Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.16–20 – August 2, 1971, New York

Prabhupada: [aside] So you require some fans. They are, the devotees, they are very inconvenienced. So you're… From next time you just arrange for some fans. Whatever facility you have got, you can use them for Krsna's sake. Nirbandhaḥ krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255]. Dry renouncement is not recommended by our acaryas.

So this verse we have been discussing, that… The beginning of the discussion was that people are suffering, just like a man suffers from disease. There are different types of pains. So this material world is a place where we have to suffer different types of pains by different causes. That is our position, actual position. Tri-tapa-yantrana. They are called… Tri means "three." The Sanskrit word tri and the Latin "three," almost…

[loud thunder]

Now here, this thunderbolt is another pain. This is called adhidaivika-pains or miseries offered by the demigods. According to Vedic conception, this thunderbolt is thrown by Lord Indra, the king of heaven. He is in charge of cloud and rains. So when the thunderbolt is there, it is very painful. The other day one of our student was telling me a story that on the plane, Mr. George Harrison, he was descending by the modern jumbo plane, but there was lightning and thunderbolt, and the plane was in very great danger when it was descending on New York. So he began to chant Hare Krsna. [laughter] So every passenger was surprised, "Why this fellow is chanting Hare Krsna?" So some way or other, he said, that "We are saved."

That is a fact, of course. You believe or not believe, that is a different thing, but it is a fact, [loud thunder] that taking shelter of this maha-mantra, if you always keep yourself in chanting Hare Krsna mantra... It is not very difficult task. Simply you have to agree, that's all. It is not difficult. Just like our boys and girls, they are chanting always, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. What is your loss? You are not losing anything. But if there is gain, eh? Why don't you try it? Eh?

You are not losing any money. We are not charging any money, [thunder] that I shall give you this mantra. No. We are giving this mantra, chanting in the street, chanting in the… So you simply practice it and do it and see the result. We are not asking anything, "You first of all you do this, or that," or "You pay us something." No. We are simply inviting you, "Please come and chant with us Hare Krsna mantra, dance with us, and be happy." What is their objection? I do not find any objection. No sane man will say, "No, I have got objection." What is the objection?

[loud thunder]

So this world is always-we should remember-full of miseries. We are thinking that "I am very comfortably situated." That is illusion. That is maya. This is wrong conception. You should be very much pessimistic, not optimistic. Optimistic, that is animal conception. The animals, they do not know. Any miserable condition, even in the slaughterhouse, just after few minutes the animal will be slaughtered, but it is thinking that "I am safe," eating grass. I have seen the goat. In India, of course, they do not slaughter cows. Some of them slaughter cows. So the one goat is being slaughtered, and the other goat is standing there eating grass. It is thinking that "I am very safe."

So that is illusion. This question was raised by Dharmaraja to Yudhisthira: "What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" He replied, "This is the most wonderful thing." What is that? Ahany ahani lokani gacchanti yama-mandiram [Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116]: in every moment so many men are going to yama-mandriyam-means to the hands of the cruel death-sesaḥ sthitam icchanti: but those who are not dying immediately, they are thinking, "I am safe. We are safe." Everyone is thinking, "I will not die." My father died; that's all right. My brother; that's all right. But he is thinking, "I will not die." This is called illusion.

But there is no remedy. We are inventing so many scientific, I mean to say, processes to counteract difficulties. The scientific research is going on, how to counteract [thunder] nature's onslaught on us. Just like here is a nature's onslaught-thunderbolt. Now how you can counteract it? You have some measures of counteract; that does not mean it is perfect. At any moment, everything can be dismantled. So sesaḥ sthitam icchanti kim ascaryam ataḥ param [Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116]. I am seeing... The same example: one goat is seeing that his fellow goat is being slaughtered, but he is thinking that he will not be killed. This is called illusion.

