SPD09-01 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture May 19, 1975, Melbourne
SPD09-01
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture
May 19, 1975, Melbourne
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture
May 19, 1975, Melbourne
[07:30] [Prabhupada:] This is a conversation between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami.
[07:41] Maharaja Pariksit, five thousand years ago, he was the emperor of the whole world.
[07:53] Formerly, up to five thousand years ago, the whole world was being controlled
[08:04] and ruled over by kings whose capital was Hastinapur, New Delhi.
[08:16] There was only one flag, only one ruler, one scripture, Vedic scripture,
[08:29] and the Aryans, Arya, they were the civilized persons.
[08:43] You Europeans, Americans, you are also Aryans, Indo-European stock.
[08:53] Maharaja Yayati, grandson of Maharaja Pariksit, he gave to his two sons
[09:05] the portion of eastern Europe, Greek and Roman. That is the history,
[09:17] Mahabharata. Mahabharata means "great India."
[09:24] So there was no different religion. One religion, Vedic religion.
[09:33] Vedic religion means to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Person Absolute Truth.
[09:45] This is Vedic religion.
[09:48] Those who have read Bhagavad-gita, it is said there in the Fifteenth Chapter,
[10:04] Vedic knowledge means to understand God. This is Vedic religion.
[10:14] Later on, with the progress of Kali-yuga...
[10:20] Kali-yuga means the dark age, or the sinful age, or the age for argument,
[10:29] unnecessary talks and fight. This is called Kali-yuga. That is going on.
[10:38] Since the last five thousand years, the Kali age has begun,
[10:45] and the beginning of Kali-yuga was cow-slaughtering. [break]
[10:52] So at the present moment, practically there is no brahmana, no ksatriya,
[10:59] no vaisya, only sūdras, fourth-class men.
[11:06] So you cannot expect any happiness guided by the fourth-class men. That is not possible.
[11:16] Therefore, throughout the whole world there is chaotic condition.
[11:22] Nobody is happy.
[11:26] So this is essential, that the human society must be divided into four divisions.
[11:37] The brahmana class means the first-class, ideal men,
[11:45] so that by the seeing their character, their behavior, others will try to follow.
[11:56] So this Krsna consciousness movement means we are trying to create some first-class men.
[12:04] This is Krsna consciousness, this movement.
[12:09] So therefore we have got this rules and regulation:
[12:13] no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.
[12:22] This is the preliminary qualification of a first-class man.
[12:28] So we are trying our bit to make some men ideal, first-class men.
[12:35] But formerly it was there. Catur... Still there is.
[12:40] You don't think that all men are of the same intelligence or same category. No.
[12:47] Still there is intelligent class of men.
[12:51] Just like those who are scientist or philosophers, religionist,
[12:59] they are supposed to be first-class men.
[13:02] But unfortunately, now nobody can recognize who is first class and last class.
[13:09] So for proper management of the whole society the first-class, second-class, third-class
[13:18] men must be there. Just like in your body there are different parts of the body:
[13:29] the head, the arm, the belly and the leg. This is natural.
[13:36] So without head, if we have simply the arms and belly and legs, it is a dead body.
[13:46] So unless you are guided, the human society, by the first-class men,
[13:52] the whole society is dead society.
[14:02] not by birth, but by quality.
[14:06] So anyone can be trained up first class, second class, as he likes.
[14:13] That is called civilization. [break]
[14:19] In mother's womb we had a small body. It grows, and we come out.
[14:25] Again it grows. Grows... It is not actually growing; it is changing.
[14:32] The child is changing his body to baby, the baby is changing his body to boy,
[14:43] and the boy is changing his body to youthhood. Then...
[14:48] In this way you are changing body. That you have got experience.
[14:52] You had a child's body-you remember.
[14:56] Or you had a boy's body-you remember.
[14:58] But the body is no longer existing, but you are existing.
[15:04] Therefore the conclusion is that when this body will be no more fit for existing,
[15:12] we shall have to accept another body. This is called tatha dehantara-praptiḥ.
[15:19] So we have to change. That is nature's law. The soul is immortal.
[15:33] The soul is not finished simply a particular type of body being finished. No.
[15:40] The people do not know it.
[15:44] And because they are simply engaged in sinful activities,
[15:50] their brain has become so dull that they cannot understand this simple truth
[15:57] that as you are changing body in this life, therefore you will change this body to another body.
[16:05] This is a very simple truth. But at the advancement of material civilization,
[16:11] we have become so dull and rascal that we cannot understand it. Common... [break]
[16:18] That is the way.
[16:23] Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Brs. 1.1.12].
[16:32] This bhakti means that we have to clear ourself from the designations.
[16:42] What is that designation? Everyone is thinking "I am American," "I am Indian,"
[16:48] "I am European," "I am Australian," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am this,"
[16:54] "I am that"-bodily. We have to cleanse this bodily conception of life, that "I am not this body."
[17:02] Aham brahmasmi: "I am spirit soul." This we have to realize.
[17:10] Then there will be no distinction that "Here is an American, here is an Australian,
[17:17] here is an Hindu, here is a Muslim, here is a tree, here..." No.
