730927 - Lecture BG 13.04 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730927BG-BOMBAY - September 27, 1973 - 21:41 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca

yad vikārī yataś ca yat

sa ca yo yat prabhāvaś ca

tat samāsena me śṛṇu

(BG 13.4)

Yesterday we have discussed that two souls, the individual soul and the Supersoul, both of them are living within this body. This body is compared . . . in the Upaniṣads, the body is compared with a tree, and two birds are there. One bird is the individual soul, we, and the other bird is the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is always flying with the other bird, the living entity. We are trying to enjoy this material world. Just like you have seen a bird sitting in this branch, going another branch, another tree. This is all seeking some pleasure. Similarly, we are also . . . Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are enjoying a standard of comfort in this life, and I am preparing another standard of living condition next life. So I shall fly over to another body. Tathā-dehāntara prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind . . . because we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa. We are wandering in this material world as mad chap. Just like a rich man's son has become mad. He leaves his home and loitering in the street and eating in the garbage. That is our position. We are the sons of the richest person. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47).

Bhagavān means who is the proprietor of all riches. So we are sons of such a rich man. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanā . . . (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). But we have become mad. We have become mad. We want to enjoy . . . just like there are many sons. Although the father is . . . in America we find many. Although father is very rich, millionaire, he has become a hippie, out of frustration, confusion, or some other reason. So our condition, like that. We are the sons of the richest person. Not only richest; the wisest. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya. The most powerful, Kṛṣṇa. The most powerful, the richest, the wisest, the most beautiful. Everything, supreme degree. We are sons of such a father, but we have become mad after this material enjoyment. This is our madness.

So as father is always kind to the son, similarly, the supreme father is so kind that we are flying from this tree to that tree, this body to that body. So Kṛṣṇa is also flying, but He's not affected. That is explained in the Upaniṣad, that the one individual soul, bird, he is eating the forbidden fruit of the tree and enjoying or suffering the result. But the other bird, he's simply witnessing. Witnessing. Witnessing . . . upadraṣṭā anumantā (BG 13.23). That is described. Upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means witness. Upadraṣṭā. Upa means . . . you cannot avoid the vigilance of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot do anything concealed. Everything is known to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is called upadraṣṭā.

And He knows that he'll suffer. Therefore sometimes conscience beats. We sometimes inquire from our conscience. Conscience says, "No, don't do this." But still we do it. Still we do . . . that is our avidyā. Because we do not know, in ignorance, in spite of the Supreme Soul, Supersoul is forbidding, "Don't do this," still we shall do it. That is called anumantā. We cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul. But when we insist that "I must do it," then He says, "All right, you do it, but you'll suffer your sequence. My word is, Supersoul order is, that 'You give up all this nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me. I will give you all protection.' " But no, that he'll not do.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk. Yādṛk means "as it is." We have got different kṣetram. I have got this body; you have got another body. No two bodies you'll find equal in every respect. You'll find two bodies . . . we have got two hands, two legs, two eyes. These are all right. But your eyes are different from my eyes, your arms are different from my arms. This is human society. Then there are other bodies—animal society, bird society, beast society, and aquatic society, insect society. There are so many, 8,400,000 species forms of life. They're all living entities. But why they have got different types of bodies?

That is explained here. Tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca. Why we have got different bodies? And yādṛk ca, how it is working? Yādṛk ca. Tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca yad vikārī. How it has transformed in different forms? Yad vikārī yataś ca yat (BG 13.4), and wherefrom it has come to be so? Sa ca yo yat prabhāvaḥ: how, under certain influence, we get this body? There are three kinds of influences, you must always know, material influences. Just like the example is given that there is fire, and the sparks are dancing, but some of the sparks fall down, from the fire falls down on the ground. So one spark falls on the water, one spark falls on the dry grass and one spark falls on the wet grass. These are three conditions. So when we fall down from the spiritual world . . . as part and parcel we are in the spiritual . . . our position in the spiritual world. But when we fall down within this material world, we fall down in such way, some is fallen down on the water, some is fallen down on the dry grass, some is fallen on the wet grass.

So dry grass means although he has fallen, he has no material desire. That is sattva-guṇa. There are men who . . . just like devotees. The devotees are also wandering, moving, in Bombay, but they have no such desire to enjoy Bombay. That desire is dried up. They're not walking in the Bombay street for going to the cinema or to the restaurant or to the meat house or that or that. No. Don't consider they are on the same position like others. There are many person loitering in the street, but they are different person. They are not in touch with anything of Bombay material facilities.

Similarly, there are persons who are via media—half this side, half that side. And there are person who are fully in Bombay life. Or Bombay . . . any city life. We don't speak only Bombay. Suppose we are in London. We are wandering, traveling in many, many very nice cities better than Bombay. What is Bombay? Bombay is nothing in comparison to New York or Chicago or Tokyo. Very, very big, big cities. So as we find there are different classes of men, although all of them are in Bombay or any city, similarly, all the living entities, they are not of the same quality. Some of them are in touch with the material modes of goodness, some of them are in touch with the material modes of passion, and some of them are in touch with the material modes of ignorance.

