710731 - Lecture BS 5.35 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

710731BS-NEW YORK - July 31, 1971 - 38:12 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35)

Eko 'py asau, that Govinda, by His one expansion of plenary portion, eko 'py asau, that expansion is meant for creating this material world. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Not one universe, but billions of universes. As you see within this universe there are millions and trillions of planets, similarly, there are millions and trillions of universes. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. So in each universe Govinda enters, then it becomes developed.

Just like the matter created by the male and female, the jīva soul enters and then the body develops. Similarly, this material matter has no power of developing. Govinda enters into the matter, and therefore the universe develops. It is very easy to understand. Simply matter, combination of matter, cannot produce any development. Govinda.

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣ . . .

Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham

(Bs 5.35)

So Govinda is . . . the atomic theory that combination of atom, paramāṇu vāda, is this material world, but we say that within the atom there is Govinda.

Aṇor aṇīyan mahato mahīyān. Govinda is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is Govinda. Aṇḍānta . . . we cannot imagine; we cannot see even atoms with your naked eyes. Unless six atoms combine together, you cannot see. One atom we cannot see. Paramāṇu, aṇu paramāṇu. If six paramāṇu combines in, one becomes atom. There are so minute divisions. So:

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35).

So we worship . . . Brahmā says, tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I am worshiping that Supreme Personality of Godhead," and we are disciplic succession from Brahmā; therefore our process is to follow the footsteps of ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said for making progress in knowledge, one has to worship ācārya, ācāryopāsanam. So by paramparā system we follow.

How Govinda enters, that doesn't matter. We do not bother about that thing. That is not our business. How Govinda enters in the atom, that is not our business. Our ācārya says, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham: He enters. We accept. That's all. Our business is finished.

This is Vedic way of understanding. We take knowledge from the authority and do not bother unnecessarily speculating. We don't waste our time in that way. Our time is very valuable. Instead of researching how Govinda enters in the atom, we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, utilize that time. So this line is very nice. Every knowledge is perfect there from the disciplic succession. You take it and be advanced. That's all. We don't bother much.

Just like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. You know, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great scholar and . . . Māyāvādī scholar, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him surrender unto Him. He became Caitanya Mahāprabhu's admirer, follower, after being defeated in Vedānta-sūtra understanding. That story is there in the TLC. (Teachings of Lord Caitanya)

So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He wrote hundred verses about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of two verses are available in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He composed—he was a very learned scholar—he composed one hundred verses about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and handed it over. But in all those verses he admitted that, "You are Kṛṣṇa."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course He was very much pleased that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya understood, but because He was playing the part of an ācārya, He, externally He became, "What you have written all these things?" He immediately torn out and throw it away. But the devotees saved only two. That two verses are there:

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī (kṛṣṇa) caitanya mahāprabhu (śarīra-dhāri)

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

(CC Madhya 6.254)

You'll find that verse that, "You are the same Śrī Kṛṣṇa. You have come to teach us vairāgya-vidyā." Vairāgya-vidyā means how to become unattached with this material world. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. Because our . . . we are accepting different types of body on account of our attachment. Because we are attached to this material world, we want to enjoy. That is illusion. We cannot enjoy, we are simply suffering, but we are accepting it as enjoyment.

Just like these karmīs. It is very distinctly visible wherever you go, so many congested work. All buses and cars are running; there are so many luggages being loaded in the street. Bharam udvahato (SB 7.9.43). Great humbug, you see. Great humbug. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Actually they are taking so much la . . . I mean to say, trouble for loading these big, big cases, but because they're getting say 40 dollar say a day, they say . . . think, "I am enjoying. I am enjoying."

Actually he's working so hard, just like ass or hogs, day and night, but because getting some money, and with that money because he is gratifying his senses, he thinks, "I am happy." This is illusion. Illusion. He does not know what is a real happiness for a second. The illusory material world happiness means sex life, that's all. How long does it stay? Say for minutes. But they're working so hard. This is called illusion. Actually he is being killed, but he thinks that "I am enjoying." This is illusion. Opposite.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was very much sympathetic that, that "I am simply anxious for these rascals who have created a humbug civilization for temporary happiness," māyā-sukhāya. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They have created ugra karma. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ugra karma. Huge factory, day and night melting iron, and they are working, working. The special technologists, getting some money, they're happy. They do not know how they're wasting their valuable life.

This is called māyā. Why so much work? Why you are working so hard? Do you think if you get hundred dollars per day you can eat more capātīs than myself? (laughter) Rascal does not know that he will eat the same number of capātīs, four or five or six, but he'll work so hard. So we are the best intelligent class. We don't work, but we get our capātīs. (laughter) Let the rascal work, and we get our capātīs. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhan (SB 7.9.43).

