SB volume 4
►730502SB.LA Lectures
"What is the proof of eternity?" The proof is there. Krsna says, na hanyate hanyamane
sarire. That is the proof. Sruti. This is hearing, disciplic
succession hearing from the Supreme. This is one proof. One proof is
by logic, nyaya-pramana. You can get your knowledge by logic,
argument, philosophical research. This is all right also. But another,
sruti, by hearing from the authorities. That is also knowledge. And
smrti. Smrti means statement derived from sruti. Just like
Bhagavad-gita is called smrti, the Puranas are called smrti. But
Upanisad is called sruti, and Vedanta is called nyaya. So three ways,
nyaya-pramana, sruti-pramana and smrti-pramana. So of all these, the
sruti-pramana, or the evidence by the sruti, is very important….
730502SB.LA Lectures
But in the jungle you go, you see all the animals, big,
big animals like elephant, they are very stout and strong. Who is
supplying them food? The tiger, the lions, everyone--everyone is
living. Some of them are vegetarians, some of them are nonvegetarian,
but nobody is in want of food. The tiger... By nature's way, the tiger
do not get every day food. Naturally, because he is nonvegetarian. …
So he gets his food with a little difficulty. Because who is going to
face the tiger to become its food? Nobody's going, "Sir, I am very
philanthropist, I have come to you to give you food. Take my body."
Nobody's going. Therefore he has got difficulty to find out its food.
Because in the jungle the... There is jungle's laws also, nature's
law. As soon as the tiger is out, there is one animal that is called
fayo(?). I do not know what is the name in English. It will follow the
tiger and it will sound "fayo, fayo," so the other animals will know:
"Now the tiger is out."
So it has got difficulty. It has got difficulty, by nature's way.
But still Krsna supplies him food. Say after one week he gets the
chance of catching one animal. Therefore he doesn't get fresh food
daily. He stocks the animal in some bush and takes little, little. So
he has become very powerful. People wants, "I want to become like
tiger" or "I want to become like lion." But that is not very good
position, because you won't get food daily. That's a fact. And you
have to search out food with great labor. But if you become a
vegetarian, you get daily. .
741020SB.MAY Lectures
And actually Bhismadeva went to the side of Duryodhana, considering
that "These people are maintaining me. How can I give up their company
at times of danger?" That is also another consideration. So similarly,
Dronacarya, although he's guru, teacher of military art, he also went
to Duryodhana's side for money. So therefore... Karna... Nobody came
to this side. So Krsna was doing justice, that He was... This is
politics, "Tit for tat." This is politics. Sathe sathyamacaret.(?)
Canakya Pandita says. "If somebody is satha"--satha means very
cunning--"so you should be also cunning." This is politics. You should
not be, at that time, a brahmana, liberal. No. So the idea is that in
the Bhagavad-gita Krsna teaches everything very rightly, properly. The
whole Vedic literature is meant for that, not one-sided.
730503SB.LA Lectures
... So if you take statistics how much time He devoted for
killing and how much time He devoted for protecting, we shall see He
devoted more time for killing. You see. So that is also Krsna's
business. So those who are Krsna conscious... Killing, we don't mean
that you take weapon. That is not possible in this age. Neither you
have got the strength. If you kill, then you will be killed also. Not
that. But there are two kinds of victory. By logic, by reason, by
education you can kill their demonic propensities. That is also
killing. If one is demon, and if you can turn into a devotee by your
logic, by your arguments, then that is also, he's killed, his demonic
principle is killed--now he's a saintly person. That is also killing.
Not that... Kali-yuga, they're already very poverty-stricken, poor. So
this physical killing is too much for them. They should be killed by
argument, reason, scientific proposition.
This should be one of the propaganda of Krsna consciousness
movement.
730503SB.LA Lectures
That is another increase of attachment. Then we have got an apartment.
Find out some means of earning money. Formerly, they were earning...,
there were no factories. Everyone has to earn his livelihood by
agriculture, ksetra. Ato grha-ksetra. First of all, apartment must be
maintained by working, by earning something, grha-ksetra. Then when
we, everything is settled up, now we must have a son, children. Yes.
Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta. Then we shall, we must have some friends, who
will come and eulogize me: "Oh, you have such nice apartment, nice…
741021SB.MAY Lectures
This is naraki-buddhi. Actually, a Vaisnava is above this
varnasrama-dharma. But we don't claim that we have become perfect
Vaisnava. We are not so impudent. We want to remain under the
Vaisnava. Under the Vaisnava. Otherwise Vaisnava means... In
Caitanya-caritamrta you'll find the Vaisnava is paramahamsa. Vaisnava
has no saffron cloth. Vaisnava is white cloth because Vaisnava is
paramahamsa, above. But we don't claim the position of Vaisnava. We
want to remain servant of Vaisnava. Therefore sannyasa order is below
the position of Vaisnava. Sannyasa order means still in the material
classification. But this Vaisnava is paramo nirmatsaranam satam.
Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmat... This Vaisnavism is
meant for paramo nirmatsaranam, paramahamsa. Sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate.
741023SB.MAY Lectures
So we should not remain mudha. At least, we must come to the stage of
jnani. Karmi, jnani, yogi, then bhakta. Step by step.
Therefore intelligent men, they should inquire, "Where we shall
enter in family life and we can eternally enjoy?" That is Krsna's
family. You enter into Krsna's family, Vrndavana family, where Krsna
has got His father, mother, His friends, His lover, His beloved, His
cows, His garden, His Yamuna. You enter that, that family. Then yad
gatva na nivartante. Then you will not have to return back again to
this temporary family, which will not stay. But if you enter Krsna's
family... Therefore Krsna comes. Krsna is so kind that--you are so
much family, fond of family life--"Just here see. I have got My
family. I am not impersonal. I have got My family. I have got My
father. I have got My mother. I have got My friend. I have got My
beloved, Radharani, and the gopis. Everything I have got. You can
enter also. Come. Why you are rotting here?" That is Krsna's mission.
