750910 - Lecture SB 06.02.07 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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750910SB-VRNDAVAN - September 10, 1975 - 26:14 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) Sixth Canto, Second Chapter, verse number seven. (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśo

janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api

yad vyājahāra vivaśo

nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ

(SB 6.2.7)

(break) (01:43)

Prabhupāda:

ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśo

janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api

yad vyājahāra vivaśo

nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ

(SB 6.2.7)

So the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, Viṣṇudūta, declared that "This man, although he was very sinful, but now he is cleared of all sinful reaction. He is now clean." How he is clean? Yad vyājahāra: "He has uttered the name of Nārāyaṇa," yad vyājahāra vivaśo, "not any artificially, but automatically," vivaśaḥ, nāma, "the holy name." Svasty-ayanam: "To chant the holy name of the Lord means to achieve all auspicity." Hare.

Now this name, hare . . . Sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they say that any name, either of Hari or any other demigod, is equal. No. That is not. That is nāmāparadha. If one thinks that the holy name of Hari is as good as the name of other demigods, then it is nāmāparadha. That is not śuddha-nāma. So people are being misguided in that way. But the śāstra does not say that. The śāstra says, harer nāma. Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21): the holy name of Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, viṣṇu-tattva. Hari means viṣṇu-tattva. There are . . . Tattva is manifested in different ways: viṣṇu-tattva, viṣṇu-śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva, like that. So śāstra says that harer nāma, viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu . . . Of course, Lord Viṣṇu has several thousands of names according to His different activities: Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Govinda, Mādhava—many names. So any name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari . . . Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma. The śāstra reminding us three times. Just like we stress upon something that "Do this! Do this! Do this!" Thrice. So therefore it is said three times, harer nāma, harer nāma, so that he may not forget, he may not be misguided by the so-called Māyāvādīs that any name . . . No. Harer nāma, three times. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva (CC Adi 17.21), again eva. Then again three times: kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā.

You cannot deviate from this process. There is no other alternative process. You cannot say that "I will be liberated by this process or that process." No. Because it is Kali-yuga, any other process will not be successful. You adopt any process; ultimately you have to come to this process, bhakti-yoga. You can work on karma-yoga. You can work on jñāna-yoga. You can work on haṭha-yoga. There are different yogas. Yoga means how to connect with the Supreme. Yoga means connection, and viyoga means distraction. We know, anyone who knows mathematics, yoga. Yoga means addition; and subtraction, viyoga. So at the present moment, in our conditional stage, we are separated. Not exactly separated, but we have forgotten. We have forgotten our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have to connect it again. That is called yoga. Because we are now disconnected somehow or other, now we have to connect it again.

So any yoga system means an endeavor to connect our relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called yoga. So someone is trying to make the connection, karma-yoga. Someone is trying by jñāna-yoga. Someone is trying haṭha-yoga. But the real aim is bhakti-yoga. Just like different steps: You are on the first step, and other is on the second step, and other is on the third step, and other is on the fourth step. But the ultimate goal is bhakti-yoga. You cannot understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, by any other yoga. It may be a step forward, but ultimately you have to come to the bhakti-yoga. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19): "After many, many births' endeavor to execute the yoga system," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, "one who is actually practicing jñāna-yoga or mystic yoga, he comes to the bhakti-yoga." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Prapadyate. This is bhakti-yoga. And still clearly explained. What is that prapatti? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19): "When one comes to this understanding that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything, I surrender to Kṛṣṇa.' " Kṛṣṇa is canvassing personally. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That we'll not take. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is claiming too much." But that is the ultimate goal, that you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection.

So this conclusion, that "I . . . Let me surrender. Kṛṣṇa is asking me. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate Absolute Truth, He is asking me to surrender. Why shall I delay? Let me surrender," this is intelligence. Jñānavān. So those who are intelligent, they will take immediately. It is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

śraddhā'-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva karma kṛta haya

(CC Madhya 22.62)

This is the real śraddhā, faith. What is that faith? Śraddhā śabde viśvāsa. Faith means strong faith, not flickering faith. Viśvāsa, "to believe." What is that viśvāsa? Śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya: very firm faith, and with surety. Surety must be, because Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says that "You surrender unto Me, and I shall give you protection from all sinful reaction." He is assuring. Then why we shall doubt? Because we are doubting Kṛṣṇa, that is the defect, that Kṛṣṇa says—"It may be or may not be," doubt. That is called doubt. Kṛṣṇa says in many places, asaṁśaya: "Don't doubt what I say. Accept it." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mam evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68): "You do this, and without any doubt, rest assured, you will come to Me." In another place Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, asaṁśayam. Again asaṁśayam. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1).

So it is our misfortune that we become doubtful about Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Otherwise, to become liberated, to go back to home, back to Godhead, very easy thing—provided we accept the Kṛṣṇa's version as it is, without any change. It is very easy. Kṛṣṇa, when He comes personally, He comes to bestow the mercy to the fallen souls, and He speaks very clearly that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7): "There is no more better positive truth than Myself." But we don't believe. That is the misfortune. But this man, although he did not know what he is doing, but very faithfully he chanted, vivaśaḥ, vivaśaḥ, without any hesitation. Vivaśaḥ. Vivaśaḥ means being forced. He was forced to chant.

