760407 - Lecture SB 07.09.52 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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760407SB-VRNDAVAN - April 07, 1976 - 38.48 Minutes

Śāstrījī: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (chants verse; Prabhupāda and devotees respond) (break)

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te

prīto 'haṁ te asurottama

varaṁ vṛṇīṣva abhimataṁ

kāma-pūro 'smy ahaṁ nṛṇām

(SB 7.9.52)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (chants synonyms; Prabhupāda and devotees respond) (break)

Translation: (02:24) "The Supreme Personality of Godhead spoke: My dear Prahlāda, the most gentle and best of the family of asuras, let there be all auspiciousness for you. I am very much pleased upon you. It is My pastime to fulfill the desires of all human beings. Therefore you can ask from Me any benediction that you desire to be fulfilled."

Prabhupāda:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te

prīto 'haṁ te asurottama

varaṁ vṛṇīṣva abhimataṁ

kāma-pūro 'smy ahaṁ nṛṇām

(SB 7.9.52)

So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, we have several times explained that the most opulent, six opulences, riches, aiśvaryasya . . . Śrī, aiśvarya, strength, bala . . . Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). This is Bhagavān, all six opulences in full. So if Bhagavān wants to fulfill one's desires, who can check Him? Here Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, says, prīto 'ham: "I am now pleased." So this is the business, how to please Kṛṣṇa. If He is pleased, then what you want more? "Everything is under Your control." Yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. Everything will be fulfilled. Riches? You can . . . If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you, He can give you immense riches, as much as you want. That is wanted. Instead of endeavoring yourself to earn money . . . People are engaged to earn money, working very hard day and night. So if there is such thing that simply by pleasing Kṛṣṇa you can get as much money as you want, then why shall I earn money?

The foolish people, they do not know it. It is practical. Just like I went to your country with forty rupees, and now I am getting money as much as I want. This is practical. No businessman can earn with forty rupees and within ten years forty crores. There is no instance in the history. This is the . . . Prīto 'ham. Because Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all riches. That is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is not that when amongst His foolish disciples, He declares Himself Bhagavān, and when there is some toothache, He goes to the physician to help Him. Bhagavān is not like that. Bhagavān is self-sufficient.

So everything is full. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). So riches also . . . Not that Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, He is poor man, daridra-nārāyaṇa. No. He is full of riches. He can give you as much wealth as you want. And bhakta, a devotee, of course does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is śuddha-bhakta. But Kṛṣṇa supplies him wealth when he requires. There is no need of asking Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, it will come. Just like a small child, dependent on the parents: whatever he requires, he does not ask from the parents, "Give me this." The parents know that this child wants this food, this cloth, this comfort—anything.

So this is the secret of bhakti. A bhakta does not endeavor for anything except devotional service. Karma, jñāna, yoga, these things are very popular. By karma, by activities, you can earn money and fulfill your material desire. That is called karma. And then jñāna. Jñāna means to understand that "I am spirit soul; I am not this material body." And then there is another sphere of activities. That is spiritual activities, jñānam.

And then yoga. Yoga means whatever you want, aṣṭa-siddhi—aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, whatever . . . This is yoga. So karma, jñāna, yoga. These are the different processes of opulence. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Here it is said, kāma-pūraḥ asmi aham: "You desire something. So I'll fulfill your desire." Kāma-pūraḥ. "I shall fulfill your desire. Why you are bothering? You just become My devotee." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I shall fulfill all your desires. Why you are endeavoring? There is no need of endeavoring. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and whatever you want, you'll get it." This is wanted. So kāma-pūraḥ.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

(SB 2.3.10)

This is the recommendation in the śāstra. There are three kinds of men: akāma, sarva-kāma and mokṣa-kāma. Akāma means devotee. He doesn't want anything from Kṛṣṇa. Akāma. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A devotee does not desire wealth or many followers or beautiful wife. He is akāma. And sarva-kāma, the karmīs, they never . . . They are never satisfied: "More, more, more, more . . . Bring. Give me this. Give me this. Give me this." Sarva-kāma. And mokṣa-kāma, the jñānīs and yogīs, they want liberation from this material world. After being karmī and jñānī, when they are disgusted, they become aspirant of becoming one with the Lord. So the śāstra says, "Any desire or no desire, you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be fulfilled, either devotee, jñānī, yogī." Because as soon as you become a devotee, the wonderful things you can perform by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. And . . . And ajñānī . . . Even one is ajñānī . . . Sometimes we find a devotee not even literate, but when he speaks, he speaks exactly the truth. That is jñānī. How it is possible? It is possible because Kṛṣṇa is behind him, the all-powerful.

