690324 - Lecture SB 07.09.11-13 - Hawaii

Lectures by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

690324SB-HAWAII - March 24, 1969 - 64:37 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa)

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca

śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam

sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsAdi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor

mama manda-mater gatī

mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau

rādhā-madana-mohanau

dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ-

śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau

śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau

preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi

śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī

vaṁśīvaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ

karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr

gopī-nāthaḥ śriye ’stu naḥ

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate

gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

It is very nicely decorated. Yes. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam (BG 10.10).

This is the result of sincere devotion. Just like when you give me massaging, I say, "Do like this," similarly, when one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, from within He dictates, "Do like this. Do like this."

So our business is how Kṛṣṇa will accept our service. This verse we have already discussed, that naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ (SB 7.9.11).

He does not require any ser . . . anyone's service, because He's complete. There is no want. Unless He's perfect, how He can be the Supreme? The perfect means . . . we have got so many wants, because we are imperfect. Especially in this material condition, we have got so many demands, wants, because we are living in an atmosphere which is imperfect. But Kṛṣṇa is perfect, pūrṇam. Pūrṇa-brahma. Pūrṇa-brahma. Another name of the Absolute Truth is pūrṇa-brahma. Brahman means the greatest, the great and the greatest. And pūrṇa, pūrṇa means complete. Greatest.

Now, in our idea, because we are very teeny, we can see this Pacific Ocean before us—"the greatest." But even in comparison to the universe, it is not even a drop of water. In comparison to the universe there are millions and trillions of Pacific Oceans floating in the sky. So what is this Pacific Ocean in comparison to the universe? Therefore it is not greatest. But to our idea, we are thinking it is the greatest. This is called relative truth. This is scientifically truth, Professor Einstein's theory, relativity.

We think something very great or greatest according to our capacity of understanding. We are very teeny, so we think that this Pacific Ocean, the greatest. The frog philosophy. Everyone is thinking that his understanding is the greatest. He has no idea that how greatest God is. We say "God is great," but we do not know how great He is. This Pacific Ocean is an insignificant drop of water within this universe, this material universe. And this universe is also . . . just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that this universe is just like a, a small mustard seed in the bag of a mustard seed. If you take one bag of mustard seeds, you cannot count how many there are. Is it possible? If you take a bag of grains, is it possible to count how many grains are there?

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has compared this universe . . . one of His devotee, Vāsudeva Datta . . . that is the attitude of devotee. He requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have kindly come to deliver the fallen souls. Please fulfill Your mission. Take away all the souls, conditioned souls of the universe. Don't leave them, not a single. Please take them away. And if You think that they are not eligible, or some of them are not eligible, then please transfer their sinful reaction upon me. I shall go on suffering. But You take away all of them." Just see the attitude of a devotee. "You take them all."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to smile. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "Vāsudeva, do you think that if I take away all the conditioned souls of the universe, the whole universe if I take, do you think that it is finished, the business is finished? This universe is nothing but just like a mustard seed in a bag of mustard seed. So even if I take all the conditioned souls of this universe, there are so many universes, other. What about that?" This is discussed in the . . .

So, so our idea of greatest is very imperfect. We do not know how great is God. We simply say that, "God is great" and speculate like the frog philosopher, "He may be one inch greater than me. All right, ten inches greater than me. Or ten feet greater than. Ten miles greater than," like that. Similarly, if God is so great, then what service we can offer Him?

So this statement is very nice. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "My Lord Kṛṣṇa is nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ." If He's so great . . . suppose if you go to see a friend who is multimillionaire. Now, if you offer him, suppose, three apples or four bananas, or such like, so what is that in comparison to his wealth? That is nothing. But he's pleased still, "Ah, you are my friend. You have brought some fruits. That's nice." So Kṛṣṇa is . . . when we offer our service, He's very kind to accept. He says that patraṁ pus . . . only thing is devotion. That He accepts. Bhāva-grāhī janārdanaḥ (CB Adi-khaṇḍa 11.108). What is your feeling? How you are feeling for Kṛṣṇa?

