720714 - Lecture SB 01.01.04 - London

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720714SB-LONDON - July 14, 1972 - 45:07 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Go on.

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

naimiṣe 'nimiṣa-kṣetre

ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ

satraṁ svargāya lokāya

sahasra-samam āsata

(SB 1.1.4)

Prabhupāda: That's all. Purport.

Pradyumna: "The prelude of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken in the previous three ślokas. Now the main topic of this great literature is being presented. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, after its first recitation by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was repeated for the second time at Naimiṣāraṇya.”

"In the Vāyavīya Tantra, it is said that Brahmā, the engineer of this particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the universe. The hub of this great wheel was fixed at a particular place, known as Naimiṣāraṇya. Similarly, there is another reference to the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya in the Varāha Purāṇa, where it is stated that by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed. Thus brāhmins prefer Naimiṣāraṇya for such sacrificial performances."

Prabhupāda: So the Vedic literatures, one cannot say that it is concocted—one reference is there, one reference is another Purāṇa. Sometimes there are some rascal philosophers, they say that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has been compiled by . . . for, I mean to say, eulogizing Kṛṣṇa, who was the son of a leader. Like that. But you cannot do that, because the reference is there, very old Purāṇas. Some rascal philosopher says Bhāgavata was compiled recently. So how it is the reference should be in the Purāṇas?

So this rascaldom has spoiled the whole Vedic culture, the so-called westernized scholars, because the real purpose was that the rulers, they did not want to present Indian culture as very old, because then their Darwin's theory will be spoiled. That was their nonsense proposition, that they are proposing that human brain is being developed, but if they accept that millions of years ago the brain was already there, then their rascal theory of Darwin will be spoiled.

So actual fact is this, that this verse . . . Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled five thousand years ago. Not that Vyāsadeva manufactured something. All Vedic literature were existing. Vyāsadeva only . . . just like I am presenting. I am presenting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not it is manufactured by me, it is concocted by me, that I have introduced. Just like so many things are there, these samāj, that samāj, this samāj.

We are not like that. As Kṛṣṇa is old, so this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also old. It is as old as Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says that, "Forty millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun god." So where is the history? Where does your history stand? Your history cannot give chronological table more than three thousand years.

So Vedic culture is very old, it is not a concocted thing or a new pattern. It is eternal; therefore it is called sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. It has no beginning, no end. Sanātana. So Vedic culture means sanātana, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal; we living entities, we are eternal; and our relationship and exchange of loving service with Kṛṣṇa is also eternal.

Kṛṣṇa is eternal, we are eternal, and our dealings with Kṛṣṇa is also eternal, but sometimes it becomes interrupted by this māyā, which is called svapna. Svapna means dream life. As dream has no fact—it is all hallucination—similarly, our detachment from Kṛṣṇa is also an hallucination. Actually there is no detachment. And when we are covered by this hallucination, just like in dream we cry, "Oh, here is a tiger! Here is a tiger!" "Tiger? Where is tiger?" Similarly, this forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is like that.

So if we simply follow the rules and regulation given by the great ācāryas, then immediately we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't take even a second. The method, just like you are dreaming, crying, "There is tiger! Tiger!" And if somebody pushes you, "Why are you doing that?" and if you immediately become aware: "Where . . ." all tiger, finished. All tiger, finished. So one has to give this push that there is no tiger, then immediately the whole hallucination is gone.

So this pushing method is given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, personally, Kṛṣṇa personally. Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole. Gauracānda, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is asking everyone, "Wake up!" The same—dreaming! "Wake up!"

jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole

kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole

(Aruṇodaya-kīrtana II)

"Why you are sleeping on the lap of this māyā, illusory energy? Why you are sleeping?" Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole: "Get up."

bhajibo boliyā ese saṁsāra-bhitare

bhuliyā rohile avidyāra bhare

(Aruṇodaya-kīrtana II)

When we are in the womb of our mother, the situation was so troublesome that we remember at that time Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa . . . just like when we are in great trouble we sometimes remember God. Similarly that condition, packed-up condition, when the child, the baby gets consciousness back. Death means unconscious for seven months. That's all. That is death. There is no death. Death means I give up this body, enter the womb of another mother's body, and the mother nourishes, by the material, the intestine, joined with the baby. The mother supplies it through the pipe, and the child grows. When it is fully grown, then it gets back its consciousness.

