710106 - Lecture SB 06.02.01-5 - Calcutta

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710106SB.CALCUTTA - January 06, 1971 - 34:28 Minutes

Devotee: (indistinct) . . . 1971, Calcutta. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . authorized is Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

(aside) You haven't got to sit there.

Devotee: (indistinct) . . . recording.

Prabhupāda:

evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā

yamadūtābhibhāṣitam

upadhāryātha tān rājan

pratyāhur naya-kovidāḥ

(SB 6.2.1)

So the speeches of the Yamadūta, assistants of Yamarāja, was thus finished, argument. The argument was that, "This man, Ajāmila, born of a Brahmin father, although acquired all qualification . . . he was qualified Brahmin, not simply born of a Brahmin father, but qualified Brahmin, with full knowledge of Vedic instruction, nice character, very gentle and silent, and offering respects to elderly persons, spiritual master, father.

In this way he was perfect Brahmin. But due to his contact with a prostitute he lost his all good qualification. And later on, he had to earn money by hook and crook, and thus he degraded more and more, and therefore his sinful activities are now responsible for his punishment, and we shall take him to the court of Yamarāja." That was the summary of the speech of the Yamadūta. Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam.

So after finishing that speech, the bhagavad-dūta . . . so there are bhagavad-dūta also, assistants, servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are two kinds of servants: the māyā's servant and Kṛṣṇa's servant. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Everyone is servant. Every living entity is a servant. As enunciated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109): "The real, constitutional position of the living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."

When he does not render service to Kṛṣṇa, under false prestige . . . just like somebody says: "The Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality." "Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality. They want to be servant." So the rascals do not know that, "What you have gained by master mentality?" You are simply servant of your senses. But they criticize that Vaiṣṇava is a slave man.

Everyone is slave. Somebody is slave of the senses, and somebody is slave of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (CC Madhya 22.16, (Brs 3.2.35). The slaves of the senses, they are following the dictation of the senses, and abominable activities they are doing. Just like Ajāmila. He was a Brahmin. He was a slave of Nārāyaṇa, a slave of Kṛṣṇa, Brahmin Vaiṣṇava. Brahmin means . . . a Brahmin, qualified Brahmin, means he is a Vaiṣṇava. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ paśyanti sadā sūrayaḥ (Ṛg Veda 1.22.20). Sura. Brahmins' another name is sura.

So those who are suras, those who are demigods, they are Vaiṣṇava. They are always ready to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

But by false prestige, when one tries to become master . . . kṛṣṇa-bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). A master is supposed to be the supreme enjoyer of the establishment. But actually, nobody is the enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. So when we forget this relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then he becomes servant of the senses, or māyā. So by becoming servant of the senses he follows the dictation of the master senses and goes down to the darkest region of illusion and becomes subjected to the punishment of Yamarāja. This is the substance.

So intelligent persons . . . that we find, the statements of a Brahmin, that he says: "My dear Lord, I was so long servant of my senses, and I followed their dictation even though it was very, very abominable." Sometimes our conscience bids, "Don't do this," but due to our lust and greediness we do something which is abominable. Kṛṣṇa is there within our heart. He also gives sometimes dictation, "Don't do it"—still, we do.

So kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. If the master says something, "You do it," if it is good, that's all right. But if it is bad, even though I have to do because I have accepted the servitude, oh, that is very abominable. That is śūdras. According to Vedic principle, the śūdras . . . Śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. The śūdras are meant for obeying the orders of the master. So sometimes it happens, the master says: "You do this, you do that," which is not very good—the servant has to act.

So the intelligent Brahmin says: "My dear Lord, I have served the senses in so many ways, even though abominable. But I find still they are not satisfied, and neither the senses are very kind to me. Because I have served so faithfully, still they are dictating and I am doing." This is my position. So now I have got good sense, that if I am destined to serve, then why not Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I serve the senses? If my position is to serve . . ."

(aside) Don't do that.

"If my position is to serve, and by serving the senses I am going to the darkest regions of darkness, oh, why shall I serve the senses?"