So those who are in ignorance, they are just like fallen in the water. As the fire falls on the water, it extinguishes completely. And the dry grass, if a spark of fire falls, taking advantage of the dry grass, the fire ignites; it becomes again fire. Similarly, those who are in the modes of goodness, they can easily awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpām (BG 7.28). Why people are not coming to this temple? Because the difficulty is some of them are in gross ignorance. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They cannot come. Those who are simply engaged in sinful activities, they cannot appreciate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is not possible. But it is a chance given to everyone. We are flattering, "Please come here. Please . . ." This is our business on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa comes personally to teach Bhagavad-gītā and ask everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), our business is that.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa very much appreciates, "Oh, these people are doing on My behalf. I haven't got to go there. They have taken up My business." What we are taking business? We are simply asking people, "Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Therefore we are very dear. Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Our business is how to become recognized by Kṛṣṇa. We don't, I mean to say, bother whether one is converted or not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our duty is to flatter, that's all. "My dear sir, please come here, see Kṛṣṇa's Deity, offer namaskāra, take prasāda and go home." But people are not agreeing. Because why? Now, this business cannot be taken up by persons who are full of sinful activities.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpām. One who has completely finished his sinful activities, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpāṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Who can become free from sinful activities? One who is engaged always in pious activities. If you are engaged in pious activities always, where is the chance of committing sinful activities? Therefore the most pious activity is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If you are engaged always, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, if your mind is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no accommodation for other things to come to your mind. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, māyā is there, immediately captured.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sa ca ya yat prabhāvaś ca. That prabhāva means according to the modes of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Why one is born in the family of demigod? Why one is born in the family of a hog? Why one is born in the family of a tree or a serpent? There are so many species of life. The only reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sango 'sya. The living entity, as he associates with the guṇa . . . there are three guṇas. Multiply three by three, it becomes nine, and multiply nine by nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are eighty-four . . . 8,400,000. This is guṇa.

Just like color painter. There are three colors only: blue, red and yellow. But an artist can multiply the colors into many types of colors simply by mixing. Simply by mixing. Similarly, these three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—these are the main qualities. Now they are mixed together—sometimes this portion is greater than the other portion. In this way material nature is the greatest artist. You can see how she has manufactured so many bodies, nice bodies, 8,400,000.

So this is due to our association with the particular quality. Now, so long you are in the material world you have to associate with some kind of material qualities. But if you engage youself in the devotional service of the Lord, then immediately you become transcendental to all these qualities. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

Brahma-bhūyāya: immediately you are situated on the Brahman platform. How? Māṁ ca vyabhicāreṇa-bhakti-yogena sevate. One who is fully engaged in devotional service, he's no more under these material qualities. Sa guṇān samatītya etān. Etān. Bahu-vacana. These three qualities, sama, samyak atītya, samatītya. Atītya means, I mean to say, transmigrating or transcending. Samatītyaita etān guṇān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Because every living entity is by nature Brahman. Brahman means spirit soul. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman; we are Brahman. It is very easy to understand. You don't require to become Brahman. You are already Brahman. Simply you have to be purified from non-Brahman—that is material qualities—then you become Brahman.

Therefore it is said, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. Brahma-bhūta (BG 18.54) means . . . at the present moment we are now jīva-bhūta. Because we are in this material world, because we have got this material body, our present position is jīva-bhūta. But when we surpass, when we transcend this material concept of life, the bodily concept of life . . . and that can be done very easily if you engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Is it very difficult to be engaged in the service of the Lord? Not at all. Not at all. Why? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto-mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You are seeing Kṛṣṇa here, and you can think of this Kṛṣṇa always. There is no tax and there is no loss. Suppose if you come to the temple and you get the impression of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa so nice, and if you keep within you heart . . . but that can be kept when you love. Just like if you love somebody, you always keep within your heart the form of your lover. Similarly, if you develop love of Kṛṣṇa, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38) . . . if you have actually developed love of Kṛṣṇa then you'll be able to keep Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. That Kṛṣṇa wants. Man-manā: "Always think of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

So to become devotee is not at all difficult. Without doing anything, if you simply follow this instruction of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto . . . simply you think of Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa. If you come in the temple, you get impression of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not nirakara. Here is Kṛṣṇa's akāra, dvi-bhūja-muralī-dhara. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). The rascals, they think that "They are worshiping a man. Kṛṣṇa was historical man." No. That is avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. They are rascals. Kṛṣṇa comes to become visible to you so that you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

So five thousand years Kṛṣṇa advented Himself, and He remained just like a human being. He took part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. So . . . He was dancing, He was playing in Vṛndāvana so that you may be attracted, you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came. But we are so unfortunate, although Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to show Himself, show His activities, His power, His opulence, His beauty, His message, still, we miss Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Why? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Although Kṛṣṇa is present, Kṛṣṇa is manifesting Himself, but māyayāpahṛta jñāna, māyā is so strong that it is taking away our knowledge of Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore if you want to get out of these clutches of māyā . . . that is also given by Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti te: "Anyone who surrenders unto Me fully, he can get out of the clutches of māyā." Then he can be engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then his life becomes successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Haribol. All glories to Prabhupāda. (end)