680712 - Lecture SB 07.09.10 - Montreal

Lectures by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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680712SB-MONTREAL - July 12, 1968 - 30:23 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

(SB 7.9.10)

This verse we have been discussing in the last meeting. It is one of the many verses in the prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja to Lord Nṛsiṁha. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person who has dedicated his life, tad-arpita-mano-vacana . . . arpita means dedicated. Mana means mind. Vacana means words.

So we act in this body, we act with our mind, with our words and with our body. Mind, body and words. This is the medium of exchanging our activities. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says: "One who has dedicated these three things, mind, body and words, to the service of the Lord, I think he best." How best? Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād: he's better or the best than anyone.

In this material world the brahmin, the most intellectual person with twelve good qualification . . . satya, sama, dama: he's truthful, his control of the senses, control of the mind, he is simple, he is tolerant, he is full of knowledge, he is full of scientific knowledge, he knows everything of Vedas. These are the qualities of a brahmin.

But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that in spite of having all these qualities, if one is aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt, if one is averse to the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, even though he's a qualified brahmin, even though he's the most intellectual person, he is rejected. And better than him is he who, even born of a very low family, śvapacam . . . śvapacam means the dog-eaters.

The dog-eaters . . . there are different kinds of flesh eaters. So there are dog-eaters also. That I have already explained, that dog-eaters are considered the lowest of the mankind. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that even if he's born in the family of the dog-eaters, but if he has dedicated his body, mind and words for the service of the Lord, he is better than such brahmin who has got all the good qualification but he has no attachment for God, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the comparison.

Why you are giving so much importance to the man, even if he is born in a lower family? He says, manye tad-arpita-mano-vacana īhā. Īhā means endeavor. Anyone who has engaged this endeavor for the service of the Lord . . . Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has described about this person whose endeavor is always in the service of the Lord. How? Just like the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. What is their endeavor? Their only endeavor is how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread all over the world.

Why they're endeavoring? Because Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants it. God wants it. Why God wants it? Because we are all sons of God. We have gone to dog. Instead of going to God, we have gone to dog. Therefore God is very anxious to reclaim us. He comes therefore in person, Kṛṣṇa. He sends His son, Lord Jesus Christ, or He sends His devotee. He leaves behind Him the books like Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or many other such literatures. Why? To reclaim these obstinate, bewildered sons of God. They have forgotten God, and they are, instead of loving God, they are now loving dog. Therefore God is very anxious.

It is natural. If a father is very rich man and he has got many sons, he wants to see the sons very happy. But if the sons go away from home and becomes crazy, do not come back home, the father is more anxious than the son. The son does not understand that what is his precarious condition of life in this material world, but God understands that how much in miserable condition he's living—threefold miserable condition of this material existence. He's always disturbed, but still, he does not wish to go back to Godhead. Therefore there is a constant endeavor on the part of God to reclaim these conditioned souls.

Who are conditioned souls? Those who have got this material body. They are called conditioned souls. Because this material body means you have to live under certain conditions. Just like I require fan. Why? Because I have been put into the condition of warm. I cannot tolerate it, but I have to live. Similarly, severe cold. I do not want it, but I have to live. I do not want set fire at home, but there is fire, and there is fire brigade. In this way, in every step of our life we are always in danger.

But foolish persons, they do not understand it. They are thinking that "I am happy." They are thinking . . . this is called illusion, māyā. Actually, he's unhappy in every step, but the spell of māyā, or illusion, is so strong that even in the lowest stage of life, anyone will think that he's happy. Even in the animals, you have experienced that so many animals, they are living in such miserable condition, but still, he does not like to give up this body. So . . . but the pain is more felt by God than the living creature in this conditioned life. So it is always . . . there is an always endeavor on the part of God to send His representative, He comes Himself, He gives book.

