680829 - Lecture SB 07.09.13-14 - Montreal

Lectures by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

680829SB-MONTREAL - August 29, 1968 - 43:50 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

mī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno

brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ

kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya

vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ

(SB 7.9.13)

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting Lord Nṛsiṁha that, "Now You can become peaceful, because the disturbing element, my father, is now finished." So there are two missions when Kṛṣṇa appears, incarnation: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). This material world is a field of activity for the persons who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. But there are regulative principles, Vedic knowledge. If we act according to the regulative principle, then we can enjoy. Not actually enjoy, but we think we enjoy. Because in the material world, there is nothing enjoyable for the spirit soul. Just like a fish: it is an animal of the water. It has nothing to enjoy on the land. So if, by mistake, a fish thinks that "I shall become an elephant and enjoy in the land," that is not possible.

Similarly we, spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, we are all Brahman, and we have nothing to do with this material world. But because we are Brahman . . . Brahman means ānandamaya. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa (Bs. 5.37). The Supreme Brahman is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Therefore we are also sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. But somehow or other, icchā-dveṣa-samutthena (BG 7.27). Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena.

The real basic principle of our materialistic life is dveṣa. Dveṣa means when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the supreme enjoyer?" In this world, in practical experience, we have seen that many people say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed rasa-līlā. Why we shall not?"

So this is . . . imitation rasa-līlā is going on in this material world, but they cannot be satisfied, because it is imitation. Just like if a female takes the part of a male and wants to imitate the enjoyment, it is simply false. Similarly, we are constitutionally female, enjoyed, prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Prakṛti means female, enjoyed.

So jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca

aparā prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā

(BG 7.4)

These are separated energy. But apareyam, they are inferior. Apareyam itas tu anyā parā. Besides this material nature, this dull matter, there is another nature: prakṛti, parā prakṛti, the jīva. So the real life is to be enjoyed by the Lord. Enjoyed. That means real life is to become eternal servitor. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). That is his constitutional position. But by imitation he wants to become the master. And when, iccha, when he develops that desire and envies the Lord, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? I shall be enjoyer also," this is icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Sarge means in this creation.

So any living entity who is within this material world, they have come here with that two principles—icchā, dveṣa. Icchā means they want to be happy with material enjoyment and "What is God? I am God." These two things. The whole disease is on these two principles—to denying the supremacy of the Lord and to try to be happy by material adjustment. But that is not possible. This is simply disturbing. Simply disturbing.

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has mentioned in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that:

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi

pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ

utpātāyaiva kalpate

(Brs. 1.2.101)

Persons who are ignorant of the Vedic principles, śruti, and smṛti, corollaries to the śruti, and Purāṇa . . . there are eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Maha-purāṇam. So śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi and pañcarātriki-vidhi, Nārada Pañcarātra. So one should be conversant with all these authoritative scriptures. Without knowing these, if there is an imitation of devotional service, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance.

Therefore we see that in India the original principle is Vedic principle, but due to so many reasons, there being no real king or government who can control the citizens, or India being for so many years under the control of foreigners, and at the present moment forgetting their own real culture . . . not only India, everywhere the same thing. So they are creating disturbances. Disturbances. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said: "My dear Lord, now the my father, who was atheist and always disturbing . . . so these demigods, they are Your devotees. They are not disturbing elements." Brahmādayo vayam iveśa. Brahmādayo (SB 7.9.13). "All these demigods standing here, headed by Brahmā, they are not like us, like demonic princ . . . er . . . persons like my father and his associates. So You can now be peaceful. Don't show Your anger."

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya

modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyānti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

(SB 7.9.14)

So there may be a question that "Then was Prahlāda Mahārāja very glad that his father was killed?" This question may be raised, that "What kind of devotee he is? He's such a great devotee of Lord, and before him his father was killed, and he is requesting the Lord, 'My dear Lord, the disturbing element is already finished.' That means he's glad that his father is killed." So from social conventional point of view, if a son is glad on the death of his father, do you think it is very nice? No. These points are to be considered.

But Prahlāda Mahārāja gives very nice evidence. This is the peculiarity of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, that whatever they will say, they will give full support. What is that? He says, tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya (SB 7.9.14). Asura. "My father was asura. So because Your mission was to kill, so that, he is killed. And by this killing process, not only myself but sādhu, all sādhus, they are also pleased." Sādhur api. Just see.

