760318 - Lecture SB 07.09.40 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760318SB-MAYAPUR - March 18, 1976 - 36.22 Minutes

Śāstrījī: (chants mantras) Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 7.9.40 (chants verse; Prabhupāda and devotees respond) (break)

jihvā ekato acyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā

śiśno 'nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit

ghrāṇo anyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir

bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti

(SB 7.9.40)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Translation: (03:06) "My dear Lord, the infallible one, my high position is just like a person having more than one wife, the co-wives trying to attract the husband in their own different ways. For example, the tongue is being attracted to palatable dishes. The genital wants to have sex with an attractive woman. The touch sensation is trying to contact soft things. The belly, although fulfilled, still wants to eat more. And generally the ear, without attempting to hear about You, is attracted for cinema songs. The smelling sensation is still another side; restless eyes to see sense gratificatory sense scenes; and the active senses attracting on another side. In this way I am embarrassed."

Prabhupāda:

jihvā ekato acyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā

śiśno 'nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit

ghrāṇo anyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir

bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti

(SB 7.9.40)

It is a very good example. In the previous verse Prahlāda Mahārāja explained, naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram (SB 7.9.39). So kṛṣṇa-kathā is not palatable. This is māyā's influence. So we cannot engage our senses for Kṛṣṇa. This is the disturbing condition of material world. Senses are there, I am there, and how the senses should be utilized, the subject matter is also there, but it is misled. This is called māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108): we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the business of the servant? The business of the servant is to carry out the order of the master. So the senses are . . . I am the body—taking for the time being—and my senses—hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue, genital, so many, ten senses—they are working senses and knowledge-gathering senses. There are so many senses. So if I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, then my senses should be always ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is real position. But we are not doing that. We shall wait, that "If I serve Kṛṣṇa, then where is the opportunity for my living condition?" No. There is good opportunity. Just like we want to eat; therefore that is the first problem. So if we say, "Don't eat this," so that does not mean you don't eat. The eating is not prohibited, but eating independently, whimsically, that is prohibited. Just like to keep your health in good order, sometimes it is said, "You don't eat it." That does not mean eating is prohibited. The . . . some particular thing is prohibited. But we are accustomed to satisfy our senses. Therefore we are misled.

Here it is said that jihvā ekataḥ acyuta. The first important sense is jihvā, means tongue. So tongue is attracted by so many varieties of foodstuff. That is our good experience. As soon as you go out in the street, you'll find so many restaurants. Why so many restaurants? How they are going on? Because we have got the tongue, and the restaurant business can go on very nicely, attracting the tongue. Especially in Bombay you'll find, practically every alternate shop is a restaurant. Similarly, I have seen in Germany, Hamburg, every alternate shop is a drinking shop. (laughter) Trinken?

Devotee: Trinken.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Is it not the word? Trinken is "drinking," yes. Every shop . . . I have seen one gentleman . . . what is gentleman? (laughter) He is sitting with glass of wine, and a young girl is also sitting. This is their very pleasing . . . and I have heard that in the working days or in the holidays, they do not remain at home; they go to the trinken shop. So jihvā is very, very strong. And another thing I have seen, that they pass urine on the street. Because they are habituated to drink too much they pass urine, without any shame.

So this is the first important sense, jihvā. Ekata is . . . first the jihvā is attracting me. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore says that we have got our senses, they are acting as enemies because the senses are misleading me. My senses are meant for serving Kṛṣṇa, but the māyā is misleading me, that "Why should you engage your senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa? You engage your senses in my service." Our position is to serve. That you cannot change, because we are made for giving service; we are not made for becoming master. But unfortunately every one of us is trying to be master by falsely engaging the service, especially the karmīs. The karmīs, they're working so hard day and night. Everywhere you see, they are working day and night. But the purpose is how to become master. They cannot become master, but the ambition is how to become master, how to become the richest man like such and such big man. This is going on. This is called struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become the master. Nobody is trying to become a servant. Ask anyone that "Why you are working so hard?" "No, I shall get so much money, I shall become very wealthy, I shall have so many servants, so many workers, and I shall control over them." That is trying to become master. Therefore the jihvā, in the very beginning, jihvā, the tongue, should be controlled. If we can control the tongue, then other senses will be automatically controlled.

In the śāstra it is said that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These present indriyas, senses, they're misled. They are misled in different way. Although I am serving, but I am serving my senses. My position is not master but servant. I am trying to become master, but I have already become servant of my senses. So instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, I have become the servant of my senses. So my position as servant is there. Is it not? I am maintaining because I cannot change it. Suppose . . . just like a woman. If a woman dresses like a man, does it mean that he has become a man? No. Woman is woman; man is man. Simply by changing dress we cannot do that. Similarly, our constitutional position is to serve. And to serve whom? Kṛṣṇa. That is our constitutional position. But falsely we are trying to become master. Therefore, instead of becoming master, I have become the servant of my senses. This is our position. So the master is sense. The jihvā is my master. He is asking, "Why don't you come to this restaurant?" "No, no, my belly is already filled up." "No, you must come." (laughter) You'll see. A man is coming from home after sumptuously eating, and as soon as he comes to the street, immediately he enters a restaurant and drinks a cup of tea and few biscuit or cake. Why? What is the necessity? You are already filled up in your belly, and still, again, immediately you are . . . "No, it is very palatable." So you are servant of your tongue. "Because it is palatable, although my belly is already filled up, so I must satisfy my tongue." So I am master . . . I'm not master; I'm servant of the tongue.

