Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.4 – July 14, 1972, London

720714SB-LONDON [45:20 Minutes]

Sanatana means eternal. It has no beginning, no end

Prabhupada: Hmm. Go on.

Pradyumna: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupada and devotees repeat]

Prabhupada: That's all. Purport.

Pradyumna: "The prelude of the Srimad-Bhagavatam was spoken in the previous three slokas. Now the main topic of this great literature is being presented. Srimad-Bhagavatam, after its first recitation by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, was repeated for the second time at Naimisaranya.

"In the Vayaviya Tantra, it is said that Brahma, the engineer of this particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the universe. The hub of this great wheel was fixed at a particular place, known as Naimisaranya. Similarly, there is another reference to the forest of Naimisaranya in the Varaha Purana, where it is stated that by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed. Thus brahmanas prefer Naimisaranya for such sacrificial performances."

Prabhupada: So the Vedic literatures, one cannot say that it is concocted-one difference is there, one difference is another Purana. Sometimes there are some rascal philosophers, they say that Srimad-Bhagavatam has been compiled by..., for, I mean to say, eulogizing Krsna, who was the son of a leader. Like that. But you cannot do that, because the reference is there, very old Puranas. Some rascal philosopher says Bhagavata was compiled recently. So how it is the reference should be in the Puranas?

So this rascaldom has spoiled the whole Vedic culture, the so-called westernized scholars, because the real purpose was that the rulers, they did not want to present Indian culture as very old, because then their Darwin's theory will be spoiled. That was their nonsense proposition, that they are proposing that human brain is being developed, but if they accept that millions of years ago the brain was already there, then their rascal theory of Darwin will be spoiled.

So actual fact is this, that this verse... Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled five thousand years ago. Not that Vyasadeva manufactured something. All Vedic literature were existing. Vyasadeva only… Just like I am presenting. I am presenting the Krsna consciousness movement. It is not it is manufactured by me, it is concocted by me, that I have introduced. Just like so many things are there, these samaj, that samaj, this samaj.

We are not like that. As Krsna is old, so this Krsna consciousness movement is also old. It is as old as Krsna, and Krsna says that "Forty millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gita to sun-god." So where is the history? Where does your history stand? Your history cannot give chronological table more than three thousand years.

So Vedic culture is very old; it is not a concocted thing or a new pattern. It is eternal; therefore it is called sanatana. Sanatana means eternal. It has no beginning, no end. Sanatana. So Vedic culture means sanatana, eternal. Krsna is eternal; we living entities, we are eternal; and our relationship and exchange of loving service with Krsna is also eternal.

Krsna is eternal, we are eternal, and our dealings with Krsna is also eternal, but sometimes it becomes interrupted by this maya, which is called svapna. Svapna means dream life. As dream has no fact-it is all hallucination-similarly, our detachment from Krsna is also an hallucination. Actually there is no detachment. And when we are covered by this hallucination, just like in dream we cry, "Oh, here is a tiger! Here is a tiger!" "Tiger? Where is tiger?" Similarly, this forgetfulness of Krsna is like that.

So if we simply follow the rules and regulation given by the great acaryas, then immediately we can revive our Krsna consciousness. It doesn't take even a second. The method, just like you are dreaming, crying, "There is tiger! Tiger!" And if somebody pushes you, "Why are you doing that?" and if you immediately become aware: "Where…," all tiger, finished. All tiger, finished. So one has to give this push that there is no tiger, then immediately the whole hallucination is gone.

So this pushing method is given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, personally, Krsna personally. Jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole. Gauracanda, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is asking everyone, "Wake up!" The same-dreaming! "Wake up!"

"Why you are sleeping on the lap of this maya, illusory energy? Why you are sleeping?" Jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole: "Get up."

When we are in the womb of our mother, the situation was so troublesome that we remember at that time Krsna. Krsna… Just like when we are in great trouble we sometimes remember God. Similarly that condition, packed-up condition, when the child, the baby gets consciousness back. Death means unconscious for seven months. That's all. That is death. There is no death. Death means I give up this body, enter the womb of another mother's body, and the mother nourishes, by the material, the intestine, joined with the baby. The mother supplies it through the pipe, and the child grows. When it is fully grown, then it gets back its consciousness.

So at that time it becomes very much troublesome to remain in that packed-up condition. So those who are pious, virtuous, they remember at that time, "O Krsna, I am again put into this condition." [devotees laugh] [to devotees:] Don't laugh, it is very serious subject. Try to understand. So everyone has passed this condition, but by the influence of maya forgets. So bhajibo boliya ese samsara-bhitare.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, "At that time again I promise, this time by coming out of my mother's womb, I shall become a devotee." But as soon as he comes out, he became forgetful. This is going on. This is going on. There is no science, so-called science, who knows, the scientist who knows these are the facts, how we are passing through repeatedly unpleasant condition; when as soon as we get a little light, this body, we forget everything. That it called maya.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the pushing, the point pushing, enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi [Arunodaya-kirtana II]: "Now I have brought this." Just like… You have no experience in your country. In India still there are snake-charmers. If one is bitten by the snake, he remains unconscious. By mantra he can be brought into consciousness and light. If a man is snake-bitten…

[aside:] He is sleeping-wise. Don't sleep; then you can sit at the end. Don't send to the front; it is disturbing. Yes.

Enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi. Lord Caitanya says that "I have brought the medicine," maya nasibaro lagi. Just like the snake-charmer, he chants mantra. That is factual. It is not story.

One medical practitioner friend of mine, when he was student in Lucknow, he stated that there is a palace building, Chatar Mandir? Chatar Mandir, in Lucknow. There is some government office. So there were several snakebite cases; several men were killed by snakebite. So they could understand that "There is a venomous snake in this building. At opportunity he bites." So one snake-charmer was searched, and one Muhammadan snake-charmer, he came and he captured that snake and took it away.

Now this medical student, they do not believe in these mantras; they were surprised. They think that the snakebite means finished, there is no medicine. So they were very much..., because they are student, very much inquisitive. They went to that charmer at his place and wanted to know from him, "What is the secret? Is it a fact, that mantra?" So he said, "All right, I shall show you." So he opened one box, and several hundred snakes immediately came out, and all the students, they became so much disturbed.

Some were crying, some went this way, that way, that way. [laughter] Yes. And the charmer said, "Don't be worried. So long I am here they will not bite. And don't think that these snakes are without poison teeth." So he took some of them and showed that "Here is the poison teeth. Not that the poison teeth has been take away. The poison teeth is there, but by our mantra he is subdued; he cannot do any harm." So the doctor students, medical students, inquired that "Can we not use this mantra?" "No, no, you cannot, because it has to be perfection by practice. There is process."

So this is a material mantra. The spiritual mantra, Hare Krsna, if you practice it just according to the rules and regulation, you become liberated. Namabhasa. There are three stages of chanting Hare Krsna mantra. First stage is nama-aparadha, offensive; then second stage is namabhasa; and the third stage is suddha-nama. Generally, in the beginning we are offensive; therefore ten kinds of offenses should be avoided. So while trying to avoid the offenses, it becomes namabhasa, and in the period of namabhasa one becomes liberated. And when he chants suddha name, he directly sees Krsna and enjoys His company, just like Haridasa Thakura, Jagannatha dasa Babaji used to do. So there is so much perfection in these...

So we are sleeping under the spell of this maya, and this is the only medicine in this age:

This is a fact. If we take it seriously and do it nicely, this very life we become liberated, without any doubt. That's a fact. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomara . Caitanya Mahaprabhu blesses, "You will get all perfections simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra."

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The devotees of Lord Visnu offer all kinds of sacrifices for His pleasure. The devotees are always attached to the service of the Lord, whereas fallen souls are attached to the pleasures of material existence. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that anything performed in the material world for any reason other than for the pleasure of Lord Visnu causes further bondage for the performer. It is enjoined therefore that all acts must be performed sacrificially for the satisfaction of Visnu and His devotees. This will bring everyone peace and prosperity.

"The great sages are always anxious to do good to the people in general, and as such the sages headed by Saunaka and others assembled at this holy place of Naimisaranya with a program of performing a great and continuous…"

Prabhupada: This holy place, that is significant. Just like chanting here in London and chanting in Vrndavana, there is difference. There is difference. Because that holy place gives extra stimulus. Priti tad-vasati-sthale [Cc Madhya 23.19]. Therefore one who is advanced in spiritual consciousness, he develops a priti. Priti means pleasure, or love-love for living in such holy places like Naimisaranya, Vrndavana, especially Naimisaranya, Vrndavana, Navadvipa. These are holy places; they are not within this material world. So there is extra stimulus for spiritual advancement if one practices in the holy places. That's a fact. It becomes very favorable.

Actually we are seeing in Vrndavana that most ordinary class, they come to Vrndavana for some ulterior purpose, to solve some economic problem or some other problem, but they become devotee. Holy place. In our Gauḍiya Matha, when my spiritual master was living, many men came for many purposes, but they became devotee later on. Here also in our temples, so many, many, they come maybe some other purposes, they become devotee. Therefore holy place has got a special effect.

Narottama dasa Thakura sings, anande bala hari, bhaja vrndavana: chant Hare Krsna and worship Vrndavana. Hari-guru-vaisnava-pade majaiya mana: just get yourself absorbed in..., absorb your mind in hari-guru-vaisnava. Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guru, the spiritual master; and Vaisnava, the devotee. Develop your affection for hari-guru-vaisnava, live in Vrndavana, chant Hare Krsna, and life is successful. That's all. This is civilization. Three things. Any rascal, any rogue can be delivered, simply by this process. Mane anande bala hari, bhaja vrndavana. Hari-guru-vaisnava. But the main principle is hari-guru-vaisnava majaiya.

So we are now constructing very nice temple. Any one of you can go there, in Navadvipa also, you can go there and live, perpetually chanting Hare Krsna. Krsna will give you all facilities. Now we have got very, very big temples there, in Bombay also. So we are trying to give you all facilities for developing Krsna consciousness. But be careful. Don't fall down; then the chance is missed. That is the Naimisaranya, the holy place.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "…as such, the sages headed by Saunaka and others assembled at this holy place of Naimisaranya with a program of performing a great and continuous chain of sacrificial ceremonies. Forgetful men do not know the right path for peace and prosperity. However, the sages know it well, and therefore for the good men they are always anxious to perform acts which may bring about peace in the world."

Prabhupada: Yes. Just like we are pressing on this Krsna consciousness movement for the peace of the world. Who can give better service to the human society than ourself? Nobody. That's a fact. But people are not interested. Actually they want material enjoyment, but when they are too much disturbed… Because you..., one cannot be happy by material enjoyment.

That's a fact. Visaya-visanale, diva-nisi hiya jvale. If you keep yourself in the material side, then your heart will be always blazing with material anxieties. That's a fact. You cannot avoid. Visaya-visanale, diva-nisi hiya jvale, taribare na dekhi upaya: "This is my position: my heart is always burning by material contamination. I did not do anything how to get out of it." This is the main business of human life. How it can be done?

Narottama dasa Thakura is lamenting, "The medicine is already there; it is imported from Krsnaloka, Goloka Vrndavana, and hari-nama-sahkirtana, but I have no attachment for it."

So one should…, our propaganda is we are..., we are giving the best service to the human society in the sense that we are trying to invoke him, awaken him, so that he may have a little attachment for hari-nama-sahkirtana, so that immediately he becomes free from this material anxieties and material contamination. That is our mission. We are not presenting anything so-called mystic yoga or this or that. No. We are presenting the real, how to say, medicine for getting out of this material clutches. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sahkirtana.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu's..., this method, papi tapi jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo. Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His prakasa, His first manifestation, Nityananda Prabhu, brajendra-nandana jei, saci-suta hoilo sei. Brajendra-nandana, Krsna, now He has come as Saci-suta, Lord Caitanya. Balarama ha-ila nitai. And Balarama has come as Nitai. What is Their business? Papi tapi jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo. That is Their only business. Simply by spreading the sahkirtana movement He delivered all the sinful and suffering human being.

The evidence is tara saksi. Because we want evidence. In everything we want to see whether it is actually factual. That is, that should be, intelligence. He, Narottama dasa Thakura, is giving tara saksi jagai and madhai: here is witness, Jagai and Madhai, these two brothers. They are debauch number one. Huh? They were delivered simply by this chanting Hare Krsna mantra. And actually that is also happening now. So hari-nama-sahkirtana has got so much power that any kind of sinful man, any kind of debauch, can be delivered and, I mean to say, elevate him to the highest position of Vaisnava. It is so nice thing. Hmm.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "They are sincere friends to all living entities, and at the risk of great personal inconvenience they are always engaged in the service of the Lord for the good of all people. Lord Visnu is just like a great tree, and all others, including the demigods, men, Siddhas, Caranas, Vidyadharas and all other living entities, are like branches, twigs and leaves of that tree."

Prabhupada: There are different planetary systems. What do they know, the modern scientists? They do not know. They are trying to go to the moon planet. That is also a failure. But in the Vedic literature you will get all information of all the planets within this universe. You are seeing so many planets are there, twinkling, but you cannot go there. But without going there you can take the information from Srimad-Bhagavatam, because it is written by somebody who is not conditioned soul. He knows everything, that we should take knowledge from Srimad-Bhagavatam.

These are the names of inhabitants of different planets. There is a planet, Siddhaloka. The inhabitants of that planet can fly from one planet to another without any aeroplane. Siddhaloka means they have all the eight kinds of perfection in yogic practice. The so-called yogis, they are simply bluffing. One who is perfect in yoga, he has eight kinds of yogic perfection. He can fly in the sky without any aeroplane. Not only fly; he can transfer himself in any planet. That is highest yogic perfection. When one is able to transfer himself through this brahmananḍara[?] to any planet he likes, that is perfection of yoga. Otherwise simply pressing nose and showing some gymnastic and after that smoking, and then is simply farce. Simply farce.

These are not yogic systems. Here is yogic system: anima, laghima, prapti-siddhi, prakamya, isitva, vasitva. Eight kinds of yoga siddhi. It requires much energy, much talent. Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, dhyana, dharana, pratyahara, samadhi. Then one comes to this position. But that is not possible in this age. You cannot follow even yama, niyama. The yogi cannot sleep. He has to close the eyes half, because as soon as the eyes are closed, then the yoga system…, gaw, gaw, gaw, gaw, gaw. [Prabhupada makes snoring noise; devotees laugh] You see? That yoga system is not this bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is always alive. That is yoga system.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "By pouring water on the root of the tree, all the parts of the tree are automatically nourished. Only those branches and leaves which are detached cannot be so satisfied. Detached branches and leaves dry up gradually, despite all watering attempts. Similarly, human society, when it is detached from the Personality of Godhead, like detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being watered, and one attempting to do so is simply…"

Prabhupada: Here we have seen some foliage, some leaf falling down from the tree, it becomes gradually dried up, yellow, because detached from the tree. Similarly, as soon as you become detached from Krsna, your life is like that. It will gradually dry up. It will gradually dry up. This is the position. So we are trying to again attach this, I mean to say, join this fallen leaf with the tree. That is possible, because materially it is not possible; spiritually it is possible. So as soon as one becomes joined again with Krsna, his life is again revived. Electricity. Just like electricity switched off, there is no power, and make the switch on, again there is power. The switch-on process is this Krsna consciousness movement.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "…like detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being watered, and one attempting to do so is simply wasting his energy and resources."

Prabhupada: So what you will do by pouring water on the fallen leaf? You go on for many thousands of years, it will deteriorate. That's all. Finished. Real thing is to attach. Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255]. Nirbandha-krsna-sambandhe. One has to be attached to Krsna consciousness, anasaktasya visayan, and detached from this material enjoyment. Then his life is perfect. Anasaktasya visayan [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255]. Visayan means this eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is called visayan. Anasaktasya. One should be detached from these four things and attached to Krsna. Then his life is perfect. We have got attachment propensity, but we are falsely attached to this eating, sleeping, mating. That is to be transferred to Krsna. Then your life is successful.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The modern materialistic society is detached from its relation to the Supreme Lord. And all its plans, which are being made by atheistic leaders, are sure to be baffled at every step."

Prabhupada: Yes, that is our prediction. Know this: any plan, that is becoming baffled. Practically you can see. Formerly they, when we were students, they invented League of Nation. That became useless. Now they have invented United Nation. This will also… This is already useless. So these kind of plan will never make you happy. This plan: to be attached to Krsna. Then he will be happy. Hmm.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Yet they do not wake up to this. In this age, the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord is the prescribed method for waking up. The ways and means are most scientifically presented by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and intelligent persons may take advantage of His teachings in order to bring about real peace and prosperity. Srimad-Bhagavatam is also presented for the same purpose, and this will be explained more specifically later in the text."

Prabhupada: Mm-hm. Thank you. [devotees offer obeisances] [break]

[36:55]

[kirtana] [end]