731215 - Lecture SB 01.15.37 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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731215SB-LOS ANGELES - December 15, 1973 - 37:33 Minutes

Pradyumna: (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

yudhiṣṭhiras tat parisarpaṇaṁ budhaḥ

pure ca rāṣṭre ca gṛhe tathātmani

vibhāvya lobhānṛta-jihma-hiṁsanādy-

adharma-cakraṁ gamanāya paryadhāt

(SB 1.15.37)

(break)

Prabhupāda: Meaning?

Pradyumna: yudhiṣṭhiraḥ—Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; tat—that; parisarpaṇam—expansion; budhaḥ—thoroughly experienced; pure—in the capital; ca—as also; rāṣṭre—in the state; ca—and; gṛhe—at home; tathā—as also; ātmani—in person; vibhāvya—in creating; lobha—avarice; anṛta—untruth; jihma—diplomacy; hiṁsana-ādi—violence, (break) envy; adharma—irreligion; cakram—a vicious circle; gamanāya—for departure; paryadhāt—dressed himself accordingly. (break)

Translation: "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was intelligent enough to understand the influence of the age of Kali, characterized by increasing (break) avarice, falsehood, cheating and violence throughout the capital, state and home and among individuals. So he wisely prepared himself to leave home, and he dressed himself accordingly."

Prabhupāda: Hm. So Yudhiṣṭhira . . . anyone, any experienced man, can see how things are going on. One has to possess such perfect eyes. When these things are in progressive way . . . what is this? Lobha, greediness; anṛta, falsehood; juhma, juhma . . . jihma means diplomacy; and hiṁsa, violence or jealousy. When these things will increase, one should know that the influence of Kali-yuga is increasing. Anyone can understand. This world . . . this material world is so made that these things are very prominent: greediness, kāma-lobhādayaś ca, lusty desires and greediness, kāma and lobha. Generally, people are attached to these things. Then diplomacy: "How to satisfy my lusty desires, my greediness?"

But the king was so responsible that now he wanted to retire. There is no other way. As far as possible, he controlled. That is king's business. The government's business is to control these things, and citizen must be happy in every way. Even Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, there was no excessive heat or cold; neither there was prominence of disease or pestilence, famine. These things were absent. Because Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja himself was very pious, and he conducted his government in such a way that people were also pious. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). If the leaders are perfect, then the citizens will be perfect. If the leaders are rascals . . .

Just like in your country, now your president is caught up. Just see. Such an exalted post is occupied by a person who is subjected to so many criticism. Why? "The Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." There is a . . . the king or the president, why he should be under suspicion? And if he is under suspicion, then immediately he should resign: "Oh, people are now suspecting." But these rascal will not resign. You see? Just see how much our leaders are polluted. He has been charged with so many things. Why he? Everyone is. He is weak, therefore he has been caught up. That's all. He is not so perfect diplomat. Otherwise he would have not been caught up.

So the leaders must be perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, at least three persons in the society . . . the first—the priest or the spiritual master, who are engaged in teaching people about religiosity, he must be perfect, above suspicion. Similarly, public leader, he must be also above suspicion. A brahmin . . . Brahmin means priest also. He must be above suspicion. And the king must be above suspicion. Then things will go on. But there is no such restriction.

Nowadays it is the days of vote. Any rascal, if he gets vote somehow or other, then he acquires the exalted post. That is also written in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no consideration who is fit to occupy the exalted post of presidentship or royal throne. Simply somehow or other, by hook and crook, he'll occupy the seat. Therefore people are suffering. It is not . . . nowadays, in democratic days, the government by the people, government for the people. So if the government is by the people, yes, you select your representative. If you are a fool, then you will select another fool.

So Bhāgavata says, śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). Anyone who is not a devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee of God, then he may be in a exalted post, but he is praised by some people who are exactly like śva. Śva means dog, and viḍ-varāha means pigs, who eat stool. Śva-viḍ-varāha. Viḍ-varāha. And uṣṭra, uṣṭra means camel. And uṣṭra-kharaiḥ, khara means ass. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. If a person who is not a devotee, he is praised or he is exalted, then the praisers, the persons who is praising him, he must be among these animals: dog, camel, pig and ass.