So bhagavad-dūta. The bhagavad-dūta means they are in right constitutional position. So you all become bhagavad-dūta—bhagavad-dūta, messenger of God. That is perfection of life. Otherwise you shall be obliged to become the servant of the senses. Go-dāsa and gosvāmī. The bhagavad-dūtas are gosvāmī, and the servants of the senses are go-dāsa. Unfortunately, the go-dāsas are claiming to be gosvāmīs. That is the cause of falldown of Indian Vedic civilization. One has to become gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means refuse to follow the dictation of the senses. Simply he has to follow the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

That dictation comes through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa dictated Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you follow Arjuna, then you in directly contact with Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. The dictation comes through disciplic succession. Now Kṛṣṇa is teaching to His disciple, Arjuna. Arjuna accepted, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7): "Just now I become Your disciple." Śiṣya means one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a spiritual master. He is called śiṣya.

Nobody wants to follow the dictation of others—that is another independent nature of living entity—but when one voluntarily agrees to serve the dictation of the spiritual master . . . means to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa . . . ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Kṛṣṇa says, "Ācārya is Myself." Nāvamanyeta karhicit: "Never disobey." Na martya-buddhyāsūyeta: "And do not think him as ordinary person and become envious of his position." Then there is falldown. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na martya-buddhyāsūyeta (SB 11.17.27).

So this dictation of Kṛṣṇa comes through the disciplic succession, and if we follow the instruction of ācārya, or spiritual master, then we are directly following the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and thus I become a bhagavad-dūta. No more I am the dūta or the follower of the dictation of my senses. And one who is bhagavad-dūta, he is called gosvāmī, just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Those life is dedicated to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, they are gosvāmī.

Gosvāmī is not a caste title, just like it has become in India. Gosvāmī . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī was minister. He was rejected by the Brahmin society, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him gosvāmī. He is the original gosvāmī. Why? Because he gave up the dictation of Nawab Shah but he followed the dictation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore he became gosvāmī, prabhupāda. He became prabhupāda. Prabhupāda means the title, or the respect, which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called . . . prabhu means master, and pāda means maryādā, or the respect, or the distinction.

So bhagavad-dūta, those who are strictly following the dictation of Kṛṣṇa under strict disciplinary chain of disciplic succession, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative, and he should be given all the respect. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ (Śrī Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka 7). That is the verdict of all śāstras. And those who are actually Vaiṣṇava, they follow this instruction.

evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā

yamadūtābhibhāṣitam

upadhāryātha tān rājan

pratyāhur naya-kovidāḥ

(SB 6.2.1)

Naya-kovidāḥ. Naya-kovidāḥ means nyāya-nipuṇa. Bhagavad-dūtas, those who are gosvāmīs, they place everything with nyāya, or logic. Their instructions are not blind, dogmatic. Naya-kovidāḥ. Everything what is said by Kṛṣṇa or His representative, they are not dogmas. Those who are not representative of Kṛṣṇa, they will say simply dogmas. Just like in every religion there is a dogma. But in bhāgavata religion, bhāgavata-dharma, there is no dogma.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's bhāgavata-dharma, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta's author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says therefore that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra (CC Adi 8.1). Vicāra means you just try to understand the gift of Lord Caitanya by logic, vicāra. Don't follow blindly.

Following blindly something, that is not good. That will not stay. But one should take everything with logic. But the servants of God, they put everything in logic. Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. If you study the Caitanya's philosophy with logic and argument . . . don't go by sentiment.

The so-called missionary, they're simply bogus propaganda, without any logic. Without any logic. Just like some missionary people are propagating a man to become God. How a man can become God? There must be evidences how God incarnates. Not that somebody by worshiping a demigod becomes God. So many false propaganda is going on. That is not logical at all.

So one should be intelligent to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa or philosophy of Lord Caitanya with logic and argument. Don't follow blindly. But once you accept, you cannot argue. You have to accept blindly. But before accepting, you take to logic. But when you accept, then don't go back. Then that is falldown. Naya-kovidāḥ. Viṣṇudūtā ūcuḥ.

aho kaṣṭaṁ dharma-dṛśām

adharmaḥ spṛśate sabhām

yatrādaṇḍyeṣv apāpeṣu

daṇḍo yair dhriyate vṛthā

(SB 6.2.2)

Now, he is regretting that, "If the court is contaminated . . ." Court, everyone goes to the court to receive justice. But if the court is itself polluted, then how people will live? That has become the practice in the Kali-yuga. Anardhyena nyāya-rahitam. In Kali-yuga, if you have no money, then you will not be able to get justice. Anardhyena nyāya-rahitam. As soon as you go to the court, immediately you'll have to appoint a pleader and pay him at least seventy-five rupees and then stamp duty, this and that, so many things—then bribe. Then bribe. You give bribe to this man, you give bribe to that man.

