760918 - Lecture SB 01.07.22 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

760918SB-VRNDAVAN - September 18, 1976 - 27.47 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (chants verse)

arjuna uvāca

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bāho

bhaktānām abhayaṅkara

tvam eko dahyamānānām

apavargo 'si saṁsṛteḥ

(SB 1.7.22)

Translation: (02:35) "Arjuna said: O my Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, You are the almighty Personality of Godhead. There is no limit to Your different energies. Therefore only You are competent to install fearlessness in the hearts of Your devotee. Everyone in the flames of material miseries can find the path of liberation in You only."

Prabhupāda:

arjuna uvāca

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bāho

bhaktānām abhayaṅkara

tvam eko dahyamānānām

apavargo 'si saṁsṛteḥ

(SB 1.7.22)

Saṁsṛta. This material world is called saṁsṛti, continuously suffering. That we cannot understand. This is called ignorance, continuously suffering. They are thinking, "We are very happy," but this material world means continuously suffering. So one living entity is dying, and his gross body is left, and the subtle body—mind, intelligence, ego—carrying him in another body through the semina of the father to the womb of the mother. Then it is placed, and the body again forms, and when the body is formed, then he comes out. And within the womb of the mother there is so much suffering, we know that. Many times we have discussed. And coming, from the very moment the child is crying. There is inconveniences, so many things he cannot express. In this way, within the womb there is suffering, out of the womb there is suffering. Then growing, child or baby or boy, there are so many sufferings. Then young man—suppose he becomes family man—then earn for the family. That is also suffering. Then old man, disease, inability, many, many thoughts, that is also suffering. And again death is suffering. At the time of death nobody knows what will happen.

Recently one of our Godbrothers has died. He was suffering that he . . . Some glucose food was being supplied through the nose, and with that . . . What is called? Taking out the . . .? That also another suffering. Forcibly taking out the urine, cannot speak anything. So this is suffering. This is called saṁsṛti. We are so foolish we do not know that this material existence is suffering. They are simply struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply a struggle. There is no happiness. But these foolish persons, they do not know that there is suffering and how to stop this suffering. That is real problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Intelligent persons should always keep in view that "These are my real sufferings." Not that "Temporary I have got some misunderstanding with some friend, or temporary I do not get some nice food, and therefore suffering." These sufferings are extra, but real suffering is this—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.

So suffering and suff . . . Therefore material existence is called saṁsṛti. Saṁsāra. So therefore we read every day from the Gurvaṣṭaka, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka. This saṁsāra, this material existence, is just like dāvānala. Dāvānala means forest fire. Forest, in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place automatically. Even if you don't want, it will come. This is saṁsāra. In your country, nice city, New York City, but every moment there is fire—dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. Why? Very nice city, big city, big roads, big . . . but there is suffering. Who wants this fire? But government has to make arrangement for fire brigade, and because it is great nation, very prosperous nation, there is very constantly, very frequently, there is fire. Frequently. You won't find such fire in India, at least. We have no such experience that every moment there is fire brigade. Is it not? I am exaggerating? Huh? You see. We have got so many cities in India, but we don't have such arrangement that constantly, twenty-four hours, dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. At least we haven't got. Less suffering, because we are not so advanced. The more materially you become advanced, the more suffering. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14).

These rascals, they do not know. Saṁsṛti. Therefore here we see, just, tvam eko dahyamānānām apavargo 'si saṁsṛteḥ. This is Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna is mahājana. He is mahājana. He's directly Kṛṣṇa's friend. He knows what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he submitted that "Kṛṣṇa, it is perplexity. I do not like to fight, and You are asking me repeatedly to fight. So it is very awkward position. I cannot understand." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ. "I have been infected with kārpaṇya-doṣa, and kṣatriya, I am in the battlefield. It is my duty to fight, but I am declining." That is kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ. "My nature, svabhāva, is to fight, but I am avoiding this. So therefore my position is not good, I can understand. Therefore," śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam (BG 2.7), "I accept You as my spiritual master. You . . . I am surrendered, prapannam. You kindly instruct, śādhi mām." This is beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. So Arjuna knows that for this saṁsṛti, for this suffering of the material world, only Kṛṣṇa is the savior. Only Kṛṣṇa. Tvam ekaḥ, "Only You. Not anybody else." Nobody can. And He also, Kṛṣṇa also says, mām ekam. "Rascal, mām ekam." This same eka. Arjuna says tvam ekaḥ and Kṛṣṇa says mām ekam. The same purpose. This is to be learned, that eka, "Only Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇam. That is wanted. Simply take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That will save you from this saṁsṛti.

