721106 - Lecture SB 01.02.26 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721106SB-VRNDAVAN - November 06, 1972 - 32:32 Minutes

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

mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān

hitvā bhūta-patīn atha

nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā

bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ

(SB 1.2.26)

(break) (leads chanting of synonyms) (break)

mumukṣavaḥ—persons desiring liberation; ghora—horrible, ghastly; rūpān—forms like that; hitvā—rejecting; bhūta-patīn—demigods; atha—for this reason; nārāyaṇa—the Personality of Godhead; kalāḥ—plenary portions; śāntāḥ—all-blissful; bhajanti—do worship; hi—certainly; anasūyavaḥ—nonenvious.

Translation: "Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms and plenary portions of Lord Viṣṇu."

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān

hitvā bhūta-patīn atha

nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā

bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ

(SB 1.2.26)

So the first word, mumukṣavaḥ: "it is very difficult." This class of men, to find out, mumukṣavaḥ, it is very difficult to find out. They do not know what is meant by mumukṣava. Mumukṣava means "desiring to be liberated." They do not know what is liberation. The so-called scientists, philosophers of the modern age, they do not know what is meant by liberation, mumukṣa. And still, they are the heads of education and public leaders.

Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the objective of life; what for the human life is meant. They do not know. I was just talking with Gurudāsa. Sometimes in the year 1950 or '51 I went to Jhansi, and it happened so that the . . . the friend in whose house I was staying, he was a leader, and there was a meeting for Gandhi's disappearance day. So I was asked to speak. At that time I was not sannyāsī. I was asked to speak something on nonviolence.

So I explained that violence means if you have got some right, and if somebody by force stops you to utilize your right, that is violence. That is violence. I have got some right to take something, so, or enter in some room, and if somebody checks me by force that, "You cannot enter," that is violence, and it is criminal.

So our land of Bhārata-varṣa, it is not ordinary thing to take birth in Bhārata-varṣa. Just see, practically, how many men, they are automatically circumambulating this temple. Even with a common man. So in this way, if you study, by nature they are God conscious in Bhārata-varṣa. By nature. Even a very poor man, he's satisfied in God consciousness. He doesn't care, poverty-stricken. He's satisfied: "Kṛṣṇa has placed me in this position." Neither he cares to know—we have studied—that "Why I am poverty-stricken?" Doesn't care. "Now I am getting some food by grace of Kṛṣṇa."

Not very long ago, say about two hundred, three hundred years ago, in Krishnanagara, there was a big zamindar, Raja Krishnachandra. So he went to a learned scholar, paṇḍita, brāhmin. In those . . . brāhmin, they voluntarily accept poverty. They don't care. So Raja Krishnachandra came to him and asked him, "Paṇḍitjī, can I help you in some way?" He replied . . . he replied: "I don't require any help from you." "No, I see that you are very poverty-stricken." "No, I am not poverty-stricken. My students get some rice for me, and my wife cooks it, and I get some . . ." There was a tamarind tree. "So I get some tamarind leaves. So it is very nice. I don't require any help." You see?

This is India's . . . Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was the greatest scholar, politician. He was prime minister of Mahārāja emperor Candragupta, under whose name the Cāṇakya Purī is going on. He was living in a cottage, not accepting any salary. And as soon as Mahārāja Candragupta wanted some explanation,immediately resigned. This is the standard of persons who are born in India. Vyāsadeva—who can be greater scholar than Vyāsadeva? He has written . . . his last contribution is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and each word, if you study for hundreds of years, still, you have to understand. Each word. Such a scholar. He was living in a cottage.

So this is actually India's culture. So I explained in that meeting that, "After many, many births, one is given the opportunity to take birth in this holy land of Bhārata-varṣa. Unfortunately, you people, you are by force making them materialist. They had the opportunity to take advantage of the contribution of great sages, ṛṣis, to study and to become a successful human being, but you are, by force, dragging them from that attitude to this materialistic way of life. This is violence. This is violence. What you are speaking of, nonsense, nonviolence? This is violence." So about twenty years ago I was thinking like that.

So actually, people are being killed not only in India, but outside also by these blind leaders. They do not know how to lead people, how to make them happy, how to make them successful in their human form of life. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sung:

hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu

manuṣya janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā

jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu

Manuṣya janama. This human form of life was especially meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. If not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, at least Kṛṣṇa, or Battle of Kurukṣetra. Sometimes the politicians say . . . our friend Mr. Chatterji, M. C. Chatterji, he was sometimes—he was nice friend of me—that, "Swāmījī, I want Kṛṣṇa of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, not of Vṛndāvana." That's all right. At least you take Battlefield of Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. But take to Kṛṣṇa. If you are not so much fortunate to understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, at least you try to understand what is Arjuna-Kṛṣṇa.

