730504 - Lecture SB 01.08.42 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730504SB-LOS ANGELES - May 04, 1973 - 38:30 Minutes

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

tvayi me 'nanya-viṣayā

matir madhu-pate 'sakṛt

ratim udvahatād addhā

gaṅgevaugham udanvati

(SB 1.8.42)

(break)

"(O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly) . . . drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else."

Prabhupāda: In the previous verse, Kuntī prayed that sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi dṛḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vṛṣṇiṣu (SB 1.8.41). She prayed, "My dear Lord, kindly cut off my attraction for the Pāṇḍu, Pāṇḍava family, and Vṛṣṇi family." So by cutting off or giving up the attraction for material things, that is not sufficient. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false, and Brahman is truth." We also say the same thing. But what is the difference? The difference is that you are living entity. You want enjoyment. Enjoyment means varieties. Without varieties you cannot enjoy. Just like here is a flower vase. There are so many flowers. Why God has created so many colors, so many forms? They create enjoyment, variety. "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." That's a common saying.

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they spoil the varieties. Impersonalists. So what the result is? The result is, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), Bhāgavata says. They labor hard. They undergo severe penances. Just like our sannyāsī, they can sit down here, although there are many women. So Māyāvādī sannyāsī will not sit down. Where there are women, they will not sit down. They are very strict. And if some, some of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, if, by chance, they touch one woman someway or other, then he has to undergo some penances. Of course, a sannyāsī should be very cautious about intermingling with woman. For a sannyāsī . . . not for a sannyāsī—even for a person who is desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead . . .

This is our ultimate goal of life. Human form of life is meant for that purpose, that in this life we have to understand our relationship with God, sambandha, and according to that relationship, we have to chalk our plan of working. Because we must fulfill that relationship. This is called in Sanskrit sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Just like in ordinary dealings, one businessman is going to do business with another man. So first of all the relationship is established by some agreement. Then the transaction takes place. One is supplier, one is purchaser. Then the result is profit. Three things are there. In husband and wife, the same thing. First of all sambandha, the relationship, who will marry, which girl, which boy. First of all plan . . . in the beginning . . . formerly it was settled up by the parents. Still in India it is settled up by the parents. That is called sambandha. Then the marriage takes place. Then husband and wife relationship, they live together. Then there is the profit, a child.

Similarly, the human life is meant for reestablishing our relationship with God. In this material world . . . material world means forgetfulness . . . forgetting our relationship with God. That is called material world. No Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is material world. As soon as there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and acting on the basis of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is no more material world—it is spiritual world.

So here Kuntīdevī first of all desired, "Let my so much affection, love for my two families, my father's families and my father-in-law's family . . ." In India it is called bāper bāṛi śvaśura-bāṛi. Bāper bāṛi means father's house, and śvaśura-bāṛi means father-in-law's house. So Kuntī is woman, she has got relationship with two families. A man may have so many relationship, but woman, he has not . . . she has no facility for making more relations. That is not allowed. But at least she has got two relationship with two families. And that is her attachment. So she prays to Kṛṣṇa, "Please cut off this relationship. Let me be free."

Now after becoming free, then what are you going to do? That is the question. Suppose one is employed in a firm. He feels inconvenience, "This service is not very good. Then let me resign it." You resign. But if you get a better service, then that resignation is all right. And if by resigning you become unemployed, no engagement, then what is the value of such resignation? What is the value of such resignation?

Similarly, those who are frustrated, confused, they don't want this material world. Just like in your country, the hippies, they are frustrated, confused. You don't want . . . this is don't; but what you want? That is . . . that they do not know. That point is missing. You say: "I don't want this." But what you want? That you do not know. That want, what you want actually, that is explained by Kuntī. Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate asakṛt: "Unto You . . . let my this family relationship affection be nil, but my relationship with You become conformed . . . be confirmed." Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā. "No more attraction for anything else. Only attraction for You, Kṛṣṇa."