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

Anyone who surrenders himself to Vāsudeva—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19)—fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa . . .

So vāsudeve bhagavati. To full . . . Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means to become spiritually active. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that when we become Brahman realized, we become one with the Supreme; then all our activities stop. No, that is not the fact. The fact is we are now materially active, and when we finish our material activities, then our spiritual activity begins. You cannot make the living entity as inactive. That is not possible, because we are living; we are not stone. How I can be inactive? That is not possible. Inactivity is for the stones and irons. But we are not stones and irons. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). These Māyāvādī philosophers, they think to stop activity is the highest perfection. No. Our philosophy is stop foolish activities and begin real activities. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not stopping activity. Therefore we are engaging our devotees in so many activities. They are all spiritual activities. Spiritual activity is known as bhakti.

So,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

The mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām, this is, means, that spiritual activities. Spiritual activity . . . Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167, NOD 1.1.11). Anuśīlanam. Anuśīlanam is activity, cultivating. Anything you cultivate, that is not inactivity; there is activity.

Rūpa Gosvāmī, he resigned from his ministership and came to Vṛndāvana under the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu not to become an inactive person. No. Nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2). After giving up his ministership he did not come here to eat and sleep. No. Then he began to study various Vedic literatures. Nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. Just like any perfect person writing some book, he gives evidences from the Vedas, vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. They became very expert in considering the Vedic version, nānā-śāstra. In the Vedas there are many departments of knowledge—Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Ṛg Veda, Atharva Veda, Āyur Veda, Dhanur Veda, everything, Jyotir Veda. Therefore Veda is considered as the kalpa-taru, desire tree. Whatever knowledge you want, it is present. Veda means knowledge, and Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. The ultimate knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). But in the meantime, meanwhile, there are so many department of knowledge, and you can understand from the Vedas. Everything is there, direction. So ultimately you have to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So here Nṛsiṁha-deva addressing, prahlādo bhadra, perfect gentleman. In India it is called bhadraloka. Bhadra means a perfect gentleman, bhadraloka. That is the general etiquette, to address somebody as bhadraloka. Especially in Bengal it is very common word, bhadra. And the other parts also. So bhadra means perfect gentleman. Just see, Prahlāda was perfect gentleman.

A devotee is perfect gentleman. Why? Because he has developed all good qualities. That is bhadra. A devotee cannot be abhadra. He must be bhadra. That is perfection. Therefore a devotee is never rude to anyone. When Rūpa Gosvāmī was here, some very learned scholar came to talk with him śāstrārtha, talking on śāstra. So when he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, he asked that "I want to talk with you about śāstra." And he said, "I am not a very learned man. How can I talk with you? You are so learned." So he said, "If you think that you are not learned, then you give me in writing that 'I am not learned.' " So he immediately gave him: "All right, take it. I am not learned." (laughs) So when he was going away with that chit, that "He is the most learned scholar, and Rūpa Gosvāmī's defeated," then Jīva Gosvāmī was standing outside. He said, "What is that paper?" "No, your uncle has written frankly that he is not learned. I am learned." "All right, talk with me." Then he defeated him. (laughter)

So sometimes devotees are so gentle. If such foolish person comes to talk, unnecessarily waste of time, "All right, you take in writing that I am not a learned. Go away." You see? This is another bhadra. Instead of wasting time with a rascal, better give him a paper: "Go away, sir." (laughter) And therefore Lord Śiva is called Āśutoṣa. So many demons go to bother him: "Give me this. Give me that." And his name is Āśutoṣa. He gives him immediately: "All right, you take it. Go away. Don't bother." (laughter) Therefore his name is Āśutoṣa. Very soon he becomes . . . Somebody prayed, "Sir, give me this benediction, that I shall . . . On anyone's head I shall touch, immediately head will go away." So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you go away. You take this benediction and go away." Then he wanted to touch the head of Lord Śiva, that "Let me test whether it is good or not." Then he was in danger. So sometimes Lord Śiva is put into danger because he . . . People, therefore, go to worship Lord Śiva to take anything he wants. Rāvaṇa also was a very great devotee of Śiva. Asuras, they are very great devotees of Lord Śiva to take material facilities. But if you . . . Of course, it is said, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). But anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he does not want anything like this, that "I shall put my hand to anyone's head, and it will go."