So the Krsna consciousness movement means to practice in this life
how to enter Krsna's family. You enter Krsna's family as you like.
… Therefore Krsna's name is Krsna-sakha here. Here it is said that
sri-krsna krsna-sakha: "My dear Krsna, You are..." Kuntidevi did not
say that "You are my nephew." No. That is not spiritual relationship.
But Krsna-sakha, Arjuna, is related with Krsna eternally. Eternally as
friend. How eternally? What is the proof? There is in the
Bhagavad-gita. When Arjuna inquired... When Krsna said that "This
system of yoga I explained to the sun-god millions of years ago," imam
vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, at that time, to clear the
idea, Arjuna, for our sake, he inquired, "My dear Krsna, we are
contemporaries. You are born the other day along with me. How can I
believe that millions of years ago You spoke this philosophy to the
sun-god? So what is the answer?" The answer is, "My dear Arjuna, both
you and Me, we take so many incarnations, but you forget. But I do not
forget. I do not forget." Therefore Arjuna is always with Krsna. It is
not that in this age, this millennium, Arjuna is friend of Krsna. No.
He is eternal friend. He has made friendship with Krsna. It is never
to be broken. It is never to be broken. So if you want to relish the
rasa, the mellow, the taste of friendship, make friendship with Krsna.
Krsna is prepared to make you friend. Therefore He comes: "Please
come. Become My friend." But we are denying. Make Krsna your friend. Make Krsna your son. Then you'll never lament, "Oh, my son is lost" or
"My son has gone bad." No.
730506SB.LA Lectures
Prabhupada Little smile. If Krsna is pleased and smiles little, then the whole universe will be pleased. Akhilodayah.Tasmin tuste jagat tustah. If Krsna is pleased, satisfied, then the
whole universe will be satisfied, because the whole universe means
part and parcel of Krsna….
730506SB.LA Lectures
love and affection, then He accepts. So do not think that "We have
made such nice, sumptuous plate for Krsna. Krsna must eat." No. There
is no such thing, "must." You cannot make Krsna must. That is not
possible. So Krsna will see how much you have love for Him. Then He
will accept. Otherwise He'll reject. Therefore, it is forbidden, those
who are nondevotee, those who are not initiated, those who are not
chanting regularly, their offering to Krsna will not be accepted. We
must be very careful. We must know our position, whether I am
sincerely following the principles of devotional service. Then Krsna
will accept. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti. So
either you offer Krsna prayers or you offer foodstuff, everything must
be along with bhakti, devotion, love. Then Krsna will accept.
... So the beginning you cannot do so, that anything
you can dovetail. No. In the beginning you have to learn first of all
how to become Krsna conscious. You are, we are in the training period.
We are in the training period. We should not imitate: "Oh, Yudhisthira
Maharaja was ordered to speak lies, so let us go on speaking all
lies." No, not that. You cannot do so. First of all, be trained up.
For being trained up, you have to follow the regulative principles,
the orders of spiritual master. In this way, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.
When your all parts of your limbs will be engaged in Krsna's service,
hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam, in this way when you are actually advanced,
then whatever you do in Krsna consciousness, that is good.
741024SB.MAY Lectures
Vaikuntha. Krsna's another name is Vaikuntha, or God's another name is
Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means vigata-kuntha hy asmat. Therefore spiritual
world is called Vaikuntha. And the material world is duhkhalayam
asasvatam. It is not Vaikuntha. You cannot even walk without anxiety.
Just like we were walking on the street, and the leg slipped. So we
should be very much careful even in walking. Beginning from your
morning walk, you are full of anxiety. But Vaikuntha means no anxiety,
no anxiety. That is spiritual world. We must understand what is
Vaikunthaloka, and what is Jadaloka.
741024SB.MAY Lectures
Just like a big politician, Gandhi, he also has Bhagavad-gita in
his hand, but he never spoke throughout his whole life that Krsna is
worshipable. He never spoke. Have you seen that he has advised that
Krsna is worshipable? Never. Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also so big
scholar. He has commented on Bhagavad-gita. Rather, he says, "It is
not to Krsna." When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam
namaskuru, Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Krsna." That is the
difficulty. Because they have no mercy of Krsna upon them, they cannot
understand Krsna. Naham prakasah sarvasya yogamaya-samavrtah. Bhaktya
mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. This is stated in the
Bhagavad-gita. But they are not bhaktas. Tilak, he has described
Bhagavad-gita as a karmi, never said that Krsna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. You'll find like that, so many, what to speak
of others? There are about six hundred commentaries on Bhagavad-gita,
all misleading. Therefore we have presented Bhagavad-gita As It Is,
without any misinterpretation. And it is acting. These six hundred
editions of Bhagavad-gita was being advertised in the Western
countries, and so many scholars and swamis went there--not a single
person became a devotee of Krsna, not a single for the last two
hundred, three hundred years. Before that, there was no such attempt,
but for the last at least hundred years, or more than that, many
Indians went to the Western countries to preach our philosophy, and
they referred to Bhagavad-gita and so on, but unfortunately not a
single person became a devotee of Krsna, not a single person. But as
we presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, within five years, thousands and
thousands have become devotee of Krsna. One can compare this.
741024SB.MAY Lectures
Therefore nobody can understand Krsna without being trained up by a
self-realized devotee. If a... If one takes the shelter of Krsna's
representative, devotee, then it doesn't matter what he is.
Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah, ye
'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah. If he has taken shelter of a pure
devotee--never mind he's a kirata, huna, andhra, pulinda, pulkasa--he
is sudhyanti. He becomes purified, and gradually he understands Krsna.
730509SB.LA Lectures
This question was raised by Arjuna also, that "I understand that I
am not this body and my grandfather is not this body. Still, I am
affected when my body or my grandfather is in danger." So what Krsna
advised? Krsna advised, "Yes, that affection is possible." I know that
I am not this body. Theoretically or... But if somebody comes to cut
my body, I will be very much protective. Although I know... I cannot
feel that "I am not this body; let the body be cut off. I don't mind."
