730421 - Lecture SB 01.08.29 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

730421SB-LOS ANGELES - April 21, 1973 - 41:16 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (leads singing of Jaya rādhā-mādhava)

(Audio - 04:41)

(prema-dhvāṇī prayers) (break) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitaṁ

tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam

na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti karhicid

dveṣyaś ca yasmin viṣamā matir nṛṇām

(SB 1.8.29)

(man devotee is chanting verse)

Prabhupāda: Ladies. Ladies. All right, finish. Finish.

(man devotee finishes chanting; ladies chant)

Very good. Next, word meaning.

Pradyumna: na—does not; veda—know; kaścit—anyone; bhagavan—O Lord; cikīrṣitam—pastimes; tava—Your; īhamānasya—like the worldly men; nṛṇām—of the people in general; viḍambanam—misleading; na—never; yasya—His; kaścit—anyone; dayitaḥ—object of specific favor; asti—there is; karhicit—anywhere; dveṣyaḥ—object of envy; ca—and; yasmin—unto Him; viṣamā—partiality; matiḥ—conception; nṛṇām—of the people.

"O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and so are misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial."

Prabhupāda: So the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So two purposes. When God incarnates, He has got two mission. One mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, and vināśāya duṣ . . . one mission is to deliver the faithful devotees, sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons.

The sādhu . . . I have explained several times. Sādhu means devotee. Sādhu does not mean the worldly honesty or dishonesty, morality or immorality. It has nothing to do with material activities. It is simply spiritual, sādhu. But sometimes we derive, "sādhu," a person's material goodness, morality. But actually "sādhu" means in the transcendental platform, those who are engaged in devotional service. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). Sādhu is transcendental to the material qualities. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. The paritrāṇāya means to deliver.

Now if a sādhu is already delivered—he is on the transcendental platform—then where is the necessity of delivering him? This is the question. Therefore this word is used, viḍambanam. It is bewildering. It is contradictory. It appears to be contradictory. If a sādhu is already delivered . . . transcendental position means he's no longer under the control of the three material modes of nature: goodness, passion and ignorance.

Because it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). He transcends the material qualities, a sādhu, devotee. Then where is the question of deliverance? The deliverance . . . he does not require deliverance, a sādhu, but because he is very much anxious to see the Supreme Lord eye to eye, that is his inner desire, therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Not for deliverance. He's already delivered. He's already delivered from the material clutches. But to satisfy him.

Kṛṣṇa is always . . . just like a devotee wants to satisfy the Lord in all respect, similarly more than the devotee, the Lord wants to satisfy the devotee. This is the exchange of loving affairs. Just like in your . . . in our ordinary dealings also, if you love somebody, you want to satisfy him or her. Similarly, she or he also wants to reciprocate. So if that reciprocation of loving affairs is there in this material world, how much it is greatly elevated in the spiritual world. So there is a verse that, "Sādhu is My heart, and I am also the sādhu's heart." The sādhu is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is always thinking of His devotee, sādhu.

So the appearance and disappearance of Lord within this material world, that is called cikīrṣitam.

(aside) What is the word meaning of cikīrṣitam?

Pradyumna: Pastimes.

Prabhupāda: Pastimes. It is Kṛṣṇa's pastime that He comes. He . . . when He comes, of course, He works something. The work is to give protection to the sādhu and to kill the asādhu. But both the activities are His pastimes. He's not envious. He cannot be envious. The killing of the demons, that is also His affection. Just like sometimes we punish our children; we give a very strong slap. That is not out of love. There is love. So when Kṛṣṇa kills a demon, the . . . the business is not on the platform of material jealousy or enviousness. No.

Therefore it is mentioned in the śāstras that even the demons who were killed by Lord, they also get immediate salvation. The result is the same. Just like Pūtanā. Pūtanā was killed. Pūtanā wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa, but who can kill Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. She was killed. But she was killed, but what was the result? The result was that she got the position of Kṛṣṇa's mother. Kṛṣṇa accepted her as His mother. She came with poison-coated nipple that, "Kṛṣṇa will suck my nipple, and the child will die immediately." But that is not possible. She was killed. Kṛṣṇa sucked the nipple and the life all together. But Kṛṣṇa took the bright side that, "This woman, demon, she came to kill Me, but somehow or other I have sucked her breast milk. So she is My mother. She is My mother." So she got the position of mother.

These are explained in the Bhāgavatam. Uddhava explained to Vidura that Kṛṣṇa is so kind, God is so kind, even the person who wanted to kill Him with poison, she was accepted as mother. Such a kind God, Kṛṣṇa that, "Whom shall I worship others, except Kṛṣṇa?" This example is given. So actually Kṛṣṇa has no enemy. Here it is said, na yasya kaścid dayitaḥ. Dayitaḥ means favor. Nobody is favored. Na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti karhicid dveṣyaś. And nobody is His enemy. But who can be His enemy, who can be His friend?