So this is wanted. This is perfection. Tvayi me ananya-viṣayā. Ananya-viṣayā means ananya-bhakti, without any deviation. Twenty-four hours simply attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Then your renouncement is perfect. If you think that this attachment and that attachment, both may remain—no. That cannot go. That will be nice . . . not nice. Just like you ignite fire, at the same time pour water on it. Then what will be the result? The fire will not act.

Similarly, if you want to renounce . . . just like the Māyāvādī sannyāsī says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "Renounce this world." They take a laṅgoṭā, a loincloth, and preach, "Who is your wife? Who is your children? Who is your country?" So many things they, negative way. Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍhā mate. This is very good, to preach renouncement of this world. But side by side we must have attachment for something. Otherwise, it will be . . . it will not stay. Therefore we see so many sannyāsīs, they say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up, take sannyāsa, but after taking sannyāsa, after a few days or few years, they come back again to this material world to open hospital, philanthropic work, school.

Why? If you have left this world as mithyā, as false, why you are again coming to politics, to philanthropy, sociology and so on? Why you are coming again? That is bound to be. Because we are living entity, we are active. If we simply become inactive out of frustration, then it will be failure. We must engage with activities. That activity is devotional service. This is Brahman activity. The Māyāvādīs, they do not know.

Just like we were discussing in this beach, morning, about the spiritual world. Spiritual world is exactly like the material world—varieties. There is also house. There is also tree. There is also road. There is also chariot. There is . . . everything is there—but without inebriety. Without inebriety. There, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). For example, just like there is tree also. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. But they . . . those trees are not like this tree. Suppose you, here, you want some fruit, say some mango. You go to the mango tree, you taking mango, at the same time desire, "Why not little grapes?" But this mango tree cannot supply you grapes. But in the spiritual world you are eating mango, at the same time if you desire grapes, the same tree will supply you. This is called desire tree. And . . . some ideas of the spiritual world are there in the . . . just like here, for light, you require sunlight, moonlight. But in the spiritual world, there is no need of sunlight, moonlight, because everyone is effulgent. By his own light he can see everything.

Just like in kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa was stealing butter. So the neighboring friends of Yaśodā-mātā was complaining . . . it is not complain; it was just see the fun of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was sitting, and they were complaining. They were seeing the bodily feature, how Kṛṣṇa is feeling. So other ladies complaining, "Mother Yaśodā, your son comes to our house and steals butter. You see? We try to conceal them in a darkness so that this boy cannot see. But still He finds out. So better you take away all His ornaments, because the jewel, light of the jewel, helps Him to find out the butter pot." So Yaśodā said: "Yes, I'll do that. I'll take away all these ornaments. Yes." Then they say, "No, no, it is useless. Oh, this boy has got some effulgence of Himself. Without ornaments He can . . . He can also find out."

So this is the position. The transcendental body is effulgent. On account of effulgence of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, the whole light is there. Whatever light you are seeing, it is all borrowing light from Kṛṣṇa's effulgence. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In the light, bodily effulgence light of Kṛṣṇa, they generating millions of universes. Yasya prabhā . . . just like this sunshine. Everything is there. You have to study. The sunshine is producing these planets, other planets. That is scientifically true. And due to sunshine, the planets becoming warm. Then the seasons are changing and there are trees, there are green foliage, there are fruits, flowers. It is all due to sunshine. Similarly, whatever creation we see, it is due to Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence.

So the Māyāvādīs, they simply see the effulgence, something impersonal, effulgence. They cannot see anything more. Just like the sunshine. In the sunshine, there are so many things. Suppose in bright sunshine you saw one airplane is gone up, but after some time you cannot see. You cannot see. You cannot see because due to the dazzling sunshine, although the airplane is there, you cannot see. Similarly, simply if we try to see the effulgence, brahma-jyotir, we are unable to see inside. The Īśopaniṣad, there is this statement that a devotee is praying to the Lord that, "You wind up Your this effulgence so that I can see You properly."

