761109 - Lecture SB 05.05.21-22 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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761109SB-VRNDAVAN - November 09, 1976 - 30.12 Minutes

Yaśodānandana: (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (break)

bhūteṣu vīrudbhya uduttamā ye

sarīsṛpās teṣu sabodha-niṣṭhāḥ

tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi

gandharva-siddhā vibudhānugā ye

devāsurebhyo maghavat-pradhānā

dakṣādayo brahma-sutās tu teṣāṁ

bhavaḥ paraḥ so 'tha viriñca-vīryaḥ

sa mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ

(SB 5.5.21-22)

Pradyumna: Translation: (00:56) "Of the two energies manifest, spirit and dull matter, beings possessing living force—that is vegetables, grass, trees and plants—are superior to dull matter, or stone, earth, etc. Superior to nonmoving plants and vegetables are worms and snakes, which can move. Superior to worms and snakes are animals that have developed intelligence. Superior to animals are human beings, and superior to human beings are ghosts, because they have no material bodies. Superior to ghosts are the Gandharvas, and superior to them are the Siddhas. Superior to the Siddhas are the Kinnaras, and superior to them are the asuras. Superior to the asuras are the demigods, and of the demigods, Indra, the King of heaven, is supreme. Superior to Indra are the direct sons of Lord Brahmā, sons like King Dakṣa. And supreme among Brahmā's sons is Lord Śiva. Since Lord Śiva is the son of Lord Brahmā, Brahmā is considered superior; but Brahmā is also subordinate to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because I am inclined to the brāhmaṇas, the brāhmaṇas are best of all." (break)

Prabhupāda: . . .vīrudbhya? Hmm? What is that?

. . . uduttamā ye

sarīsṛpās teṣu sabodha-niṣṭhāḥ

tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi

gandharva-siddhā vibudhānugā ye

devāsurebhyo maghavat-pradhānā

dakṣādayo brahma-sutās tu teṣāṁ

bhavaḥ paraḥ so 'tha viriñca-vīryaḥ

sa mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ

(SB 5.5.21-22)

So Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva analyzing the different grades of living entities. Bhūteṣu, "anything which is generated." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is generated from Kṛṣṇa, Para-brahman. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). From Kṛṣṇa everything is generated. But according to consciousness, they are divided into two energies: the superior energy and the inferior energy. The more the consciousness is developed, one comes to the platform of superior energy. So the dull stone, dull matter, they have no consciousness, but there is life.

We learn from Brahma-saṁhitā that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is within the atom. Atom is . . . not that atom was not known, atomic energy was not known to the Vedic scholars. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣam (BS 5.35). Anor anīyāṁ mahato mahīyān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20). The Supreme Lord can enter even within the atom. They are studying, modern scientists, the atomic energy, but still, they are perplexed. The smaller than proton, electron, and so many things, still, still, still . . . so there is life even within the atom. But scientists, because they are materialistic person, they cannot understand wherefrom the energy, the life energy, is emanating. Otherwise life energy is there even within the atom. So the life energy begins, vīrudbhya. The plants, the grass, there is life symptom. Gradually there are different grades.

jala-jā nava-lakṣāṇi

sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati

kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ

pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam

(Padma Purāṇa)

In this way, this is evolutionary growth, one after another. The evolution takes place. Evolution means gradual evolution or manifestation of consciousness. That is evolution.

So the atheist class of men, because they cannot understand that there is soul, they cannot understand that evolution means evolution of consciousness. They do not understand. They are thinking that the . . . originally in the matter there was no life, and all of a sudden the life came. No. Life is completely different from the matter. Not completely different; it is the same energy from the Supreme Lord. One is developed, the other is not developed. In this way, as Brahmā has defined, mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ (SB 5.5.22). So in this way, within this material world there are varieties of developed consciousness, and in the spiritual world, when we surpass, transcend the material world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anya (BG 8.20), when we are promoted to the other energy, other world, then our consciousness . . . even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world . . . the first is brahma-jyotir. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world, where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is full consciousness. Without this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of full-fledged. Just like a small bud of a flower. First of all the seed. The seed grows, then the buds come out, then gradually the buds develop, it becomes flower, then full-fledged flower, then fragrance, beauty. Everything is developed. That is real development. Similarly, this is the process of development. When one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is full-fledged flower, with fragrance, beauty and everything. That is the perfection.