So people sometimes envy us. Gargamuni was telling in Los Angeles that this . . . some dealers, neighboring dealers, they were asking, "How you get money? You are living in such a nice place and you are eating so nice. Where you get money?" They are envious. So I told Gargamuni that, "Why don't you ask them to come and join? You also eat and dance. Why you are working so hard?" That will . . . they'll not do. You see? This is māyā. This is māyā. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that, "The whole country or the city, whole men, let them . . . let them come here. I shall provide them with food. But they will not do."

So māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommending that happiness, material happiness also, is due to pious activities. Unless you are pious, you cannot be happy, even materially. And if you simply commit sins, Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed—you will read in the Nectar of Devotion—that distress is due to ignorance, simply ignorance. The distress and happiness . . . actually you can see those who are not educated fairly, they cannot get any good job. Therefore it is . . . his distress is due to less, poor fund of knowledge.

So actually our distress is due to ignorance, and in ignorance only we commit sinful activities. Therefore our topics began that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam (SB 6.1.11). We are trying to move the ignorance of the people; therefore we are giving the best service to the human society. We are simply trying to remove the ignorance. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), we are trying to polish, or cleanse, the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as the heart is cleansed, the heart that . . .

Now I am indifferent conscious. I am thinking that, "I am American," "I am Indian," or "I am this," "I am that." "I have to work, I have got business." So many you have created. But our process is . . .

(aside) What is that?

Our process is to cleanse the heart, that you are nothing of this; you are simply eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. You engage yourself as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and become happy. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). And because we are ignorant of our constitutional position we have created all these problems.

Actually there is no problem. Exactly the same example . . . (coughs) . . . just like at night in dream we create so many problems, but actually there is no problem. But dreaming that, "I am in such-and-such position. I am being harassed," "Somebody is taking my money," "Somebody is pinching me," so many things . . . "I am in the front of tiger," "There is ghost," "There is so many things . . ." So these problems, actually there is no problem, but by dreaming he is creating, mental. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ, Veda says that this puruṣa, the ātmā, the soul, has no connection with all these things.

So we have created, by material association, so many problems. So the whole process is how to cleanse this dreaming condition of life. That is possible. First of all Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended that tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena da (SB 6.1.13-14) . . . gradually you have to go. Generally this is the process. First process is those who are grossly ignorant: for them atonement. "You have done this mistake? All right, you atone for this." But they'll commit again. Therefore the next stage, the karmīs, karmīs are grossly ignorant, unnecessarily working so hard, karmīs, to get some material result out of it. They are called karmīs.

And next prāyaścitta vimarsanam (SB 6.1.11), those who are a little advanced in knowledge, they think that, "I am making atonement, again committing the same thing. I am getting medicine from the physician; again I am being infected by the same disease. How long this business will go on?" When one comes to this discussion within himself, then he's little farther advanced than this, these rascal karmīs.

And above them, those who are bhaktas. Karmī, jñānī, bhakta. Yogī comes to the jñānī platform. Karmī, jñānī, yogī and bhakta. So a bhakta can be peaceful; others cannot. The karmīs cannot be peaceful, the jñānīs cannot be peaceful, the yogīs cannot be peaceful. Only the bhaktas, they can be peaceful. Why? Because everyone except the bhakta, śuddha-bhakta, pure, has desire.

A śuddha-bhakta has no desire. They are simply happy by serving Kṛṣṇa. They do not want to know Kṛṣṇa even. Whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, they don't bother. They want to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all, whatever Kṛṣṇa may be. Not that because Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent, God, all-pervasive, Nārāyaṇa . . . (indistinct) . . . no, no. In Vṛndāvana they did not know, the cowherds boy, the gopīs, they did not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or something else, but they were too much inclined to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That was their position. They were not Vedāntist, they are not yogīs, they are not karmīs—village girls, boys. They wanted to see Kṛṣṇa happy, that's all. That is their position. This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

Yogīs, jñānīs, they are trying to understand God, but they do not know they are in illusion. They're in illusion. So far karmīs are concerned, they're in illusion, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They're fools and rascals, because for illusory happiness for a moment, they are working so hard. Therefore they are rascal number one. They cannot . . . how they can have peace? There is no question.

And next, the jñānīs. Jñānīs, they want to get relief from this hard work of this material world. Brahmā satyaṁ jagat mithyā. They reject this material world. Mithyā, false. We have no, nothing to deal. That is little higher than the karmīs, because the karmīs—they have taken this material world as everything, "Here we shall be happy." Their dharma means, "How we shall live peacefully here in this material world." Their religion means. I've talked with so many, their religion means to make a peaceful atmosphere within this material world. But the rascals do not know that it has been tried for millions of years for making this world peaceful—it has never happened. And never it will happen.

