710130 - Lecture Hindi - Allahabad

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710130L4.ALLAHABAD - January 30, 1971 - 36:26 Minutes

Devotee: (indistinct) . . . on the evening of the 30th of January 1971.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta (CC Madhya 19.149), before this Chaitanya Mahāprabhu's teachings are there, which were given by him to Rupa Goswami in the Prayag kṣetre about four hundred and fifty years back, when Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was returning from Vrindavan to Benaras. In the pious kṣetre of Prayag . . . (indistinct) . . . for ten days to Sridhar Rupa Goswami, who was the foremost disciple of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. He was given the teachings on what is bhakti and in that connection somethings have already been told to you previously.

Chaitanya Mahprabhu does an analysis on who can become a Kṛṣṇa-bhakt and after deliberating on all the living entities, like how many living entities are there? How many of them can't walk? How many of them can walk? Of those who are able to walk, there are many animals too. Above the animals are humans and in the humans mleccha, yavana . . . (indistinct) . . . are more, amongst them the Veda-nishtha who believe in Vedas are lesser. Then there are many who believe in the Vedas but only offer lip service, they don't actually work according to the Vedas; rather contrary to the Vedas they do a lot of sin. Amongst the Veda-nishtha who actually believe in the Vedas, the karma-nishtha are more, the karma-kāṇḍīya ideology. Amongst crores of those who have the karma-kāṇḍīya ideology thought process only one person is a jñānī, amongst crores of jñānīs, one person is liberated and amongst crores of liberated individuals one devotee of Kṛṣṇa might be found. This is Chaitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion.

The Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is niṣkāma, he has no material desires, whereas all the karmis, jñānīs and yogis have material desires. The karmi wants to do karma and then enjoy the world. This is called a karmi. Like those big businessmen who work throughout the day and whose aim is to only enjoy with their senses, they make good houses, they want good food, good living conditions, cars, men and women. As per scriptures these endeavours of giving pleasure to the body and senses, is called Baddha-jīva . . . this is called maya. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said:

puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ

tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ

ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair

janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti

(SB 5.5.8)

This work of the karmis, the common man, the entire world . . . not only in the human species, but in the animal society too, the animals, the birds, the insects, and the moths. They all have two genders, the male and the female. The female has attachment for the male, the male has for the female and this attachment is the cause of worldly bondage, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ. The attraction for sexual life amongst the male and female is central in this material world. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ (SB 7.9.45), this is the opinion of scriptures. It should be understood properly, that this is the actual reason why everyone in the world is reaping the karma in the form of happiness and distress. Only happiness and distress. Everyone is facing hardships because of the thinking that there is a lot of happiness. Some are also thinking that there is a lot of sorrow. Those who are thinking that there is sorrow are actually thinking correctly, whereas those who think that here is happiness, are actually thinking incorrectly.

Firstly, happiness can't be there. Meaning those who think there is happiness are in great illusion, for them maya is very strong.

Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam whatever is going on in the world, is attraction for sexual life, the sex life between male and female. The Vedic regulation of getting married is right because the desire for sex is there in both the genders. As per dharma-śāstra, as per regulative principles, getting married is vaidh, it is correct. Otherwise sex between man and woman like dogs doing it on the street is very sinful. The desire for enjoyment and sex is there in everyone, but it should be regulated and by making it regulated, a contact with God should be established, else the restless mind won't allow this contact with God. Only that person can establish contact with God whose mind is not restless.

The yoga process is for making the mind stable. This process is called yoga, yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ, yoga means controlling the senses. This is actual yoga and after controlling the senses the mind should be put on God. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa (SB 9.4.18-20), is the origin of all sādhana, that is establishing contact with God and always keeping the mind on the lotus feet of God. All this is sādhana . . . (indistinct) . . . of sadhan. Arādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada-pañcarātra), if the worship of God is done, a contact is established with God and the mind is at all times fixed on God's lotus feet. Then there is no requirement of any other austerity, the fruits of all the austerities have been received by them arādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. When one has met God means, Bhāgavad bhāva has arisen, it is not that God is coming and we are speaking with him face to face, that is not possible because in the present state we can't see God. However God is there and will be felt and that bhāva . . . Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.18). Whoever has had this bhāva for him after the bhāva comes love. The scriptures say if God's worship is done and love of God is established, then you don't require to do any austerity. You have received the fruits of all the austerities, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim and if after doing all kinds of austerities no contact is established with God and only frivolous discussions are done as a lot of people do, that I am God, you are God, God is not there, God has departed, God is this. If this kind of philosophy is there, then what is the result of austerity? Such austerity is useless because the contact with God was not established,

arādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ

nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim

antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ

(Nārada-pañcarātra)

