731231 - Lecture SB 01.16.03 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

731231SB-LOS ANGELES - December 31, 1973 - 40:54 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

ājahārāśva-medhāṁs trīn

gaṅgāyāṁ bhūri-dakṣiṇān

śāradvataṁ guruṁ kṛtvā

devā yatrākṣi-gocarāḥ

(SB 1.16.3)

(break)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: ājahāra—performed; aśva-medhān—horse sacrifices; trīn—three; gaṅgāyām—on the bank of the Ganges; bhūri—sufficiently; dakṣiṇān—rewards; śāradvatam—unto Kṛpācārya; gurum—spiritual master; kṛtvā—having selected; devāḥ—the demigods; yatra—wherein; akṣi—eyes; gocarāḥ—within the purview. (break)

Translation: "Mahārāja Parīkṣit, after having selected Kṛpācārya for guidance as his spiritual master, performed three horse sacrifices on the banks of the Ganges. These were executed with sufficient rewards for the attendants. And at these sacrifices, even the common man could see demigods."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Now, people say that "Why we do not see the demigods?" So the answer should be, "Where is your sacrifice, horse sacrifice?" The demigods, they are not so cheap. Just like the king or the president, does he come anywhere who is a cheap, common man? No. Where the kings or the demigods or a great sage like Nārada Muni will come, that place also must be worth coming there.

So there were interplanetary system. Just like Arjuna went to the heavenly planet, similarly, in such sacrifices, if it was arranged by great kings like Mahārāja Parīkṣit and others, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, then the demigods, invited, they would come. Not only they would come, but all common men could see. Therefore it is said here, yatrākṣi-gocarāḥ, devā yatrākṣi-gocarāḥ. We are very much proud of seeing everything, but we should wait for being qualified to see. Not that whimsically I want to see, "O God, please come before me. I want to see." God . . . God is there, just suitable for your seeing power. God is very kind. Here He is present in the temple. And you go on seeing, then you will realize that He is God.

So God or demigod, everyone can be akṣi-gocarāḥ, within the purview of your vision, provided you are qualified. This is the process. These rascals say: "Can you show me God?" But what power you have got to see? First of all gain that qualification. Then you will see. God is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān . . . even He is within the atom. Therefore one who is not competent to see God, he is advised to see God in different way in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8): "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." So you try to see God there in the taste of water.

At the present moment, we have got many senses. You want to see God with the eyes. So begin with your tongue. This is also another sense. Just like if there is nice foodstuff, if I say: "Let me see how it is," "Let me see" means . . . you are already seeing. What do you want? "No, I want to touch in the tongue." That is "Let me see." Not by the eyes. If there is good sweetmeat, halavā, then "Let me see" means "Let me taste." So first of all taste God. It is within your reach of the sensual perception, but try to practice. Then sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). Then you will realize. God will reveal to you Himself. When you become submitted, devoted to God, by tasting the prasādam, you will see God personally. He will talk with you. That is possible.

So at the present moment, we want to see God, but we do not acknowledge that we are not qualified. How we can see? If I cannot see even an ordinary president . . . by my whims I want to see the president or the such-and-such big officer. You cannot see unless you are qualified. So how you can see God? That is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. Then you will see God. Akṣi-gocaraḥ. Akṣi-gocaraḥ means, just we are seeing—you are seeing me, I am seeing you—similarly, you will see the demigods or God, provided you are qualified.

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit was so exalted king that by his invitation, the demigods would come and public could see. That was possible. That is stated here. He was so, I mean to say, exalted king, he could invite. And the kings also were invited. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira went. That was interplanetary exchange. That is now not . . . you cannot go by the sputniks to the heavenly planet. The moon planet is also one of the heavenly planet. Or the other planets. They are all heavenly planets. Ūrdhvam. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). When you are competent, fit, for going there, then you can go there. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, bhūtejyā yānti . . . (BG 9.25). You can go, but you must be qualified, pitṛ-vratāḥ, deva-vratāḥ. Similarly, you can go to Kṛṣṇa also if you are kṛṣṇa-vratāḥ. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. What to speak of going to other planets, if one is qualified, if one is pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa says: "He also comes to Me." So this exchange of going and coming is not difficult, provided a person is qualified. Not a cat and dog can go. That is not possible.