So there are so many description of different types of living entities within this material world. But these so-called scientists, on account of their being mūḍha, or rascals, they are studying that "Except in this planet, everywhere there is dust and rocks." This is their foolishness. No. Here it is stated that siddhā . . . tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi gandharva-siddhā. So see development. Siddhā. Siddhā means those who have got yogic mystic power, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, these are called siddhis. Nowadays so-called yogīs, they show some gymnastic. That is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing. One can become smaller than the smallest. That is called aṇimā. One can become bigger than the biggest, just like Hanumānjī. He jumped over the sea. Jumped over sea . . . this is mahimā-siddhi. One can become as big as required. Just like there is water. A grown-up man can cross water by jumping, but a small child cannot do. So proportionately, if you increase your body by the mahimā-siddhi, you can jump over the sea. That is possible. So these are called siddhas. We have got description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about the Siddhaloka. There the people can go from one planet to another in this body. That is called siddhi. Here we are trying to go to other planet with the machine, and still, we are failure. But in the Siddhaloka they can go very easily from one planet to another with this body. They are siddhas.

So these descriptions are there. There are Gandharvalokas, Kinnaralokas, and the topmost is the Brahmaloka, where Lord Brahmā lives. And other persons, many, everywhere . . . not that simply the chief man lives. His assistant, his paraphernalia, everything, is there. Just like we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So Vivasvate, Vivasvān, is the sun god. The sun god, Kṛṣṇa instructed him this Bhagavad-gītā. He says personally, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān. So do not think that simply there is sun. No. There are . . . it is very, very big planet, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. Don't think that there is vacant. No. We get information from Bhagavad-gītā that every planet is full of living entities. It is not vacant, but they have got different types of body. It is not vacant. Different types of body. In Brahma-samita we understand, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (BS 5.40). Aśeṣa-vasudhā vibhūti-bhinnam. There are in each universe. Within the Brahmajyoti there are innumerable brahmāṇḍas, universes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested by one of His devotee, "My Lord, You have come here to deliver the fallen souls, so kindly take them with You. And if You think that 'They are sinful. They cannot go with Me back to home, back to Godhead,' so You kindly transfer all their sinful life to me. I shall suffer here. Let them go with You." This is Vaiṣṇava, para duḥkha duḥkhi. Vaiṣṇava can accept all kinds of sufferings, provided others are benefited. This is Vaiṣṇava. Para duḥkha duḥkhi. This is the sample of Vaiṣṇava. He is requesting Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "My Lord, You have come to deliver the fallen souls. In the material world everyone is fallen. So You take them. And if You think they are so sinful they cannot go, then transfer their sins to me. I shall continue to suffer many lives, but You take." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased by his statement. So He replied also. He said, "Suppose the whole universe I take with Me. Then what is the loss in this material world? There are millions of universes." He compared that "In a bag of mustard, if I take out one mustard, then where is the loss there?"

So similarly, Kṛṣṇa's creation, God's creation, is unlimited. That they do not understand. They are the frogs in the well. They are thinking . . . kupa-manduka-nyāya. Everyone is thinking . . . the kupa-manduka is thinking that "This is the whole water, within this well, this three-feet span of water. That is final." And if you say to the kupa-manduka, "Oh, I have seen another vast water, Atlantic Ocean," he cannot imagine. So these rascals, those who are unaware of the potency of God, they think that "God may be like me. I am so little powerful. He may be little more powerful." Therefore they cannot understand what is God, because they are thinking in their own terms. And somebody is thinking that "I am God." So this misconception should be given up. He is aṇor aṇīyāṁ mahato mahīyān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20).