If inside and outside God is seen, wherein factual love of God is there . . . premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38), in whose eyes the ointment of love of God has been put, he at all times only sees God within and outside. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena, santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti, who is that God yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38), that God is Shyamsundar, two armed Murlidhar, Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38) This is from the brahma-saṁhitā . . . (indistinct) . . . in this way antar bahir yadi haris tapasā, inside and outside. One who is a devotee of God, he sees everything only in relation to God and then at that moment he starts to remember God. This is what is required, that at all times we keep remembering God.

Life should be led in such a manner that you may travel throughout the world, but whatever you see, should be seen in connection to God; then immediately remembrance of God will be there and your life will be successful. One should live in such a manner. For example, there is a beautiful flower in a garden and if a karmī or a bhogī sees it, he will consider to pluck it and put it on his coat so that he can thereafter enjoy its fragrance. This is a karmī's viewpoint whereas a jñānī's standpoint is, see there is a flower here, how it has sprouted? What could be the reason? Where does it get water from? How has it become red? How did it get these other colors? How was it decorated? Trying to do research like a scientist, they do research on how this flower materialises. Whereas what does the Bhagavad-bhakta see? He sees how beautiful this flower is, how fragrant it is and let me offer it to God's feet. This is a devotee's research. The flower is the same but the karmi sees it from one point of view, the jñānī from another and the devotee another. Actually the devotee's point of view is only appropriate, because he understands the artistic work of God.

Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8), the God who is Para-tattva has so many energies, that the activities that are seen, seem to be happening on their own. For instance, someone approaches a rich man and requests him for some money and the rich man then writes something on a piece of paper based on which the person eventually gets ten thousand rupees. The man who received the money, now starts to wonder, that what was done on the paper that he received ten thousand rupees; similarly, the jñānī knows that God has so much power, that just by a small desire the work is completed and he doesn't have to work too hard parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate.

Like in this world all the . . . prakṛtiḥ . . . the work which is going on prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27) the big jñānīs and scientists they see it as nature's work, through prakṛtiḥ all this work is being carried out. But from Bhagavad-gītā we come to know that the nature is not independent, behind it is a person. God also says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), adhyakṣeṇa, like this bulb is lit, but it is lit because a person pressed the switch, however a foolish person will think that it has been lit on its own. No, on its own, nothing can happen. Jaḍa does not have the power to do anything on its own. It is jaḍa vastu, that is why in the Bhagavad-gītā it's called aparā prakṛtiḥ, inferior and the living entity is called parā prakṛtiḥ. Like in this world, in this Allahabad city if no living entity is there then all these . . . (indistinct) . . . which are there, are as good as dirt. That is why God says that the brahma śakti, the jada śakti is inferior.

Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4) . . . apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām (BG 7.5), So in this way, this whole world, the brahmāṇḍa, the creation, is dispersed and remade. Behind which is God's stimulus and God himself says in the Bhagavad-gītā mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram.

That is why the Bhagavad-bhakta have all the knowledge, they might not be literate, but the knowledge is given to them by God himself. Who can give more knowledge than God himself? If you don't have knowledge, you should get it from someone, you should go to some teacher, you should go to a guru. You will have to take it from someone else. But God is . . . (indistinct) . . . God does not need to take knowledge from anyone, that is why he is called God.

It is not that after becoming a jñānī and after becoming a yogi one becomes God. One doesn't become God like this. One who wants jñān or wants siddhi through yoga process, he is not God, he is just benefiting a little from the powers of God, that is all and that too very little. God is satah siddha yogi, satah siddha jñānī, that is the difference.