So at that time it becomes very much troublesome to remain in that packed-up condition. So those who are pious, virtuous, they remember at that time, "O Kṛṣṇa, I am again put into this condition." (laughter) (to devotees) Don't laugh, it is very serious subject. Try to understand. So everyone has passed this condition, but by the influence of māyā forgets. So bhajibo boliyā ese saṁsāra-bhitare.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says: "At that time again I promise, this time by coming out of my mother's womb, I shall become a devotee." But as soon as he comes out, he became forgetful. This is going on. This is going on. There is no science, so-called science, who knows, the scientist who knows these are the facts, how we are passing through repeatedly unpleasant condition; when as soon as we get a little light, this body, we forget everything. That it called māyā.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the pushing, the point pushing, enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi (Aruṇodaya-kīrtana II): "Now I have brought this." Just like . . . you have no experience in your country. In India still there are snake-charmers. If one is bitten by the snake, he remains unconscious. By mantra he can be brought into consciousness and light. If a man is snake-bitten . . .

(aside) He is sleeping-wise. Don't sleep, then you can sit at the end. Don't send to the front, it is disturbing. Yes.

Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi. Lord Caitanya says that, "I have brought the medicine," māyā nāśibāro lāgi. Just like the snake-charmer, he chants mantra. That is factual. It is not story.

One medical practitioner friend of mine, when he was student in Lucknow, he stated that there is a palace building, Chatar Mandir? Chatar Mandir, in Lucknow. There is some government office. So there were several snakebite cases, several men were killed by snakebite. So they could understand that "There is a venomous snake in this building. At opportunity he bites." So one snake-charmer was searched, and one Muhammadan snake-charmer, he came and he captured that snake and took it away.

Now this medical student, they do not believe in these mantras, they were surprised. They think that the snakebite means finished, there is no medicine. So they were very much . . . because they are student, very much inquisitive. They went to that charmer at his place and wanted to know from him, "What is the secret? Is it a fact, that mantra?" So he said: "All right, I shall show you." So he opened one box, and several hundred snakes immediately came out, and all the students, they became so much disturbed.

Some were crying, some went this way, that way, that way. (laughter) Yes. And the charmer said: "Don't be worried. So long I am here they will not bite. And don't think that these snakes are without poison teeth." So he took some of them and showed that, "Here is the poison teeth. Not that the poison teeth has been take away. The poison teeth is there, but by our mantra he is subdued, he cannot do any harm." So the doctor students, medical students, inquired that "Can we not use this mantra?" "No, no, you cannot, because it has to be perfection by practice. There is process."

So this is a material mantra. The spiritual mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you practice it just according to the rules and regulation, you become liberated. Nāmābhāsa. There are three stages of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. First stage is nāma-aparādha, offensive; then second stage is nāmābhāsa; and the third stage is śuddha-nāma. Generally, in the beginning we are offensive; therefore ten kinds of offenses should be avoided. So while trying to avoid the offenses, it becomes nāmābhāsa, and in the period of nāmābhāsa one becomes liberated. And when he chants śuddha name, he directly sees Kṛṣṇa and enjoys His company, just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī used to do. So there is so much perfection in these . . . so we are sleeping under the spell of this maya, and this is the only medicine in this age:

harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva

nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

This is a fact. If we take it seriously and do it nicely, this very life we become liberated, without any doubt. That's a fact. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu blesses, "You will get all perfections simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The devotees of Lord Viṣṇu offer all kinds of sacrifices for His pleasure. The devotees are always attached to the service of the Lord, whereas fallen souls are attached to the pleasures of material existence. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that anything performed in the material world for any reason other than for the pleasure of Lord Viṣṇu causes further bondage for the performer. It is enjoined therefore that all acts must be performed sacrificially for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu and His devotees. This will bring everyone peace and prosperity."