Suppose we create friends. We expect some benediction or some profit from the friend, and enemy means we expect some harmful activities by the enemy. But Kṛṣṇa is so perfect that nobody can do any harm to Kṛṣṇa, neither anybody can give anything to Kṛṣṇa. So where is the necessity of friend and enemy? There is no necessity. Therefore it is stated here: na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti. He doesn't require anyone's favor. He's complete. I may be very poor man.

I expect some friend's favor, somebody's favor. But that is my expectation because I am imperfect. I am not full. I am deficient in so many ways. So I am in needy always. Therefore I want to create some friend, and similarly I hate the enemy. So Kṛṣṇa, His being the Supreme, nobody can do any harm to Kṛṣṇa, nobody can give anything to Kṛṣṇa. So why we are offering Kṛṣṇa so much comforts? We are dressing Kṛṣṇa, we are decorating Kṛṣṇa, we are giving nice food to Kṛṣṇa.

So the idea is . . . try to understand this fact. Kṛṣṇa does not require your nice dress or nice flower or nice food. Kṛṣṇa does not require. But if you give Him, then you become benefited. It is Kṛṣṇa's favor that He's accepting. The example is given: just like if you decorate the original person, the reflection of the person in the mirror, it also appears decorated. So we are reflection. In the Bible also it is said that man is made after the image of God. So our . . . as Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, we . . . He has got two hands, two legs, one head. So "Man is made after God" means we are reflection of the image of God. Not that we manufacture, imagine some form according to our form. That is mistake.

The Māyāvādī philosophy is like that. It is called anthropomorphism. They say that, "Because the . . . the Absolute Truth is imperson, but because we are persons, we imagine that Absolute Truth also person." Just the opposite. Actually that is not the fact. We have got this personal form as reflection of God. So in the reflection, if the original person is benefited, the reflection is also benefited. That is the philosophy. The reflection is also benefited.

So if you decorate Kṛṣṇa, so you become decorated. If you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then you become satisfied. If you offer nice foodstuff Kṛṣṇa, then you eat them. Perhaps those who are outside the temple, they have never imagined such nice foodstuff. But because it is being offered to Kṛṣṇa, we have got the opportunity to take it. This is the philosophy. So you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa in all respect. Then you'll be satisfied in all respect. This is . . .

Kṛṣṇa does not require your service. But He kindly accepts. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa is asking you that, "You surrender unto Me." It does not mean that Kṛṣṇa is lacking one servant, and if you surrender then He'll be profited. Kṛṣṇa can create millions of servants by His only desire. So that is not the point. But if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, you becomes saved. You become saved. That is your business.

Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). You are suffering here. Just like without any shelter, you see so many people loiter in the street, no aim, no life. We go in the beach side, we see so many boys and girls without an aim, loitering, do not know what to do, all confused. So . . . but if you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll know, "Oh, I have got now shelter." There is no more confusions. There is no more hopelessness. You can understand it very well. And I receive so many letters daily, how they are hopeful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So Kṛṣṇa has come here, has descended, to collect some servant, that is not the fact. If we agree . . . instead of becoming Kṛṣṇa's servant, we are servant of so many things. We are servant of our senses and sense activities. Kāma, krodha, lobha, moha. Actually the whole world is serving the senses, servant of the senses, godāsa. But if we engage the senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then we shall no longer remain the servant of the senses. We shall be the master of the senses. Because we, we, we shall not allow our senses to be engaged otherwise. That strength we shall get. Then we shall be saved.

So here Kuntīdevī is describing that, "Your appearance in this material world is . . ." not misleading, "bewildering." We are thinking that "Kṛṣṇa has got some mission, some purpose. Therefore He has appeared." No. It is His pastimes. It is pastime. Just like sometimes the governor goes to inspect the prison house. He has no business to go to the prison house. He is getting report from the superintendent.

He does not . . . still, sometimes he comes, "Let me see how they are doing." It is called pastime. It is his free will. Not that he has become subjected to the prison laws and he has to come to the prison. No, not like that. But if the prisoners think, "Oh, here the governor is also in the prison. So we are equal. We are equal. I am also governor . . ." (laughs) The rascal thinks like that, "Because Kṛṣṇa has come, descended, avatāra, so I am also avatāra." This rascaldom is going on.

So here it is said, na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam: "Nobody knows what is the purpose of Your appearance and disappearance. Nobody knows." So tave . . . tava īhamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. It is bewildering. Nobody can understand what is the real purpose. The real purpose is His free will, "Let Me go and see." He doesn't require to come to kill the demons. There are so many agents that if there is a strong wind, thousands of demons can be killed in a moment. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come to kill the demons. And He does not require also to come to give protection to the devotee. By His simply will, everything is there. But He takes a pleasure pastime, "Let Me go and see."

