750121 - Lecture SB 03.26.46 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

750121SB-BOMBAY - January 21, 1975 - 37:20 Minutes

Nitāi: (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (devotees repeat)

bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ

dhāraṇaṁ sad-viśeṣaṇam

sarva-sattva-guṇodbhedaḥ

pṛthivī-vṛtti-lakṣaṇam

(SB 3.26.46)

Prabhupāda: (correcting pronunciation) Vṛtti-lakṣaṇam.

Nitāi: Vṛtti-lakṣaṇam. (continues leading chanting and synonyms)

(break) (02:55)

"The characteristics of the functions of earth can be perceived by modeling forms of the Supreme Brahman, by constructing places of residence, by preparing pots to contain water, etc. In other words, the earth is the place of the sustenance for all elements."

Prabhupāda:

bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ

dhāraṇaṁ sad-viśeṣaṇam

sarva-sattva-guṇodbhedaḥ

pṛthivī-vṛtti-lakṣaṇam

(SB 3.26.46)

So, brahmaṇaḥ sthānam. This temple is brahmaṇaḥ sthānam, the residential place for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, brahmaṇaḥ. Brahmaṇaḥ means the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is understood in three different features: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So Supreme Brahman means Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as it was accepted by Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gītā. He addressed Him, paraṁ brahma param dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12): "You are paraṁ brahma." Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate, the Absolute Truth. According to our different realization, the Absolute Truth is realized in three different features: impersonal Brahman; and localized, all-pervading antaryāmī, Viṣṇu or Paramātmā; and the last word of understanding is Bhagavān.

So impersonal Brahman, nobody can construct any sthānam, place, of the impersonal Brahman or Paramātmā. Paramātmā has got place everywhere. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ . . . sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). So that is the worshipable Deity for the yogīs. And impersonal Brahman for the jñānīs. And Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the shelter of both Para-brahman, I mean to say, impersonal Brahman, and Paramātmā . . . yad advaita brahma upaniṣadi. Upaniṣadi, in the Upaniṣad, Vedic Upaniṣad, the impersonal Brahman is described. And the yogīs, by meditation, they try to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth by seeing the Viṣṇu form, four-handed Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1).

So yogīs, the jñānīs, they have got their function, to realize the Absolute Truth. Similarly, bhakta. Bhakta, they want to worship the Personality of Godhead in a temple just like we are trying to do, to have a temple here nice. We have got already. Our function is going on. But we want to make a very gorgeous place for the Lord. That is the utility of this land: to construct temple for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have got a tendency to construct house. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ (SB 5.5.8). This material world means first of all we have got desire of sex, mixing together, man and woman. Puṁsam striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). Mithunī-bhāva. Mithunī-bhāva means sex desires; impelled by sex. That is the central point of this material life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). The central point of material happiness is maithunādi, sex impulse— everyone.

This morning was . . . some devotee was discussing that the daily passengers, sometimes they go from home three to four hours, come to Bombay, and they work there eight hours. Then again three to four hours. So somebody was asking, "Why they should go? They can remain in the city." No. Their central point is there. Central point is sex. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). The materialistic person's life is being spoiled in this way. That is described by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, nidrayā hriyate naktam: "At night they spoil the valuable time by sleeping." Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ. Vyavāya. Vyavāya means sex. "Either by sex or by sleeping." Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3): and during daytime they are after money, "Where is money? Where is money?" And if they get money, "How to spend it for kuṭumba, for family members?" This is material life. And as soon as we are united, mithunī-bhāva, then gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ (SB 5.5.8): then we want apartment or house, big, big house, gṛha, and kṣetra. Kṣetra means earning fee. Formerly there were agriculture. Now there are so many industries and other places.

So this gṛha is the utilization of the earth. People want some gṛha. So this propensity can be utilized by constructing temple. That propensity, that "I must have a very high skyscraper building," that tendency is there, but if we utilize that tendency for constructing, as it is stated, bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānam . . . instead of thinking that "I will have such big building," if we transfer that thinking, that "I will construct such a nice big temple for establishing Deity worship," that is the proper utilization of this tendency. One is for sense gratification; another, the same thing . . . if you construct a temple, you will have to labor in the same way, how to get municipal sanction, how to get cement, how to get stone, how to get this, that, so many things. But it is nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255): it has got relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Your capacity to construct something material, residential . . . so if we do it for Kṛṣṇa, then it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your life is successful—you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa always.

Even Kaṁsa, he was enemy of Kṛṣṇa, enemy of Kṛṣṇa, and he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. As Devakī was growing days, she was becoming very bright and beautiful, and Kaṁsa was waiting when his sister Devakī will give birth to Kṛṣṇa, and he will kill Him. That was his purpose. He wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. He was first of all ready to kill his sister. When he heard that "Your sister's eighth son will kill you," so Kaṁsa thought, "Why waiting for the eighth son? Kill my sister." So she was saved by Vasudeva by some trick, plan, that "After all, your sister is not going to kill you. Sister's son. Who knows that a son will be there and whether he will live or not live?" But Kaṁsa, he would not hear anything. So it is the duty of the husband to give protection to the wife. So he made a plan that "My dear Kaṁsa, brother-in-law, I shall bring all child born of your sister, and if you like, you can kill." In this way the situation was saved.