So another important point is, ājahārāśva-medhāṁs trīn, three times. The aśvamedha-yajña is so expensive that the king of heaven, Indra, he executed the aśvamedha-yajña seven times. So Mahārāja Pṛthu was also going to complete seven times. So there was some, I mean to say, competition. The Indra would not allow him to complete seven times. Otherwise he would become equal with him. So amongst the kings, not only in this planet, but in other planets also, the aśvamedha-yajña was performed by very, very powerful, rich kings, not ordinary kings. It is very expensive job. Because it is stated, bhūri-dakṣiṇān, and vast amount of money required for distribution in charity. Then you can perform aśvamedha-yajña. Similarly, there is gomedha-yajña. Aśvamedha-yajña was to send the horse with flag that, "Such-and-such king is the emperor of the whole world." So if some king in some state, he does not agree that, "He is emperor," he will capture the horse, "I don't agree. I don't accept." Then there will be fight, "You have to accept." In this way there will be sacrifice.

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit was the emperor of the whole world, whole this planet. So he performed three times. Now, that means three times he challenged, "If there is any dispute, any objection of my becoming emperor?" This is aśvamedha-yajña, "If you have got any objection, then I will make you obliged to accept me. Otherwise, if you accept, that's all right. You remain in your state, give me tax." This is the . . . so this is very expensive job. Formerly one king performed this aśvamedha-yajña, and bhūri-dakṣiṇān, he gave in dakṣiṇa . . . dakṣiṇa means in charity. Just like you give dakṣiṇa to your spiritual master upon initiation, similarly, here also it is said, śāradvataṁ guruṁ kṛtvā. Everything must be executed under the guidance of a guru, not whimsically, "Oh, I have got my own idea. I have got my own God. I can do whatever I like." This is simply waste of time. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that, "Anyone who does not follow the instruction of the śāstra, how things should be done," śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, "does things whimsically," na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti, "he will never get happiness." Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sukhaṁ sa . . .

So everything should be done according to śāstra. And the śāstra should be guided by ācārya, guru. Ācārya means one who knows what is there in the śāstra. He practices in his life and teaches the disciple. He is called ācārya. Ācārya is not a whimsical thing. He must know. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja appointed ācārya, śāradvatam. He is the brother of Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya was also ācārya, but he was military ācārya. And here he was ācārya for Vedic rituals, ācārya. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva . . . (MU 1.2.12). Guruṁ kṛtvā. In order to do things very rightly, you must appoint . . . just like if you are going to the court to file some suit, do it very nicely. You have to appoint a very good lawyer. Similarly, these Vedic principles, the Vedic rituals, they should be performed under the direction of ācārya, guru, not whimsically. So therefore this kind of sacrifices are forbidden in this age. In this age.

That was discussed between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Chand Kazi, the Muhammadan magistrate of Nadiya. He, Śrī Kṛṣṇa . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu, challenged the Kazi, Muhammadan that, "What is your religion, that you eat your father and mother?" This was the challenge by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now, "What is that, father and mother?" Now, "Mother, your cow is your mother. You drink milk of cow. And the bull is your father. Because without bull, without the cow and bull being united, there is no milk. So how is that you are eating your father and mother?" It is a great challenge.

Actually those who are meat-eater, beef-eater, they are killing their father and mother and become implicated in sinful life. Therefore we say no meat-eating. No meat-eating. If you become implicated in sinful life, how you can be happy? There must be nature's punishment. Just like if you infect some disease, nature must punish you. You must suffer from the disease. You cannot get out. It is not possible. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Why there are so many varieties of life? Why not one class of men, all President Nixon? (laughter) Why not? Why there is bum in the Bowery Street? In your country I am saying. Why there are arrangement of first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class, fifth-class men? Or animals, or trees? Everything is there. Why?

That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As you have infected yourself with a particular type of modes of nature, you will get a body. That's all. If you have infected to get the body of a dog, you must be infected. People who are keeping dog, that means he is being infected by the germs of dog. Next life he will become a dog. He is infected. What he will think at the time of death? If he has got a beloved dog, he will think of . . . somebody . . . in your country, they bequeath great, I mean to say, wealth, for the dog. That means at the time of death, at the time of death he is thinking of his beloved dog. So he must be a dog. So all his wealth goes to the dog and he goes to become a dog.

This science is unknown to the rascals. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, your position of the mind will create the next body. This is the science. So if you create your the position of the mind, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you will get a body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that, "Why you shall love dog and cats? Love God, Kṛṣṇa, and you get the next body like a Kṛṣṇa." Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how to think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Then your life is successful.

