Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.4.1, SB 2.3.1—25 Recitation – June 24, 1972, Los Angeles

720624SB-Los Angeles [41:24 Minutes]

Searching After Krishna

Pradyumna: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. We chant all the verses in this chapter, all together, starting from the beginning.

[Prabhupada and devotees chant all verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.1-25].

Everyone can chant together:

[07:25]

Prabhupada: So it takes not more than five minutes. If you practice, then you become learned scholars simply by chanting these mantra, and the translation, transcendental vibration, will keep you fit for spiritual advancement. Every verse in Vedic literatures, especially Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are not ordinary sounds.

Simply if you chant the mantras, you become purified. Srnvatam sva-kathaḥ krsnaḥ punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ. Simply by hearing and chanting you become pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanaḥ. Even you don't understand the meaning, the very sound vibration will help you.

Now we have finished one chapter within five minutes. How much time it took? I don't think more than five minutes. So everyone should chant every day at least one chapter.

Then? Next chapter?

Pradyumna: Text number one. [leads chanting of verse]

Prabhupada: Which chapter?

Prabhupada: [corrects pronunciation of devotees' chanting] Any of the girls? [Prabhupada corrects pronunciation] All right. Word meaning.

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms]

sūtaḥ uvaca-Sūta Gosvami said; vaiyasakeḥ-of Sukadeva Gosvami; iti-thus; vacaḥ-speeches; tattva-niscayam-that which verifies the truth; atmanaḥ-in the self; upadharya-just having realized; matim-concentration of the mind; krsne-unto Lord Krsna; auttareyaḥ-the son of Uttara; satim-chaste; vyadhat-applied.

[14:28] [break]

Translation: "Sūta Gosvami said: Maharaja Pariksit, the son of Uttara, after hearing the speeches of Sukadeva Gosvami, which were all about the truth of the self, applied his concentration faithfully upon Lord Krsna."

Prabhupada: So here is, vacas tattvam atma ni..., atma, vacas tattva niscayam atma. Vacas tattva-niscayam atmanaḥ. Vaiyasaki. So atma-tattva, self-realization, this is required. So we have to approach a person like Vaiyasaki, Sukadeva Gosvami. Niscayam. Vacas tattva-niscayam. If you want to know positively, niscayam, without any mistake, then we have to approach a person like Sukadeva Gosvami or the parampara system, who is coming in disciplic succession of parampara system.

The parampara system means... Just like we claim parampara system from Krsna. So whatever Krsna says, or He said five thousand years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called parampara system. Not that "The world has changed. Scientific advancement is very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way." This is all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niscayam atmanaḥ.

If you want to know positively what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jnanina tattva-darsinaḥ [Bg 4.34]. Just like here it is tattva-niscayam atmanaḥ. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [Munḍaka Upanisad 1.2.12]. That is guru, means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the parampara system.

Krsna said this, and then Brahma said the same thing, then Narada said the same thing, Vyasadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvacarya, Madhavendra Puri, Īsvara Puri, Lord Caitanya, saḍ-gosvami, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Srinivasa Acarya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura-in this way-Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Then we are speaking. The same thing.

Not that "Because we are modernized... Your modern science has changed." Nothing has changed. It is all foolishness. That change is a scheduled change. Just like day after night, and again night after day, again day after night. This is not change; this is a system. So because our poor fund of knowledge... Just like there are many insects, their birth, death, marriage and everything is finished within night. They never see the day.

So if they see day by chance, they will say, "Oh, it has changed." Because their experience is they have never seen day. Their experience with night. So all of a sudden, if he sees that there is daylight, "Oh, what is this? Oh, the whole world has changed." No. You have not seen. The so-called scientific discovery, they are seeing something, but the next stage they have no power to see, and they think, when they see the next item, "Oh, the world has changed." There is no question of changing. It is on the process.

Just like another example can be given: the film. If you see the film as it is, each picture you will see different picture. But actually, it is not different; it is the same. It is the process. How the hands and legs will move, the picture is made in such a way that when it is put into the machine, you'll find the hands and legs are moving. So change... Srsti-sthiti-pralaya. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya.