So actually the whole world is being spoiled. I am especially drawing the attention of those who are thoughtful men. People are being killed without this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People are being killed. They got this opportunity, human form of life—they should have been educated to understand Kṛṣṇa. And by understanding Kṛṣṇa, they become liberated. Here, as it is here: mumukṣavaḥ. Mumukṣavaḥ, those who are desiring for liberation. But they do not know what is liberation, what is transmigration of the soul, what is soul. Nothing. Simply rascals, and they are leading the whole people. They do not know what is liberation. The Darwin's theory, bodily concept of life, but . . . that anthropology, that is going on in the university. A false theory, without any idea.

So here it is said, mumukṣavaḥ: "desiring for liberation." But the people do not know what is liberation. They are thinking liberation in terms of politics. Just like we have become liberated from the British rule. What sort of liberated . . . liberation? During British rule, people were free to move, free to spend their money. Now you are so liberated that you cannot move, you can spend your money. This is liberation.

Formerly there was no restriction for going outside. And for a sannyāsī like me, I had so much difficulty to obtain the permission of the government to go out. So much difficulty. I remember all those . . . how, oh, with what great difficulty I got out of this country. And because I, some way or other, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, I got out of this country, I could spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Otherwise, it was not possible.

I wanted to start this movement from India, but I was not at all encouraged. I was not at all encouraged. I approached so many friends, that, "You have got four sons. Kindly give me one, one of your sons. I want to make him brāhmin." "Oh, Swāmījī, what he will do, becoming brāhmin? We have to earn our livelihood." You see.

So people have forgotten what is the aim of life, what is the purpose of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

"Everyone who has taken birth on the land of Bhārata-varṣa, he must make his life successful." Because here we have the opportunity in what is mumukṣava, what is liberation, actually. We have got this information in Bhārata-varṣa. No other country. Their liberation means so-called political liberation and making humbug all these things—fighting with one an . . . that is not liberation. Liberation means to get out of the cycle of repetition of birth and death. That is called liberation. But they have no idea whose liberation, what is liberation, after liberation where to go. All this knowledge, practically blocked.

So it is very difficult to understand the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam like this verse: mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān hitvā bhūta-patīn atha (SB 1.2.26). They do not understand. People are so misguided, ill-educated, that they do not understand it. Otherwise, the land of Bhārata-varṣa is meant for liberation. In other land they take birth, they have no information of liberation. Here in this land, Bhārata-varṣa, there is the idea of liberation, mukti. Mukti.

So we should be interested in that liberation. Mumukṣava. Mumukṣa icchavaḥ, "those who are desiring." Those who want to remain within this bondage, material bondage of transmigrating from one body . . . Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. We are trying to improve our material condition. Sometimes we are going up, sometimes we are coming down. This is going on.

But actual life, this human form of life, is meant for to get out of this darkness of material world. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. This is the information, Vedic information, "Don't remain in this darkness." Darkness . . . this, this material world is dark. Just like night, it was dark. Actually it was dark. And because the sunshine is there, now we are seeing each other.

Actually it is dark. And dark also—ignorance. We do not know what is the aim of life. Therefore the whole world is darkness. And the Vedic information is, "Do not remain in the darkness. Come to the light." But that education is wanting. That is called mukti, to get out of the darkness of ignorance and darkness of this material world.

So mumukṣava, if one is serious to go out of this darkness to the light, then his duty is to . . . here, as it is mentioned: nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ (SB 1.2.26). Anasūyava. Asūya. Asūya means envious. Just like when we present Kṛṣṇa, especially in India . . .

This botheration is not there in other countries, outside India, because they had no information. I have placed before them that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are searching after God. Here is God. Here is God's name, here is God's address, here is God's activities. You try to understand God. Why you are speculating?"

So they have accepted it. They are not asūyava. They are not envious. Here, if I present Kṛṣṇa, one may say: "Why not Kālī?" Ghora-rūpān. "Oh, Kālī is very active. It has got so long tongue. And it has got a sword in her hand, cutting the heads. It is very nice. And we are . . . we shall be able to eat goats." You see? Actually the Kālī-pūjā means for the meat-eaters. The Kālī-pūjā . . .