So here it is said that aghavan. Aghavan. Agha means sin. We are suffering all threefolds miseries. Threefold miseries means one kind of misery is due to this body and mind, that is called adhyatmika-pertaining to the body and mind. Another kind of misery, adhyatmika, adhibhautika-miseries offered by other living entities: some enemy, some animal, causes some pains to your body, to your mind. So that is called adhi…, adhyatmika, adhibhautika. And adhidaivika-miseries offered by the demigods. Just like we believe that this thunderbolt is thrown by the Lord Indra.

So these three kinds of miserable condition of material existence is going on, either three all at a time or two at a time. At least one must be there. That is our conditional life. And these miseries are offered to us due to our sinful life. That's all. Without sin, nobody suffers. So in the material world every one of us-rich, poor, educated, noneducated, black, white, this, that, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, everyone-everyone is under these threefold miseries. That's a fact. Therefore… But everyone is trying to get out of miseries. That is also another fact.

Nobody wants to suffer. Everyone wants to be very peaceful and prosperous. Why? Because we are originally spiritual spark, part of God, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], who is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge.

Therefore eternally we are also blissful, although you may be part. Just like the part of gold is gold. So we are small eternal, and God is big eternal. That is the difference, that a big mine of gold and big earring of gold-both of them are gold. The quality, chemical quality, is the same.

So God is by nature ananda-mayo 'bhyasat [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.12]. In the Vedanta-sūtra it is said that God is blissful by nature-always enjoying pleasure. Just like here we see Krsna, Krsna is enjoying. He is playing on flute. And Srimati Radharani, His pleasure potency, is there. So this is the perfect picture of God, full of enjoyment. Why God shall be engaged in other things which is not enjoyment?

Therefore ananda-mayo 'bhyasat: He is by nature ananda-mayo, blissful. Just like we also try to, because we are part and parcel, a small particle of God, we also try to enjoy pleasure in association of young boys, young girls. That is… Why… Wherefrom this idea comes? The idea comes from God. In the Vedanta-sūtra it is said, janmady asya yataḥ. Everything, whatever we see, it is coming from Him.

So by nature we should be always engaged in pleasure potency. But then why you are in this miserable condition? This question must arise in human form of life. If it does not, then he has not come to the perfection of human life. If he thinks that "I am happy," then still he is in animal process of life. He has not developed his human consciousness. If he is self-complacent, that "I am happy..." This is the sign of advancement of consciousness. And when he comes to Krsna consciousness, that means he gives up this material consciousness, unhappy consciousness of material existence, and come to the pleasure platform of Krsna. Then his life is perfect.

Therefore we have to change the consciousness. In the material platform, or in material consciousness, we shall be always suffering by the threefold miseries. Just like this thunderbolt. You Americans, you may think that you are the richest nation in the world, but you cannot avoid this thunderbolt. That is not possible. You may have riches more than other countries, but that does not mean there will be no more thunderbolt in your country, there will be no more disease in your country, no more death in your country. These things must be there in material existence, however scientifically or economically you may be advanced.

So janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg 13.9], not only on this planet, in every planet you go. Either you go to the moon planet… They are going to the moon planet, although they cannot live there; they come back. Anyway, any planet you go, the four things will follow within this material world-janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Janma means birth, the pains of birth, the pains of death. When a child is born, the mother also suffers from pain and the child also suffers from pain.

He is coming out from a packed-up condition, suffocated condition. So as soon as the child comes out from the mother's womb, it feels relief: "Oh." In seven months he develops the consciousness, and the child suffers too much. He prays. One who is fortunate, he prays to God: "My dear Lord, please get me out from this condition. This time I shall simply be devotee."

So we have to repeated…, we have to accept repeated birth and death. That is suffering. Janma-mrtyu. Then old age. Before death, when one is old, the limbs are not so strong, the stomach is not so strong. There are so many diseases. So we are always suffering from diseases..., from some kinds of pains. And pleasure, it is simply a mental concoction. There is no pleasure. Actually there is always pains.

