Krsna Book Audio Dictation - Chapter 64
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(indistinct) 16th, Year 1970, January 16th, 1970. Chapter Sixty-four continued.
The king Nṛga continued to narrate the history of his degradation due to karma-kāṇḍa activities. King Nṛga was very charitably disposed, and he said that he had gave in charity innumerable cows. He could not exactly stated the number of cows he gave in charity, but he said that the number of cows were equal to the number of dust on the earth or the stars in the sky or the rainfalls from the sky. According to Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, a man who is charitably disposed is recommended to give in charity cows to the brāhmaṇas. Now from the statement of King Nṛga, it appears that he did it in right earnest. But in spite of that, a little discrepancy in his action made him obliged to take his birth in the species of lizards.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is therefore recommended by the Lord that if one is charitably disposed, he should execute it in favor of Kṛṣṇa. That means if one is inclined to give something for deriving the benefit of charity, then he should do it for Kṛṣṇa. To give in charity means pious activities, and as a result of pious activities one may be elevated to the higher planetary system. But such promotion to the heavenly planet is not a guarantee that he would never fall down. Rather, in the example of King Nṛga it is definitely proved that fruitive activities, even though are very much pious, cannot give us the highest blissful eternal life.
In the Bhagavad-gītā therefore it is stated that any work, pious or impious, unless it is discharged on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is called yajṣa, a man is sure to be bound up by the result of such activities.
King Nṛga continued to say that the cows given in charity were not ordinary cows. They were just very young, given birth to only one calf, and was full of milk, very peaceful, healthy, without any disease, and all the horns of the cows were gold-plated. Not only that, all the cows distributed were secured or purchased with money which was earned lawfully. As the horns of the cows were bedecked with gold plate, similarly the hooves of the cows were also bedecked with silver plates, and all of them were covered with silken wrappers embroidered with pearls, necklaces, and thus such valuable decorated cows were distributed by him.
He also stated that the cows were given in charity not to any a worthless person; they were distributed to the first-class brāhmaṇas, who were also decorated with nice garments and gold ornaments given by the king, and they were well qualified in the matter of brahminical qualification and all of them were not rich. The family members of those brāhmaṇas were always in want for the necessities of life. This means a real brāhmaṇa never hoards money for luxurious life, like the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas. The well-qualified brāhmaṇas always keep themselves in a poverty-stricken situation because hoarding of money by a brāhmaṇa creates another material situation, and their mind becomes diverted to materialistic way of life. That is the vow of a qualified brāhmaṇa, and they were all well situated in that exalted vow.
All those brāhmaṇas were well learned in the Vedic knowledge, executed the required austerities and penances in their life. They were very liberal, just to the standard of the qualified brāhmaṇa, and they were equally friendly to everyone. And above all, in spite of all these qualification, those brāhmaṇas who took in charity those cows were all young men, quite fit to act as a qualified brāhmaṇa. All these brāhmaṇas along with the cows were given also land, gold, house, horses, elephants. Those who were not married, they were given wives, maidservants, grains, silver, utensils, garments, jewels, household furnitures, chariots, and all such necessities of life were given in charity to them. This function of giving in charity were done nicely, according to the Vedic rituals performing sacrifices. The king also stated that not only he gave in charity the cows to the brāhmaṇas in such function, but he had done other pious activities, as digging the well, implanting trees on the roadside, as well as water ponds on the highways.
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The king continued to say that "In spite of all this, unfortunately one of the cows of one brāhmaṇa was waylaid and she entered amongst my other cows, and by mistake this cow was again given in charity to another brāhmaṇa. When this cow was being taken away by the brāhmaṇa who was given in charity, the cow's former master brāhmaṇa claimed it as his own. The second brāhmaṇa stated that 'This cow was formerly given to me, and how it is that you are taking it away?' In this way, between the two brāhmaṇas there was arguments and demonstration in a fighting way, and both the brāhmaṇas came before me and they charged me that I had taken back the cow which was given in charity at first."
This kind of action that at first to give something to somebody and again to take it away is considered a great sin, and especially such dealing with a brāhmaṇa. Suppose somebody gives in charity something to the brāhmaṇa and again he takes it away, that is considered the greatest sin.
"When the brāhmaṇa first and second charged me with the same complaint, I was simply puzzled how it so happened." Thereafter, the king, with great humility, offered each of them that they may accept in exchange of that cow on which there was fight between them, they may accept 100,000 of cows instead and just stop the quarrel and return the cow to him. He prayed to them that the king was their servant and there was some mistake, so in order to rectify the mistake on his part, they may be very kind upon him and accept the offer to exchange the cow. The king fervently appealed to the brāhmaṇas not to cause his falldown into the hell on account of this mistake, but they may be kind upon him.
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The brāhmaṇa’s property therefore is called brahma-sva, and according to Manu’s law the brahma-sva property, or the property which is given to a brāhmaṇa, cannot be acquired even by the government. So these two brāhmaṇas fighting with one another insisted on this point that the cow was first given to him and it could not be taken back on any condition, and both of them did not agree to exchange it even though the king was proposing to give them another batch of 100,000’s of cows. So both the brāhmaṇas disagreed with the king’s proposal, and they left the place in anger, thinking that their lawful possession was usurped by the king.