No. Then Krsna said that this position... Agamapayinah anityas tams
titiksasva bharata. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
…. Our pains and pleasure we feel on account of this skin, matra-sparsah. So we should not deviate from the duty. Even there are pains and pleasure due to this
body, we should not deviate from our duty. That is the instruction of
the sastra. It is not that because it is very, I am feeling very much
cold, I shall not take my bath. No. That's my duty. I must take. And
because I am feeling very hot, therefore I shall not go to the
kitchen. There shall be no cooking today. No, that is not possible.
Cooking must go on. Similarly, despite all difficulties, all
inconveniences on account of this false body, one must do his duty.
And that was the instruction to be given to Maharaja Yudhisthira..
…
741027SB.MAY Lectures
But all these activities are simply moha, illusion, only moha. It
has no value. If you say that "So many things, it has no value?" it
has value--temporary, punya. Punya... There is also papa also. Suppose
if you give charity... Charity is pious activities, but if you give
charity to a brahmana, then it is--proper brahmana, qualified
brahmana, Vaisnava--then your charity is properly utilized. And if you
give the same charity to a drunkard, then you commit sinful activity.
If you do not know what kind of charities we shall perform, if you
blindly give charity, then sometimes you may be doing pious
activities, but sometimes you are clearing the way for going to hell.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated there are three kinds of
charities: sattvika, rajasika, tamasika. If you perform sattvika
charity, then you get good result; rajasika charity, you get some
profit; and tamasika charity, you go to hell. So one must be very
careful even for this sneha, or charity, or philanthropy.
There is another story--it may be fact--that a boy was raised by
his aunt very liberally. Then, gradually, the boy became, in bad
association, a thief. And the aunt was encouraging, "Oh, it is a very
good business. You are bringing so many things without any labor."
So... Or out of affection he (she) did not chastise the boy when he
was stealing. Then he, at the end, became a murderer. So he committed
a murder. Then when he was to be hanged, so the government men
inquired, "What is your last wish?" "Now, I want to speak with my aunt
through the ear." Then he was allowed. And the aunt was generally
crying that "My nephew is going to be hanged." She was... So he caught
up her ear with the teeth and cut it. So he said, "My dear aunt, if
you would have chastised me in the beginning, then today, this
position, that you are crying and I am going to be hanged, this would
not have happened. But you did not do that. Therefore you are
uselessly crying now, and this is your punishment: I cut off your ear
with the teeth." A very good instruction.
So the so-called sneha, if it is not properly done... Nature's
regulation is so strict that you cannot avoid the consequence. That is
not possible. These are practical. I have seen another practical... In
front of our residence there was another neighbor. So the old man had
his daughter-in-law. So she was beating her one child. So I inquired
through my servant, "Why this young woman is beating her child?" Now,
then the servant brought me the news that this boy gave parata to his
elder brother who is suffering from typhoid. The typhoid... In typhoid
fever, solid food is forbidden strictly, but the boy did not know. He
asked his younger brother that "If you steal one parata and if you
give me, I am very much hungry." So he became very sympathetic to his
brother, and he gave the parata. And the boy was ill; he aggravated
the illness. So as soon as the mother heard that he gave a parata to
him, he (she) began to beat: "Why did you give?" Now, it was charity,
it was affection and sympathetic, but the result was beating with
shoes. So if we do not know where charity should be given, then, where
affection should be there, then we are under the laws of nature; we
shall be punished if it is not properly done. There is punishment….
…necessities. Sometimes we take sannyasa. I have seen. One of our
Godbrother, big Godbrother, he took sannyasa. So his son was crying,
and he was also crying. Then, if you have got affection for your
family, society, then why you are taking sannyasa? That is prakrtena.
We should not be carried away by this material affection, no. That is
not good. You must do your duty. That is the instruction of
Bhagavad-gita, that "Arjuna, you are being carried away by your
material affection, and you are hesitating to execute your duty.
741028SB.MAY Lectures
So this is knowledge. This is knowledge. And when you come to the
right knowledge, after many, many births... Even Maharaja
Yudhisthira... Of course, he is playing the part of ordinary man,
pious man. Pious man is also not perfect. Yudhisthira Maharaja should
have thought like this, that "Yes, this body does not belong to me,
but it belongs to Krsna, and Krsna desired that with this body there
must be fighting for His satisfaction." So Arjuna thought like that.
Arjuna thought like that. Therefore Arjuna is higher grade devotee
than Yudhisthira Maharaja. Yudhisthira Maharaja has got personal
consideration. When Krsna advised him that "You go to Dronacarya and
speak this lie, that his son Asvatthama is dead, otherwise he'll not
die. You go and speak," so he hesitated. He said, "How is that? I
never spoke lie. How can I go and say him the lie?" So this personal
consideration is there, that "If I speak lies, then I will be sinful,
and I'll be punished and so on, so on." But a devotee does not think
like that. "Maybe it is sinful, but it will satisfy Krsna; I must do
it." This is devotee's decision.
Just like Krsna sometimes became sick. So, in Dvaraka... You have
seen that play in Bombay. And so many physicians came; nobody could
cure Him. Then Krsna suggested His own medicine, that "If some of my
devotees will give the dust of his feet on My head, then I'll be
cured." So the first devotee, Narada and others, everywhere, it was
approached that "Give your dust of feet. Krsna is suffering." "No, no,
no. How can I give my dust of feet? Krsna is Supreme Personality of
Godhead." But when the gopis were approached, when they heard that
Krsna is sick, and He's in urgently necessity of the dust of His
devotees' feet, so immediately they began to give: "Take it, take it
immediately. Immediately." They did not consider that "Giving the dust
of my feet to Krsna, I shall go to hell." "Never mind, I shall go to
hell; it doesn't matter, but let Krsna be cured." That is first
consideration.
So this is the topmost devotee, prepared to do anything without any
consideration. That is pure(?) devotee.
