760603 - Lecture SB 06.01.37 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760603SB-LOS ANGELES - June 03, 1976 - 18.33 Minutes

Pradyumna: Translation: "Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Being thus addressed by the messengers of Yamarāja, Vāsudeva smiled and spoke the following words in voices as deep as the sound of rumbling clouds."

Prabhupāda:

śri-śuka uvāca

ity ukte yamadūtais te

vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ

tān pratyūcuḥ prahasyedaṁ

megha-nirhrādayā girā

(SB 6.1.37)

In this verse the word vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ . . . Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeva-ukta, ukta means what is said by Vāsudeva. Ukta means what is spoken by Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ: they'll do that, that's all. This is devotee. There is no difficulty to become devotee. At once you can become a devotee, within a second. They ask something, sometimes, that "How long it will take to become a devotee?" It will take one second. How? Vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ. You simply accept that whatever Vāsudeva says, you'll do. That's all. Vāsudeva says so many things. Vāsudeva says to Arjuna that "You fight." So if you accept, "Yes, I'll fight," then you become devotee. But Arjuna denied, "No, Kṛṣṇa, I'll not fight." That is our disease. Our whole disease is that as soon as we agree to accept the words of Kṛṣṇa, we are liberated, immediately. We are immediately in the Vaikuṇṭha. And as soon we deny, immediately within māyā.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīve bhoga vāñchā kare

pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

Two things are there. If you deny to keep yourself in the light, then go to the darkness. And if you deny to keep yourself in the darkness, then go to the light. Two things are side by side. If you agree to act according to Vāsudeva's instruction, His order, then you are immediately liberated person. And if you do not, then you are immediately under illusion, māyā.

So this is wanted, liberation. But it is very difficult to accept the position that "I shall do whatever Vāsudeva says." Immediately our life becomes very clear and happy. Not only happy in this life, but also next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). If we accept simply to obey the words of Vāsudeva . . . it is so simple, but we are so unfortunate that we do not accept. Especially in this age, mandāḥ sumanda matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age, people in general, they're all bad, mandaḥ. Mandaḥ means bad. Nobody's good. Because everyone is in ignorance, the modes of ignorance, that is bad. Or little upwards, in the modes of passion. Rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ (SB 1.2.19). And the best part, best platform in this material world, is goodness, sattva-guṇa. Raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa . . . there are three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. Those who are in ignorance, they are animals, animal platform. Those who are in passion, karmī platform. And those who are in goodness, they're jñānī platform. But our aim is to transcend even the jñānī platform. Not to remain in the platform of ignorance, not to remain in the platform of passion, and not to remain even in the platform of goodness. That is transcendental. That is transcendental. Just like gopīs are going to Kṛṣṇa at dead of night, at midnight. And how they're going? Kṛṣṇa is playing the flute, and gopīs are running, giving up all their engagement in the family. Somebody was lying with her husband, somebody was engaged in the kitchen, somebody was taking care of the children, so on, so on. But they left everything and went to Kṛṣṇa. This is transcendental. When we go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving up everything, that is transcendental platform. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

So this word is a very important word, vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ (SB 6.1.37). A devotee has nothing to do anything more, except to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is transcendental platform. They do not know what is transcendental plat . . . transcendental meditation means to think of Kṛṣṇa always. That is transcendental meditation. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

Who is the first-class yogī? Kṛṣṇa says, "That person who is always thinking of Me, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. There are many varieties of yogī, but this person, who is thinking of Me, he has no more to think any other thing." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: within the core of the heart, he's thinking of Kṛṣṇa. This is the ideal Transcendental Medition, Meditation. It has become a medicine now. (laughter) To become fatty, to have more power for sex, it is not meditation, but medicine. So this is wanted. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). That is the supermost, topmost position of yogī. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. We have to make everything material zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. Śūnyaṁ means zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). In this material world the jñāna-bhūmika, or the modes of goodness, that is very estimated. So, transcending that position also. Karma is lower position, karmīs . . . (aside) That child is disturbing. Hmm. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply remain prepared how to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena. "Kṛṣṇa says this; now I must do it." That is vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ. Ukta means whatever He says.