[17:21] Panḍitaḥ sama-darsinaḥ.
[17:25] Panḍitaḥ means learned, one who knows things as they are. For them...
[17:31] Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini, suni caiva sva-pake ca panḍitaḥ sama-darsinaḥ [Bg. 5.18].
[17:39] A person, very learned, vidya, and very gentle...
[17:45] Vidya means..., educated means he is gentle, sober. He is not rogues and ruffian.
[17:53] That is vidya. That is the test of education. He must be very edu..., sober and silent.
[18:01] That is called gentleman, in one word. [break]
[18:04] ...brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma na socati na kahksati, samaḥ sarvesu bhūtesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54].
[18:15] When one is self-realized, that he is not this body, he is the spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ,
[18:24] then these two things will be finished if you become spiritually situated.
[18:32] brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma na socati na kahksati, samaḥ sarvesu bhūtesu...
[18:39] Unless one is spiritually realized, he cannot see equally everyone.
[18:48] Then, samaḥ sarvesu bhūtesu mad-bhaktim labhate param.
[18:53] Then one can become real devotee of the Lord,
[18:58] after surpassing the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.
[19:04] So this bhakti line is not so easy.
[19:10] But... [break] ...by Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy we have installed the Deity here in your country.
[19:23] You are very fortunate that Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to your country
[19:30] to teach you how you become free of all anxieties.
[19:40] This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission.
[19:43] Everyone is full of anxiety, but everyone can be freed from all the anxieties
[19:53] if he follows the path chalked out by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
[20:00] As people are fallen in this age, the method also has been offered very simple.
[20:11] They have been recommended simply to chant the holy name of God. That's all.
[20:21] And what is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction? Very simple.
[20:28] Harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam,
[20:32] kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[20:37] This is not Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal version;
[20:40] this is in the scripture, Vedic scripture, Brhan-Naradiya-Purana.
[20:48] This instruction is there. [break]
[21:03] They cannot follow any strong or severe austerities. It is not possible. [break]
[21:11] Anyone can do. It is not difficult at all. Then if you say that "You are from India.
[21:21] Your Caitanya is Indian, and He is recommending Hare Krsna. Why shall I chant?
[21:29] I have got my own God," all right, if you have got your own God, then you chant His name.
[21:38] Caitanya Mahaprabhu doesn't say that you chant simply Krsna's name.
[21:44] If you have got any relationship with God, and if you know His name and address,
[21:54] then you chant His name.
[21:56] Unfortunately, you do not know who is God; neither you know His address,
[22:02] neither His activities. So take this Krsna. Here is a solid name.
[22:11] And we give you His address, His father's name, His mother's name, everything.
[22:13] So if you have got your own God's name, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said you can chant.
[22:25] Have you got any name? [break]
[22:29] The Krsna, His name, His form, His activities, His qualities,
[22:38] we cannot understand with these blunt material senses. It is not possible.
[22:50] "Then? We have got this only possession, indriyas. How we shall understand?"
[22:56] Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.
[23:00] If you engage your senses in the service of the Lord, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ,
[23:06] then Krsna will reveal to you that "Here I am." This is the process.
[23:12] Now this word is very significant, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.
[23:18] Jihva means tongue. If you simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord,
[23:25] you will gradually develop. So how to engage the tongue?
[23:32] It is not said that "if you see," or "if you touch," "if you smell." No. "If you taste."
[23:40] So what is the business of the tongue?
[23:42] The business of the tongue, that we can taste nice foodstuff and we can vibrate.
[23:51] Do these two jobs.
[23:54] Vibrate with your tongue Hare Krsna, and take as much as possible prasadam.
[24:00] And you become a devotee. Thank you very much.
[24:05] [Devotees:] Jaya Srila Prabhupada.
[24:21] [Madhudvisa:] Is there any questions? [break]
[24:23] [Prabhupada:] Test it. Make a trial. The temple is here. We are inviting, "Come here.
[24:32] Do these two business."
[24:36] And our Madhudvisa Maharaja is ready to give you prasadam
[24:40] and chance for dancing and singing.
[24:43] That's all. Where is the difficulty? [break]
[24:50] [Girl devotee:] Srila Prabhupada, if the kings were taught to govern the whole universe,
[24:53] does that mean all the worlds, all the worlds in the universe, or just this world?
[25:00] [Madhudvisa:] She's just wondering how it would be possible for one king to rule the whole world.
[25:05] It seems like it is very difficult. Nowadays we have so many leaders, and they cannot manage...
[25:09] [Prabhupada:] Forget that. Why you are thinking that you cannot rule over, therefore others cannot?
[25:17] You are thinking in your term.
[25:22] But there are. That is possible. So that is not our field of activities.
[25:29] It is others', politics and... But let us...
[25:35] Our business is how to improve our spiritual condition of life.
[25:41] Even if you don't rule over the world, it doesn't matter.
[25:45] So why you are anxious to rule over the world? It is not our business.
[25:52] You chant Hare Krsna and take prasadam.
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