760305 - Lecture SB 07.09.27 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760305SB-MAYAPUR - March 05, 1976 - 23.46 Minutes

Śāstrījī: (chants mantras; chants verse; Prabhupāda and devotees respond) (break)

naiṣā parāvara-matir bhavato nanu syāt

jantor yathātmā-suhṛdo jagatas tathāpi

saṁsevayā surataror iva te prasādaḥ

sevānurūpam udayo na parāvaratvam

(SB 7.9.27)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Translation: (01:04) "Like the ordinary living entity, my Lord, You have no such discrimination, thinking like 'He is my friend; he is my enemy. He is favorable; he is unfavorable.' Such conception of low grade and high grade You have not got. But according to one's gradation of service, You offer them benediction exactly like the desire tree offers fruits according to the desire of the person. The desire tree has no distinction of low-grade and high-grade position of the beggar."

Prabhupāda:

naiṣā parāvara-matir bhavato nanu syāt

jantor yathātmā-suhṛdo jagatas tathāpi

saṁsevayā surataror iva te prasādaḥ

sevānurūpam udayo na parāvaratvam

(SB 7.9.27)

It is very important verse. Discrimination. Sometimes the atheist class demons, they say, "Why God has made somebody so opulent and why somebody so poor?" This is the general question. Perhaps you have met, eh? So that is being solved. Parāvaratvam. Para means "better," and apara means "inferior." Superior and inferior.

There are two things, superior and inferior, everywhere - but in the eyes of God, Kṛṣṇa, there is no such thing, superior or inferior. He's superior, and everything is superior. This should be understood. There is no such discrimination that "Here is a devotee, so he's superior, and here is a nondevotee, he's inferior." That is not God's discrimination; that is your discrimination. If you like to remain as inferior, you can remain. God has given you independence. And if you like to become superior, you can become superior. It is not God's discrimination; it is your discrimination.

Mind this verse very carefully. Kṛṣṇa says that "You fully become dependent upon Me, and I shall give you full protection." This is superiority. As soon as I fully surrender to the supreme superior, Kṛṣṇa, then my position is immediately superior. But if I don't do that, then I remain inferior.

There is a verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11): "It is up to you to . . . if you surrender cent percent, then I am also fully cent percent for you." But if you have got discrimination—"Certain percentage for my wife, certain percentage for my children, certain percentage for my country, certain percent . . ." so on, so on, so on, so on, ultimately, "Zero for God"—then God is also zero. It is up to you. But if you take God—"You are my everything"—then He is also for you everything. It is up to you. Parāvaratvam. He does not discriminate; you discriminate.

There are many persons, they come to Vṛndāvana, and whatever they have earned throughout the whole life, so they give everything to the wife and children and make contract that "I am going to Vṛndāvana. You send me at least two hundred rupees for my expenditure." "And what about two lakhs and crores?" "Oh, that is yours. The two lakhs and crores, what I have earned, that is for you, my dear children, my dear wife, and you give me two hundred for God. So I am going to Vṛndāvana." So Kṛṣṇa is very intelligent: "All right, I am also for you two hundred. (laughter) I am also for you two hundred."

Ye yathā mām . . . this is the meaning, real meaning. Ye yathā māṁ prapadya . . . Kṛṣṇa is for you. It is called . . . what is the exact word? Responsive cooperation. "If you have surrendered to Me cent percent, then I respond cent percent. If you have surrendered twenty-five percent, then I respond twenty-five percent." This is the position.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja knows it, that naiṣā parāvara-matir bhavato: "You have no such thing as discriminating." So one may say that "I may . . . I am foolish. I may not surrender to Kṛṣṇa cent percent, but why He is not kind cent percent?" So that is Kṛṣṇa's discrimination. Why He should? He can. He can become cent percent, but He does not do so. That means Kṛṣṇa is sentient; He is not impersonal.

