710110 - Lecture SB 06.02.05-8 - Calcutta

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

710110SB.CALCUTTA - January 10, 1971 - 20:50 Minutes

Devotee: (introduction to recording) Morning lecture, 10th of January, 1971, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda:

. . . śira ādhāya

lokaḥ svapiti nirvṛtaḥ

svayaṁ dharmam adharmaṁ vā

na hi veda yathā paśuḥ

sa kathaṁ nyarpitātmānaṁ

kṛta-maitram acetanam

visrambhaṇīyo bhūtānāṁ

saghṛṇo dogdhum arhati

(SB 6.2.5-6)

Is that all right?

Devotee: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda:

visvasena nitaram arpita

ātmā yenārtham visrambhaṇīyo

visva-saghṛṇiya saghṛṇasya

sa kathaṁ nyarpitātmānaṁ

kṛta-maitram acetanam

visrambhaṇīyo bhūtānāṁ

saghṛṇo dogdhum arhati

(SB 6.2.6)

So the Yamadūta is comparing the trustworthy government. Everything is discussed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but people do not take advantage of all these instruction. They mean . . . Bhāgavatam means that rāsa-līlā, that's all. So many nice instructions are there in different cantos. Actually, there Kṛṣṇa is described in the Tenth Canto, and other nine cantos are especially meant for purifying the heart and understanding real Kṛṣṇa, 02:46 tattvataḥ, tat as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 4.9).

They do not know. Those who take advantage of Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā only as ordinary story, they do not know Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ. But even though they do not know, because they are hearing about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, they are also becoming purified. But if they hear from authorised source, then the result will be bhaktiṁ parāṁ pratilabhya (SB 10.33.39). They will be promoted to transcendental devotional platform, and the result will be that hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti.

Actually, by hearing about rāsa-līlā the result will be that one will be, one will be raised to the platform of transcendental service, and the disease of lust within the heart—that is material disease—that will be completely vanquished. Hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti aciram. Aciram, very soon, they will be able to eradicate the deep-rooted lusty desires in the heart of material existence.

Material existence means lusty life. Kṛṣṇa-bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). Material life means simply to desire to enjoy. Of course, there is no enjoyment. That is . . . so if one hears rāsa-līlā from authoritative source, the result will be that he will be promoted to the transcendental platform of loving service to Kṛṣṇa, and the material disease, lusty desires, will be vanquished.

But they do not hear from the authoritative source. Some professional reciters they hear—therefore they remain in the material existence of lusty affairs, and sometimes they turn to be sahajiyā. When Kṛṣṇa has connection with so many women . . . you know that in Vṛndāvana, the yugala-bhajana—one becomes Kṛṣṇa and one becomes Rādhā. That is their theory. And so many things are going on.

Therefore we instruct that first of all read the nine chapters (cantos) very carefully, and then . . . there are so many nice instruction, but they do not hear about this nice instruction, ajāmila-śraddhā caritra. At least, picked up, some incidences, they should hear. So:

ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśo

janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api

yad vyājahāra vivaśo

nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ

(SB 6.2.7)

The charge of Viṣṇudūtas for the Yamadūta was that they did not know whom to arrest and whom not to arrest. Therefore he was criticise Yamarāja is meant for arresting the criminals, sinful persons. But these Yamadūtas came to arrest Ajāmila, who was already relieved from all sinful actions simply by chanting "Nārāyaṇa." That was not known to them. So in order to criticize them that, "You do not know where to go and where not to go," they described in so many ways.

Now they are positively saying that ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśo janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api (SB 6.2.7): "Even though he committed sinful activity for millions of years, he is now free." Ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśaḥ: "He has completely counteracted all those sinful activities." How? Yad vyājahāra vivaśo nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ. Vivaśaḥ: "Somehow or other, he has chanted the holy name of Hari."

Asya pāpena daṇḍe kim artham akrośa kriyate tatrāhur ayaṁ hi (Śrīdhara Svāmī commentary). "Why you are attempting to arrest this person as criminal?" Yamadūta, yad yada vivaśi 'pi harer nāma vyājahāra uccaritavan: "There was no intention of chanting the holy name of Hari, but even though consciously or unconsciously he has chanted the holy name of Hari, therefore he is now free."