Apavarga. Pavarga and apavargo. A means "not," and pavarga is the process of suffering here in this material world. Different stages of suffering is called pavarga. The first thing is pa. This is pa, pha, ba, bha, ma—pa-varga. This is called pa-varga. There are five vargas in Sanskrit grammar: ka-varga, ca-varga, ṭa-varga, ta-varga and pa-varga. Those who know, I mean to say, Sanskrit grammar, they will understand. So pa-varga means these five alphabets, pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. So our sufferings . . . First of all, labor: pariśrama. Pa. You cannot get anything in this material world without laboring. That is not possible. Just like we have got this nice temple. How we have got it? Laboring. We have to collect the stone, we have to collect this brick, we have to . . . If I cannot work personally, then I have to engage laborer. So this temple is not by accident, automatically, by chunk it has come. No. There must be labor, pariśrama. That is pa. Then pha. Pha, in the English you can say "frustration." Or in Sanskrit the phena, in English word is foam. When you work very hard, everyone, you know, there is foam. We have generally seen, in animals there is foam, in horse. The hard labor, very hard labor, the foam comes. So first of all, pariśrama, hard labor, then foam. Pa, pha. And ba. Ba means vyarthatā, frustration. Despite so much hard labor, still frustration. Now our leaders are advertising that "Work hard. Work hard." "Sir, I am working so hard that I am working like an ass, like an animal, and I am tired. Still I have to work hard?" "Yes." This is saṁsṛti. They are not satisfied that human being, Indians, are working just like an ass, pulling ṭhelā, rickshaw, and still they're requesting work hard.

So this is called vyarthatā. You work hard, hard, hard, still you'll not be successful. You'll have to work hard. That is called pa, pha, ba. And bha, bha means fearfulness. Just like the animal is working so hard, and still he's afraid: "The master may whip." "You are not working?" Phut! Phut! He has to work still. Bhaya. So that fearfulness is everywhere. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām (Hitopadeśa). The ox and bull, they are afraid of the driver, and we are afraid of our leader, of our government, of our so-called master and so on, so on, so on. That you cannot avoid. That is not possible. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because we have accepted this material body, we have to be always remain in anxiety. You cannot avoid. So pa, pha, ba, bha, and at last, ma. Ma means mṛtyu: frustration and die. And again pa, again begin with pa. This is going on. This is called saṁsṛti, repeatedly pa, pha, ba, bha, ma; pa, pha, ba, bha, ma.

So if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then this pavarga—pa, pha, ba, bha, ma—will be counteracted. Not otherwise. Not otherwise. It is not possible. Therefore he says dahyamānānām. "We are suffering. Not that due to this brahmāstra we are suffering, but the world is so made that there is suffering only." Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, viṣaya-viṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. Jwale means this dahyamānānām. Jwale means ablaze, fire. So this saṁsāra-viṣānale, it is not ordinary fire. Viṣāna: fire from poison. It is more infectious: poisonous fire. Just like the atomic energy: there is heat, but what is that heat? It is called . . . radiation and . . . So many things. So viṣānale. Saṁsāra-dāvānala. Saṁsāra-dāvānala is dāvānala, and at the same time that anala, the fire is coming out of poison.