Don't think that whatever you are doing, Kṛṣṇa cannot see. In the Deity room, if you think that "This Deity is made of brass. Whatever nonsense I can do, He does not see," no. He can see everything. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti (BS 5.32). He sees. You rascal, you do not know how Kṛṣṇa sees. You think that "He has these brass-made eyes. He cannot see. I can do all nonsense with . . ." No. That is not. He can see everything. Paśyanti pānti. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can see with His lotus feet. He can see with His hand. We can see simply with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can see with all the . . . añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. You have seen: Kṛṣṇa is playing the flute. The fingers are open. A finger touching: "What you are doing?" We do not know the fingers can also see. But this is absolute. Kṛṣṇa can use His any energy, any power, any part of the body, for anything else. This is Kṛṣṇa. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.

So Kṛṣṇa can see within our mind how much we are surrendered and how much we are after material enjoyment. Therefore the best thing is we have to make zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Śūnyam means zero. Unless we make everything zero, simply Kṛṣṇa fact . . . Kṛṣṇa is the only fact, and everything zero. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything zero. Just like one is one, and zero is zero, but when zero is added with one, it becomes ten immediately—ten times. Similarly, this material world is zero, and Kṛṣṇa is one. If you want to enjoy the material world by your own effort, it will always prove zero. You'll never be satisfied. But you add this zero by the side of Kṛṣṇa, you enjoy like anything, ten times. Ten times. With zero it is zero, but when it is added with Kṛṣṇa, it is ten times.

Just see practically. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started with forty rupees. Now that forty rupees or something added with Kṛṣṇa, it has become forty crores. You see practically. When I started for your country, I came to Māyāpur. I offered my obeisances to my spiritual master, then I went. At that time I had no money even to purchase the ticket. And after that, I have come with forty crores. This is the secret: ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is there.

You have to learn how to take from Kṛṣṇa. Of course, a devotee is never desirous to take anything from Kṛṣṇa. He wants to give only. This is pure devotee. A pure devotee wants, "Kṛṣṇa, whatever little I have got, You take it, everything." And Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, because you have given your everything, even up to your life, I'll also give you My everything to you." This is Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination, but it is up to us to know how to take from Kṛṣṇa. Just like the example is given here that saṁsevayā surataror iva. Surataror iva. Surataroḥ means the desire tree. It is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, desire tree. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (BS 5.29). That is kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means . . . you have no experience. We have no experience. Kalpa-vṛkṣa there is in the higher planetary system, and especially in the Vaikuṇṭha world. There are trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa, because everything is spiritual; nothing is dead. Here you can take some fruits or flower from a particular tree, but there, if you like, you ask kachorī and samosā from a tree—you get.

But we have no idea what is surataroḥ, surataroḥ, what is kalpa-vṛkṣa. Whatever you desire, you'll get it. Surabhīh, surabhīr abhipāl (BS 5.29) . . . the cows are surabhi. Here you have got limitation; you can milk morning and evening to a certain extent. But there the cows are surabhi. Surabhi means you can milk as many times as you like, and as much milk you want, you can take it.

These things are there, but we have no information. We are struggling here. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Because we are fools and rascals, we are trying to make some adjustment here. That is not possible. It is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This is māyā. We are trying to be happy in this material . . . it will never be possible. But these fools and rascals, they do not know. They are making big, big plans how to become happy, how to become, in our country, in our home, in our society, in our family, and so on, so on, so on. This means we are simply becoming entangled. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). Ahaṁ moha, illusion. It will never be possible. Therefore, the conclusion is we should fully surrender cent percent to Kṛṣṇa, and then we become happy. Saṁsevayā surataror iva te prasādaḥ.

The example is: just like the desire tree, kalpa-vṛkṣa. It can fulfill any desire, any desire. We have got so many desires. Kṛṣṇa can fulfill all the desires. Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣaḥ

(SB 2.3.10)

We go here and there for fulfilling our desire, but if we are fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, all our desires will be fulfilled sitting at home. We haven't got to go here and there.