So the whole population is like that, like dog, like camel, like ass and like viḍ-varāha, pig, the stool-eater—the whole population, at the present moment. So he must elect another big animal who is also in this category. Because he has no knowledge. If you takes votes from the camels, to whom he will vote? Another big camel, that's all. If you take votes from the dog, then whom he will elect? Another big dog. Therefore, anyone who is not a devotee of God, Kṛṣṇa, he is either of these animals. And if he is praised, it is to be understood that he is being praised by the similar type of animals.

So if we remain śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara, then we must elect another big śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. So how there can be good situation of the state? It is not possible. Therefore the public must be educated so that they may not elect another big dog or big camel or big ass to the exalted post. It is the public's fault. Nowadays it is democratic days, so why should you complain against such-and-such person or president? You have elected him, and now you find fault with him. So it was your fault that you elected such a rascal, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra. It is very right conclusion.

So why they have been described as dog? Dog means he is very faithful to his master. But if you pass through him without any fault, he will bark, "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" That is dog's fault. One qualification is that he is very faithful to the master, but to the others, he is inimical always. In your country we have got experience, they have written, "Beware of dog." And if you pass, you are not entering the house, still, unnecessarily, the dog will bark. Even if he is on the top of veranda corridor, by seeing another unknown person, he will bark. That is offensive.

So that is dog's business. And at the present moment the dog is happy only when he has got a good master. Otherwise dog is not happy: a street dog; he cannot eat. He has no eating. He has no place. He is lean and thin. You have seen. But he has got a good master, he is very stout, fatty, and very expert in barking. (laughter) So this is dog's qualification. He is very faithful.

So at the present moment people are like that. They are being educated, but technologist or computer expert or this, that, so many . . . the father spends so much money, he becomes an expert. But if he does not get a good master to employ him, he is useless. He is useless. His technological knowledge will be useless if he does not get a master. So therefore the modern education system is to create dogs. He will never be happy unless he gets a good master. Actually, we are constitutionally all dogs. But we do not know whom to serve. That is our misunderstanding. Actually, every one of us, servant. That's a fact. But we are missing the point, where to engage ourself in good service. That is Kṛṣṇa. We have to serve. You cannot avoid this.

If you do not serve Kṛṣṇa, then you will have to serve māyā. That's all. But you have to serve. So in that respect, if we do not know who is the best master, then we will have to serve our senses, our lusty desires. If I do not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then I shall become desire . . . to my lusty desires for sex life. I have to become servant. That is a fact. You cannot become master. Therefore the most intelligent person is he who knows that "Why shall I serve my lusty desires? Why not serve Kṛṣṇa?" Because I have to serve. This is intelligent.

So then again, śva-viḍ-varāha. Viḍ-varāha means the stool-eater. It has no discrimination. Anyone who is eating anything available, he is like viḍ-varāha. He has no discrimination. A human being should have discrimination. Eatable . . . everything is eatable. Stool is also eatable. Does it mean a human being should eat eatable stool? No. It is eatable for the pigs, for the hogs, not for you. Similarly, a human being who does not know what is eatable for him, he is just like this viḍ-varāha, viḍ-varāha, hog, who has no discrimination, "Oh, everything is all right. Eat. Everything is all right." That is viḍ-varāha.

And uṣṭra. Uṣṭra means camel. Camel enjoys his own blood. The camel eats thorny twigs. So the tongue is cut, and the blood comes out, and the blood is mixed up with the thorns, and he finds it very tasteful. He is tasting his own blood, and he is finding very tasteful. Similarly, everyone in this material world, he is enjoying sex life. He is enjoying his own blood, but he is thinking, "It is very good enjoyment." That is camel's enjoyment. One drop of semina is manufactured by so much blood. So unnecessarily we discharge semina means we are enjoying spending our own blood. But the camel does not know. Similarly, camel-like man does not know. Therefore he falls diseased. It is to be used only for purpose of having good children, not for enjoyment. That is false enjoyment. So therefore it has been described, camel.