Suppose you actually want some money from somebody. He has taken money, he is not paying, or something else. So you have to push good money after bad money. So money which is due from others—he is not paying—that has become a bad money. Good money means which is in your hand. That is good money. And if you are simply speculating that, "I shall get this money from that person. I shall get this money from . . ." that is bad money.

So there is an English proverb—perhaps you know, all—"To push good money after bad money." So therefore sometimes intelligent persons, they do not go to the court because he knows that money which is not being paid . . . before entering into agreement you should be very clever so that your money may not be bad money which you are advancing. But if somehow or other it has become bad money, don't try to put good money. Let that bad money go to hell.

So better nowadays not to go to the court as far as possible. But you should deal with people in such a way . . . just like I was advising you, just find out a respectable transporter, because the time is very bad. Otherwise it will become a bad money. You go for cheap things, that, "He will carry my goods free," but he will throw it away—somebody will take away. Then your whole profit is gone. You should be very careful. And if you have to go to court, then it is still more bad. You see?

So we have to be very careful. The age is very bad, the Kali-yuga. You are experiencing. We have to simply take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and always cry:

kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, he!

kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, he!

kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, rakṣa mām!

kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, pāhi mām!

kṛṣṇa, keśava, kṛṣṇa, keśava, kṛṣṇa, keśava, rakṣa mām!

rāma rāghava, rāma rāghava, rāma rāghava, pāhi mām!

Like that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us. The time is very dangerous. And still, in this dangerous time . . . just like in epidemic condition where every people is being contaminated and dying, still, the doctors appointed by the government, they have to go into the epidemic area and try to treat the person and save them. Our duty is like that. The whole atmosphere is epidemic, whole atmosphere, this Kali-yuga. And still, by the superior orders we have to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Therefore our only shelter is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa, rakṣa mām. Very dangerous position. The foolish people, they are thinking that "We are very happy and we are very safe." But nobody is safe. Nobody is safe. So we have to deal with persons very carefully, and at the same time, we have to push our missionary activities.

Aho kaṣṭaṁ dharma-dṛśām. So they are saying, dharma-dṛśāṁ sabhām, sabhā, sabhām adharmaḥ spṛśate: "If in the court of justice these false things are bribing and without money nobody can get justice, these things happen, it becomes very troublesome."

aho kaṣṭaṁ dharma-dṛśām

adharmaḥ spṛśate sabhām

yatrādaṇḍyeṣv apāpeṣu

daṇḍo yair dhriyate vṛthā

(SB 6.2.2)

Sabhāṁ yatra sabhāyam, vaidharma dhigbhiḥ esam tan saba. "If the people who are administering justice, they become irreligious, impious, oh, how troublesome situation!" This is the first acclamation. Then he says:

prajānāṁ pitaro ye ca

śāstāraḥ sādhavaḥ samāḥ

yadi syāt teṣu vaiṣamyaṁ

kaṁ yānti śaraṇaṁ prajāḥ

(SB 6.2.3)

"The citizens, they are just like innocent children, and the government is to be supposed as the father. So small children, they are completely dependent on father with full faith: 'My father is there. My mother is there.' And if the father and mother become contaminated, then where is the position of the children?" If the whole government is polluted, then what is the position of the citizens? Just see. There is so-called government, millions of rupees they are spending and taking salary, government house, but the prajā, they have no security for their life income. Just see the position.

So that is said here: prajānāṁ pitaro ye ca śāstāraḥ sādhavaḥ samāḥ. How impartial they should be, how competent they should be to give protection to the citizens. And if they are polluted, if they are incapable and such government is there, then it is just like . . . yadi syāt teṣu vaiṣamyaṁ kaṁ yānti śaraṇaṁ prajāḥ. Then what is the condition of the citizens? Where they will go for protection?

