710130 - Lecture SB 06.02.46 - Allahabad

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710130SB-PRAYAGA - January 30, 1971 - 38:44 Minutes

Devotee: . . . Kṛṣṇa. Prabhupāda's morning lecture on the 30th of January 1971, Māgha-melā.

(kīrtana) (break)

Prabhupāda: (sings Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka; devotees sing responsively)

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

("I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.")

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

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

("When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?")

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-

na yat punaḥ karmasu sajjate mano

rajas-tamobhyāṁ kalilaṁ tato 'nyathā

( SB 6.2.46)

So we have been discussing the advantage of chanting the holy name. This is recommended for all the ages, but especially for this ages. It is not that something new has been advented. Just like for this particular Kali-yuga, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which was written, recorded, five thousand years ago, and this incident of Ajāmila's deliverance, it took place long, long ago before writing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is a historical reference.

So tens of thousand years ago, the same recommendation was there, but it is more advantageous in this age. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's introduction. No ācārya will introduce something new of his own concoction. Then he is not ācārya. Always remember: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). One has to receive knowledge, Vedic knowledge, through the disciple chain, and it is the business of the ācārya which one is suitable for the particular time, age, circumstances. That is ācārya.

Just like we are chanting about the Gosvāmīs. Five hundred years ago these Gosvāmīs left their opulent position as ministers, as zamindars—they were very highly posted. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. All of them either were very, very rich man or very, very great scholar, learned scholar. They are not ordinary men. So they left their home, Rūpa, Sanātana, Raghunāth dāsa Gosvāmī.

Raghunāth dāsa Gosvāmī, he was the only child of his father and uncle, and at that time their income not less than one lakh of rupees per month. One lakh of rupees of that day—it is fifty lakhs now, you can understand from the exchange value. So he was such rich man, and he was only child. The whole property was for him. And he was married, with a very, very beautiful wife. He left everything for preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult.

Similarly Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was highly exalted minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, both the brothers. Practically the whole kingdom was entrusted to them. The Nawab was very happy by entrusting the administration to these Gosvāmīs because they were so expert administrator. So when Sanātana Gosvāmī expressed his desire to resign the post, the Nawab was very, very much disturbed. You know this story. So out of his anger he arrested him, that "You may not go away."

So these Gosvāmīs, although very . . . occupied very exalted positions, they were living in Vṛndāvana as a very, very poor mendicant. They will not live underneath a tree more than one night, because one may develop some attachment after living two or three nights. There is a process for the sannyāsīs. A sannyāsī cannot live in a place more than three days. That is injunction.

So it is very difficult nowadays to follow exactly all the rules and regulation. But His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda, because he is an ācārya, he introduced that a sannyāsī can live in a palatial building. It may appear that he introduced something against the principles of the Gosvāmīs, because our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, they are rūpānuga-viruddhāpa siddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe (Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Praṇati).

We pray for our spiritual master, rūpā anuga viruddhā—anything which is against the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpānuga-viruddhā. Viruddhā means "against the principles of"; āpasiddhānta, "such kind of conclusion." His Divine Grace was very much against such principle.

But one may say that the Rūpa Gosvāmī lived underneath a tree only for one night. Both the brothers also would not live together. Sanātana Gosvāmī would live somewhere, Rūpa Gosvāmī would live somewhere. They were following. Sometimes Rūpa Gosvāmī will invite his elder brother. In this way they are living in Vṛndāvana. But does it mean that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami, instead of living under the tree overnight, he was living in Calcutta in a palatial building—so does it mean that he broke the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī? No.

That is ācārya. The ācārya has to make convenient means how people can get the principle. If Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami would not have introduced these principles, nobody would come to the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī. In these days, nobody is prepared to go to Vṛndāvana and live underneath a tree overnight. That is very, very difficult task.

So ācārya's business is to see how people will take it. First business is that. That is recommendation by Rūpa Gosvāmī: yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet (Brs. 1.2.4). Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends according to circumstances you find out means how people will take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarve vidhi-niveṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ (Brs. 1.2.4).