The king continued to say that after that incident, when he was to give up his body, he was taken to the presence of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, and when he was before him he gave him the alternative chance of enjoying or suffering as the resultant action of his past deeds. The Yamarāja asked him whether he wanted to enjoy first the actions of his pious activities or he wanted to suffer first as the result of his impious activities. The Yamarāja also gave him hint that he had executed so much pious activities and charities that the limit of his enjoyment was unknown to him. Practically there was no end of his material happiness. But in spite of his given hint, he was bewildered. The king first of all said that let him enjoy first the result of his impious activities, and then he would accept the result of his pious activities. The superintendent of death Yamarāja immediately put him into the species of lizard, and since he was put into that condition for a very, very long time, he was in that well as a big lizard. "But in spite of my being put into this degraded condition of life, I was simply thinking of You, my dear Lord, and my memory never vanquished in spite of my degraded condition."
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By the statement of King Nṛga it appears that persons who are following the principles of fruitive activities and thereby derive the result for some material benefit are not very intelligent. Being asked by the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, the king Nṛga could have accepted first the results of his pious activities. But he thought that it will be better first of all to enjoy the effects of his impious activities, and then he would enjoy the effects of his pious activities peacefully without any disturbance. On the whole, he had no development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, without developing any love for pious activities or impious activities, he develops love of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Such persons of developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness is neither subjected to the result of pious activities or impious activities. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, a devotee, by the grace of the Lord, does not become subjected to the resultant action of fruitive activities. But imperceptibly, this king aspired somehow or other to see the Personality of Godhead as a result of his pious activities.
So the king continued to say, "My dear Lord, I had a great desire that someday I may be able to see You personally. So I think on account of my great tendency for charitable activities as well as other ritualistic activities, combined with a great desire to see You personally, I have been able to continue my memory what I was in my former life, even though I did fall down in the species of a lizard family.” There are several instances of this kind of remembrance of past life, and such person is called jāta-smara. Even up to date there are some instances that an infant boy or girl can tell everything about past life.
"My dear Lord, You are the Supersoul sitting in everyone’s heart and there are many great mystic yogīs who have eyes to see You through Vedas and Upaniṣads just to realize their actual position being equal in quality with You. And just to achieve this elevated position they always meditate upon You within their heart. Such exalted saintly persons may see You within their hearts constantly, but still they still cannot see You personally eye to eye. Therefore, I am very much surprised that how I have been able to see You personally. I can understand that I was engaged in so many activities, especially as a king. I was in the midst of luxury and opulences, and thereby subjected to so many happiness and miseries of material existence, and still I am so much fortunate that I am seeing You personally. So far I know, that when one is eligible to become liberated from the material existence, one can see You in this way." (quotation close)
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By this statement of King Nṛga, who first of all got the body of a lizard on account of some mistake in his pious activities, as well as his misfortunate selection to enjoy the result of impious activities, he could not be directly converted into higher status of life like a great demigod. But along with his pious activities, because he thought of Kṛṣṇa, so he was released quickly from the body of a lizard and was given the body of a demigod. So persons who are desirers of material opulences by worshiping the Supreme Lord, they are given the body of powerful demigods. And the demigods can sometimes see the Supreme Personality of Godhead eye to eye, but still they are not yet eligible to enter into the spiritual kingdom or in some of the Vaikuṇṭha planets. But if the demigods continue to become a devotee of the Lord, the next chance for them is to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planet.
So the king Nṛga, after being converted into the body of demigod from the body of a lizard on account of his continued memory began to say further, (within quotation) "My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Lord and You are worshipable by all demigods. You are not one of the living entities, but You are the Supreme Person, Puruṣottama. You are the source of all happiness to all living entities; therefore, You are known as Govinda. You are the Lord of all living entities who have already accepted the material body or who have not yet accepted this material body.” Amongst the living entities who have not accepted the material body are those who are hovering in the material world as evil spirit or living the life of ghostly atmosphere. But those who are in the spiritual kingdom, Vaikuṇṭhalokas, their body are also not of material elements. (quotation again) "You are my Lord, the infallible. You are the Supreme and purest of all living entities. You are living in everyone’s heart. You are the rest of all living entities, Nārāyaṇa, and being seated in the heart of all living entities, You are the supreme director of everyone’s sensual activities.”
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You are therefore called Hṛṣīkeśa.
"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, now because You have given me this body of demigod, so I will have to go to some heavenly planets. So taking this opportunity to see You and begging of You that I may be transferred to any life or any planet, I simply ask Your mercy to give me the benediction that I may not forget Your lotus feet in any condition of my life. You are all-pervading, present everywhere as the cause and effect. You are the cause of all causes. Your potency and power are unlimited. You are the Absolute Truth, original Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Brahma. I therefore offering my respectful obeisances unto You again and again. My dear Lord, Your body is full of transcendental bliss and knowledge, and therefore You are eternal, the master of all mystic powers; therefore, You are known as Yogeśvara. Kindly accept me as an insignificant dust at Your lotus feet." (quotation close)
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The king Nṛga now, before entering into the heavenly planet, he circambulated the Lord, touching his helmet on the lotus feet of the Lord, bowed down before Him. And thus taking permission from Him, he saw that the aeroplane from the heavenly planet was just present before him and he boarded on it.
