720625 - Lecture SB 02.04.02 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720625SB-LOS ANGELES - June 25, 1972 - 45:31 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (leads prema-dhvani) Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances)

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Page 170, text number 2. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

ātma-jāyā-sutāgāra-

paśu-draviṇa-bandhuṣu

rājye cāvikale nityaṁ

virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau

(SB 2.4.2)

Prabhupāda: So the purport of the last śloka was done? Yesterday?

Pradyumna: Uh, part of it.

Prabhupāda: The balance, first of all read.

Pradyumna: On page 170: "To become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, two things are very much essential, namely having a chance of being born in the family of a devotee and having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master. By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Parīkṣit Mahārāja had both opportunities."

"He was born in a family of devotees like the Pāṇḍavas, and just to continue the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was specifically saved by the Lord, just to show special favor to the Pāṇḍavas. And later on, by the arrangement of the Lord, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed by the boy of a brāhmin and was able to get the association of a spiritual master like Śukadeva Gosvāmī."

"In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that a fortunate person, by the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Kṛṣṇa, achieves the path of devotional service. This was perfectly applicable in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. By way of being born in the family of devotees, he automatically came in touch with Kṛṣṇa, and after being so contacted he constantly remembered Him."

"Consequently, Lord Kṛṣṇa gave the King a further chance for development in devotional service by introducing him to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a stalwart devotee of the Lord with perfect knowledge in self-realization. And by hearing from a bona fide spiritual master, he was perfectly able to concentrate his chaste mind further upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, as a matter of course."

Prabhupāda: So superficially, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, king, the emperor of the world, he was cursed to death. A brahmin boy cursed him that, "You will die within seven days." And as a result of this, he left his home, his kingdom, and here, next verse, it is said ātma-jāyā. Jāyā means his one wife. He was young man.

Suta, children; āgāra, āgāra means residence, house. Ātma-jāyā-sutāgāra. Paśu, animals. He was king, so he had many animals: horses, elephants, cows, bulls. These are household animals, domestic animals. And draviṇa. Draviṇa means wealth, riches. And bandhu, bandhuṣu, friendship.

So our . . . these are our material assets: wife, children, nice house, nice bank balance, and some paśus, animals. Here, of course, you keep only one animal, dog, "the best friend." But in India they keep many animals. Those who are rich, they keep elephants, horses, bulls, cows. Dogs are also there, but dogs are not so important there. Asses also. These are domestic . . . and cats also. These are domestic animals. These animals, they like to live with human being. They do not go to the forest.

So superficially, Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . . upadhārya matiṁ kṛṣṇe (SB 2.4.1). For becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious . . . mati. Mati means consciousness; kṛṣṇe, in Kṛṣṇa. Practically he was bereft of everything. Just try to understand. He was cursed to death, and because he was preparing for next life, so he had to leave everything.

And so . . . what people will think? "Oh, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to lose all, everything? His kingdom, his everything?" Therefore people are afraid to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, we shall be lost of everything. Even up to life." This is the example of Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . . (reads purport) "To become a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, two things are very much essential, namely having a chance of being born in the family of a devotee and having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja had both blessings. He, from the very childhood, from the womb of his mother, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious.

And he had the opportunity of taking birth in a family where every member was Kṛṣṇa conscious, especially his grandfather Arjuna. So that chance was there. From the very beginning of his life, he was given the chance of worshiping Kṛṣṇa Deity.

Not only that; he was king. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭa means one who falls down from the path of spiritual advancement. For them, the facility is that they are given another chance to take birth in the human society. Not only in human society; śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, in very rich family and very pure family. Śucīnām means pure, brahmins.

So in India still, if one is born in a very nice, rich and pure family, he is considered to be very pious in his past life. That's a fact. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). These four things: janma, high grade birth; aiśvarya, riches; janmaiśvarya . . . śruta, education; and śrī, means beauty. These four things are obtained by pious activities in one's past life. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja had all these assets. That means in his previous life he was also a great devotee.