So anyone who takes up this endeavor on behalf of God to reclaim these conditioned souls back to Godhead, back to home, he is considered the most intimate devotee, dear devotee of the Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). If you want to become very dear to Kṛṣṇa, or God, then try to take up these missionary activities. What is that? Spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased. If you want to live in a solitary place and perform yoga system for your personal elevation of self-realization, that is very good, undoubtedly. But if you try to convert others to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, it is far better.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, you'll find in his prayer, he'll say to the Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord," naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās (SB 7.9.43), "this world is full of anxieties. That I know. And it is full of miserable condition. But I am not afraid. I am not afraid." Why you are not afraid? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43): "Because I have taken to chanting of Your glorious activities. So when I chant Your glorious activities or Your glories, I become merged into the ocean of nectar. Therefore these worldly anxieties or miseries does not . . . do not disturb me. I am quite safe."

Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). "Then why you are . . .? You appear to be very anxious. Why you are anxious?" "Yes. I have got anxiety." "What is that anxiety?" Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa: "I am simply disturbed for those rascals who are bereft of Your consciousness. Who have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am simply anxious for them." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa. "Why you are anxious for them?"

Because indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "These foolish rascals, they have created a very troublesome civilization simply for sense gratification. That's all. Their so-called advancement of civilization, machine and machinery and so many things, they've complicated. But what is their purpose? The purpose is indriya sukha." Indriya sukha means sense gratification. That's all.

And what is that sense gratification? Māyā sukha indriyārtham (SB 7.9.43): for the matter of the senses. Māyā. Māyā means illusion. "It, this kind of sense gratification has no practical meaning. It is simply temporary, flickering. But I am hankering after eternal pleasure. And what this sense gratification will give me? They do not know. But they have invented a type of civilization full of activities simply for the matter of sense gratification. So I am simply anxious for them."

So this is the business of a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not at all anxious for his personal self, because he knows perfectly that he is protected by Kṛṣṇa in all circumstances. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was put to so much difficulties by his father, but still he steadily fixed up in his position because he knew that, "My father cannot do any harm. I am fixed up." And actually so happened.

So those who are . . . who have taken very seriously to this business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are already free. I was just going to explain the word īhā. Īhā means endeavor. This īhā has been explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī very nicely. He says, īhā yasya harer dāsye (Brs 1.2.187). Īhā means endeavor. One who has engaged . . . everyone is endeavoring. Nobody is idle. Everyone is trying something, do something, endeavoring something for higher position or higher distinction. So many things. The endeavor is there. That is the symptom of life. A living entity means he is always active. Resistance and activity. These are the symptoms of life.

So īhā, this activity, endeavor . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī says, īhā yasya harer dāsye (Brs 1.2.187): anyone who has engaged his endeavors simply for Kṛṣṇa, Hari, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, karmaṇā manasā vaca . . . the same thing as Prahlāda Mahārāja says: prāṇa, mana, vaca. Because these things required for endeavoring. We require our mind, attention. If you want to do, you have to have clear attention; you must engage your body; you must engage your words.

So Rūpa Gosvāmī says, īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā vacā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu (Brs 1.2.187). He may remain in anywhere, in any stage of life. It doesn't matter whether he is European, American, Indian, brahmin, śūdra, white, black, or this or that. It doesn't matter. But if he has simply engaged his endeavor for the service of the Lord, he is a liberated person. That is the definition given by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Īhā yasya harer dāsye.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja also says the same thing that, "I consider that person is better than the so-called qualified brahmin, because his endeavors are engaged in the service of the Lord." Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ (SB 7.9.10). A highly qualified materialistic person, he's proud of his qualification. Anyone. There are four things to become proud: janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). If one is born in very good family, high family, aristocratic family or rich family, he is proud. He's always proud. And one who is very wealthy, he's also very proud. And one who is very beautiful, he is also proud. And one who is very learned, a great scholar, he is also very proud.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that what this pride will help you? You may remain a very proud man, full of pride, so long this body is there. That's all. As long the body is finished, your designation as Rockefeller, finished. Your degree, M.A., Ph.D., finished. Your beautiful body, finished. Your aristocratic family, finished. Then you have to take another platform according to your work. If you have done works like again aristocratic or learned activities, then you get similar body. But in spite of all your acquisitions, you have played the part of a dog, then you are going to become a dog.

