700109 - Lecture SB 06.01.15 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1970

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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700109SB-LOS ANGELES - January 09, 1970 - 29:17 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

kecit kevalayā bhaktyā

vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ

aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena

nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ

(SB 6.1.15)

This verse we have been discussing last week, that in spite of going through the process of austerities and other methods—controlling the senses, controlling the mind, by renunciation; so many formulas we have discussed to elevate oneself, they are required—if we do not try to elevate ourselves, if we try to keep ourselves with the animal propensities, then we remain like animal. Just like if you are admitted in some educational institution, the school, if you don't take advantage of the education, you remain yourself where you are admitted in the same point, then you don't take advantage of the institution, you remain a foolish, or illiterate or ignorant.

Similarly, in this human form of life, if you do not take advantage of the knowledge left by the great sages or by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then it is exactly like that you enter into educational life, you don't take advantage of it, and you become failed in the ultimate examination. Exactly like that. Human life is meant for being promoted to a higher stage of life, and the ultimate higher stage of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. You can do that. Even if you do not go back to home, back to Godhead, you can elevate yourself to the higher planetary system, where the standard of life is far better, thousand, thousand times better.

Or if you are intelligent enough, then you don't care for any higher standard of life within this material world, but you finish this material existence and you enter into the kingdom of God and live eternally (with) Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. Either of these things you can do. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Learn Bhagavad-gītā very careful; everything is there.

The Lord says, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Those who want higher standard of life like the demigods, more beautiful body, long duration of life . . . according to demigods' calculation our six months is equal to one day of the demigods. Similarly the hundred years. But their hundred years and our hundred years, different. Their hundred years means, just calculate, if their one day is our six months, then their 30 days means—six into 30: 180 months. Their one month means our 180 months. Similarly one year, and such 10,000's of years they live. So a very long duration of life. This is in the Svargaloka. The moon planet is also one of the Svargalokas.

So if you want, that if you think that, "I am living here utmost hundred year. Oh, I shall get ten millions of years," that you can have. Yānti deva-vratā devān(BG 9.25). You practice according to that, so that after leaving this body you are promoted to that higher planetary system. Not by this Sputnik, this is not possible. You cannot enter. You have to qualify yourself. Just like you have qualified yourself, at the present moment, from the insignificant aquatics, animal life, then fish life, plant life, this gradual process of evolution. You have come to this human standard of life. Similarly, you can elevate yourself to further, further higher standard of life. That is called yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25).

Similarly, you can elevate yourself to the Pitṛloka, bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni. Or if you like this ordinary life you can remain here, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "And those who are engaged in My devotional service, they come to Me." So the best process is, intelligent process, that why shall I bother again to go even to the higher planetary system? Maybe millions of years of age I can live there, but after all, there is death. But I do not want death, because I am eternal. Death is an artificial imposition upon me, on account of my desire to enjoy this material world, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). I am changing. So the intelligent process is therefore elevation: this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the most intelligent process for elevating yourself.

Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says kecit. This devotional service is not attractive for third-class, fourth-class men. It is meant for the super first-class men. The first-class men within this material world are considered to be persons who are in goodness, or brahmins—not by birth, but by qualities. Those who have acquired the qualities of brahmin—truthfulness, cleanliness, satya, śaucam, sama-dama, tapasya—austerity; titikṣā—tolerance; ārjavaḥ—simplicity; jñānaṁ—full of knowledge; vijñānam—practical application of knowledge; āstikyaṁ—faithful. In the scripture, in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, these are brahminical qualities. They are considered to be first-class men.

So to acquire the qualification of a brahmin is very nice. That is first class within this material world. But a Vaiṣṇava automatically gains that qualification. That you can practically understand how you are elevating superb brahminical stage of life, Vaiṣṇava. So the intelligent man will take up this process. Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that instead of going through smaller advantages, take the highest advantage, kevalayā, kevalayā bhaktyā.

