721107 - Lecture SB 01.02.27 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721107SB-VRNDAVAN - November 07, 1972 - 37:35 Minutes

Pradyumna: (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ

sama-śīlā bhajanti vai

pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn

śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ

(SB 1.2.27)

(break)

rajaḥ—the mode of passion; tamaḥ—the mode of ignorance; prakṛtayaḥ—of that mentality; sama-śīlāḥ—of the same categories; bhajanti—do worship; vai—actually; pitṛ—the forefathers; bhūta—other living beings; prajeśa-ādīn—controllers of cosmic administration; śriyā—enrichment; aiśvarya—wealth and power; prajā—progeny; īpsavaḥ—so desiring.

Translation: "Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities, for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and aristocratic birth."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So . . .

rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ

sama-śīlā bhajanti vai

pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn

śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ

(SB 1.2.27)

Śriyaiśvarya-prajā. (aside) Stop that. Śrī means beauty, aiśvarya means riches, opulence, and praja means progeny—sons, grandsons, great-grandsons. In Bengal there is a proverb, nāti nāti sagye bhati: "If one can see grandson of the grandson, his life is successful. His door to heaven is open now." (laughter) Nāti means grandson, and nāti's nāti, grandson. That means six generation.

So people like this—good family and full of beautiful women and very good bank balance, motorcars—then life is successful. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. But who are after this śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ? That is explained: rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ. Rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ: those who are influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, the division of the society is given there: cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). According to guṇa and according to karma, there are four classes of men. The first-class men, the brāhmins, because they are on the platform of goodness. Goodness means they can see. One who is qualified brāhmin, he can see what is what: what is this world, what is God, what the human being . . . everything is clearly . . . prakāśa. It is called prakāśa, illumination. If one is situated in the modes of goodness, platform of goodness, he can see things as they are. Prakāśa.

And the next stage is passion, productive. Productive, ruling, administrating, like that. Creation. Just like the king's royal orders, they want to conquer expansive kingdom. And next stage is mixed-up—ignorance and passion. That is the stage of vaiśyas. They want simply money, somehow or other.

They do not care for anything, the vaiśya. brāhmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. Śūdra, they are completely ignorant. They cannot produce anything, neither they have got any enthusiasm for ruling or administration. So their business is to submit to the higher classes and live peacefully. These are the divisions of the society. But all of them are required for upkeep of the society. It is exemplified in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ

puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha

āśramai . . . jajñire catvāro varṇā

viprādayaḥ guṇair pṛthak

(SB 11.5.2)

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the same thing is confirmed, that the brāhmins are the face of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, according to our Vedic civilization, whenever . . . whenever there is any ceremony, the brāhmins are . . . are sumptuously fed. Because brāhmins are considered to be the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mouth, the business of mouth is to speak and to eat. So brāhmin's business is to speak Vedic knowledge, distribute Vedic knowledge. Veda-vādī. That is their speaking. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja used to do.

sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane

(SB 9.4.18)

The brāhmin's business is to speak about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking about Himself . . . because the purpose of Vedas is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is the purpose of Veda. If you become a very great scholar in Vedas but you do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, it is useless. Because Vedas means . . . Veda means knowledge. And Vedānta means the ultimate end of knowledge.

So ultimate end of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. So Vedānta means the ultimate goal of knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedānta. Vedānta does not mean anything else. Because Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is Vedānta. And He also confirms, Vedānta-vid Vedānta-kṛd ca aham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta philosophy, and therefore I know perfectly well what is Vedānta."

Therefore if you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then you are completely in knowledge of the Vedānta. That's all. This is Vedānta philosophy. Vedānta philosophy does not mean to make some jugglery of words and deviate one from Kṛṣṇa. That is not Vedānta. That is misleading, bluffing. That is going on, in the name of Vedānta. So in the previous verse it has been explained that:

mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān

hitvā bhūta-patīn atha

nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā

bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ

(SB 1.2.26)

Those who are in the platform of goodness, they worship nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntāḥ, Nārāyaṇa and His expansion. In the spiritual world, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. As we have got experience within this material world, within this universe, there are innumerable planets, similarly, there is another sky. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That sky is eternal. This sky is not eternal. It is created. It has got a date of creation, and it will be annihilated at a certain date.

