760907 - Lecture SB 01.07.08 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

760907SB-VRNDAVAN - September 07, 1976 - 29.04 Minutes

(recording suffers from print-through)

Prabhupāda: He's not here? Paṇḍita? Where he is?

Hari-śauri: Oh, he's here.

Prabhupāda: Read it. (hums)

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) Yasyām?

Prabhupāda: No, that is finished. Number three. Number eight!

Pradyumna:

sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ

kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam

śukam adhyāpayām āsa

nivṛtti-nirataṁ muniḥ

(SB 1.7.8)

Translation: (02:58) "The great sage Vyāsadeva, after compiling the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and revising it, taught it to his own son, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was already engaged in self-realization."

Prabhupāda:

sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ

kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam

śukam adhyāpayām āsa

nivṛtti-nirataṁ muniḥ

(SB 1.7.8)

So this saṁhitā . . . Saṁhitā means Vedic literature. There are many rascals, they say that Bhāgavata was not written by Vyāsadeva; it was written by some Bopadeva. They say like that, Māyāvādīs, the Nirīśvaravādī. Because although Nirīśvaravādī, or Māyāvādī leader, Śaṅkarācārya, he wrote comments on Bhagavad-gītā, but he could not touch Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the things are so nicely set up, kṛtvānukramya, that it is not possible by the Māyāvādīs to prove that God is impersonal. They cannot do it. Nowadays they are doing, reading Bhāgavatam in their own way, but that does not appeal to any sane man. Sometimes I have seen a big Māyāvādī is explaining one verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that "Because you are God, therefore if you are pleased, then God is pleased." This is their philosophy. "You do not require to please God separately. So if you are pleased by drinking wine, then God is pleased." This is their explanation. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has condemned this Māyāvādī commentary. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Māyāvādī kṛṣṇe aparādhī. He has plainly said, no compromise. The Māyāvādīs, they're great offender to Kṛṣṇa. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān (BG 16.19), Kṛṣṇa also says. They're very, very envious to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara, śyāmasundara, and the Māyāvādī explains that "Kṛṣṇa has no hand, no leg. This is all imagination." How much offensive it is they do not know. But to warn people like us, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has plainly warned that "Don't go to Māyāvādīs." Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. This is the statement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So you should be very, very careful. Don't go to hear any Māyāvādī. There are many Māyāvādīs in the dress of Vaiṣṇavas. Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has explained about them, that ei 'ta eka kali-celā nāke tilaka gale mālā, that "Here is a follower of Kali. Although he has got a tilaka on the nose and neck beads, but he's a kali-celā." If he's Māyāvādī, sahaja-bhajana kache mama saṅge laya pare bala. So these things are there. You have come to Vṛndāvana. Be careful, very careful. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile (CC Madhya 6.169). There are many Māyāvādīs here, many so-called tilaka-mālā, but you do not know what is there inside. But great ācāryas, they can find out.

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi

pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101)

They create disturbance only. Therefore we have to follow the Gosvāmīs, Gosvāmī, Gosvāmī literature, especially Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated in The Nectar of Devotion. Every one of you should very carefully read and make progress. Don't be victimized by the Māyāvādī so-called Vaiṣṇava. It is very dangerous.

Therefore it is said, sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ kṛtvānukramya ātma-jam (SB 1.7.8). It is very confidential subject matter. He taught it, instructed to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Ātma-jam. Like father, like son. There is no difference between son and disciple. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has equalized,

tasmāt śiṣyaṁ ca putraṁ ca

tāḍayet . . . na tu tāḍayet

lālane bahavo doṣās

tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ

That is the, I mean to say, Vedic system—to teach the son and teach the disciple. If one cannot teach the son—the son is disobedient—he should give up his family life. Otherwise, a father is in obligation to teach the son properly. But if it is not possible . . . Sometimes it so happens as family members, they do not take care. Otherwise, Vyāsadeva's son is expected to become Śukadeva Gosvāmī. If not, such family connection should be given up. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.676). Family life, if it is favorable for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it should be accepted; otherwise it should be rejected. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam.

So what was the qualification of Śukadeva Gosvāmī which induced Vyāsadeva to teach him this saṁhitām? Śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam (SB 1.7.8): he has no more attraction for material world. That is the qualification. Nirvṛtti. There are two kinds of life: nirvṛtti and pravṛtti. Pravṛtti means materialistic, karmīs. Generally karmīs, they have got tendency to enjoy this material world. That is called pravṛtti. Pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttes tu . . . Pravṛtti is natural inclination. Anyone who has come to this material world . . . Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām. Everyone is in the pravṛtti-mārga. What is that pravṛtti-mārga? The pravṛtti-mārga is these things: sex, meat-eating, intoxication, like that. This is pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalām.

So the whole Vedic literature is there how to make him stop this pravṛtti-mārga. That is the whole plan. Otherwise, there are many instances, loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityas tu jantuḥ (SB 11.5.11). Nitya. A jantuḥ . . . He's called jantuḥ. Jantuḥ means animal, or no intelligence. Those who are jantuḥ, they have got this tendency, pravṛttir eṣā. What is that? Vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā: sex and meat-eating. Āmiṣa, meat, egg, fish; and madya, intoxication. This is pravṛtti. Loke vyavāya. Vyavāya means sex. Āmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā tu jantuḥ. Jantuḥ means living being, conditioned in the material world, they have got this general tendency, pravṛtti. You will find in animals, in birds, in beasts, and beastly human being, two-legged beast . . . There are four-legged beasts and two-legged beasts. Four-legged beasts are the animals—cats, dogs, tigers, etcetera. Cows, asses - they are four-legged beasts. And there are two-legged beasts, dvi-pāda-paśu. It is not manufactured; it is there in the śāstra. Dvi-pāda-paśu. Dvi means two, and pāda means legged. So any human being who is attached to this pravṛtti-mārga—sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling—he is dvi-pāda-paśu, two-legged animals. This is pravṛtti-mārga.

