Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.1, [The First Step in God-Realization] – July 1, 1970, Los Angeles

700701SB-Los Angeles [17:57 Minutes]

The First Step in God-Realization

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. So we have got new book, The First Step in God-Realization. Yes. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: First, Invocation.

Text one.

Now you recite independently, om namo bhagavate.

Devotees: [recite om namo bhagavate vasudevaya and the verse]

Prabhupada: Very good. All right. Again.

This last line, it is srotavyadisu yaḥ paraḥ. Like this: srotavya...

Devotees: Srotavyadisu...

Prabhupada: Disu, short. Srotavyadisu yaḥ paraḥ.

Devotees: Srotavyadisu yaḥ paraḥ.

Prabhupada: So these Bhagavata verses, if it is chanted with little tune, then it is very nice. The tune should be like this: [repeats verse with tune]

Like that.

Devotees: Jaya. [laughing] Nectar.

Prabhupada: Yes. Try to hear and... [chanting with tune:] variyan esa te prasnaḥ.

Devotees: Variyan esa te prasnam.

Prabhupada: Krto loka-hitam nrpa.

Devotees: Krto loka-hitam nrpa.

Prabhupada: Atmavit-sammato pumsam.

Devotees: Atmavit-sammato pumsam.

Prabhupada: Srotavyadisu yaḥ param.

Devotees: Srotavyadisu yaḥ param.

[verse is repeated three more times]

Prabhupada: Now chant independently.

Again.

Very good. So read the translation. Yes.

Gargamuni: First with the Invocation?

Prabhupada: Yes.

[08:10]

Gargamuni: Translation: "O my Lord, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."

Prabhupada: Purport. Go on.

Gargamuni: Purport. "Vasudevaya means to Krsna, the son of Vasudeva. As by chanting the name of Krsna, Vasudeva, one can achieve all the good results of charity, austerity and penances, so by the chanting of this mantra, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, it is to be understood that the author or the speaker or any one of the readers of Srimad-Bhagavatam offer respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Krsna, the reservoir of all pleasure. In the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the principles of creation are described, and as such the First Canto can be called 'Creation.' "

Prabhupada: So this om means addressing the Lord. In the all the Vedic mantras they are addressing. Our this Hare Krsna mantra, maha-mantra, that is also addressing. Hare, Hare, addressing the energy of the Lord, Hara. The energy is Hara, Radha, Sita. So when a female is addressed, it is like that: Hare, Late, Site, Radhe. So Hare means addressing first, first of all the energy.

The impersonalists, they do not know this, this addressing first of all Krsna's energy. We Gauḍiya Vaisnava, we don't worship Krsna alone, ekala-vasudeva. No. We must worship Krsna along with His energy. Just like Krsnarjuna, Krsna and Arjuna. Arjuna is also energy, living entity, and Krsna, Radha-Krsna, His internal energy and marginal energy.

So Krsna means with His energy. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. This bhagavate means full of energies. I have several times explained bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence, and van means one who possesses. Bhagavan. That is the meaning of word bhagavan. So when this bhagavan word is addressed, it is addressed as bhagavate. The word is bhagavat, bhagavat-sabda.

Of course, these are grammatical arrangement. Vat, this affix, is there when it is meant... Sanskrit, every word, every syllable, has got meaning. That is Sanskrit language. It is not like that "beauty but," "beauty put." No. If you say "beauty but," then you must say "beauty put." But in English, "beauty but, beauty put."

So in Sanskrit language, you cannot do like that. If you have to follow the rules, then the same rule will go on. So bhagavate address, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Vasudevaya, this is the form of..., fourth form of sabda, sound vibration. Fourth form. Just like krsnaya. When I offer something, krsnaya, visnave. Similarly, bhagavate, vasudevaya.

So the beginning is, Srimad-Bhagavatam means Krsna. It cannot be otherwise. This is krsna-katha. The Bhagavad-gita is also krsna-katha. Katha means words. So Krsna words spoken by Krsna, that is Bhagavad-gita. And words spoken about Krsna, that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Or about Krsna's devotees, that is bhagavata. So bhagavata, there are two kinds of bhagavata.

One, this book Bhagavata, and another, the person bhagavata, the devotee. He is also bhagavata. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that bhagavata para giya bhagavata sthane: "You should go and read Srimad-Bhagavatam from the bhagavata, person bhagavata." Otherwise you will misunderstand. Bhagavata para giya bhagavata sthane.

One big poet, he composed some songs when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was at Puri. And many people used to come and see Him. Because in those days there were many scholars, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was also a very great scholar, so they used to compose and come to see Him, and they would get some applause. But before seeing Him, the rule was that it must be passed through His secretary, Svarūpa Damodara. Svarūpa Damodara was Lord Caitanya's personal secretary, so unless something is passed through Svarūpa Damodara, nobody can directly approach Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So one learned scholar, he composed some poetries, and he wanted the poetries to be heard by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But Svarūpa Damodara, he knew that "This man is mundane. What he will write?" So he was avoiding: "All right, we shall see later on." But when he insisted... And one of his uncle, he was amongst the associates of Lord Caitanya, so he also requested Svarūpa Damodara that "This boy has come so long. If you kindly hear."

So because he requested, a Vaisnava, so Svarūpa Damodara agreed to hear. But he pointed out his all faults, and he chastised him, that "You don't write poetry in this way. You first of all read Bhagavata from the bhagavata. Then try to write." So that you will find in the Caitanya-caritamrta. He advised that "Go and read Bhagavatam from bhagavatam. Then try to write."

Recently one gentleman from India... He is a man of very good position, ICS, the old ICS, the British ICS, Indian Civil Service. They are the topmost service. So he sent me one translation of Srimad-Bhagavatam. So perhaps you know. Gargamuni knows. So I rejected it, that "No, this [indistinct] cannot be published. There are so many anomalies." And so his daughter is here in Los Angeles. So she came with her husband and took back.

So we do not publish anything which is not approved by the acaryas. We are not like ordinary press, that anything and anything will come and we shall publish. No. That is not our business. It must be approved, as we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is, no mental concoction. We don't allow any mental concoction. It must be approved by the acarya, disciplic succession. Then it is nice.

So the next verse... All right. This much today. We shall discuss tomorrow again. Thank you. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Prabhupada!

Prabhupada: Chant. [end]