760920 - Lecture SB 01.07.23 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

760920SB-VRNDAVAN - September 20, 1976 - 32.25 Minutes

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

Prabhupāda: Huh? What is that difficulty?

Hari-śauri: This was yesterday's verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: All right, just go on. What is that?

Pradyumna:

tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād

īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ

māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā

kaivalye sthita ātmani

(SB 1.7.23)

Translation: (04:15) "You are the original Personality of Godhead who expands Himself all over the creations and is transcendental to material energy. You have cast away the effects of the material energy by dint of Your spiritual potency. You are always situated in eternal bliss and transcendental knowledge."

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād

īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ

māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā

kaivalye sthita ātmani

(SB 1.7.23)

So, we have to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead through authority, not by speculation. Speculation is no use.

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayam-

prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi

jānāti tattvaṁ . . .

na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan

(SB 10.14.29)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead can be known by a person who has got a slight favor of the Lord upon him. This is the Vedic version. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23). Ātmā, the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot be understood . . . Nāyam ātmā na pravacanena labhyaḥ . . . By becoming a great debater one can understand the Supreme—that's not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena. Nor by a person who is very vastly learned or by a great scientist or philosopher, na medhayā—in this way we cannot understand. But one who is surrendered, he can understand. Arjuna is surrendered. In every case he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. As soon as there is any problem . . . Problem or no problem, he surrendered. Not that "When there is problem I am surrendered, and when there is no problem I am independent." No. Always surrendered. That is Arjuna's position.

So we have to follow. People are searching after God. They do not know God. They are asking this question, "Can you show me God?" So, so many questions are there about God, but here is God, pointed out by Arjuna, a mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Why should you not accept? That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Why you are searching God? Here is God, as Arjuna says." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ: "You are the original person." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ. Puruṣa means enjoyer. God is not female. Sometimes they worship a female as God, like Durgā, Kālī and so many others. But God is puruṣa. Everyone is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female. Everyone knows it. There are two things: prakṛti and puruṣa. The puruṣa is the enjoyer, and prakṛti is the enjoyed. Or, in other words, puruṣa is the predominator and prakṛti is predominated. So we are prakṛti. The Māyāvāda philosophy is that prakṛti wants to become puruṣa. And that is not possible. Suppose a woman, if she dresses like a man, does it mean that she has become a man? No. Or a man dresses like a woman, does it mean that he has become woman, simply by outward dress? No. Puruṣa . . . the only puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. That is very nicely explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servant. This is the position. Never try to become the puruṣa, or the master. That is very dangerous. Always remain prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled or control, and puruṣa means the controller. So here is the supreme controller: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣāt. Not that "You are made by some means." Sākṣāt, directly. Sākṣāt. And īśvara. Sākṣād īśvaraḥ. Not artificial īśvara. Sākṣād īśvaraḥ.

So where is the difficulty to understand God, īśvara, or the puruṣa? There is no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa personally says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). So many things. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Everything is explained sākṣāt, directly. Where is the difficulty to find out God? They are searching after God, making research, all nonsense speculation. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Why you are searching?" You say, "Can you show me God?" Why don't you see, "Here is God"? Why, just like the owl, you have closed your eyes, not to see the sun? Sun is there. See. Open your eyes and see it. The whole world is going on that "There is no God" or "God is dead" or "Can you show me God?" And "I am God by meditation," by this way, that way. This is going on. Whole world, especially at the present moment, it is a great disastrous condition, godless civilization. They won't accept the real God, and they'll create some artificial God and become God, "Everyone is God," like that. No.

Therefore if you want to be benefited, then you must take the shelter of mahājana, great personalities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If you are perplexed that "Who is mahājana? How can I find him?" that is also explained in the śāstra. Mahājana, dvādaśa-mahājana:

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kapilo kumāraḥ manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

(SB 6.3.20)

So where is the difficulty? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. You follow the path of mahājana—Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Bhīṣma. There are gṛhasthas, there are brahmacārīs, sannyāsī. Brahmā, Lord Brahmā is mahājana; he's gṛhastha. Svayambhū, Nārada, he's brahmacārī. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20)—Lord Śiva, he's also gṛhastha. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's also gṛhastha. It doesn't matter whether you are gṛhastha or sannyāsī or brahmacārī. You must become actual representative of Kṛṣṇa. That is mahājana. And that is also not very difficult. How you can become representative of Kṛṣṇa? That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