So now, in this life, he's bereft of everything. After executing spiritual life so strenuously, life after life, in this life we see that he's bereft of his kingdom, he's going to die within seven days, and he had to leave his beautiful wife, children, home, kingdom, his animals. Everything we keep, there is affection. It is not that animals are meant for killing. They are also treated like children.

(aside) Don't move your leg like that.

So anything you associate, you get affection. That's a fact. Therefore here it is stated, rājye cāvikale nityaṁ virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau (SB 2.4.2). And his kingdom was very safe kingdom. It was not that there was disturbance in his kingdom, somebody has attacked, so he was bereft . . . no.

Cāvikale, without any disturbance. Very nice kingdom. So what people will think? That, "To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means to lose everything, up to life? Does it mean?" Sometimes, superficially, they take it like that, but actually that is not the fact.

There is another story, in which one saintly person came in an assembly. So he blessed . . . a saintly person, they, everyone expects some blessings. So there was a king's son. So he blessed him, rāja-putra rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva: "My dear king's son, you live forever."

And there was another's son, he was muni's son, saintly person's son, and he blessed him, muni-putra muni-putra mā jīva: "You muni-putra, son of a saintly person, you don't live; you die." Rāja-putra rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva: "The king's son, you live forever," and muni-putra, ma jīva, "You don't live." Muni-putra muni-putra mā jīva.

And there was a hunter also, and there was a saintly person also. The saintly person, he blessed, mā jīva, er, jīva vā māra vā: "Either you die or live, it is all the same." And there was a hunter, he blessed him, mā jīva mā māra: "Don't die, don't live." This is very instructive. "Don't die, don't live." One was blessed that, "You don't die," the rāja-putra, "Don't die." And the muni-putra, he was blessed, "You die." And the saintly person was blessed, "Either you die or you live." And the hunter was blessed, "You don't live, don't die." So this was a puzzle.

So the king, he invited his ministers that, "What is the meaning of this?" The ministers were very intelligent, so he explained that, "Your son has been blessed, ciraṁ jīva." Because your son is so licentious that as soon as he dies he is going to hell, so therefore he has blessed, 'You better live forever; otherwise you are going to hell. (laughter) Your life is so sinful that next life is hellish. So better you live forever.' "

Then, the next, muni-putra. Muni-putra means . . . just like our disciples. They have to undergo austerities, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, so many no's. But similarly, muni-putra, he is also execute all these functions, and there is no comfortable life. A muni-putra lives in a cottage. There is no good bedstead, and eating simple fruits and flowers.

So from materialistic point of view, this is a miserable condition of life. So he was blessed that, "You have sufficiently undergone austerities. Now your next life is in Vaikuṇṭha. So better you die and go to Vaikuṇṭha. Why you should suffer any more?" So therefore he was blessed that muni-putra muni-putra mā jīva. And the saintly person, he was blessed by the word jīva vā māra vā: "Either you die or live, the same thing." Because a saintly person is engaged in the service of the Lord, so his life is so blissful. So either he lives or when he dies, he goes back to home, back to Godhead, he'll do the same business. So there is no difference.

Just like you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. You are getting the same service, eternally. This is a professional period only.

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaun . . .

(BG 4.9)

Kṛṣṇa says, anyone who can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is, then after leaving this body he comes to home, back to home, back to Godhead. Mām eva. So saintly persons, their life is so pure that in this living condition, they are in Vaikuṇṭha, and after leaving this body, they are going to Vaikuṇṭha. So jīva vā māra vā. Both ways they are benefited.

And the hunter was said, mā jīva mā māra: "You don't live, don't die." What is that? "Now you are hunter, butcher. So nasty life you are living. It was better death. Better for you to death, die. But if you die, then you go to hell. Therefore don't die, don't live." So . . .

(aside) Don't close your eyes.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's . . . this was blessing. Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . . don't think that Parīkṣit Mahārāja lost everything. Because he has understood Kṛṣṇa, so according to the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, it is fact that he is going back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . .

What is the value of this kingdom, of the wealth of this material world? They are temporary. Even if you have got very good kingdom, very nice wife, very nice society, very . . . how long? And if there is any mistake, next life you can get something else.