741029SB.MAY Lectures
distributes rain like anything. More than sufficient. Even on the
hill, even on the sea. So we are indebted to the demigods. Just like
water department. You have to pay tax. Or the light department, you
have to pay tax. If you don't pay the bill of the electrical
department, it will be cut off, will be discontinued. But we are not
paying any bill to the sun-god. Just see. We are taking advantage of
the sunshine, but what payment we are paying? Nothing. Therefore this
yajna is recommended.
So in this way, you are all indebted. You cannot take any service
from anyone without being indebted. You cannot take. You must be... So
we are becoming entangled, complicated with indebtedness. That is
called karma. If you don't pay bill, then you have to suffer. Then you
have to suffer because you are taking simply. These rascals, they do
not know. They are so much ungrateful. They are taking milk from the
cows, and when the milk is no more supplied, "All right, send it to
the slaughterhouse." Once he has taken milk, he's indebted; again, it
is being killed by him. So how much he has become entangled in his
karma he does not know. Mudha. Duskrtino mudhah.
730512SB.LA Lectures
Prabhupada: What is religious fight? Religious fight means you have
got right to kill your aggressor. If somebody takes your property, if
somebody sets fire in your house, if somebody kidnaps your wife, or
somebody is trying to kill you, they are called aggressor. So
aggressor should be killed immediately. It is not that somebody has
become an aggressor, and if I say, "Now I have become a Vaisnava, I'll
not be violent. I shall tolerate. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us to
be tolerant like the tree or the grass. So I shall become tolerant.
Let him do." Just like Gandhi used to say. Somebody questioned him
that "If somebody comes and violates the chastity of your daughter in
your presence, what will you do?" He said, "I shall remain
nonviolent." But that is not sastric injunction. This is foolishness.
If somebody is aggressor, he must be killed immediately.
…they should lodge complaint to the king. Just like in these days also,
suppose one is wrong-doer. He has done wrong to me. I cannot take
directly to punish him. No. That you cannot do. You have to lodge the
complaint to the government agent, and if required, government can
kill him, sanction, "Kill this man. He is a murderer." So the sanction
should come from there. Similarly, these divisions, very scientific.
Killing business is for the ksatriya, not for the brahmanas. Ksatriya,
he can kill; there is no sin for him. The brahmanas are not going to
kill.
730513SB.LA Lectures
... I was also married man, you know. I was married
when my wife was only eleven years old. And at the age of fourteen
years she gave birth to first child. And next generation, when my
eldest daughter was married at the age of sixteen years--it is little
increased--but I was also very much upset that the daughter is sixteen
years old.
But now things have changed. Nobody cares whether the daughter is
married or not. But that is not good. Another difficulty is that
everywhere, all over the world, the female population is greater than,
on the average, than male population. So if each and every woman has
to be married, then there is no sufficient number of male population.
…" And there was no such thing as widow-marriage in India. No. No widow can marry. Why? Because thewoman population is greater than the man. If widow again marries, then the unmarried girl does not get chance to have another husband.
Therefore there was no widow-marriage. Widow-marriage was especially
allowed only when the girl did not see her husband at any time or she
had no children. Formerly, in our days, younger days, although the
girl was married at an early age, she was not allowed to see her
husband unless she is grown-up fully. Unless she has attained puberty,
got my husband." This consciousness is a great pleasure for a women
psychologically, that "I have got husband." A very nice system. And
when the girl grows up, puberty, then again another ceremony is taken.
That is almost like second marriage. The girl goes to her husband, to
live with her husband. This was the system.
730514SB.LA Lectures
Prabhupada: So here one of the most important points is surakrtam
bhuta-hatyam. Surakrtam means things becoming impure simply by
touching liquor. Liquor is so impure. Just like you have got a very
big pot of milk, but if you put one drop of wine in it, it becomes
immediately impure. You can analyze chemically--immediately impure.
That sura, liquor, has become our daily affair. We are so impure. And
bhuta-hatya, and killing of animals. The modern civilization means
large-scale arrangement for killing animals and large-scale
rangement for distilling liquor, especially in the Western…
…here it is said that surakrtam, a drop of wine makes the whole thing
impure. And liquor drinking is our daily business. So the example is
given that suppose here is one drop of wine, and the place has become
impure. So if you bring another gallon of wine and just sweep over it,
mop it with wine, that is not the process. You have to bring pure
water and wash with it. Then it will purify. You cannot say that "Wine
is also liquid. Why not cleanse it here by wine?" No.
So the Vedic conception is completely different. The... According
to modern science, they put things into alcohol to sterilize. Is it
not?
Svarupa Damodara: Put alcohol in things.
Prabhupada: Yes. But it becomes more impure. Anything you put into
alcohol, that becomes more impure, according to this. So there are so
many things. Our position jiva, is living entity, is pure by nature
because it is part and parcel of God, Krsna. So we have accumulated so
much, so many material things by which we have become impure. And
yajnaih. This bhuta-hatya. Bhuta-hatya is also recognized here as
sinful activities. As wine is sinful or impure--if not sinful, it is
impure--bhuta-hatya, killing of animal, is also sinful activities. So
you cannot counteract by performing yajna, because in the yajna there
is also another bhuta-hatya.
So even there is no bhuta-hatya... That is called panca-suna-yajna,
five kinds of imperceptible sinful activities. Just like when we are
walking on the street, there are many ants and germs, they are being
killed. I do not know, I do not wish to kill, but they are being
killed. When you are igniting fire, in the fireplace, there are so
many small ants. So as soon as you ignite, all those small ants--you
cannot see--they die. Similarly, when you keep water, there are so
many microbes and other living entities. So as you press on it, they
die. Similarly, pestle and mortar. In India the system, they don't
purchase...Those who are rigid family, they do not purchase these
powdered spices. No. They bring whole spices and they smash it with
mortar and pestle. That is very nice. So doing that smashing work, you
kill so many animals. In breathing, you kill so many animals. In
drinking water, you kill so many animals. This is bhuta-hatya. You are
killing. This is not intentional. You do not know. Therefore in a
Vedic system there is prescription, panca-suna-yajna. Panca means
five, and suna means bhuta-hatya, or killing animals, suna.