Because after leaving this body we are completely in the hands of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). The Bhagavad-gītā says that the material nature is acting. I have got this body not according to my choice. You have got this body not according to your choice. Nobody can say that "Next life I shall get a body like this." There are so many, 8,400,000's of bodies. So that choice is not in your hands. That choice is in your work. So if you, this body, work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then next body you are going to get a body like Kṛṣṇa.

That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

(BG 4.9)

If anyone is always full in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, always trying to engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa—that means fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—he is sure to get next body just like Kṛṣṇa.

What is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and your body? That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā also. When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, You say that You spoke this yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, but I know that You are born just like me. Your age and my age is similar. You are my friend. How can I believe that You spoke this philosophy to sun-god, which means some millions of years ago?" So what was the reply of Kṛṣṇa? The reply was that "Your birth and My birth, there are many, many times. But I remember them all, and you forget. That is the difference."

Why we forget? Because we get a different body. Just like you remember you had been a child. Just like here is a small baby, he (she) has got a small body. But when she'll be grown up girl she'll forget, because the body has changed. Forget. So because we change our body, therefore we forget. This is a fact. Just like when you, at night, you are in dream. You forget your body. You are dreaming that you have got a body of a bird.

You are flying in the sky and you have forgotten completely that you are Mr. and Mrs. Such-and-such, lying in a room. You have forgotten. So in daily experience we can understand that due to change of body we forget. Death means change of body and forgetfulness. That is death. So Kṛṣṇa said that, "You forget, you have forgotten, but I have not forgotten." That means indirectly Kṛṣṇa says that, "I do not change My body, but you change your body." So we are all changing our body.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that this person who is very much proud of his intelligence, his aristocracy, his wealth, his education, he can become a proud, but by that prideness he cannot purify himself. But this person, even if he is born in the family of a dog-eater, because he has engaged his everything—mind, words and body—in the service of the Lord, he can purify not only himself, but his whole family. That is the prerogative of a devotee. If there is a pure, sincere devotee in a family, then that family, up to seven generation up and down, they are also liberated. That information we have got in the Vedic scripture.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that proud man who is simply proud of his qualification of this body, he cannot even purify himself, and what to speak of purifying his family. But this man who is born even in the family of a dog-eater, but because he has engaged himself fully and solely in the service of the Lord, he not only purifies himself, but he purifies his whole family. Sa-kulam. This very word is prāṇaṁ punāti sa-kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ.

Yata bhakti-hīnasya trai-guṇa garbhayoḥ bhavanti. Here is a very nice commentary by Śrīdhara Svāmī, that the difference between a devotee and nondevotee is this—that a nondevotee is simply proud of his acquisition. That's all. He has no other qualification. But a devotee, because he is humble and meek, he thinks that, "All these nice qualifications which Kṛṣṇa has given me, or God has given me—so much wealth, so much education, so much beauty—oh, let me engage these things to the service of Kṛṣṇa."

That is the difference between a devotee and nondevotee. There is a very nice verse of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the difference between a great soul and a poor soul:

ahagata caritrāṇi

vicitrāṇi mahasanam

lakhhim traya tucchanti

tad bhareṇa namanti ca

The difference between devotee and nondevotee is that if a devotee is rich man, then he will think, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has entrusted me with so much money. So it is Kṛṣṇa's money. Let me spend it for Kṛṣṇa."

There are very . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja, Bhisma Mahārāja and Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, and many, many great kings, they were very rich, but they engaged their money for the service of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly a devotee, if he is educated, he tries to apply his educational qualification in describing Kṛṣṇa by so many literatures, so many publications. That is the proper use. And Bhāgavata says, as I have several times explained before you, that svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you want to see the perfection of your acquisition, if you want to take . . . suppose you are a very great, learned man. Now you think over whether by becoming such learned man your life has become successful. That test is when you will see that you have engaged your learning in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then it is successful. Otherwise it is finished with this body.

Similarly, take anything—learning, beauty or wealth or anything, whatever you possess; there are many good things to possess in this material world—but if that good thing is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa and God, then it is success. Otherwise it is simply burden, or it is finished as soon as this body is finished.

Thank you very much. Any question? (break) (end)