Now, we have to note this important that the powerful hari-nāma is so strong that even one consciously or unconscious . . . sometimes they imitate, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." They have no intention to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, but they imitate or criticize, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." That has also effect. That has also effect. Just like the Muhammadans during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, they sometimes used to criticize, "These Hindus are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." So they were imitating. So gradually they also became devotees.

Yad vyājahāra vivaśo nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ. Vivaśi 'pi harer nāma vyājahāra uccaritavan na kevalam prāyaścitta. Mātram harer nāma api tu svasty-ayanaṁ makara-sādhanam api. So Śrīdhara Svāmī says that "This chanting of holy name of Nārāyaṇa, Hari, is not only counteracting his all sinful reactions, but he is now eligible to become liberated and being transferred to the spiritual world. Not only he has been freed from, but there is a reward for it." You see?

Eka hari-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa karibāre nare. A sinful man is very expert in committing sinful activities, but here is a statement that the holy name of Hari is so powerful that even an expert criminal cannot commit as much sinful activity as by once chanting the holy name of Hari it can be counteracted. He is unable. The expert criminal is very advanced in committing sinful life, but śāstra says that he cannot commit so many sinful. The one chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so powerful.

So one may be not bewildered. They may criticize that it's too much, but it is not too much; it is actual fact. Actual fact. That is aparādha. One who thinks like that, that hari-nāma has not so much power that it can counteract, they are offender. For them it is not possible. But one who believes in the words of the śāstras, as it is stated here, for him it is actually effective. Artha-vāda. Out of ten offenses, artha-vāda, one who comments like that, that is artha-vāda, and that is offense.

To those who are cultivating this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they should have firm faith in the statement of the śāstras that chanting of harer nāma is so powerful.

etenaiva hy aghono 'sya

kṛtaṁ syād agha-niṣkṛtam

yadā nārāyaṇāyeti

jagāda catur-akṣaram

(SB 6.2.8)

Now it clearly says that catur-akṣaram, these four alphabet—nā, rā, ya, ṇa—four, nā, rā, ya, ṇa, that "Because he has uttered these four alphabets, Nārāyaṇa . . ." But he had no offense in chanting. He sincerely chanted, offenseless chanting; therefore he became free immediately.

etenaiva hy aghono 'sya

kṛtaṁ syād agha-niṣkṛtam

yadā nārāyaṇāyeti

jagāda catur-akṣaram

(SB 6.2.8)

Nanu karma syād guṇakaram harer nāmeti yuktam, yasya smṛtya ca nāmoktvā tapo-yajña-kriyādiṣu nūnaṁ taṁ pūrṇakaṁ yati sadyaḥ vande acyutam ity ādi-vacanam So Śrīdhara Svāmī is quoting from śāstras that baddha parikaratvena mokṣaya gamanam pratiti smṛte, na kevalaṁ prāyaścittaṁ harer nāma api tu satyayana . . .

This is quotation from smṛti-śāstra that sakṛd uccaritaṁ yena hari iti akṣara-dvayam. If anyone simply chants these two alphabets, ha, ri—hari—then baddha-parikaras tena mokṣaya gamanaṁ pratiti: "Although he is a conditioned soul, his path for liberation is open."

Yasya smṛtya ca nāmoktvā tapa-yajña-kriyādiṣu, nūnaṁ taṁ pūrṇakaṁ yati sadyaḥ vande acyutam ity ādi-vacanam. There is another quotation, that, yasya smṛtya ca moktva tapo-yajña-kriyādiṣu. These are pious activities: austerity and sacrifice, tapas, yajña; and kriyā, pious activities. Everything is done simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There is no need of doing anything. Simply by chanting, one can achieve the result of japa, yajña and other ritualistic performance prescribed in the Vedas.

And this is specially advised to the karma-kāṇḍīyas, those who are very much fond of performing ritualistic ceremonies for them, this instruction is specially meant, that if you chant simply Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, then you'll get all the results of japa, yajña and other ritualistic performance.

Sakamtvena tapta-nivantakaṁ harer nāma katham syat tatrahuḥ etenaiva iti agho 'nya anyāyataḥ maghavat śabda . . .

(aside) This light is not sufficient. (pause) (end)