Now this, this season is Kālī-pūjā. This Kālī-pūjā means because the Vedic śāstras are so made that from the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent man should be elevated. That is the purpose. From the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent brāhmin. Because all classes of men are there. Some of them are influenced by the modes of goodness; some of them are influenced by the modes of passion; some of them are influenced by the modes of ignorance. But the Vedas are meant for study for the human being. Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). The Vedas are meant for human being.

So there are different types of human being; therefore there are different types of śāstras, to attract all classes of men. So the meat-eaters, for them, the Vedas says: "Yes." Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantoḥ: "Every living being, entity, has a general tendency . . ." Because he has come here to enjoy, to satisfy the material senses, and material senses means eating meat, drinking wine and have sex life.

This is material, satisfying the material senses. So they are regulated. "All right. You want meat, you want to eat meat, all right, then sacrifice one goat before Goddess Kālī and worship her on the āmāvāsya, on the dark moon night." So many regulation. The real purpose is to restrict him, but if it is directly said that "Don't eat meat," he'll be revolting.

Therefore there are so many prescription of worshiping different demigods. Otherwise, there is no necessity. There is no necessity. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who are worshiping other demigods, they have become blind, they have lost their senses. Hṛta-jñāna. Hṛta-jñāna. Real knowledge is lost. Real knowledge is lost. Therefore they're after so many demigods. Kṛṣṇa says. It is not my manufactured word. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). There is no need of worshiping any demigods.

This is the Govardhana-pūjā. This Govardhana-pūjā, Nanda Mahārāja was arranging for worshiping Indra, and Kṛṣṇa stopped it. And He engaged him for worshiping Govardhana, which is representation of Kṛṣṇa. That is the Govardhana-pūjā.

So here it is said, mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān hitvā bhūta-patīn atha. Bhūta-patīn atha. So those who are actually desiring liberation from this entanglement of material life, transmigration from one body to another . . . we can get different types of sense pleasure in different bodies. That's all right. But this is not a very good business. Sometimes I become a demigod, and sometimes I become a eucalyptus tree, standing for three hundred years. So why should we waste our time in that way? That is intelligence.

But they do not know that, "This time I am very nice American. I have got my skyscraper building and motorcar and very good bank balance. I am very happy." They don't care. But he does not know that next life he may become a cats or dog. That he does not know. There is risk. This science is not taught in any university. They are so fools and rascals. It is a great science, transmigration of the soul, immortality of the soul, how to elevate the soul to the highest perfection. These things are . . . they do not know. The rascals, they do not know. Neither do they teach. Mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān. A so unfortunate time it is.

Therefore there is great necessity of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to actually educate the human being to the highest perfection of life. That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion. Just like they are thinking that we are making Christians Hindus. This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not . . . if these boys . . . they're educated boys; they have no business to come . . . become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're . . . many people before me, many svāmīs went there to make Christians Hindus. They kicked there on their face. They did not become successful. Because they talked nonsense.

Why one should, Christian, become Hindu, Hindu become Christian? They should know what is God, what He is, what is his relationship with God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that. It is not a movement for making Hindus to Muslim or Muslim to Hindus or Christian to Hin . . . this is not that movement. They clearly understand this. Therefore they are following. They are accepting. If I would have preached that Hindu religion is better than Christian religion, they would have kicked me out long ago. It is a science, it is a philosophy.

So there is great necessity of educating people what is the aim of life. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Therefore He said that bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). He was appealing to the human being, those who are actually human being, not to the cats and dogs. He was appealing to the human being that "You study the contribution of the great sages and make your life successful and go outside, preach this mission." That is going on, under the name of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a sentimental movement. It is a scientific movement. Mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān. We are therefore restricting not to worship any other.

Therefore when I started this mission many friends advised me, "Why don't you make it 'God Consciousness'?" This is bogus, God consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Otherwise, they'll put so many gods, "Here is another god, here is another god, here is another god, here is another god, here is another incarnation, here is another avatāra," all nonsense. Place actual who is God, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntāḥ.

So try to understand our mission. Here it is said: we have to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śa . . . (BG 18.66). "Unto Me only. Then you'll be saved." Otherwise you'll go to hell. So this mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān, we don't advise that you . . . either you worship Kālī, or either you worship Śiva, either you worship . . . "Oh, it is all the same. Yata mata tata patha." We don't speak all this nonsense. We simply say, "Come to Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be saved."

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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