750401 - Lecture CC Adi 01.08 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

750401CC-MAYAPUR - April 01, 1975 - 32:25 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke

pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-catur-vyūha-madhye

rūpaṁ yasya udbhāti saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ

taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye

(CC Adi 1.8)

(break) (00:47)

"I surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, who is known as Saṅkarṣaṇa in the midst of the catur-vyūha consisting of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikuṇṭhaloka, far beyond the material creation."

Prabhupāda:

māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke

pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-catur-vyūha-madhye

rūpaṁ yasya udbhāti saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ

taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye

(CC Adi 1.8)

So identification of Nityānanda Prabhu. So He is the second Saṅkarṣaṇa also. The first Saṅkarṣaṇa . . . from Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, four, quadruple expansions of Balarāma . . . then, from Saṅkarṣaṇa, first Saṅkarsana, the Nārāyaṇa, four-handed Nārāyaṇa, that is the next expansion, and again, from Nārāyaṇa, there is another quadruple expansion, second Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna. So the second Saṅkarṣaṇa also is expansion of Nityānanda Rāma, Balarāma.

So where is this Vaikuṇṭhaloka? It is rather impudent to inquire, because we cannot calculate even this material world, what is the length and breadth of this universe. This is only one universe. This is called māyika brahmānanda. Māyika means shadow. Shadow . . . shadow is existing on account of the real. So therefore it is called māyā. Just like the example is, in your country, in the window there are many nice model, beautiful women standing or a man standing, nicely dressed, but that is not real man or woman. That is shadow. That is called māyā. This is the example of māyā. Māyā means it is not fact, but it appears like fact. That is called māyā. Another example is . . . just like the mirage, water in the desert. Actually there is no water, but it appears that there is water. The foolish animals, they run after this water, but there is no water. Simply running after will o' the wisp, phantasmagoria. So every one of us in this material world—hankering after happiness. Everyone is trying to be happy. But it is like the same, that there is no water in the desert, and still, the foolish animal running after it.

So this whole material creation is like that. The creator of this universe, Kṛṣṇa, He says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15): "This is the place for suffering." And you are seeking after happiness. Just like in the prison house: it is the place for suffering, and if you want to be comfortable, this is called māyā. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). The whole world is running after happiness what is not possible. Therefore they have been described as vimūḍhān, rascal. We sometimes use this word very frequently, "rascals," and they become angry. But actually that is the description, "rascals." All these so-called civilized men, so-called civilized men, they are not men even. They're all animals. But in the śāstra, they have been described as dvi-pada-paśu. They are animals, but they have got two legs. That's all. That is the difference. Animals, generally, they have four legs, catus-pada, but these animals are two-legged. That is the difference. They're animals because . . . the same example: In the desert there is no water, and the animal is running after it. Why he's called animal? Because he does not understand that "In the desert, how there can be water?"

So Vidyāpati has sung a song, tātala saikate, vāri-bindu-sama, suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāje. We are trying to be happy here in this material world—how? Suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāje. Suta means children. Mitra means friends. Society, friendship and love, wife, children . . . tāta . . . so one may say, "Unless there is no happiness, how they are struggling for this suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāja?" So Vidyāpati says, "Yes, there is happiness. Certainly there is happiness." Otherwise why these vimūḍhān, foolish people, running after it? So he says that the value of their happiness is a proportion of a drop of water in the desert. Tātala saikate. Tātala means very hot, and saikate means sand. Those who have seen desert, they have got experience how it is intolerable during sunshine, vast, I mean to say, tract of land with sand. So naturally they require water. So if somebody says, "Yes, I'll give you water," and a drop of water. What is called? Proportionate, token. It is called token. "Yes, you want water. Take this water, drop." "What this water will do? This is desert. I want ocean of water, and you are giving me drop of water? What is the value?" So still, we are seeking water there. Therefore it is rightly said, tātala saikate, vari-bindu-sama. Vari-bindu. Suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāje.