If you simply speak what Kṛṣṇa says, then you become His representative. Don't manufacture. Don't be over-prudent, manufacturing. Simply to follow Kṛṣṇa and His representatives, then you become mahājana. Otherwise you are a nonsense, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). That is the test. One should be very, very careful to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said that "I am directly servant of Kṛṣṇa." No. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dasānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80): "Servant of the servant of the servant of the . . ." The more you become servant of the servant, you are perfect. And as soon as you declare independence, you are rascal. This is the process. We should always remain most obedient servant of my master.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

(ŚU 6.23)

Then it will reveal. The whole thing is revelation. It is not by experience, by scholarship. No. Revelation. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. One who has surrendered proportionately, God reveals. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

So there is no difficulty to understand what is God. Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, directly. I do not know why people are searching after God, why they do not know what is God. Just see. That means mūḍha. Although God is here, still, he'll not accept. That is mūḍha, narādhama. And why he's mūḍha? Because narādhama. He does not take the process. He wants to manufacture something. Don't do that. Here Arjuna is mahājana, he's Kṛṣṇa's friend, he's always with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa recognizes him. Not that because one is always with Kṛṣṇa, therefore he knows Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not possible. Just like I have given this example many times, that I am sitting here, and the bug is also sitting here. That does not mean we are very confidential. No. Bug is different business(?), and my business different. And bug's business is biting. That kind of association will not help. Association means to develop love for the person. That is association.

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti

guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati

bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva

ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam

(Upadeśāmṛta 4)

So we have to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna became. Always with Kṛṣṇa—eating with Kṛṣṇa, sitting with Kṛṣṇa, talking with Kṛṣṇa, joking with Kṛṣṇa, fighting with Kṛṣṇa—everything Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Not a single moment . . . Therefore Kṛṣṇa certifies, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3): "My dear Arjuna, you are very dear to Me." Naturally, if Arjuna is always with Kṛṣṇa, sitting with Kṛṣṇa, talking with Kṛṣṇa, consulting with Kṛṣṇa, joking with Kṛṣṇa, eating with Kṛṣṇa, so why he should not be very dear? Kṛṣṇa, does He remain with anyone unless he is very dear? So bhakto 'si priyo 'si me sakhā ceti. So we have to become . . . we have to establish some relation with Kṛṣṇa—as servant, as a friend, as a son, as a father, mother, or like the gopīs, mādhurya-rasa, friend. That is also . . . Conjugal love. Kṛṣṇa is ready to associate with you in any way you like. Somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as friend, somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as husband, somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as paramour. So Kṛṣṇa is ready. Somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as son. So any way, Kṛṣṇa is ready. We have got these five relations in this material world. There is no other relation. And there are other relationship also. Kṛṣṇa also ready to accept . . . If you want Kṛṣṇa as enemy, yes, Kṛṣṇa is ready; He'll kill you. But that is also good for you. If you want to fight with Kṛṣṇa, yes, Kṛṣṇa is ready. Everything. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. He can associate with you in any rasa, humor, you like. Kṛṣṇa is ready. Ready means that is natural. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so the part and parcel must remain with Kṛṣṇa.

So you have to remain with Kṛṣṇa in some relationship. Here our relationship is through this external energy, māyā. The relationship is there. Although we have tried to give up our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa has not given up. Kṛṣṇa is always with you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is within your heart. Why? Just to give you association. Now we are rebelled. You want to do something independently. Kṛṣṇa also has agreed, "All right. You do independently. But it is not possible for you to live independently. That is not possible. So I'll give you sanction for independent living." Just see how Kṛṣṇa is friend. You cannot live independently. That is not possible. Because you are aṁśa. Aṁśa means part and parcel. Just like this finger. Finger is finger so long he's with the body; otherwise who cares his finger? Suppose a finger is cut and thrown in the street. Who cares for it? The finger is important so long it is with the body. Similarly, we are always with Kṛṣṇa, indirectly or directly. But here Arjuna sees sākṣāt, directly. But we are forced to accept Kṛṣṇa indirectly, māyā. Arjuna is māyāṁ vyudasya. He has no intervention by māyā. And we have got intervention by māyā. Therefore we cannot see Kṛṣṇa.

