720226 - Lecture Bengali - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720226LE-MAYAPUR - February 26, 1972 - 31:12 Minutes

(Translated from Bengali)

Śrīla Prabhupāda:

. . . Matri-vrinda. I thank you for enthusiastically participating is our Krsna consciousness movement that we are trying to establish. You will be happy to learn that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's words and His desire . . . anything the Supreme Person, Bhagavān, desires, that is the Absolute Truth, manifests immediately. They are never untrue. We human beings may desire many thing that may not be the truth, and remain unfulfilled. However, Bhagavān and His devotee's desire is satya-saṅkalpa ("means whatever He thinks, immediately it is present." Srila Prabhupāda, Lecture - Seattle, September 30, 1968). It does not remain unfulfilled. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, your Nadia's Nimāi, He had desired that,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

His desire is Absolute, after nearly three hundred years, Śrīpāda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had also desired this . . . as you know, he is a founder of this movement in Māyāpur . . . he desired to see people from all over the world - Indians and foreigners - perform saṅkīrtana and dance together in love of the Supreme Person. He is a pure devotee, an ācārya, so this was his desire and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire. And as all of you can see, this desire is now being fulfilled.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has another desire. He said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta 9.41)

Those who have taken birth as human beings, in India. He is not referring to the animals, "manuṣya-janma haila yāra" because love of God cannot be understood by any species other than human-beings. If a dog or fox is asked to sit down quietly and listen to topics about love of God, is it possible for them to understand? No, that is not possible. However, the human being can understand. Therefore, the human form of life is most valuable. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma, tad apy adhruvam arthadam" (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.1). This human birth is not an ordinary one, it is very rarely obtained. It is so because after transmigrating through eight-million-four-hundred-thousand different bodies, after millions of years, this human body is obtained. "durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma, tad apy adhruvam arthadam". The human form is known as impermanent because dogs and foxes have a lifespan of ten or twenty years, and humans have a hundred year lifespan. Nevertheless, everyone has to die.

Hence, it is stated as being impermanent . . ."tad apy adhruvam arthadam" . . . even though it is impermanent, only from the human form there is real benefit to be gained. What is that gain? People are being educated to believe that if they gain economically, two or four crores of rupees, then that is gain. No. Real gain is to understand the meaning and purpose of the human form of life. The meaning of taking birth in a human form is that . . ."brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva" (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 19.151) . . .not only are the living entities forced to transmigrate through eight-million-four-hundred-thousand varieties of species but also through the entire planetary system with millions of planets, according to the pious and impious activities. "Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā . . ." (Bhagavad-gītā 14.18).

Those who are in the mode of goodness, "kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sangaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu" (Bhagavad-gītā 13.22). The different pious and impious births that are taken according to pious and sinful activities is due to the living entities' association with the various modes of nature.

Material nature has three modes - goodness, passion, ignorance. The mode of nature that the living entity is in contact with, determines the type of body the living entity is forced to take birth in. "Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāṇi guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ." (Bhagavad-gītā 3.27). So, all the living entities are roaming through several species and planets . . . this is continuously going on.

However, this knowledge is not being given anywhere. I have gone around the world, not once or twice, but five or six times, and I have observed that everywhere all people are concerned about is what they are going to eat, where they are going to sleep, where they are going to stay . . . these are the only things that they think about. There is no school, college or educational institution that is teaching what the purpose of the human form of life.

I was invited to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. I asked them, "This is a college teaching technology. So, do you have a department that teaches the technology of how to bring life back to the body, with some device, after it dies? Do you have that technology? Just as when a vehicle runs out of fuel or a part is spoilt, the mechanic restarts the vehicle by putting petrol or replacing the damaged part with a good one. Why is this not possible to do with human beings, animals or any living entity? Where is that technology? This is the reality that the students heard carefully, become interested and surrounded me asking many questions about how this technology does not exist anywhere in the world.

We understand from the Gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(Bhagavad-gītā 2.13)

The word dehāntara is significant. This means, just as we are changing many bodies within one lifetime, similarly at the end of this life we will have to change to another body. There is no difficulty in understanding this. All of us are born from our mothers' wombs as babies but where is that body now that took birth as a small body? That body is gone, and after that there have been other bodies - the body of a child, youth and senior. Similarly, that we are going to get another body after this body ends, what is the difficulty in understanding this? Even a person with little intelligence can understand this. That, "I was a small child at one time . . ."

I remember, lying down in my sister's lap while she was knitting something and I was watching when I was only six months old. I remember that, as well as many other memories from the past. So, that small body has gone even though I am still the same person. Similarly, after this body has gone, I will get another body. What is the difficulty in understanding this?

This fact can be be understood by those who are in the human form. Hence, it is stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja, "durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma . . . durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam" (SB 7.6.1). Just as the bodies of dogs and foxes die, so will our bodies die. However, as long as the body is living, real spiritual benefit must be gained. This is needed. "Arthadam". The one who is able to derive that real benefit is known as a brāhmaṇa. And the human being dies like dogs and foxes, unable to derive real spiritual benefit is known as kṛpaṇa or a miser.