Striya-suna-pana-dyuta. Suna. Suna means violence. So we prohibit
these four kinds of sinful life: killing of animals and illicit sex...
Striya, suna, and... Panca-suna. Yes... Striya-suna-pana. Pana means
intoxicants, and dyuta means gambling. So these are four kinds of
sinful activities. So out of that, suna is one. That is also divided
in many divisions, at least five. Willingly, we are not going to kill
anybody, but unwillingly... Therefore there is panca-suna-yajna. You
have to perform yajna every day to counteract the sinful reaction of
your imperceptible killings of animals. That's it. This is Vedic life…
…some time. This is atonement. If you have committed a murder, then you
also be hanged. These are the laws. When the king orders somebody to
be hanged on account of his committing murder, the king is not sinful.
King is helpful. King is helping that rascal to atone his murdering
activities. Otherwise, if he is not hanged, then next life, next time,
he will be put into difficulty. Next time he will have to become
animal. He will be slaughtered. These laws they do not know. Why these
animals are being slaughtered? There is some nature's law. They were
murderer or slaughterer in their past life as human being. Now they
have assumed, they have accepted a body to be slaughtered by the laws
of nature. When an animal is slaughtered in sacrifice, there is
mantra. The mantra is that... The animal slaughter in sacrifice is
recommended for the animal-eaters, not for all. Those who are...To restrict.
… So restriction is required. Why? It is because it is bad. Nobody
restricts that "You don't manufacture capati." No. Because it is not
bad thing. There is no such law, that "You don't manufacture nice
foodstuff." No. That is very good. But when it is bad, then there is
restriction. Therefore there is restriction of sex life, there is
restriction of drinking wine, there is restriction of meat-eating, and
there is restriction of gambling. Because these things are bad. You
cannot become good by indulging in bad things. That is not possible.
The same thing. Just like you cannot clear muddy water by putting
another mud. That is not possible. So the human life is meant for purification
730522SB.NY Lectures
Generally, they worship God, needy artah artharthi. Artah means
diseased, artharthi means in need of money. People generally go to
church (or) temple when they are suffering from some ailments or need
of money, these two classes. Another two classes, jijnasuh jnani.
Jnani means who is after pure knowledge and jijnasuh means
inquisitive--what is the nature of God. These are, they are higher
section but they are not bhaktas. Just like there are many
philosophers, they also talk of God, but they are not bhaktas. But
because they are talking of God, they are getting some benefit.
730616SB.MAY Lectures
So to understand Krsna is not so easy thing. Manusyanam sahasresu. Out
of many millions of persons, all rascals and fools, animals, what they
will understand Krsna? Therefore Krsna personally says, manusyanam
sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. Siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. All
over the world we are touring, all full of rascals and fools. Nobody
is trying to make his life perfect. What is that perfection? Paramam
siddhim. That perfection is,
To go back to home, back to Godhead, that is the highest perfection of
life. Nobody knows what is Godhead. Nobody knows how to go back to
Him. So to understand Krsna and to become a devotee of Krsna, it is
not very easy thing. Very, very difficult. But Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, maha-vadanyavatara, He has distributed this Krsna science
and love of Krsna in such an easy way that by His mercy even a most
rude person can also understand, if He takes the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
750313SB.TEH Lectures
Prabhupada: Yes. He was going to punish the earth. And he (she) said,
"This is my duty. All the demons there are. I must restrict supply."
So these people, they do not know. They think that simply by
resolution in the Parliament they will make all, everything. And they
may become all rascals. This will not make the world happy. They will
simply deteriorate more and more. They do not know. Here it is said,
kamam vavarsa parjanyah. Bhagavan Krsna also said, annad bhavanti
bhutani. Krsna never says, "The factory will make the people healthy
and strong," never says. And these rascals are after factories. Then
how the people will be happy? Ugra-karma. Everyone will be unhappy,
dissatisfied, rogue, bachelor growth. Where Krsna has said that "Open
factories for economic development"? Nowhere you will find, neither in
the sastra... Here it is said that all economic development will be
complete simply by regular rainfall. Kamam vavarsa parjanyah. Kamam
means all necessities of life. They do not know. The modern people,
scientists, philosophers, politicians, they do not know this. Kamam.
Kamam means necessities of life. We have got so many things. But how
it will be supplied? It is clearly said, kamam vavarsa parjanyah. And
how parjanyah will be regular? Yajnad bhavati parjanyah. Where is that
program? Where is yajna? In the Kali-yuga other yajnas are very
difficult to perform. There is no money. There is no qualified
brahmana. Therefore this yajna... Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti
hi sumedhasah. Those who have got brain substance, not cow dung, they
will take this process, yajnaih. Let everyone chant Hare Krsna home to
home. Whatever they have got, all right. Just begin chanting. Just see
what happens. We are trying to introduce this chanting. But the
rascals will not take it. What can be done? There is no loss if they
chant Hare Krsna worldwide. Where is the loss? But still, they will
not. And everything can be had. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Mahi. Krsna, He
is... The mother... Krsna, how He has arranged this mahi? Everything
is coming. Actually you will find that the rose flower is coming, the
mine is coming, the gold is coming, the coal is coming, the petrol is
coming. Everything is there in the mahi. And who has arranged it? Just
see. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. And if there is regular waterfall, then
you get everything supply. And by performing yajna, you get regular
waterfall, rainfall. And in this age all other types of yajna is not
possible. Kalau...
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
So introduce this. What is their loss? If everyone, home to home or
work to work, factory to factory... Let them... Let there be factory,
but chant Hare Krsna. Let all the factory members be engaged in
chanting and the... supply them prasadam. Just see. There will be no
more strike. There will be no more Communistic movement. Everything is
there, provided they take it. Everything will be all right. So this is
not a sentimental fanaticism, religious movement. This is scientific
movement for the good of the whole world. That we have to convince by
our character, by our behavior. Then people will accept it. They think
it is another type of religious... So religious means fanaticism. It
is not that. Just like they fought, the Mohammedans and the
Christians. There was fighting? What is that?