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot see the personal activities or the planets where Kṛṣṇa is personally active. That they cannot see. Therefore Bhāgavata says, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they neglected to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, therefore, despite their severe penances and austerities, on account of not seeing the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they come back again to this material world. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

So if we simply become renouncer, that will not help us. Then again we shall become enjoyer, so-called enjoyer. That is like pendulum, balancing, tak-tak, this way, this way. If you simply become this side, renouncer, then again we go to that side, enjoyer. So here is the remedy. If you want really detachment from this material world, you must increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise this kind of so-called renouncement will not help you. That is a fact. Therefore Kuntīdevī is praying, tvayi me ananya-viṣayā, "without any diversion."

That is the definition given by Rūpa Gosvāmī of bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: no other desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. Here in this material world, some of them are jñānīs, and some of them are karmīs. Karmīs means fools, unnecessarily working very, very hard—they are karmīs. And jñānīs, when he's little elevated, he thinks, "So what for I am working so hard? I don't require so many things. Still why am I accumulating so much money, so much food, so much prestige?" when he becomes jñānī. That is jñānī.

So therefore bhakti is beyond karma and jñāna. Anyābhilāṣitā. The karma, jñāna, if there is another, other desires also, that should be also nil, no desire. That is called desirelessness. But desirelessness can be possible when you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, that is not possible. Therefore bhakti means we should be desireless in the matter of jñāna, karma or any other thing. Attach . . . without any attachment. But we must have attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then it will stand.

Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That attachment, anuśīlanam, cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ānukūlyena . . . Ānukūlyena means favorably: "How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied?" That is favorable Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply always thinking of Kṛṣṇa . . . just like the gopīs. Their Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect because they had no other desire except trying to please Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā (Caitanya-manjusa): there is no better process of worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead than the method adopted by the gopīs.

The gopīs had no other desire. Simply their desire was how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, all the gopīs. The elderly gopīs, Yaśodā-mā and her friends; elderly gopas, Nanda Mahārāja, his brother, his friends; and of the same age, the boys and girls of Vṛndāvana who were of the same age—everyone, even the cows, even the flowers even the fruits, even the water in Vṛndāvana . . . because everything is spiritual there. Nothing is material. That we should understand, spiritual and material. Material means they have no living symptoms, and spiritual means have all the living symptoms. So here, although a tree is also a living entity, and there also the tree is living entity, but here the living symptoms are absent. Or why the tree? Even a human being. A human being is also a living entity, and they're also devotees, they're also living entity. But here, the real symptoms of life—means Kṛṣṇa consciousness—is absent. And there, the real symptoms of living condition—Kṛṣṇa consciousness—is very, very much. There is no other consciousness except Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is spiritual.

So similarly, even in this material world, if you simply increase your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are also in the spiritual world. Just like in this temple. In this temple we are living, we are living in the spiritual world, because here there is no other business than Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other engagement. Although it is practice just like apprentice . . . this Deity worship, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam (SB 7.5.23), so many engagement. But it is on account of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore those who are strictly following the regulations of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's living in the spiritual world. He's not in the material world. Just like we are not living in Los Angeles; we are living in Vaikuṇṭha. Yes. That's a fact. It is consciousness.

The consciousness . . . I can give you another example. Just like in this seat there is a bug. But the bug and myself sitting on the same place, but because the bug has no consciousness, therefore he is bug, and I have got consciousness, I am your spiritual master. But we are sitting in the same place. Sitting in the same place. Because the bug has not developed his consciousness, he remains a bug, and one who has developed the consciousness, therefore he becomes spiritual master. But the position is the . . . similarly, either you remain in the material world or spiritual, there is no question, if your Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very strong, then you are not in the material world. You are not in the material world.

Therefore simply renunciation that, "I give up attachment for worldly things," that is not sufficient. Simply renouncement will not help you. It may be a helping process, but that will not help you absolutely. When you increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then this renouncement will be perfect. So make renouncement perfect, or, if you increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa, automatically your attachment for this world will diminish. Two things cannot go. Our attachment . . . just like a woman, if she is attached to two men—one husband, another paramour—so two things cannot go. The attachment increases for the paramour; otherwise why she accepts a paramour? These are examples there. Although she's working at the husband's place very nicely, but the mind is there to the paramour. Because "When I shall meet him at night, this and that," you see?

