661201 - Lecture CC Madhya 20.118-119 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

661123CC.NY - November 23, 1966

Prabhupāda:

. . . uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya

daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya

(CC Madhya 20.118)

So Lord Caitanya is explaining the positions of the conditioned soul. They are completely under the grip of this material nature. And just like one is seated on the car and the driver drives him—if the driver is not under control, he drives him anywhere, to any hell—similarly, we are sitting on this car of this body, supplied by the material nature, and she is driving anywhere—sometimes up, sometimes down. In this way we are suffering life after life, birth after birth. This is our condition. We are not independent; completely under the stringent laws of material nature.

So daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya. The example is very nice, that a culprit is drowned in the water, again taken for some time to take breathing. He was suffocating. Nature . . . he's not meant to be killed, but he is to be given suffering in that way. So material nature is giving us suffering, miseries like that.

bhayaṁ dvitīyābhi, dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād

īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ

tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ

bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā

(CC Madhya 20.119)

Therefore Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, is giving direction, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. When we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you think that "There is no God. This matter is everything. This material manifestation which we see, that is everything all in all, and there is no Lord, no, I mean to say, supreme controller," when we think like that, that begins, that is the point of our anxiety, beginning of anxiety: bhayam, fearfulness.

We are all fearful because, as we have got these bodily necessities, we want to eat something, we want to sleep, similarly, we have fear, and we have demand for mating. These four principles are animal life. We are always fearful. And why we are fearful? Because we have taken it that there is no God. There is no God; therefore we are fearful.

Just like a forlorn child, when he thinks that, "My . . . I am . . . my father and my mother, lost." You might have experienced. A child lost, he cries. He thinks himself, "I am helpless. Where is my mother? Where is my . . .?" Similarly, when we are helpless, we are fearful. And those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are not helpless. They know, "Above me, there is Kṛṣṇa." And śaraṇāgati, surrender, means to have firm conviction that "Kṛṣṇa will protect me. I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, so Kṛṣṇa will give me protection."

If I work in some ordinary man's service, he gives me protection. Don't you think if you work for Kṛṣṇa, He'll not give you protection? Because you have no faith, therefore we are seeking protection from elsewhere. Kṛṣṇa is able. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66): "I shall give you protection from all sinful reactions." But we have no faith. We are thinking, "Oh, it is written in the Bhagavad-gītā. That's all right, but I must have my protection in a different way."

So dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ. Because he thinks there is anything superior than Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is fearful. Why a conditioned soul is fearful, that is explained in the Bhāgavata. Bhayam dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. So this māyā, the illusion, when we take shelter of this illusion, then we are afraid. And when we understand that "Illusion, this energy, is under the control of Kṛṣṇa, because illusion, this material energy, is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, inferior energy. So even if I, I am within this material energy, when I am forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, this material energy is fearful for me, and when I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, there is no question of fearfulness from material nature."

Therefore tan-māyayā ābhajet tam. Ābhajet tam. And therefore it is our duty to regain our lost consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of this human form of life. Ābhajet tam bhaktyaika īśam. Simply by devotional . . . if you want to worship the Supreme Lord, then you have to worship Him simply by service. There is no other process. You cannot worship Kṛṣṇa by this controlling breathing or by mental speculation or by some pious activities or by charities. You have simply . . . you have to worship Him simply by your devotional love. That is the only way. Bhaktyai . . . bhaktyaika, only one, bhakti.

There is no other means. There is no second means to understand God without this devotional service. Rest assured. Foolish creatures, they take this, that. They do not understand. They come to the, that impersonal, void, all the nonsensical conclusion and . . . because they do not take shelter of this, devotion, therefore they cannot have any conclusion. It is not possible. Therefore, more or less, they become atheists or after the voidness or impersonalism, and so many things there are. They create.

But because Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, cannot be understood by any other process, it is simply waste of time. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, if you want to know God, then you have to take this process. That is a . . . Bhaktyaikayeśam, ābhajet tam bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā (SB 11.2.37); "He is the Supreme Lord, He is the Supersoul, and He is the supreme spiritual master." In this way. He's the supreme spiritual master within you. As soon as you will take to devotional service, He'll give you dictation, "You do this." What dictation? To go to hell? No. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam (BG 10.10). In the Bhagavad-gītā: "I give him intelligence." Why? What for? Yena mām upayānti te: "By which he can come back to Me." That buddhi-yogam. He'll help you.