This vidhi-niveṣedha, the restriction, the rules and regulation, might be introduced later on, which may serve as servant. Not that if you simply stick to the rules and regulation and forget the real business. That is called niyamāgraha. We have to find out what is the suitable means to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī is worshiped: vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau (Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka). Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. They adopted such means. We have to follow the principle, how we can attract people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. That is the business of ācārya. Not that to follow a stereotype rules and regulation and forget the real business of preaching the cult.

He's not ācārya. Ācārya is he who adopts means by which people may be attracted to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So the ācārya . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu as ācārya introduced these all principles for the convenience of this age, and that is also recommended.

So our business is, as you have already adopted, that we should chant according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendations that kīrtaniya sadā hariḥ ( CC Adi 17.31). Kīrtaniya sadā hariḥ: twenty-four hours we have to chant this holy names of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. The idea is, as I've already told you, the one chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is sufficient to dismantle the structure of your sinful life immediately. If it is purely chanted, one is sufficient.

But as we know, that we are not so powerful that after dismantling the structure of our sinful life we are not prone to fall down again. We are prone to fall down again. Therefore, kīrtaniya sadā hariḥ. We should chant always, always chant. Deliberately we should not commit any sinful activities. That is our business. But unconsciously, due to our past habits, if we do something, that may be excused. But not deliberately.

Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-kaṇḍha 25.16). That is the greatest offense, if anyone commits sinful activity on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Because he knows—it is a fact also; it is not only knowing, it is a fact—by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you become free from the effective result of sinful life. But if you commit again, and again chant, this is not very good business. Just like in the Christian church they go, confess, and again commit. This is not good business. You confess your sinful life, excuse, but don't commit it again. That should be the principle.

So if we follow, if we stay strictly on this principle, then, as it is recommended here that:

na yat punaḥ karmasu sajjate mano

rajas-tamobhyāṁ kalilaṁ tato 'nyathā

(SB 6.2.46)

So if you keep yourself always antiseptic by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then the mind will not be attracted to the qualities of ignorance and passion and you will safely make progress in your spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

ya etaṁ paramaṁ guhyam

itihāsam aghāpaham

śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā yukto

yaś ca bhaktyānukīrtayet

( SB 6.2.47)

Now the speaker of this Ajāmila, history of Ajāmila, it is stated here clearly that guhyam itihāsam. Itihāsa. It is not story; it is historical fact. The . . . some so-called gentlemen, they say these are all mythological.

(aside) What exactly means mythological? It is imagination, or what? What does it mean, mythological?

Woman devotee: It is coming from the imagination. Imagined.

Prabhupāda: Yes

Devotee: Mythology, it means shrouded in mystery.

Prabhupāda: They are not fact.

Devotee: Knowledge as accepted as not fact. Stories . . .

Prabhupāda: Stories.

Devotee: . . . fables.

Prabhupāda: But here it is not stated anything as mythological, because they cannot adjust things. So suppose sometimes it is said: "The snake began to talk." Yes, a snake talks. It is not a story or mythological. The tree also talks—every living entity. If you have got symptoms of living being, other symptoms, why should you deny others? Simply you have to understand.

Kṛṣṇa is known as, therefore, out of His sixty-four qualities, His one quality is bahudak. That is explained in our Nectar of Devotion, you will see. That means He could talk with any living entity. Why not? If He is the father of every living entity, why He is not able to understand the language of every living entity? That is natural. Is it not a fact that a father understands the language of his son? Naturally, if Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities, it is natural for Him to understand all the languages of birds, bees, trees, man—everyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another quality is bahudak.

This was proved when Kṛṣṇa was present. One day Kṛṣṇa was answering to the speaking of a bird, and one old lady, she came to take water from the Yamuna, and when she saw that Kṛṣṇa was talking with a bird, she became amazed, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so nice."