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After departure of King Nṛga to the heavenly planets, Lord Kṛṣṇa began to appreciate his devotion to the brāhmaṇas. Lord Kṛṣṇa appreciated his charitable disposition of mind and Vedic ritual activities. Therefore, it is recommended that if one cannot become directly a devotee of the Lord, one must follow the Vedic principles of life so that one day he may be able to see the Lord either for being promoted directly to the spiritual kingdom or to the heavenly kingdom indirectly, for future hope of being transferred to the spiritual kingdom.
Lord Kṛṣṇa at that time was present among His relatives and sons, who were members of the kṣatriya family, and in order to teach them the exemplary character of King Nṛga He began to say as follows, (within quotation) "Even though a kṣatriya king may be as powerful as fire, still it is not possible for him to usurp the property of a brāhmaṇa and utilize it for his own purpose. Let alone such powerful kings, then what the ordinary kings, who falsely think themselves as the most powerful being within this material world, how such a person can usurp the property of a brāhmaṇa? I do not think that the effect of poison is so dangerous. Actually, the brāhmaṇa’s property is more powerful poison, because for ordinary poison there is treatment—one can be relieved from the effect of such poison—but if one drinks the poison of brāhmaṇa’s property, there is no remedy for rectifying such mistake. And the vivid example was King Nṛga, because he was very powerful, very pious, but a little mistake in the matter of usurping the brāhmaṇa’s cow, unknowingly even, he was condemned to such abominable life like a lizard.
"Ordinary poison is effective only for persons who drink such poison. Ordinary fire can also be extinguished simply by pouring water on it. But the fire which is ignited by the spiritual potency of a brāhmaṇa… (within bracket) (Formerly the brāhmaṇas used to ignite the fire of sacrifice not with matches or any external fire, but by their powerful mantras, which is called araṇi.) (bracket closed) When a brāhmaṇa becomes dissatisfied, this araṇi fire can burn into ashes the whole family of such person who causes the dissatisfaction of the brāhmaṇa. If somebody touches the brāhmaṇa’s property partially, he becomes ruined by three generation, namely himself, his son and his grandson. But if the brāhmaṇa’s property is forcefully taken away, then the taker’s family ten generation before him and ten generation after him, all become subjected to ruination." (quotation close)
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Similarly, if somebody becomes a pure Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of the Lord, his ten generations before his birth and ten generations after his birth become also liberated.
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Lord Kṛṣṇa continued to say, (within quotation) "If some foolish king, being puffed up of his wealth and prestige and power, wants to usurp the brāhmaṇa’s property, it should be understood that such a king is clearing his path to the hell by such action. Such foolish king does not know how much he has to suffer for such unwise action as to usurp the brāhmaṇa’s property. If somebody therefore takes away the property of a brāhmaṇa who is very liberal but encumbered with large dependent family members, then such usurper of the brāhmaṇa’s property is put into the hell known as Kumbhīpāka. Not only he himself, as well as his family members also, have to accept such miserable condition of life. Any person who therefore takes away the property of the brāhmaṇa, either awarded by somebody else or given by him, such person is condemned to miserable condition of life at least for sixty thousands of years by becoming the insect in the stool.
"I therefore instruct you, all My boys and relatives present here, that even by mistake, do not take the possession of a brāhmaṇa—pollute the whole family by possessing such property. What to speak of possessing that property; if somebody wishes within the mind to possess such property, let alone be the attempt to take away them by force, such person willing like that even in this life will reduce the duration of his life. He will be defeated by his enemies, and after being bereft of his royal order, when he gives up this body, in the next life he becomes a serpent. The serpent life means to give trouble to all other living entities.
"My dear boys and relatives, I therefore advise you that even though a brāhmaṇa may become angry upon you and calls you by ill names or curse you, still you should not retaliate them. On the contrary, you should, smiling, tolerate them and offer your respect to the brāhmaṇa. You know very well that I Myself even with great respect offer My obeisances to the brāhmaṇas three times daily. You should therefore follow My instruction and example. Anyone who will not follow My instruction and order like this, I shall not forgive him, but I shall give him punishment. You should learn from the example of King Nṛga that even unknowingly if somebody usurps the property of a brāhmaṇa, he is put into great miserable condition of life." (quotation close)
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Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa, instructing all the inhabitants and family members, the Supreme Lord who is always engaged in purifying the conditioned living entities, gave such instruction not only to the inhabitants of Dvārakā or His family members but to all the members of human society. After this, the Lord entered into His palace.
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Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Sixty-fourth Chapter of Kṛṣṇa in the matter of "The Story of King Nṛga."