720628 - Lecture SB 02.04.03-4 and Initiation - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720628SB-LOS ANGELES - June 28, 1972 - 31:22 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (prema-dvani) Thank you very much.

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

Prabhupāda: Where is Pradyumna? Om namo bhagavate . . .

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

Prabhupāda: So, we read this verse, 3 and 4, again.

Pradyumna:

papraccha cemam evārthaṁ

yan māṁ pṛcchatha sattamāḥ

kṛṣṇānubhāva-śravaṇe

śraddadhāno mahā-manāḥ

saṁsthāṁ vijñāya sannyasya

karma trai-vargikaṁ ca yat

vāsudeve bhagavati

ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ

(SB 2.4.3-4)

Prabhupāda: You have read the purport yesterday?

Pradyumna: Ah, no.

Prabhupāda: So read the purport.

Pradyumna: "The three activities of religion, economic development and sense gratification are generally attractive for conditioned souls struggling for existence in the material world. Such regulated activities prescribed in the Vedas are called the karma-kāṇḍīya conception of life, and householders are generally recommended to follow the rules just to enjoy material prosperity both in this life and in the next."

"Most people are attracted by such activities. Even in the activities of their modern godless civilization, people are more concerned with economic development and sense gratification, without any religious sentiments. As a great emperor of the world, Mahārāja Parīkṣit had to observe such regulations of the Vedic karma-kāṇḍīya section, but by the slight association with Śukadeva Gosvāmī he could perfectly understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead (Vāsudeva), for whom he had a natural love since his birth, is everything, and thus he fixed his mind firmly upon Him, renouncing all modes of Vedic karma-kāṇḍīya activities."

"This perfectional stage is attained by a jñānī after many, many births. The jñānīs, or the empiric philosophers endeavoring for liberation, are thousands of times better than the fruitive workers, and out of hundreds of thousands of such jñānīs one is liberated factually. And out of hundreds of thousands of such liberated persons, even one person is rarely found who can firmly fix his mind unto the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as it is declared by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā" (BG 7.19).

"Mahārāja Parīkṣit is specially qualified with the word mahā-manāḥ, which puts him on an equal level with the mahātmās described in the Bhagavad-gītā. In the later age also there were many mahātmās of this type, and they also gave up all karma-kāṇḍīya conceptions of life, solely and wholly depending on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa."

"Lord Caitanya, who is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, taught us in His Śikṣāṣṭaka (8):

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām

adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ"

Prabhupāda: So let them chant, āśliṣya.

Pradyumna: (chants Śikṣāṣṭaka word by word) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

Prabhupāda: That's all. What is the meaning?

Pradyumna: "Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the lover of many devotees (women), may embrace this fully surrendered maidservant or may trample me with His feet, or He may render me brokenhearted by not being present before me for a long duration of time. Still He is nothing less than the Absolute Lord of my heart."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. All right, let them begin our . . . this function. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

(japa) (break)

Jayatīrtha: So, I think we can chant now . . .

Prabhupāda: No.

Jayatīrtha: . . . the maṅgalācaraṇa . . .

Prabhupāda: That's alright.

Jayatīrtha: . . . mantras. These mantras . . .

Prabhupāda: Wait.

Devotee: Do you want to give the names now?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: Maggie? Nāndī-mukhī, Nāndī-mukhī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Nāndī-mukhī.

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hm. What are the rules?

Maggie: No meat, fish or egg eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. And how many rounds?

Maggie: Sixteen rounds.

Prabhupāda: Yes, minimum. You are Nāndī-mukhī. Nāndī-mukhī.

Jayatīrtha: Jayate.

Prabhupāda: Who is? (japa)

Śyāmasundara: Dennis? Dvārakānātha dāsa.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Dennis: No eating of meat, fish or eggs, no intoxicants, no illicit sex and no gambling or speculation.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. How many rounds you will chant?

Dennis: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Minimum. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take. Dvārakā . . .

Śyāmasundara: Dvārakānātha.

Prabhupāda: Dvārakānātha.

Devotees: Jaya, haribol.

Śyāmasundara: Barbara? Bhavatāriṇī.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Barbara: No eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: And how many rounds?

Barbara: At least sixteen.

Prabhupāda: So your name Bhavatāriṇī. Not in the, right . . .

Śyāmasundara: Right hand.

Prabhupāda: Right hand.

Śyāmasundara: With your right hand.

Bhavatāriṇī: My right?

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Karen? Kṛṣṇa-priyā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. What are the rules?

Karen: No illicit sex, no gambling, no eating of meat, fish or eggs and no intoxicants.

Prabhupāda: So, Kṛṣṇa-priyā.

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Jim? Yaśodā-dulal.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. What are the rules?

Jim: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: So your name, Yaśodā-dulal, darling of Mother Yaśodā (laughter.) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Kay? Keśava-priyā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Come on. What is . . . what are the rules?

Kay: No taking of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Śyāmasundara: Keśava . . . Keśava-priyā.

Prabhupāda: Keśava-priyā. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. Come on.

Chant little Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa! (bell rings as curtain opens)

Prabhupāda: Ah. Thank you. Ah, thank you. Very good. Begin.

(kīrtana) (Prabhupāda plays gong) (prema-dhvani) Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa (end)