krsna mantra if you are unalloyed devotee. Without being unalloyed devotee it is very difficult. It will be tiresome. But we shall practice. Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena [Bg. 8.8].
Immediately we cannot be first-class devotee. We cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. That is not possible. But minimum. Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. We have to practice. Certain numerical strength we must maintain. And we have made it, therefore... Some of our so-called devotees, they criticize me that I have limited only sixteen rounds. No, why sixteen rounds? You can make three hundred rounds, but minimum, minimum sixteen rounds, because we are not accustomed to devote much time. We must be busy always. But to sit down in one place and chant Hare Krsna mantra continuously, that is not possible for any conditioned soulunless he is liberated. So don't try to imitate. My Guru Maharaja has strictly forbidden, "Don't try to imitate big personalities like Haridasa Thakura, Rupa Gosvami." He used to say, rupa gosvami ke mogha vancha (?). Rupa Gosvami, because he used to put on a loin cloth... Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kantha... So it is no use imitating Rupa Gosvami, to imitate the dress, and then, as soon as there is opportunity, smoke bidi. (laughter) Don't do this nonsense. This is no use, imitation. Anusarana, not anukarana. Anukarana is dangerous. Anusarana. Sadhu-marganugamanam. This is bhakti. We shall try to follow the footsteps of big, big devotees, sadhus. We cannot... We shall try to follow. Don't try to imitate. That is very dangerous.
Some of our devotees, they left, that "There is no bhajana here," (laughter) and asking me my blessing to find out another guru. So he wants my blessing for find out a guru. So this rascaldom is no good. So best thing is that mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Here is mahajana. Prahlada Maharaja is one of the mahajanas. Out of the twelve mahajanas, Prahlada Maharaja is one of the mahajanas. Svayambhur naradah sambhuh kapilo manuh prahladah [SB 6.3.20]. Prahlada Maharaja name is there. Janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam. So Prahlada Maharaja is mahajana. So follow, try to follow, Prahlada Maharaja. Anusarana. Sadhu-marganugamanam. So what Prahlada Maharaja did? He was put into so many troubles by his father, and what did he do? He was simply thinking of Krsna, "What can I do? My father is against." That is man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. And at last, when the father is killed, he is offering obeisances. So these four things, follow in the footsteps sincerely, as an unalloyed devotee. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Prahlada Maharaja never thou ght that "I am son of Hiranyakasipu." Never thought. He always used to think, "I am the servant of Narada." That he said. When He wanted to give him benediction, so he asked Nrsimhadeva, "Kindly engage me in the service of Your servant, Narada, by whom I have got this instruction." He never said, "Let me serve my father." No. Because he got instruction, he always... Caksudana dilo janme janme pita sei. He is father. No other father. Caksudana dilo yei, janme janme pita sei. What is the next line?
Devotees: Divya jnana hrde prakasito.
Prabhupada: Ah, divya jnana hrde prakasito. So he is the father. So we should always bear in mind. Don't be upstart and leave this Krsna consciousness movement whimsically... (breakend)

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/7/9/5/mayapur/february/25/1977

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada