Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [partially recorded] – March 7, 1975, New York

Why do you jump to rasa-lila?

Prabhupada: ...birth in a very nice, pure brahmana family or very rich family. So this is the profit. You begin immediately devotional life. You can finish this devotional life within this life. There is no difficulty. Simply go on chanting. But even if you cannot finish, then you have to take a birth, then the Krsna gives you opportunity to take a birth in a very nice, pure brahmana family or very rich family. In pure brahmana family means you get immediately the opportunity of... Just like in our Society, the children, from the very beginning of life, they are getting opportunity how to think of Krsna, how to offer obeisances to Krsna, how to chant. This is the process. So from the very beginning of life all the children of our devotees, they are getting this opportunity. That is called sucinam, very pure family. Pure means God consciousness. Or, if he is not so complete, then he is given the chance of being born in a very rich family. Rich family means there is no question of economic problem. He is full, born with silver spoon. So without endeavoring for his livelihood-he has already everything-he can simply chant Hare Krsna. But there is no guidance. He thinks, "I have got this money for nothing. Let me enjoy for sense gratification." That is the difficulty. He is in bad association. Otherwise, he has got the best opportunity. Just like you. You are Americans. You have no scarcity. You have got this opportunity. So you chant this Krsna consciousness movement very seriously, and your life will be successful. Because you have no problem. Naturally you have got everything. So take this Krsna consciousness movement and be happy in this life and next life.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Indian woman: May I ask one question, please? In the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavata, chapter starting twenty-ninth to thirty-five, there is a beautiful description of this rasa-lila, and some scholars think that there is some role of imagination in that. So will you please comment upon this?

Prabhupada: Because they are rascals. We are not commenting on rascals. [laughter] Why do you jump to rasa-lila? That is another rascaldom. Bhagavata, there is twelve cantos. And this rasa-lila is described in the thirty-fifth chapter of Tenth Canto. So why you jump there?

Indian woman: Because I got all the stages of bhakti in Bengal Vaisnavism.

Prabhupada: No, Bengal Vaisnava is not foolishism. You have... First of all you have to understand Krsna, then go to understand what is Krsna's rasa-lila. You do not understand Krsna. Why you jump over His activities?

Indian woman: Well, I was given that work to do for research.

Prabhupada: So some foolish man has given you like that. [laughter] Yes. You should ask him that "You, Mr. Rascal, [laughter] why you have given, 'Jump over to here'? Why not other things?" That Krsna, to understand Krsna, the Bhagavata begins, athato brahma-jijnasa, janmady asya yataḥ anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnaḥ.... You know Sanskrit, I think.

Indian woman: Yes, I know.

Prabhupada: So, do you understand this verse?

Indian woman: But this is from first verse from Brahma-sūtra, right?

Prabhupada: No, no, Brahma-sūtra, and first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Do you understand this Bhagavatam, this sloka?

Indian woman: Not that well.

Prabhupada: Then why do you jump over there? Education means from the beginning. Suppose a small child, he wants to be educated, he immediately goes to the M.A. class? Or he learns A-B-C-D? So therefore those who have given you this task, they are not realized souls. All fools and rascals.

Indian woman: [giggles] Thank you very much.

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. First of all you understand, "Two plus two equal to four." Then you go to higher mathematics. And all of a sudden higher mathematics? What is this? Is that very good intelligence? You have questioned already. Any other? What is that?

Devotee (1): In Bhagavad-gita when it states that "Supersoul," in American terms is this known as your astral body?

Prabhupada: Astral body means mind, intelligence, ego. This is astral body. And Supersoul is soul, Supreme Soul. Hmm?

Devotee (2): Would you say something about the mercy of Lord Caitanya's sahkirtana movement?

Prabhupada: Yes. He says, param vijayate sri-krsna-sahkirtanam [Cc Antya 20.12]. This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isSo you follow His advice and you will get..., become victorious.

[to lady:] So I will advise you not to make research in that way. [laughter]

Indian woman: Well, I got my degree doing that research.

Prabhupada: Yes, that degree is there. [laughter]

Indian woman: So Lord Krsna still helped me, you know, whether I was right or wrong.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Indian woman: I still got His grace and help.

Prabhupada: Well, when you go to the fire, the heat is there. [laughter] But the temperature may be different. Anyway, some way or other, if you go to the heat, fire, you'll get some heat. But that temperature may be different. Yes. Hmm?

Devotee (3): How can one rid oneself of sex desire if one continues to chant, continuously chant Hare Krsna, and is still being plagued by desire for sex?

Prabhupada: If you chant Hare Krsna seriously... The examples are there. Therefore Haridasa Thakura, he was chanting Hare Krsna, and some envious person engaged some very beautiful prostitute to drag him. But she failed. Chanting of Hare Krsna is so strong. At mid of night beautiful prostitute, young, she went to entice him. But Haridasa Thakura said, "That's all right. Your proposal is very nice. Please sit down. Let me finish my rounds." [laughter] So she sat down, and morning..., there was morning. So Haridasa Thakura said, "My dear girl, I am very sorry. I could not finish. So this night we shall finish." In this way, after three nights, the prostitute fell down on his feets, "Sir, I came with this purpose. I was induced by such-and-such person. So I am offender. Please excuse me and give me your favor." So Haridasa said, "Yes, I knew that. But because you came to me, I wanted to do something good for you. And therefore I stayed here for three nights just to convert you. Now you are so lucky. So whatever you have got, you distribute it to the brahmanas, and you take one cloth and sit down here before the tulasi tree and chant Hare Krsna, that's all." Hmm?

Mahamaya: Srila Prabhupada, is Krsna in our heart, in the heart of the body and in the heart of the spirit soul?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Mahamaya: In His two-handed form and in His four-handed form, is He in our heart?

Prabhupada: In the heart you are also there. In the medical science the every energy is coming from the heart. Heart fails, then that means the spirit is not there. Heart fail means the spirit soul and the Supersoul goes away. That is heart fail.

Devotee (4): Prabhupada, what does it mean "to chant seriously"? How can you chant seriously?

Prabhupada: Without offense. You know there are ten kinds of offense? That's all right.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. [end]