721029 - Lecture SB 01.02.18 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721029SB-VRNDAVAN - October 29, 1972 - 39:38 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.(leads chanting of verse, etc.) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā

bhagavaty uttama-śloke

bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

(SB 1.2.18)

(break)

naṣṭa—destroyed; prāyeṣu—almost to nil; abhadreṣu—all that is inauspicious; nityam—regularly; bhāgavata—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the pure devotee; sevayā—by serving; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; uttama—transcendental; śloke—prayers; bhaktiḥ—loving service; bhavati—comes into being; naiṣṭhikī—irrevocable.

Translation: "By regularly hearing the Bhāgavata and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Abhadra. We have discussed yesterday, abhadrāṇi: all dirty things. This material life means dirty life. People do not understand it. They think by nice dress and nice apartment and nicely washed body, that is civilization.

They do not know what is the dirty things which has attacked him, what is the contamination; that he does not know. Lokasya ajānataḥ. It is said that the fools, rascals, they do not know it.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasyājānato vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata-saṁhitām

(SB 1.7.6)

The anartha . . . in the name of civilization, we have increased so many unwanted things, unnecessarily. This is called anartha. Artha means which is substance. So just like . . . we can give so many examples. When there was no so-called advancement of civilization, people used to eat on utensils made of silver, gold, at least metal. Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things.

At least, in . . . two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry. I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy. They did not have to go two hundred miles or five hundred miles away from home and for earning livelihood. In Europe and America, I see people are going for earning their livelihood by aeroplane, daily passengers. I've seen.

From Vancouver, they were coming to Montreal and other places, five hundred miles. At least fifty miles one must go. In New York, many people are coming from distant places, Long Islands, crossing the sea, and then again bus, again . . . anartha, simply unnecessary.

People . . . Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that, "Who is happy?" He says: "The man who does not go out of home and who is not a debtor, he is happy." Very simple thing. Who does not go out of home, and he's not a debtor, he's happy. So now we see everyone is out of home, and everyone is a great debtor.

So how you can be happy? In America the bank canvasses that "You take money, you purchase motorcar, you purchase your house, and as soon as you get your salary, you give me." That's all. Finished. You take the card . . . American . . . what is it called? Am-card? Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Bankamericard.

Prabhupāda: "Bank-card" or something. "Bank-rupt." (laughter) You see? So you take the card and you purchase whatever you like, and deposit your money in the bank; then again you are without any money, simply that card. That's all.

So actually we are creating anarthas. Anarthas means unwanted things. So just like practical example: anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If one is engaged in bhakti-yoga practice, devotional service, immediately the anarthas will be diminished. Just like our students. Since they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement . . .

They were all Americans, Europeans—they knew how to increase anarthas, unwanted things. It is confirmed. Immediately they have given (up) the cinema bill, the club bill, the intoxication bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact.

So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un . . . unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate (BG 2.62). By bad association they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat . . . just like in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

So these are anarthas. So Sūta Gosvāmī said that if you want to reduce your anarthas, which are not wanted . . . anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If you engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord, then immediately, directly, the anarthas will be diminished, which is not required, unnecessary.

Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yoga . . . just like in America, the government is spending lots of money, millions of dollars, to stop this intoxication habit of the young men, LSD. But they do not know. How they can be stopped? The government is so rascal that they do not know. Government means full of rogues and rascals. I tell, frankly. They do not know.

Here it is, the medicine given, and it is practically happening. Anyone who is coming to us, although he was habituated to so many bad habits, immediately gives up. No intoxication, immediately. But they will not come to patronize this movement. They will pay their officers and spend lavishly for some nonsense program and plan. Is it not? Yes.

Here is the medicine: anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Teach people bhakti-yogam. All anarthas will be vanquished immediately. Anartha. Anarthas means things which are not required. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, lokasya ajānataḥ.