And ass. Ass means fool number one, because he works very hard. He carries the washerman's load of cloth, two tons of, but not a single cloth belongs to him. Not a single cloth. And he will agree to carry so big burden. What is the profit? The profit is that the washerman will give a little morsel of grass, and he is satisfied. This rascal does not know, "I can get grass anywhere. Why shall I be employed by this washerman?" And another ass's qualification is that when he goes for sexual intercourse, the lady ass kicks on his face. Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut! You have seen it? (laughter) (laughs)

So these karmīs, they are like ass. They will eat two breads, pieces of bread, and the lady karmī will kick on his face at the time of sex intercourse, and he is very happy. And for this purpose he has no time, "Sir, I have no time." He is very busy. You go into a karmī office, he will say: "Oh, I cannot see you. I cannot talk. I am very busy." So what is the result of your business? "Now I will eat two pieces of bread at night, and my wife will kick on my face." That's all. (laughter) Just see the ass.

Therefore how Bhāgavata has selected the specific animals, how they are suffering, very instructive. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ (SB 2.3.19). He forgets his own business, that he has got this human form of life to understand, "What I am? Why I am suffering? What is the remedy? How to relieve . . . how to become relieved this problem?" He has forgotten that. Simply he is busy earning money. Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). These karmīs, they are thinking that . . .

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv

asatsv api sainyeṣv

pramatto teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

For want of real knowledge, ātma-jñāna . . . first of all one has to learn actually what he is. Is he this body or something else? That is the beginning. But they do not know. He thinks that, "I am body," deha. And because from this body, I have got relationship with my wife, "Oh, she is my great friend," and the children, "They are my soldiers. They will protect me." Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu. He is very safe. "I have got good wife. I have got good children. They will save me." Nobody will save you, sir. When death will come, you have to give your own account. If you are going to be next life a dog, not your wife, children or nation or community or anyone will save you. No. Nobody can save you.

The same example, as I have given many times: when the aeroplane, they are going on, but if one aeroplane is in danger, no other aeroplane can save him. Bās. He's finished. Similarly, every one of us is responsible for my own work. Nobody. Even in material world, suppose you have done something wrong. Now you are condemned. You are criminal; you are condemned to death. Will your wife, will your children, will your family, will your community will save you? No. Nobody can save you.

So therefore those who are thinking that, "This material atmosphere, relatives, will save me," they are mistaken. They are ass. They do not know that every individual being is responsible for his own work. Therefore we must be very careful that, "Why should I waste my time in working hard? What is my problem?" These things have to be known. Therefore Vedic injunction is that how you will be saved. Then tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), then "You must approach to a bona fide spiritual master." He will let you know how you will be saved. Otherwise, your so-called society, friendship and love will not save you.

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, such a exalted king. And the Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought for Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Kṛṣṇa wanted that . . . Duryodhana is not the fit person. Kṛṣṇa had no business to take part in the battle, because He is God, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29), He has no enemy. Nobody can become His enemy. If he becomes enemy of Kṛṣṇa, he will be vanquished. Therefore He has no enemy. So why He took part in the battlefield? Because He wanted this Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the pious king, he should occupy the throne. So that is the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7), paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya (BG 4.8).

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's another name was Dharmarāja. Dharmarāja. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. So to enthrone Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira . . . because king is representative of God. That is Vedic conception. King or president, the chief of the executive, he should be exactly the representative of God. As guru is representative of God, similarly, the king or president is also representative of God. In every planet . . . because every planet . . . īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29): "I am the supreme owner of every planet."

So every planet is the property of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to govern that planet, there must be a king who is actually representative of Kṛṣṇa. The king's business or the president's business is to see that the citizens, they mistakenly have come to this material world to enjoy sense gratification, they should be trained up in such a way that they can go back to home, back to Godhead. That is king's responsibility. Similarly, that is father's responsibility. Similarly, that is guru's, spiritual master's, responsibility. Similarly, the relatives' responsibility. Suppose one has no father, mother; then it is the responsibility of the relative. It is the responsibility of the king.

The whole target is how to train the citizen go back to home, back to Godhead. Because they have come from God for . . . kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). He has come to this material world to enjoy false gratification, and he is loitering throughout the whole universe, simply "Where is better sense gratification, better sense gratification?" But he will never be happy by sense gratification. That is not possible. He is forgotten what is actually happiness. Actual happiness is not sense gratification. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21). What is real happiness, that is to be understood beyond sense gratification. Not sense gratification. Therefore you will find nobody is happy, enough he has got facility for sense gratification. Ask anybody, "If you are satisfied fully?" No, that is not possible. Because that is not happiness. That is illusion. That is illusion. We are accepting false thing as happiness. That is not happiness. Happiness beyond sense gratification. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam.

