741206 - Lecture SB 03.25.37 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

741206SB-BOMBAY - December 06, 1974 - 40:25 Minutes

Nitāi: (leads chanting of verse) (devotees repeat)

atho vibhūtiṁ mama māyāvinas tām

aiśvaryam aṣṭāṅgam anupravṛttam

śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti bhadrāṁ

parasya me te 'śnuvate tu loke

(SB 3.25.37)

(break)

"Thus because he is completely absorbed in thought of Me, the devotee does not desire even the highest benediction obtainable in the upper planetary systems, including Satyaloka. He does not desire the eight material perfections obtained from mystic yoga, nor does he desire to be elevated to the kingdom of God. Yet even without desiring them, the devotee enjoys, even in this life, all the offered benedictions."

Prabhupāda:

atho vibhūtiṁ mama māyāvinas tām

aiśvaryam aṣṭāṅgam anupravṛttam

śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti bhadrāṁ

parasya me te 'śnuvate tu loke

(SB 3.25.37)

A pure devotee, as it is instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how to keep the position of pure devotee . . . there are many explanation. Rūpa Gosvāmī has also given the same idea in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. And Nārada Muni, he has given the same idea in the Nārada Pañcarātra. And Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa has also given the same idea in the Bhagavad-gītā. From all Vedic scripture it is understood that a pure devotee, he does not want anything from the Lord. He does not want. Even he does not want liberation, what to speak of the material things—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Adi 1.90).

The material position is one wants to become religious, dharma. Why? Now, he can get material opulence. Oh, why material opulences? Now, because he can gratify his senses, kāma. And when he is frustrated, then he wants mokṣa. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. Generally, people are very much attached, those who are human being. Not the cats and dogs; they do not know anything. But those who are elevated in the living condition, they want to become religious or economically very prosperous, dharma-artha, and good facilities for sense enjoyment. And then, after enjoying all these thing, either by frustration or by further development, they wants mukti.

But a devotee does not want any of these things, any of these things. He's not at all interested. Just like Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, the other day I told you the story. He says that muktir mukulitāñjali sevate asmāt (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107): "My Lord, if I am fixed up in devotional service, then what to speak of mukti. Mukti is just like my maidservant. She's standing on door, 'What can I do for you?' " Muktir mukulitāñjali. Añjali, just like folded hands, "Sir, what can I do for you?" That is the position. Why a devotee shall want mukti? No. He doesn't want anything. Simply he wants to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. He wants this facility, no other thing.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu . . . that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy.

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

(CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

Tvayi: "Unto You, let there be my devotion," ahaitukī, "without any motive." Everyone has got some motive. People become dharmika, go to the temples—that's very good; they are pious—to ask something, "O God, give us our daily bread." A bhakta, a pure bhakta, he does not ask anything. Why he should ask? A pure devotee is kept in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you keep something very carefully, jewels, in your hand, you are very careful. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa takes care of you, as He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), then you are just in the . . . at the care of. Just like if a big man, a very rich man, if he assures you, "Oh, don't bother, I'll take care of you for everything," just imagine what is your position, if a big man gives you assurance that "I'll take care of you. Don't bother. You haven't got to do anything. I shall take."

So when Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Lord, who is the proprietor of all opulences— aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. Aiśvarya. Six kind of opulence. Kṛṣṇa has got full control over six kind of opulences. All riches. We can say: "I am millionaires. I am proprietor of crores." But I cannot say that, "I am the owner of all the banks of the world." That is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Not only the banks, but everything which contains the banks, all the planets. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. So who can be richer than Kṛṣṇa? So if Kṛṣṇa says, "I'll take care of you," then where is the question of poverty?

