730423 - Lecture SB 01.08.31 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

730423SB-LOS ANGELES - April 23, 1973 - 40:15 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)

gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad

yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam

vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya

sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti

(SB 1.8.31)

Prabhupāda: Now ladies. Ladies. (women devotees chant) That's all right. Now word meaning.

Pradyumna: gopī—the cowherd lady (Yaśodā); ādade—took up; tvayi—on You; kṛta-āgasi—creating disturbances (by breaking the butter pot); dāma—rope; tāvat—at that time; yā—that which; te—Your; daśā—situation; aśru-kalila—overflooded with tears; añjana—ointment; sambhrama—perturbed; akṣam—eyes; vaktram—face; ninīya—downwards; bhaya-bhāvanayā—by thoughts of fear; sthitasya—of the situation; sā—that; mām—me; vimohayati—bewilders; bhīḥ api—even fear personified; yat—whom; bibheti—be afraid off.

Translation: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me."

Prabhupāda: This is also another opulence of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full with six kinds of opulences. So this opulence is beauty, beauty opulence. Kṛṣṇa has got six opulences—all riches, all strength, all influence, all knowledge, all beauty, all renunciation. So this is the opulence of Kṛṣṇa's beauty.

Kṛṣṇa wants everyone . . . just like we are, we are offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa with awe and veneration. But nobody comes here to Kṛṣṇa with a rope: "Kṛṣṇa, You are offender. I shall bind You." Nobody comes. That is the another prerogative of the most perfect devotee. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Because He's full of opulence . . . this is also another opulence. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20). The greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is opulence.

So Kuntīdevī is thinking of Kṛṣṇa's opulence, but he (she) did not dare to take the part of Yaśodā. That is not possible. Although Kuntīdevī happened to be aunt of Kṛṣṇa, but she had no such privilege. This privilege is especially given to Yaśodāmāyi, because she's so advanced devotee that she has got the right to chastise the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is special prerogative. So Kuntīdevī was simply thinking of the privilege of Yaśodāmāyi, that how much fortunate and how much privileged she was that she could threaten the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is feared even by the fear personified. Bhīr api yad bibheti (SB 1.8.31). Who is not afraid of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone. But Kṛṣṇa is afraid of Yaśodāmāyi. This is the super excellence of Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Kṛṣṇa's another name is Madana-mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone. Cupid. And Kṛṣṇa enchants Cupid. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. He's so beautiful that even Cupid is enchanted by Him. But again, on the other side, Kṛṣṇa, although He's so beautiful that He enchants the Cupid, still He is enchanted by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's name is Madana-mohana-mohinī. Kṛṣṇa is the enchanter of the Cupid, and Rādhārāṇī is the enchanter of the . . . that enchanter. So these are very high-grade spiritual understanding in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not fiction or imagination, concoction. They are facts. They are facts. And every devotee can have such privileges if he is actually advanced.

If you . . . don't think that the privilege which was given to Mother Yaśodā . . . if not exactly like that, everyone can have that privilege. If you love Kṛṣṇa as your child, then you'll have such privilege. Because the mother has got . . . because mother loves the most. Nobody . . . in this material world, there is no comparison of mother's love. Without any exchange—even in this material world. Mother loves the child without any expectation of return, generally. Although in this material world it is so polluted, still sometimes mother thinks, "The child will be grown up. He will be big man. He will earn money, and I shall get it." There is still some feelings of exchange. But while loving Kṛṣṇa, there is no such feeling of exchange. That is called unalloyed love. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), free from all material gain.

We should not love Kṛṣṇa for some material gain. It is not that, "Kṛṣṇa, give us our daily bread, then I love You. Kṛṣṇa, give me this, then I love You." There is no such mercantile exchange. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa wants that kind of love. So here it is said that position, yā te daśā, daśā. When, as soon as Kṛṣṇa saw Mother Yaśodā is coming with a rope to bind Him, so He immediately became very much afraid so that tears came out: "Oh, Mother is coming to bind Me." Yā te daśāśru-kalila añjana. And the ointment is being washed off. And sambhrama. And with great respect, looking to the mother, with feeling appeal: "Yes, Mother, I have offended you. Kindly excuse Me." This was the scene of Kṛṣṇa. So that scene is appreciated by Kuntī. And immediately His head became downward.