Atīndriya means the senses, when they are purified, with that senses, when you try to enjoy, then that is real happiness. That is real happiness. Just like if your tongue is diseased, or if you are diseased, then you cannot taste what is actually rasagullā taste. Because the tongue is detestful (detasteful?), you cannot enjoy it. Similarly, so long your senses are diseased in condition, you cannot enjoy senses. You shall . . . it has to be purified. That purification method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You purify your senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified.

So how these things can be purified? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. You have to be free from all designation. Designation. So at the present moment I am thinking, "This is my hand. I am American. Therefore this is my American hand," "I am Indian; therefore it is my Indian hand." So you have to forget this, or you have to purify: "This hand is neither American nor African nor Indian. This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa." This is purification.

So, so long you will engage this hand under illusion for American service or Indian service, you will never get happiness. You purify this hand that, "This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it should be engaged in cleansing the temple with my hand," then you will be satisfied. Then you will be satisfied. Similarly, your tongue. Similarly, your legs. Similarly, everything, all senses. When you are purified of all these designation, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), when with that purified senses you will engage the senses, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam, in the service of the master of the senses, then you will be happy. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise, you'll never be happy.

So the representative of God, the king, he is very responsible for his . . . the king or president. So as soon as they take the post for his own sense sati . . . gratification, he will be charged with so many fault things. So when he is also purified. Therefore Kṛṣṇa wanted that such purified soul is Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; he should be posted. He should be enthroned. That is the Battle of Kurukṣetra—to make the people happy. Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, jagad-dhitāya: He comes for everyone's benefit.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65)

Jagad-dhitāya. He comes for the welfare of the whole world.

So sometimes it is necessary to take part in the politics. But unless one is perfectly free from all designation, he will be implicated in politics. If I become an American politician or Indian politician, then I will be implicated. But if I become a politician on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, then I will not be implicated. If my aim is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa . . . Kṛṣṇa's mission is, that He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So if we teach people this philosophy, that "You surrender to God, either by politics or by philosophy or by culture or by anything," that is perfection. If you teach people that "You feel like American," "You feel like Indian," "You feel like Hindu," "You feel like Christian," this will never give you happiness, because it is polluted. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena . . . (CC Madhya 19.170). Therefore Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was exalted.

So now he concludes that things have deteriorated. It is not for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's fault, but the time. Just like when there is winter season, however clever you may be, you cannot check the process of nature's work. So Kali-yuga is also another phase of this material world. So he saw that things have deteriorated. Pure ca rāṣṭre ca gṛhe tathātmani. "Things have deteriorated. They are now full of these sinful activities." What is that? Lobha anṛta jihma and hiṁsa. "People are becoming too much," I mean to say, "jealous, too much diplomatic, too much untruthfulness, and so things are deteriorated, not only state-wise, family-wise, personal-wise—everything is deteriorating." So after all, one has to retire. One has to re . . . so he concluded that now he should retire.

Now question may be, "Such a king, why he should retire?" That question was raised by the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis about Parīkṣit Mahārāja. But the answer is that you have to do your duty. So long you are, you must try your best to do things according to the prescription, according to the injunction. But it is also your duty to retire from family life. Therefore Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja . . . it is not that he has to work up to the end point of his life. No. The life is divided—that is Vedic civilization—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa.

So at the end of life, one must retire from family life. Therefore Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja decided, "Now things are deteriorating." But that was taken care of, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, his next descendant. That is king's duty. But so far Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is concerned, he did not like to bother any more, because he has his personal duty also. That is retirement: completely engage himself to the service of the Lord.

So everyone should retire at a certain age. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. As soon as one is fifty years old, he must retire. He must retire. Not that he will say: "I have got this duty, that duty, that duty." No. Within this age, whatever duty you can perform, that's all right. Next, to retire. That is Vedic civilization. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja concluded to retire from the service.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Prabhupād . . . (cut) (end)