It is stated is the Vedic scriptures, " . . ..yo va etad aksaram gargy aviditvasmal lokat praiti sa krpanaḥ" (Garga Upanisad). Why is the person being referred to as a miser? Because even though the miser may have lots of wealth, he only keeps looking at it without utilising it properly. Whereas, the intelligent person is able to convert that wealth from one lakh to ten crores (rupees).

Similarly, those have got the human form, and still do not make an effort to realise Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, such a person is a miser. And the one who is trying to realise Bhagavān is known a the intelligent brāhmaṇa. This is the only difference between the brāhmaṇa and the śūdra. "Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ". The one who does not know Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is known as śūdra, and the one who understands Brahman is known as brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

His holy name . . . to understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu who is none other than . . . "Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya". He is the transcendental form of Rādha-Kṛṣṇa together as one. The Gosvāmis said:

rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam

(CC Madhya 1.5)

Those who are devotees of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they know that He is Rādha and Kṛṣṇa together. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself mercifully, as recognised by Rūpa Gosvāmī who stated,

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(CC Madhya 19.53)

He is Gosvāmī, a personal associate of the Supreme Lord, he recognised, "You are the most munificent and charitably disposed incarnation. In fact even Kṛṣṇa is not as charitable as You are."

Kṛṣṇa has Himself explained who He is, and then instructed:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraj

(Bhagavad-gītā 18.66).

Kṛṣṇa is demanding a condition that, "Give up everything and surrender unto my feet." ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa is demanding a condition but Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not make any condtions - He distributes love of Kṛṣṇa unconditionally. That is why is known as the supremely munificent and charitable. The Gosvāmī have prayed, "Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te". Love of Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary thing. Kṛṣṇa Himself is not ordinary.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(Bhagavad-gītā 7.3)

Out of millions of people, hardly one endeavours to enquire what the true purpose of human life is. What is that true purpose and duty of the human form of life? That duty is to enquire and understand that having forgotten the Supreme Person, Bhagavān, the human birth must be utilised to find out, and revive that relationship with Bhagavān.

The trend of education in the world at this present time is to discard everything related to the Supreme Person, while including everything else. Even the government is declaring, "We are a secular state." They will not even take the name of Bhagavān. Their message is that, "Forget about Bhagavān, just work like an ass, eat two rotis (Indian flat-bread) and sleep. This is being taught.

The scriptures inform us that the purpose of the human form of life is not to work hard like asses and hogs, and gratify the senses. However, the way the human race is being educated, like this rickshaw puller doing pik pik (the horn of the rickshaw can be heard in the background) . . . who's work is this? It is the work of an ass. This is what is being taught that, "Work really hard, eat something and sleep." Why are people like this being referred to as asses? Because the donkey works very hard all day, carrying the washer-man's load of two tons of cloth, that makes it difficult for it to move. And not a single cloth belongs to the donkey. Then the donkey goes stands there on the river-bank while the washer-man washes the cloth, feeds the animal a little grass, and returns in the evening with another load. Human beings who have some intelligence and consider that, "This little grass that is being fed can be obtained with working like the donkey. Then why am I carrying this load and dying everyday?" This intelligence is lacking, hence the human being is said to be non-different from the donkey.

The world is teaching people how to become fruitive workers, by training them to work very hard, eat four rotis and sleep. That's all. They are unable to understand that even though they are earning so much but all they need to eat is just four rotis. Those four rotis can be obtained anywhere. Why work so hard? But they do not have the intelligence to understand. If you tell them, "Please listen to Hari-katha, the pastimes of the Supreme Lord," they will say: "No, I cannot, I have too much work to do. I have no time." And, "Why do you have no time?" Because, "I have to work hard like a donkey."

That is why the scriptures say,

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

(SB 5.5.1)

The human form of life is precious, and not about the body. Everyone has a body . . . even the dogs and foxes have bodies. "deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke". However, the body that has been obtained in human society is different from other bodies. "kaṣṭān kāmān" . . . this means that the body has four demands to maintain itself - to eat, to sleep, to fear and to indulge in sex. These are demands of the body - to eat something, to have a place to sleep, the woman seeks a man and man seeks woman to satisfy sex desire, and a bank balance to mitigate fear.

So, the scriptures are stating that these four demands of eating, sleeping, mating and defending are present even in the animal form. Animals too have to eat, a place to sleep, a wife to procreate off-spring, and then they die. So why endeavour for these propensities that is freely available in animal and bird forms of life. Is there a bird that does not eat, sleep, mate or does not fear? So much endeavour and hardwork for this?

Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān" (SB 7.9.43). Prahlāda Mahārāja says to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, "O Supreme Lord, I do not fear Yamarāja, "naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās" (SB 7.9.43) . . . people fear what will happen to them after death but I have no such fears." Why is Prahlāda Mahārāja so fearless? "Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ . . . I am in such ecstasy singing about the glories of your mercy, that I have no fears."