Manuṣyāḥ . . . these are gradual, pramathāḥ. Pramathāḥ, they are also living entities. We have heard, some of them, about the ghost. They have no material body. The advantage of material body . . . they are covered with mind, intelligence and ego, but their gross body—earth, water, air, fire—that is not there. So one king, he also rejected the material body and remained, Videha. The Videha king. So one can remain like that, without this gross body and subtle body, material. Just like in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, that is . . . but in the material world, when one is not covered by the gross body but subtle body, they are called ghosts or pramathās. Those who are good, not harmful, they are called pramathās. And those who are harmful . . . as in this material world there are good men and bad men, similarly, amongst the persons who has no this gross body, they are sometimes called ghosts and sometimes they are called pramathā.

So in this way, varieties of life, beginning from the insects and the aquatics, animal, up to the point of Lord Brahmā. But they are all within this material world. It does not mean because the Gandharvas, Siddhas, they have got higher standard of life and power hundreds and thousands times more than our power, do not think that they are liberated persons. They are not liberated person. They are all conditioned soul. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino arjuna (BG 8.16). All these conditioned soul, according to karma, they are getting different types of body. One has got the body of an ant, and one has got the body of Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. But that is not our aim. Our aim is how to avoid this material body. For that purpose, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that "I have got now the body of an ant. Let me get the body of Brahmā or Indra or in a Siddhaloka." This is not gain.

Therefore those who are devotees, they do not care either for Brahmā or for the ant. They do not care. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa puṣpāyate, vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. For a devotee . . . vidhi means Lord Brahmā, and Mahendra means this maghavat—here it is said—means Indra. So for a devotee they treat equally, either Brahmā or Indra, kīṭāvat, just like an ant, because they know that he may be Brahmā, he may be Indra, but he has got this material body, as one small insect, it has got material body.

kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa puṣpāyate

durdāntendriya kāla-sarpa-paṭalī proṭkhāta-daṁstrāyate

vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate viśvaṁ pūrnaṁ-sukhāyate

yat kārunya-katākṣa vaibhavavātaṁ gauram eva stumaḥ

(from Caitanya-candrāmṛta)

This is a verse by Prabodānanda Sarasvatī. He gives his opinion that if one is favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yat katākṣa vaibhavavātaṁ gauram eva stumaḥ: "I am offering my respectful obeisances to Lord Caitanya, because little glance of His mercy creates this situation." What is that? Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. The people are very anxious to merge into kaivalya, brahma-jyotir, only spirit. So for them that kaivalya is naraka, hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa puṣpāyate. Tridaśa-pūr means the heavenly planets, where the demigods, as it is described, the Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Siddhas, they live. They are like flowers in the sky, will-o'-the-wisp, no factual happiness. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa puṣpāyate. And durdāntendriya kāla-sarpa-paālī proṭkhāta-daṁstrāyate. And indriya saṁyamaḥ, the yogīs, they are trying to control the senses. Yoga indriya sam . . . that is the real purpose. Our indriyas are so disturbing, just like kāla-sarpa. You are sitting here. If one snake comes, immediately you'll be all disturbed, immediately. So to . . . disturbing why? Because every one of us, we know, "Here is a kāla-sarpa." Kāla-sarpa means anyone it bites, immediately death. Immediately death. But this kāla-sarpa is dreadful, vicious, so long the fangs are there. Proṭkhāta daṁstrāyate. If the fangs, the poison fangs, are taken away, or if you know, "Here is a snake, but the snake's fangs have been taken away," you'll not be afraid. Visa hina sarpaḥ. Visa hina sarpaḥ.

So for a devotee this kāla-sarpa-paṭalī automatically subdued because they do not use the senses for sense gratification. They are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. If our senses are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then the poisonous fangs are taken away. It is no more dreadful. There is no need of practicing indriya saṁyamaḥ. Indriya saṁyamaḥ automatically. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is not disturbed. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He did not go to control the senses, but because he was chanting . . . he practiced chanting. A beautiful prostitute at dead of night offered her body to be enjoyed. He said, "Yes, I shall satisfy you. Please sit down. Let me finish my chanting." This is kāla-sarpa-paṭalī proṭkhāta-daṁstrāyate. He was not even agitated. This is the benefit of becoming a favorite servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)