So do you think that sādhu, those who are sādhu, they are pleased when a person is killed? Not ordinary person. He is giving very nice example. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). Vṛścika means scorpion, and sarpa means snake. Naturally, whenever a scorpion is found or a snake is out, every man is prepared to kill it. Every man. "Oh, here is a snake. Kill it."

When I was in Allahabad, in my bed there was a snake. I do not know how it came, but I informed to the servants, and they came with all stick immediately. So when the bed seat was taken away, it was under the, I mean to say, quilt. So that snake was there, and from the face of the snake I could understand that she was . . . it was so afraid. He could understand that "Now I'm going to be killed by so many people. They have come." So I told them that "Don't kill this poor fellow. Better take it and send it to the forest." But they took it away, but I later on understood they killed it.

So once I saw in our Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya's birthplace, so a snake was going, a black snake, with . . . in Bengal there are many snakes. So my Guru Mahārāja was on the upstair, and everyone asked the permission whether this should be killed. He said immediately, "Yes. He should be killed." So at that time I thought that "How Guru Mahārāja ordered for killing the snake?" Then, after so many years, when I began to read Bhāgavatam and came to this passage, Prahlāda Mahārāja assertion, modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14), then I thought that "My Guru Mahārāja did right thing."

Here also, modeta. Even a sādhu. Then why a sādhu is pleased when a sarpa, a scorpion or snake, is killed? The reason is that these two kinds of creatures, they bite innocent person without any fault. Without any fault. Or for little fault. The venomous snake. I mean, by nature they are so angry and so envious that they feel pleasure if somebody is bitten and immediately die. That is their nature.

Therefore killing a snake and scorpion means to save it from so many sinful activities. Because it is nature. It will kill so many persons, so many animals, because its nature is, innocent person, bite innocent person, kill it. So if there is sin by killing another, it will continue. Better to kill it to stop its sinful activities. That is the reason here it is said, modeta sādhur api.

So the asuras, the atheists, are just like vṛścika and sarpa, scorpion. Without any reason they occupy somebody's country, somebody's place, and kill somebody. This is going on. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is stated that when a king hangs some murderer it is a great favor to him. It is a great favor to him. In every country, in every civilization, the punishment is "Life for life." If you have killed somebody, then you shall be killed.

And it is supported in Manu-saṁhitā that when the king orders that a murderer should be killed, that is a favor to him. Because if he is not killed, then the sinful activities, reaction, will continue, and the next birth he'll suffer. But if he's killed in this life, then all his sinful activities finished. He'll have no more to suffer the reaction. So it is friendly action. Similarly a vṛścika or a sarpa, a scorpion or a snake, if it is killed that means to save it from further, I mean to say, sinful activities. Therefore sādhu, it is said by Brahmā, I mean to . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja that, modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā.

Yata artho 'yaṁ manuṣya ca asura sādhūnāṁ santoṣaṁ santoṣārtham arti hataḥ. Śrīdhāra Svāmī is annotating that this killing of Nṛsiṁha, here, uh, this killing by Nṛsiṁha-deva of Hiraṇyakaśipu was for the pleasure of the saintly person. Was for the pleasure of the saintly person. Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta. Does it mean that those who are saintly persons, they take pleasure in other's killing? They try to stop killing. Even animal killing they want to stop.

How it is that, they take pleasure in another's killing? Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta tatra ha vṛścikādeḥ. Not all. A . . . persons, living creatures like the scorpion and serpents. Not all. Everything has got exception. So a sādhu, a saintly person, a righteous person, a religious person, will never be happy by other's killing. But killing of persons like scorpion and serpent . . .

And the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that a person who has envious nature, he's more dangerous than the serpent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has enunciated that sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ (Cāṇakya Paṇḍita). There are two envious creatures: one is the snake, and another, a man envious, unnecessarily envious of others. So sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. That man, envious, he's dangerous, more dangerous than the snake. Why more dangerous? Now, mantrauśādhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate. You can subdue a snake by herbs and by chanting particular type of mantra. There are many snake charmers in India, by mantra they can charm the snakes.

But a person who is envious, you cannot pacify him in any way. Therefore sarpaḥ krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. Just like Jesus Christ was crucified by some envious persons. Even the Roman judge denied that "This man should not be . . . there is no such fault." But because they were envious, they were persistent, "Yes, he should be crucified."