So Kaṁsa was always thinking how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was thinking in a different way: how to kill Kṛṣṇa. A devotee thinks how to . . . (microphone problems) (break) One is favorable, and the other is unfavorable. One is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him, and the other is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him. So this thinking, how to serve Him, is called bhakti; not the otherwise. As Kaṁsa was thinking how to kill Him, that is not bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Anukūla. Anukūla means favorable. If you think of Kṛṣṇa in various ways favorably—how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to decorate Kṛṣṇa, how to give Kṛṣṇa a nice place for residential quarter, temple, how to preach Kṛṣṇa's glories—in this way, if you think, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. That is first-class bhakti, how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, he changed his all decision. (microphone being moved) (aside:) You can take it that side. Arjuna was thinking not to fight, but when he heard very minutely, listened Kṛṣṇa's instruction, he changed his decision: "No, Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants this fight, so I shall do this." This is kṛṣṇānuśīlanam, cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness—not his decision. His decision was not to fight. A Vaiṣṇava does not want to kill anybody. That is natural tendency. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21): "A Vaiṣṇava is friend of everyone." So Arjuna was Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Naturally, he was not inclined to kill and gain the fight. So he declined, that "I will not fight." But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he decided that "Kṛṣṇa wants to fight. He wants me . . ." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin (BG 11.33). "He says so far that 'These people who have assembled here, they are already killed. That is My plan. You simply take the credit of becoming victorious over them.' "

So this is kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Even though I have got one decision in my life, but if I understand that Kṛṣṇa wants me to do something contrary, I shall be ready to perform this. That is kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). If you favorably serve Kṛṣṇa, that is bhaktir uttamā, first-class bhakti. Unfavorably, as Kaṁsa was thinking, that how to kill Kṛṣṇa . . . he got also salvation because always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but not the salvation of the devotees. The devotees' salvation is different from the salvation of the nondevotees, jñānīs. Jñānīs . . . we have already explained there are three features of the Absolute Truth. One is impersonal Brahman, the other is localized Paramātmā, or antaryāmī, Supersoul, and the supermost is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa-bhagavān. So impersonal Brahman is the destination of the jñānīs, and Paramātmā, localized antaryāmī, is the destination of the yogīs, and the Supreme Person, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the destination of the pure devotees. Pure devotee means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). They have no other desire. Others, the jñānīs, they have desire to merge into the existence of the Lord. They want that. And the yogīs, they, by the grace of the Supreme Paramātmā, they want to get some siddhis, aṣṭa-siddhi. But the bhaktas, they do not want mukti or siddhi; they simply want to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is pure devotion.

So in this life also, we can utilize these earthly things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). We can utilize all these material elements in the service of the Lord. So with the earth, we can prepare the forms of the Lord, we can prepare the temple of the Lord, so many things. That is required. That is sāttvika. It is called here bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ dhāraṇaṁ sad-viśeṣaṇam (SB 3.26.46). Sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣa and asad-viśeṣa. This is asad-viśeṣa. This is to be understood. Asato mā sad gama. That is the Vedic injunction. Asad-viśeṣa . . . just like we have got this city—the roads, the cars, the buildings, and so many other things, transformation of the same earth—but they are asad-viśeṣa. They will not stay. Here anything—the house, the car, the road, the city, the body, the society, the friendship, the nation—they are all asat. But the same thing can be done, sad-viśeṣa. Sad-viśeṣa. This temple is sad-viśeṣa. The Deity is sad-viśeṣa. Worshiping the Deity is sad-viśeṣa. So we can utilize.

Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255). That is the instruction of the Gosvāmīs. We are follower of the Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana. Śrī-rūpa-sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha. Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana: Rūpa, Sanātana . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. These are six Gosvāmīs. In Vṛndāvana they inaugurated the bhakti cult by the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent His different devotees in different parts of India. And of course He desired that His devotees should go all the parts of the world. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126). But He began in India. So their residential quarter was in Vṛndāvana, and they wrote innumerable books. And Nityānanda Prabhu went to Bengal. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally traveled all over India, especially South India. In this way, preaching was His main mission of life. He gave up His family life: tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam, māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayā (SB 11.5.34). He wanted to show His mercy to the fallen souls of this yuga, Kali-yuga. Therefore, as just a young man, twenty-four years old, He gave up His family. Sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīm. His family was very, very nice family, mother and wife, very affectionate mother, very beautiful wife, but He gave up everything. Tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam. He went to forest. That means He accepted this sannyāsa order just to preach and to elevate the fallen souls. Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayā.