So beyond the sky there is another sky, which is called paravyoma, or sanātana, eternal sky. And in that sky there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha hy asmāt: there is no anxiety. Here in this material world everyone is full of anxiety. This is the material nature. Even a small bird—you give some grains to the small bird, he'll be full of anxiety. He'll look like this, look like this. Yes. "If somebody's coming to kill me? Somebody's coming to kill me?"

That is explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja: sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). The living entities in this material world, they are full of anxieties. Why? Asad-grahāt. Because they have accepted something which will not exist. Asad-grahāt. There are two things, asat and sat. So oṁ tat sat. Paraṁbrahma Bhagavān, He's sat. And this material world, asat. Asat means "that which does not exist."

So because we have accepted this material body, asad-grahāt, therefore we must be always in anxiety. This is the law. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. Dehinām, one who has accepted this material body, he must be full of anxiety. He may be the king of heaven, Indra, or he may be a small ant in the stool. It doesn't matter. Everyone is full of anxiety.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended that . . . when his father asked him, "What is the best thing, my dear boy, you have learned?" he explained, "My dear father . . ." He did not say: "father", he addressed his father as "the best of the demons," asura-varya. Asura-varya. Because he was . . . (Hindi aside) Asura-varya. Varya means the best, varīyān, varya. So:

tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ

sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt

hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ

vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta

(SB 7.5.5)

Harim āśrayeta. Unless we take shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Hari, so long we shall be full of anxiety. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to bring everyone under the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, so that they may become free from all anxieties. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise, unless one comes under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot be free of anxiety. That is not possible.

Therefore it is explained here that rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ. Those who are on the platform of the modes of goodness, brāhmin platform, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam āstikyaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam . . . (BG 18.42). This, these are the qualities of brāhmin.

Not that because one is born of a brāhmin father, he will be brāhmin. No. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). He must have the qualities of brāhmin and must act as a brāhmin. Then he'll be accepted as brāhmin. Otherwise he'll be called brahma-bandhu, dvija-bandhu. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhu. Strī, woman, śūdra and dvija-bandhu.

Dvija-bandhu means born of a brāhmin father but his actions are like something else. He's called dvija-bandhu. Or born of a kṣatriya father. Dvija means brāhmin, kṣatriya and vaiśya also—those who are born for the second time by initiation. First birth is by the father and the mother, and the second birth is by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is the mother, and spiritual master is the father. So when one approaches a bona fide spiritual master, his second birth is there by advancement of spiritual knowledge, and that sacred thread is offered to him. Upanayana. Upa means "near," and nayana means "bringing."

So this sacred thread is the symbol that one has accepted a spiritual master and he knows Vedic knowledge. That is the symbol of sacred thread. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). One who has accepted a ācārya, it is to be understood that he knows things as they are. That is the symbol of sacred thread.

So those who are not mumukṣavaḥ, they are to considered under the influence of ignorance and passion. They are called rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ. Those who are on the platform of brahminical understanding, brahminical qualities, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, tolerant, simplicity . . .

And Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has given about this ārjava, "simplicity," he says that a brāhmin even to a enemy will disclose all his secrets. Even to his enemy. Nobody discloses his secrets before enemy, but a brāhmin, if he, even he finds out a enemy, he will disclose all the secrets. He has no secret. brāhmin means open-minded, liberal. And the opposite word is kṛpaṇa, miser.