So if we increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then the detachment or renouncement of this material world will automatically come. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If we increase our attachment, then that, Kuntīdevī is praying.That is also Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You cannot increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa without Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You cannot become devotee . . . therefore we have to simply serve Kṛṣṇa, sevonmukhe. By service Kṛṣṇa is very satisfied. Kṛṣṇa does not require anyone's service; He's perfect Himself. But if you give Him service wholeheartedly, sincerely, then by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, you'll make advancement. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). God will reveal. You cannot see God by your these blunt eyes. That is not possible. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). You have to smear your eyes with the ointment of love. Then Kṛṣṇa will reveal. Kṛṣṇa will come in front of you.

Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja was undergoing tapasya, and he was meditating upon Viṣṇumūrti within his heart. All of a sudden the Viṣṇumūrti disappeared. So his meditation broke, and immediately opened his eyes, he saw the Viṣṇumūrti in his front. He's there. So similarly, you think of Kṛṣṇa always, always think of—when you will be perfect, you'll see Kṛṣṇa in your front, talking with you. This is the process. You'll see one day. But you should not be very much hasty, "Oh . . ." Of course, that is good: "Why I am not seeing Kṛṣṇa? Why I am not Kṛṣṇa seeing, seeing . . .?" So we should not be very much hasty. We must wait for the mature time.

The example is given that generally a woman wants a child. Now she's married, and if she thinks, "Let me have immediately a child," that is not possible. You wait. Now you are married, you have got husband, you must get a child. That's a fact. Similarly, because you have engaged yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, avyarthe kalatvaṁ nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ . . . this is called firm faith that, "Now, because I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, so I must be able to face Kṛṣṇa, face to face, see Kṛṣṇa face to face. That I must have." So don't be disappointed. Go on with your Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities. Time will come when you'll see Kṛṣṇa, just like Kuntī is seeing, face to face. There is no doubt about it.

So here it is said, tvayi me ananya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Madhu-pati. He has got thousands name. Madhu-pati means He killed the demon Madhu. From that, madhu-pate. What is it there here? Madhu-pate?

Devotee: "O Lord of Madhu."

Prabhupāda: "O Lord of Madhu." So madhu-pate ratir . . . ratim udvahatād addhā. The example is given very nicely. Just like river. Especially . . . the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not ordinary river, but it is just like Ganges. Ganges is very pure, directly connected with Kṛṣṇa. So, "As the river flows down towards the seas, similarly, my attraction will go down incessantly to touch Your lotus feet like the Ganges." This is the prayer of our Kuntīdevī. So incessantly, without any deviation, ananya-bhakti . . . this is called ananya-bhakti. Ananya, in the ananya-bhakti . . . in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated ananya-bhāva, "Without any deviation." Even such person is found to be little misbehaved, still he's to be considered as sādhu. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad:

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

(BG 9.30)

Just like sometimes our Indian friends criticize our European, American, "Oh, they are not very," I mean, what is called, "acute in the service of the Deity. There is so much mistakes, so many . . ." So Kṛṣṇa says: "Never mind. But because his attention is to serve Me, even there is some discrepancies, he's sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. You try to execute it to your best capacity, that's all. Even there is some mistake . . . don't commit mistake intentionally. But due to my habit, past habit, I may commit some mistake. That is excused. If we fix up our mind in serving Kṛṣṇa severely and seriously, then even there is some mistake . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī also says that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe . . . (Brs 1.2.4).

First of all fix up your mind to Kṛṣṇa. And the other rules and regulation . . . of course, they are to be followed, but in the beginning we shall try our best how to fix up our mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Other things will automatically come corrected.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya Prabhupāda. (obeisances) (end)