730620 - Lecture SB 01.10.05 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730620SB-MAYAPUR - June 20, 1973 - 31:08 Minutes

(audio is incomplete and defective towards the end)

Pradyumna:

nadyaḥ—rivers; samudrāḥ—oceans; girayaḥ—hills and mountains; savanaspati—vegetables; vīrudhaḥ—creepers; phalanti—active; oṣadhayaḥ—drugs; sarvāḥ—all; kāmam—necessities; anvṛtu—seasonal; tasya—for the King; vai—certainly.

Translation: "The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forests, creepers and active drugs in every season paid their tax quota to the King in profusion."

Prabhupāda: So everything in nature has to give something. That is the order. Everything that we see, nadyaḥ, the river . . . why God has created the river? It has got a function. Similarly samudrāḥ, the oceans; similarly the hills, mountains, girayaḥ; savanaspati, vegetables. All these vegetables which are growing, each and every vegetable, creeper, has some service, we do not know. Because we do not know the use of these vegetable, creepers, we go to the doctor, physician. Otherwise, if somebody is ill, the medicine is there. We do not know how to utilize it.

Still in remote villages, in forest, they do not come to the physician, doctors. The bhillas, the aborigines, they know so many drugs. For toothache, we go to the dentist and they extract the teeth, but I have read in Āyurvedic medicine, there is a drug, a root, only if you touch this side of the mouth, all the germs collected within the teeth they will come out. I have seen it. Sometimes in the year 1931 or '32 I had a very severe tooth pain. So I was taken by my servant in the jungle to some . . . this vaidya. They cured me, and the dentist could not. I attended so many times to the dentist. I have got my practical experience. And in the Āyurvedic literature there is mention some drug, the root only if you touch here, the germs collected in the teeth, they will come out in the corner of the teeth, some germs—sometimes it is itching; there's all germs—so they will come out. Sometimes pains in the toe. They, they're germs. The germ theory is all right, but they want to cure these germs in different way. But by nature's way there are so many drugs and roots and creepers that can cure all the diseases.

Similarly the river. The river has its function: to supply water all the year. During rainy season the water is collected on the top of the hill. It is stocked there by God's arrangement, and they come down. Just like we, by power pump, we get water down to the top of the roof and stock there. Similarly, on high level of hills and mountains water is stocked. Sometimes they are stocked in ice form, not in liquid form. So according to the seasonal changes the ice become melted and the water is supplied. It comes through the river. The same thing is there, but because we have now turned to become demons, the river sometimes overflood, killing so many men and animal, at the loss. Actually, everything is meant for kāmam, for supplying our necessities. And as soon as you are disobedient to God, demons, nature will give you punishment. Instead of supplying you water, water is there, it will overflood. You will be in trouble. So these rascals, they cannot see how nature is strong and it is controlling everything. Prakṛti.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

Everything is perfectly being done by nature. Nature is appointed by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10): "Under My control." So prakṛti will work very nicely provided you are also nice, Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you are not nice, then daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). "My māyā, My prakṛti, My energy, is very strong, duratyayā." These rascals, they are trying to control this flood, government. So much money they have wasted, but still in this quarter there are havoc. Therefore daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot control the nature's way. That is not possible.

How nature can be controlled? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ (BG 7.14). This is the law of nature. If you become disobedient to God, then prakṛti, or nature, will give you trouble in so many ways. And as soon as you become submissive, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be no more natural disturbances. I have heard in 1900 . . . 1898—I was born in 1896—so I have heard, I have seen also, I remember, in Calcutta there was a very virulent type of plague epidemic in 1900 . . . 1898. So Calcutta became devastated. All people practically left Calcutta. Daily hundreds and hundreds of people were dying. I was one year old or one and a half year old. I have, I have seen what was happening. But there was plague epidemic. That I did not know. I, later on, I heard from my parents.

So one bābājī, he organized saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana. When there was no other way, so he organized saṅkīrtana all over Calcutta. And the, in saṅkīrtana, all people, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, everyone joined. And they were coming, they were going road to road, street to street, entering in every house. So that Mahatma Gandhi Road, 151, you have seen. The saṅkīrtana party we, we received very nicely. There was light, and I was very small, I was also dancing, I can remember. Just like our small children sometimes dances. I remember. I could see only up to the knees of the persons who were joined. So the plague subsided. This is a fact. Everyone who knows history of Calcutta, the plague was subsided by saṅkīrtana movement.