Therefore the sastric conclusion-we are discussing this point-that we suffer from pains, different miserable condition, on account of our sinful life. And for getting out of sinful life, so many prescriptions are given: that you have to undergo austerity, celibacy, you have to control your mind, you have to control your senses, you have to give your money in charity, you should be very truthful, you should be very cleanse, so on-so many methods. And now here it is said that even if we undergo all these processes of purification from our sinful life, they are never complete.

Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami says,

One cannot be completely purified by this process. Then how he can be purified?

As one can become purified immediately, simply offering himself, his everything, dedicated himself to the Supreme Lord Krsna. Yatha krsnarpita-pranas. Prana means life force, living force. That is called prana. So that is very dear to us. We do not wish to give up our living force. Therefore whenever there is possibility of death, we take all possible care to preserve that living force.

But if one dedicates this living force, the living energy… Just like these boys and girls, they have given; all their energies have been given to Krsna. Krsnarpita-pranas. Arpita means dedicating, and prana means the living force. Krsnarpita-pranas tat-purusa-nisevaya.

How one can dedicate the living force of oneself to Krsna? Tat-purusa-nisevaya: by serving that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you have got the eternal form of the Lord, Radha-Krsna, and all activities are engaged to render Him service. By this process one will be able to dedicate his everything to Krsna. And when he has actually done it, then all the other processes, they are automatically achieved-the result of such processes-automatically.

Tepus tapas te sasnur arya [SB 3.33.7]. Anyone who has engaged himself in the devotional service of Krsna, it is to be understood that he has already undergone all the processes of austerity, celibacy and controlling... Everything he has already done. Just like if you see that a man, a person, is admitted as a student in law college, it is to be understood that he has passed his graduation, education in the college, because without being graduate, nobody is admitted in the law college. Similarly, anyone who has taken to Krsna consciousness, it is to be understood that he has already passed all the processes recommended for getting out of contamination of sinful activities.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita also: yesam tv anta-gatam papam. Without being freed from all the contamination of sinful activities, one cannot be attached to Krsna consciousness.

Persons who are simply engaged in pious activities, such person, te dvandva-moha-nirmukta. Dvandva-moha-nirmukta: whether I shall worship Krsna or whether I shall worship Durga or Kali or the Siva or this or that, or so many, there are worshipable object. But, according to Bhagavad-gita, mam ekam. Krsna says, "Only unto Me."

So anyone who takes to this process, only to Krsna, they are dvandva-moha-nirmukta, they are freed from all dualities. No more dualities. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]: Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore I must surrender unto Krsna and engage myself in the service of the Lord. This is called krsnarpita-prana, dedicated to Krsna.

Now, Sukadeva Gosvami is recommending actually this is the perfect system, Krsna consciousness. This is the perfect..., sadhricino, sadhricina, just suitable. Sadhricino hy ayam loke. In this material world, this is the perfect system of getting uncontaminated, or purified from the sinful life. Sadhricino hy ayam loke, panthaḥ, the path, ksemaḥ, profitable, akutaḥ-bhayaḥ, without any danger, without any fear, akuto bhayaḥ.

So devotees of Lord Krsna, they are very susilaḥ. Susilaḥ means gentle, well-behaved. That is another test. Susilaḥ: they are very gentle. Others may ill-treat them, but they are very tolerant. They treat with others with very gentle behavior. You will find it practically. They are never, I mean to say, disregardful to anyone, even being insulted. Susilaḥ, sadhava. Why susilaḥ? Because they are sadhu. Sadhu means saintly. Saintly. Sadhavaḥ sadhu-bhūsanam [SB 3.25.21].

What is a saint? Saintly means titiksava. Titiksava means they are very tolerant. Don't you see that Jesus Christ was crucified-still he was tolerant. He did not take any revenge. This is called susilaḥ sadhava, tolerant. Titiksavaḥ karunikaḥ [SB 3.25.21]: one side they are, for their personal self, they are tolerating all kinds of insult; but at the same time, still, they are karunika, very merciful to the people in general.