But so Parīkṣit Mahārāja's life . . . because he's born devotee. From the childhood, he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Now, when he was cursed, it was blessings for him and for all others, because, because he was cursed, there was necessity of the recitation of this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And after hearing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . . . śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣit (Brs. 1.2.265).

Parīkṣit Mahārāja, simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam he got salvation. So this superficial awkward position, that he lost his life, lost his kingdom, he had to leave his wife and children and everything, don't take in that, "By Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he became bereft of all assets." No. He was going to be rewarded very highly: going back to home, back to Godhead.

So another instruction is, in this connection, that one should be ready. If one is serious to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then one should be ready to give up all sorts of material enjoyment. That is the fact. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious for your material improvement . . . you can get it.

Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. But that is not the desirable thing. To become Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to make our materialistic way of life nil. That is the . . . that is the purpose. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). If you want from Kṛṣṇa that, "Give me material happiness . . ." As you have studied:

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramam puruṣa

(SB 2.3.10)

Either you are materially desirous, anxious to get so many things, karmī . . . akāma means devotee. Sarva-kāma means karmī. Karmī, they are simply wanting, "Give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that." So many things. There is no end of their demands. That is called karmīs.

And jñānīs means they also want. They want salvation, to merge into the impersonal Brahma effulgence of the Lord. And yogī, they also want some mystic power. So karmī, jñānī, yogī—everyone wants something. But a devotee does not want anything. That is devotion. They know, "What shall I do with all these things?" They have no attraction for anything material.

These are all material. Some, a better position, and some in lower position. That's all. Karmīs are entangled in this materialistic way of life, and the jñānīs, they are also more or less entangled. Because they have no idea what is God, they think God is impersonal. God is impersonal—there is no God. So if they have no idea of God, how to go back to kingdom of God? So they are also materialistic. Negation of material. Negation. Because they are very much frustrated.

Just like in your country, the hippies. The hippies means negation of a positive materialistic life. That's all. Negation. They are simply denying that, "I . . . we don't want the way of life as our father and grandfathers are going on." That's a negation. But there is no positive gain. So negation is no good. You must have some positive gain. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is negation of the materialistic way of life and regain the blissful, eternal life of spiritual understanding.

So simply negation is no gain. With something if you are disgusted, "I don't want it," but . . . just like sometimes a man commits suicide, "I don't want this life." So what is the gain? And that is ignorance. He does not know that committing suicide . . . he's eternal. He's eternal. Living entity is eternal. He thinks that "By killing this body, I am free from this bodily miserable condition of life." No. He's immediately . . . either he has to accept a next abominable body or he'll have to become a ghost, one who commits suicide.

Ghost means no material gross life, but the mental . . . material subtle life is there. A ghost is carried by the subtle body: mind, intelligence and false ego. And one who gets a body, gross body . . . upon this mind, intelligence and ego, one develops a gross body of five elements: earth, water, air, fire. This is the two kinds of body, a condition. And when he's actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's transcendental to this gross and subtle body. He attains a spiritual body, which is never to be finished—eternal, blissful life.

So sometimes, when Kṛṣṇa, He's especially kind to a person who thinks that, "By . . . I shall execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness; at the same time, I shall enjoy this material life." This is foolishness. This is foolishness. If you want Kṛṣṇa—go to home, back to home, back to Godhead—then you have to finish your material desires. Because Kṛṣṇa is so kind that even if you have a pinch of material desire to enjoy in this material world, He will give you a chance, "All right, you do it." That means we become entangled.

Therefore, those who are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should try to become free from all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). Jñāna means knowledge. Or the jñānīs, they also want to be become one with the Supreme. And karma . . . karma means karmīs, those who want to enjoy.

So one should be uncovered, not covered by this jñāna, by karma or by any material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply favorably serving Kṛṣṇa. Favorably, not unfavorably. Consciousness favorably.

Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was simply planning how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That kind of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not good. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so any way one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he gets the benefit, at least, of liberation. Just like Kaṁsa was liberated. Although he was unfavorably Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was also thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but unfavorably. So that is not bhakti. We must think of Kṛṣṇa favorably. And that is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably. Bhaktir uttamā, that is pure bhakti.