So Prahlāda is bhadra. He's not that type of devotee. He doesn't want anyone's inconvenience, bhadra. So how he became bhadra? Because he's devotee. It is said, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). As soon as you become a perfect devotee, all the good qualities of the demigods will develop automatically.

We have already studied the story of the vyādha. He was a hunter, and by the grace of Nārada, when he became a devotee, he was not ready to kill even an ant. In the beginning his profession was hunting. He was very much pleased to kill the animal half. Sometimes the Muslims, they kill the animal simply, and it throbs and sufficient blood come also. They like that. So the hunters, some of the hunters, they also kill the animal half. So they take pleasure.

I have seen in my own eyes in Calcutta, one hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken, and half-cut, and the half-dead chicken was jumping like this, and the man was laughing. His little son, he was crying. I have seen it. He was crying. Because he's innocent child, he could not tolerate. He was crying. And the father was saying, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying? It is very nice." Just see.

So without being devotee a man will become cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel; in this way go to hell. And devotee cannot tolerate. We have studied in the life of Lord Jesus Christ. When he saw that in the Jewish synagogue the birds were being killed, he became shocked. He therefore left. Jes . . . He inaugurated the Christian religion. Perhaps you know. He was shocked by this animal-killing. And therefore his first commandment is "Thou shall not kill." But the foolish Christians, instead of following his instruction, they are opening daily slaughterhouse.

So unless one becomes a perfect devotee, he cannot become a bhadra, gentleman. That is not possible. Narādhamāḥ, Kṛṣṇa says. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Unless one is devotee, he is a duskrtina, most sinful man, narādhamāḥ, and the lowest of the human being. These are the qualification. So one has to become devotee. If you want to become bhadra, gentleman, you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. Otherwise it is not possible. You are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time gentleman—that is a false thing, pretender.

A bhadra . . . Here it is said, bhadra. Prahlāda bhadra bhadram te (SB 7.9.52). Bhadram te. And when you become bhadra, gentle, perfect, qualified gentleman, then everything is auspicious for you. There is no inauspicity. Bhadram, everything. The bhadram . . . Here Vīraraghavācārya, he explains this word, bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttiḥ: "no more anything inauspicious." Bhadram. Aniṣṭaṁ nivṛttiḥ iṣṭaṁ prāptis ca. Two things, that is bhadram. Very nice, Viraraghavācārya's explanation. Bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttir iṣṭaṁ prāptiḥ. Iṣṭam means "whatever you desire," because a bhadra, a gentleman, cannot desire anything which is bad. A gentleman will not pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me facility for eating meat." He'll . . . Devotee never prays like that. Therefore abhadra-nivṛttiḥ. He never prays to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me facility of drinking." No. Because he's bhadram.

But abhadra will pray, will go to the goddess Kālī, "Mother, give me your prasādam meat." Abhadra. Why should we eat meat? Abhadra. Therefore this explanation is very nice, bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttiḥ. Aniṣṭa . . . If you eat meat, that means you become implicated in sinful activities. You have to be killed by your enemy, and he will eat you, or enemy . . . or you become a goat or a hog or a cow, and your other person will kill you.

Just like nowadays this contraceptive, abortion, killing the child is going on, so the same man, again he is killed by the so-called father and mother. It will act. Karmaṇo 'anya . . . Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyātra karma-bandhana (BG 3.9). Unless you act for satisfying Kṛṣṇa—you become bhadra—then whatever you'll do, there will be reaction. This is nature's law. You cannot escape. If you have killed an animal, then you must be killed by that animal. Māṁsa. Māṁsa means māṁ sa khadati. When I eat meat, māṁsa, it means, "This animal also will eat me again." This is māṁsa. Māṁ sa khadati. Is it all right?

Śāstrījī: Mām means "me"; khadati means "eat." "Eat me."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is māṁsa. You cannot escape this. "Life for life." That is the law everywhere. If you have murdered somebody, you must be killed also. So you can escape the so-called state laws, but you cannot escape the laws of the material nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

(aside:) Don't talk.

So we should not think independent. We must become bhadra. Then all auspicity will come. These two words, if you can understand . . . Prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te (SB 7.9.52). If you are not bhadra, then you will remain always abhadra—rākṣasa or asura. And here it is said, 'prīto haṁ te asurottamam: "You are the best of the asura family." Because Prahlāda was born of a father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the most ferocious asura, so he cannot escape the relationship with his father, with reference to his father. "How can I say that I am not son of a . . .?" There is that asura, mean, facility or disadvantage. But he is uttama. He is surpassed that platform. How it is possible? Now, because Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon him. Prīto 'ham. Although he is born in an asura family, low-grade family, but because Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon him, he becomes immediately bhadra. This is the facility.