This is a fact, "ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam" (Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam 1), as stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that one who chants the holy name and is always doing Kirtana, is always swimming in the ocean of ecstasy. What fear does such a person have? What was Prahlāda Mahārāja worried about. He says, "tato vimukha-cetasa" - these people who are not trying to understand You, those who have turned away from You, are indulging in only for temporary, illusory happiness that will not last for more that ten, twenty-five, fifty years, maximum a hundred years, and they are over-endeavouring to achieve this, "bharam udvahato vimūḍhān" . . . unnecessarily carrying heavy loads like the donkey - I am worried for these foolish people." This is how a Vaiṣṇava thinks. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also thought the same. Bhagavān and His devotee share the same thoughts.

Commenting on the Bhagavad-gītā's conclusion regarding demonic and divine natures, Śrī Rāmānujapāda has said that divine nature means, those who accept what is stated by Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, such a person is known a devata or divine. And the ones who rejects the words of Bhagavān, are atheists or demons.

The Supreme Person, Bhagavān is saying:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

(Bhagavad-gītā 18.66)

This is Bhagavān's order. If we can accept this then we will become divine. To become divine does not take time, this can happen in one second, if this instruction of Bhagavān is accepted. That is dharma. Dharma is nothing but obeying Bhagavān's order. "Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ" (SB 5.5.1). This means that which has been given by Bhagavān, that is dharma. Dharma is not that has been concocted by human beings, that is not dharma. It is law, just as the ruler creates a law. Suppose, I declare that I am going to make a law, is anyone going to care for that? That will not be considered the law.

Therefore, it is stated in the Bhāgavatam, "dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra . . ." (SB 1.1.2). This means that all the concocted, cheating, so-called dharma has been completely rejected. Kṛṣṇa says, "mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja", the scripture also says, "dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra".

This preaching that is going on outside India . . . I do not want to take too much of your time . . . the reason for this is that instead of presenting the truth diluted with falsity, it is being presented as it is. Many people tell me, "You have done some magic!" so I tell them, "Yes, I have performed magic, but there is no concocted formula. The magic is that the Supreme Person's words have been presented in its pure, factual state, with anything false added to it. The basis of our preaching is the Bhagavad-Gītā, nothing else.

Our books have been printed by Macmillan company, and 50,000 to 100,000 copies are being sold every year. They give us a lot of royalty. We have named it Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is. Not "Yatha mat tato path" ( a quote by a famous Māyāvādī from Bengal, that means, "There are as many religious paths, as there are thoughts," - passing off a false notion in the name of Bhagavān. Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is - this is what we are preaching. What is 'as it is'? That, "dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ" (Bhagavad-gītā 1.1). There is no other meaning to be derived from this, than Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra, a place where religious rituals are performed, where the armies of Pāṇḍavas and Dhṛtarāṣṭra battled each other. Where is the need for interpretation in this? It is simple to understand. But there are many scholars who say that dharma-kṣetra means the body, the Pāṇḍavas are the five senses. These false interpretations are creating madness.

We are saying that it is not like that. Factually, there was a battle. Kṛṣṇa who was a friend of Arjuna, was his charioteer. And because of that, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna won the battle, and because Arjuna was a dear friend, Kṛṣṇa spoke to him, and the way Arjuna understood what was spoken to him, you to understand it the same way. That's all.

When Arjuna understood what Kṛṣṇa said to him, what did he say?

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

(Bhagavad-gītā 10.2)

Why did he mention, "paraṁ brahma"? Everyone is 'Brahman' - "Ahaṁ brahmāsmi". He (Kṛṣṇa) is "paraṁ brahma", the Supreme spiritual identity. There is no other spiritual identity greater than Him. You are spirit soul, and I am spirit soul, and you may be more greater than me. Then there may be one who is even greater than you. However, there is no one who is greater than Kṛṣṇa, known as "paraṁ brahma". There is no historical record of anyone being greater than Kṛṣṇa.

That love of Kṛṣṇa has been given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu who has bestowed the benediction:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CC Madhya 25.264)

With His blessings, this and "kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam" (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.28) is being propagated all over the world, and they are being informed that as long as they lead a sinful life, it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa Himself has stated this:

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

(Bhagavad-gītā 7.28)

All sinful activities must be given up. You are probably aware that in Europe and America, illicit affairs with others' wives, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, eating meat etc. are their daily activities. Just like we eat lentils and rice everyday, just like that. So, they have been told to give all these up. That, they are not allowed to have illicit affairs with others' wives - other than their own married wife, no other woman is allowed to come close. "Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu" (Cāṇakya Paṇḍita) - other than one's own wife, every other woman must be treated as mother. They have agreed to folow these principles. They also agreed to giving up alcohol, tea, beeḍī (an Indian cigarette), cigarette, betel-leaf and gambling, as well as meat, eggs etc.

They have given up all these sinful things, and now just look how beautifully they have . . . "kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau". Why can't we practice this? It originates in our country. Why are we not being able to follow these principles? Because the demonic Indian political leaders are encouraging sinful activities. What are they going to understand Bhagavān? That is why people are becoming frustrated and going in the opposite direction..they are becoming Naxalites, Communists, this and that.

The conclusion is that this is not some courageous feat, this is already existing . . . people here are saying, "All this talk is old news. Talk about Marx and Lenin', hence, there is no progress. The entire world is being ruined. Beware.

Listen to these age-old words, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you will make your life successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)