But that is . . . people do not know. They want some opulence, material opulence, but he doesn't want Kṛṣṇa, the proprietor of all opulences. And that is our misfortune. The proprietor of all opulences, He says: "Just surrender to Me. I'll take care of you." "No, no. It is not possible. I shall have to take care of my business. That will maintain me. I will have to take care of my this and that, my country, and so many family, friends and . . ." Kṛṣṇa says: "No, no. You simply surrender. I'll do everything for you." And He assures Arjuna in the Sixth Chap . . . yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ (BG 6.22): "You just do . . . try to achieve that thing which achieving you will be no more aspiring for achieving anything more." That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Arjuna, he did it very conscientiously. Kṛṣṇa said that, "This war, your fight, is family. I am connected with both the families. So I cannot take part in this war." But they insisted that, "At least You take some part as You like." Then He said that, "I divide Myself into two. So one side, all My soldiers, eighteen akṣauhiṇī soldiers, and one side, I am alone. Now you select. Which one you want?" So Duryodhana's thought that, "What shall I do with Kṛṣṇa? He's one man. Let me take His soldiers." So he took all the soldiers. And Arjuna said: "No, Kṛṣṇa, I want You." Then Kṛṣṇa said: "No, I'll not fight." "No, You simply remain in my side." "All right, I shall become your chariot driver, that's all."

So this is intelligence. You just capture Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa, how He can be captured? Kṛṣṇa can be captured by your bhakti. Otherwise, He's very, very crafty. You cannot capture Him. It is not possible. Ajita. If anyone wants to conquer over Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible. That is . . . therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Ajita. Nobody can conquer over. You find from the history Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means the greater history of India. Mahā, mahā means greater. As you like "Greater Bombay," similarly, Mahābhārata means "Greater Bhārata." Don't think of this Bhārata, three-feet Bhārata. No. The whole planet was Bhārata-varṣa. That is called Mahābhārata, Greater Bhārata. Everyone was being controlled by the emperor in Hastināpura, the Pāṇḍavas.

So in that history you find Kṛṣṇa has so many dealings in Mahābhārata, but He was never conquered by anyone. Therefore His name is Ajita. But you can conquer over this Ajita. Ajita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām (SB 10.14.3). By whom? Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Namanta. Namanta eva. This is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that don't try foolishly to speculate about God. Stop this foolishness. The same example, the frog in the well is thinking of the Atlantic Ocean. He has never seen Atlantic Ocean. He's speculating. Some friend told him, "My dear friend, frog in the well, I have seen a vast mass of water." "What is that?" " The Atlantic Ocean." "What is that Atlantic Ocean?" "Very great mass of water." "Oh? Bigger than this well? Maybe four feet or ten feet or . . .?" In this way, if you speculate, you will never understand what is God.

If you want to understand God, then try to understand from God Himself. He knows. Just like if you speculate of a big man, a neighbor, a friend that, "What is his wealth? Oh, he appears to be very rich man and very strong man, very influential man." And these are the opulences: very beautiful, very wise. So you can calculate. But if you make friendship with that gentleman and if he speaks about himself, then you can understand what he is. Then how you can understand God, Kṛṣṇa, by speculation? This is foolishness. Therefore, śāstra advises you that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya (SB 10.14.3): "If you think that you are very learned scholar, you are very advanced in knowledge and you can manufacture what is God, give up this foolishness first of all. Don't make this foolishness." Jñāne prayāsam. Oh, what is your knowledge? Limited. Kūpa-maṇḍūka, the frog in the well. How you can imagine? Simply by imagination? Is imagination God? Can you create?

The Māyāvādīs say that, "We can imagine God. God, it is so great that it is not possible to understand the Brahman, but we can imagine some form." This is Māyāvādī philosophy. This imagination is not . . . you cannot imagine God. God is fact. God is not subjected to your imagination. And your senses are imperfect. How long you will simply speculate? Give up this practice, foolishness. Don't . . . jñāne prayāsam udapāsya nam . . . just become submissive. Jñāne prayāsam udapā . . . namanta eva: "Be submissive." That is bhakti-mārga. Bhakti-mārga is submissive.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Be submissive, rascal. You are manufacturing so much, so many things. Give up this practice. Just surrender unto Me." This is wanted. If you do that, Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises . . . this is spoken by Him . . . then sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. If you become very, very humble and submissive and pray to Kṛṣṇa sincerely, "Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me to know You. If You kindly please explain how can I know You, then it is possible. If You please, if You become . . . if You think I shall be able to understand You . . ." Just like Arjuna said that, "Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to under . . . but if You kindly think that I am fit to understand of Your vibhūti, please tell me." This is submission. And Kṛṣṇa explained about His vibhūti. Then He concluded:

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

(BG 10.42)

"How long I shall go on speaking about Myself? Simply summarize." What is that? "Now, simply by one part of My opulence is maintaining the whole cosmic manifestation." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat: "Only one little portion of My opulence. You just understand. Otherwise, how much?"