Then just below the belly there is one genital. He has used it with his wife, and still, he goes to the prostitute. Servant. "Let us have some new taste." For tasting new sex enjoyment, people simply travel from one place to another. Especially nowadays, I have got experience in Delhi. I have seen. The foreigners, they are coming, ordering the manager that "I want this, I want that, because I have come here by the dictation of my genital." People go to Paris—I know many gentlemen—for satisfying the genital. So genital has become my master, the tongue has become my master, the hand has become my master, the leg has become my master. So I am the servant of so many masters. So my position is very precarious. How can you satisfy so many masters? Eh? Even in the animal kingdom they are also servant, but they are servant of one sense. That is also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just like the fish. The fish is only strongly under the servitude of the tongue. Therefore the fishing tackle gives something eatable, and the fish immediately . . . it is not that it is hungry, but because the fish is so greedy—something nonsense is there in tackle—he immediately . . . and becomes caught up. Due to the strong inclination of eating, he loses his life. As soon as he's caught up, that . . . similarly, other animal . . . Just like the deer is very fond of hearing nice music. The hunters play very nice music, and they come to hear, and he kills. So one is losing the life for strong tongue dictation, one is losing life for ear, and the elephant is captured by sex. You cannot capture elephant; it is very strong animal. But there is trained she-elephant. She allures the male elephant, and for sex the male elephant follows, and tactfully the elephant is put into a hole. He falls down. Then he is captured. Then for life he becomes a slave. Such a big animal, so strong, but by the trick of human being he becomes slave.

So similarly, there is analysis. The one particular animal is strongly under the influence of a particular sense, but so far we human being, we are such a big animal that we are servant of all the senses. All the senses. An animal is servant of one sense, but the rational animal . . . because they are rational. Rascal, rational . . . what is rationality? They cannot see even that "The animal is servant of one sense, and because I am rational animal, I have become servant of all the senses. I am utilizing my rationality in that way." So this is our position. Prahlāda Mahārāja is analyzing very nicely. We are servant eternally, but kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, pāsate māyā tare jāpaṭiyā dhare. As soon as we forget this principle, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa . . ." This material life means this forgetfulness. I am serving, it is a fact. And because I am serving my senses, that . . . big, big leaders . . . just like in your Western countries there was Napoleon, there was Hitler, there was Mussolini, here also, big, big leaders, but what they are? Big, big servants of the senses, that's all. Big, big servants of the senses. Therefore Bhāgavata has said, sva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). Puruṣaḥ paśuḥ: "These big, big leaders are big, big animals, that's all." Saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. So there are many instructive verses in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be your life and soul to remain constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yes, the unique gift of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eva purāṇārkaḥ adhunā uditaḥ (SB 1.3.43).

So therefore we have to purify our senses. Unless we purify our senses, we'll be disturbed by the demands of the senses—one side, the tongue; one side, the ear; one side, the eyes; one side, the nose; one side, the hand; one side, the leg. The example is given very nicely, that sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti. Just like a man has got many wives. Here, especially the kṣatriyas, they marry many wives. There is purpose also. The kṣatriyas are allowed in this way. Why? Because kṣatriyas are . . . generally they are king. They have got money to maintain many wives. They can do it. And they eat also very first-class vitaminous food also, so they have energy. Even our Kṛṣṇa, He also married as a kṣatriya so many wives. So, not like Kṛṣṇa or any other, but everyone wants to keep more than one wife. Everyone wants. That is his heart's desire. And if one is able actually, he keeps. But what is his position? That is described here, that bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti. Now suppose you have got one dozen wives. So when you come home, the every wife is waiting: "My husband will come from work. I shall snatch him in my room by force. (laughter) Last night he did not come. Now, this night, I shall forcefully bring in my room." So this man enters, and every wife is prepared to take the opportunity, so all of them come. So one catches one leg, another catches another leg; another, hand; another, mouth; another, hair; (laughter) and they're all snatching: "Come here, come here." So he's flat. So what is his position, just imagine. This is example is given. Similarly, if all the senses, supposed to be my subordinate wife, they snatch the man, that "Just enjoy this. Just enjoy this. Enjoy this. Enjoy this," then what is the position? Most disturbed condition. So in such disturbed condition one should . . . what? One should take vow that "No more wife, that's all. I have suffered so much. Now no more wife. That's nice." Then the mind will be in peaceful condition. No more disturbance.