How it will happen? This place is meant for giving you troubles and miseries. Kṛṣṇa says, the Creator says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15): "This is a place simply for suffering, and that also temporary. You cannot make an agreement, "All right, let me suffer the threefold miseries. I will stay here." That also will not be allowed. You cannot stay. You cannot stay. You will be kicked out. You make your good bank balance, skyscraper house, and wife, children, cigarette, wine, liquor, "I am living very peaceful." That's all right. But one day comes, "Please get out." (laughter)

"Why? It is my house, I have got bank balance. I have got everything. I have got factory. Why shall I get out?" "Yes, you get out. Don't talk, get out." (laughter) That day he sees God. "Oh, I did not believe in God. Now here is God, making everything finished." Everything finished. Sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34), Kṛṣṇa says that, "I am God for the demons when I take away everything from them at the time of death. You do not believe God? All right, here I am. Today I am here. I have come to you to take away everything, whatever you have got. Now get out!" They will see God on that day.

Acha, why not see God here, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Why you want to see God . . .? Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda's seeing God, and Hiraṇyakaśipu is seeing God by death. And Prahlāda is seeing God, "Oh, here is my Lord." So those who are challenging that, "Whether you can show me God?" they will see God like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Everyone will see God, but one who is sane, one who knows that, "I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, God. He loves me. My duty is to love. He is so much kind that even I do not . . . even though I do not love Him, still He gives me food. He gives me fruits, flowers, grains. Whatever I want, God is supplying." Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). You cannot manufacture.

So Kṛṣṇa . . . God is so kind that He is supplying food to the atheist also. But the atheist has no knowledge that, "Wherefrom I am getting my foodstuff?" That is ignorance. So therefore they are committing so many sinful activities. It is due to ignorance, nothing but ignorance. Atheist means in gross ignorance, that's all. Otherwise any person who is honest, he can see God everywhere, always.

Just like Kṛṣṇa says: "Try to understand Me. Try to under . . . try to see Me everywhere." How? Now, first of all He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, "I am the taste of the water." So when you are thirsty, you require a glass of water, drink it, and when you feel happy, you understand that this quenching power of this water is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa realization. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So as soon as there is sunrise, you see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sunshine. I am the moonshine."

So why don't you try to see Kṛṣṇa? In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, there is a big list. Just like Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the lion amongst the animals." Because He took the shape of a lion, Hiraṇyakaśipu, eternal shape. "I am the banyan tree," so many things Kṛṣṇa has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So in the beginning, if one is not fortunate enough to see Kṛṣṇa, although He is sitting in this temple, let him see Kṛṣṇa in this way. If he's not fortunate to come here and to see Kṛṣṇa, take prasādam and dance in ecstasy, then let his unfortunate condition be diminished by seeing Kṛṣṇa in water, in sunshine, in moonshine, in this and that.

Kṛṣṇa is visible, but Kṛṣṇa is visible to the devotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25), "I am not exposed to everyone," yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ, "covered by the curtain of yoga-māyā." But those who have developed love of Kṛṣṇa, for them, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). One who has developed love of Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa within his heart twenty-four hours.

So it is very nice proposition, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please take to it. We are canvassing. We are sending our devotees to the street, begging, "Please come to our temple, be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is our business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it. Go door to door, even at the risk of life, and ask these rascals to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Māyā-sukhāya. Because they're, they're thinking, "Oh, we are very happy." Illusion. The happiness will be finished within a second. As soon as death will come, finished.

But one can say that, "Death will come to you also." "Yes, that's all right." "Then why do you distinguish my death and your death?" "Yes, because you do not know where you are going, but I know where I am going, that is the difference." "How do you know?" "Kṛṣṇa says." "What does He say?" Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, one has served Kṛṣṇa sincerely and seriously, he is not going to come again to take any material body. Then where does he go? Oh, mām eti, "He comes to Me."

So how you can go to Kṛṣṇa unless you have got a body like Kṛṣṇa? Yes, that is the position. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), īśvara . . . (indistinct) . . . just like you cannot enter into fire without being fire. Similarly, next life for the devotees is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, eternal body, blissful life, dancing with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance—you have seen the picture—like the gopīs, like the cowherds boys. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that these boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: for many millions of years they simply accumulated pious results of their activities.

The Bhagavad-gītā also says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28), one . . . he, one who is simply free from all reaction of sinful life, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. How it is possible? Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Those who are simply engaged in pious activities, the sinful activity cannot touch him. That is natural. If you are engaged in some type of activities, you are not engaged in other activity; you cannot do. Similarly, if you simply engage yourself in pious activities, the reaction of sinful activities cannot touch you. Yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām te, such persons, dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, they're released from the duality, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ.

So you are engaged in that business. There is no scope of sinful reaction in your life, provided you follow the four principles—no intoxication, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling—these four items, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, sixteen rounds. Is it very difficult? And here is Kṛṣṇa's certificate. So do it, rigidly, and be happy.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

Devotee: Can I ask a question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? We've got a great desire to distribute Back to Godhead magazines. We've got such a great desire. We want to distribute a lot of Back to Godheads, more and more Back to Godheads.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Devotee: We wonder, perhaps you could advise us.

Prabhupāda: So, so what do you want? That desire is nice, that's all. Either you distribute or not distribute, keep that desire. That's all. (laughter)

What is this? Open It. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. (break) (end)