Sometimes He wants to fight. Because the fighting spirit is also there in Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, where we get? Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa in minute quantity, they are within us. We are sample of Kṛṣṇa, but the . . . wherefrom we get this fighting spirit? The fighting spirit is there in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, just like sometimes a big man or kings, they engage some wrestler to fight. They, they pay the wrestler to fight with the king. But he's not enemy. He is giving pleasure to the king by fighting, mock fighting.

Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, who will fight with Him? Some of His devotee, great devotee will fight with Him. Not ordinary. Just like a king, if he wants to practice mock fighting, some very exalted fighter, wrestler will be engaged. Similarly . . . that is also service. Because Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, therefore some of His devotees come down to become His enemy. Just like Jaya-Vijaya, this Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa.

Do you think they are ordinary living entity? If . . . that . . . nṛsiṁha-deva, God Himself has come to kill him. Do you think they're ordinary? No, they're not ordinary. They're devotees. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight. In the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no possibility of fighting, because everywhere there, everyone there is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. With whom He'll fight? (laughter)

Therefore He sends some devotee in the garb of enemy, and Kṛṣṇa comes here to fight with Him—at the same time, to teach us that becoming enemy, enemy of Kṛṣṇa is not very profitable. Better become friend. That will be profitable. Therefore it is said that na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam: "Nobody knows what is the purpose of Your appearance and disappearance." Tava īhamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam: "You are in this world just like ordinary human being. This is bewildering." Therefore ordinary man cannot believe. "How God can become a ordinary person like . . .?" Kṛṣṇa is playing, although He was not playing ordinary person; He was playing as God. Wherever there was necessity.

Just like He married 16,000 wives. When He married He was one, and 16,000 girls offered surrender to Kṛṣṇa that, "We are now kidnapped. If we go home, nobody will marry us." That is the strict Vedic system. If an unmarried girls goes out of home even for one night, nobody will marry. Still it is going on. Nobody will marry. So this is the old system. All the 16,000 girls who were kidnapped by Bhaumāsura . . .

So they prayed to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa came, killed the Bhaumāsura, delivered all the girls. So when Kṛṣṇa asked them, "Now you can safely go to your father's house," they replied: "Sir, if we go back to our father's house, what will be our fate? Nobody will marry us. Because this man, this rākṣasa, they kidnapped us." "Then what do you want?" " We want that You become our husband." So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. "Yes." Immediately accepted. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Now, when they were brought at home, not that 16,000 wives will have to wait for 16,000 nights to meet Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into 16,000 forms and constructed 16,000 palaces and establishment, on each palace . . . the description is there in the . . . that is Bhagavān. So those rascals, they cannot understand. They criticize Kṛṣṇa that, "He was very lusty. He married 16,000 wives." Even if He's lusty, He's unlimitedly lusty, because He's unlimited. Why 16,000? If He would marry 16,000,000's of wives, still it is imperfect. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So for Kṛṣṇa there is no such thing that you can accuse Kṛṣṇa as lusty, sensuous. No. He showed favor to all His devotees. There are so many devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Some devotee's asking Kṛṣṇa to become her husband. Some devotee's asking Kṛṣṇa to become his friend. Some devotee's asking Kṛṣṇa to become his son. And some devotee's asking to become his playmate. In this way, millions and trillions of devotees are there all over the universe, and Kṛṣṇa has to satisfy them all. He does not require any help from the devotees. But, as the devotees want . . . so these 16,000 devotees wanted Kṛṣṇa as their husband. Kṛṣṇa agreed. And that is . . . just like common man. But as God, He expanded Himself into 16,000 forms.

So Nārada came to see, "Kṛṣṇa has married 16,000 wives. How He's dealing with them, let me see." So he, when he came here, he saw in 16,000 palaces, Kṛṣṇa is acting differently. In somewhere He's talking with His wife. Somewhere He's playing with His children. Somewhere He's getting marriage ceremony of His sons and daughters. So many, 16,000 ways He's engaged. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, although . . .

Just like He was playing just like ordinary child. But when Mother Yaśodā wanted to see His mouth open, whether He has eaten earth, dirt, He showed within the mouth all the universes. So this is Kṛṣṇa. Although He is playing just like ordinary child, ordinary human being, but when there is need, He shows His godly nature. Just like Arjuna. He was driving the chariot, but when Arjuna wanted see His universal form, immediately He showed him—thousands and millions of heads and weapons. This is Kṛṣṇa.

So na yasya kaścit. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa has no enemy. Kṛṣṇa has no friend. He is completely independent. He does not depend on enemy. But He plays like that, for the benefit of the so-called friend and so-called enemy. He's Kṛṣṇa. That is His . . . Kṛṣṇa's absolute nature. When Kṛṣṇa favors as either as enemy or as friend, the result is the same. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is absolute.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. Haribol. (Audio end) (Video - 28:12) (obeisances) (kīrtana) (end)

730421 - Lecture SB 01.08.29 - Los Angeles

(Redirected from Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973)