761108 - Lecture SB 05.05.20 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

761108SB-VRNDAVAN - November 08, 1976 - 32.01 Minutes

Pradyumna: . . . devāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (break)

tasmād bhavanto hṛdayena jātāḥ

sarve mahīyāṁsam amuṁ sanābham

akliṣṭa-buddhyā bharatam bhajadhvaṁ

śuśrūṣaṇaṁ tad bharaṇaṁ prajānām

(SB 5.5.20)

(break) Translation: (00:43) "My dear boys, you are all born of My heart, which is the seat of all spiritual qualities. Therefore you should not be like materialistic and envious men. You should accept your eldest brother, Bharata, who is exalted in devotional service. If you engage yourselves in Bharata's service, your service to him will include My service, and you will rule the citizens automatically." (break)

Prabhupāda:

tasmād bhavanto hṛdayena jātāḥ

sarve mahīyāṁsam amuṁ sanābham

akliṣṭa-buddhyā bharatam bhajadhvaṁ

śuśrūṣaṇaṁ tad bharaṇaṁ prajānām

(SB 5.5.20)

So Ṛṣabhadeva was retiring from the duty of royal position, and before that, He selected, out of His one hundred sons, Bharata as the king, next king. Bharata Mahārāja also very exalted. There is a long history of Bharata Mahārāja. Under his name this land or this earthly planet is called Bhāratavarṣa, on account of Bharata Mahārāja. This planet, the whole planet, was formerly known as Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. After the reign of Bharata Mahārāja it was named Bhāratavarṣa. So the emperor of Bhāratavarṣa, of this . . . ruling all over the world, even up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit . . . And this New Delhi, Hastināpura, was the capital of the world, and there was only one flag, united. There was no need of hundreds of flags, United Nation. We have seen in New York the United Nation organization. The flags are increasing—not under one flag. The culture is lost. In India also the division. Everywhere the division is increasing. In Europe there is only one city, that is also another state. Luxembourg or . . .? So without the central point, certainly, gradually the division will increase, and in the name of nationalism the strife and quarrel and fight will increase. Just like in India twenty years before or thirty years before, there was no Pakistan. Now they are divided, and already two big fights have been performed.

So this is the position, that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness everyone will try to enjoy sense gratification independently: either individually, collectively, socially, economically, politically, go on dividing, dividing, divide. There is no oneness; simply division. So Bharata Mahārāja (Ṛṣabhadeva) is advising His other sons—He had one hundred sons—that bharataṁ bhajadhvam: "You just be obedient to Bharata. Don't try to rule independently, because if you follow the principles of Bharata Mahārāja, that will satisfy the citizens, not ruling over independently." We have practical examples. At the present moment there are three dozen minister, four dozen secretaries and two dozen governors and so on, so on. But there is no peace. There is no peace because they are missing the central point, the central point, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally; He has come personally to inform us the real situation. He says, sarva-loka maheśvaram (BG 5.29): "I am the proprietor of all planets." So accept this principle, that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, and we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa claims. Kṛṣṇa never says that "I am Indian," "I am Hindu" or "I am Uttar Pradeshiya." No. He never said. He says,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayoyaḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

aham bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

"I am the father not only of the human society, but I am the father of other forms of life."

There are different forms of life, 8,400,000 forms of life. They are all sons of Kṛṣṇa. It may be a small ant or he may be exalted personality like Lord Brahma. Everyone. So if we know the Kṛṣṇa science, then we can understand it. This universal brotherhood, that we all, in different forms of life, we are all sons of the Supreme Lord, supreme father . . . He says in another place, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7): "All the jīvas, they are My part and . . ." Just like the son is part and parcel of the body of the father, similarly, we are also sons, everyone, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. And if you are really advanced in knowledge, then paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18), then you are actually paṇḍita, not falsely to be called paṇḍita and number one fool. That is not paṇḍita. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. The defect of the modern civilization is that there is no paṇḍita. All rascals. All rascals. Therefore they have demarcated, "This is India," "This is America." No. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then there will be peace. If in the United Nation they simply pass one resolution with determination, that "The whole planet belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are all His sons," there is no trouble.

There is no scarcity. Kṛṣṇa has created this world in such a way that there is no question of starvation in any part of the world. There is no question. Sufficient. Pūrṇam idam (Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). There is no question of starvation. But because we have rebelled against the principle of universal brotherhood we are all suffering. I have several times said that there are ample space. There is no question of scarcity. Ample space. I am traveling all over the world. So much space lying vacant in America, in Africa, Australia. Why the Chinese or the Indians should be congested, overpopulation? But they will not allow. "It is my country." "Have you got visa?" Immigration. "Yes, I have got." "All right, three months. Then get out." This is going on. Because they are rascals, they are falsely claiming, "This is my country. This is my property. Nobody can come here." This is a dog's philosophy. Just like the dogs, they have selected one neighborhood, and three, four dogs, they live peacefully. Not peacefully—they also fight amongst them. But if another dog comes, immediately the four, five dogs will attack: "Why you have come here? Why you have come here? Gow! Gow! Gow!"