Therefore, in the noontime I was saying that you should feel, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is seated down. Oh, no. He should not be. He cannot sit for long time. It must be finished." That feeling . . . Bhāva-grāhī janārdanaḥ. Kṛṣṇa accepts our feeling. Just like this little child, if she comes before me with some little fruit like this, that is nothing for me. But the feeling is nice, "Oh, you have brought this? Nice. Very good." So bhāva-grāhī janārdanaḥ: "Janārdana, Kṛṣṇa, He accepts the feeling."

So we have to purify our feelings. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "How I can serve?" And if we purify . . . purify means purification will be done by Him. We cannot purify. Purification will be done by Him. Simply we have to become purified feelings that, "I must serve Kṛṣṇa very nicely." Then He will give facilities, He will give you intelligence, He will give you everything. Because He is the source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). In the Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll see, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Sarvasya: not only human being, all living entities. Not only living entities, even in atom, within the atom, He is present there. Sarvasya.

Sarvasya means everything, the Supersoul. Sarvasya ca aham Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says: "I," hṛdi, "in the heart." When it is called hṛdi, that means living entity. Without living entity, there cannot be any heart. Without this body, no, there cannot be any heart. In the stone there cannot be any heart. Dead body. The heart is dead.

So sarvasya ca ahaṁ hṛdi. Hṛdi means "in the heart." Sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am situated. I am sitting there." And mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15).

Because He is sitting there, therefore all kinds of remembrance, smṛti, knowledge and forgetfulness. These things are functions of the mind. You remember something, you gather some knowledge, and sometimes you forget. "Let me think. Oh, yes. I forgot, yes." That's a function of the mind.

So that forgetfulness is also due to Kṛṣṇa, because He's sitting there. He's guiding. If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, He'll give you so opportunity of māyā that you can . . . you'll never remember Kṛṣṇa. You'll forget for good. And that is His kindness. "You want to forget Me? All right. I give you so much facility that you'll never be able to remember Me." Therefore the staunch atheist, however you argue with him, however you defeat him . . . matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā (SB 7.5.30).

They cannot. They will not. Because Kṛṣṇa is arranging within, "Forget. Don't accept it. Don't accept it." So this is going on. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15).

So for the nondevotees, He's giving facilities to forget. And for the devotees, who are sincerely seeking Kṛṣṇa's favor, Kṛṣṇa's service, He's giving memorization, "Yes, you do like this. Do like this." Why does He so? That is also explained, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11)

"As you want . . . if you want Me, to forget, I give you facility to forget. And if you want Me, to serve, I give you facility to serve." That is neutrality. That is God.

The rascal says: "Why God has made one devotee and another nondevotee?" No. Not God has made. You wanted to become nondevotee? He has made you nondevotee, "All right, you become rascal number one nondevotee." And if you want to be devotee? "All right, I'll make you first-class devotee." That is God. Whatever you want, you get facility. So this is very nice. Simply if we have actually understood our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and if we try to serve Him sincerely, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities. He'll give you intelligence.

Now, today . . . this decoration is so nice that . . . of course, such kind of decoration is made in India. But if some devotee comes from India he'll see, "Oh, it is very nice. How they have done?" How? It is possible, because Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is not for the Indians or for the Americans. He's for everyone. Anyone who desires to serve Him, He'll give him intelligence.

This is the philosophy. We have to become serious that, "Kṛṣṇa, give me intelligence so that I can serve You very nicely." Oh, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. And "Kṛṣṇa, give me facility so that I can forget You," "All right. You again forget." That is also stated in the Sixteenth . . . tan ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu (BG 16.19)

"Those who are envious, asuric, demons, I put them in such abominable life that they'll never be able to understand Me." That is the greatest punishment. For a living being, if he forgets God, Kṛṣṇa, in any condition of life, it is the greatest punishment. They're thinking that, "We are very happy without this nonsense God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

They are the most condemned. Most condemned. I think Lord Jesus Christ has said like this, "If anyone gains the whole world and forgets God and self, then what does he gain?" In the Bhāgavata also it is said, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ (SB 5.5.5).