Therefore education should be in such a way planned that he should be nirvṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nirvṛttes tu mahā-phalām. These are general tendency for the conditioned soul. But if anyone can control by training, by education, these things—vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā: sex life, intoxication and meat-eating—then he's called niratam. He becomes qualified. Vyāsadeva preferred to teach Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to his son Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because he was niratam, nivṛtti-niratam. He was engaged. From the very beginning of his life, as soon as he was . . . It is said for sixteen years within the womb of his mother, he did not come out purposefully, so that he may not be materially attached. Because a small child, the baby, comes out from the mother's womb. Within the womb, when he's in suffering, he prays to God, "This time kindly release me. Now I shall begin bhagavad-bhajana." One who is little advanced in his previous life . . . Because it is very, very terrible condition within the womb of the mother. We have forgotten. But we can imagine, if you are packed up in a bag and put hand and legs tightly knotted, just imagine. You cannot live even for three minutes. They say if you are airtight packed-up like that, as we are put into the womb of the mother, we cannot exist more than three minutes. But we existed by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Only by the mercy. That is also nowadays very dangerous. In that packed-up condition, he's there, he's already suffering, and the mother is planning to go to the doctor and kill the child. Just imagine how precarious condition in the womb of the mother. And if we do not try in this life that "I shall not again enter into the womb of the mother," then what is the value of this life? We have to learn it from the śāstra. You cannot see actually, but the medical science explains that a child is placed in this way. In Bhāgavata also it is stated how the child grows his body, how it is put into that precarious condition.

So one should be senseful, that "So much suffering awaiting . . ." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. And Kṛṣṇa says, "You have to accept another body." Not that death is finish. They have made it a very easy formula, that after death everything is finished—because they are rascals. They do not take lesson from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13): you have to change your body. But these rascals, they do not know. "What kind of body I'm going to get? How the body is going to be changed? No, don't care. Go on." Mūḍhā janmani janmani (BG 16.20). Mūḍhā-yoniṣu. They do not even try to understand wherefrom so many varieties of life are coming—jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati (Padma Purāṇa). And still they are passing on as scientist. What science? It is only ignorance. If you have to study science, you have to take it from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). According to your guṇa you are creating your next body. Just like according to the infection of a certain disease you are creating your future diseased condition, similarly sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, there are three kinds of the modes of material nature, and as you associate with the three kinds of material nature, you prepare your next body. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you associate with sattva-guṇa, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system: Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka. But these rascals, they do not know; still they make an estimate. And what is that estimate? Wherever they go they find only rocks and sands. That's all. There are so many lokas. Each loka is full of living entities, and these rascals are simply taking photograph of rocks and sands. Just see their position. And they are passing on as scientist. How misleading these things are, and how people are being misled, you see.

So Kali-yuga is a very precarious condition: no knowledge; ignorance. And no nirvṛtti. Everyone is in pravṛtti. So whatever their condition may be, but if you want actually freedom from this material conditional life, then you should follow ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣaḥ. Ācāryopāsanam. Kṛṣṇa is personally acting as ācārya. He's coming again as ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has got so many representatives ācārya: Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, so many ācāryas. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). So take lesson from the ācāryas. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is ācārya. Vyāsadeva is ācārya. He's making the next ācārya by teaching him—adhyāpayām āsa, śukam adhyāpayām āsa (SB 1.7.8)—so that he is becoming ācārya. So we have to go the ācārya and take lesson.

Then, in the previous verse we are advised,

yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyāṁ

kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe

bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ

śoka-moha-bhayāpahā

(SB 1.7.7)

This is wanted. We are always perplexed with śoka, moha and bhaya. If you want to get out of it, then read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Not if you are . . . If you say that "I'm uneducated, illiterate. I cannot read," there is no need of reading. Hear. Yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām. Simply hear. But hear from the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Not rascals, professionals—then it will be useless. Here . . . Why? Anyone knows some grammar or little literary education. Why . . .? Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no opportunity to go to a school. Śukadeva Gosvāmī . . . Śukadeva Gosvāmī, as soon as he took birth, after sixteen years keeping himself within the womb of the mother, immediately left home. So where is the possibility of taking education? And he was given instruction while he was in the womb of his mother.

So these things are sometimes inconceivable. But it is not inconceivable. It is possible to . . . Our real point is that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not a grammarian, but he learned everything from his father by hearing. Therefore it is called śrūyamāṇāyām. If you hear from the right person, properly, then you become perfect. There is no need of literary education. Therefore Vedas are called śruti. Śruti means . . . Formerly, the students, they were learning everything. Their memory was so nice and sharp that simply by hearing from guru's mouth they would learn. In the Kali-yuga, because the memory is not so str . . . (break) . . . Vyāsadeva recorded this in writing, that "The rascals will come henceforward. They will have not very sharp brain, memory, so let me keep this literature in writing so that in future they may take advantage of it, or somebody will read and they will hear. In this way their life will be successful."

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the next ācārya, but one has to learn from the original ācārya. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So unless we come to the paramparā system, ācārya after ācārya, there is no right education. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's private secretary, personal secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he advised, bhāgavat para giya bhāgavat sthāne. If you want to learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you go to a person whose life is Bhāgavatam. Grantha bhāgavata and person bhāgavata—both of them bhāgavatas. So bhāgavat para giya bhāgavat sthane. One whose life is Bhāgavatam and nothing else, you should learn Bhāgavatam from him, not from the professional person who are earning livelihood by reading or reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That will not be effective. You have to find out a Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Then this study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will be effective.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)