Therefore it is said, surataror iva te prasādaḥ. And how it is? Sevānurūpa. This is . . . this is the secret. If you are engaged cent percent in service, sevānu . . . anurūpam. It is proportion to your service. You cannot order Kṛṣṇa, "Give me this." That is not possible. He is not your servant. Kṛṣṇa cannot become anyone's servant, "Kṛṣṇa, give me this, give me that." Kṛṣṇa's not your servant. He's not order-supplier. His order you should supply. Then you can take. You don't make Kṛṣṇa your order supplier. That is mistake.

Therefore anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11), pure devotion means first of all you learn not to order Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, give me this, give me that, give me that." Don't bother Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of spiritual life. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. You prepare to carry out every order of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is spiritual life. Don't make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier. You become order-supplier of Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore it is said that sevānurūpa. If you learn how to give service to Kṛṣṇa cent percent, then you get everything, everything, without asking. Kṛṣṇa knows everything, what is required for you. Just like a father knows what is the necessity of the child. The child never begs, "Father, give me this, give me that." No. He's simply dependent on parents. The parent knows.

Similarly, if we become cent percent dependent and serve Him faithfully under His order or His representative's order, then the success is sure. Sevānurūpa. Sevānurūpam udayo. Udayo: "It becomes manifest." Just like the sun is rising in the sky. It is not by your order. It is rising by his own way. You cannot say that "My dear sun, please immediately come to the meridian and make it noon." "No, I am not your servant. I shall rise according to my principle." So similarly, if you cannot order even the sun, a creation of God, or anything according to your order, then how you can order Kṛṣṇa? This is foolishness. Don't order Kṛṣṇa. Try to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be successful.

Sevānurūpam udayo na parāvaratvam. Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination that you are inferior, therefore His favor is not bestowed upon you. This is foolishness. Don't become envious of somebody who is getting Kṛṣṇa's favor. Kṛṣṇa is favoring him because he has served. You serve; you'll get favor. This is God. Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination that one is getting more opulence, more success; another is rotting. That is not Kṛṣṇa's; it is your discrimination. You wanted some rotten things; you get it. You wanted some stone and wood, you take it. But if somebody wanted to serve—"I have given Him service"—"All right, you serve." This is parāvara . . . not parāvaratvam, it is foolishness that "Kṛṣṇa has favored him so much. I not favored." You become just eligible to be favored, then you'll be favored. This is the process. Na parāvaratvam. He has no such discrimination. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.234).

Therefore the principle is sevānurūpam. Always remember this, as it is said here, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prasāda. Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give you prasāda, all favor. Why not? Without doing something, you are getting so much favor. Without Kṛṣṇa's favor you cannot live even for a moment. He's so kind. Even the cats and dogs, they are also getting Kṛṣṇa's favor. Eko hi vidadhāti bahūnāṁ kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām . . . eh?

Hṛdāyānanda: Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Prabhupāda: Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is supplying stool to the hog because he wants to eat it. He wants to eat. He has desire: "Give me facility for eating stool." "Give me favor, facility, to drink fresh blood." "All right, you take the suitable body. You want fresh blood? I'll . . . you get the tiger's body—the nails and the claws and the teeth. As soon as touches you, immediately all blood sucking." So He has delivered: "All right, take this facility." But what is the advantage of this facility? The facility is . . . you know: the tigers, they do not get food every day. He has got the facility to suck blood, but . . . all the implements he has got, but there is no chance. Because every animal knows, "In that part of the forest there is tiger," they do not go, so he starves. He starves. You'll find so many rich men, they have got enough money, but they cannot eat more. They cannot eat more.

So this kind of facilities, it is our foolishness. It is not facility. That is punishment. Real facility is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real facility. So we should always ask, beg. That is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction.

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī

(CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

This facility we should always ask: "Kṛṣṇa, I don't want any facility of this material world. I am not worth to serve You; still, I am begging. Give me this facility so that I can get the chance to serve You." That is life's success.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)