If He think something . . . if He takes seriously about your case, if you are fully surrendered, then He'll direct you in such a way that you cannot go elsewhere except to Him, even sometimes you may find that "He is doing something against my will." I have got my personal experience. I never tried, never accepted that I shall become a sannyāsī. And I tried my best to keep myself in this material world. And He has, several times He has frustrated me and has brought me by force (to) this life. And now I am happy. I can understand that how much favor has Kṛṣṇa showed me. Yes. I did not understand in the beginning.

So sometimes, if Kṛṣṇa takes special care for you, He'll do in such a way that you will have no other way than to go back in. He'll take charge. Take charge. If we sincerely want Kṛṣṇa, if He sees that "Oh, here is a person. He wants Me, but he's a foolish. He wants Me—at the same time he wants to enjoy this material world. So crush this, crush this, his material propensities, and let him become simply devoted." Yes. Sometimes we see like that.

In the, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata there is a question by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, er, by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit . . . because he understood that his grandfathers were put to so many difficulties, although Kṛṣṇa was their friend, personal friend. So everyone became astonished: "How is that? These five brothers, the big brothers . . . Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he was the most pious man. Arjuna was the greatest warrior, and Draupadī, their wife, directly the goddess of fortune. And so much nice . . . and above all, Kṛṣṇa is their personal friend, and still, they were put into such difficulties. They lost their kingdom. They lost their wife. And they were put into so many . . . for thirteen years they had to undergo so many troubles." So this was astonishing. Even Bhīṣma, he cried that, "I cannot understand why these five brothers are put into so many difficulties in spite of their all these qualities."

So their grandson, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he was being taught by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he had some suspicions about devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Not suspicion; just to teach us, he inquired that "Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is Viṣṇu. He is the, I mean to say, master of the goddess of fortune. Why people who become Kṛṣṇa conscious or a devotee of Viṣṇu, they remain poorer, and others, those who worship Śiva and other demigods, they become very rich? What is the reason? He is the proprietor of everything. So one who wants Him, they become poorer, whereas Lord Śiva, he hasn't got even a house of his own, he's a pauper, and one who worships him, he becomes richer."

You know the history of Lord Śiva. He hasn't got a house even. He lives under the tree, or in some mountain. But one who worships Śiva, oh, they get material opulence very nicely. Therefore a person have become very easily . . . and they can smoke gañja. So all this captivates person to become a devotee of Śiva. Our Ginsberg is a devotee of Śiva. Perhaps you know. Anyone who wants this material prosperity, naturally they become the devotee of Śiva.

So this is contradictory. "Śiva has no house even, not even a dwelling place, residence. He's a pauper. And worshiping him, one becomes richer. And Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is . . . sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs 5.29): "Always thousands of goddess of fortune is serving Him." He's such opulent. And so kṛṣṇa-bhakta, devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they appear to be poorer. Why?" This question was . . . just the opposite.

So the answer was given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that "This very question was also put to Kṛṣṇa by your grandfather. So instead of answering myself, I'll put that very question-and-answer between your grandfather and Kṛṣṇa."

So what is that? "Now, a similar question was put by your grandfather Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa answered like this." What is that? Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8): "If I do somebody some special favor, then My first duty is I become him crushed in all material possession." You see? Why? "Because to make him more surrendered to Me." When he becomes helpless, he has no other way. "Kṛṣṇa, please take me." When he has something, he thinks, "Oh, these things will protect me, my material possession." Therefore he does not surrender.

Now, Kṛṣṇa sees that, "This man, this living entity, is very much devotee, but he wants something, this nonsense. So crush him so that when he'll feel helpless, he will come to Me. No more. So I'll give him all protection." So there is a policy of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes He puts us into test, whether we are sincerely devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Because we are always after sense gratification, so if Kṛṣṇa is not a order-supplier, then one rejects Kṛṣṇa. We want God, or Kṛṣṇa, to be our order-supplier. So we must order Kṛṣṇa, "Give me this. Give me that. If You cannot give me, then what are You, Kṛṣṇa? I don't want You." This sort of bhakti, or devotional service, is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Mr. Sulye, our Godbrother, German, he told me personally that during wartime many German women, some, they prayed into the church to get back their husband, son or brother, because all went to war, and nobody returned. And they become atheist, "Oh, there is no God. We prayed so much to God to get back my husband, to get back my brother, but they are dead." But the brother was not returned and the husband was not returned. So result was . . .