The kevalayā bhaktyā we have discussed: unalloyed devotion, without any motive. Not that I'm going to charge for temple to worship Kṛṣṇa with a motive. No. That is not kevalayā bhaktyā. Kevalayā means without any motive, without any desire for material sense gratification. So the most intelligent class men takes to this process, kevalayā bhaktyā, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā. And that kevalayā, how it is understood? That this man has taken only pure, unalloyed devotion.

That is also clearly stated, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ: they do not know anything else except Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa.

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

That mahātmā, who does not know except Kṛṣṇa. He knows everything, but he does not care for anything. He only cares for Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, how Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. That is . . . the perfect example of this Kṛṣṇa conscious life is the gopīs. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended the gopī-bhāva, the ecstasy of the gopīs.

In the prayer of six Gosvāmīs it is stated, gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī (Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 4). The six Gosvāmīs, they were very big men, big guns, ministers, landholders. They were not ordinary men. Rūpa Gosvāmī you have heard many times, they were ministers of the government of Bengal, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the son of two richest zamindar of Bengal. His father and his uncle were very rich men, landholder, landlord. And he was the only son of the father and the uncle. He was to inherit the whole property. And because since he met Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, he was not very much attached to family life, so his father and uncle understood that "This boy is becoming detached gradually; he has no attachment for this property."

So they were thinking that, "This boy will be the heir apparent, and if he is so much reluctant, then who will look after this business, landhold property?" That is the general anxiety of worldly men, "Who will look after my estate?" "Ah, why don't you distribute the estate to Kṛṣṇa?" Now that they will not do. The state is actually belongs to Kṛṣṇa, but they are very much anxious how to hand it over to their heirs. Sannimitte varaṁ tyāga (Cāṇakya Paṇḍita). They do not know (laughs) that this state will be finished some day or one day.

There are so many empires finished—the British Empire finished, the Mogul Empire finished—and what is your state? A few thousand dollars or a few million dollars? That will also finish, either in your presence or in your absence. Why don't you take advantage of the state and distribute it for Kṛṣṇa? That intelligence they haven't got.

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that everything is transient; nothing will stay in this material world. Jagat. Jagat means gacchati, it is going on just like the waves of the river. So whatever you have got, sannimitte varaṁ tyāga, if you can sacrifice whatever you have got in possession for Kṛṣṇa, sat, oṁ tat sat . . .sat means the supreme. Vināśe niyate sati (Cāṇakya-śloka 36): by nature's law it will be finished. You cannot protect it. So . . . but people, they do not understand this.

But this Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was also very rich man's son. At that time his father's income was twelve lakhs of rupees, five hundred years ago. So twelve lakhs of rupees means . . . money value has gone down by hundred times. Because money's value is what you can get in exchange. If you get in exchange of one dollar, say, a few pounds of valuable things, that is money value. And if it reduces, if you get only one pound instead of getting twenty pounds, that means money value has reduced. So similarly, at the present moment money value is reducing. So that twelve lakhs of rupees five hundred years ago is at the present moment hundred times, twelve hundred lakhs of rupees. So he was so rich man, he left everything, he joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Therefore in this prayer it is stated that tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ (Śrī Sad gosvāmy aṣṭaka 4). These Gosvāmīns, they gave up the association, aristocratic association, because they were ministers, landlords, so very aristocratic. So their friends' circle, social circle was very elevated aristocratic family. Especially it is stated, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala means leaders, just like you have got some popular leader. So they were ministers, they were leader of the leaders, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Lots of. Śreṇīṁ means lots of.

Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha-vat means thinking these things are no significance, no value. Otherwise one cannot give up unless they thought it that these ministers, ministerial post, is insignificant, it has no value. How they can give up? That is understanding. They understood it, and then they joined Caitanya's movement.