So this is the nature of envious person. Therefore killing of envious persons like Hiraṇyakaśipu . . . unnecessarily . . . he was a child. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a child, innocent child. And his son, and youngest son. And his only fault was that he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And this person was after him, giving him all kinds of trouble. Just see the nature of the envious person.

He doesn't care even his son, a child, a devotee. "Oh, this boy must be tortured. This boy must be tortured because he is Kṛṣṇa conscious." "This man must be crucified because he is preaching God consciousness." This is the nature of envious persons. More dangerous. Therefore their killing is the pleasure for the saintly person. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was glad that his father was killed. So tatrāha vṛścikādeḥ parapadraka kariṇā anyathaiva jātinā kutra vadhena tasyaiva tad bhadraṁ jātam. It is good for it, because he is stopped creating nuisance. Creating. If he's stopped, then it is a great benefit for him, because his nature is to become envious and torture others.

Therefore to kill such person is a great welfare act for him. Tad bhadraṁ yatram eti and sādhur api modeta. And sādhu, saintly persons, are also glad. Tarhi bahūnāṁ sukhāvahaṁ tam amuṁ krodhaṁ na tyajāmi ceti prāha lokāś ca nirmitteḥ prakta-śānti-pratinirjanti saṁhāra pratīkṣante.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting, "Now, my Lord, Your business is finished, and by Your this action, all saintly persons are pleased. So You can become now peaceful."

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyānti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

(SB 7.9.14)

"Now people are praying that Nṛsiṁha-deva, Nṛsiṁha-deva is to protect the devotees." Just like a lion. A lion is ferocious to other animals, but he is not ferocious to the cubs. He's very affectionate father, mother, although it is lion. So the cubs, they haven't got to be afraid of the lion.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that, "My dear Lord, I am not asking You to be peaceful. Don't think that I have become afraid of You." He's so confident. "He is my Lord." He has come in the appearance, in this ghastly appearance, half lion and so big, and He's groaning like anything. So he knows that, "He is my Lord. He's same Kṛṣṇa."

nārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati

(SB 6.17.28)

One who is elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not disturbed in the greatest . . . facing greatest danger.

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthite na duḥkhena

guruṇāpi vicālyate

(BG 6.20-23)

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that if one is perfectly situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his condition will be like this, that yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. Achieving that stage, he'll forget for any other profit. We are hankering after profit, profit after profit. I have got so much money, I want to make it double. When it is double I want to make it ten times. When it is ten times, I'll make it hundred times. Go on increasing. The civilization is increasing.

Formerly, people were satisfied if they could build one . . . construct one brick house, kota bari. Now they are not satisfied with kota bari, or brick house; they want to make it hundred- or two hundred-, five-hundred-storied house. And when they'll build, construct five-hundred-storied house, they'll think of thousand-storied house. This is the nature. This is the nature. So lābha. Everyone is hankering after more profit, more profit, more profit. But if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is satisfied.

Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce

(CC Madhya 22.42).

Dhruva Mahārāja said, "My dear Lord . . ." Here also you'll see. It was in the previous . . . when Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered to take benediction from the Lord, he refused. He said that, "My Lord, I am not a merchant that I am Your devotee for some material gain." This will be explained.

So a devotee who is in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is satisfied with that consciousness only. Ahaitukī. He has no other reason: "Oh, I am trying to become Kṛṣṇa conscious because I want such and such thing." He has no demand. Simple that consciousness is sufficient. It is so pleasing. It is so satisfying that yasmin sthite, if one is actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate (BG 6.20-23). Just see the Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is . . . so devastating incidences are taking place, when all the demigods have become afraid and his father is killed and very ghastly appearance and the lion form incarnation of the Lord is groaning. But he is not afraid. He's not at all afraid. Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate (BG 6.20-23).

So next verse will be discussed sometime later on, because I am leaving this place tomorrow. So tomorrow, of course, Rādhāṣṭami, we shall have meetings in daytime. And . . . of course, those devotees are present, please come tomorrow, Rādhāṣṭami. Try to understand the Rādhā's position in relation to Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. Try to understand it in so many ways.