So those who have established a connection with God, they know that antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ, they know how the outside work is going on and also how the inside work is happening. They know this and can see that everything is connected with God. The vision of jñānī and karmi . . . the karmi's vision is to gather the flowers for sense gratification, whereas the jñānī wants to understand how the flower has been created, whereas the bhakta knows that the whole thing is happening by the power of God. We would see that the flower has sprouted automatically, but no, God's electric energy is such . . . like the example which was given, that the bulb was lit on its own. No, the bulb was not lit on its own, but there was a person who pressed the switch. In the same way, everything which is possible in the world, is by the energy of God, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8), this is from the Upanisads. The Paraṁbrahman God, Parameswara, he doesn't have to do anything with his hands. Like if there is a rich man, who has factories and his business worth lakhs of rupees is going on. He doesn't have to go there physically and work with his own hands. This is very simple to understand, that if there is big man from this world who doesn't have to work with his own hands, then why would God come and do hard work, when he has many energies, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. That is why work is happening by the svabhävik bhava, but a foolish person doesn't understand and thinks everything is happening on its own. Nothing happens on its own, you do an experiment and you will understand that nothing can happen on its own. It happens by someone' s orders, by someone's hands, by someone's brain . . . all things happen like this. All this is known to them and that is why they know that everything in the world belongs to God. The . . . (indistinct) . . . as you all are seeing in the world; it is assumed that it is being done by nature intimately. But no, all of this is God's property, it has been made by God and by God's orders the nature is working. As is told in the Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.44), sṛṣṭi-sthiti for doing pralaya-sādhana is one of God's very hefty energies and what is that śakti? Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.44), that śakti is Durgā. In this material world whatever activities are taking place, they are happening by the Durgā śakti. Durgā means . . . The master of the fort is called Durgā, that is why this material world is called devī dhāma and the cit-jagat is called Vaikuṇṭha dham. Vaikuṇṭha means God and devi is Durgā devi. This material world is under Durgā devi, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana. That is why those people who want worldly pleasures they worship the devi, dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi, yaśo dehi, give me all this.

But this is a karmi's . . . (indistinct) . . . and the jñānī sees that a lot has been taken from the devi but he did not get any pleasure, moreover the devi kept her trident on his chest. You all must have seen the picture, the trident is also . . . (indistinct) . . . that is her reign. In this way we call Durgā devi as the mother, because in the material world the body is received from the mother and you have received this body from the devi. But the devi, meaning ahead . . . (indistinct) . . . name is Vaiṣṇava, this is the opinion.

Chaitanya Mahprabhu after considering numerous views established that koṭi-mukta-madhye 'durlabha' eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta (CC Madhya 19.148) after many, crores who have been liberated . . . mukta and mukta-māne are of two types, one who falsely thinks he is liberated and one who is actually liberated. The ones who are actually liberated, amongst them maybe one devotee of Kṛṣṇa will be found, because of which it is said durlabha. Durlabha means one which is very difficult to find whereas sulabh means which is easily found, that is why here it is said durlabha, koṭi-mukta-madhye 'durlabha' eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta and evidence from the scriptures is also being given here from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

muktānām api siddhānāṁ

nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ

su-durlabhaḥ praśāntātmā

koṭiṣv api mahā-mune

(SB 6.14.5)

Many . . . muktānām api siddhānāṁ . . . one who is siddha, one who is liberated, out of many such siddha and liberated, only one person is Nārāyaṇa-parā and they say su-durlabhaḥ, meaning found with a lot of difficulty. What are his symptoms? Prasant, prasan-atma, prasannātmā . . . (indistinct) . . . who is not distracted. Until he is Nārāyaṇa-parā he will be distracted.

Being happy is the advantage of bhakti-yoga, yayātmā suprasīdati (SB 1.2.6) is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

Somewhere its written samprasīdati and somewhere it is written suprasīdati. This means you execute the dharma, but it has a taste, if . . . (indistinct) . . . that you are Hindu, you are Muslim, you are Christian, as you desire you can accept a dharma, but if you are successful in your dharma its taste is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, like bhagavad-bhakti has happened. How is the bhagavad-bhakti? It is ahaituky, means that there is no motive and there are no restrictions. Not that, I'm poor so how will I do bhagavad-bhakti or I'm foolish or I'm mleccha or I'm something else and numerous other reasons. No, by material reasons bhagavad-bhakti can't be stopped . . . (missing audio) . . . close it, airtight . . . (indistinct)