Of course, we do not recommend that saṅkīrtana should be used for some material purpose. That is nāma-aparādha, nāma-aparādha. Syama . . . (indistinct) . . . subhoktiya mati pramāṇa. Saṅkīrtana, you can utilize saṅkīrtana for some material purpose, but that is not allowed. That is nāma-aparādha, because nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa, they're identical. You cannot utilize Kṛṣṇa for your personal, material benefit. That is aparādha. Kṛṣṇa is the Lord. You cannot engage the Lord for your service. Similarly, you cannot utilize the holy name of the Lord for some material purpose. That is not allowed. So anyway, because ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11), if you wanted some material benefit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll get it. But that is nāma-aparādha. So then won't get the ecstasy of loving God. That is the aim of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra: how you shall elevate yourself to the platform of loving God. That is required. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Not for utilizing the holy name for some material purpose. But this happened; we have got experience. I have heard, I have seen.

So, everything—the rivers, the seas, oceans, the mountains, the hills, the forest, the creepers, the vegetables—sarvāḥ kāmam anvṛtu, according to seasonal changes everything has got meaning. So if we are honest, if we are . . . because the, just like in prison house, jail, although the prisoners are criminals, condemned, they there is arrangement for your comfort also, by the government. There is arrangement of supplying food and all other necessities of life. Recently in Ahmedabad when I was visiting, the prison authorities also invited us for kīrtana. So I saw the criminals, prisoners. Sabarmati. Sabarmati Jail, yes, where Gandhi was also imprisoned during the political movement. So Gandhi's room, where Gandhi was staying, they showed me, and I sat down there. So there is very good arrangement for the comforts of the prisoners, if they abide by the laws. Similarly, although this material world is just like prison house, prison house, we living entities, we have come here as punishment.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta 6.2)

Now we are under the control of this external energy, material energy. We have become controlled, just like we become controlled by the prison authorities when we are criminals, not ordinarily. Ordinarily we are free. Those who are not within the walls of prison house, they are free. They are acting; wherever they like they are going, but within the law. Similarly, we have got freedom. There are living entities, their number is greater. Nitya-mukta, ever liberated. They live in the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha planets. Nitya-mukta. Nitya-mukta means eternally liberated. They never come down in this material world. And we are nitya-baddha, ever conditioned, eternally conditioned.

Eternally conditioned means . . . we cannot be eternally conditioned. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our natural position is ever liberated, eternally liberated. But because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, we wanted to become Kṛṣṇa, as the Māyāvādīs want to do, therefore . . . in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. Ekam eva aditiyam. Aham, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Sarva-loka, not only of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, planets, but these planets also. Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor. Therefore He's the supreme enjoyer. We cannot be enjoyer. We each can simply be servitor; that is our natural position.

Just like a dog, when it serves a nice master, he's happy. Otherwise, it is street dog. Nobody cares for it. Street dog. A street dog has no position and sometimes they're killed. Similarly, when we live under the full protection of the Supreme Lord, that is our healthy condition, that is our real con . . . life. And as soon as we give up this position to be subordinate, to be predominated by the Supreme Lord, then we are bewildered. We are thrown into this . . . under the control of this material nature, and according to our work we get different bodies.

There are 8,400,000 forms of bodies, and we get one body after another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This is called ever conditioned. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

(CC Madhya 19.151)

In this way, we are wandering from one species of life to another, one planet to another. In this way the brahmāṇḍa, this universe, is very, very big and there is immense opportunity. You become sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes cat, sometimes tree. In this way, we are wandering.

But this human form of life, especially those who are born in India . . . now it is not limited within India. By grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His prediction, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126), now the Kṛṣṇa's, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is being distributed all over the world, all parts of the world. That is the prediction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So this is the opportunity of getting out from the control of the material nature, by accepting bhakti-latā-bīja, accepting this very principle, that we are not masters, we are subordinate. We are jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109), eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as we accept it and engage ourself in the service of the Lord, that is our liberated position. Then we, again, we become nitya-mukta. We revive our original condition of life. Original condition means ever liberated. We can go anywhere. When we are actually liberated, when we are not conditioned by this material body, that spark, spiritual spark, as I explained several times, revives all godly qualities. Sarva-ga: we can go anywhere.

Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni is sarva-ga. He's ideal living entity. He's going everywhere, in the spiritual world, material world. Similarly, every one of us, we can travel. Even within this material world, there are different grades of planets. There is one planet which is called Siddhaloka. There the inhabitants, they can fly in the sky without any instrument. Aṇimā-siddhi, yoga-siddhi. Therefore it is called Siddhaloka. All kinds of yogic, aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection they possess. They haven't got to practice the mystic yoga system. By nature, they are perfect. As the yogīs can travel from one place to another without any instrument, they will sit down here and perform the yogic practice. Within a moment or within a minute, where he wants to go, he'll be there. This is yogic perfection. This is called aṇimā-siddhi. Laghimā-siddhi, prāpti-siddhi, vaśitā-siddhi, īśitā-siddhi.

So these are simply samples of our perfection. By yogic practice we can regain some of our sample liberty, but actually when we are in our spiritual form, identity, we have got such liberty, we can go anywhere, we can do whatever we like, as Kṛṣṇa can do. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person. His power, his liberty is unlimited. Our power and liberty is limited. So when we use our power and liberty within that limit, we are called nitya-mukta, ever liberated. If we want, artificially, more power to imitate Kṛṣṇa, then you are gone. Then kṛṣṇa-bhuliya-jiva bhoga vāñchā kare. Then you are conditioned in this material world. Because in the spiritual world the enjoyer is only Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be enjoyer; everyone is servitor. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109).

Still, although we are put into this prison house, all these rebelled souls, this prison house, this material world, is only one fourth of Kṛṣṇa's creation. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Ekāṁśena. The three-fourths part of His creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine. This ekāṁśa . . . ekāṁśa means not only this one universe. There are many hundreds and thousands of universes like this. This is one of them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that this universe is just like a mustard seed in the bag of mustard seeds. You just imagine in a bag how many mustard seeds you can pack. Unlimited. You cannot count. Mustard seed within a bag, two and a half mounds weight, can you count? No, it is not possible. Similarly all these universes, material universes, each of them is compared with the mustard seed, and this universe which we experience is one of the mustard seed within the bag of mustard seed. And all these material universes combined together, aggregate, is one-fourth creation of Kṛṣṇa. And the three-fourths part is the spiritual world. So just imagine how many liberated living entities are there. They are also living entities. They are ever liberated.

Just like in the jail, the population in the jail is very small in comparison to the population of the city. Similarly, within this material world, all the living entities, they are all conditioned, very limited number. The unlimited number are there in the spiritual world. But still Kṛṣṇa has made arrangement. Kṛṣṇa is giving us chance, this human form of life that, "I give you all facilities, all the supplies, necessities of your life. The river will serve you, the hills will you serve, the mountains will serve you, the ocean will serve you, the forest will serve you, the vegetables will you serve, the animals will serve you—everyone will serve you. Now you have got human form of life, you take service from them, live peacefully, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is the arrangement.

But these rascals, will not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They want to predominate over these hills, mountains, rivers, animals. In the Bible it is said the animals are given under the control of human being, man. Is it not? They have taken it. And because the animals are living under the control of man, therefore man should open slaughterhouse and eat them? Suppose if somebody gives his son, "Swamiji, you take my son? Keep him under your control." Does it mean I shall eat him? These rascals interpret in that way. Because the animals are given under the control of man, therefore there should be slaughterhouse, the animals should be killed, and they will eat. This is their interpretation of the Bible, is it not? Who knows Bible? Anyone? Nobody knows Bible? Or you have forgotten? Anyway, so . . .

Indian man: In the Koran it is also said . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Huh? In the Koran also it is said, yes, that animals are under the control of man. That is naturally. Just like . . .

Indian man: (indistinct) . . . they say it is for the purpose of eating. Fish are created for the purpose of eating.

Prabhupāda: That is also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, that jīvo jīvasya jīvanam (SB 1.13.47). That we also accept. But just like jīvo jīvasya jīvanam, then why don't you eat your own son? He is also jīva. Why do you discriminate? Therefore discrimination is the better part of valor. We should know, we are also eating the vegetables. What kind of jīva, living entity, we shall eat, that is to be discriminated. Not that because the one living entity is food for another living entity, it does not mean I shall eat my own son. I am father. We do not do that. Because we use our discrimination.