Everyone is born fool. Just like this child. The child . . . everyone knows that a child is a fool. Everyone knows. So if the child commits some mistake, does some wrong thing, nobody takes care of him. "Child. He's a fool." Or animal. If the cat comes and immediately gots up on the throne, sit down, so we take it is our fault that we allowed the cat, but we don't take the cat as offender, because it is fool, animal. You see? But if you go and sit down there, then everyone will be: "Oh, you are so rascal that you are going to sit down there?"

So human being is so responsible. If he remains fool, then he loses the chance of life. He should not remain . . . why these books are here? This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta-Sūtra, and so many nice books there are. Why? Just to make us advanced in knowledge. So we should not try to remain in foolish condition. And if we try to become elevated, Kṛṣṇa will give us facilities. He is . . .

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says—we have already discussed about this—that it doesn't require any qualification. To pacify, to please, to satisfy the Lord, you don't require any pre-qualification: oh, you have to pass your examination in the university, or you have to become a rich man like Rockefeller or Ford, or you have to become this or that. No condition. Ahaituky apratihatā (SB 1.2.6).

If you want to love Kṛṣṇa, there is no check. There is no check. The road is open. Simply you have to become sincere. That's all. Then Kṛṣṇa will clear the way. And if there is no sincerity, then Kṛṣṇa's māyā is there. He'll always . . . she'll always put some stumbling block: "Not this, not this, not this."

So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided that "Although I am a child, I have no education, I have no studies of the Vedas, and born of atheistic father, lowborn, so all bad qualification . . . so God is worshiped by highest intellectual persons, offering Vedic hymns, and brahmins, highly cultured. So I have no such qualification. But still, all these demigods who are so highly elevated in their position, they have requested me. That means God can be pacified even by me. Otherwise how they recommend? So whatever qualification I have got, whatever intelligence I have got, I may offer Kṛṣṇa."

Therefore our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is like this, that whatever qualification you have got, that is sufficient. You begin with that qualification. You try to serve Kṛṣṇa with your qualification. Because real qualification—your feeling of service. That is real qualification. So you develop that feeling, not your external qualification—beauty, wealth, knowledge, this, that. No. These things have no value. They are valuable if they are employed in Kṛṣṇa's service. If you are very rich man, if you employ your wealth in Kṛṣṇa's service . . .

(aside) You cannot sit like that? Yes.

It is all right. But there is no need that you have to become very wealthy, then you can serve Kṛṣṇa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, nīco ajayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ pūyeta yena pumān anuvarṇitena (SB 7.9.12).

Now, one may question that Prahlāda is born of impure father. This is argument. Prahlāda is not impure, but it is an argument's sake, born of low father, or low family, or one, so many, so many things they may say. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that, "If I begin simply glorify the Lord, then I shall be purified."

If I chant the purification . . . this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the process of purification. Not that I'll have to purify otherwise and then take to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. You begin chanting. Then it is purified. You'll be purified. Begin chanting. In whatever condition you are, that doesn't matter.

Actually I began my this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—not that they came in a very purified condition. That we, every one of you, know, that those who came to me, they according, they have been trained from childhood . . . according to Indian standard, they do not know even the hygienic principle. What is the question of purification? You see? In India the system is from childhood, a child is trained to take bath, to wash teeth in the morning. Yes.

I remember, when my second son was about four years old, so before breakfast I used to ask him, "Show me your teeth." So he'll sh . . . "Yes." "All right, you have washed your teeth. That's all right. Then you are allowed to take breakfast." Yes. So this training there are. But here, in this country, the training . . . of course, there are somewhere, but not very strictly. So that doesn't matter. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Begin Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will come. Everything will come.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that (reading commentary) nīco 'jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ. Guṇa, these three qualitites . . . yasmād bhavān bhaktir utmāsmadaṁ nīco vigata gata-sankasyan mahimanam sajatrena samanu samsara anuvarṇayāmi ajānato 'pi stuti-karaṇe hetum āha. "Although I do not know . . ." Because the demigods have requested Prahlāda Mahārāja that "You try to pacify Narasiṁhadeva, Lord Narasiṁhadeva, Nṛsiṁhadeva."