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu

ātma-sainyeṣu asatsv api

pramattaḥ tasya nidhanaṁ

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. This body, deha; apatya, children; kalatra, wife; ādiṣu, with all these things . . . then again extend. From children, you get . . . you get them married. Then again extension—daughter-in-law, son-in-law, grandson. In this way, we are increasing our so-called happiness. Ātma-sainyeṣu. And we are thinking that "These surrounding friends—society, friends and love, nation—will give me protection." In our country, we have seen, Gandhi struggled so, I mean, hard for getting independence, thinking that "We'll be happy." But Gandhi himself was killed.

So this is called māyā. You try to understand māyā. Māyā means where there is no happiness, no fact, and still, we are struggling for it. This is called māyā. Try to understand what is māyā. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43), Prahlāda Mahārāja says. Actually there is no fact, and still, we are struggling for it. The whole universe is like that. Even you are situated as Brahmā or you are situated as an ordinary insignificant ant, this struggle for existence is going on. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "These rascals, they are struggling for existence for happiness which is not possible in this material world. And beyond this struggling atmosphere of material world, māyā atīte . . ." atīte. Atīte means beyond. Māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke.

There is another world. That is also informed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraḥ tasmād tu bhāva anyaḥ 'vyaktāvyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another bhāva. Bhāva means nature. Just like this is nature. We have got experience, the māyā. Māyā nature means here our main aim is to find out happiness. That is . . . because we are spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1) Kṛṣṇa, so we are also minute sac-cid-ānanda. Our existence is like that. But because we are very small, therefore that, I mean to say, quality, sat, becomes sometimes extinguished. The example is just like the spark of the fire, it is fire. A spark from the fire falls on your body. As soon as it falls it will burn that small pointlike place. So it has got the same quality, but as soon as it comes out of the fire, it becomes extinguished—no more fire. It is carbon. Again take it and put it in the fire, then again it is fire. So our position is like that. We are factually of the same quality, sac-cid-ānanda. So our falling down in this material world from Kṛṣṇa means we lose our identity of eternity. It becomes covered. Just like the same small spark, it is fire, but it is now extinguished, cinder, just like coal, cinder. So long it is with the original fire, it is also burning, but if you take it and keep it aside, then it becomes ashes. So this is our position. And we are struggling here. We have lost the fiery quality, and still, we are trying to be fire. This is called māyā existence.

So there is another world. That information is given here: māyātīte vyāpi. Vyāpi means very extensive. This whole material world is one fourth of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. One fourth. And that Vaikuṇṭhaloka is three fourths. So therefore it is called vyāpi. Vyāpi means very extensive. We cannot calculate even this material existence. It is only one fourth. Now, how it will be possible for us to calculate the vyāpi vaikuṇṭha-loka? Vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loka. Vaikuṇṭha means . . . vi means without, and kuṇṭha means anxiety. So Vaikuṇṭhaloka means there is no anxiety. There is no anxiety. Here we are full of anxieties in this material . . . even big, big businessman, who has got enough money, you'll find he is in anxiety. He's always thinking, "How this business will go on? How this . . . maintain so many men?" So I have seen it that our printer, Dai Nippon, the president, when we, for the temporary, we stopped our business, he was full of anxiety. Yes. Now they have agreed to reduce ten percent more than any printer. Why? He was full of anxiety. (laughter) This is the fact.

So don't think that very big, big businessman or one who has got enough money, he has no anxiety. Anxiety there should be. This is the place of anxiety, kuṇṭha. Prahlāda Mahārāja pointed it out that tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Here, in this material world, whoever is there . . . the Brahmā is also anxiety, in full of anxiety. Indra, you know. Pṛthu Mahārāja was sacrificing hundred times, and Indra became very much anxious that "If Pṛthu becomes so great, then he may occupy my seat." So he wanted to put hindrances so that he may not fulfill the so many yajñas. So everyone is anxiety in this material world, māyā. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to take a person or all of them from this māyā to Vaikuṇṭha. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to save the living entity from anxiety and bring him to the platform of no anxiety. That is the difference, from anxiety to no anxiety. That is the greatest gift to the human society. Everyone is full of anxiety because he is in this material world. He must be full of anxiety.