So a little of . . . there are innumerable universes. Athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna, ekāṁśena sthito jagat. Jagat means this universe. There is not one universe. We are only seeing one universe. There are millions of universes. All together that is called jagat. Gacchati iti jagat. So ekāṁśena sthitaḥ. This is also confirmed in many other Vedic literatures.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

Brahma-saṁhitā means the prayers offered by Lord Brahmā. This is accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Brahma-saṁhitā was not available by Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was touring in South India, so He collected one Brahma-saṁhitā, handwritten in the palm leaves, and He copied it. Formerly there was no press. These important śāstras, Vedic literature, were kept in handwriting. I copy from your book; my other friend copies from my book . . . in this way, those who were interested . . . the literatures were not so cheap. Only highly qualified Brahmins, they used to keep handwritten . . . and it was worshiped in the temple as Deity, śāstra, not that it is available everywhere. It has become . . . now press has made it very cheaper. But we should always understand that granthas, or the scriptures, should be worshiped as God. That is sound incarnation of God. It should not be neglected. Don't neglect Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata as ordinary books. You must be very careful. As you take care of the Deities, you should take care of the books also.

So this Brahma-saṁhitā was copied by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu from one Keśava mandira in South India, and He gave it to His disciple that, "Here is the summary of Vedānta and Bhāgavatam." Therefore we quote from Brahma-saṁhitā. It is authorized. It is authorized by the Supreme Person, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So in that Brahma-saṁhitā it is said about Kṛṣṇa in so many ways that here, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42): "Only by one of My portion, the whole material creation is resting." So in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is explained in many places, one of the places, that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Loma-vilajā: "The pores on Your body, from that pores and from the breathing process, the universes are coming out." Universes are coming out. Yasyaika, the loka . . . yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ.

Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means . . . jagad-aṇḍa means universe. In each universe there is a nātha, or the supervisor, or the manager, or the supreme person. Just like for management we are . . . similarly, in each universe there is Lord Brahmā. He is the supreme creature, manager. So these managers live only to that period when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales, when the niśvasita-kālam. Just like we exhale and inhale, so . . . but exhaling, the all these universes are created, and at His inhale they go into the Mahā-Viṣṇu, in the . . . the coming and going. So many universes, and the Brahmā, whose duration of life is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ . . . (BG 8.17). Brahmā's duration of life is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga. We know yugas. The yuga, the four yugas make one divya-yuga, that Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. Satya-yuga, eighteen lakhs of years duration; and Dvāpara-yuga, twelve lakhs of years; and Tretā-yuga, eight lakhs of years and Kali-yuga, four lakhs of years. So altogether it comes to forty-three lakhs of years. This is yuga. And multiply it by one thousand. That means forty-three lakhs plus three zeros, how much it comes to? Huh? Some crores of years. That is Brahmā's twelve hours. Sahasra . . .

If you take Bhagavad-gītā, if you believe, if you read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, then you can understand. And if you say: "It is fictitious, something imaginary," that is another thing. But unless you believe it, you have no authority to touch Bhagavad-gītā. That is nonsense. We are creating so many nonsense who do not believe in the Bhagavad-gītā, and they become commentator and scholar and so many things. Mūḍha. We are not in favor of this business. We are preaching all over the world that if you read Bhagavad-gītā, you read it as it is and accept it as it is. Otherwise don't create foolish anymore. We have produced many foolish person by misguiding them by misinterpreting this Bhagavad-gītā. Stop this business. And if you believe, you have to believe like this. You cannot interpret. That is not possible.