That is why the soul is called sarvaga, it can go anywhere. Because of being a bhautik . . . a cit-kan, no material thing can stop it, it should always be engaged in cit tasks, thereafter reaching God is not difficult. As God has said tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), when the body is left, it will immediately go to God. Immediately. Not even a second. Understand this, like your body is jaḍa-sakti and you want to go from here to Bombay, but it will take a lot of time even if you go by airplane or by a train, whereas your mind can take you to Bombay within a second. The mind is subtler in comparison to this jaḍa-sakti and the soul is subtler than the mind, so you cannot understand how powerful is the soul. We don't even know how much power does this soul have, which is a part and parcel of God. Only after establishing contact with God we are able to experience that strength and not before. Our present stage is yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13) the self-identification is with the body, that is why śāstra call such a person an ass, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). This is the opinion of all the śāstra, it is said yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, this is a bag and what is it of? This bag is made of three basic elements, kaph, pit and vayu and in it the ātma-buddhiḥ is there. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu and whoever is in contact with this body . . . like if the body is in contact with a female, then a child is born and therefore a relationship with the child is established. Also through the body one is related to a father and through the body of the father a relationship with the brother and sisters is established. Everyone is thinking that this is factual and all these relations will protect me. Regarding this it's stated in the śāstra sa eva go-kharaḥ, they are cows and asses, because at the time of death all the relationships with the body will be of no use, our country will not be useful, our bank balance will not be able to help, the women, the son, our beloveds, our friends, our countrymen, no one.

Like when the birds fly in the sky, they all fly together, but they should fly on their own strength, because if there is a failure then those flying with you will not be able to help, this is called atma . . . (indistinct) . . . only God can help. That is why God says suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ (BG 5.29) I am everyone's well-wisher.

Anyone who understands this from the beginning that my dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv (SB 2.1.4) . . . we are understanding this and are fighting in the world, thinking that all of these things, our armies, our countrymen, our caste, our community, our this and that, our so many things all these soldiers and they will protect us. In reality no one can protect teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati (SB 2.1.4). I've always been seeing this, that where does the father go who was supposed to protect us? Now that the father is not there, then who will protect us? Actually, God is the only protector. No one else is the protector; this is the opinion of the śāstra. Those who think that the father and the mother protect the child are mistaken. Despite having parents many children are unhappy. Because in that too there is some desire of God. If someone is going to die because he is very sick and is suffering from a disease, his father might be a big man who is taking him to big doctors and giving him good medicines too, but still, he eventually dies. Why is this so? This is the consideration of the śāstra. Huge ships have been made, but why do they sink? So in this way whatever remedies we have made in this world . . . duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), the world is a actually a place of suffering, but we have made some remedies thinking like this we will get saved from suffering. But all of those remedies will only work till God allows, otherwise not. The father and mother are there and if God wants that the parents protect the child, only then, can he be protected. Otherwise despite the parents being there, the child will be unhappy, this is the opinion.

Chaitanya Mahāprabhu says that such a devotee, Nārāyaṇa-para, who knows that only Nārāyaṇa is the root; vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), who knows that Vāsudeva is everything, is a devotee sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). God says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that to understand that Vāsudeva is everything, that he is the root cause, that behind all the work is the desire of Vāsudeva and nothing else is said to be Nārāyaṇa-para. In this way Vāsudeva para and Nārāyaṇa is the same thing. In the scriptures, in the Bhāgavatam it is said, muktānām api siddhānāṁ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ su-durlabhaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune, amongst many crores a Nārāyaṇa-para can be there and by being Nārāyaṇa-para one is yayātmā suprasīdati . . . when one becomes Nārāyaṇa-para. The pure devotee is called Nārāyaṇa-para, only at the feet of Nārāyaṇa. That is why God says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

God is not getting benefited by your surrender. But because God wants your welfare, so he tells you the way by which your welfare will be there. By no other way it can happen. But if we don't listen, then what can God do? People pray to God that, I am unhappy, I don't have money, I don't have knowledge. So all these prayers are there to God, but when God himself says that I will give you everything but first you surrender unto me . . . but that, we will not do. We will listen to everything, but we will not take the prescribed medicine, so what can the doctor do?

In this way all the scriptures are directing that one should surrender unto the feet of God and then all the sorrows will go away. God also says this himself.

Our association which is preaching Kṛṣṇa bhakti, explains this to the people. This is our only work, we also make efforts to understand this and tell it to the others too that God says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ, leave everything and surrender unto my feet, I will protect you from all reactions of sins. Now when God is taking a pledge to protect you, then what is the cause of fear.

But it is not that one surrenders unto the feet of God and does sinful activities too, no, that is not the case. If I am completely surrendered unto the feet of God; my life is offered unto the feet of God, then compulsorily the sin will finish at that time and then we should not do more sin. Then God will protect us, there will be no sorrow and only happiness will be there. Thank you very much, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)