So when you go to Kṛṣṇa, or any other form of Kṛṣṇa, God, we offer prayers. But "I do not know how to make prayer. I do not know how to write. I do not know how to glorify." So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that (reading commentary?) ajānato stuti-karaṇe, yenaiva mahimna anuvarṇitena avidyayā saṁsāra-anupraviṣṭaḥ pumān śuddhyet, tathā hi tan mahi anasya tataḥ ṣoḍakasya abavaditartha.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that if you begin this chanting, then automatically you'll be purified and you'll be able to offer prayers in purification. That system will automatically help you. So there is no question that you shall hesitate. There is no question of hesitate. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore recommended:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

Kalau. Kalau, in this age, you cannot find a man perfectly purified or this . . . anyway. That is not possible. Therefore you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and that will help you, the process of purification. Therefore this is the only system at the present moment that one can be purified completely simply by chanting. Completely. Complete purification means to be situated in pure spiritual life. That is complete purification. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ (Garuḍa Purāṇa).

Śuci means purified. The brahmin—not this caste brahmin, but actually those who are brahmin, qualified brahmin—they are called śuci, purified. Purified.

So this purification, how it is done? Now, yaḥ smaret, "One who remembers," puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ, "Kṛṣṇa, always," sa bāhya, means "externally," and abhyantaram, "internally," śuci, "purified." So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always, either loudly or silently or within yourself, mind, if you chant, so there is no question of impurification. It is . . . you remain always in, what is called, antiseptic stage, or prophylactic stage. Purification is there simply by remembering Kṛṣṇa. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ (Garuḍa Purāṇa).

There is another verse. The purport of that verse is that simply by pronouncing this transcendental vibration, one becomes so purified that immediately he becomes eligible to operate sacrificial, ritualistic ceremonies. Now, sacrificial, ritualistic ceremonies, in the Vedas, priestly, that is . . . that work is, I mean to say, allotted to the brahmin class.

Now Jīva Gosvāmī has discussed this verse in this way, that "Even a caṇḍāla, a person born in the family of dog-eaters, if he chants the holy name of the Lord, he becomes so purified that immediately he becomes eligible to operate sacrificial, ritualistic ceremony." So Jīva Gosvāmī has commented in this connection that a boy, a child born in the brahmin family, in order to accept him as real brahmin . . .

He's born in a pure family. That's all right. But there are other ceremonies, reformatory ceremonies, and this thread ceremony is also one of the ceremonies. So even taking birth in the brahmin family, he has to undergo the ceremonies to come to the stage of a pure brahmin.

But here, chanting of holy name is so powerful that he does not require even dependence on those ceremonies. Immediately he becomes. Unless a person . . . a boy is born in a brahmin family, but unless he's educated, unless he's purified, he cannot be allowed to perform the sacrificial rites. That means he's dependent on these other processes. So . . . but here a devotee who is chanting without any offense, he becomes immediately purified without depending on the other purificatory process. These things are discussed.

Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja begins his prayer, according to his capacity. So he first of all begins, brahmādayo vayam iva īśa na, na ca udvijantaḥ (SB 7.9.13).

He says: "My dear Lord, here all the demigods, headed by Brahma, they are very nice people. They are not disturbing elements like us. Because . . . I am born of the demon family." The demons are always disturbing. Their business is to nullify the existence of God. Therefore they're always disturbing. If there is a certain class of citizens, if they are simply after agitation that "This government is useless," that means they are disturbing.

There are so many parties, they make agitation, "Oh, this government is nothing. We require a new government." Therefore in your country the Communist movement has been statewise declared, "It is illegal." But in other countries the Communist group will always decrying, "Oh, this government is nonsense. This government nonsense."