So those who speak that the, these Europeans and Americans cannot become Vaiṣṇava, they are mistaken. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon them, immediately they become the best of the brāhmaṇas. Here it is said, prīto 'ham: "Never mind you are born in the family of asura, but because I am pleased, you are all-purified. You don't be disappointed." It is only we require to please Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is all right. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, "Never mind he is born in the pāpa-yoni. It doesn't matter. But," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "because he has taken shelter of My lotus feet . . ."

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyaḥ śūdras tathā vaiśyās

te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim

(BG 9.32)

Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā . . . (SB 2.4.18). Śukadeva Gosvāmī says. Kṛṣṇa says, the Lord says, and it is confirmed by His devotee. These two things we require: whether it is approved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and whether it is approved by His servant, devotee. Kṛṣṇa-guru-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. This is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

(CC Madhya 19.151)

So if you want to approach the platform of bhakti, the platform of gentleman, say, bhadra, then guru and kṛṣṇa-kṛpā wanted. So what Kṛṣṇa says, that is confirmed by the devotee, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32): "Never mind he is born in a low-grade family, dog-eaters' family. It doesn't matter. But because he has taken shelter of Me," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "they'll go back to home, back to Godhead." You cannot check. You so-called gentlemen of this material world, you cannot check them. You may think otherwise, but they'll go back to home, back to Godhead. Who cares for you? (chuckles)

So don't be depressed. Try to please Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is our only business. That is our only business, whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied or not. Then it is, everything, all right. Prīto 'ham. Prīto 'ham. Here it is said, prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te prīto 'ham: "I am fully satisfied upon you." Try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is auspicious. And then Kṛṣṇa will . . . Instead of begging from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will beg from you whatever you want: "What you want? Please tell Me." The devotee never wants, but Kṛṣṇa is anxious. Here it is said, varaṁ vṛṇīṣva: "You take whatever you like."

So if you simply please Kṛṣṇa, He'll canvass, "My dear devotee, whatever you want, you take. You can take from Me." Varaṁ vṛṇīṣva. "So why shall I beg from You?" Now, kāma-pūro asmi: "Whatever you desire, I can fulfill. I am so powerful." Kāma-pūro asmy ahaṁ nṛṇām. Nṛṇām, ordinary person. Because a devotee is above the nṛṇām. So long we are . . . remain in the material condition, we have so many kāmas, desires. But as soon as we come to the spiritual platform . . . Because there everything is ready, why shall I be desiring to have this thing or that thing? Everything is ready. Everything is ready. That is spiritual platform. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu (BS 5.29). Kalpa-vṛkṣa. Everything, everything you want, it is ready immediately because there is Kṛṣṇa only, and He is always ready. What is that song? Gopījana-rañjana. Sing this song.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yaśodā-nandana gopījana . . .

Prabhupāda: Yaśodā-nandana gopījana-rañjana. And in the beginning? Rādhā-mādhava . . .?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Kuñja-vihārī.

Prabhupāda: Then . . .?

Akṣayānanda: Gopījana-vallabha.

Prabhupāda: Gopījana-vallabha.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Giri-vara-dhārī.

Prabhupāda: Giri-vara-dhārī. Just see. Gopījana-vallabha. The gopīs and their husbands and sons, so they were in danger when there was torrents of rain. They were very much perplexed. They approached Kṛṣṇa: "This is the danger. What You can do?" "Yes." Immediately He lifted the Govardhana Hill as umbrella: "Come on under this." Gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. This is Kṛṣṇa, that as soon the gopījana, they are in dangerous, He is immediately, although seven-years-old boy: "All right, I am making a big umbrella." Giri-vara-dhārī. This is Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So the conclusion is that try to please Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Don't try . . . Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). We have tried to improve our condition of life, even becoming the demigods, but don't think the demigods are without danger. We have learned from history, Bhāgavata, the Purāṇas, Indra was so many times perplexed. Even Brahmā was perplexed. You cannot avoid dangerous position within this material world even if you are a person like Brahmā. That is not possible.

But if you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then everything is all right. So our business should be not to become very, very great person within this material world, because that will never be possible. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate, upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). In the higher planetary system or lower planetary system, whatever you desire, you can get a big position, but never safety, never peacefulness. You'll never get. Do you think that in our this modern world . . . There are many, many Birlas and other, Tatas. Do you . . . (indistinct) . . . (break) (end).