Why you should interpret? It is a fact that Brahmā's āyuḥ, his duration of life, is very, very big. Not only Brahmā's āyuḥ, even if you go higher planetary system . . . you are going to the moon planet. There are living entities. I do not know why they say there is no living being. Where they are going? But if we believe our śāstra, the moon planet is one of the heavenly planets, and the duration of life in the moon planet is ten thousands of years. And their year means our six months equal to their one day. That is called divya. In this way that high . . . not only . . . as you go more and more to the higher planetary system, you become more and more opulent. Just like here in this material world also, if you go Europe, America, you become more opulent automatically. Automatically. I am giving some example. Similarly, if you can go to the heavenly planet, you become more opulent.

Therefore they are aspiring after going to the higher planetary system. Karma-kāṇḍīya. They perform yajñas and pious activities to go to the heavenly planets. Oh, what is the idea? The idea is that we shall be able to enjoy more, more, more duration of life, more opulence, more money, more beautiful woman, more nice garden. Actually, that is a fact. That is a fact. But a devotee is not interested in all these things. A devotee is not interested because he accepts Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is not interested. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16): "My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the Brahmaloka, or the planet where Brahmā lives, where the duration of life already I have explained, and opulence, and very, very great powerful, but still you have to fall down from there."

So why a devotee should be interested in such thing? No. A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa, the supreme eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic version. The Supreme Lord is the supreme leader of the nityas. We are all nityas, eternal. He guides. Therefore Kṛṣṇa plays with the living entities, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual world. There Kṛṣṇa and the devotees become His friend, cowherd boy. They play with Kṛṣṇa. They want that thing. They do not want to go to the Brahmaloka or the Candraloka or this loka or that loka, because that will be finished. That will be finished. Because that is māyāvinas tām. Māyā will finish. It may be . . . just like here we see, a germ lives for a few second, or a worm at night . . . there is clogging together, so many millions and millions, and by the morning they are all dead. So their duration of life comparative. Similarly, Brahmā also. It may be millions of year, but he'll die. Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). The birth and death, old age and disease, they are everywhere. Either you go to the Brahmā planet or this lower planet or this Brahmā life or human life or cat's life, dog's life, tree's life—everything is finishable.

Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa is ultimately presents Himself to the atheist as mṛtyu, as He appeared before Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was declining. His son was asking his father, "My dear father, why you are disbelieving God?" And he was becoming angry, "No, I am God. Who is else God? I am God. You see? All the demigods, they are afraid of me. I am so powerful." But Prahlāda will not agree. He will say: "No, no. You are not God. God is Nārāyaṇa." This was the father and son. So he did not believe in God. He was thinking, "I am God." Therefore, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. Those who are atheists, do not believe in God, the God comes before them as death and takes away everything—all his power, all his opulence, all his money, all his . . . everything taken away. Mṛtyuḥ sarva . . .

So that is the atheist class realization of God. And theist class, they believe in God. They worship in God while living, and their business is: in this life they are serving God, Kṛṣṇa, and even after death they will do the same business. Nitya-yuktā upāsate. So there is no difference between going to Vaikuṇṭha and in this temple for a devotee, because the business is the same. So why they should aspire even going to Vaikuṇṭha? Why they aspire? Therefore it is said . . . what is said? Śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti. Because Vaikuṇṭha, if you go to the spiritual world or Vaikuṇṭha, you get equal opulence like Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. Sāyujya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi (CC Madhya 6.266). There are five kinds of mukti. So one of the mukti is sārṣṭi. Sārṣṭi means equally opulent with the Supreme Lord. Equally. In the Vaikuṇṭha the devotees, or the inhabitants, they are equally opulent. Everyone is like Nārāyaṇa, four-handed, equally opulent. Just like in Vṛndāvana also, Goloka Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa and the cowherds boy, they are equally opulent. The cowherds boys in Vṛndāvana, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God, Kṛṣṇa is greater than him. No. They think, "As Kṛṣṇa is, I am." They are so opulent.