So if we pray, go to Kṛṣṇa with that purpose, that He should be our order-supplier, then there is no question of kṛṣṇa-bhakti. We must fully surrender. Fully surrender: "Let Him do." Āśliṣya vā. That is taught by Śrī Caitanya: āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt (CC Antya 20.47).

Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratā: "Either You embrace me or You trample me down on Your feet, neglect me, and You make me broken-hearted, and not being present before me all the life . . ." Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām marma-hatāṁ karotu vā. Marma-hatām means "If You make me broken-hearted. I love You so much. I want You, but You never care for me. That's all right. Still You are my worshipable, unconditionally. I don't want any return from You. Still You are my worshipable." This is pure devotion. Kṛṣṇa takes all care. Don't think . . . because He says personally, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66).

Why should you be so anxious? But one who is in love with Kṛṣṇa, he wants to see Him, he wants to love Him. But even He does not present Himself before the lover, the lover says: "Oh, still, You are my lovable object, worshipable. Whatever you can do . . . you are . . . you are free to treat me as, as You like, but You are my worshipable . . ." This is pure. So as soon as we come to this stage, that is perfection. That is perfection. Don't expect anything, return.

Now these Gosvāmīs, the Sanātana Gosvāmī . . . there is a nice story about Sanātana Gosvāmī, of whom we are now studying. Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, two brothers, they went to Vṛndāvana for devotional service. So their all business was . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī, especially, he was always engaged in writing books. And when he was hungry, he went to some householder: "Give me a piece of bread." And everyone at Vṛndāvana . . . they were leaders. All the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, they took . . . even their household quarrels, they used to represent, "Swāmījī, this is our position. Please settle up." So whatever decision he would give to the villagers, they will accept. Their court was Swāmījī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. So he was so lovable.

So one day Rūpa Gosvāmī was thinking that, "If I could get some, I mean to say, commodities for cooking, then I would have invited Sanātana Gosvāmī to take some prasādam." He thought like that. And, and after, say, one hour, one young girl came with sufficient quantity of rice, flour, ghee and vegetables, so many things: "Bābājī . . ." They were called . . . they call in the India, especially in Vṛndāvana quarter, they call all these transcendentalist svāmīs "Bābājī." "Bābājī, please accept these commodities. There is some ceremony at our house. So My mother has sent you all these things." "Oh, very good." He was thinking that "If I could get some commodities and I could prepare something and invite Sanātana Gosvāmī." So the things were there.

So Rūpa Gosvāmī inquired, "Where do You live? Oh, You are very nice girl. Where do You live?" "Oh, I live in this village. You do not know?" "No, I have never seen You. All right. Thank You very much." Then She went away. And invited Sanātana Gosvāmī, "My dear brother, please come and take your prasādam here. I have got some food." "All right." So Sanātana Gosvāmī came during prasādam time, and Rūpa Gosvāmī has prepared so many nice dishes. They were also expert in cooking, expert. You know, all devotees, they are expert. That is his qualification.

So then Sanātana Gosvāmī was inquiring, "Where did you get all these things, so nice things, you have prepared in this jungle? How did you get?" So he narrated the story, "Yes, in the morning I thought that 'If somebody sends me something . . .' so by Kṛṣṇa's grace, somebody, a nice girl, a very beautiful girl, and She brought all these things." "Who?" He began to state about the girl's beauty.

Then Sanātana Gosvāmī said: "Oh, I have never seen such beautiful girl. How . . .?" "Yes, I have also never seen." "Ohhh. Then She must be Rādhārāṇī. She must be Rādhā. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī? Ohhh. You have murdered me. We don't want to take any service from Kṛṣṇa, and He has taken the opportunity, sent us . . . we want to simply give our service, not any exchange. Oh, you have done a great mistake. Rādhārāṇī has taken this opportunity." So he began to cry that "We have taken service from Kṛṣṇa. We have given Her trouble." This is pure devotion. They were very sorry that "Kṛṣṇa was troubled to send me all these goods." So this is the process. Kṛṣṇa is also finding always opportunity, "How to serve My pure devotee." And pure devotee's so clever that he won't accept any service from Kṛṣṇa.

Just like the Arjuna, he never said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are God. Why You are putting me to war indirectly? You can give me everything." Kṛṣṇa said: "No." He never said that, Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa said, niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8): "You are kṣatriya. You have to fight." He never said. So we should not take God as order-supplier. That is not devotion. That is mercantile business. Kṛṣṇa is not going to be a lover by mercantile mentality. You are . . . you must give Him service. Ābhajet tam. This is the process of devotion.

Thank you very much. (end)