So a person who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa haphazardly, namely that, "By executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I'll be materially happy," he can be materially happy, because, as Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ (SB 2.3.10): his desires will be fulfilled.

Just like Dhruva Mahārāja: he went to worship Kṛṣṇa in the forest with material desires that, "I may get the kingdom of my father or better kingdom." That was his determination. So he got it. But when he got it . . . by executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he was intelligent. He was very sorry that, "What I have asked? This material happiness I have asked . . ."

So when he actually saw Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, he was offered, "Now you take benediction as you desire." He was very sorry. He said: "My Lord, I have no other desire now. I have finished all my desire." Anyābhi . . . svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42): "I don't want any this, any kind of benediction. I have got You. I have more necessity of any benediction."

But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gave him both that, "Dhruva, you desired for some material prosperity, a kingdom. So I have created one kingdom, Dhruvaloka, for you, which is so many times bigger than your father's kingdom. So you will . . . that is especially for you. That is Vaikuṇṭha. You will go there. But you wanted your father's kingdom. So you take your father's kingdom also."

So he enjoyed his father's kingdom for 35,000's of years. In those days, a man used to live for 100,000's of years, Satya-yuga. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that whatever desires you have got within, He'll give you all facilities. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ (SB 2.3.10). But intelligent person, they will not ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. Just like a dependent child, he's fully dependent on the father.

So father knows how to raise him to be perfect man. He knows what is his necessities. Similarly, we have to give up to the care of Kṛṣṇa, without any condition. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life.

So sometimes Kṛṣṇa favors a devotee when he is in doubts, "Whether this or that? This or that?" So sometimes He takes away the sources of his material opulence and gives him shelter under His own lotus feet.

So you can read the word meaning?

Pradyumna: (leads chanting of synonyms)

ātma—body; jāyā—wife; suta—son; āgāra—palace; paśu—horses and elephants; draviṇa—treasury house; bandhuṣu—unto friends and relatives; rājye—in the kingdom; ca—also; avikale—without being disturbed; nityam—constant; virūḍhām—deep-rooted; mamatām—affinity; jahau—gave up.

Translation: "Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as a result of his wholehearted attraction for Lord Kṛṣṇa, was able to give up all deep-rooted affection for his personal body, wife, children, palace, animals, horses and elephants, treasury house, friends and relatives, and his undisputed kingdom."

Prabhupāda: So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Upadhārya matiṁ kṛṣṇe (SB 2.4.1). So it is a great sacrifice. It is not like that, dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa. No. It is above. People are generally become religious to get some material benefit, dharma artha. And as soon as he gets material benefit, he enjoys his senses, kāma. Dharma artha kāma. And when he fails to satisfy his senses, then he wants to become one with the Supreme. That's mokṣa.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is above these four principles, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Adi 1.90). Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Therefore one can give up, immediately. Just like sometimes Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name India is called Bhārata-varṣa, he also gave up.

He gave up his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years: young wife, young, nice children, big, whole empire. And it is said that he gave up everything just like one gives up his stool, evacuates, immediately goes away. So he gave up. So this is actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we become completely free from any material possession. Any material possession.

It is very difficult, but just see, here Parīkṣit Mahārāja, due to his association with his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he understood. He, according to his instruction, he gave his mind and everything to Kṛṣṇa, and he gave up the idea of enjoying his wife, children, palace, kingdom or animals, and so many things.

So it is little difficult also. But by Kṛṣṇa's grace, if we continue regularly these Kṛṣṇa consciousness rules and regulation, then automatically we shall be disinterested. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). These are not to be artificially attained.

You cannot give up your wife, children, kingdom, artificially. Artificially if you give up, then you will again fall down. Artificially I give up my wife, and then I seek another's wife—this is nonsense. This is nonsense. This is falldown. When you are actually mature, then you give up.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, was mature. From the very childhood, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. So when he was cursed by a brahmin, he took it as an opportunity, "Now give up everything. Let me go back to home, back to Godhead." This is the philosophy.

Thank you.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)