But these foolish people, they do not know. Here is the remedy. They won't consult the perfect knowledge, Vedic knowledge. They won't consult. They will manufacture their own ways. That, this is the . . . lokasya ajānataḥ. Because these fools, they do not know how to get out of these clutches of unwanted thing, therefore vidvān, one who knows, vidvān . . . vit means knowledge, and vān means one who possesses. Vidvān.

So Vyāsadeva, vidvān, the perfect vidvān, lokasya ajānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Vidvān, Vyāsadeva, has made this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Take shelter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and you know perfectly how you can diminish your unwanted things. And the simple process is, as we have already discussed yesterday, that:

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa is speaking Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Don't malinterpret. Simply hear as Arjuna heard it. Sometimes some rascals say that "Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna heard directly, but we do not find now Kṛṣṇa. So how we can hear?" His words are there. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His words. He's absolute.

If you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, through the disciplic succession, then you are as good as Arjuna, hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. But if you ras . . . play rascaldom, "This word means this, this word means that, this word means . . ." This is rascaldom. If you play rascaldom, then you'll remain a rascal. You'll not improve. But if you hear exactly like Arjuna . . .

As Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14): "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param . . . paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of . . . you understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna. He said that this Bhagavad-gītā, this yoga system, is now lost. Yoga-naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Now I shall again begin that yoga through you, because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa did not go to find out a Vedāntist to teach, a so-called Vedāntist. "A Vedāntist" means he's devotee. Veda. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate.

So what is the ultimate knowledge? Ultimate knowledge is described: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is ultimate knowledge. After speculating knowledge life after life, when one comes to the point to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, that is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. Unless you come to the point of surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa, your knowledge is defective. You may advertise yourself as very learned scholar, but we have got simple formula. Our position is very strong and simple. We . . . we take the words of Kṛṣṇa and corroborate with Kṛṣṇa's words.

Now, when I see . . . when we see that one man is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, or he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately we take him belonging to the four classes: duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Immediately we take. It doesn't require much time to test him, what he is, because he has no surrender to Kṛṣṇa and talks all nonsense. There are so many Gītā explainer in our country—simply talking nonsense, minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā means minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Such rascals have spoiled the whole country, you see. Everyone is so . . . politicians, and this, that, all, they are . . . "Oh, we are student of Bhagavad-gītā." And what do you know about Kṛṣṇa? "Kṛṣṇa is zero." That's all. This is going on. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So we have to hear. If we actually want to diminish our anarthas, then we must hear Kṛṣṇa as He's speaking, without any interpretation.

So this is the process of diminishing all dirty things within the heart. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Kṛṣṇa is hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ, within your heart. Vidhunoti. He washes all dirty things. Kṛṣṇa is taking charge of washing your dirty things. Simply by hearing about, you . . . why don't you take this opportunity? What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa simply says that, "You hear about, from . . . about Me." Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14): "Always chanting about Me and hearing about Me." Simple process.

But the rascals will not take. They will make humbugs, jugglery of words: "This is meaning, this is meaning, this is meaning." Therefore they do not advance. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The story of anchor. The anchor was not taken, and the whole night they rowed on the boat, and it was where it was there.

Now, the next verse is that if you hear about Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, not from bogus men . . . according to this Vedic philosophy, if somebody speaks about Bhagavad-gītā, but he's not a Vaiṣṇava . . . Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden that, "Don't hear from him." Because he will create rascal. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169): "If you hear about Kṛṣṇa from an impersonalist, so-called Māyāvādī, then your future is doomed, finished." And Sanātana Gosvāmī has said:

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ

pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam

śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ . . .

(Padma Purāṇa)

Avaiṣṇava. Those who are not following the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior, professional . . . there are some professional reciters. That is forbidden. Don't hear from them. Now here it is said, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). It is not said saptāhaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Where this saptāha comes, I do not know. Is Bhāgavata such a thing that by hearing one saptāha he'll understand everything?

He cannot understand one word by reading Bhāgavata-saptāha, what to speak of eighteen thousand verses. The whole Vedic knowledge is there. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). What you'll understand? This is profession.