So that is possible. It is not that the snake has no language. So it is not allegory; it is a fact. But one has to understand that language. That's all. Everyone can speak. Every living entity can speak. They have got their own language. Even in human society, just like you do not understand Hindi language—does it mean that Indians have no language? (laughs) This conclusion is a most foolish conclusion. Everyone can speak; simply one has to know the art how to understand other's language. That's all.

ya etaṁ paramaṁ guhyam

itihāsam aghāpaham

śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā yukto

yaś ca bhaktyānukīrtayet

(SB 6.2.47)

Now, these stories or itihāsa—is not story—the history of Ajāmila . . . Sukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that anyone who discusses these incident of historical fact, which is not only very nice to hear, but aghāpaham . . . agha means sin. Apaham. Apaham means counteractive or dismissive, vanquished. If you hear these stories, or the itihāsa, the history of Ajāmila's activities, if you hear it with a . . . simply by hearing Ajāmila's incident you become free from the contamination of sinful life. Simply by hearing. It is so nice. Unless there is some spiritual effect, no historical fact is inserted within Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So here it is said, ya etaṁ paramaṁ guhyam. Paramaṁ guhyam: it is very confidential. Just like Kṛṣṇa also declared, when He wanted to impress upon Arjuna the most confidential fact of His teaching:

ya imaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ

mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati

(BG 18.68)

A similar thing. Paramaṁ guhyaṁ is most confidential, that this teaching of Lord Kṛṣṇa, that "You give up all religion, all occupation," sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "Simply surrender unto Me." It is possible . . . it is not possible to take this advantage by everyone. It is practical. If I would have said that, "You give up Christian religion and you take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness" in the first, you would have immediately left the meeting. So it is very confidential; it is not to be opened immediately. When gradually one comes to confidence, then it will be clear. Therefore it is called.

So those who are not devotees, those who have no taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness or any attachment for chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and be convinced, for them the Ajāmila sto . . . the Ajāmila incident will appear as mythology or something like that. But it is most confidential. It is to be understood by a devotee who knows the value of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore it is guarded. It is called paramaṁ guhyam.

ya etaṁ paramaṁ guhyam

itihāsam aghāpaham

śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā

( SB 6.2.47)

Chraddhayā means one who hears with śraddhā, with faith. Chraddhayā yuktoyaś ca bhaktyānukīrtayet. There are two . . . (indistinct) . . . required to discuss anything: one is hearing, and one is speaking. Kirtaye, kīrtanam. Speaking also kīrtana. Don't think that kīrtana means simply with mṛdaṅga and karatālas when you chant, that is kīrtana. No.

When I speak, when you speak about Kṛṣṇa, kīrtana must be with reference to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is kīrtana. Either you speak or chant. When you lecture on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is also kīrtana. And when you chant and dance with reference to the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is also kīrtana. Don't mistake that this is not kīrtana and that is also kīrtana. No.

When you go, preach, talk, put your arguments, logic, to the opposing elements, and you are sometimes forced backward, sometimes you are defeated. Sometimes in arguments it happens. Srila Viśvanāth Cakravārtī Ṭhākura has commented that a devotee, when he goes to preach and he is attacked by the opposing elements, that is also culture of bhakti, devotional service. Not that when you go to preach, don't think that, "I am wasting my time. Better to sit down in a place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." These are all nonsense. You have to preach, face the opposing elements. That is better than chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is my Guru Mahārāja's policy.

mana! tumi kisera vaiṣṇava?

pratiṣṭhāra tarenirjanera ghare,

tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava

(Duṣṭa-Mana 1)

It is simply cheating the public, "Why I am engaged in chanting?" If you have got some important business, you have to do first. Your only business is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa through His representative. That is your only. So kīrtanam, anything speaking about Kṛṣṇa:

sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane

( SB 9.4.18)

Your speaking, vibration of the tongue, should always be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is kīrtana. Either you preach, either you talk with opposing elements, or you chant—everything is kīrtana. Anu kīrtana. Anu means following the spiritual master. Or anu means "always." Here it is said anu kīrtana. Bhakta . . . and with bhakti . . . this is also another. Bhakti—not that, "I have become a very nice speaker. I can speak, I can defeat." Don't become proud like that. Whatever I am doing, it is in the service of the Lord, for the service of the Lord.