So that has to be practiced. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If you always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, that means you remember Kṛṣṇa always. So there is chance, ninety-nine percent chance, that at the time of your death you will think of Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful. Very simple method. Make always your mind absorbed in Kṛṣṇa; naturally at the time of death you will think of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām iti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Such person, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, who knows Kṛṣṇa . . . if you think of Kṛṣṇa, naturally you know of Kṛṣṇa. You know of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually you become Kṛṣṇa-ized. Just like you put the iron rod in the fire. Gradually it becomes fire—warm, warmer, warmer, then red-hot. When it is red-hot it is fire. Whenever you touch, it will burn immediately. Similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the same example, touching fire. So Kṛṣṇa will purify you. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Just like you are being purified by hearing about Kṛṣṇa daily. Otherwise, why you are coming here? We have no money to bribe you to come here. You are feeling, becoming Kṛṣṇa-ized; therefore you are coming.

So this is the process, simple process. You simply be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you become Kṛṣṇa-ized, purified. And as soon as you become purified, you understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam (Brs. 1.2.234). "You understand Kṛṣṇa" means Kṛṣṇa becomes revealed. Just like something is covered, you try to move the covering, you see the goal. Similarly, by your constant endeavor to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you, "Yes. You are so anxious to see Me? Here I am. Here I am. Yes." You will see Kṛṣṇa. So how this is possible? Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). By thinking of Kṛṣṇa, naturally you become attached. Just like materialist. They are always thinking of woman and money. So they become attached to woman and money, the materialist. So similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, you become attached to Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult job.

So the aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam (CC Adi 17.164). This was explained by . . . why aśvamedha-yajña is forbidden in this age. In this age no sacrifice is possible. There is no money. There is no guru. Guru means who can conduct the sacrifices. First of all there is no means. Even one can conduct, there is no means. It requires huge amount of money. Here it is said that bhūri-dakṣiṇān. Bhūri means unlimited amount. Bhūri means very great. So there is no money. Neither there is expert brāhmaṇa also who can conduct such sacrifices. Because they must chant the Vedic mantra so perfectly that even a horse or a cow is put into the fire, he will come out with a new life. That is the test.

This Chand Kazi, Muslim magistrate, he also challenged Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "What is your this religion, you are eating your father and mother?" Directly. Not that He was talking with the magistrate, He should be a little respectful. No. In spiritual matter, everything spoken flatly, no compromise. Just like we say: "You are not a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then you are a rascal." That's all. "You may be the president. That doesn't matter. But because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are rascal." There is no compromise, "Oh, here is a big man. How he is speaking." We see everywhere. So many scientists come. I say: "You are rascal. You are demon." (laughter) I say it. And they tolerate. I prove that he is a rascal. I prove that he is a rascal, he is a demon. Then he tolerates, "Yes." We have got sufficient strength to prove, any materialistic man, to prove that he is a rascal. That is possible.

Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5): "If one is practically a devotee of Lord, he doesn't care even personalities like Vidhi." Vidhi means Lord Brahmā. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means such great personalities are taken by perfect devotee as ordinary insect. As ordinary insect has no value, similarly, anyone, however great he may be in this material world, if he is not God conscious, he is no better than the insect. Because it has no value. Because he does not know that he is going to become a dog next life. He loved a dog very much, and he bequeathed his all property to the dog, but he is going to become himself a dog. Therefore he's a rascal. What is his intelligence? He got some money. There are many instances in (your) country, they bequeath the whole wealth to the dog. Is it not?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So how much rascal he is, that? And if you go that, "Give us some money for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness," "No, no, we are not interested in religion. I am interested in dog," so how much rascal he is, that, just imagine.

So everyone is a rascal. Everyone is rascal. How we so boldly say that everyone is? Because Kṛṣṇa says. We are Kṛṣṇa-ite. We have to follow. Just like a small child follows the talkings of his father and mother, so similarly, we learn from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

Kṛṣṇa says. So we have learned from Kṛṣṇa. So we test. What is the test? Na māṁ prapadyante: he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So such person, what he is? Now, duṣkṛtina, sinful. Meritorious sinful, that when merit is applied for sinful activities, you can do it very nicely than the ordinary man. A scientist discovers some method of stealing, how to break the treasury of the bank. So that does not mean . . . because he is doing scientifically, stealing, that does not mean he is not a thief. He is a thief. How you can say, "Oh, he has done it very scientifically"? (laughing) The law will say: "You are rascal. You are thief. You must be punished."

So these so-called educated scientists, philosophers, what they are doing? They are simply doing mischief. Therefore they are duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina. Mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal, ass. Because nobody knows what is the aim of life. They're exactly like the ass. He does not know what is his interest. Unnecessarily he is carrying three tons of cloth of the washerman. Therefore he is called ass. His gain is a little morsel of grass. He can get grass anywhere. Still, he is thinking, "I am obliged to this washerman. Because he is supplying me grass, therefore I must have three tons of cloth on my back." This is ass. This is ass. He has no interest. Not a single cloth belongs to him, and he is carrying, oh, three tons of cloth. Therefore the ass. Ass means one who does not know his interest, and he works unnecessarily and wastes his time.