"The great sages are always anxious to do good to the people in general, and as such the sages headed by Śaunaka and others assembled at this holy place of Naimiṣāraṇya with a program of performing a great and continuous . . ."

Prabhupāda: This holy place, that is significant. Just like chanting here in London and chanting in Vṛndāvana, there is difference. There is difference. Because that holy place gives extra stimulus. Prīti tad-vasati-sthale (CC Madhya 23.19). Therefore one who is advanced in spiritual consciousness, he develops a prīti. Prīti means pleasure, or love—love for living in such holy places like Naimiṣāraṇya, Vṛndāvana, especially Naimiṣāraṇya, Vṛndāvana, Navadvīpa. These are holy places, they are not within this material world. So there is extra stimulus for spiritual advancement if one practices in the holy places. That's a fact. It becomes very favorable.

Actually we are seeing in Vṛndāvana that most ordinary class, they come to Vṛndāvana for some ulterior purpose, to solve some economic problem or some other problem, but they become devotee. Holy place. In our Gauḍīya Maṭha, when my spiritual master was living, many men came for many purposes, but they became devotee later on. Here also in our temples, so many, many, they come maybe some other purposes, they become devotee. Therefore holy place has got a special effect.

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, ānande bala hari, bhaja vṛndāvana: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and worship Vṛndāvana. Hari-guru-vaiṣṇava-pade majāiyā mana: just get yourself absorbed in . . . absorb your mind in hari-guru-vaiṣṇava. Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guru, the spiritual master; and Vaiṣṇava, the devotee. Develop your affection for hari-guru-vaiṣṇava, live in Vṛndāvana, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and life is successful. That's all. This is civilization. Three things. Any rascal, any rogue can be delivered, simply by this process. Mane ānande bala hari, bhaja vṛndāvana. Hari-guru-vaiṣṇava. But the main principle is hari-guru-vaiṣṇava majāiyā.

So we are now constructing very nice temple. Any one of you can go there, in Navadvīpa also, you can go there and live, perpetually chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities. Now we have got very, very big temples there, in Bombay also. So we are trying to give you all facilities for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But be careful. Don't fall down; then the chance is missed. That is the Naimiṣāraṇya, the holy place.

Go on.

Pradyumna: ". . . as such, the sages headed by Śaunaka and others assembled at this holy place of Naimiṣāraṇya with a program of performing a great and continuous chain of sacrificial ceremonies. Forgetful men do not know the right path for peace and prosperity. However, the sages know it well, and therefore for the good men they are always anxious to perform acts which may bring about peace in the world."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like we are pressing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for the peace of the world. Who can give better service to the human society than ourself? Nobody. That's a fact. But people are not interested. Actually they want material enjoyment, but when they are too much disturbed . . . because you . . . one cannot be happy by material enjoyment.

That's a fact. Viṣaya-viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale. If you keep yourself in the material side, then your heart will be always blazing with material anxieties. That's a fact. You cannot avoid. Viṣaya-viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale, taribāre nā dekhi upāya: "This is my position: my heart is always burning by material contamination. I did not do anything how to get out of it." This is the main business of human life. How it can be done?

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana

rati nā janmila kene tāya

(Hari Hari Bifale 2)

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is lamenting, "The medicine is already there; it is imported from Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, but I have no attachment for it."

So one should . . . our propaganda is we are . . . we are giving the best service to the human society in the sense that we are trying to invoke him, awaken him, so that he may have a little attachment for hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, so that immediately he becomes free from this material anxieties and material contamination. That is our mission. We are not presenting anything so-called mystic yoga or this or that. No. We are presenting the real, how to say, medicine for getting out of this material clutches. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's . . . this method, pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His prakāśa, His first manifestation, Nītyānanda Prabhu, brajendra-nandana jei, śacī-suta hoilo sei. Brajendra-nandana, Kṛṣṇa, now He has come as Śacī-suta, Lord Caitanya. Balarāma ha-ila nitāi. And Balarāma has come as Nitāi. What is Their business? Pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. That is Their only business. Simply by spreading the saṅkīrtana movement He delivered all the sinful and suffering human being.