So anyone who is trying to utilize fully the advantage of this human form of life, being desire of . . . desirous of becoming liberated from these material clutches and acts accordingly, he's a brāhmin. Mumukṣavaḥ. Others, who are not brāhmins—those who are influenced by the material ignorance and passion, rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ—their business is how to get money, how to get beautiful woman and how to have many followers.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: "My dear Lord, Jagadīśa, I don't want riches," dhanam; na janam, "neither good," I mean to say, "progeny or followers," na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāma . . . sundarīṁ kavitām, "very poetic, beautiful wife." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "I don't want all these things."

Just see. This is the difference between sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, those who are influenced by the passion and ignorance, their desire is śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Śrī. Śrī means beauty. Śriyaiśvarya, opulence, śriyaiśvarya. And prajā, good progeny, that nāti-nāti.

So this is the desires of the persons who are influenced by passion and ignorance. And one who is influenced by the sattva-guṇa, goodness, he denies—especially on the platform of devotional service. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Then what do you want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My dear Lord, I want, life after life . . ."

Not He . . . He doesn't want even mukti. Otherwise, if one is liberated, then according to Bhagavad-gītā and every Vedic śāstra, punar janma naiti, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is mukti. The mukti means to go out of this ignorance of the darkness of this material world. But Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says, mama janmani janmani. He doesn't want to stop even punar janma. Kṛṣṇa says mukti means no more birth, no more accepting this material body, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani, "life after life."

That means a devotee, who is actually pure devotee, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no other desire than to serve Kṛṣṇa, he doesn't want even mukti. Diyamānāṁ na gṛṇanti. Diyamānāṁ na gṛ . . . mukti, if it is offered to a devotee, he doesn't care for it; he doesn't want it. He doesn't want anything. He simply wants how to be a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He doesn't want anything.

So those who are not in the modes of goodness, mumukṣavaḥ, they worship . . . rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ sama-śīlā bhajanti. Sama-śīlā, according to their temperament. There are recommendation that, "If you want this thing, you worship this demigod. If you want education, you worship this demigod. If you want money, then you worship this demigod. If you want very beautiful wife, then you worship Umā, and . . ." The recommendations are there. That is not false.

These are all Vedic recommendations. Because, if you want this, then . . . Bhagavad-gītā also, Kṛṣṇa says that yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). "If you want to go to the heavenly planet, then you worship such-and-such demigod. If you want to go to the Pitṛlokas, then you worship such-and-such demigod." These are explained there. They are not false. They are facts. If you want . . .

Just like they are going . . . trying to go to the moon planet. So how to go to the moon planet, that process is described. You can, you can adopt that process and automatically, after your death, you'll be transferred to the moon planet. You don't require this artificial sputnik. No. Neither you can go there by the sputniks. It is not possible. You must be qualified to enter into a particular type of planet. You cannot go by force.

I have given this example many times in America, that if somebody wants to come to America, he has to secure the proper passport and visa. Otherwise, the immigration department will not allow him to enter. Similarly, if you want to go to a particular type of planet, higher planetary system, you must have the required passport and visa. Otherwise, how you can enter there? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

(BG 9.25)

Kṛṣṇa never says that, "You do anything nonsense and you come to Me." Kṛṣṇa never says. If you . . . if you worship demigod, you'll be promoted to the planets of the demigods. If you want to . . . if you worship the Pitṛs, the śrāddha . . . (indistinct) . . . then you enter the Pitṛlokas. But one who is endeavoring in devotional service, yānti mad-yājinaḥ. Mad-yājinaḥ. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Kṛṣṇa recommends, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And in another place He says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25).

So those who are devotee, those who are always engaged in the worship of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, They're all the same, viṣṇu-tattva. So in the previous verse: nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ. Anasūyavaḥ: they're not envious. They, they're not envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not like the so-called scholar, envious of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām, he's envious of Kṛṣṇa. He's recommending, "It is not to the person Kṛṣṇa," because he's envious. He does not like that Kṛṣṇa should be worshiped.