The real prescription is given here: nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Every day, or every moment, you should remember Bhāgavatam. Then naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, the dirty things which are within our heart, that is the . . . the process is going on to wash the dirty things. And the process is hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that, that you hear about Kṛṣṇa patiently and the dirty things within your heart will go away. What is the dirty things? The dirty things is the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). That will be explained.

So by hearing about Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa or from His devotee, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, not completely finished . . . the contamination is there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ . . .

(BG 9.30)

Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, one who has taken to devotional service, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, he has not become completely perfect even. Because, due to his past habit, he may do something wrong. Just like one was habituated in smoking, and he has taken, initiated, and he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but due to the influence of some friend, he sometimes, suppose he smokes. So if unconsciously induced by others he commits some sinful activity, that is excused. But if he consciously does something sinful activity, that is not excused.

Kṛṣṇa says therefore that api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. If he sticks to the devotional service sincerely, but due to his past habit, if he's seen that he has committed something wrong, so Kṛṣṇa said, "Still, he's sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, samyag vyavasito hi . . . (BG 9.30). Because his faith in Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore he is sādhu.

Now one may say that, "He's not following strictly the rules." But intentionally if he's doing so, then it is very risky. He'll fall down. But by chance if he does so, the next line says, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Because he's sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be again reformed. Kṣipram. Very soon, he'll be reformed. These are . . . the things are there.

Therefore it is said, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu. Not that completely one becomes perfect. Even prāyeṣu, almost perfect, still, almost, not that completely, abhadreṣu, he has, he's trying to give up all bad habits, unwanted things. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. How it is possible? Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Not saptāhaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, officially. This is karma-kāṇḍīya. "I sit down for one saptāha in a year, and then 357 days I do all nonsense." No. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. One has to serve bhāgavata.

Bhāgavata means this . . . one who is related with Bhagavān. Bhāgavata. From bhagavat-śabda, from the word bhagavata, bhāgavata. So bhāgavata means the grantha-bhāgavata, the book Bhāgavata, and the devotee bhāgavata. So either you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . . . but Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be relished, understood through person bhāgavata. It is recommendation.

Svarūpa Dāmodara, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, personal secretary, he chastised one brāhmin. He wrote something wrong, and after all, he gave him advice that, "If you want to study Bhāgavata, then bhāgavata paro giya bhāgavata sthāne, try to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a devotee, not from a professional man who is earning his livelihood by reading Bhāgavata." He must be practical bhāgavata. Then you will gain.

Sanātana Gosvāmī has also said that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam (Padma Purāṇa). Hari-kathā, amṛta, nectar, but still, although it is amṛta, it is not to be received from the mouth of a nondevotee. One must be practical devotee, pure devotee. When he speaks, you should receive Bhāgavata, the message of Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā from him. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam.

Do not hear. Reject. Professional readers, reject immediately. Those who are earning their livelihood by the Bhāgavata reading profession, you should immediately reject. This is the injunction. Not that "Oh, here is Bhāgavata. Here is Bhāgavata. I must sit down." No. Sanātana Gosvāmī says no. Śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam.

Why? Hari-kathā. "He may be whatever he may be, but he's speaking Bhāgavata. What is the harm to hear from him?" One can argue like that. No, Sanātana Gosvāmī says: "Yes, sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. Milk is amṛta, nice, but as soon as it is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it is . . . it is poison." Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. He has given this very example. Milk is very nice, undoubtedly. Everyone will agree. But as soon as it is touched by the lip of a serpent, you cannot drink it. Then you'll die.

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also warned like that, that māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If you hear from a Māyāvādī who misinterprets things according to their whims, so then you'll be spoiled. You'll not get any benefit. And Svarūpa Dāmodara, secretary of Lord Caitanya, he has also said the same thing, that bhāgavata paro giya bhāgavata sthāne. Those who are practical bhāgavata, life bhāgavata, from them, from him, try to understand Bhāgavata.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, His secretary's instruction, and Sanātana Gosvāmī's . . . these are mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the path of great personalities, not of the fools and rascals. Then you'll get the result.

