760607 - Lecture SB 06.01.41 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760607SB-LOS ANGELES - June 07, 1976 - 34.25 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (sings Jaya rādhā-mādhava; leads prema-dvani prayers)

Pradyumna: (leads devotees in chanting) Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Devotees repeat)

yena sva-dhāmny . . . (break) " . . . activities; rūpair—and with forms; vibhāvyante . . ." (break)

Translation: (05:06) "The supreme cause of all causes, Nārāyaṇa, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names, such as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya, different duties according to the varṇāśrama institution, and different forms. Thus Nārāyaṇa is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation."

Prabhupāda:

yena sva-dhāmny amī bhāvā

rajaḥ-sattva-tamomayāḥ

guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair

vibhāvyante yathā-tatham

(SB 6.1.41)

So supreme controller is Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also explains . . . here in the śāstra, we understand that Nārāyaṇa is the supreme controller. In many other places the same thing is explained.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(BS 5.1)

So Kṛṣṇa explains in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So Nārāyaṇa . . . in the Vedic mantra also, the same thing: eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. In the beginning, Nārāyaṇa was there. So Nārāyaṇa is not alone. When you say the king is coming, it does not mean that king is coming alone. King is coming with his ministers, with his secretaries, with his military forces, bodyguards, many thousands. Similarly, when we speak eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt, it does not mean that Nārāyaṇa is alone. Nārāyaṇa is always . . . if the king can be surrounded by so many officers and ministers, and Nārāyaṇa is the supreme king, so how He is surrounded by paraphernalia we can just think over.

So Nārāyaṇa-dhāma, the Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma . . . there are millions and millions of Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas in the spiritual world. As we see in this material world . . . and in each planet Nārāyaṇa is there in different forms. That is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Different forms means Nārāyaṇa has the same form, four hands with four symbolic weapons, simply changing—śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, padma; gadā, cakra, śaṅkha, padma—like that. These things are explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So in the Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world, Nārāyaṇa is there. And above these Vaikuṇṭha planets there is the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(BS 5.29)

There is the Goloka Vṛndāvana, the description is there. There are also trees, there are also animals, and Kṛṣṇa is there, and He is being served by lakṣmīs, the gopīs. Sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. With great respect they are serving. These descriptions are there. There, trees are desire tree. Whatever you want from that tree, you'll get. The cows are surabhī cows, means you can draw milk as many times as you like and as much as you like. Surabhīr abhipālayantam.

So when we speak of Vṛndāvana, it is not imagination. In the śāstra, there is description, how Kṛṣṇa is there, what He is doing. Especially it is mentioned, surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa has got this hobby. Just like our hobby—dog-abhipālayantam. (laughter). We keep, every one of us, especially in the Western countries, a dog. So why not Kṛṣṇa keeping so many cows? What is the difficulty for Him? So He, intentionally, He becomes a cowherd boy. That is His pleasure. Just like here, we, a minute particle of God, we have got so many hobbies. So He has . . . because nothing can be present here without being in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Whatever is there in this material world, bad or good, similar things are there in the spiritual world. The difference is here, everything bad, and there, everything good. That is the difference. Here we have made bad and good; it has no meaning. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he has explained the conception of bad and good in this material world. He says, 'dvaite bhadrābhadra sakale sama 'ei bhāla, ei manda', sab mano-dharma. In the world of duality . . . this is the world of duality. So the absolute . . . there is absolute world. That is spiritual world. But here there is duality, bad and good. You cannot understand bad without having some conception of good, and you cannot understand good without having some conception of bad. You require the opposite. So in the spiritual world, this duality conception is absent. Everything is absolute. We have to understand this theoretically at the present moment. But there, everything is cintāmaṇi. Everything is alive, spiritual.