We have got immense literature. If lifelong we try to understand, there is sufficient stock. It is not hackneyed. You'll get nava-navāyaman. Newer and newer things you'll get, experience. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. And the more and more you get relish in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your transcendental pleasure becomes more and more appreciated. It is so nice. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, ambudhi . . . ambudhi means ocean. In the ordinary course, the ocean does not increase. If ocean would have increased, then there would . . . so many towns would have been washed away. Sometimes it happens, of course, temporarily. But anandāmbudhi. The spiritual ocean is so nice that it increases, and the enjoyer of that ānanda, he also increases.

Bṛhaṇatyāt. Brahman life is that bṛhatya-bṛhaṇatyāt. It is the greatest; still, it has the potency of expanding more and more. It is very inconceivable. If something is the greatest, superlative, then what is beyond superlative? Still, there is beyond superlative. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam (CC Antya 20.12). So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so nice, transcendental literature that anywhere you sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, as the Gosvāmīs used to do it . . . nāma-gana-naṭibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtau (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 6). They were passing their time chanting, dancing, and reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, writing on it. So far the bodily necessities are concerned, they were not very important things for them. They forgot. Spiritual life is so nice.

So fortunately, one of our student, he has taken a very large tract of land in West Virginia to develop a society like that, that simple life, eat simple things—grains, vegetables, fruits, milk—and save your time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be implicated in the ugra-karma. Modern civilization is implicated in ugra-karma—vast machinery, everything complicated: the government complicated, the society complicated, economics rule complicated, foreign exchange complicated. Everything has become complicated.

So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung very nice song, sat-saṅga chāri kainu asate vilās, ei kāraṇe lāgila more karma bandha-phāṅsa. Because we have given up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we have been entangled in the different varieties of material activities. Now we have to simplify it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to simplify, to save the valuable life, to save the time of valuable life. This human form of life is very valuable. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births we have got this important life. So we have to save our time to utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That should . . .

So far we have got this material body, we want to maintain it. The life and . . . the body and souls live together. That is all right. For that, Kṛṣṇa has given every chance. Anywhere you sit down, you have got land and cow. You produce something, and cow's milk, that is sufficient for maintenance.

So let us try to make an attempt to organize a New Vrindaban scheme, and I shall request all my students to develop this idea and show a good example to this Western part of the world where people are always engaged in ugra-karma, asuric-karma. Things are becoming very implicated, complicated.

Thank you very much. Any question? (break)

Young man: Should we always have the Lord do all our defending for us?

Prabhupāda: He's always defending, but you should not be idle. It does not mean "Because God is defending, therefore we shall stop our work." No. Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna that "You have to fight, but at the same time think of Me, Kṛṣṇa conscious." You have to fight. Just other people are fighting with all circumstances, we have to fight also, but we must have faith that Kṛṣṇa will save. Not that "We depend on Kṛṣṇa. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa will do the act. Let me sleep." No. Karmāṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana (BG 2.47).

You have to act according to the rules, and so far the result is concerned, leave it to Kṛṣṇa.

Nanda-kiśora: If the spiritual master gives you any instruction, should we look upon that as the same as . . . (indistinct) . . . life?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Nanda-kiśora: It wouldn't be . . . how would we know if it's māyā or not?

Prabhupāda: Ask your spiritual master. He will answer you. Why you in māyā while your spiritual master is physically present? You can ask. If there is any question, you can ask. . . (break) . . . yourself in doubt. Everything should be cleared.

Gargamuni: You said we're not supposed to tolerate any blaspheming of the Lord, not of His name or in any way. How are we supposed to not tolerate this? It happens where I work, people are sometimes blaspheming His name as a matter of course. How do you not tolerate? How do you . . .?

Prabhupāda: The demons will always do that. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Pradyumna: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Pradyumna: (indistinct) . . . be done for Kṛṣṇa, not your own.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You remember Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The rule is that when there is blasphemy, there are three kinds of activities. First thing is that one who is blaspheming, you should argue and defeat him by your arguments, by your evidences. If you are unable to do that, then you should die.

That is the injunction. And if you are unable to do that, then you should go away from that place. That's all. Three things. First of all, you should fight with him. Then if you are unable to fight, then you should die. And if you are not able to die, then leave that place and go away.

Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Yes?

Jayapatākā: Can you explain Śrī Rādhā's appearance day?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tomorrow. Mataji kal aayiyega. (Mataji, please come tomorrow.) (break) (end)