751027 - Lecture SB 03.28.18 - Nairobi

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

751027SB-NAIROBI - October 27, 1975 - 34:03 Minutes

Harikeśa: Page number 1192. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-eighth Chapter, text number eighteen. (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ

puṇya-śloka-yaśaskaram

dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgaṁ

yāvan na cyavate manaḥ

(SB 3.28.18)

kīrtanya—worth singing; tīrtha-yaśasaṁ—the glories of the Lord; puṇya-śloka—of the devotees; yaśaḥ-karam—enhancing the glory; dhyāyet—one should meditate; devaṁ —upon the Lord; samagra-aṅgaṁ—all the limbs; yāvat—as much as; na—not; cyavate—deviates; manaḥ—the mind.

Translation: "The glory of the Lord is always worth singing, for His glories enhance the glories of His devotees. One should therefore meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead and upon His devotees. One should meditate on the eternal form of the Lord until the mind becomes fixed."

Prabhupāda:

kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ

puṇya-śloka-yaśaskaram

dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgaṁ

yāvan na cyavate manaḥ

(SB 3.28.18)

This is called meditation. Yāvan, so long the mind is disturbed and deviates from our subject of meditation, one should practice this kīrtana. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises that the devotee should chant always, twenty-four hours, kīrtanya: "It is worth singing." It is worth singing, why? Puṇya ślokasya. Puṇya ślokasya . . . puṇya śloka yaśaskaram. Even if you do not fix up your mind—kīrtana means fix up your mind—but even if you do not fix up your mind, then you are still gainer. The more you glorify the Lord, you become pious simply by kīrtana. It is not necessary that you understand, but if you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then you become pious. Puṇya-śloka. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Puṇya-śloka, Uttama-śloka. Simply by chanting "Kṛṣṇa," you become pious.

So dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgam. The dhyāna, the meditation, should begin from the lotus feet. As soon as you begin kīrtana, first of all concentrate your mind on the lotus feet, not all of a sudden jump over the face. Be practiced to think over the lotus feet, then still higher, the knees, then the thighs, then the belly, then the chest. In this way, at last go to the face. This is the process. It is described in the Second Canto. The process is how to think of Kṛṣṇa., man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 18.65). This is meditation. So this . . . by kīrtana it becomes very easy. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours like Haridāsa Ṭhākura . . . that is not possible. So as much as possible. Tīrtha-yaśasa. Kīrtana . . . this is also kīrtana. We are talking about Kṛṣṇa, reading about Kṛṣṇa, reading Kṛṣṇa's instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā or reading Kṛṣṇa's glories in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are all kīrtana. It is not that simply when we sing with musical instruments, that is kīrtana. No. Anything you talk about Kṛṣṇa, that is kīrtana.

Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31) means that . . . vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). This is the character of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, that whenever he would talk, he would talk about Kṛṣṇa. This is kīrtana. He won't talk anything else. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. Whenever he will think, he will think of Kṛṣṇa—His lotus feet, His body, His hands, His flute. This is meditation. Meditation means that . . . trance means when your mind is so fixed up on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu that not for a second your mind is deviated from the Kṛṣṇa's form. That is called trance. Not artificially. You can practice it. If you see Kṛṣṇa daily in the temple, if you worship, you offer your obeisances—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—naturally you will think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, and that will make you more pious, because without being pious, nobody can think of Kṛṣṇa.

Yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pious means there is no reaction of sinful life. It is all squared up. That you can do at any moment. Kṛṣṇa takes charge. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). He can do that. He can nullify the destiny. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). Everyone is bound up by the laws of karma. Yas tv indragopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti. Everyone, beginning from that small microbe, indragopa, and up to the king of heaven—his name is also Indra—so from this Indra to that Indra, all different types of living entities, they are suffering, not enjoying; suffering the resultant action of their past sinful life. This is material existence. Everyone is suffering, but māyā is so kind that he (she) misleads the sufferer to understand the suffering is enjoying. This is māyā. Actually everyone is suffering, but he is misled to think that he is enjoying. So if we keep ourself always in contact with Kṛṣṇa, then we become pious more and more, and as soon as our sinful reaction of life is counteracted by these pious activities, we begin to understand Kṛṣṇa. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. Without being sinless, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. So this process should be continued.

Kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ puṇya-śloka-yaśaskaram dhyāyed devam (SB 3.28.18). Devam. Devam means the Supreme Lord. Samagrangam. So if He has no form, how you can think of His whole body, samagra? Samagra means the whole; aṅgam means body. Samagrāṅgam. So if He has no body, if He is formless, if He is nirākāra, then where is the question of aṅgam? He has aṅgam, samagrāṅgam, but He hasn't got a form like us. That is the meaning. When in the śāstra it is said that God has no form, it means that He has no material form. He has form; otherwise how can I think of His form? This Kṛṣṇa's form is not like us. Just like if you take my statue or any other statue and if you pray or if you offer food, that does not go actually to the person. But Kṛṣṇa's His aṅga, His form, is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa.

Foolish people may say that, "These men, they are offering food to a marble statue. Everyone knows." No. It is not the fact. The fact is Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent. He can accept your service, becoming a marble statue. Because I cannot see Kṛṣṇa by my present eyes, therefore He has appeared before you just like a marble statue. But He is not marble statue. We must know that. If we think, "Here is marble statue, and if I commit some offense, who is going to see?" this is wrong conclusion. He is Kṛṣṇa personally present here in a form which we can see. It is His mercy. It is called arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa is everything. This marble is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Bhūmir āpo'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). So He can accept your service from any of His energy. The marble is also His energy, the water is also His energy, the air is also His energy—everything. Without Kṛṣṇa nothing can exist. So He is omniscient, all-powerful. He can accept your service through His energy. This is arcā-vigraha. Samagrāṅgam.

So Kṛṣṇa has got form, aṅgam, but His aṅga is different. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). His aṅga is sac-cid-ānanda, not like . . . ānanda-cinmaya-rasa pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Kṛṣṇa and His expansion—ananda-cinmāyā. Just like Kṛṣṇa is in the rāsa dance. These gopīs are also expansion of His energy, and you will find, therefore, with each and every gopī, Kṛṣṇa is there. That is another expansion. So we should not take Kṛṣṇa's dancing like our ball dance. No, that is mistake. If we understand Kṛṣṇa's dancing, then we become liberated. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that instead of reading some books of this ball dance, if you read about Kṛṣṇa's dancing, then what will be the result? The result will be hṛd-rogam-kāmam apahinoty āśv acireṇa dhīraḥ (SB 10.33.39). Everyone, we have got these lusty desires, but if actually one is advanced and he hears from a realized person what is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance, then the result will be hṛd-roga-kāmam. We have got a heart disease. Heart disease means lusty desire. Hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti: "It becomes vanquished." If one actually hears Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā, then no more material lusty desires. This is the result.

But unless we are so advanced spiritually, we should not indulge in hearing about rāsa-līlā. Then we shall commit offense. We shall think that, "Kṛṣṇa is dancing like us." How He, Kṛṣṇa, is dancing? Kṛṣṇa is dancing with each and every gopī. Can you do that? Then how you can say that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing like us"? If you see the picture, you will find that each and every . . . every gopī is thinking that, "Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me." How it is possible? If you dance with imitation . . . there are many rascals, they imitate that, that "I am Kṛṣṇa, and I can dance also like that." No. It is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. This manifestation, demonstration, is not of this material world. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. When Kṛṣṇa was dancing, all the gopīs, they left their material body by the side of the husband, but they went to dance. That is spiritual body. That is not material body. So don't indulge in such a way that, "Kṛṣṇa's dancing and our dancing is the same." Then you will be mistaken. That will be offense.