There are three kinds of changes. First of all change is the srsti. Srsti means creation. Creation. This material world... There was no material world; simply there was spiritual world. Just like when all of a sudden cloud appears in the sky. The sky was there; the cloud has appeared. Similarly, this material creation is like that. It is just like a cloud in the vast spiritual ocean..., sky.

The sky is spiritual. This sky in which we are now existing, that is not spiritual. Just like the sky covered by the cloud is the same sky, but it is covered, similarly, we are living within the covered sky, and if you penetrate the cover, then you go to the spiritual sky.

While going to the spiritual sky, you have to give up your body. The body is a combination of five elements. So there is stock in the... This universe is covered by seven layers: earth, water, fire, air, like that. When we shall be going to the spiritual sky, we have to pass through the seven layers. And each layer is ten times bigger than the first.

Suppose we pass the air layer; the next layer, the fire, is ten times bigger. Then water, ten times. In this way, we have to pass through. We are so much tightly packed up. It is not so easy that I take a sputnik and go anywhere. No. That requires sadhana-bhajana, practice, how to give up this encagement of seven layers, and then completely pure spirit soul, you enter into the spiritual sky. That is merging in the spiritual effulgence, brahma-jyoti.

Then you can go further and enter into the spiritual planet, if you are fit for that. Otherwise, you'll remain in the brahma-jyoti, nirvisesa, without any variety, simply light, as the jnanis, they want.

But you cannot stay there. Because you are a living entity, you are part and parcel of Krsna, so actually you are trying to go to Krsna. Just like a child is crying. The idea is that the child wants mother or mother's breast milk. That is his demand. But sometimes we do not know. We try to make the child comfortable in different ways.

Similarly, all of us are searching after Krsna. That is the fact. Krsna, being the Supreme, we are all, being parts and parcel, our natural tendency is to approach Krsna. Manusyaḥ partha sarvasaḥ. Mama vartmanuvartante manusyaḥ partha sarvasaḥ [Bg 4.11]. In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find this. Mama vartmanu... "They are all trying to come to Me, but they are being hampered by different types of maya."

So the spiritual advancement means ultimately to approach Krsna. This is very nicely explained by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The bhakti-lata, the creeper of bhakti, is growing, but it will go on growing, growing, growing until the bhakti-lata, I mean to say, catches the lotus feet of Krsna.

You will see the creepers, they grow, they try to catch something small. And as soon as they get a pillar or wood, immediately, by nature... Similarly, you go on increasing your bhakti creeper. The bhakti creeper...

Bija. Bija means seed. Guru-krsna: Krsna and guru. When both of them are merciful, then you can get the seed of bhakti-lata creeper. Mali hana sei bija kare aropana [Cc Madhya 19.152]. When you get a nice seed... Just like you are growing, nursing, the tulasi seed very carefully. Tulasi seed, that is the example of bhakti seed. Similarly, you have to nurse the bhakti seed by giving all protection, watering daily. So what is your watering process? This watering process. [devotees recite maha-mantra] Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana.

You have to become a gardener and...

[aside:] Where is that Pravinacandra? He's not here? Yes. That's all right.

Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana: hearing. If you want to come to the right conclusion, then you have to hear from persons authorized, not from the nonsense rascals, politicians, diplomats. No. Just like here it is said vaiyasakeḥ. You have to hear from Vaiyasaki or his representative. Vaiyasaker iti vacas tattva-niscayam atmanaḥ.

If you hear from the right person, then tattva-niscayam, then positively you can realize self. And if you hear from some rascals, they have no connection with Vaiyasaki, simply by dint of mental speculation interpreting, "I think this may be this. I think this..." What you are, nonsense? You think? We don't accept such nonsense things. It must be positively authorized. As it is said here, vaiyasaker iti vacas tattva-niscayam atmanaḥ.

When we hear from the right person...

Jnana and tattva-darsi. Simply jnani, simply A-B-C-D knowledge, academic education, will not help. You must be jnani, at the same time, tattva-darsi. That tattva-darsana cannot be possible by mental speculation. Ciram vicinvan.

Who knows the tattva. Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita: "One person who has got a slight benediction from Your lotus feet." Not that all. A slight. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. If you get a slight, a glance, then your life is perfect, immediately.

