760219 - Lecture SB 07.09.12 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

760219SB-MAYAPUR - February 19, 1976 - 27.35 Minutes

Śāstrījī: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (chants verse, with Prabhupāda and devotees repeating) (break)

tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya

sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam

nīco 'jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ

pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena

(SB 7.9.12)

Dayānanda: (chants synonyms; devotees chant responsively)

Translation: (03:13) "Therefore, although I am born in a demonic family, even still, without any doubt, I may offer prayers to the Lord as far as possible by me. Any person who is engaged in offering prayer and hearing glories of the Lord becomes purified from the material condition of life."

Prabhupāda:

tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya

sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam

nīco 'jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ

pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena

(SB 7.9.12)

This verse is given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu in another distinct form, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). It doesn't matter where I am born. That is not important thing. Nīco, even one is very lowborn by freaks of nature . . . Nobody can guarantee where he'll take his birth. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). I'll have to take my birth according to my fruitive activities, controlled by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are all completely under the control of the laws of material nature, guṇa-visarga. So according to the quality or modes of material nature we associate, we create another body. There are many places this thing has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māyayā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni (BG 18.61). Just like that Jamnagar Agarwal, that . . . He is now in the police custody. Now he is crying, "Save me, save me, save me." But nature's law is very strict. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Once you have committed mistake, immediately nature's law reacts, and it is very difficult to come out of it. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā.

But there is only one way. That is anuvarṇitena, repeatedly chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, repeatedly. That is the only way. Harer nāmaiva kevalam. That is recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). This is the simple . . . Kali-yuga, this is the only way. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann hy asti eko mahān guṇaḥ. This is the greatest qualification of Kali-yuga. Great personalities, they very much eulogize Kali-yuga that there is simple method and so sublime: simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes completely purified. Pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena. Anu means repetition, and anu means following the footsteps of authority, spiritual master, anu. Our process is anu. We don't manufacture anything. We simply follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājanas, great personalities, great authorities, that is our process. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra na koriya mane āśa. This is the process. The guru-mukha-padma-vākya, whatever is coming out of the mouth of the spiritual master . . . Because he'll never speak nonsense. He'll also speak the same thing which he has heard from his guru. That is called anu. Anu, following. So this is very easy. We don't manufacture things. What is the use of manufacturing things? We are imperfect; what we can manufacture? Whatever we shall manufacture, that is imperfect because we are imperfect. The modern scientists, they are manufacturing some ideas. I manufacture, and you manufacture some idea. You defeat me; I defeat you. So tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). In this way—I defeat you; you defeat me—that will not solve the problem. The problem will be solved when we follow the authority. Anuvarṇitena. Then the problems will be . . .

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's already purified. His head was touched by Nṛsiṁha-deva. He's completely pure. Therefore, although he was only child, five years old, he is speaking the, I mean to say, gist conclusion of the śāstra. Anuvarṇitena. He understood that "I am not born in a brāhmaṇa family. I am born nīca, low-grade family, asura family. My father was a asura, so I am born of him. So I have no prestigious position. Still, Kṛṣṇa is satisfied simply by devotional service." That has been already explained. "So let me offer my prayers to the Lord sincerely." Yathā manīṣam: "As far as I have got my intelligence . . . I am not supposed to be very intelligent, because I am lowborn. I am not born in a brāhmaṇa family, neither I am old enough, educated. Still, I have to offer my prayers. So let me try to offer my prayers by following the authorities, anuvarṇitena, without any," what is called, "doubt." Tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava: "without any doubt." Why? That is the perfect way. If we follow the previous ācāryas, then there is no question of lamentation. Anuvarṇitena. Simply . . . This is very nice method. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is there, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upa . . . You haven't got to manufacture for preaching. You haven't got to. This is nonsense. You simply follow what Kṛṣṇa has said. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Then you become guru.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja became guru. Out of the twelve mahājanas, he is one of them.

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ

kapilaḥ kaumāro manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ . . .

(SB 6.3.20)

They are mahājanas. So we have to follow Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is our guru, pūrva-ācārya. Nārada is pūrva-ācārya. He is disciple of Nārada. Therefore he is ācārya, and his disciplic succession . . . There are sampradāyas: Brahma-sampradāya, Kaumāra-sampradāya . . . Anyone who is bona fide ācārya, he can create his own disciplic succession; but one disciplic succession and the other disciplic, they are not different - they are of the same conclusion. The Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, just like our Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Nimbārka, and . . . Who that? Rudra-sampradāya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. They are all of the same movement. Ārādhyo-bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is their conclusion. There is no different conclusion. Although they have got varieties of methods—śuddhādvaita, dvaitādvaita, vaśiṣṭādvaita, like that—they present the same philosophy in clear way. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented the same philosophy, that acintya-bhedābheda. That is ācārya. Ācārya gives some way for simple understanding. The same conclusion, but according to the time, circumstances, they give a very easy method to understand. That is ācārya. Ācārya is following strictly the previous ācārya, but according to the circumstances, he may make little changes. That is . . . That change is not change from the original idea. No.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja's conclusion is that "I shall offer my prayers, glorifying the Lord according to my capacity." Yathā manīṣam. Everyone is not of the same intellect. You may be more intelligent than me; another may be more intelligent than you. But that varieties of intelligence does not mean missing the real point. The real point is the same. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got so many queens, or He, in Vṛndāvana, He was associated with so many gopī friends or cowherd boy friends. So everyone was Kṛṣṇa's devotee, everyone loved Kṛṣṇa, but there were varieties. Varieties, vaicitra. It is called vaicitra. Kṛṣṇa is not without variety. Just see in the flower. Kṛṣṇa says, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca (BG 7.9). The flavor is Kṛṣṇa. We were studying in the morning. But there are still varieties of flavor. The rose flower has got a particular type of aroma; another flower, aroma. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand that the variety, vaicitra, is creation of Kṛṣṇa. Although they are one, the same, Kṛṣṇa, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, but still there are varieties. Everywhere you'll find varieties, visesata. And the Māyāvādī philosopher—nirviśeṣa. In common English it is said, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment."