So you boys who have joined this movement, sacrificing everything, so you are following the rūpānuga, the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī; therefore we say rūpānuga. Anuga means following. Following. So they gave up, these Gosvāmīns, tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā. Why they did give up their exalted position? Now, being compassionate with these poor fellows, of worldly men. This is the heart of saintly person. They feel that "These rascals are working day and night without any aim of life, so let us do something for them." That is their mission.

Personally, these boys and girls or anyone who is engaged in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they have no motive to utilize it for some sense gratification. But the only motive is how to spread this movement for the benefit of these rascals. The rascals are working hard day and night, and they do not know what is the aim of life.

So:

tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat

bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau

(Śrī Sad gosvāmy aṣṭaka 4)

They are very rich men but when they gave up everything, so they are after the dress of a mendicant, kaupīna-kanthā. Kaupīna, this loincloth, just to cover the body, not for luxuries. Just like you American boys, you can . . . you could have dressed yourself very nicely with coat, pant, but you are satisfied with this cloth, simple cloth. You have been famous by "saffron-cloth men."

(aside) What is that? Like that?

So why you have done? To spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You are not poor men's son. Your country is rich; you could enjoy very nicely material life.

So your example will be followed if you go for world tour and show them that for Lord Caitanya you have given everything. These foolish persons will understand. They are after industrialism, especially in our India. They have given up their own culture, condemned, condemned the old Vedic culture. They are trying to be imitating Americans, technology. So . . . but these Gosvāmīns, they give up voluntarily for Caitanya's movement. Not in sentiment. They understand it. So,

tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat

bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau

(Śrī Sad gosvāmy aṣṭaka 4)

Now if a rich man adopts the standard of life of a poor man artificially, he will degrade. He will degrade. Just like in your countries, the hippies, artificially accepting this poor condition of life will be harmful. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhiḥ (BG 6.17). Don't adopt artificially a life of renunciation. That will not stay; that will degraded. That will degrade.

So how these persons, these six Gosvāmīns, were so rich and gave up everything and adopted the life of a mendicant, very simple life, kaupīna-kanthāśritau, a simple loincloth? So it would have been artificial, then they would have degraded. But no, they were elevated. How they were elevated? That is, gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī: they were aiming their life to the standard of the gopīs' devotion.

What is that gopīs' devotion? This kevalayā. They did not know except Kṛṣṇa. They could sacrifice everything—their honor, prestige and everything for Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommended that there are many processes for self-realization. That is all right. But, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā (Caitanya-manjusa): there is no wonderful process of worship than what was conceived by the gopīs—simply to love Kṛṣṇa.

So these Gosvāmīns remain alike even after giving up their opulent position, material condition of life. How? They took up the ideal life of the gopīs. The gopīs . . . the gopīs could sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa, and actually they did so. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was a sannyāsī, and He was very strict about woman. As a sannyāsī one should be very strict. That is sannyāsa. So He recommends the gopīs' process of worship. This is to be studied.

But in the transcendental world there is no such thing, a distinction of woman, because everyone is engaged in Krsna's service, so there is no question of sense gratification. These things are stated in the Bhāgavata. In the Vaikuṇṭha world the women are very, very beautiful. Their bodily features are very, very attractive. They are living in . . . just like they are representation of the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī.

And there are devotees, male devotees also, just like Nārāyaṇa. But they are so much absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in chanting and glorifying the Lord, that they do not have any sex impulse. These things are described. They forget. That means in this material world we are attracted by sex life because it is considered the best enjoyment within this material world, and there they neglect it, because they have got a still better engagement.

That is the nature: if you get better engagement, you give up nonsense engagement. Raso 'py asya, raso-varjaṁ (BG 2.59), that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. People are trying to be renouncer by artificial means: by yogic mystic process or practice of austerities, to get rid out of the attach of the senses.

But a devotee, being engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, they have got the power, potency of sex enjoyment, but they do not like it. Raso 'py asya, raso-varjaṁ. It is not that they are impotent, but they hate it, "Eh, what is this engagement, enjoyment? Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is better engagement." That realization. (end)