So this is Vaiṣṇava principle. Vaiṣṇava principle means everything accepted as Kṛṣṇa's. The Māyāvādīs, they say—at least they say—that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Mithyā: "This is false." But Vaiṣṇava says, "No, it is not false. It is the by-product of Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is true, how it can be false?" So they do not take this world, material world, as false. It is temporary. But they know how to utilize this material world for devotional service. Bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānam. You can utilize the same energy of constructing something out of bricks and stones and wood into a nice temple. That was the Vedic culture. Still in old cities you will find in lanes and streets, there are so many temples. I have seen, especially in Kanpur, even within the lane there are so many temples, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, Viṣṇu temples, Śiva temple. So all over India you will find the temples. People were so spiritually advanced. Even Muslim, they are also. They have constructed so many mosques. So that should be utilized. If we have got the tendency for making a house or construction of some building with stones and bricks, let it be utilized for constructing temple of the Supreme Brahman.

Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255). We do not give up anything; everything Kṛṣṇa's. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Hari means God, the Supreme Lord. So He has got sambandha, relationship, because everything is His energy. Therefore it has got some relationship. Earth, water, air, fire, sky—these are all different energies of Kṛṣṇa: bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). So it has got some relationship. So when it is utilized for Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy is utilized for Kṛṣṇa, that is bhakti. And when Kṛṣṇa's energy is utilized for our sense gratification, that is called demonism. The same thing. Same thing you utilize for Kṛṣṇa—that is bhakti. And same thing you utilize for your sense gratification—that is demonism. You . . . actually, you cannot do so. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Suppose something belongs to me, and if you do not utilize it for me, you utilize it for you, so I must be sorry, that "How is that? My things are being utilized for you." Of course, this is a crude example. But the philosophy is: everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Sarva . . . Kṛṣṇa said, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. So because He is the proprietor, He is the proprietor of my body also. Therefore it should be . . . everything should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti. We should not give up. You cannot give up anything.

Suppose you are nicely dressed, and if you give up everything and you take one kaupīna, but that is also a dress. So we have to utilize Kṛṣṇa's thing, but if we take it, accept it as prasādam after offering Kṛṣṇa . . . in the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, if somebody is going to use one new pair of cloth, first of all he offers to Kṛṣṇa. Then he utilizes it. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. There is also eating, sleeping. We require residence—everything we require—but we require it as Kṛṣṇa's prasāda. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate (BG 2.65). Simply we have to admit, "After all, Kṛṣṇa is giving us everything." So simply Kṛṣṇa wants, "Let us admit that you are getting from Me." That is necessary. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is supplying us everything, even to the nondevotees. But the nondevotee do not recognize that "It is Kṛṣṇa's prasādam; by mercy of Kṛṣṇa I have got it." That is nondevotee. And a devotee recognizes. This is the distinction between devotee and nondevotee.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to turn the consciousness. Everyone is thinking in a different way, consciousness. We are just trying to transfer their consciousness into Kṛṣṇa. Then he will be happy. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If we practice like that, then we become eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. We have to give up this body. But if we give up this body, at the time of death if we can think of Kṛṣṇa . . . it is very difficult, but if we practice it . . . sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Sadā means always. If we practice this simple method: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma . . . then it is possible. So where is the difficulty? Where is the loss? If we ask you to do something, if you think there will be loss, you may reject it. But if there is no loss and the gain is that you get Kṛṣṇa, then why don't you do it? Such is our, what is called, bigotry: "No, we shall not chant. We shall not do this." This is our misfortune.

Therefore those who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they are the most fortunate persons in the world. Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam, the śāstra says. Aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān (SB 3.33.7): "Even one is born in the family of dog-eaters, but somehow or other, if he takes to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, he is garīyān, he is glorious. He is very glorious." Nāma tubhyam. Tepus tapas te (SB 3.33.7): "It is to be understood in their previous life they undergone severe type of penances and austerities." Tepus tapas te sasnur āryāḥ: "They are really Āryan."

So this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is very authentic movement from the śāstra, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu practice it, Nārada Muni practice it. All the great sages, they practice it. The śāstra says, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). In this age, Kali-yuga, we are surrounded by so many faulty things checking our spiritual advancement of life. That is the only necessity of human being: the spiritual advancement of life. So far eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, everyone is doing in his own capacity. That is not the business. That is there. Even the birds, beasts, they are doing that. The only business of human life: athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the Supreme, the same Brahman. Brahmaṇaḥ sthānam, bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānam (SB 3.26.46). Always think of brahmaṇaḥ. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma (Chandogya Upanisad 3.14.1). Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These thoughts, these activities, they are required. That is the only business. But we have manufactured so many other business and engagement, leaving aside the real business of life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching all over the world the real business of life. Those who are fortunate, they will take advantage of this movement and make his life successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)