So here the information is given, māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke: "There is another atmosphere, another nature, where there is no anxiety, no anxiety." Kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayanatam. Here we are keeping cows, but no milk—anxiety. Thousands of rupees' spending, and no milk, powdered milk. You see? This is the position: full of anxiety, always. So you cannot be free from anxiety in this loka. Therefore in this life, in human form of life, you can understand by cultivating knowledge from the śāstra, from guru, from saintly persons, "What is the position? What I want? Why I am full of anxiety? How it can be mitigated?" So therefore this information is given vaikuṇṭha-loka, back to home. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only endeavor where, by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become transferred from this māyā to Vaikuṇṭha. This is the purport. Māyātīte, beyond this māyā, there is another kingdom, where there is no kuṇṭha, vaikuṇṭha-loke. And there is management. As here there is management, the king or president or ministers and so many things, there is also management. But that management is conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. Here the president or king manages whole thing. And therefore the ideal manager or the executive head is a person who is a saintly person and devotee. That is wanted. In politics also, there is need of devotee. The devotee . . . the politicians, they first require to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness if they actually want to do good to others. If they remain like animals, it is not possible. Then whole world, the people, will suffer. That is the position now. There is no standard ruler. A ruler must be representative of Kṛṣṇa. Then . . . then everything will be . . .

Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was representative of Kṛṣṇa. Or Lord Rāmacandra, He was God Himself. Such executive head needed, not these rascals. Then you'll never be happy. Simply by hook and crook you select some rascal president, you'll never be happy. He must be Kṛṣṇa Himself or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then people will be happy. Imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ (BG 4.2). They are thinking that "The Bhagavad-gītā is meant for some parasites. They are doing nothing, and they are indulging in reading Bhagavad-gītā and living at the cost of others." They are thinking like that. But actually the ruler should be the well-conversant student of Bhagavad-gītā. That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ. It is meant for the saintly kings. Because if the king or the president understands Bhagavad-gītā, he can make solution of all the problems. But he remains a rascal, and there is no solution. They're simply fighting with one another—this politician is fighting with another politician. This is going on. This will never make us happy. Therefore it is better to go away from this place and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don't try to be happy under these rascals. It will never be possible. That is the instruction of all śāstras, and therefore . . .

Now, the question was who is to be elected in the . . . or accepted as the ideal king. Our Pañcadraviḍa Mahārāja was asking this question. That is very simple thing. The kṣatriyas . . . there are two kṣatriya families, and still they claim, one from the sun-god and one from the moon-god. Candra-vaṁśa, sūrya-vaṁśa. In this material world there are two kṣatriya families. Kṣatriyas are meant for ruling over. So everything is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So you have to select ruler from these two dynasties, actually. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). You have seen the picture drawn by our artists, that Kṛṣṇa is instructing the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

So Vaikuṇṭha-loka is there. There is no problem. But you can make this māyā-loka also Vaikuṇṭha-loka by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same quality. Just like iron is iron, but you can make it fire. How? Simply putting it into the fire. Gradually, warm, warmer, then it becomes red hot. At that time, the iron is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you can propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness constantly, then, by spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you can make the whole world Kṛṣṇa conscious, and then it will be Vaikuṇṭha. The same example: You put the iron rod with the fire, and it becomes hot, hotter and then red hot. When it is red hot then it is no more iron rod; it is fire. Anywhere you touch, it will burn.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. Increase Kṛṣṇa consciousness and there will be no more kuṇṭha, no more anxiety. People are trying to be anxiety-less, and that is only possible by this movement. Put always in touch with Kṛṣṇa. And the method is very simple: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: That's all. If you keep yourself in touch with Hare Kṛṣṇa . . . we have already been known as Hare Krishna people all over the world, Hare Krishna people. So increase this population Hare Krishna people, and it will be Vaikuṇṭha.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)