Not only he; there are many persons. As soon as we put that Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), "You just worship Kṛṣṇa," they will protest, "No. Why Kṛṣṇa? We have got so many other demigods. We shall worship them." They are asūyavaḥ. They are hiṁsa. Hiṁsa. They are envious of Kṛṣṇa. And because our life, this material life has begun being envious of Kṛṣṇa . . . "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the enjoyer?" Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Our enviousness is "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the only enjoyer? I also, I shall enjoy. Why He shall enjoy the rāsa-līlā? I shall imitate. Or I shall also make arrangement for rāsa-līlā."

You see? This is rascaldom. Nobody can imitate Kṛṣṇa. Then that is . . . that is described in the Bhāgavata. If someone thinks of imitating Kṛṣṇa, he'll be ruined. He'll be ruined. That is said . . . stated there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, on the question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be completely nonenvenious. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Paramo nirmatsarāṇām. Those who are completely free from enviousness, they can understand what is Bhāgavatam. Paramo nirmat . . . dharmaḥ projjhi . . . it is not a cheating type of religion, enviousness. Paramo nirmatsarāṇām, or paramahaṁsa, those who are not at all envious.

They're always friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Paramahaṁsa means suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, "friend for everyone," not for this human society or this society. A paramahaṁsa is friend for everyone. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. They are satām, Vaiṣṇava. Vāstavam atra vedyam atra tāpa-trayonmūlanaṁ śivadam. These things are mentioned.

So those who are envious of Kṛṣṇa, they take to the worship of other demigods. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Because to quickly attain achievement or achieve perfection in these three things: beauty, opulence and good generation. So Bhāgavata says that, "Even though you are very much anxious to get all these things," śriyaiśvarya-prajā, "still, we recommend that you worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta param puruṣa

(SB 2.3.10)

That is the recommendation.

Akāma. Akāma means bhakta. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is saying: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "We don't want." He's called akāma, no desire. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā. Sarva-kāma means this: śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi yaśo dehi balaṁ dehi—dehi, dehi, dehi, dehi, dehi. They are sarva-kāma. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). And another, mokṣa-kāma.

So mokṣa-kāma and sarva-kāma or, what is called, the yogīs, siddhi-kāma. They are also siddhi-kāma. Some of them are mokṣa-kāma; some of them are sarva-kāma; some of them are siddhi-kāma—all of them are kāmīs, lusty. The yogīs, the karmīs and the jñānīs—all of them—they are kāmīs. Means they want something. Only the devotee, he doesn't want anything—except Kṛṣṇa. He doesn't want Kṛṣṇa also. He simply wants to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches: āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt (CC Antya 20.47). A devotee desires to see Kṛṣṇa. But he says: "I don't mind if You break my heart by not being present. I don't mind. You break my heart." Because a devotee is always anxious to see Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rādhārāṇī: She's always anxious to see Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa does not come. Just like Kṛṣṇa left all the gopīs, immediately went to Mathurā. Renouncement. So much love with the gopīs, and He could renounce immediately.

This is one of the qualification of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), jñāna-vairāgyam. Vairāgya. Kṛṣṇa was so much attached to the gopīs, so much, but when it was necessary, He left all of them in Vṛndāvana and went to Mathurā for killing Kaṁsa. That is God, renouncement. So these gopīs remained simply crying for all the life, rest of their life. That is pure devotion. Marma-hatām, brokenhearted. Kṛṣṇa made them brokenhearted. "Never mind. We shall remain brokenhearted, crying all the life. You do Your business." That is love of Kṛṣṇa. That is love of Kṛṣṇa.

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām

. . . marma-hatāṁ karotu vā

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ

(CC Antya 20.47)

This is . . . the lampaṭa. Just like lampaṭa husband goes to so many other women, but the chaste wife still loves the husband: "Never mind." So similarly, we have to become so chaste, so honorable, just to stick to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol . . . (break) (end)