That is the position now. This is called Kali-yuga. They have no other shelter. Now, these people are so uncertain of their life and property; still, they cannot go to the . . . but it will happen in this age. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam (SB 12.2.9). Due to this rascal government, people will be so much embarrassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇāḥ: they will be separated from their wife, children and money, and they will go to the forest. This will happen. They will go to the forest. Nobody wants to leave the company of wife, children and property, but people will be forced.

Just like we have seen already in the time of partition, the Muslims and Hindus. The Hindus were going away, and the Muslims were also going away. Nobody was happy, but the partition was made, and this was accepted as India's independence. This is called māyā. They are going to be more dependent, more and more, and still, it was accepted as independence.

yad yad ācarati śreyān

itaras tat tad īhate

sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute

lokas tad anuvartate

(SB 6.2.4)

If the head . . . the heads of the society, whatever they do, general people follow them. Yad yad ācarati śreyān. Śreyān means the leading personality. Yad yad ācarati śreyān itaras tat tad īhate. And the general public, they follow them. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute. What the leaders accept as good, the general public, they also accept. So, sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate.

Pitaraḥ. Pitṛ iva pālakaḥ. Now, here the government or the king is compared with the father. That is the position of father. Just like a father will never tolerate the killing of his child before him. He will give his own life. He will try to attack that person who has killed his child and give his own life, "I do not like to live." That is the position of government. But they are silent. They're silent. This is Kali-yuga. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate.

yasyāṅke śira ādhāya

lokaḥ svapiti nirvṛtaḥ

svayaṁ dharmam adharmaṁ vā

na hi veda yathā paśuḥ

(SB 6.2.5)

Just like if you put your head on some friend's lap and you sleep very nicely without any care, without any care, but the man on whose lap you are putting your head, if he is ungrateful—he is not faithful; he wants to cut your throat—then what is your position? This is going on.

So it is very nice discussion, very well, by the bhagavad-dūtas. These are the speeches of the bhagavad-dūta, not of the māyā's dūta. Māyā-dūta will say: "Oh, this is all right. This is all right." But this is the speech of the bhagavad-dūta. Try to understand.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(break)

Revatīnandana: . . . the forest in Kali-yuga

Prabhupāda: Just to take shelter to save their life—because one's own life is first consideration. "Self-preservation is the first law of nature." So when there is danger, people will give up their wife and property and go. Just like people are going. Yes. This will happen. In European countries also, when there was war, so many refugees.

I have got one . . . I have heard. One Mr. McPherson, Englishman, he was known to me. He was coming to my shop. He stated that in the First World War, he was in the war, service, and some Belgium refugees came to France because Marshall Foch, he was in charge of that area. And when he was informed that so many refugees, mostly women and children, they have come, so he became so much disturbed that, "Where shall I give them shelter in this war field?" His advice was that, "Blow them. Finish." So they were blown up. This is a practical . . . in war field such things happen. "Who is going to take responsibility of so many women and children in this war?" They were blown up. They came to take shelter, but they were blown up. Such things happen in war. Yes.

Just like in your country the real policy—to continue the Vietnam—means they cannot manage these hippies, and they are trying to send them to Vietnam and kill them. That's all. That is the policy. They cannot manage. They cannot make them sane and normal condition. They have no such policy, neither they do know it. So what to do? "Blow him. We cannot manage them."

Therefore they are continuing. That's all. This is the policy. Do you think? Eh? What do you think? This is my suggestion. "Unwanted persons, let them be finished." Just like this Marshall Foch did. "Unwanted refugees? Blow them." And killing and blowing, oh, this is very easy thing for the animal-eaters, for the maintainers of slaughterhouse.

I hear that these Naxalites are taken to slaughterhouse to learn how to kill. Do you know that? Somebody was telling. Yes. Your husband was telling. So these Naxalites, they are taken to the slaughterhouse, and they are taught how to kill. Therefore they do not care. Immediately beating by rocks, and as soon as he falls down . . .

Just like slaughterhouse. They are taught. And the military men, they are also taught like that, to become cruel. A very horrible position in this Kali-yuga. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa-nāma koro bhāi āra saba mithyā. You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa; otherwise so many things will happen. So stop it. (end)