So yena tena prakāreṇa. If you chant without any committing any offense the holy name of the Lord, then you become liberated. This is the purpose of this Ajāmila upākhyāna. Ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveṣaḥ. Nirveṣa means atonement. If you commit some sin, then you should atone for it. Otherwise you have to carry the reaction of your sinful life to the next life. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, there is prāyaścitta. So prāyaścitta, that is also very heavy task. In this age nobody can perform prāyaścitta. And even one is able to perform prāyaścitta, then he . . . there is possibility of again falling down unless one is clear consciousness, and that, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is every chance of falling down. So anyway, this Ajāmila is kṛta-nirveṣa. The Viṣṇudūta informed to the Yamadūta that "You cannot touch him anymore. He is now pure." Kṛta-nirveṣa. Kṛta-nirveṣa.

Then the next question is . . . The Yamadūta may say that "How he has become kṛta-nirveṣa? He is so sinful that there is no limit of his sinful activities, and you say that it is clear immediately?" And therefore he says, janma-koṭy . . . janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api: "Not only one life's sinful activities, but many crores of births' sinful activities." So we do not know how many births we had previously, but from the śāstra we understand crores, many millions of times, we had to take birth. Therefore it is used, janma koṭi: not one birth or two birth or second birth or fifth birth. So unless we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this repetition of birth and death will continue. Therefore it is said janma koṭi . . . We are passing through many forms of . . . different forms of life. We are creating one family, that "I belong to this family." But what about my other families? Because janma koṭi, in every family, when I enter, there must be father and mother and family members. So which family I am especially concerned? That is our ignorance. We become interested in the particular family where we are at present. But we do not know that in the past we had to pass through many hundreds and millions of families. So which family is correct? And again, if I do not correct myself at the present moment, I have to go through many millions of families until we come to the point: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). This is the point.

So this vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti we are distributing on the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. People may take that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are preaching vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti—no compromise; only Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If people can take it without any hesitation . . . As Kṛṣṇa says, mā śucaḥ: "Don't be worried." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), Kṛṣṇa says. Even out of sentiment we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, believing on the word of Kṛṣṇa out of sentiment, still, we are benefited. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). It is said that if by sentiment one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmam . . . Everyone has got his occupational duty. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra or anyone—everyone has got some particular duty, obligation. But Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no need of executing all this obligation. Simply surrender to Me." Kṛṣṇa says.

So if somebody, out of sentiment, if one thinks that "Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, I will be perfect? Why not take it? Let me give up my so-called religious principle," so that is confirmed in the Bhāgavata. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). He is giving up. Just like these European, American boys, they are . . . they belong to Jewish religion, they belong to Christian religion, but out of their pious activity or even by sentiment, they have given up. Now they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they are perfect. You may say that some of them are fallen. So śāstra says that "Even one has fallen, where is the wrong there? And other person, who has not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who has not fallen, what is the benefit there?" Even one has not fallen, sticking to his own particular religious system, he is not gainer. But a person who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness even by sentiment and has fallen, he has great benefit, because once he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa becomes attached to him. That is ajñāta-sukṛti. Therefore, in all circumstances we should accept the Kṛṣṇa's instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and surely we shall be benefited.

So it doesn't matter whether he is advanced. Of course, everyone should try his best to advance more and more in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but even though one falls down circumstantially . . . Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvo (SB 1.5.17). Bhajan. Bhajan means this execution of devotional service. Gradually it should be strong and ripe. But if one falls down, even it is not ripened, bhajann apakvo, so śāstra says that "What is the wrong there? What is the loss there? Because he has begun this line of devotional service, even it is stopped at a certain point circumstantially, he is not loser." He is not loser because he will get the opportunity of another human form of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41): "Even one has fallen down, still, he will get the chance of taking birth"—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe—"in the family of brāhmaṇa, first-class brāhmaṇa," śucīnāṁ, śucī, "very pure," or śrīmatām, "or very rich man, a rich vaiśya." Generally the vaiśyas are rich. So he will get chance either in a very good family of brāhmaṇa or vaiśyas. Vaiśyas are generally devotees. Therefore he gets the chance of taking birth in a nice family. And if he is fortunate or if he is guided, then he begins again Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the point where he lost it.

Therefore he is not loser, whereas others, who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he may be diverted, and there is no guarantee what is the next birth. Kṛṣṇa does not guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma . . . (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He will get another body. But what kind of body he is going to get, that is not certain. He may be a demigod or he may be a dog, according to his karma. But this man who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if he is fallen and if he has to take birth again, it is guaranteed, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41): "He will take birth in a very rich family or in a very pure family." This is guaranteed. For others there is no guarantee. He may take birth out of the 8,400,000's of different forms of life. There is no guarantee.

So our request is that some way or other take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if you fall down without being ripened, still, you are not loser. That is our request.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end).