So everyone in this material world, he does not know what is the aim of life. Unnecessarily he is making plan—this plan, that plan, this plan, that plan—and all plan is being frustrated by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Every plan will fail. And those who are plan-making persons, they are all rascals. They do not know that what kind of plan should be made. The plan should be made that everyone should be God conscious. Then every plan will be successful. Otherwise all, everything will fail.

So these sacrifices are forbidden in this age, Kali-yuga, because there is no expert brāhmaṇa who can conduct the sacrifices, neither people have got any means. Now, so far bhūri-dakṣiṇān, so there was one king. He performed this sacrifice, and by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got the information of a golden mountain. So golden mountain, he collected enough gold from that mountain, and in the sacrifice he made everything made of gold. Everything. So he distributed utensils. That is the system, that to the brāhmaṇa who attends the sacrifice, they are given money, utensils, cloth, bedding. Because brāhmaṇas, they do not care for material possession. They are simply engaged in Brahman consciousness, God consciousness. Therefore it is the duty of the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas to give them in charity so many things, so that they may not feel any want of material necessities. They do not beg.

So this king, he arranged for distributing to the brāhmaṇas so many golden utensils that when they were given to the brāhmaṇa, each and every brāhmaṇa, some of them thought, "What is the use of such load?" This is brāhmaṇa. So after coming out from the sacrificial arena, they threw away, "Throw! Who will carry such a load?" Just see. This is brāhmaṇa. A big load of gold they neglected. They threw it away. "I don't want it. This king has given. All right, take. But I will throw away." (laughing) This is brāhmaṇa, yes. He doesn't care for all these things. Brāhmaṇa's another par . . . is yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. He accept charity, huge quantity, and next moment he spends or throw it away. That's all. Again poor man. That is brāhmaṇa. Again collect money; spend it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is brāhmaṇa. That is brāhmaṇa. So bhūri-dakṣiṇān. These . . . in very long, long years ago this was done.

So when Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was in need of money for performing this aśvamedha sacrifice, so he asked his brothers, assistants, "Now we have spent all our money in this Battle of Kurukṣetra. You know the expenditure of battle. So I require money. So where is the money?" So when Kṛṣṇa saw that Arjuna and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is very much perplexed to secure money, so He asked His friend Arjuna, "You can go there, near Himalaya. There is huge stock of gold utensils, and formerly they threw it away. You can go and collect. Bring it." So immediately he went, and he collected all the thrown utensils of gold, and enough money was collected. Therefore Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means "who has conquered, securing wealth." Dhana means wealth. Dhanañjaya.

So this is sacrifice. This is sacrifice. But it is not possible. Aśvamedhaṁ gavālambham (CC Adi 17.164), this is forbidden. Here, at the present moment, the yajña is saṅkīrtana. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Here, at the present moment, this yajña is recommended. This is recommended in śāstra, not manufactured.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

This is the process of yajña in this age. What is that? Now, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. The God's incarnation, that is incarnation, not a manufactured incarnation. There must be reference to the śāstra. So what is the incarnation? Pracchanna-avatāra. In this Kali-yuga the incarnation is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is stated in the śāstra, kṛṣṇa-varṇam, kṛṣṇa varṇayati: "He is simply chanting 'Kṛṣṇa,' although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself." Kṛṣṇam-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam. Therefore He has hidden Himself. His bodily color is no more Kṛṣṇa, but golden.

That is also stated. Kṛṣṇa has got four colors: śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ (SB 10.8.13). When Gargamuni made the horoscope of Kṛṣṇa that, "This child had three other colors, śuklo raktas tathā pītaḥ. He had His color, red color and white color and now . . . and yellow color. Now He has assumed black color." Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. So therefore His name was Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has another color, pīta. Pīta-varṇa-gauraḥ. That is Lord Caitanya. Therefore tviṣā akṛṣṇa: "Bodily complexion not kṛṣṇa." Such Kṛṣṇa, chanting Kṛṣṇa . . . kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32), followed by many devotees, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. At least followed by Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu, like that. So this is the description of the incarnation of God in Kali-yuga. Pracchanna-avatāra. There is another avatāra, Kalki.

So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. To such God the method is to sacrifice. The sacrificing method is yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Su-medhasaḥ. Medhā means brain substance. Those who have got good brain substance, such person worship this Lord by the yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ. So that we are doing here. Here is kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu. Therefore our first obeisance is to Him, then Kṛṣṇa. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

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