So this kind of so-called immigration department means dog's department. (laughter) They are maintained for checking the human life. Why there should be immigration? We are all brothers. Why you should stop? It is my father's property. It is your father's property. India was like that. The foreigners took advantage of India's simplicity, magnanimity. They came here, the Muhammadans and the Christians, to exploit it. But India was very much magnanimous. Anyone who comes—"Yes, come here. Learn Vedic literature." The India's philosophy is gṛhaṁ śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akutobhayam. That is India's philosophy. "Even the enemy comes to your place, you should receive him so nicely that he will forget that he is your enemy." That is India's philosophy. Gṛhaṁ śatrum api prāptam. What to speak of friend, even if you get your enemy, you shall receive him. That is India's hospitality.

In the fight . . . We have got incidences in the history. There was fight, Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, but in the evening time they're friends. Evening time, there is no animosity. Just like Arjuna went to Duryodhana. Duryodhana criticized as grandfather. Grandfather is sometimes criticized by the grandsons. It is not an offense. You cannot criticize superiors, but between grandfather and grandchildren the relation is different. The grandfather also criticizes the grandchildren. So Duryodhana criticized Bhīṣmadeva, "My dear grandfather, you have got affection for the Pāṇḍavas. Then you are not fighting sincerely. You have been appointed the commander-in-chief, but out of your affection you are neglecting your duty." Indirectly he said. So old grandfather became little angry: "What do you want?" "No, you can finish them in one day. Why you are taking so much time?" "All right, I shall finish today. Tomorrow I shall do that. At least I shall finish Arjuna tomorrow. Either his intimate friend Kṛṣṇa will have to break His promise or His friend will die. You'll see tomorrow." Because Kṛṣṇa said, "Arjuna, I am joining you, but I shall not fight. Do you want Me?" Still, Arjuna said, "Yes, I want You. You don't fight." And Duryodhana saw . . . Kṛṣṇa divided—one side Himself and another side His eighteen akṣauhiṇī military force. So Duryodhana thought that "Better let me take the forces. If Kṛṣṇa does not fight, what shall I do with Him? Better take His forces." So Duryodhana accepted the military force, and Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, with the promise that "I shall not fight, so I shall become your charioteer." So Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Pitāmaha, the Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva, this is the scene.

Now Bhīṣmadeva has promised. Bhīṣmadeva knew that "Arjuna cannot be killed. I will show Duryodhana that I am not partial. He is not to be killed." Yeṣāṁ pakṣe janārdanaḥ. Jayas tu pāṇḍu-putrāṇām yeṣāṁ pakṣe janārdanaḥ. "Nobody can kill them. But this rascal is criticizing me, so I shall show tomorrow." So he made five weapons to kill the five brothers, and he said that "I am keeping these five arrows to kill the five brothers tomorrow. Don't worry. Sleep nicely." So Kṛṣṇa could understand that "This arrangement has been done." So Kṛṣṇa reminded Arjuna that "Duryodhana wanted to give you some benediction, being pleased upon you. Now you go there and take the five weapons from him." So when . . . My point is that how the fighting was in a sporting spirit. So Arjuna, when came to the camp of Duryodhana, Duryodhana well received him: "Yes, my dear brother, come. What do you want? Why you have come?" "Now, you promised something to give me. I have come to take that." "Yes, I will give you. You want without fight the kingdom? Take it immediately. You want that?" "No, no, no. I don't want that. Fighting must go on. That is not . . . I have not come to beg you that. We shall . . . I have come to take that weapons which you have kept." Immediately he delivered. He kept the safety for killing them, and because he has come to beg . . . "A kṣatriya should not beg, but he is begging? All right, take it." This is India. This is India's civilization.

And the next day also, Bhīṣmadeva fought so vigorously that Arjuna was going to be killed. His chariot broken, his everything was torn. Then Kṛṣṇa . . . You have seen the picture. Then Kṛṣṇa came with a broken wheel to kill Bhīṣmadeva, and Bhīṣmadeva immediately stopped: "Yes, my now promise is fulfilled. Yes, my dear Sir, You have broken Your promise. You promised not to fight, not to . . . Now, at the present moment, to give protection to Your friend, You have now broken. Yes." So Kṛṣṇa can do that. Kṛṣṇa, He can do everything to give protection to His friend and devotee. He can do, break His promise. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). He does not promise personally, because He might sometimes break His promise. He is asking Arjuna, "You promise so that your promise will be kept always. I shall see to that." This is the philosophy.