These boys, these girls, go to the street. They are sometimes disturbed, but still they are chanting Hare Krsna mantra so that others may hear and take profit out of it. This is their business. Titiksavaḥ karunikaḥ. Why they are taking this business? Because they know that these people are suffering on account of loss of Krsna consciousness. So by hearing this chanting Hare Krsna mantra, gradually they will come to Krsna consciousness.

Actually that is the fact. When I came to your country, I did not bring; I did not import it. They are your countrymen, your boys, your girls. Simply by hearing this chanting Hare Krsna mantra in the Tompkinson Square-I was sitting down underneath a tree-they have come. So this chanting of maha-mantra is so powerful. So they are karunika, they are very merciful. They are going in spite of all troubles. They are not sitting down. They go.

So,

Why they are so merciful? Because they are friend of everyone. Sarva-bhūtanam. They don't discriminate, that "This white man should be my friend, not the black man," or "The human being should be my friend, not the animals." No. A devotee is friendly to everyone, every living entity. It doesn't matter. Without any distinction. Suhrdaḥ sarva-bhūtanam.

They do not think anyone as their enemy. They think, "Everyone is our friend." Actually everyone is our friend. We are living at the, I mean, friendly relationship with the public. We have no enemies. We don't think anyone is our enemy. If somebody acts inimically, we think that "He has not understood; therefore he is doing like this. But let me try to make him understand what we are doing."

These are the ornaments of the sadhu. Sadhu. Here it is said, susilaḥ sadhava, well-behaved, and they are sadhu. Susilaḥ sadhavo yatra narayana-parayanaḥ. As soon as one becomes narayana-parayanaḥ… Narayana means Krsna. Krsna is the original Narayana. So parayana means one who is attached to Narayana, Krsna, immediately all these good qualities manifest. Susilaḥ sadhavo yatra narayana-parayanaḥ.

In India, still, wine is untouchable, liquor. Not only wine; the wine bottle, even though it is empty, it is untouchable. Sura-kumbham. Sura means wine. Here, of course, in advanced civilization, they have got nice packed-up bottle [laughs], but formerly the wine drunkards, they used to keep wine in some, what is called, jug or big pot, kumbha. What is exact translation of kumbha? Eh?

Devotees: Glass bottle? Flagon? Glass?

Prabhupada: All right, not one word. That's all right. So sura-kumbham iva apagaḥ. The pots which were used for keeping sura, or wine, liquor, that cannot be purified even if we wash thousand times with water. The example is given there.

Similarly,

If this prayascitta, atonement, does not invoke his Krsna consciousness, then it is just like washing the wine pot with water. The idea is, as the wine pot, although it is empty, you cannot purify it simply by washing with water; simply, similarly, a man who is not raised to the platform of Krsna consciousness, you go on trying so many types of atonement, it is like this sura-kumbha. The idea is that he cannot be purified. He cannot be purified. Day will come when his impure mind will be impetus to another type of sinful activities.

That is tried. One… In India, this Back to Godhead... It was started from India in 1944. So when I was posting in Delhi post office this Back to Godhead, the post office inquired-at that time I was not sannyasi; I was in vanaprastha-so he inquired that "If a man become honest, if a man deals with others very nicely, moral, and so on, so on, so what is the use of becoming devotee, devotee of God?" So I replied that if a man is not devotee, that he cannot be honest, he cannot be moralist. That is not possible. Without God consciousness, the so-called morality, honesty, gentlemanness, is impossible. It is not possible.

So if you want to revive all these good qualities in your society, then you have to invoke your God consciousness first. Otherwise it is impossible. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna. One who is not Krsna conscious, he cannot have any good quality. It is impossible. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathena [SB 5.18.12]: because he is hovering on the mental plane. You will find so many big men, politicians, but because they are not God conscious, all their activities are not honest. It cannot be. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna.