So we have to become advanced in spiritual understanding. And people, the so-called artists, they indulge in Kṛṣṇa's pictures, His dealings with the gopīs. That is not very good. That is misleading. People may think, and actually that happens. If without being mature, without being advanced in spiritual consciousness, if one tries to understand or see kṛṣṇa-līlā with the gopīs, then he will be misled. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you will find, rigidly He discussed this kṛṣṇa-līlā with very confidential devotee, Rāmānanda Rāya, not with others. He never discussed with Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya or Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He discussed on philosophy of Māyāvāda, but not on kṛṣṇa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa-līlā He discussed with Rāmānanda Rāya, most confidential devotee. And to understand Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva has devoted nine chapter . . . nine cantos. And then, from Tenth Canto, he begins kṛṣṇa-līlā.

So kṛṣṇa-līlā is the face of Kṛṣṇa, smiling of Kṛṣṇa. So here we have to practice to see the different parts of the body gradually from down. We first of all see His lotus feet, then gradually . . . so that is described. The two feet, they are called the first chapter . . . in the First Canto, Second Canto. In this way we must go. Everything is very scientifically arranged. If we take it in chronologically, according to the instruction of the śāstra, then it will be very easy. Otherwise:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti mam . . .

(BG 7.3)

We should understand tattvataḥ. That tattvataḥ means, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Again tattvataḥ. Only through devotional service.

So devotional . . . what is devotional service? Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-seva . . . (SB 7.5.23). We have to follow these nine principles of devotional service, especially this śravanam, kīrtanam and arcanam. Arcanam, worshiping the Deity, and śravanaṁ kīrtanam. Even if you follow one, that is sufficient, but there are nine different processes. As far as possible we shall execute everything, and at least śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam, arcanam. Arcana is very important. For kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, devotee in the lower stage, arcana is very, very important. Although the devotee in the higher stage, he also offers worship, but Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. But for a neophyte devotee . . . just like some people say that, "Why you should go to the temple? Kṛṣṇa is everywhere." Who was asking that question? "Kṛṣṇa cannot be served . . ." Here, last night. I think those girls, svarṇa girls. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, that is a fact, but that is for the paramhaṁsa, one who is very, very advanced. For the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he cannot . . . he, like parrot, he can say, "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere." He must be educated, "Here is Kṛṣṇa in the temple." Otherwise it is simply blaspheme that, "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere." That's a fact, but where is your realization? Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Have you got that realization? Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Have you got that realization, that Kṛṣṇa is within your heart? Can you talk with Kṛṣṇa? He says, Kṛṣṇa says: "I talk." Buddhi yogaṁ-dadāmi tam (BG 10.10). Kṛṣṇa gives intelligence. Kṛṣṇa is giving, but have you got that realization?

So these are all facts, that Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart, Kṛṣṇa is within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ (Bs. 5.35), that's a fact, but where is your realization? Therefore you have to begin realization by arcana. That is very essential. The more you become expert in arcana, ye yathā mām prapadyante (BG 4.11), then the more you become realized, then more you become advanced. So therefore, for kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he has to raise himself.

arcāyām eva haraye

yaḥ pūjāṁ śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

(SB 11.2.47)

By executing this arca-vigraha, arcanam, gradually you advance. But if you simply remain in the arcana-viddhi or arcana process, and you cannot understand who is a bhakta and what to do with others . . . that is also a bhakta's duty, not that simply we shall remain engaged in arcana. We must know how to respect devotee, how to do some service to others also. That is madhyama-adhikārī. Simply if you become satisfied that, "Now I am initiated and I am offering arcana. I have become perfect," no, the perfection is still awaiting. You have to understand who is a devotee. You have to understand how to give service to the innocent. If you do not know that, then if you simply become packed up by arcā-vigraha-seva, arcana, then you will remain in the material platform.

Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Prakṛtaḥ means material. He is trying to go to the spiritual platform, but if he simply remains in the arcana and does not preach, this is na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. Anyeṣu. Anyeṣu means those who are innocent. That is madhyama-adhikārī, middle stage.

