730422 - Lecture SB 01.08.30 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

730422SB-LOS ANGELES - April 22, 1973 - 49:18 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (leads singing of Jaya rādhā-mādhava)

(prema-dhvāṇī prayers) Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

janma karma ca viśvātmann

ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ

tiryaṅ-nṟṣiṣu yādaḥsu

tad atyanta-viḍambanam

(SB 1.8.30)

Prabhupāda: Now ladies. (ladies chant) That's it. Now word meaning.

Pradyumna: janma—birth; karma—activity; ca—and; viśva-ātman—O soul of the universe; ajasya—of the unborn; akartuḥ—of the inactive; ātmanaḥ—of the vital energy; tiryak—animal; nṛ—human being; ṛṣiṣu—in the sages; yādaḥsu—in the water; tat—that; atyanta—veritable; viḍambanam—bewildering.

Translation: "Of course it is bewildering, O Soul of the Universe, that You work, though You are inactive, that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily this is bewildering."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is addressed here as Viśvātman, the vital force of the universe. Just like in my body, in your body, that there is a vital force. The vital force is the ātmā, the living being, living entity or soul. So because the vital force, the soul, is there, the whole body is working.

So similarly, there is the supreme vital force. Supreme vital force is Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore where is the question of His taking birth, appearance and disappearance? In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam means it is spiritual. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā (BG 4.6). Aja means unborn; avyayātmā, without any destruction. So Kṛṣṇa is existing as, in the beginning of this stotra, Kuntī addressed Kṛṣṇa that, "You are within, You are without—still invisible." Kṛṣṇa is within, without. That we have explained. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Therefore He is within everything. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). He, He is within the atom even, and without also.

Viśvarūpa, as Kṛṣṇa showed, the Viśvarūpa, external feature, this gigantic cosmic manifestation . . . that is Kṛṣṇa's external body. These are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The, the hills, the mountains, they are described as the bones. Just like we have got in our body some part raised by the bones, similarly these big, big mountains and hills, they have been described as the bones. And these big, big oceans, they have been described as different holes in the body, down and up. Similarly, the Brahmaloka is the skull, upper skull.

So one who cannot see God, they have been advised to see God in so many ways. These are the instruction in the Vedic literature. Because you can simply conceive of God, the great, the greatness . . . you also do not know how great He is. So in your conception of greatness . . . just like the very high mountains, the sky, the big, big planet. So the description is there. You can think of. That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If you think that, "This mountain is the bone of Kṛṣṇa," that is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually that is so. If you think that this big Pacific Ocean is the navel of Kṛṣṇa, these big, big trees, plants, they are hairs in the body of Kṛṣṇa. Then the head, the skull of Kṛṣṇa, is the Brahmaloka. The sole is the Pātālaloka. Similarly . . . this is mahato mahīyān. When you think of Kṛṣṇa as the greater than the greatest, you can think like this. And if you think Kṛṣṇa is both—smaller than the smallest—that is also greatness. That is also greatness. Kṛṣṇa can manufacture this gigantic cosmic manifestation, and He can manufacture also a small insect, smaller than the point.

You have seen sometimes in the book you'll find one insect is running. The shape is smaller than the full stop. This is Kṛṣṇa's craftsmanship. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20). He can create bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. Now human being, according to their conception, they have manufactured the 747 aeroplane, supposed to be very big. All right, according to your consciousness, you have produced something big. But can you produce a small aeroplane like insect flying? That is not possible. Therefore greatness means that who can become greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. That is greatness.

If you can act one-sided . . . that is also not perfectly. Supposing you can manufacture still more bigger. I don't think that the modern age they have manufactured the biggest. We get information from Bhāgavatam, Kardama Muni, the father of Kapiladeva, he manufactured a plane, a big city—a big city with lakes, with gardens, with big, big houses, street. And the whole city was flying all over the universe. And Kardama Muni showed to his wife all the planets. All the planets.