Nitai: The Holy Wars?
Parivrajakacarya: Crusades.
Prabhupada: Crusades. These Britishers created this religious fight
between Hindus and Muslims. Before that, there was no in the history,
religious fight, in the history of the whole India. The Mahabharata,
Kuruksetra fight was... That was political fight. That was not a
religious fight on the basis of that "You are Hindu. I am Muslim.
Therefore we must fight." There was no such fight. In the material
platform your interest, my interest, sometimes clash. There may be
fight. But why fight on religious, mean God consciousness? If everyone
is God conscious, where is the question of fight?
730620SB.MAY Lectures
Sometimes inthe year 1931 or '32 I had a very severe tooth pain. So I was taken by
my servant in the jungle to some, this vaidya. They cured me, and the
dentist could not. I attended so many times to the dentist. I have got
my practical experience. And in the Ayurvedic literature there is
mention some drug, the root only if you touch here, the germs
collected in the teeth, they will come out in the corner of the teeth
some germs--sometimes it is itching; there is all germs--so they will
come out. Sometimes pains in the toe. All they are germs. The germ
theory is all right, but they want to cure these germs in different
way. But by nature's way there are so many drugs and roots and
creepers that can cure all the diseases.
730620SB.MAY Lectures
Personality of Godhead, there will be no more natural disturbances. I
have heard in 1900, 1898--I was born in 1896--so I have heard, I have
seen also, I remember, in Calcutta there was a very virulent type of
plague epidemic in 1898. So Calcutta became devastated. All people
practically left Calcutta. Daily hundreds and hundreds of people were
dying. I was one year old or one and a half year old. I have seen what
was happening, but there was plague epidemic. That I did not know. I,
later on, I heard from my parents. So one babaji, he organized
sankirtana, Hare Krsna sankirtana. When there was no other way, so he
organized sankirtana all over Calcutta. And in the, in sankirtana, all
people, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, everyone joined. And they
were coming, they were going road to road, street to street, entering
in every house. So that Mahatma Gandhi Road, 151, you have seen. The
sankirtana party we received very nicely. There was light, and I was
very small, I was also dancing, I can remember. Just like our small
children sometimes dances. I remember. I could see only up to the
knees of the persons who were joined. So the plague subsided. This is
a fact. Everyone who knows history of Calcutta, the plague was
subsided by sankirtana movement.
Of course, we do not recommend that sankirtana should be used for
some material purpose, that is nama-aparadha, nama-aparadha. Shama sa
bhakti kriya (?) pramana. Sankirtana, you can utilize sankirtana for
some material purpose, but that is not allowed. That is nama-aparadha,
because nama, the holy name of Krsna, and Krsna, they are identical.
You cannot utilize Krsna for your personal, material benefit. That is
aparadha. Krsna is the Lord. You cannot engage the Lord for your
730620SB.MAY Lectures
Prabhupada: So sattvika-ahara... Because Krsna consciousness is on
the, above sattvika platform, above goodness... Suddha-sattva. Here in
the material platform, sattva-guna is sometimes contaminated by
rajo-guna and tamo-guna. But in the spiritual world there is simply
pure sattva-guna. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam. So vasudeva
platform. There Krsna takes birth; there Krsna is seen. When you come
to the suddha-sattva... Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate.
At that platform, you can deal with Krsna.
So this devotional service is suddha-sattva platform. There, you
cannot bring in something contaminated which is material. Here,
everything should a be spiritual. Therefore, because we have taken the
vow of accepting Krsna consciousness, we cannot eat anything, although
they are meant for eating. But we cannot eat anything. That is
discrimination.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
730621SB.MAY Lectures
Prabhupada: So in the previous verse it has been described that nature
was favorable. The river, the hills, the mountains, forests,
vegetables, creepers, these are our natural surroundings. Animals...
Everyone was complete. It is a cooperation. So many living entities,
according to karma, we have got different bodies. Some has got the
human form of body, some has got the body of an animal, some has got
the body of a tree, creeper. Sometimes hills, mountains, also.
Everyone. Their business is cooperation. We can study from our own
body. There are different parts of the body, but it is a business of
cooperation. Hand, legs, eyes, ears, nose, they are all cooperating
for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, all living entities--may be in
different types of bodies--they are meant for cooperating in the
matter of serving the Supreme Lord, central point. (aside:) Just see
the...
So if the government or the chief of the executive power, the king,
is just to the point, dharmena, as it was said, "Abiding by the
religious principles, ruling over the country," then everything, even
natural elements, they become cooperative. They must become
cooperative. What is nature? Nature is also another energy of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the nature is also working under
the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
So Maharaja Yudhisthira's time, the cooperation was so complete that
everyone was free from anxiety, disease, calamities, natural
disturbance.
730621SB.MAY Lectures
So this is our position. We may be very great man in the estimation
of our friends and countrymen, but everyone is subjected to the
miserable condition of life. They cannot make any solution. That is
not possible. They have made a solution, big, big learned scholars,
just that Mr. Kotovsky said, "Swamiji, after death, there is no life.
Everything is finished." Unless they think like that, then life
becomes more horrible, full of anxieties. If they think of that there
is another life and there is punishment and reward, according to our
karma, then their life is very horrible. So just like the animals,
poor animal, sometimes facing enemy, close the eyes, as if there is no
enemy, so they do like that, close the eyes. Children, when there is
danger, they close the eyes. They have no other means to escape. So
these people, they close the eyes. "There is no life after death."
Otherwise they cannot accommodate.
730621SB.MAY Lectures
Prabhupada: Yes. Two years' time. So this is the... This body is made
of three dhatu, and misadjustment of these three things... If the
mucus is increased, the other two decrease. In this way disturbance is
created, and that is the cause of disease. Adhayo vyadhayah. So if
people remain completely in hygienic principle, as they are prescribed
in the sastras, just like rise early in the morning, take bath,
evacuate and chant Hare Krsna mantra... If you follow the rules and
regulation, then there will be no anxiety, no disease. People become
crazy when he is full of anxieties or disease. If he is happy in every
respect, then he does not become crazy, he does not become enemy. If
everyone is satisfied, then where is the chance of becoming your enemy
or my enemy? Everyone is satisfied.