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was fighting. That fighting was not his pride, that he thought himself that, "I am a great fighter." He was simply executing the order of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight, so he was fighting. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa wants you to preach, so you preach and meet all opposing elements. But don't think that you have become a very good preacher or speaker. No. You have to do all this businesses anu, by following the footsteps of your spiritual master or predecessor. Like that. Anu kīrtana.

Similarly, śṛṇuyāc. Bhāgavata should be heard from the recognized bhāgavata. Grantha-bhāgavata means this book Bhāgavata, it is to be heard from the person bhāgavata, realized soul. Not from a professional man. Just like it has become a custom, a professional man comes in a village and he finishes Bhāgavata in seven days. Now we are speaking Bhāgavata for seven generation, and still it is not understood. And Bhāgavata will be finished in seven days? It is a karma-kāṇḍa-vicāra. Of course, by such function one gets some result of piety. That is fact. But that is not understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

And especially one should not hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a professional man whose business is to recite Bhāgavata and take some money for his family expenses. No.

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ

pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam

śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ

sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā

(Padma Purāṇa)

That is the injunction given by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that one who is not a pure devotee, Vaiṣṇava, you should not hear his kīrtana. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari means this Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead. His katha, His description, it is amṛta, it is nectarean. And still, it should not be heard from a professional or unscrupulous man who is not a Vaiṣṇava. Why? It is amṛta; it may be brought by anyone. The example is sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā. Milk is amṛta, known to everyone. But when it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is spoiled. That principle you should follow.

na vai sa narakaṁ yāti

nekṣito yama-kiṅkaraiḥ

yady apy amaṅgalo martyo

viṣṇu-loke mahīyate

( SB 6.2.48)

So by hearing this history of Ajāmila incident, sa vai sa . . . na vai sa narakaṁ yāti nekṣito yama-kiṅkaraiḥ. He never goes to hell, neither he's seen by the servants of Yama. Yama kiṅkara. Means . . . means, just like you can understand very easily, if you are not acting criminally, against the laws of the law, no policeman will watch over you. Policeman may be there, but policeman watches there as soon as you are criminal.

Similarly, yama kinkara, the policemen, the constables engaged by Yamarāja, they are meant for the sinful men, not for the devotees. That is explained further. They do not come to the devotee. So if you remain factually a devotee of Kṛṣṇa throughout your whole life, there is no chance of your seeing the Yamadūtas. They will not come. Neither you are meant for going to the hellish condition of life.

Kṛṣṇa also says that even if you have fallen down, you will be given chance to take birth in a good family of a brāhmaṇa or in a rich family of vaiśyas. Śrīla Bhaktivinode Ṭhākura has explained these two words . . . what is that? That a person, yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Śucīnāṁśrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41).

Śucīnām. Śuci means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means he is always clean, internally and externally. Bahyābhyantaraṁśuciḥ. You know this mantra—it is enunciated during initiation—bahyābhyantaraḥśuciḥśrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu (Garuḍa Purāṇa). Anyone who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, chanting of Viṣṇu's name, Hari's name, or anyone who is particularly Vaiṣṇava, he is śuciḥ.

Brāhmaṇa is supposed to be engaged always in the service of Viṣṇu. Still in old families a brāhmaṇa, there is śālagrāma-śilā; the whole family is engaged. Those who have continued that process and keeping themselves always clean, they are really brāhmaṇa, śucīnāṁ.

And a sannyāsī is recommended to beg from the house of a brāhmaṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to do that, because a brāhmaṇa is always śuci; they are not unclean. But they . . . provided . . . otherwise it is not that one is born of a brāhmaṇa father but does not follow the rules and regulations—he is not a brāhmaṇa. He is called brahma-bandhu. He is called brahma-bandhu.

So here it is said, na vai sa narakaṁ yāti. So a devotee is never sinful, even if he has fallen down. Somehow or other, because māyā is very strong, he is not very mature and maybe attract . . . just like Ajāmila did. He was the son of a brāhmaṇa; he become attracted with a prostitute and fell down.

But again, he rose up simply by chanting. So simply if you keep yourself always chanting, there is no fear of falling down, neither you are eligible to go to the hellish condition of life, neither these constables of Yamarāja will come and see you. This is a part of the conclusion; we shall discuss it.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)