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu

bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca

prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣa

yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

(SB 11.2.46)

Īśvara. Then, by arcā-vigraha worship, by śravana-kīrtana, by making your properly advanced, you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, īśvara. And īśvare tad-adhīneṣu. And adhīna. Adhīna means those who are working for Kṛṣṇa. They are called tad-adhīna. Adhīna means subordinate.

So every devotee is subordinate. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. If we do that, then it is mistake. Devotee . . . a devotee never says. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Servant is always the subordinate. Therefore Vaiṣṇava says "dāsa." He never says "master." Vaiṣṇava, dāsa, subordinate, tad-adhīna, under the . . . under Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be superior to Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa. That is mistake. These Māyāvāda philosophers, they think, "Now I have become equal to Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa." That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa, God, is never equal to anyone. Asamaurdhva. Asama means "not equal," and urdha, "always the top." Asamaurdhva. That is described in the Bhagavad . . .

So we should remain tad-adhīna, always under Kṛṣṇa. That is our perfection. If we remain . . . just like in Western countries, they rebel. If a woman is advised to remain under the control of the husband, that is insult to them. They cannot tolerate it. But actually we see in India that a wife who remains under the guidance of the husband, she is happy. That's a practical fact. That is a practical fact. And therefore in the Manu-saṁhitā it is advised, na striyam svatantram arhati. Women should be always protected. That is . . . protection does not mean negligence. No. Protection means to give him (her) all facilities. That is protection. Just like father gives protection to the chil . . . that does not mean neglecting. Similarly, a woman should be protected. It is not that neglecting. They misunderstand. In the Western countries maybe there is misbehavior, but actually we have seen, still going on in India, the woman is . . . that is the ideal given by Lord Rāmacandra, how woman is given protection by the husband. Sītādevī was kidnapped. Rāmacandra is the Supreme Lord; He could have married many thousands of Sītā. But as the dutiful husband, to rescue one wife He killed the whole family of Rāvaṇa. This is protection. He killed the whole family of him. He became . . . this is. So woman requires protection, and the husband is responsible to give protection, the father is responsible to give protection, and the elderly children, they are responsible to give protection.

So we are prakṛti. Prakṛti puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. He is the protector of all living entities. Yesterday, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram (SB 3.28.17). Just like a father is always anxious to see his children are well protected, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also always anxious to give protection to His subordinates. But if the subordinate denounce Kṛṣṇa, "I don't want Your protection," then suffer your karma. That you are doing. Those who are in the material world, they are suffering. Why? They have given up the protection of Kṛṣṇa. They are thinking that, "We can protect ourself. What is the use of Kṛṣṇa?" So this is called dharmasya glāniḥ. This is deviation from the natural way of life, when you give up the protection. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is: again go back to that protection, go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . pātena paripraśnena. To understand the subject matter submissively, to question, is one of the paraphernalia.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: A question?

Devotee (1): You said that if we made a marble image of you and offered food to it, you would not accept it. So . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Brahmānanda: In your lecture you said that someone who offers food to a statue of yourself . . .

Prabhupāda: He is not statue, but people think statue. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. But because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa at the present moment, therefore He appears like a statue.

Brahmānanda: His question . . . you stated that a statue of yourself is not the same as you, and yet in some of our temples, such as Vṛndāvana, the mūrti of Your Divine Grace has been installed, and they are offering prasādam. So is it the same, that the prasādam is accepted by the guru?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Guru is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. That is accepted by all the śāstra. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta śāstraiḥ. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: "It is said, tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ, and those who are advanced devotees, they accept it like that." Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "But the gurus position is the most confidential servant." So guru is the servant God, and Kṛṣṇa is the master God. Both of them are God—servant God and master God. Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). So we have to serve the both the servant and the master. Through the servant, we go to the master. Any other question? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)