Not that you have to get all the mercies of the Lord. Even little, very insignificant part. That means, insignificant, that is Krsna is teaching Himself: "Just surrender."

So this much mercy every one of us, we can take. How? "Krsna, I was wandering throughout the whole universe in so many lives. I did not know that You are my supreme master. Now, from this day, I surrender unto You." Krsna is ready: aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg 18.66]: "Yes, you do it. I shall give you protection from all sinful resultant action. Immediately."

A simple process. So this much mercy we can take, if we will. But we are not willing. We surrender to some rascal, but not to Krsna. That is our position. We shall surrender to this man, that man, this man, this one... Why not Krsna? "No." Maya will say, "No, no, no. What is Krsna? You surrender to such big politician, big yogi, big bluffer, cheater. You surrender there."

Maya is always after you to bewilder you. Because we have forgotten Krsna by our independence, misusing our independence, so maya wants to give us some good lesson, that "Forgetting Krsna, you are trying to be happy. All right, I shall give you nice happiness." This is going on.

Therefore, maya is very strong. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg 7.14]. You cannot get out of the clutches of maya so easily. Then? How it is possible? Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg 7.14]. The same thing. "If anyone fully surrenders unto Me, then he can get out of the clutches of maya."

So here, Pariksit Maharaja is fully surrendered to his spiritual master. Vaiyasaker iti vacas. Whatever he said... Vaiyasaki, Sukadeva Gosvami, he placed the whole thing before him, how to concentrate one's mind on Krsna. So upadharya matim krsne. Then immediately this is the result. If you approach a bona fide representative, then, taking lessons from him, the result will be upadharya matim krsne-your surrender will be on Krsna.

Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "The word satim is very significant. This means 'existing' and 'chaste,' and both imports are perfectly applicable in the case of Maharaja Pariksit. The whole Vedic adventure is to draw one's attention entirely unto the lotus feet of Lord Krsna without any diversion, as it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita [Bg 15.15].

Fortunately, Maharaja Pariksit had already been attracted to the Lord from the very beginning of his body, in the womb of his mother. In the womb of his mother he was struck by the brahmastra atomic bomb released by Asvatthama, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from being burnt by the fiery weapon, and since then the king continually concentrated his mind upon Lord Krsna, which made him perfectly chaste in devotional service. So by natural sequence he was a chaste devotee of the Lord, and when he further heard..."

Prabhupada: Here, one important matter is there, that Pariksit Maharaja, while he was in the womb of his mother, there was brahmastra targeted upon him by Asvatthama. And he was to be killed. Practically he was killed. His mother felt miscarriage and immediately approached Krsna, that "I am feeling like this.

The only son of this Panḍava dynasty is going to be lost." So Krsna immediately entered the womb of Uttara and saved the baby. Now, Pariksit Maharaja is recognized devotee; otherwise Krsna would not have taken so much trouble. He wanted that Pariksit Maharaja.

Now, when he was cursed by a brahmana to die within seven days, why Krsna did not save him, or why he did not seek Krsna's protection? This question may be raised. He was young man. He was not old man. He could live. That question was made also: "The Pariksit Maharaja, such a nice king, his life was dedicated for the welfare of his subjects. So actually, his body was meant for the benefit of others. Why did he leave it, did he quit it?" This question was there.

Because anyone who has dedicated his body for the service of all humanity, that is, means, that means he has dedicated the body for Krsna, because Krsna, He is suhrdam sarva-bhūtanam [Bg 5.29]. Suhrdam sarva-bhūtanam. Krsna is the sincere friend of everyone, so one who is trying to spread Krsna consciousness, that means he's also trying to make others to feel that Krsna is the supreme friend. So that body is Krsna's body.

Now, why Pariksit Maharaja decided that? He could counteract the brahmana boy. It was not difficult for him. But he did not act it counter, and he agreed to die. And Krsna also, from within, dictated, "Pariksit, now agree to die." Why? If Pariksit Maharaja was not in this position, that he was to die within seven days, this Bhagavata would not have come. This is the purport. That was the purpose. Otherwise, he could counteract.

He could save himself-personally or with the help of Krsna. He didn't care for any curse, but if he would not have taken this position, this Bhagavata would not have come. It was for Pariksit Maharaja.

So we have to study in this way. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]