750627 - Lecture SB 06.01.15 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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750627SB-LOS ANGELES - June 27, 1975 - 23:21 Minutes

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

kecit kevalayā bhaktyā

vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ

aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena

nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ

(SB 6.1.15)

(break) (01:29)

Translation: "The rare person who has completely adopted unalloyed devotional service can uproot all the weeds of sinful activities simply by discharging that service, and there is no possibility that the weeds will grow again. His devotional service is just like the sun, which can immediately dissipate fog simply by its rays."

Prabhupāda:

kecit kevalayā bhaktyā

vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ

aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena

nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ

(SB 6.1.15)

So we have been discussing for the last few days how to become free from the reaction of our sinful life. That is real problem. But people, they have no knowledge what is life, what is sinful life, what is pious life, why we are put into this condition that "We have to do this; we haven't got to do that." This is real philosophy of life. The āsuras, as we were discussing in this morning walk, they do not know it. Āsurās . . . pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsurāḥ janāḥ (BG 16.7). We are living . . . in the ordinary life also, we live a little carefully so that we may not fall sick. For that purpose there is very vigilance in the immigration department, that in Australia we had some nice mangoes brought from Bombay, and they did not allow to take it. They thought this mango is more dangerous than the dry meat.

They will allow importation of dry meat, three hundred years old, (laughter) put into the refrigerator, and that is imported. That is not infectious. But mango, very nice mango, fresh mango—we started in Bombay at night, and we came in the morning—it has become poisonous. So we are so much precautious that not any germs, infectious disease, may enter. That is there. But what is that infection which has caused me to accept this material body again and again? That they do not know. That they do not know. They do not believe in the next life, and therefore āsurāḥ janāḥ. This is the symptom or characteristic of the āsurāḥ janāḥ. You should be precautious. That is natural. We become precautious, that "We should not do this so that I may not fall sick." But we do not know what is our real sickness. That we do not know.

That is being presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "This is your sickness, real sickness." What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You are trying to be unaffected by all kinds of sickness, but your real sickness is this material disease: you take birth, you die, you become old and you suffer from diseases. This is your real sickness. But who is caring for this? Where is the scientist who are investigating how to stop death, how to stop birth? They are, of course, investigating how to stop birth, but still, birth is going on. This sort of stopping birthdays, by killing the body, is not stopping, because the body is not the person. The real person is within the body. Within the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). We have explained. That they do not know. They are taking . . . no. By killing the body or by protecting the body, that is not the solution. The solution is that the living entity has infected itself with the material disease. It has to be cured. That is the whole purpose of Vedic civilization, how to cure your material disease.

So this cure of material disease have been described—we are discussing—first by atonement. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja did not like it very much because he saw, the atonement is like bathing of the elephant. By atonement we may be free from the infection, but again we do it. Karmaṇā. Then again . . . that is called karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activities. Because the bīja, the seed of my sinful desires, that is not cured. For the time being . . . just like go to the doctor. You are suffering from a severe disease, and he gives some medicine, takes his fees. That is my atonement, prāyaścitta. But it is no guarantee that I will not fall disease again. So this atonement like that. Many patients, they are suffering from some chronic disease, some venereal disease. They go to the doctor and they give injection, very costly medicine and so much suffering, but as soon as he cured, again he does the same thing so that he is attacked with venereal disease. So this is not very effective way of becoming . . .

Then it was suggested that people, because they are in darkness, āsuras, they do not know how to become immune from all diseases, therefore prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam, he suggested, Śukadeva. Vimarśanam: he must be sober, that "I am suffering from some disease, and I am heavily paying the penalty to the doctor, and still I am doing the same thing?" So therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī suggested, prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Vimarśanam means to become sober and think that "Why I cannot check my desire to do sinful activities?" Then he suggested to come to that understanding he requires good brain. Ordinary brain, they cannot understand that "Why I am forced to act sinfully, although after doing that I suffer? I have committed theft. I am suffer . . . I go to jail. Again I come out." So therefore it is called vimarśanam. So for vimarśanam—means to become sober—you require practicing the tapasya. That is also, we have discussed.