But Kṛṣṇa is always there. Kṛṣṇa is always there.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

(BG 18.61)

This rascal, he wants to wander within this material world in different capacities. Sometime he's demigod, sometime he's dog, sometime he's tree, sometime he's fish, sometime he is president, sometime he's a nonsense. In this way, in different ways, he is suffering in this material world, and Kṛṣṇa is with him, trying to get him back. And whenever there is opportunity, He's asking, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66): "You rascal, why you are suffering in this way? You give up all this nonsense business. You simply surrender to Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's ambition, that "This rascal is suffering, so better give him good instruction."

Therefore Kṛṣṇa's coming. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). "These rascals have forgotten. All right, let Me go and convince them, try to bring them back." Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes: tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). Those who are sādhu, devotees, they became immediately relieved by getting Kṛṣṇa. And those who are rascal, they had to be killed. But that killing is also good for them. Just like father—to some son he gives directly rasagullā, and to other son, slaps. But father is father. Either slapping or giving rasagullā, he's father. Similarly, we should not be sorry when the father gives slaps, and we should not be over jubilant when father gives his rasagullā. Any condition. That is devotion. A devotee is never disturbed when the father gives slap or the master gives slap. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). So any way, Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help me and to give me knowledge and to understand. Where is the difficulty? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. There is not at all difficulty. Simply because we do not take advice of Kṛṣṇa, we are suffering. This is the difficulty. This is the only difficulty. Where is the difficulty? No difficulty. Simply, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, you become advanced. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 18.65). Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). There is no expenditure, no loss. The gain is great. Simply if you think of Kṛṣṇa: man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Where is the difficulty?

But we are so rascal that we do not take advice of Kṛṣṇa. We manufacture our own ways; the suffering goes on. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti (BG 7.14). This is māyā. He's thinking that he'll make his own plan and be happy. That will never be possible. The only plan you have to accept—what is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). That is the only plan. You have to get yourself relieved from all other engagements. Simply engage yourself . . . Not immediately. First of all, you must ready: "Kṛṣṇa, from this day, I am now ready. Whatever You'll say, I'll do." That's . . . Immediately you become liberated. Liberated. How liberated? Liberation is achieved after so many years' tapasya? No. Immediately, as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. How? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). If you are sincerely surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, immediately . . .

Our this material sufferings, why? Due to our sinful activities. Sinful activities mean anything you do without any purpose to serve to Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. That is sinful. Not that "In the material calculation this is very good work, the opening of hospital or this or that, very good work. And Deity worship and going to the temple is bogus." You may think like that. But that, your opening of hospital, is sinful. That is going on nowadays. One becomes very great philanthropist, rejecting . . . They say, "What is the use of this temple worship?" The daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. Nārāyaṇa has now become daridra. Formerly Nārāyaṇa was husband of the goddess of fortune, and now He has become daridra. So serve this Nārāyaṇa. This, they're manufacturing, concoction. This is not . . . That means sinful activities. Because he has manufactured something, that is sinful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says plainly that "You rascal, you give up any other engagement, even if you think it is very pious activity, very philanthropic. You give up." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva means whatever you think pious and whatever you think impious, both of them should be given up. Because there are two kinds of activities: pious or impious. And sarva includes pious and impious.

So you have to give up everything. Simply you have to become ready, "My Lord, I am now fully surrendered. Whatever You ask me, I shall do it." Then you are liberated person. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. That is Rūpa Gosvāmī's instruction. Anyone who has determined like this, that "I shall simply serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all." Īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā vaca (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187): by work, by mind, by body, or by words. One has decided like that, nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate, in any condition of life, he's liberated. Any condition of life. Because that īhā yasya harer dāsye. Simply he's thinking of "How to serve Kṛṣṇa? How to serve Kṛṣṇa?" He is liberated. So what is there wrong or what is there difficulty? If you simply think of man-manāḥ, always think of Kṛṣṇa: "What shall I do?" "Oh, yes. My representative is there. You take permission from him and do it," where is the difficulty? There's no difficulty. But because we are mūḍha, narādhamas, we are manufacturing and suffering.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)