So Kṛṣṇa wants this variety. So you all are devotees. Your . . . The central point is to love Kṛṣṇa and offer Him service, but that service may be of variety. Variety. You cannot claim that because you are serving Kṛṣṇa in a type, and therefore . . . If somebody is serving in a different way—must be approved by the authorities—you cannot criticize him. Varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. The same vegetable, the same ghee, the same salt, same spices, but there are varieties of preparations. That is required. We Vaiṣṇava, we want varieties. Bahūnmukhi-sevā. How . . . The central point is how . . . The Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is the central point. The cowherd boys, they are satisfying Kṛṣṇa by going in the forest, playing with Him, mock-fighting with Him. That is also variety. And when He comes home, Kṛṣṇa is taken care by Mother Yaśodā, different dress, different foodstuff—variety. Similarly, when in the company of the gopīs, varieties, So variety is the mother of enjoyment. So it is not that I'll have to do exactly like you. I'll have to serve Kṛṣṇa, but no mental concoction; following the footstep, anuvarṇitena. Again, you can create variety, but it must not deviate from the original authority. That is wanted.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided, tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya sarvātmanā. Real thing is with heart and soul everything. No reservation. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa everything, whatever he has got. He says, manasa deha geha, yo kichu mora: "Whatever I have got; no reservation." So what I have got in this material . . .? He said, "I have got this body, material body, lump of matter, and I have got my wife; simply changing from this platform to that platform." Because my business is saṅkalpa-vikalpa. We accept something—"It is very good"—and next time we reject it—"No, it is not good." This is mind's business. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, "I have got this lump of body." I am . . . We are very much proud of possessing, but what we have got? We have got this body and the mind. And with the mind we have created so many things—"This is my house. This is my wife. This is my children." Nobody is yours. You have come according to your karma, and they have come according to their karma, and it is a play only that one is father, one is mother, one is son. It is by arrangement of the material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Everything will be finished in the twinkling of an eye. So actually it has no fact, but we think this is our possession. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that "My possession means some mental concoction and this lump of body." Mānasa deha geha. "So therefore, whatever possession I have got, I surrender unto You." Mānasa deha geha, yo kichu mora. This is surrender. Arpilun tuwā pade, nanda-kiśora.

So the real process is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and act according to your best . . . Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. First of all we have to become sincere, heart and soul. Sarvātmanā. Sarva means "all," or ātmā means "body," ātmā means "mind," ātmā means "soul." Three meanings of ātmā. So sarvātmanā. Your body, the other day I explained, karmaṇā manasā vācā: "By your working capacity, by your mind, by your words . . ." This is called tri-daṇḍa. We Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, we take three daṇḍa. This is three, karmaṇā manasā vācā: by activities, by mind and by words. The preaching is word. Therefore word is the last - thinking, feeling, willing and then action. So mind should be settled up, that "I shall sincerely serve Kṛṣṇa, and because I am not expert, therefore to understand how to serve . . ." Ādau gurvāśrayam. One has to accept guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). The śāstra says, "In order to take direction, one must surrender to guru." Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). That is the whole Vedic injunction.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja has already surrendered to Lord Brahmā, Nārada, and whatever intelligence he has got, he is trying to utilize it for satisfying the Supreme Lord. And yesterday we have discussed that how we can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. He is ātmarāma. Nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He's already satisfied with His own profit. What we can satisfy? So our that endeavor to satisfy means our satisfaction. The example is given that tac cātmane prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ (SB 7.9.11). If we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we'll be satisfied. We are not satisfied by serving māyā. If we want satisfaction at all, then we serve Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Everyone is dissatisfied. That is . . . Because we are serving māyā, there must be dissatisfaction. There must be dissatisfaction. Nobody can be peaceful within this material world so long he is under the clutches of māyā. That is not possible. But these rascals, they do not know this. It is said everywhere, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

Kṛṣṇa said. But we do not take Kṛṣṇa's words. Śānti means we have to accept these three principles. What is that? Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer; He is the master; He is the proprietor. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sar . . . You are performing yajña. You are performing tapasya, penances. You are observing brahmacarya. So many there are, different rules and regulations. But what is the idea? To serve Kṛṣṇa, or to satisfy . . . (break)

The sense will remain. We do not become imperson, senseless or non-sense. No. The sense must be there. It should be purified. And as soon as we purify, then we have no other business than to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And so long we are not purified, we satisfy our senses. This is the difference between karma and bhakti.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees and children: Jaya Prabhupāda! Hare Kṛṣṇa! (end).