So Nārāyaṇa's place is there, sa dhāmani. That is His own abode. This is also Nārāyaṇa's abode, this material world. Just like a king. King's kingdom is long, very widespread, but still, he has got a palace. That is sa dhāmani. Everywhere his property, government property, but still there is a government house, particular. Similarly, everything belongs to God, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything. Everything God's property. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. But still He has got His own abode. That is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto (BS 5.37). That is God. He's always there. He hasn't got to go out for some business. No. He hasn't got to work for maintaining His establishment. No. He is complete, and He's staying there. Just like Kṛṣṇa . . . it is said in the śāstra: vṛndāvanaṁ parityaja na padam ekaṁ gacchati. Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana. He doesn't go anywhere. He's always existing there. But still, He's everywhere. That is His inconceivable potency. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto (BS 5.37). We are limited. I am sitting here; I'm not in my apartment. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana—He doesn't leave that place any moment—but you'll find Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto. Don't think that "Kṛṣṇa is not here." Kṛṣṇa is here also. You see, personally, Kṛṣṇa is present here. Don't think that it is not Kṛṣṇa, it is some stone statue. No. He's Kṛṣṇa. But because you cannot see Kṛṣṇa, He's appearing just that you may see, because you cannot see without stone and wood. Therefore it is called arcā-vigraha, arca-avatāra. Arca-avatāra.

Therefore: arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ nārakī (Padma Purāṇa). Forbidden, that never think the vigrahaḥ, the form of the Lord, as stone or wood. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr. One who thinks like that . . . guruṣu nara-matir, and the spiritual master as ordinary human being. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ: Vaiṣṇava, who has become a devotee, to accept him belonging to some caste or nation or some . . . no. He doesn't belong to anything . . . never to think that's he's American Vaiṣṇava, he's Indian Vaiṣṇava, he's brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava, he's kṣatriya . . . no. This is jāti-buddhiḥ, classification. Vaiṣṇava does not belong to any jāti. He belongs to Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa dāsa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). Therefore practically you can see the members of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, some of them are Indians, some of them are Europeans, some of them are Englishmen, some of them are black, some of them are white, some of them are brāhmaṇas, some of them are Hindus—but they do not think anymore that "I belong to this category." No. No. Or otherwise they could not work. Every one of them completely aware that "We are all Kṛṣṇa's servants." Similarly, guru is not ordinary human being. Guruṣu nara-matir. Guru is not ordinary human being. Ordinary human being cannot preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe kṛṣṇa nāma pracāra (CC Antya 7.11). So anyone who is preaching, he cannot be considered as ordinary human being. Even though Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained this, that why not ordinary being? His son is calling him "father," or his relatives, they're taking him as ordinary. So Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says still he is not ordinary human being. Why? Because he is preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, guruṣu nara-matir, and śrī viṣṇu-padatīrthau. The . . . just like Ganges water, Yamunā water, to think of ordinary water, these are forbidden.

So Kṛṣṇa, guṇa nāma-rūpair vibhāyvante yathā-tatham. He has innumerable names and innumerable forms, according to the necessity. Unlimited forms: Nārāyaṇa, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, thousands and thousands of names. But He's situated in His own place, and He's governing the whole creation. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). That is the Vedic mantra. Everything is being controlled by Him. How He is controlling, how He is witness, that will be explained in the next verse.

sūryo 'gniḥ khaṁ marud devaḥ

somaḥ sandhyā ahanī diśaḥ

kaṁ kuḥ svayaṁ dharma iti

hy ete daihyasya sākṣiṇaḥ

(SB 6.1.42)

This will be explained, next verse, how He is controlling, how things are managed. We can see practically that universal affair, how things are being managed. Exactly in the right time, the sun is rising, the moon is rising, and they're working exactly to the time. In this season, the sun will stay during daytime so many hours. Exactly we'll find. Not that this year he's staying from six to six, and next year he's not appearing. No. There is no question of accidents. The same date, same month, and the same appearance of the sun and the moon. Everything. And still we say, "There is no God," "God is dead," "There is no controller." This is foolishness. Mūḍha. The mūḍhas, the asses . . . mūḍha means asses, one who has no knowledge. It is commonsense affair, that if everything is going on so nicely, how I can think there is no controller? In your house, in your office, if everything goes very nicely, systematically, there is the director, there is the manager, superintendent, and everything is going nice, how, without these things, how the whole universal affair can go so nicely? That is not accident, that there was a chunk, and immediately it became a this and that. No. There was no accident. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). There is no question of accident. Kṛṣṇa says, "Under My supervision, everything is going on."

So Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, He's controlling everything. And this material world is made of three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). The Bhagavad-gītā also says the same thing. Prakṛteḥ, this material nature, is working under three modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa. In the rajo-guṇa, the material world is created. In sattva-guṇa, the material world is maintained. And in tamo-guṇa, this material world is dissolved, or annihilated. This is the way, going on. So sattva-guṇa, maintenance, in-charge is Viṣṇu Himself. Without Viṣṇu, nobody can maintain. Just like one contractor, he can manufacture a very big skyscraper building, but to maintain it, it requires another management, how to manage and maintain. And dissolution, anyone can break this big skyscraper. These three things are going on. So the maintenance in-charge is Nārāyaṇa, His expansion, Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu is supplying all the needs of our . . . we are so many living entities, innumerable, but Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, He is supplying all our needs. Just like father, he supplies the needs of the family, children. Similarly, Viṣṇu is maintaining. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So many different varieties of living entities, and they have got different demands, different necessities—everything is supplied by Viṣṇu. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is God.

So we cannot declare independence. That is not possible. There is no independence. We are completely dependent on Viṣṇu. There is no doubt about it. You cannot manufacture your necessities, all the necessities. You can manufacture some motorcar or some needle or this or that, but you cannot manufacture the primary necessities of life. That is not possible. When there is scarcity of food, you cannot manufacture in your factory. That is not possible. That you have to receive from Viṣṇu, from God. That, that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14). Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Anna means food grains. Or even you take that "My anna, my food, is animal," that's all right. Either you eat animal or vegetable or food grains, it is supplied by God. You cannot manufacture it. Suppose I am eating vegetable, you are eating meat. But meat you cannot manufacture; a vegetable also I may not manufacture. That is supplied by God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Whatever our necessities are there, it is supplied by God, Kṛṣṇa. So He advises . . . this world, although Kṛṣṇa supplies everything, but still, you have to work. You have to work. This material world means karma-samjñaḥ. Without working, you cannot live. You have to work. There is a verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8). Do not stop working. Some foolish people say that we are not working. We are working for Kṛṣṇa. It is not that we are not working. Working is necessary here. But the difference is a bhakta is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, and nondevotees are working under the direction of māyā. That is the difference. Therefore bhakti and ordinary work, karmīs, it looks the similar, similar, that these men, they are also working, they're also cooking, they're also going to the Press, they're also typing, they're this . . . so what is the difference between bhakti and karma? The difference is that we are working for Kṛṣṇa and others are working for māyā. That is the difference.

So nirbandha-kṛṣṇa-sambhandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255). Working is not stopped. Our Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they retired from their ministerial service, they went to Vṛndāvana, but the work increased. When they were ministers they were sleeping thirteen hours, but when they went to Vṛndāvana, they had no time to sleep even for two hours. That is Vṛndāvana life. That is Vṛndāvana life. They had no time. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. These are the description about the Gosvāmīs, that by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they retired from ministerial job. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Maṇḍala-pati means very, very big men in society. Minister, his business was with big, big man. Who can see the minister? The zamindar, the big businessmen. So he gave up that association. Then what he became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. He took up a small loincloth. You have seen the picture of Gosvāmīs. Why? Just to show compassion and mercy to the whole world who are suffering. So how much business he increased? He was minister of a state. Now he has to do good to the whole world. How much responsibility it is. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. They had to establish the real purpose of religion—sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. So presented so many books so that they may understand what is the meaning of religion. Nānā-śāstra. Nānā means varieties of śāstra. Vicāraṇaika: after deliberation . . . you'll find, therefore, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu or any book written by the Gosvāmīs, all giving reference from the śāstra. Nānā-śāstra vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma, lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau.

So Vaiṣṇava, the servant of Nārāyaṇa, nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati, they are not afraid to go anywhere for the service of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. Because Nārāyaṇa has got so many widespread government, and Nārāyaṇa's servant, nārāyaṇa-parāḥ, they have to go everywhere. Nārāyaṇa parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. They are not afraid, "No, I'll have to go to such distant place, no friend, no money. How shall I go?" No. Nārāyaṇa is there. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ, na bibhyati—he's not afraid of. "Whether I'm going to die or live, it doesn't matter. I must go there. It is the order of Nārāyaṇa." This is devotee.

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve

na kutaścana bibhyati

svargāpavarga-narakeṣv

api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

(SB 6.17.28)

Nārāyaṇa may order, "Go to hell and preach." "Yes." Tulyārtha. "Then if You send me in heaven or hell, I don't mind."

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)