Therefore it is said that simply by atonement, by superficial trying to become uncontaminated, is not possible, as much as the pot which contained liquor previously, you cannot purify it simply by washing with water.

Narayana-parahmukham means averse to Krsna consciousness. Such person cannot be purified simply by this prescription of austerity, penance and controlling the mind, controlling… They cannot do it.

So Sukadeva Gosvami says that sakrn manaḥ krsna-padaravindayor. If some way or other one surrenders his mind unto the lotus feet of Krsna, sakrn manaḥ krsna-padaravindayor… Sakrn manaḥ krsna-padaravindayor.

Now here another thing you can note, that in two verses the word krsna has appeared. This Bhagavat was written five thousand years ago, and these incidents which Sukadeva Gosvami was..., is going to narrate, these incidents happened, ajamila-upakhyana, the history of Ajamila's life, many thousands and millions of years ago. So this Krsna name is already there. Krsna name is already there. That means sometimes the so-called historians, they say that Krsna worship has begun after Krsna's appearance on this planet. But that is not the fact. Krsna worship was existent long, long before.

As it is stated by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita,

"First of all I spoke this philosophy to Vivasvan, the god of the sun planet." So historically, if the historians argue like that, that Krsna consciousness movement has begun after the appearance of Krsna, but that is not fact. Krsna appears in one day of Brahma. That is many millions of years after once... Just like the sun appears after twenty-four hours or twelve hours; there is a period of appearance of the sun.

Similarly, there is a period of appearance of Krsna on this planet. Krsna is… He appears as a historical person, but He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore in these verses we see the name Krsna. And not only here; in many places we will find the Krsna name is there. So "Krsna" is not to be taken a name picked up from history. No. He is Supreme Personality of Godhead.

If somebody, somehow or other, becomes attracted to Krsna by hearing about His transcendental qualities… Just like you are discussing here about Krsna. You are coming-thank you very much that you are coming-but in this way hearing and hearing, some way or other you become attracted to Krsna. This hearing means gradually you will be attracted. The same reasons that these boys and girls are attracted-by hearing. We have not bribed them with money. No. Simply by hearing.

Anyone, somehow or other, he becomes attracted to Krsna, and if he simply says, "Oh, Krsna is very nice. Krsna's qualities are very nice. Krsna's pastimes are very nice," he becomes guaranteed, immune from the attack of Yamaraja. Yamaraja means the…, according to Vedic literature, there is a superintendent appointed by God who examines the sinful activities of the living entities and punishes him according to the gravity of his sinful life. He is called Yamaraja. And he has got many agents who take the living entity to Yamaraja after death. And when the judgment is given, then he is given a type of body for suffering or so-called enjoyment. But not enjoyment, because most heinous and sinful persons are taken to him.

So here it is said anyone, somehow or other if he has become attracted to Krsna by His transcendental qualities and pastime, then what happens?

The agents of Yamaraja, even in dream, do not come there. Even in dream, not to speak of directly. So you are guaranteed. You are guaranteed.

Then, long, long ago, one friend asked that "Why do you put these neck beads?" It is guarantee that we shall not be shot down. Just like dog having a belt [collar], it is not shot down by anyone. It is known that he has a master. Similarly, this belt will save us from being shot down by the agents of Yamaraja. They will see, "Oh, here is a devotee. Here is a devotee."

Now, everything requires evidence how one is relieved from the attack of the agents of Yamaraja. He is citing some example from the history. Now here it is said that,

These Puranas… In the Vedic literature there are different divisions. The first is four Vedas. Then the Upanisads. Then they are summarized in Vedanta. Then they are again explained in Puranas. There are eighteen Puranas. This Bhagavata Puranam is called Maha-Purana. The eighteen Puranas, they are meant for different kinds of people. There are different kinds of men: some are being conducted by the modes of ignorance; some are being conducted by the modes of passion; some of them are being conducted by the modes of goodness. So for three classes of men there are six Puranas each class; therefore eighteen Puranas. And this Bhagavata Purana is for the topmost class of men, who are in goodness. Not only in goodness, but they are devotees of Lord Krsna.