So in Maharaja Yudhisthira's time, the government, the government
was responsible also to keep people peaceful, without any anxiety.
That is government. Without any anxiety. And now the government means
full of anxieties. You do not know how to sleep peacefully at night.
You have to keep watchmen, just see, enemies are coming or not, with
torchlight. You see. This is our position, full of anxieties. Even we
cannot sleep at night peacefully. This is government. And here you
see, compare the government--no anxiety, no anxiety. Just compare. So
what is the use of this rascal government? The rascal government must
be there because we are rascals. You cannot complain against the
government. Because we select. It is the days of democracy. We elect
our representative. So why you should, I mean to say, blame the
government? You have created the government. You have sent your
representative, a rascal, another big rascal. You are rascal, and
another big rascal, you have voted; so how you can expect good
government? You send only big rascals. That's all.
So there cannot be. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that
in the Kali-yuga, all the people will be rascals, sudras. Simply by
manipulation, if one gets vote, he captures the governmental power.
Sudra. He's a sudra. He is not a ksatriya like Maharaja Yudhisthira,
trained up ksatriya. He is a rascal, third-class man, fourth-class
man. He gets the vote and we give vote. So how we can be happy? How we
can be carefree or anxiety-free or disease-free? It is not possible.
Therefore if the people in general, they become Krsna conscious, they
become trained up in Krsna consciousness, they understand the value of
life, how to live, then they can send good representative. Krsna
conscious man. Then the government will be nice. Without becoming...
Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. If people are not Krsna conscious,
their so-called qualification has no value. Kuto mahad-gunah. There
cannot be value. There cannot be any good qualification of a person
who is not Krsna conscious, who is not a devotee. This is our
conclusion. We have got some test tubes. We can study man. He may
become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister,
but we test whether he has got any sense of Krsna consciousness. If
he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one."
That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Krsna
consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four
groups: duskrtina, means constantly committing sinful activities;
mudha, rascal; naradhama, lowest of the mankind; mayaya apahrta-jnana,
although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken
away; asuram bhavam asritah, and demon.
Immediately we classify, "Here is a rascal number one, lowest of the
mankind," or "always engaged in sinful activities," or "whatever
education he has got, that is useless, because his real knowledge..."
Just like Professor Kotovsky, such a big professor, he says, "There
is no life after death." He's a rascal number one. What is the meaning
of this education? He does not know that the soul is eternal, and
therefore Bhagavad-gita teaches first, dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam... Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. "First of all
understand this: soul is eternal; you are eternal; you do not die,
after the annihilation..." This is the first education. And these
rascals, they say there is no life after death. So how much educated
they are you can understand. They are all rascals. And you may open
big, big colleges, institution, providing some rascal professor,
rascal student, and beg the whole life, and sacrifice everything. It
is useless. Srama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time.
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
Srama eva hi kevalam. You can do your duties very nicely, very good,
dharmah svanusthitah, but if you do not develop your, I mean to say,
attachment for Krsna... Vasudeva-katha rucih. "Oh, here krsna-katha is
going on. Topics on Krsna is going on. Let me hear it." Just like
here. We are talking of Krsna; nobody is coming. Nobody is coming.
Only few selected. Vasudeva-katha rucih. There is no taste for hearing
krsna-katha. So such kind of education, advancement of civilization,
is srama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time. And if you waste your
time in such foolish activity, then there will be anxiety, there will
be disease, there will be enemies, there will be
disturbance--everything, one after another, one after another. Natural
disturbance, disturbance by other living creatures, disturbance by
your body. So this world will become hell. This is the position.
So just compare the present governmental situation and the time...
A king is supposed to be responsible for the citizen's peaceful life,
no anxiety, no disease. Adhayo vyadhayah. That is king. Just like one
brahmana approached Lord Ramacandra that "In the presence of father
the son has died. You are responsible. There must be something wrong
in Your kingdom." His son died. That is natural, that son lives,
father dies. This is natural death. "And what is this? The father is
living and son is dying?" So king was so much responsible, even the
death must be systematic. There should be no anxiety. There should be
no disease. There should be no scarcity, no famine, no natural
disturbance. This is government. This is government. Just try to
understand the ideal government during Maharaja Yudhisthira's time.
730622SB.MAY Lectures
Just like the son inherits the quality of the father, similarly...
We are supposed to be sons of the Supreme Person. Therefore, in minute
quantity we have got all the qualities of God. Not all. Seventy-eight
percent. In very minute quantity. That is our perfection. If we revive
godly qualities seventy-eight percent, in minute quantity, that is our
perfection. That is there, already there. Simply it is covered by this
material energy. Otherwise everything is there. So the feelings of
affection, there is also in Krsna.
… Therefore we have to get free from obstacles. Sattva-guna, we have
to go above the sattva-guna, suddha-sattva. Then again we revive our
original position of joyfulness. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati
na kanksati. This is the joyfulness: no lamentation, no hankering. We
hanker after something which we want, and we lament for something
which we lose. Here there are two business: something gaining and
something losing. Just like businessmen. They have got two businesses:
either to make profit or to lose. At the end of the year they
calculate, "Whether we are loser or gainer?" But in the spiritual
world there is no such thing as to gain or as to lose. There is
nothing... Absolute. That is Absolute. That idea we haven't got just
now. But that is the nature of the spiritual world. There is no
question of loss, nor there is any question of gain. Simply ananda,
ananda, pleasure. Pleasure means because there is no loss.
Anandambudhi-vardhanam. There is ananda, and ananda ambudhi. Ambudhi
means the ocean.
730622SB.MAY Lectures
But whateverKrsna is speaking about Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, if one hundredth
part, one percent you can understand, then your life is successful.