As the Communist Party is always disturbing to the government, similarly the demons, the atheist class of men, they're always disturbing to God. How they can gain the benediction from God? They simply disturb Him. And there are different kinds of demons, different class of demons. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Duṣkṛtinaḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means . . . krti means very intelligent, and . . . what is that word, if a man does something wonderful? Genius? Genius? Yes. So the genius, duṣkṛtina, "Wrong genius." That means the materialistic persons, scientists, they're genius. They have discovered very wonderful machine, wonderful things. They are genius—but duṣkṛtina: not for the welfare of the human's society but for condemning the human society.

Just like the same example, as I have given several times, that . . . the person who has discovered this nuclear weapon, atomic bomb, he's certainly genius. He has got nice brain, that simply egg-like bomb, if you throw, immediately the whole island of Hawaii will be finished.

Just like you dropped your atomic bomb on the other side, Japan, Hiroshima . . . they attacked your Pearl Harbor, and the retaliation was atom bomb on Hiroshima. So these are politics. So this invention of atomic bomb, certainly it requires good brain. But Bhagavad-gītā says that this genius, or this brain, intelligence, has been used . . .

(aside) Stop that.

. . . has been wrongly used.

So the materialistic class of men are undoubtedly very, very intelligent, but their intelligence is being used wrongly. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtinaḥ mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍhāḥ means rascal, ass. So by their discoveries, by their materialistic activities, atheistic activities, they're simply disturbing. Simply disturbing. That's all. They do not know that, that "I am discovering these material things." If we discuss, we can prolong so many things.

Just like in India, when we were children, I saw one advertisement by the Remington typewriter machine company that, "This machine has given emancipation to the woman class, because they have found some job for typewriting." In this way they were advertising. But actually does it mean that because there are so many typewriting machine discovered, the women are emancipated? Rather, they have become dependent.

Instead of being dependent at home, they have to go and to become a secretary of a third-class person, and unless he gives job, his (her) life is in precarious condition. So is that emancipation? But it was advertised as emancipation. Similarly, whatever material advancement we are making in the name of facility, emancipation, we are simply bungling the whole affair, disturbing. They do not know that.

Life is so simple. Of course, it is not acceptable at the present situation. Therefore our only remedy is that whatever situation is there, you simply chant—everything will be adjusted. But this atheistic way of life, this materialistic way of life, is always disturbing. That you should know. Disturbing to whom? To the Supreme. Just the more they become materially advanced, they'll decry, "Oh, there is no God," "I am God," "We don't care for God. Why you are clamoring for God?" That is . . . their business is simply to decry God. Therefore they are . . .

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says: "My dear Lord, we belong to that class because we belong to the demon family, so . . . but these demigods, they are not like that." This is the first . . . brahmādaya vayam iva īśa na ca udvijantaḥ: "Just like us, we rascals, demons, we simply disturb You, they are not like this." Kṣemayā bhūtāya bhūtātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ. Sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmne, brahmādaya (SB 7.9.13).

The vidhi-karā. Vidhi-karā means these demigods are in charge of . . . just like Brahma. Brahmā is in charge of the creation. Viṣṇu, God Himself, has taken the charge of maintenance. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

I can employ any engineer to construct a nice building for my family, but that engineer cannot take charge of the maintenance of my family. Is it possible that if I ask any engineer that "You have now constructed a very nice house for my family. Also you take charge of maintaining"? "No, sir, I cannot do that." Immediately. "How can I take charge of your family? Now I have created. You have paid me. That's all."

So maintenance cannot be taken by anyone except by God. Therefore this material world is being operated in three departmental qualities: sattva, raja, tama. Sattva is maintenance. Sattva means goodness. Goodness is maintenance. And raja means activity. Without activity, there cannot be any creation in this material world. If you want to construct something, there must be activity. Raja means activity. And tama means darkness. So these, these qualities are working. These qualities are working.

Now, in your country, by the rajo-guṇa you have created so many things, a nice country, very nicely operating. But another side: the confusion is there, the hippies. You see? Future hope of the country is very dark. You see? It will spoil the whole thing if the country's not alive to the situation. This is another way of protest. Just like in Europe there are . . . in Russia there is Communist, so this is another way of . . . so these qualities will work because this material world—one side - goodness; another side - darkness, another side - activity. This is going on.