So these Puranas are explanation of the Vedic system in understandable historical references. Therefore they are called itihasam. Itihasam means old history. So itihasa does not mean this has to be learned chronological with date. Now if you keep a history of millions and trillions of years, it is impossible to keep. Therefore most important incidences in the history, they are picked up, and they are assorted in the Puranas.

So Puranas means… Mahabharata is also history. You have heard the name of Mahabharata. Maha means great, and bharata, now we call India, foreigners they call India. "India" is not the proper name. The whole planet is called Bharata-varsa. Bharata-varsa. India is, accidentally, it has come to be named a certain portion of the world, but actually the whole planet is called Bharata-varsa. And the history, greater Bharata-varsa. Greater Bharata-varsa, great Bharata-varsa, the history of the world. The Puranas are also history of the world, or history of the universe. There are many incidences we have taken from other planets.

So these Maha-puranas, Mahabharata... And the Mahabharata especially was composed by Vyasadeva for less-intelligent class of men, one who cannot understand the Vedas. The Vedas are not understood by three classes of men:

Trayi. Trayi means the Vedas, where three kinds of processes are recommended: karma-kanḍa, jnana-kanḍa and upasana-kanḍa. Karma-kanḍa means the ritualistic ceremonies; jnana-kanḍa, this philosophical section, just like the Upanisad. And upasana-kanḍa. Upasana-kanḍa, there are many recommendation for worshiping the demigods, ultimately, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So these Vedas are not sometimes understood by three classes of men-stri-sūdra-dvijabandhu, three classes of men: women..., women and sūdra and dvijabandhu. Dvijabandhu means the friends of the twice-born. The twice-born are three classes of men: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. They are twice... They are given the chance to take second birth by upanayana-samskara, by purificatory process of offering the sacred thread. That is second birth. So this second-birth ceremony is offered to the high class of men. Not high class of men by birth, but by quality.

By developing good qualities.

So this Mahabharata is also meant for not for the high-class men. Just try to understand. Maha…, stri-sūdra-dvijabandhu: it was meant for woman and sūdra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means born in high family, but one hasn't got the qualities; he is called dvija-bandhu. And so far Mahabharata is concerned… Actually, in our childhood I used to read Mahabharata before my grandmother. In the afternoon, after taking rest, she would call me and ask me to recite Mahabharata. There is edition, vernacular edition of Mahabharata. So we learned Mahabharata in association with grandmother from the childhood. So these are itihasa. I am explaining to you, these are all histories.

Now if you read simply Mahabharata, which is meant for the sūdras and the woman class and the less-intelligent persons born in higher class society, you will find in Mahabharata so sublime literature. You will find sociology, history, religion, culture-everything. But this was meant for the less-intelligent class. Now how much we have been degraded that we cannot understand even Mahabharata. And in the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is the portion of Mahabharata. And such Bhagavad-gita is being studied by many great scholars and philosophers at the present moment-still they cannot understand.

Try to understand: Which was made for the less-intelligent class of men, now it is very difficult to understand. So what class of men we are? That is my point. Stri-sūdra-dvijabandhūnam. The Mahabharata was meant for less-intelligent class of men and women, and now at the present moment we cannot even understand Mahabharata. Then what less-intelligent class of men we are? Try to understand. Or what intelligent class of men were there. That is to be understood.

Therefore if we want to make improvement of our life by studying this Vedic literature it is very, very difficult, especially in this age. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's formula, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha : in this age there is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative; only simply chant this harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, and you will find actual result. And you are finding already. So this is the only process you can elevate to your perfectional stage of spiritual consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to you Srila Prabhupada. [end]