So that is the devotional position. Therefore it is said, atho vibhūtiṁ mama māyāvinas tām aiśvaryam aṣṭāṅgam anupravṛttam, śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti bhadrām. The devotees do not aspire for all these opulences. Their only aspiration is, ambition is, how to be engaged in the service of the Lord. How to be engaged. That is their . . . and in that way they get everything. There is no difference. When you worship Kṛṣṇa—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mām evaiṣyasi—so he has already gone. There is no difference, the worshiping of the Lord here and there. Just like in politics sometime—these are some of the examples—that in a foreign country, when you are staying in your ship, then you are not subjected to the rules of that country; you are subjected to the rules of your own country. Similarly, so long you are in devotional service, you are not subjected to the rules and regulation of this māyā. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Māyām etām . . . mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Anyone who is not devotee, who is not engaged in the service of the Lord, he is under the control of māyā. And anyone who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and is simply twenty-four hours engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, he is not under the control of māyā. Māyām etāṁ taranti te. Kṛṣṇa says.

So therefore a devotee is not aspiring of any so-called material opulence, even aṣṭāṅga-siddhi. Here it is said, aiśvaryam aṣṭāṅgam anupravṛttam. Aṣṭāṅga-siddhi . . . the yogīs, those who are actually yogī, they get aṣṭāṅga-siddhi, not these cheap yogīs, gymnastic. No. The āsana, gymnastic, that is all right. That is the process only to go to the yogic platform. But when one actually on the yogic platform, he gets siddhis. Siddhis means perfection: aṇimā, laghimā . . . aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, like that. He can become smaller than the smallest. That is aṇimā-siddhi. Some of the yogīs, they can . . . you keep him within the room, locked up, and he'll come out. Because as soon as there is little let out, he'll come out. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Laghimā-siddhi. You can walk . . . by achieving this la . . . you can walk on the water. You become . . . you can fly in the air. You can go from one planet to another by flying. You can go to the moon planet or sun planet by capturing the beams. That is called mahimā-siddhi. There are so many siddhis. You can create even one universe. Not this magic, little gold, but you can create not universe, one planet. These are said.

But a devotee is not anxious to do these things, this jugglery and magic. He wants the one juggler, Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Because he know that, "If I gain Kṛṣṇa, I can achieve the favor of Kṛṣṇa, then all juggleries and magic are under my control. He will do that. Why shall I?" Just like a rich man's son: he does not endeavor to get money. He knows, "My father is so rich, I can spend it as I like. If I am good son, father will give me money." This is the position of devotee. Therefore he is not after any vibhūti, nor even he is aspiring going back to home, back to Godhead. That is also aspiration. A devotee does not . . . because his home is . . . he can create Vaikuṇṭha here.

It is, therefore . . . temple is called nirguṇa. Temple is called nirguṇa. In the śāstra the forest is sattva-guṇa, and city is rajo-guṇa, and the places like these four sinful activities are going on—illicit sex, intoxication, gambling . . . there are places. Every one of us aware of it. So they are called tamo-guṇa. So to live in such places where illicit sex or prostitution is going on, the place where drinking is going on, the place where meat-eating, hotels, restaurant is going on, and gambling going on, these places are tamo-guṇa. And ordinary cities and towns, they are called rajo-guṇa. And forest . . . therefore formerly those who were aspiring after spiritual under . . . they left either city or these things, everything; they went to the forest. That is called vānaprastha. Vānaprastha. Vana means forest. Before taking sannyāsī, one leaves his family connection and goes to the forest. Vanaṁ gato yaḥ harim āśrayeta. Vanam, vanaṁ gato harim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Then why they used to go to the forest? To take shelter of Hari. Vanaṁ gato yaḥ harim āśrayeta. So that is sāttvika. And above all these thing—to live in the temple—that is nirguṇa, above sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Therefore those who are inhabitants of the temple, they are in Vaikuṇṭha. But unfortunately, it is Kali-yuga. We are trying to create such Vaikuṇṭha in this Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, and the police commissioner says: "It is nuisance." This is our government.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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