Similarly, in the human form of life there should be discrimination. We have to eat. We have to eat . . . (indistinct) . . . discrimination means vicāra, vicāra, that what kind of food I shall eat. Suppose the hogs, they eat stool. Does it mean because the stool is also food, I shall eat that? That is discrimination. If you say that everything is food, then why don't you eat stool? One man's food, another man's poison. That is . . . what is to be eaten, what is not to be eaten, that is discrimination . . . (indistinct) . . . now our discrimination is, because human life is meant for becoming God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, so we have to act in God consciousness . . . (indistinct) . . . we have taken vow that we shall eat the remnants of foodstuff, prasādam, from Kṛṣṇa. Now, what Kṛṣṇa wants?

Kṛṣṇa says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says, "Give Me vegetable, water. Anyone who offers Me in devotion." So we have to eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Although . . . (indistinct) . . . are meant for eating by the man. That is stated in the . . . (indistinct) . . . Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām (SB 1.13.47). Ahastāni, they haven't got hands. Ahastāni . . . (indistinct) . . . sahastānām . . . (indistinct) . . . they are food of the human being . . . (indistinct) . . . so ahastāni sahastānām apadāni . . . (indistinct) . . . those who cannot walk. Just like the creepers, grass and vegetables. Catuṣ-padām. They're food for the four-legged. Phalgūni jīvo jīvasya jīvanam . . . (indistinct)

(no audio)

So, in this way, there is order that one life is meant eaten by another. That is nature's law. But we should use discrimination what kind of foodstuff, what kind of living entities we shall eat. That Kṛṣṇa . . . we have taken vow to eat only Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. There is something. Whatever Kṛṣṇa orders. So that is a fact that each and every living entity is meant for another living entity for eating. When we get human form of life, the animals, they, just like, another eat vegetables. Similarly, the cows. Nature's law is there. Although one animal is meant for by another, these animals, they use their discrimination by nature's law. Tigers will never come to your garden to eat fruits and vegetables. No. By nature, they have got teeth and jaws to kill another animal. They want to eat, drink blood, fresh blood. Nature has given them all the provisions for that. Similarly, we human beings, this is scientific. Our teeth are meant for eating fruits. That is one Dr. Cooney, in your Germany. He said that . . . and actually, if you eat fruits and milk, you will have never any kind of sickness. That's a fact. So they're also life.

So we should use our discrimination. We . . . we, our only business is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So under Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we cannot eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa does not say that, "You give Me meat, eggs and fish." Kṛṣṇa does not say. When you have got Kṛṣṇa as your guest . . . Kṛṣṇa has come very kindly to be handled by you. He's unlimited. But He has agreed to become limited by your limited hands. This is Kṛṣṇa, this arcā-vigraha. Arcā-vigraha. If Kṛṣṇa, if you want to handle Kṛṣṇa is His gigantic universal form, you have no capacity. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa has become very small, and He's giving you chance to serve Him, to dress Him, to wash Him, to offer Him foodstuff, to offer ārātrika. Kṛṣṇa is giving these chances. So whatever Kṛṣṇa says. He's your guest. He has come very kindly. He says: "Give Me such kind of food," it is your duty to give such food. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam . . . you cannot say: "Kṛṣṇa, this is also nice food, eggs and fish." No. That you cannot do.

Indian man: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man: Tri-vidhā āhāra tri dvitiya . . .

Prabhupāda: So sāttvika-āhāra . . . because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is on the, above sāttvika platform, above goodness . . . Śuddha-sattva. Here in the material platform, sattva-guṇa is sometimes contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. But in the spiritual world there is simply pure sattva-guṇa. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam (SB 4.3.23). So vasudeva platform. There Kṛṣṇa takes birth; there Kṛṣṇa is seen. When you come to the śuddha-sattva . . . sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). At that platform, you can deal with Kṛṣṇa.

So this devotional service is śuddha-sattva platform. There, you cannot bring in something contaminated which is material. Here, everything should be spiritual. Therefore, because we have taken the vow of accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we cannot eat anything, although they are meant for eating. But we cannot eat anything. That is discrimination.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)