670329 - Lecture - San Francisco

Lectures by Date, 1967

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

670329LE-SAN FRANCISCO - March 29, 1967 - 22:37 Minutes

(partial recording)

Prabhupāda: ...like this. That is the human life is not for, I mean to say, playing, sense gratification. Very important life. So Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇām. But they do not know. Foolish people, they do not know. They are simply wasting life in sense gratification.

They are thinking, "By sense gratification we shall be happy." One day the cruel death will come, at once give him a slap: "Come on! Go! Finish your business. No more human life. Become a cat and dog." So these risks are there.

So we should be very responsible. So we are not responsible. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are not responsible." Therefore, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Out of many thousands of people, a person desires to utilize his human form of life very nicely. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Kaścit means somebody tries to make his life perfect. And yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3).

And among such millions of persons who are trying to make his perfect, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not easy that to understand. But He is so kind that He is explaining Himself. One who takes this explanation of Kṛṣṇa and understand Him, he becomes perfect.

Thank you very much. Any question?

(pause) No question? Have you got any question?

Govinda dāsī: Uh, well, could you tell about Lord Caitanya asking where is Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Govinda dāsī: Could you tell about Lord Caitanya asking where is Kṛṣṇa and falling in the water? Or would that be not be (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Very nice. Your question is very nice. I'm very glad. Lord Caitanya, He was the greatest symbol of kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So just see from His life. He never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." He never said, "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." He was mad after Kṛṣṇa. "Where I can see Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?"

He was mad after Kṛṣṇa. That is the, I mean to say, process of Caitanya philosophy. It is called viraha. Viraha means separation. Separation. "Kṛṣṇa, You are so good, You are so merciful, You are so nice. But I am so rascal, I am so full of sin, that I cannot see You. I have no qualification to see You."

So in this way, if one feels the separation of Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, I want to see You, but I am so disqualified that I cannot see You," these feeling of separation will make you enriched in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Feeling of separation. Not that "Kṛṣṇa, I have seen you. Finished. All right. I have understood You. Finished. All my business finished." No! Perpetually think of yourself that "I am unfit to see Kṛṣṇa." That will enrich you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed this, these feelings of separation. This is Rādhārāṇī's separation. When Kṛṣṇa went from Vṛndāvana to His place, His father's place, and Rādhārāṇī was feeling in that way, always mad after Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, took the separation feeling of Rādhārāṇī. That is the best way of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, or becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So you know that Lord Caitanya fell on the sea. "Kṛṣṇa, if You are in the sea? Kṛṣṇa, if You are here? Kṛṣṇa, if You are here?" Similarly, the next devotees, Lord Caitanya's direct disciples, Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they also, the same disciplic succession, they also worship Kṛṣṇa in that separation feeling. There is a nice verse about them: (sings)

he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ

śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ

ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

(Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka)

These Gosvāmīns also, later on, when they were very much mature in devotional service, what they were doing? They were daily in the vṛndāvana-dhāma, just like a mad man: "Kṛṣṇa, where You are?" That is the qualification. It is very nice question.

(long pause)

(10:15)

(Prabhupāda leads kīrtana, Govinda jaya jaya, recites prema-dhvani prayers)

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(Prabhupāda leaves temple room, devotees pay obeisances)

(different background noises, doors opening/closing)

Devotee (1): (indistinct)

Devotee (2): We pay obeisances to all devotees but...

Devotee: (indistinct).

Devotee (1): Yeah but isn't he going to be initiated?

(Several talking simultaneously, doors opening and closing)

Mātājī: Has anybody been back in the kitchen because the gas was left on? And it's like... It's really strong back there. Somebody turned the gas on and didn't light it. The others... and we can't have that. It's really bad. Does anybody have a match?

Devotees: (Laugh loud)

Mātājī: Seriously we have got to get it out of there it's really awful.

Devotee: Take this candle now and it's burning.

Mātājī: (indistinct)

Devotee: Yeah I know.

(Several talking simultaneously)

Devotee (2): Okay I'll take a look at it.

(Different background noises, doors opening, mixed conversations) (end)