So the Kṛṣṇa conscious life is not very difficult. It is very easy. In one second, if he agrees: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, whatever You say, I shall do." That Arjuna did at last, after hearing the whole Bhagavad-gītā. When Kṛṣṇa asked, inquired from him, "Now, what is your decision . . .?" Kṛṣṇa never interferes with your decision. You have got little independence. Kṛṣṇa has given you. But if you use your independence, do not like to obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa, that is your business. You can do that. Kṛṣṇa will not interfere with you. But Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want actually happiness, liberation, then follow what I say." That is Kṛṣṇa's request. As we are subordinate, Kṛṣṇa can order that "You must do it." That Kṛṣṇa does not say, never. Kuru. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You do it." He doesn't say "You must." That is your option. You can deny it. That is going on. Kṛṣṇa is instructing everything perfectly, but why people are not doing? That is his discretion. That Kṛṣṇa gives always. After teaching Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, He asked Arjuna: "Now, Arjuna, I have spoken to you everything. Now it is up to you to do it or not to do it." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Yathā-icchasi: "Whatever you like, you do." He doesn't force, but Arjuna, that is . . . means knowledge, Arjuna said naṣṭo mohaḥ: "My illusion is now over." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "Now I am remembering, I am memorizing my position," tvat-prasādād, "by Your grace." So kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Now I shall act as You desire." This is perfection of life. Whenever we decide that "Now we shall act as Kṛṣṇa says," then our life is perfect. Vāsudeva-uktaḥ kāriṇaḥ (SB 6.1.37).

They were smiling. When the Yamadūtas challenged them that "Who are you? You look like very nice, coming from some very, very nice place. You are very well dressed, and you are all young men and nicely dressed, everything. Oh, why you are interfering with our business?" So, they were smiling. They were smiling because they knew their business. They knew their business: they have come to rescue Ajāmila by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So they know their position, that "We have come from the supreme controller. You cannot do any more this thing. That is your foolishness." They were smiling that "What these foolish persons are asking us question?" So our position is like that. Anyone who is preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . . you may protest against Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we shall smile, that's all. (laughter) We know our duty. Yes. We shall simply smile, that "What these nonsense speaking?" We shall go on, forward, because we are carrying the order of Kṛṣṇa. We shall be protected in every respect. Nobody can supersede our order. This is our position. So they were smiling, that "What these nonsense are speaking?" Yes. So tān pratyūcuḥ prahasya idaṁ megha-nirhrādayā. Just like cloud. Clouds, when sounds, everything stops. Megha-nirhrādayā. So the point is that those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if they are strictly following vāsudevoktaḥ, whatever Vāsudeva has said or the Vāsudeva's representative has said, if he's simply prepared to carry out the orders, then his position is very secure. His position is very secure.

So we are Kṛṣṇa conscious men, or we are known as Hare Kṛṣṇa men. Anyway . . . so we are not manufacturing something imaginary. That is not our position. Vāsudevoktaḥ. We are simply executing what Vāsudeva has spoken. That's all. So our task is very easy, because we haven't got to manufacture, tax our brains, to create something nonsense. No. Our position is very clear. Kṛṣṇa has said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa's words. So many things, these are important things. Kṛṣṇa says that "Always think of Me." So we are saying the same thing. "My dear friend, my dear student, my dear son, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Then you'll think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā. And who will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Mad-bhakto. Unless one agrees to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, why he'll chant? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." So we have created this temple. Come on, worship Kṛṣṇa. And māṁ namaskuru—and whoever comes to the temple, he offers obeisances. We teach how to offer obeisances as soon as we enter. This is our business. Where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. Either you are learned or a fool or rich or poor or black or white or American or Indian, Hindu, Muslim, never mind—take this lesson, you become perfect. So human society should take advantage of this movement and do these four things only—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Then what is the . . . mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68): "I guarantee you come back to home, back to Godhead, by this process."

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)