Saṁsāra-viṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. We are always anxiety, full of anxiety. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. Even big, big Vaiṣṇava kings, they also retired. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was always engaged in devotional service. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha (SB 9.4.18)—still, he retired. Still, he retired. After this incidence with Durvāsā, then he divided the property to his sons and he retired. Although he was the most exalted Vaiṣṇava, such a great Vaiṣṇava that because he was put into difficulty by Durvāsā Muni, Kṛṣṇa showed His brilliance and glories in such a way that Durvāsā Muni was attacked by sudarśana-cakra, and for fear of life . . . Even there is fear, Durvāsā Muni, a great yogī . . . There is no comparison of his yogic mystic power. Immediately, for the sake of his life, to protect his life, he went all over the universe for protection. And when he could not get the protection, he went to Lord Brahmā, "Kindly give me protection." He refused: "No, it is not possible. The Lord is angry with you, and He has sent the sudarśana-cakra. It is not in my power to give you protection." Then he went to Lord Śiva. He also refused. And at last he went to Viṣṇu. Just see how powerful yogī he was: he could go personally from this planet to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, and there, from there, Śivaloka. Then from there, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Just see his power, mystic power. But still, because he committed offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava, he could not be given any protection. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is so severe. A person so powerful that by his will he could go anywhere, by yogic power he can do so. Yogic power . . . even there are many yogīs, they take bathing in four places every morning. They take bathing at Jagannātha Purī, at Rāmeśvaram, at Hardwar and Jagannātha Purī. Four dhāma, they take bathing. By four o'clock they finish. They can go. There are still such yogīs. So similarly by the yogīs, by their aṇimā-siddhi, laghimā-siddhi . . . they are called. They can go within a second. They can catch up the beams of the sun and go to the sun planet. This is yoga. Not that "Give me some dollars, I'll show you some yoga." They do not know what is yoga. Yoga is so powerful, yogic power.

So such a big yogī, Durvāsā Muni. Still, he was in trouble. Jñānīs, yogīs, nobody is free from the trouble. Only the bhaktas. Take this; see the example. When Durvāsā Muni created a demon to kill the king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, and he was coming to attack, but Ambarīṣa, although he was a devotee, he had no such yogic power to counteract. He thought, "All right, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire if some demon is coming to kill me. All right, let him kill." He stood fixed up in that position, because he's surrendered. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā. That is surrender. "I have surrendered to You. If You like to kill me by this demon, that's all right. Welcome. Why not? Because I am culprit, so You want to kill me through this demon, let me kill . . . Let him kill." So he stood up. He was not afraid of his life. But Durvāsā Muni, when Kṛṣṇa . . . Viṣṇu sent this sudarśana-cakra, immediately the demon was killed, and he was after Durvāsā Muni, such a great yogī. But he was afraid: "Oh, now there is no protection." He fled, here from here, here from there, there, there, then to Brahmā, to Lord Śiva. And at last to Viṣṇu. Just see how much he is afraid of his life.

And the Vaiṣṇava is not afraid of his life. There is no fearfulness. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. These things are problems of this material world. A Vaiṣṇava has no problem. He knows that "If Kṛṣṇa can give food to the elephant down to the ant, so Kṛṣṇa will give me food. So why shall I endeavor for it? When Kṛṣṇa gives, I shall eat. That's all. If He does not give, I shall starve. What is the wrong there?" This is Vaiṣṇava. He's not afraid. He has no problem of āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. No. So far maithuna is concerned, it is completely rejected. Bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya apahinoti kāmam (CC Antya 5.48). This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means as he makes progress in devotional service, these material lusty desires become vanquished: No more. Finished. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anya . . . (SB 11.2.42). This is the sign. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-rasa-dhāmani . . . tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ (Śrī Yāmunācārya). This is Vaiṣṇava. When one will spit of sex enjoyment, that means he has attained the Vaiṣṇava stage. Otherwise not yet. That is the test. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt, tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame. Because nārī-saṅgame, sex with nārī, that is the highest pleasure of this material world. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Very abominable happiness, maithunādi. It is kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). It is entailed with so many sufferings. Either illicit or legal, there is suffering.

So this is saṁsāra. This is the key of saṁsāra, to keep one packed up, compact in these material desires. So, so many things are there, apavarga. But Kṛṣṇa is the only means. When one is attracted by Kṛṣṇa, Madana-mohana . . . Madana means lusty desires. And Kṛṣṇa, Madana-mohana, He is so attractive that one forgets lusty desires. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. So if you don't contact with Madana-mohana, then you'll be suffering madana-dahana. Dahana means this, dahyamānānām, always suffering the blazing fire of lusty desires. Unless you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you'll have to suffer. Therefore it is said, dahyamānānām apavargo 'si: "You are the apavarga."

So Arjuna is surrendered soul. When he felt that temperature of brahmāstra or radiation of the atomic weapon, nuclear weapon . . . So devotee has no other . . . Kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bāho bhaktānām abhayaṅkara (SB 1.7.22): "Our only shelter is Your lotus feet." Abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. So if you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then abhayaṅkara, no more fear. No more fear. And so long you do not do it, then saṁsṛti. Therefore Arjuna says, tvam eko dahyamānānām apavargo 'si abhayaṅkara.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)