So as there are so many departments of activities, all these demigods, they are in charge of, director, director in chief. So brahmādayaḥ. Brahmā is in charge of something. Indra is in charge of something. The demigods, they're officers. They have no information. They say, "It is nature, nature, nature, nature." No nature. They are department. Department.

Indra is in charge of this cloud, how cloud is conducted, how rain falls there, and he's in charge of . . . water department, like that. Just like moon. Moon is in charge of lighting at night. Sun is in charge of lighting in daytime. Because it is darkness. The whole world is darkness.

So these demigods . . . similarly, Lord Śiva is in charge of destroying, tamo-guṇa. When there will be necessity of destroying this whole thing . . . because this world is like that. Everything that is created, that must be destroyed. Your body is created from the father and mother. Now it is being maintained. So creation and maintenance, and then the time will come, it will be destroyed.

So these three departments are there. So for creative department of this material world, Lord Brahma; for maintenance department, Lord Viṣṇu Himself; and for destruction, Lord Śiva. These are the guṇa avatāras, three, trinity. One is creating, one is maintaining . . .

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, brahmā, sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno (SB 7.9.13): "They are all Your servants. These demigods, they are appointed servants, and they are not disturbing like us. And Your incarnation is specially meant for them, specially meant . . ." Because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).

Actually He incarnates to protect these, I mean to say, faithful persons who are devoted to Kṛṣṇa. That is His main business. And vinā . . . and the sideways side, I mean to say, killing all these demonic per . . . just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he's demon, and Prahlāda is devotee. Lord Nṛsiṁha's appeared for two business: for killing Hiraṇyakaśipu and giving protection to Prahlāda.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Actually Your appearance, Your incarnation, is meant for these devotees, these demigods." Demigod means devotees. There are two classes of men in the world. One class is demigod. Who are demigods? Those who are Vaiṣṇavas, they are demigods. Demigod does not mean that something extraordinary.

Anyone who is Vaiṣṇava, devotee of the Supreme Lord, he is demigod. That is the statement of Vedic literature. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ.

Daiva. Daiva means devatā, demigod. Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ (Padma Purāṇa)

And those who are atheistic demons, they are just the opposite. They are never devotee.

So there are two classes of men in this world. Sometimes the number, or the proportion, may be greater, this side or that . . . but in this material world there is never . . . the proportion of the demigods, or Vaiṣṇavas, is never greater. They are very few, always. You cannot expect that the whole world, whole population of the world, will become Vaiṣṇava. That is not possible.

Mostly they are demons, atheistic. So Prahlāda Mahārāja first of all appeals to the Lord that, "My dear Lord, Nṛsiṁhadeva, Your appearance is for their protection. Now You have killed the demon, my father. Now Your business is finished. Now You become pacified, satisfied, because You have no other . . . no other cause for being angry."

Because Nṛsiṁhadeva was groaning in anger, and the demigods are afraid to approach Him, so Prahlāda Mahārāja first appeals to Him, "My dear Lord, there is no need of any more groaning. You become satisfied, because Your appearance is for the protection of these demigods. They are not disturbing to You." In this way he begins his prayer, very nice, simple, a child, although there is no question of Vedānta philosophy. The simple truth. The simple truth. But it is very nice. We shall go on.

So, he īśa amī udvijanto vibhrānta sarve brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrtes tava vidhi-karāḥ. "Another thing is, now, they are very peaceful by nature. But by Your this fierceful appearance, they have become, I mean to say, fearful. So because Your incarnation is for them, now You become pacified so that they may also become pacified." Brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrteḥ. Sattva-mūrte. They are . . . sattva-mūrte means devotees. "All, they are devotees," sakta-mūrte. Tava vidhi-karā niyoga-kartā: "And they are Your faithful servant. They are Your faithful servant. They are demigod. They are not disturbing." In this way . . . so to glorify the devotees of the Lord is more pleasing to the Lord. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjābhyadhikā.