He was a big yogī, and his wife, Devahūti, was Vaivasvata Manu's daughter, very big king's daughter. So Kardama Muni wanted to marry, desired. So immediately Vaivasvata Manu . . . his daughter, Devahūti, she also said: "My dear father, I want to marry that sage." So she (he) brought the daughter, "Sir, here is my daughter. You accept her as your wife." So she was king's daughter, very opulent, but coming to her husband she had to serve so much that she became lean and thin, not sufficient food, and working day and night.

So Kardama Muni became little compassionate that, "This woman has come to me. She is king's daughter, and in my protection she is not getting any comfort. So I shall give her some comfort." She (he) asked wife, "How you'll be comfortable?" So woman's nature is a good house, good food, good dress and good children and good husband. This is woman's ambition. So he proved himself that the best husband she has got. So she (he) first of all gave her all opulences—big, big house, maidservants, opulence—and then this airplane was manufactured by him, yogic process.

Kardama Muni, he was a human being. If he could perform such wonderful thing by yogic process . . . and Kṛṣṇa is the yogeśvara, the master of the all yogic mystic power. Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as Yogeśvara. A little mystic power, when we get, we become so big, important man. And now He's the master of all yogic mystic power. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that wherever Yogeśvara Hari, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all mystic power is there, and where there is Dhanurdhara Arjuna, Pārtha, so everything is there. Everything is there.

So we should remember this, that if you can keep yourself always in company with Kṛṣṇa, then all perfection is there. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ. All perfection is there. And Kṛṣṇa has agreed especially in this age, nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa-avatāra (CC Adi 17.22). Kṛṣṇa has incarnated in this age as the holy name. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that, "My dear Lord, You are so kind that You are giving me Your association by . . . in the form of Your holy name." Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ (CC Antya 20.16, Śikṣāṣṭaka 2). "And this holy name can be chanted in any situation. There is no hard-and-fast rule." You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa anywhere.

Just like these children: they also chant, they also dance. It is not at all difficult. While walking, just like our students, they take the beads. They're walking on the sea beach, still chanting. Where is the loss? But the gain is so great, that we are associating with Kṛṣṇa personally. The gain is so much. If you feel very much proud . . . if you are associating personally with President Nixon, how much proud you feel, "Oh, I am with President Nixon." So will you not feel very much proud if you are associating the supreme Nixon, who can create millions of Nixon? (laughter)

So this is your opportunity. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "My dear Lord, You are so kind upon me that You are giving Your association always, constantly. You are prepared. You are giving." Durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ. "But I am so unfortunate, I am not taking advantage of it." Durdaiva. Misfortune. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply requesting people, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

There was a caricature picture in some paper—perhaps you remember—from Montreal or here, I don't remember. One old lady and her husband, sitting face to face. The lady is requesting the husband, "Chant, chant, chant." And the husband is answering, "Can't, can't, can't." (laughter) So this is going on. We are requesting everyone, "Please chant, chant, chant." And they are replying, "Can't, can't." This is their misfortune. This is their misfortune.

So still it is our duty to make all these misfortunate, unfortunate creatures fortunate. That is our mission. We therefore go in the street and chant. Although they say: "Can't," we go on chanting. That is our business. And somehow or other we push on some literature in his hand, he is becoming fortunate. He would have squandered his hard-earned money in so many nasty, sinful ways, and if he purchases one book, never mind what is the price, his money is properly utilized.

The beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Because he is giving some money, hard-earned money, for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is getting some spiritual profit. He's not losing. He's getting some spiritual profit. Therefore our business is, somehow or other, bring everyone in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. He will be profited.

So this business is going on not only in the human society. Kṛṣṇa's plan is so great that . . . that Kṛṣṇa appeared as human being, or as Lord Kṛṣṇa, not everyone knew that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was dealing just like ordinary human being. Not ordinary. When there was need, He proved Himself the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But generally He was known as ordinary human being.

Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing Kṛṣṇa in a description when He was playing with the cowherd boy, Kṛṣṇa. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is pointing out who is this cowherd boy. He said, itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā, satām. The impersonalists, they are meditating upon the impersonal Brahman and feeling some transcendental bliss. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī says the source of that transcendental bliss is here, Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything. Therefore the transcendental bliss which the impersonalists try to experience by meditating upon impersonal Brahman, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā (SB 10.12.11).

Brahma-sukha, the transcendental bliss of realization of Brahman. Dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. Here is the person who is the source of brahma-sukha and dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena (SB 10.12.11). Dāsyaṁ gatānām means devotees. A devotee is always prepared to render service to the Lord. Dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena, Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is the source of brahma-sukha; here is the original Personality of Godhead. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: and those who are under the spell of illusory energy, for them He is ordinary boy.

So He is, according to the conception, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If Kṛṣṇa is taken as ordinary boy, human being, Kṛṣṇa will deal with him as ordinary human being. If Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee will enjoy the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if the impersonalists are very much fond of brahmajyoti, He's the source. So therefore He's everything: brahmeti, paramātmeti, bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

So with such exalted Personality of Godhead, these boys are playing. How, why, how they have been so much fortunate to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

(SB 10.12.11)

These boys, cowherd boys, now who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, they're also not ordinary. They have got now the highest perfection, that they have been able to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How they have achieved this position? Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: many, many lives' pious activities. Because these boys for many, many lives underwent austerities, penances to achieve the highest perfection of life, now they have got the opportunity, playing with Kṛṣṇa personally on equal level. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is vṛndāvana-līlā. The cowherds boy, they simply love Kṛṣṇa. Their love is unending.

Everyone in Vṛndāvana. Just like Yaśodā-mātā or Nanda Mahārāja. They are in paternal affection with Kṛṣṇa. So the father and mother love Kṛṣṇa, the friends love Kṛṣṇa, the girlfriend, they love Kṛṣṇa, the trees love Kṛṣṇa, the water love Kṛṣṇa, the flower, the cows, the calves—everyone loves Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So if we simply learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, then we can create immediately this world as Vṛndāvana. Immediately. This is the only central point: how to love Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Ādi 1.90). People are after these four things, dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu disregarded this. "This is not achievement of life." Of course, a human being . . . human life does not begin unless there is conception of religion, dharma. But at the present moment, in the Kali-yuga, dharma is practically nil. So according to Vedic calculation, the present human civilization, they are not even human being. Because there is no dharma. There is no religion. No morality. No pious activities. Do not care. Everyone can do anything without caring.

Formerly there was morality, immorality; irreligious, religious. But with the progress of Kali-yuga, everything is being vanquished. It is stated in the Kali-yuga about eighty percent people, they are sinful, all sinful. And we can practically see. The sinful list we have given, the four principle: illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life.

Therefore we request our student first of all break these four pillars, so the roof of sinful life will collapse. Then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; you remain fixed up in transcendental position. Simple method. Because one cannot realize God if his life is sinful. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Anta-gatam means finished. One who has finished sinful life, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām (BG 7.28).

Who can finish sinful life? Who are engaged in pious activities. Because one must have activities, engagement. So if one is engaged in pious activities, naturally his sinful activities will vanish. One side, voluntarily he should try to break the pillars of sinful life. Another side, he must engage himself in pious life. Simply theoretically one cannot, because everyone must have some engagement. If he has no pious engagement, then simply theoretically he will not be able.

For example, practical, your government is spending millions of dollars for stopping this intoxication. Everyone knows. But the government has failed. How simply by law or by lecturing you can make them without LSD or intoxication? That is not possible. You must give them good engagement. Then it will be automatically . . . and practically you see that our students who come here, we instruct, "No intoxication," immediately given up. And the government has failed. This is practical.

Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you don't give somebody good engagement, you cannot stop his bad engagements. That is not possible. Therefore we are giving two side—good engagements, at the same time prohibition. We simply don't say that, "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no, no . . ." Simply negative is no meaning. There must be something positive. Because everyone wants engagement. That is because we are living entity. We are not dead stone.

The other philosophers, they are trying to become dead stone by meditation: "Let me think of void, impersonalism." The . . . artificially how you can make it void? Your heart, your mind is full of activities. So these are artificial things. This will not help the human society. The so-called yoga, so-called meditation, they are all rascaldom. Because there is no engagement. Here there is engagement. Here everyone is engaged to rise early in the morning for offering ārātrika to the Deity. They are preparing nice food. They are decorating, making garland—so many engagements. They are going for saṅkīrtana party, they are canvassing for selling books. Twenty-four hours engagement. Therefore they're able to give up this sinful life. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate.

Just like . . . the, everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like in hospital. In hospital there are many patients, they are not eating anything on the Ekādaśī day. Does it mean that is observing Ekādaśī? (chuckles) He is simply hankering after, "When I shall eat, when I shall eat, when I shall eat?" But these students, they voluntarily don't eat anything. We, we don't say that you don't eat anything; some fruits, some flowers, that's all. So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Just like a child. He has got in his hand something he's eating, and if you give him better thing, he will throw away the inferior thing and will take that better thing. So here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this better engagement, better life, better philosophy, better consciousness, everything better. Therefore they can give up the sinful activities of life, and that will promote to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So these activities are going on not only in the human society; the animal society also—animal society, aquatic—because everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, sons. So they are rotting in this material world. So Kṛṣṇa has a plan, a big plan to deliver them. Personally He comes. Sometimes He sends His very confidential devotee. Sometimes He comes Himself. Sometimes He leaves instructions like Bhagavad-gītā.

The whole propaganda is going on. Therefore it is said here, tiryaṅ nṛ . . . tiryaṅ nṛ ṛṣiṣu. Everywhere Kṛṣṇa's incarnation is there. Yādaḥsu. Aquatics also. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as the fish incarnation. Tad atyanta-viḍambanam (SB 1.8.30).

So Kṛṣṇa's disappearance and appearance, His taking birth, these are all bewildering. It is not that . . . we are forced to take birth. We are, we are, we living entities, conditioned soul, we are transmigrating from one body to another, being forced by the laws of nature. But Kṛṣṇa does not appear by being forced by the laws of nature. That is the difference. Therefore those who are foolish rascals, they think that, "I have taken my birth in this world, and Kṛṣṇa has also taken. Therefore I am also God." They, they do not know that you have to take birth by the force of laws of nature. You have been given the chance of very nice body, beautiful body, as American boys and girls, educated, with opulence. If you misuse it, then you are going to get another body according to your mentality.

Just like at the present moment, in spite of so much arrangement by the government, nice school, nice university, colleges, but they are producing hippies. They're so much frustrated. So they are now worshiping hog. Is it not? So what is the next? Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). If you associate with the hog's quality, then you are going to become a hog. Nature will give you full opportunity, "All right, sir, you become a hog." Nature's arrangement is like . . . prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. Prakṛti, nature, has got three modes of nature, and as soon as you associate with one type of modes, you get the next body according to that.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa's this plan of appearance and disappearance, they are to be very gravely understood. Not that whimsically Kṛṣṇa has come. He has got a great plan. Otherwise why He should come here? He is very much eager to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. Therefore He says:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi . . .

(BG 18.66)

He is giving assurance, "My dear . . ." Every one of us, we are children of Kṛṣṇa, God. So He is more unhappy. Because we are unhappy on account of this material body, we are undergoing repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is not very comfortable situation. But we are so fool, rascal, that we do not take care of this. We are busy for a temporary comfort of this life. But we are neglecting the real discomforts of life—birth, death, old age and disease. This is our ignorance. This is our foolishness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol. (end)