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido

bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ

taj-joṣaṇād apavarga-vartmani

aṣu śraddhā bhaktir anukramiṣyati

(SB 3.25.25)

This is the process.

So nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu (SB 1.2.18). Not even completely. Because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa in sinful life. Those who are thinking that "We are living in Vṛndāvana, and I can do all sinful activities because I am living in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana-raja will cure me, will purify me." That's a fact. Yes. But if you go on indulging in such sinful activities, then you'll have to live in Vṛndāvana in . . . like the hogs and monkeys. At least one life you have to spend like that. Then you'll be purified.

So why should you waste your time in that way? Dhāmāparādha. If one is committing sinful activities in the dhāma, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, that is a great offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa Brahmā-khaṇḍa 25.16). These are the injunction of the śāstras. So we should be very careful. We should finish our business very quickly. Tūrṇaṁ yateta. Why should we take another risk of become hog and live in Vṛndāvana? Don't take that risk.

Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Finish all contamination, dirty things, and become completely pure. Because Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He's complete pure. Apāpa-viddham. In the Īśopaniṣad: Kṛṣṇa is uncontaminated, complete. Any contaminated thing goes to Kṛṣṇa, He makes purified. Just like the gopīs. Actually they approached Kṛṣṇa in a lusty attitude, but because He was Kṛṣṇa, He . . . they become purified.

So it is not that we shall purposefully remain impure and approach Kṛṣṇa, but the process is that if you regularly hear about Kṛṣṇa and serve Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or a devotee, then gradually your contaminated things being washed off, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī (SB 1.2.18). The result will be bhagavati, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by uttama-śloka, by transcendental prayers.

Just like Brahmā-saṁhitā. This is not ordinary words. All Vedic words, they are not ordinary, mundane words. Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is not mundane sound. This is transcendental sound. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana is not a, a, mean, a material sound. Therefore it is effective. But if you contaminate it, it will not be effective. If you take it, Bhāga . . . hari-nāma, purely, without any offense—there are ten kinds of offenses—then it will act immediately. Immediately it will act.

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana

rati nā janmilo kene tāy

biṣāya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale

tori vani nā koinu upāy

So this is the upāya. If we actually serious to get out of these material clutches, then we should hear regularly about Kṛṣṇa from a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Then bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, then your firm, steady, steadiness in devotional service will be fixed up. Bhakti . . . naiṣṭhikī. Naiṣṭhikī means nobody can, I mean, push out of it. That is naiṣṭhikī, niṣṭhā, firm faith, dṛḍha-vrata.

In ordinary case, in neophyte state, if somebody says that "Why you are . . .?" You'll be surprised. This girl, Śrī Sarasv . . . Sarasvatī, some boy said: "Oh, why you are chanting? This is not very good." He . . . she gave her (him) a slap. Just see, naiṣṭhikī, how firmly she is fixed up, although she is a small child. Bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Nobody can deviate him (her). A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa cannot be deviated. You cannot cheat him. No. He'll give you a slap. Naiṣṭhik . . . bhavati, bhavati naiṣṭhikī.

So that is required. Tato niṣṭhā tataḥ rucis, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ, sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). Anartha, when the . . . the same thing is described by Rūpa Gosvāmī. As it is said here, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. These abhadra, these anartha . . . anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Bhakti, when, if one takes seriously to bhakti path, then the test is that he has given up all nonsense unwanted things. Not that he's a bhakta and still smoking. He's not a bhakta. He's not a bhakta. That is the test.

So these things are to be noted very carefully, and try to associate with devotee. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sebi-bhakta-sane bās (Hari Haraye Namaḥ 7). Try to serve the superior ācāryas, Gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāi jāṅr tāṅr mui dās. Make a conviction, firm determination that, "We shall follow only the, the path chalked out by the six Gosvāmīs. We shall not deviate." With this determination if you go on, everything is clear, and there is no difficulty to become liberated or become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much.

Devotee: Jaya . . . (break) (end)