760612 - Lecture SB 06.01.46 - Detroit

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

760612SB-DETROIT - June 12, 1976 - 24.02 Minutes

Pradyumna: Translation: "O best of the demigods, we can see three different varieties of life, which are due to the contamination of the three modes of nature. The living entities are thus known as peaceful, restless and foolish; as happy, unhappy or in-between; or as religious, irreligious and semireligious. We can deduce that in the next life these three kinds of material nature will similarly act."

Prabhupāda:

yatheha deva-pravarās

trai-vidhyam upalabhyate

bhuteṣu guṇa-vaicitryāt

tathānyatrānumīyate

(SB 6.1.46)

Just like, now this month of June, we have got a certain type of experience what are the natural changes, atmosphere, in this month of June. Similarly, when you are in month of December, you can foretell what will be the next month of June. It is not difficult, because you have got experience, the atmospheric changes and situations in this month of June. Just like in Bombay there is practical calculation that by the tenth of June, the rain, rainy season will begin. Actually so happens. In different places, different types of seasonal changes. So everything should be seen through the śāstra. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. This is Vedic process. In the śāstra it is said that ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18): elevation in this material world is when a person is in the sattva-guṇa, the modes of goodness. And middle, via media, is rajo-guṇa. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: those who are very, very low class, jaghanya-vṛtti, their behavior is very, very abominable, they go down, adho gacchanti.

But our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to go above the modes of goodness. Here, either goodness or passion or ignorance, they sometimes overlap. Just like a brāhmaṇa, he is in goodness. But this Ajāmila, he was born in a brāhmaṇa family—we have begun that history, kānyakubje dvijaḥ—he was born in a brāhmaṇa family of Kānyakubja city, historical fact. Kānyakubja is still there in India; it is now called Kanauj, near . . . (break) . . .family. Everything was there. But accidentally, one day he was bringing flowers and other paraphernalia for worshiping deity for his father. On the way he saw one śūdra, fourth-class man, was embracing one śūdrāṇī. This kind of embracing, kissing, on the public street, they're never indulged in India. Especially among the high class, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. No. The śūdras, they also do it very carefully. But śūdras can do. Prostitution, these things are the low class. The high class, no, not allowed. The high-class society, a woman cannot mix with any man. Especially unmarried. The fathers, parents, will not allow. So this person, this Ajāmila, happened to see that a young śūdra, he's embracing another young śūdrāṇī, and naturally, he became excited. And then he made contact with that prostitute, and whatever money he had, he was spending for her. In this way he'll be fallen down, sadācāro. That is stated here, that naṣṭa-sadācāro, on account of mixing with a prostitute, he became completely fall down.

So the point is that although he was born in a brāhmaṇa family, he was being trained up as a pure brāhmaṇa, but he fell down to the modes of ignorance. Therefore one has to surpass the platform of goodness also. There are many cases, very good boy, all of a fall sudden. In our society, you have seen very nice boy, doing nicely, all of a sudden, finished. So that is possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: overlap. The rajo-guṇa is overlapping tamo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is overlapping sattva-guṇa; in this way, it is going on. Therefore we see varieties. So that is stated here, that deva-pravarās trai-vidhyam upalabhyate, guṇa-vaicitryāt. Guṇa-vaicitryāt: by mixture of different guṇas. Just like color, painter. There are three colors originally: red, yellow and blue. Now those who are expert, they can mix these. If you mix yellow and blue, it becomes green. Those who are painter, they know. And yellow mixed with red, it becomes orange. In this way those who are painter, they know how to mix color, and varieties come. Guṇa-vaicitryāt.

So there are originally three colors. Similarly, originally three guṇas. Now they become mixed up. Three into three equal to nine; nine into nine equal to eighty-one; and again eighty-one and eighty-one . . . Nature's law is very subtle. Those who are botanists, scientists, they know how the color of the flower . . . so many varieties. They calculate, a little . . . There is regular principle. Not that by chance it has become yellow, chance it has become red. This is rascaldom. No. There is regular. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (CC Madhya 13.65, purport). Everything is being done by the manifestation of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Everywhere there is control of Kṛṣṇa. So don't think that in the flower some nice color has come without any supervision or control. Don't think. That is nonsense. Not by chance. It is under Kṛṣṇa's direction. He has got artistic sense. Not like us. He can dictate to show the various varieties of living entities, all varieties, trees and so many things. There are varieties, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: nine hundred thousand different forms of fishes, from big to small. There are whale fishes. There is another big fish, they can swallow up the whale fishes, so big, jala-hasti. They are within the ocean. How many we know? We are . . . The Nirviśeṣa-vādīs' philosophy is like that, that on the ocean we see it is simply water. No, that is not actual vision. You should take knowledge from the experience. What is that? Now within the ocean there are nine hundred thousand different forms of life. You rascal, you are thinking that there is nothing, nirviśeṣa.

So nirviśeṣa-vādī, impersonalists, are like that. In the creation of God, there are varieties, not impersonal. Therefore we see, we are sitting here, you won't find two men of the same feature of the body. Even there are twin, still, we'll find some differences. The father, mother can see. There is variety. Here it is said, bhūteṣu guṇa-vaicitryāt. They are guṇa-vaicitryāt. Therefore we don't find two men of the same nature, two men of the same thinking. Varieties. Varieties, this is going on. But that is our cause of bondage—varieties. But if we can surpass these varieties, as Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā, trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45). Nistrai-guṇyo, nirguṇa. Nirguṇa does not mean no varieties. Nirguṇa means not these material varieties—the spiritual variety. So they misunderstand. Spiritual varieties, they think material varieties. So nistraigunyo: we have to overcome the varieties of this material nature. We have come to the spiritual platform.