So if we actually formulate peace formula, then everything is possible. Simply we have to accept the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose. We are simply requesting to accept the Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Then the whole world will be peaceful. There is no doubt about it.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

These rascals, their mentality is like the dogs, and they are making United Nation. A dog can be united? Is it possible? No. You bring several dozens of best dog and ask them, "Please live peacefully. We shall give you food, everything." It is not in their capacity to live peacefully. So even there is already ample economic development, sufficiency, but because the mentality is doggish, the so-called farce of United Nation, they are fighting with one another. It is not possible.

So without Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything will be failure. Therefore Bharata Mahārāja, er, Ṛṣabhadeva Mahārāja is advising that "You concentrate your service to Bharata." (break) . . . it is advised to a brāhmaṇa that if, when bad time comes, you can come to the position of a kṣatriya or even up to vaiśya, but never to the position of a śūdra. This is dog's business. They are . . . At the present moment everyone is being trained up to become śūdra, dogs. High education, big, big degrees, but if the dog is not appointed by a master, his all qualification useless. Therefore it is doggish civilization. And Aryan civilization means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Śūdra means one who cannot live independently—he has to depend on some master—he's a śūdra. The brāhmaṇa should live by education, by knowledge. Everyone will honor them. They will give the advice to the śūdras, er, to the kṣatriyas. When Paraśurāma killed eleven . . . twenty-one times all the kṣatriyas, his father chastised him that "This is not the business of a brāhmaṇa. My dear son, you are so angry, you have killed all the kṣatriyas and you have killed Kārtavīryārjuna by anger. Oh, you have done great sinful activities. It is not the business of the brāhmaṇa. Therefore you should retire for some time and go to holy places to counteract your sinful activities." This was spoken to Paraśurāma by his father.

So there must be division. A brāhmaṇa can kill anyone simply by words, he is so powerful. But he does not do that. When Viśvāmitra was disturbed by Taraka Rākṣasī in the forest, he came to Dasaratha Mahārāja for help. He could kill that Taraka Rākṣasī simply by his word, but he would not do that. This is not brāhmaṇa's business. He wanted to take the help of a kṣatriya and kill the rākṣasī. Kṣatriya can kill. Brāhmaṇa can take charity. A kṣatriya can exact taxes, and vaiśya be engaged in producing food grains. Kṛṣi gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). This is civilization. Aryan civilization means the division must be there. Kṛṣṇa personally says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma (BG 4.13). The varṇāśrama must be there. The whole aim is how to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has to be satisfied.

On account of our rebellious attitude towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are suffering in this material world. Just like any citizen rebellious to the laws of God, er, laws of the government, he is put into the prison house. Similarly, we are all sons and subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and when we become rebellious, "Ah, what is God? What is Kṛṣṇa . . .?" Vimūḍhān, kartāham iti manyate. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). All these rascals who are godless, they are rebellious. They must suffer. The prakṛti is there. Prakrṭeḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ . . .

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

As soon as you become rebellious to Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā is there, just like as soon as you become rebellious the government laws, immediately you are under the police custody.

There are two things: government and the police. So you cannot escape. It is . . . When you think that "I can escape God's ruling. I can deny the existence of God," that is your foolishness. Mūḍhā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). These rascals, they are not only sinful but also lowest of the mankind who denies the existence of God, godless, the so-called, so many parties. They want to improve by becoming godless. Among the scientists it is a great sin to utter even the name of God. They will say, "Oh, you are talking of God. You are not scientist." Is it not? Yes. Scientist means you must be godless. This is going on. Therefore we are making so much propaganda against these rascal scientists. We are presenting . . . They are putting this theory that life is born out of chemicals. We are putting the counter theory: "No. Life is born of life, never from chemicals." Our scientist students, they are writing the book, you know. So our proposition is: anyone against the authority of God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we must strongly criticize him and take to task. This is our business. Just like Hanumān, Vajrāṅgajī. He took very severely to punish Rāvaṇa. What was the fault? He was godless. He was against Rāma. Therefore he took it very seriously and set fire to his beautiful kingdom, Laṅkā.

So of course, Hanumānjī never did it for his personal. They were monkeys, not even human being. They did not want. The monkeys did not want such nice city. But for Rāmacandra . . . Similarly, our principle should be that we can utilize everything, but not for our sense gratification, but for Kṛṣṇa. That should be the motive of Kṛṣṇa conscious people. And try to educate people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious so that actually they become happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)