Vedic knowledge. That is Vedic knowledge…
. We should try to followthe footsteps of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was very strict. No womancould approach Him. They were allowed to offer obeisances from distant
place. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very strict about .. Even in
His grhastha life He was very strict. He would not play any joke with
any woman except His wife. And that also, once He joked with His wife,
not with any other woman. So He was so strict. Sri Caitanya…
730622SB.MAY Lectures
So practically, at the present moment, the whole world is visayi.
But this line, Krsna consciousness line, is so transcendental that one
has to give up this visayi idea. Visaya chariya se rase majiya mukhe
bolo hari hari. We chant "Hari, Hari," but actually, "Hari, Hari," we
can chant "Hari, Hari" only when we give up visaya. Visaya chariya se
rase majiya. Otherwise "Hari, Hari" is not purely chanted. Therefore
there are ten kinds of offenses we have to give up. Suddha-nama. When
we chant pure Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then we are elevated to the
platform of transcendental love. Otherwise we can attain up to
liberation. Not on the platform of loving. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was
very strict about visayi and stri-sangi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asked
how to, what is the business of a Vaisnava. He summarized in two
lines: asat-sanga tyaga, ei vaisnava acara. Asat-sanga tyaga, to give
up the association of asat. Asat means materialistic. So who is asat?
Now, asat eka stri-sangi and krsna-abhakta. Those who are too much
attached for material enjoyment, they are asat. And one who is not
devotee of Krsna, he is also asat. So we have to give up the company
of these kind of people, who are too much materially attached and is
not devotee of Krsna. If we can avoid these two persons, then we can
be fixed up in devotional service.
730625SB.MAY Lectures
This is the crucial point of advancement in human life. Tyaja
durjana-samsargam. Try to avoid. Not try; must. You must avoid the
association of the materialistic persons. Materialistic person means
those who are after money and woman. That's all. They are
materialistic. Those persons, simply hankering after money and woman,
they are materialistic. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised to
associate with this class of men, hankering after money and women, it
is better..., death is better, preferred, than to associate. When He
was requested to see King Prataparudra... Because he was king, he's
supposed to be always in association with money and women. He refused
to see him: "No, I cannot see the King." When He refused to see, He
quoted one verse: bhava-sagarasya, niskincanasya bhava-sagarasya.
Niskincanasya jigamisor bhava-sagarasya.
People do not know what is bhava-sagara. They do not know even. But
in Vedic literature, this is the first instruction, how to get out of
this bhava-sindhu, bhava-sagara, material ocean.
730626SB.MAY Lectures
So how do we explain it? It is very simple thing. Suppose I am
here, and you are here. So you may be better than me. Nobody is equal.
You don't find. We don't find. In every respect, two bodies equal, you
won't find. In bodily features, in qualities, in action, in thinking,
in feeling. All you'll find varieties. Var... That is... Variety is
enjoyment. If I agree with you in every respect, then where is
varieties? Just like if you are given a nice dish of foodstuff.
Somebody says, "Give me this one." Another says, "Give me this one."
So variety of taste. Although all sweetmeats are made of the same
ingredients, sugar and yogurt or curd, but somebody says, "Give me
this rasagulla," somebody, "The sandesa..." Somebody says, "Give me
panthva(?)." They're made of the same ingredient, but it is different
taste.
So you cannot neglect these varieties of taste. That is enjoyment.
Anandamayo 'bhyasat. We are all anandamaya, joyful. Therefore there
must be varieties. Without varieties, there is no joy. Simply
hackneyed, one thing, "Brahman, Brahman, Brahman," nobody likes it.
They keep with "Brahman, Brahman," they fall down or they again come
to the explanation of this Bhagavatam. I have seen so many Mayavadi
sannyasis. By "Brahman, Brahman," they could not attract audience.
Then come to Bhagavata reading and explains in nonsense way all the
Bhagavata, Mayavadi. But they come to... Because Bhagavata is full of
varieties. But they explain in their own way. I have seen one big
Mayavadi sannyasi, explaining Bhagavata that "God became pleased..."
in some stanza. "So if you become pleased, then God becomes pleased."
This was his explanation. If I am pleased by drinking wine, then God
is also pleased? This is his explanation. Yes. I'm a grand debauch. By
debauchery I am pleased. So God is also pleased by my debauchery.
Because God and I, the same. This is their explanation.
So it is very difficult. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given
one line of Vaisnava behavior: asat-sanga tyaga ei vaisnava acara.
Simply to give up these rascals' association. The rascal means the
Mayavadi, karmi, jnani, yogi, all they are rascals. It is our open
declaration. So we have to give up the company of these rascals. If we
actually serious about advancing in Krsna consciousness, we should not
mix with them. We should not even invite them. Neither we shall take
their foodstuff, accept their foodstuff. Dadati pratigrhnati bhunkte
bhojayate ca... Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. Bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam. Priti. If you want to make one friends,
then these six kinds of dealings must be there. Dadati. Dadati means
there must be... One must give something to the other, a friend. Just
like I am friend. You are friend. I give you something. In return you
give me something. Dadati pratigrhnati. Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. I
open my mind to you, you also inquire confidential things from me. Or
I inquire. Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. And then bhunkte bhojayate.
Whatever you give me, I eat. And I give you, you eat. By these six
kinds of dealing, priti, love increases.
730626SB.MAY Lectures
vaidha-avaidha. Vaidha means regular, according to sastra. According
to sastra means restricted. Sastra restricts. Sastra means sas-dhatu.
Sas-dhatu means sasana, ruling. From sas-dhatu, sastra has come,
sastra, weapon, has come. And sas-dhatu, from sas-dhatu, sisya also
comes. These words are derived from sas-dhatu. Sastra, sastra, sasana.
Sasana means ruling. Sanskrit is very nice language. From one verbal
root, you can manufacture so many words; therefore it is very
difficult to make Sanskrit dictionary. It is very difficult. The
so-called Sanskrit dictionaries available in the market, you won't
find all the words. It is not possible. Because so many words are
manufactured by one dhatu. How many they will add