So this is another Kṛṣṇa's perfection, that although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead . . . in Bhagavad-gītā He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7): "My dear Arjuna, there is no superior being above Me. I am the supermost." Mattaḥ parataraṁ na anyat: "There is nobody else." That Supreme Personality of Godhead, above whom there is none, that Supreme Personality of Godhead is bowing down before Mother Yaśodā. Ninīya. Vaktraṁ ninīya.

He is accepting, "My dear Mother, yes, I am offender." Ninīya vaktraṁ bhaya-bhāvanayā, with a feeling of fearfulness. Sthitasya. Sometimes when Yaśodāmātā, Mother Yaśodā, used to see that the child has become too much afraid, she also became disturbed. Because if the child is disturbed—it is a psychology—there is some mental reaction. So Mother Yaśodā did not want that "Actually Kṛṣṇa will suffer by my punishment." That was not Kṛṣṇa . . . Mother Yaśodā's purpose. But as a mother feelingly, when she feels too much disturbance, the child is . . .

This system is still current in India, when the child too much disturbing, he is bound up in a place. That is very common system. So Yaśodāmātā adopted it. Sā māṁ vimohayati. So that is the scene appreciated by pure devotees, that how much greatness is there in the Supreme Person that He is playing exactly a perfect child. When He's playing like a child, He plays perfectly. When He plays a husband, 16,000 wives, He was playing perfectly as husband. When He was playing as lover of the gopīs, He was playing perfectly. When He was friend of the cowherds boy, He was playing perfectly.

The cowherds boy all depend on Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to taste the palm tree fruits, but there was a demon, Gardabhāsura, they would not allow anyone to enter that palm tree. But the boyfriends of Kṛṣṇa, cowherds, they requested, "Kṛṣṇa, we wanted to taste that fruit. If you can arrange . . ." "Yes." Immediately Kṛṣṇa arranged. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma went to the forest, and the demons, they were living there in the shape of asses, and immediately they came to kick by their hind legs Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. And Balarāma captured one of them and immediately threw on the top of the tree and the demons died.

So the friends also were very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa. There was fire all round. They do not know anything. "Kṛṣṇa?" "Yes." Kṛṣṇa is ready. Kṛṣṇa immediately swallowed up the whole fire. There were so many demons attacked. Every day, all the boys, they would come back to their home and explain to their mother, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. You see? This happened today." And the mother will say: "Yes, our Kṛṣṇa is wonderful." So much. That's all. They do not know Kṛṣṇa is God, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful, that's all.

And their love increases. The more they perceive Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities, they become more lover. "Perhaps he may be a demigod. Yes." That is their suggestion. When Nanda Mahārāja will talk amongst his friends and the friends will talk about Kṛṣṇa . . . "Oh, Nanda Mahārāja, your child Kṛṣṇa is wonderful." "Yes, I see that." "Maybe some demigod." That's all. "Maybe." That is also not certain. So the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they do not care who is God, who is not God. That is not their business. But they want Kṛṣṇa and love Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

So those who are thinking of first of all analyzing Kṛṣṇa whether He's God, they are not first-class devotee. Those who have got spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa, they are first-class devotee. How you will analyze Kṛṣṇa? He's unlimited. It is impossible. So this business . . . we should not try to analyze, to know Kṛṣṇa. It is impossible. We have got limited perception, limited potency of our senses. How we can study Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible at all. Whatever Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself, that much sufficient. Don't try it. That is not . . .

Neti neti. Just like the Māyāvādīs, they are trying to find out God, where is God, who is God. Neti, "Not this." They're simply "Not this." Their philosophy is based on "Not this." And what it is, they do not know. The so-called scientists, also, they are trying to find out the ultimate cause, but their process is "Not this." So much. As, as much they're advancing, they're finding "Not this," and what it is, they will never find. They will never find. They can say, "Not this," but what it is, that is not possible. That is not possible.

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'pyasti yat prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam . . .

(Bs. 5.34)

So what to speak of Kṛṣṇa, even this material object. They're trying to go to the moon planet. Actually they do not know what it is. Actually. Then why they're coming back? If they knew it perfectly what it is, then they would have resided there by this time. They are trying for the last twenty years. Simply they are seeing, "Not this. There is no living entities. There is no possibility of our living there." So many "no's." And what is yes? No, they do not know. And this is only one planet or one star. The moon planet is taken as star.

The scientists, they say the stars are all suns, but according to our information, in the Bhagavad-gītā, nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī (BG 10.21). Śaśī means the moon is just like so many stars. So what is the position of the moon? Moon is bright, being reflection of the sun. So according to our calculation the sun is one. But the modern scientists say that there are so many suns, the stars. We don't agree.

This is only one universe. There are many suns, innumerable, but in each and every sun . . . every universe, there is one sun, not many. So this universe what we are experiencing, experiencing by seeing imperfectly . . . we do not know. We cannot count how many stars are there, how many planets are there. It is impossible. So the material things which is before us, still we are unable to count, to understand, and what to speak of the Supreme Lord, who created this universe? That is not possible.

Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34). Panthās . . . koṭi-śata-vatsara. The space is unlimited. Now you take your plane or Sputnik or capsule . . . so many things they have invented. So you go on. Now go on for how many hours or days or years? No. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. For millions of years, koṭi-śata-vatsara, go on with your speed. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ. And how I shall go? Now on the plane which is running on the velocity of the air. Not this velocity, not this speed, 500 miles or 1000 miles per hour. No. What is the speed of air?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: 126,000 miles per second.

Prabhupāda: So . . . ninety-six miles per second. These are mentioned in the Vedic literature, that if you go by this speed, air, some ninety-six thousand miles per second . . . so just imagine what is the speed of air. So panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi (Bs. 5.34), on the plane which is running on the speed of air. That speed, and for millions of years.

Then again it is suggested not only on the speed of air, but also on the speed of mind. The mind you can, everyone, we know, what is the speed of mind. Even one ten-thousandth part of a second, you can go millions of miles. The speed of mind. It is so speedy. You are sitting here, and suppose you have seen something which is millions of miles here . . . miles away, you can immediately, your mind can go immediately. So these two examples are given. Just see how much scientific they were. These rascals says that there was no, I mean, advanced mind or advanced scientist. Then wherefrom these words are coming—the speed of air, the speed of mind—unless they had some experiment, some knowledge? Why . . . how these books are written?

So panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manasaḥ (Bs. 5.34). And how the speed, speedy planes are manufactured? Muni-puṅgavānām: by the greatest scientists and greatest thoughtful men. By manufactured by them. So is that perfection? No. So 'pyasti yat prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve. Still you shall remain in inconceivable understanding what is this creation. Still, if you are so advanced that you can run on on this speed and if you are greatest scientist and thoughtful philosopher, still you'll remain in the same condition, unknown. Still.

So how we can study Kṛṣṇa? And Kṛṣṇa has created all these things. So if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa's created things, how you can understand Kṛṣṇa? This is not possible at all. It is not possible. Therefore this Vṛndāvana status of mind for the devotees is the perfection. They have no business to understand Kṛṣṇa. They want to love Kṛṣṇa, without condition. "Because Kṛṣṇa is God, therefore I love," their mentality is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is not displaying in Vṛndāvana as God. He is playing there as ordinary cowherds boy. But at times, He's proving that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they do not care to know it.

So outside Vṛndāvana . . . just like Kuntīdevī. Kuntīdevī is not inhabitant of Vṛndāvana. She is inhabitant of Hastināpura, outside Vṛndāvana. The outside devotees, the devotees who are outside Vṛndāvana, they are studying the inhabitants of the Vṛndāvana, how great they are. But the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they don't care to know how great is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference.

So our business is simply to love Kṛṣṇa. The more you love Kṛṣṇa, the more you become perfect. It is not that it is necessary to understand Kṛṣṇa, how He has created. The things are mentioned there. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā—so much. Don't bother very much to know Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Simply increase your unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Thank you Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jaya Prabhupāda. Jaya! (kīrtana) (end)