The whole Vedic civilization is an attempt to create peaceful condition of the mind so that "I can fix up my mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." This is Vedic civilization. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). This is . . . to control the senses . . . the mind is the central figure of the senses. So first of all you engage your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is first business. So, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. And you talk only of Kṛṣṇa, vikuṇṭha-nātha, vaikuṇṭha-guṇanuvarṇane. Here it is said, naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha. So if we engage your talking capacity in the reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā, tava-kathā, "Your words . . ." That we have got, sufficient subject matter for talking. If we do that instead of talking nonsense, "phish phish," if we talk simply of Kṛṣṇa, take Bhagavad-gītā and together . . . it doesn't matter, man or woman. Together, we simply . . . just like we are doing now, if you simply talk of Kṛṣṇa, that is the measure, the real remedial measure to control the jihvā. Because Prahlāda Mahārāja is mentioning first of all, in the beginning, jihvā. So if you can control the jihvā, then you can control other senses very easily. This is the . . . therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tāra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, tāre jetā koṭhina soṁsāre. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, "Out of the all the senses, the tongue is very difficult to control, formidable enemy. So in order to control the tongue . . ." Kṛṣṇa boḍa doyamoy, koribāre jihvā joy. "Just to control over the tongue," kṛṣṇa baḍa doyamoy, koribāre jihvā, svaprasād anna dila bhāi, "He has given nice prasādam."

So sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). If we . . . this jihvā is the first item, and if jihvā, if the tongue, if we can control . . . tongue must taste something very . . . that is another business of the tongue. And must chant or talk something. So if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and if you give prasādam, the tongue will be controlled. This is our program, that let everyone chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and let everyone take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Then the jihvā will be controlled. Here the jihvā is so formidable, the first jihvā is mentioned. So if you can control your tongue, then you can control your belly also. Because without control of the tongue . . . if you lock up, that "I shall not accept anything except prasādam," so if you go on the street and if you see hundreds and thousands of restaurant, you'll not be allured. "No more chop cutlet. Finished. Because I cannot take anything without being offered to Kṛṣṇa." So automatically it becomes controlled. If we take this vow, that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa . . ." Naturally Kṛṣṇa does not take any chop cutlet, so you cannot offer it. Kṛṣṇa personally says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So you have to prepare foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa from patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ, nothing else. Although He can eat . . . Kṛṣṇa can eat fire also or anything, all devour. But Kṛṣṇa prescribes for us that "You can give Me this in bhakti, with devotion and faith, then you'll be benefited." If Kṛṣṇa eats from your hand, then your life is successful. If Kṛṣṇa accepts any bit of service from you, then your life is successful. Immediately you become liberated. Because bhakti is not for the conditioned soul. As soon as . . . Kṛṣṇa therefore adds this word. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry for eating anything from your hand. He's not hungry. But He wants to teach you how to become a bhakta. Mad-bhaktaḥ. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). He wants you to become His devotee. Then your life's problem is solved.

So therefore He is prepared to take anything, little, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26), so that you can begin to give something to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's neither hungry nor wants anything from you. For your benefit, for our benefit, Kṛṣṇa is prepared to take a little leaf, little flower, little water, which is available anywhere, all over the world, without any price. Even if I am very poor man I can pick up a flower, a little leaf, patraṁ, and little fruit, and water is available everywhere. Everything is available. Kṛṣṇa does not particularly say that "You give Me such fruit, such flower." Any fruit, any flower, He's prepared to take, accept, provided you are a bhakta. Otherwise, even if you prepare very nice, palatable dishes, He'll not accept a single of it. It is the bhakti. Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious to see that you have become a bhakta. Then your problem is solved. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa—ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4)—He's suffering more in one sense because we are suffering. Just like your son is on the bed suffering from some disease. The father and mother feels more pain than the son, if the father and mother is affectionate. So Kṛṣṇa is so affectionate; therefore He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). When we forget Kṛṣṇa, then He comes to convince us that "This is not good. You are trying to satisfy your senses. It will never end. Simply you'll be complicated from one body to another for satisfying senses, sometimes eating stool also. That is also satisfaction of the senses. So this business will never make you happy. Better just surrender unto Me, and what I say, you do. Just begin your service. Surrender. Give Me something eatable." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). This is the beginning. The Deity worship is the beginning of devotional service.

Therefore arcana, the Deity worship, very essential. Everyone should try. The system is: anyone comes to the temple, he brings something—patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ—just to offer to the Deity. It is the beginning. That is the beginning of love, dadāti, give something. Dadāti pratigṛhnāti bhuṅkte bhojāyate caiva (NoI 4). This is the beginning of love. If I love you, I must give you something, and whatever you'll give me I shall accept it. Dadāti pratigṛhnāti. So give something to Kṛṣṇa and take His instruction. Dadāti pratigṛhnāti. This is beginning of love. Therefore the Deity is there. The instruction is here. If people take advantage, automatically he becomes a devotee, a lover of Kṛṣṇa. That is the success of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda! (end)