If we . . . just like we say, nanda-nandana, ayi nanda-nandana. We don't say . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say directly, "O Kṛṣṇa." He says: "O the son of Nanda." Kṛṣṇa is very much pleased. Just like Nanda Mahārāja, he is supposed to be maintainer of Kṛṣṇa, so He takes pleasure when His devotee's name is there.

Just like we say: "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Rādhā's name is first. Why? Nobody can be better devotee than Rādhārāṇī. So as soon as Rādhā's name is there, Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. So that is the way. So if we glorify the devotees, the character of the devotees, before the Lord, He's more pleased than to glorify Himself, directly.

So "They are Your most obedient servant, and they are all devotees." Sattva, bhakta eva nanv eva bhayaṁ ca asuram eva vaidha-bhāvaḥ: "They are not just like enemies. We are Your enemies." He's taking always himself . . . this is another sign of devotee. He is not . . . he is more than the demigod. He has . . . he's so elevated, but still, he's personifying himself with the atheistic class, because he's born in that, from that father. That is humbleness. That is . . . he's not actually so.

Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, because he was born in a Muhammadan family, he would go . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu transferred Himself to Jagannātha Purī after taking sannyāsa. So he requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, You are going to Jagannātha Purī. What will be my fate?" "Oh, you also come there. You live with Me."

So Haridāsa Ṭhākura also went to Jagannātha Purī. But because he was born in a Muhammadan family, the priest class, they would make howling, "How this Muhammadan is entering?" So he never entered the temple. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him just an apartment where He was living, just by the side. And every morning Caitanya Mahāprabhu was coming to see him.

So . . . so it does not mean . . . if a humble devotee thinks that, "I am the lowest. I am untouchable," this way, that does not mean he is out of the touch of God. But this humbleness is very good, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, always identifying himself that, "I am the son of atheist father. So these demigods, they are not disturbing elements like us."

So, (reading commentary?) bhaktā kintu sadaiva tava ruciraiva avatāra-viśeṣaṁ kriyā kriyānām asya viśvasya kṣemadi na tu padanāya: "Now, due to Your fierceful attitude, the demigods and others, they have been . . . become afraid. But actually, Your incarnation is for their maintenance. Therefore You pacify Your anger, because You have appeared for them. If they are become fearful on account of Your appearance, then You should be pacified. Otherwise, they are very much perturbed."

Now Prahlāda Mahārāja will explain his attitude, whether he was afraid or not. These things will be explained very nicely in our next meeting.

Thank you very much.

(break) . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja. And Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā, asurānāṁ prahlādo 'smi: "Amongst the demons, I am Prahlāda." His grandson also, he became also great devotee, Bali, Bali Mahārāja. The Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja. He was also great devotee. And this Bali Mahārāja is the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja. They are demonic family. So amongst the demons, many devotees came out. So to become devotee does not depend on particular family, this or that. No. Anyone can become devotee.

Now she is feeling freedom, expressing freedom. Don't express. Then you'll be again put into . . . no more. Oh! (chuckles) All right.

Everyone wants freedom. Yes. Don't touch. Don't touch, please.

Any other question? Hmm. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32).

That is declared in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he can attain the highest perfection of life. It does not depend that what family, what heritage, what country, what nation, what color, what education. No. Nothing. Simply one has to become willing devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

(pause) Just like the . . . yesterday, they came? So they did not come. They're not willing to become devotee. They want to be God—by intoxication. You see?

This nonsense theory is killing so many persons. Artificial intoxication, forgetting his present ex . . . just like sleeping, one forgets, and he becomes a God. Oh, it is very dangerous theory. And this is going on. And as soon as one is said that "You become God's servant," "Oh, again servant?" But he's actually servant of intoxication.

That will continue. But as soon as he's requested that, "You become servant of Kṛṣṇa," "Oh, this is nonsense. They are old-type people." (chuckles) "We have invented something new, to become servant of sex and intoxication." And if somebody says: "Yes, it is all right. You go on with this. Simply meditate for fifteen minutes daily and you'll be . . . actually realize that you are God." This is asuric. This is asura. Asuras will never accept that there is separate . . . (break) (end)