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena ca damena ca

tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

(SB 6.1.13)

A series of practice. Then the brain will be clear. So this process also, not very safe. The example has been given that kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ (SB 6.1.14). It is something like burning, setting fire into the dry grass. And superficially it appears that all the grasses are now burned into ashes; there is no possibility of coming out. No. Therefore this very word is there, iva analaḥ. Although superficially, outside, it appears that everything is burned, but the root remains there. The root remains there, and as soon as there will be facility or there will be rainy season, the same grasses and twigs and other things will come out again, new growth. That is . . . even after so much tapasya . . . there are many instances. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni was a king. He wanted to become a brāhmaṇa, and he practiced mystic yoga for many years. Still, he became a victim of a woman, Menakā. He was meditating, closing eyes, and Indra sent this woman, Menakā. And simply by hearing the sound of the bangles, ching-ching-ching, "Oh, there is woman. Yes, very nice," (laughter) all mystic yoga finished. Then he begot one daughter. That . . . her name is Śakuntalā, the famous beautiful daughter. So that history is there.

So the root of our material enjoyment cannot be taken away, cannot be uprooted by . . . the first process is called karma, and the second process is called jñāna, and the next, it is suggested, bhakti. So he is suggesting that kecit. People are more inclined to take to the . . . those who are absolutely in the rotten condition of life, not for them, but those who are little above the rotten condition . . . animals. Rotten condition of, means like animals, cats and dogs. Above them, human life, they take to pious activities or meditation or mystic yoga process, just to purify. So these processes are not sufficient. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting next, kecit. That kecit word is very significant. Kecit means somebody. Somebody. Who are the somebody? Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā (SB 6.1.15), pure devotional service. And how they become? Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. They become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Kṛṣṇa conscious person or vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, the same thing. Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa, that "Simply I shall worship Kṛṣṇa," kevalayā, "nothing else." This firm conviction and steadiness will save you, without any doubt, this conviction, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Then what is that vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ? That is also not very easy thing. Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva, says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ and jñānavān mām . . . the same thing. When one is fully in awareness what is what, then . . . that awareness also comes—bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, after many, many thousands of births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, jñān . . . when he is actually jñānavān, that "What I am, what is my duty," that is actually jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). After many, many births, when he comes to this understand, that "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. So let me. Kṛṣṇa also asking me to surrender. Let me do it immediately," that is called vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. In another place, Bhāgavata, it is said that,

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

Those who have become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ and engages himself in the service, for them, janayaty āśu vairāgyam, very soon they become detestful to all this material way of life. That is the test. How much one has advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can test himself, that "How much I have become detestful, all this material way of life?" Everyone can test himself. If he has got still some inclination, then he is not fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. He has to work very hard, how to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible. So that is called vāsudeva-parā. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ is not so easy. Therefore it is said, kecit. Kecit means "maybe somebody." It is not for all. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā . . . who is vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ? Who knows Vāsudeva, who knows Kṛṣṇa. So He says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3): "Out of millions of persons," manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, "somebody is trying to make his life perfect."

Everyone is being carried away by the waves of this material nature: "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." But that is not siddhi. That is imperfection. If you are carried away by the waves of these material necessities, then it is not siddhi. One has to become siddha. Siddha means one who understand that "What I am and what is my duty." That is siddha, perfect. Not . . . that is the beginning of perfection. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhate (BG 7.3). That siddha, perfection of life, is also not for everyone. Somebody out of millions. And Kṛṣṇa said, yatatām api siddhānām: "Those who are siddhas, those who have attained perfection, if they are trying to understand Me, maybe one or two may understand." Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). Therefore it is, that to become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, that is very, very rare. Therefore it is said kecit, "somebody out of many millions."

So one may ask, "If it is so difficult to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, so how so many people are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious? They are not genuine? They are all false, if it is said kecit?" No, they are not false. They are amongst these kecit, amongst those rare persons, those who have become Kṛṣṇa conscious. How? It is due to Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu has descended to distribute Kṛṣṇa. That is His mercy. So by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so many people are becoming vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. But otherwise, it is not possible. Therefore we first offer our obeisances to Guru-Gaurāṅga, by whose mercy we get Kṛṣṇa. This is the system. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind. Rūpa Gosvāmī could understand, could understand.

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(CC Madhya 19.53)

He understood, confidential devotee, Rūpa Gosvāmī. So, "My Lord, You are the same Kṛṣṇa. Now You have appeared as Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya, and Your business is to distribute love of Kṛṣṇa - not only Kṛṣṇa, but love of Kṛṣṇa."

So this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy that you are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise, it is not so easy thing; very, very difficult. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā (SB 6.1.15). So stick to this principle. Chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. By their favor, by their mercy, we can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, we are vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. There is no more fear. That is required. So you stick to this principle; do not forget. We have already given our ways and instruction. So don't deviate from it. Then everything is perfect and your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)