And how it is possible? That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā:

māṁ ca vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

One who is engaged in devotional service, he becomes transcendental to these three guṇas and its varieties. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena. Avyabhicāreṇa: without any adulteration, pure devotion. So pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11): only concentration of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the root. Kṛṣṇa is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). One who knows this . . . This knowledge is not so easy. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. After many, many births cultivating knowledge, if one is fortunate, he can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the root of everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. But that is the ultimate goal. So if we understand this central point, that Kṛṣṇa is the root of everything, then we are successful in life. Otherwise, it is not.

So it is said, māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). People are missing this point, that Kṛṣṇa is the center. If any way we act, making Kṛṣṇa in the center, we may draw many thousands of circles, it will not overlap. (break) So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is . . . To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means not to remain within this guṇa-vaicitrya, the varieties of material color, or material guṇas. Above that. Center Kṛṣṇa. Make center Kṛṣṇa, then whatever you do, it will be perfect. Make Kṛṣṇa center. It doesn't matter whether I'm a businessman or professional man or engineer, doctor—there are so many varieties—or a mendicant or brahmacārī, gṛhastha. Never mind. It is, make Kṛṣṇa center. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā.

This was decided in the resolution of the Naimiṣāraṇya meeting. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ (SB 1.2.13). There were very, very learned scholars, brāhmaṇas and sages, and that is not ordinary meeting. Just like our this meeting is not ordinary meeting; this is Kṛṣṇa conscious meeting. Similarly, there was a big meeting, Naimiṣāraṇya, wherefrom Bhāgavata was given to the public. So in that meeting Sūta Gosvāmī said, dvija-śreṣṭhā: "You are all selected first-class brāhmaṇa in this meeting." So, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There is division, varṇa and āśrama. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Now, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, everything has got varieties of duties. Brāhmaṇas have got varieties of duties. Kṣatriya has got varieties. Just like brāhmaṇa: sattva śamo-damas-titikṣa ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). There must be a class of men, brāhmaṇa. Otherwise, society will go to hell. Who will guide? Just like in this body there must be the head. Otherwise, what is the use of these hands and legs? There is no use. Who will give direction? They are now trying to make classless society. Therefore they are bringing the whole human society into ruination. It cannot be done. There must be classes. Just like in my body there are four divisions: brain, arms, belly, leg. They are required. Leg is also required, hand is also required, belly is also required. Similarly, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī—varieties. And when the varieties center around Kṛṣṇa, it becomes beautiful. Kṛṣṇa center, and the circle, rāsa dance, it becomes very beautiful.

So unless people accept this principle, that Kṛṣṇa center, their . . . all their plans will be futile. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā (BG 9.12), everything. You try the history. They are trying to do so many things, planning. In every country, there is a planning commission. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, any plan you do, it is all rascaldom if it is without Kṛṣṇa. It will fail. History will . . . Take, for example, in our India: Mahātmā Gandhi made so many plans to get our independence. He was taking Bhagavad-gītā in his hand and publicly said that "I get solace from Bhagavad-gītā." He was very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately he could not make Kṛṣṇa as center. This is the unfortunate. Therefore whole plan failed. Gandhi wanted nonviolence—failed. Gandhi wanted Hindu-Muslim unity—failed. Why? Because he never said that Kṛṣṇa is the center. Find his lecture. He'll never say Kṛṣṇa. Missing. Kṛṣṇa is missing. Similarly, so many . . . One French professor has admitted, Aurobindo or Dr. Radhakrishnan, they have written Bhagavad-gītā, annotation, so many others also, but Kṛṣṇa is missing. They're faulty. Kṛṣṇa is missing. Through Bhagavad-gītā, they want to make the society Kṛṣṇa-less. That is their policy. So nothing has become . . . For the last two hundred, three hundred years, from India so many svāmīs, yogīs came. But because they missed Kṛṣṇa, it was all useless. And now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because we are making Kṛṣṇa as the center, you see practically, thousands of devotees. Successful.

So that is a fact. If we don't make Kṛṣṇa the center, never mind the varieties of qualities are there . . . That will continue. It is everywhere, the varieties will be there. But if the Kṛṣṇa is the center, the varieties will be very nice bouquet, bunch of flower. And without Kṛṣṇa, it is all useless. So make Kṛṣṇa center. Then these varieties of guṇa, mixture of guṇa, that will not . . . Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). This will not affect our spiritual position. Kṛṣṇa says: sa brahma-bhūyāya, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). So the aim is how to make people brahma-bhūtaḥ, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi does not mean that I have become Bhagavān, or God. No. I am not matter; I am spirit soul. That is ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is called Brahman realization. And when one is in Brahman realization, then that is the peaceful condition of life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā.

So take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. I am very pleased that you are doing, endeavoring. So do it very nicely and . . . Apratihatā. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cannot be checked by any material impediments. Ahaitukī apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. This devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can be done by anyone, by everyone, in any place, in any condition. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to become happy and peaceful.

Thank you very much.

Devotee: Jaya Prabhupāda! (end).