The evidence is tāra sākṣī. Because we want evidence. In everything we want to see whether it is actually factual. That is, that should be, intelligence. He, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, is giving tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi: here is witness, Jagāi and Mādhāi, these two brothers. They are debauch number one. Huh? They were delivered simply by this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And actually that is also happening now. So hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana has got so much power that any kind of sinful man, any kind of debauch, can be delivered and, I mean to say, elevate him to the highest position of Vaiṣṇava. It is so nice thing. Hmm.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "They are sincere friends to all living entities, and at the risk of great personal inconvenience they are always engaged in the service of the Lord for the good of all people. Lord Viṣṇu is just like a great tree, and all others, including the demigods, men, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Vidyādharas and all other living entities, are like branches, twigs and leaves of that tree."

Prabhupāda: There are different planetary systems. What do they know, the modern scientists? They do not know. They are trying to go to the moon planet. That is also a failure. But in the Vedic literature you will get all information of all the planets within this universe. You are seeing so many planets are there, twinkling, but you cannot go there. But without going there you can take the information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because it is written by somebody who is not conditioned soul. He knows everything, that we should take knowledge from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

These are the names of inhabitants of different planets. There is a planet, Siddhaloka. The inhabitants of that planet can fly from one planet to another without any aeroplane. Siddhaloka means they have all the eight kinds of perfection in yogic practice. The so-called yogīs, they are simply bluffing. One who is perfect in yoga, he has eight kinds of yogic perfection. He can fly in the sky without any aeroplane. Not only fly; he can transfer himself in any planet. That is highest yogic perfection. When one is able to transfer himself through this brahmāṇanḍara to any planet he likes, that is perfection of yoga. Otherwise simply pressing nose and showing some gymnastic and after that smoking, and then is simply farce. Simply farce.

These are not yogic systems. Here is yogic system: aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, prākāmya, īśitva, vaśitva. Eight kinds of yoga siddhi. It requires much energy, much talent. Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra, samādhi. Then one comes to this position. But that is not possible in this age. You cannot follow even yama, niyama. The yogī cannot sleep. He has to close the eyes half, because as soon as the eyes are closed, then the yoga system . . . gaw, gaw, gaw, gaw, gaw. (Prabhupāda makes snoring noise; devotees laugh) You see? That yoga system is not this bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is always alive. That is yoga system.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "By pouring water on the root of the tree, all the parts of the tree are automatically nourished. Only those branches and leaves which are detached cannot be so satisfied. Detached branches and leaves dry up gradually, despite all watering attempts. Similarly, human society, when it is detached from the Personality of Godhead, like detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being watered, and one attempting to do so is simply . . ."

Prabhupāda: Here we have seen some foliage, some leaf falling down from the tree, it becomes gradually dried up, yellow, because detached from the tree. Similarly, as soon as you become detached from Kṛṣṇa, your life is like that. It will gradually dry up. It will gradually dry up. This is the position. So we are trying to again attach this, I mean to say, join this fallen leaf with the tree. That is possible, because materially it is not possible; spiritually it is possible. So as soon as one becomes joined again with Kṛṣṇa, his life is again revived. Electricity. Just like electricity switched off, there is no power, and make the switch on, again there is power. The switch-on process is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Go on.

Pradyumna: ". . . like detached branches and leaves, is not capable of being watered, and one attempting to do so is simply wasting his energy and resources."

Prabhupāda: So what you will do by pouring water on the fallen leaf? You go on for many thousands of years, it will deteriorate. That's all. Finished. Real thing is to attach. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe (Brs. 1.2.255). Nirbandha-kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. One has to be attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, anāsaktasya viṣayān, and detached from this material enjoyment. Then his life is perfect. Anāsaktasya viṣayān (Brs. 1.2.255). Viṣayān means this eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is called viṣayān. Anāsaktasya. One should be detached from these four things and attached to Kṛṣṇa. Then his life is perfect. We have got attachment propensity, but we are falsely attached to this eating, sleeping, mating. That is to be transferred to Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The modern materialistic society is detached from its relation to the Supreme Lord. And all its plans, which are being made by atheistic leaders, are sure to be baffled at every step."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our prediction. Know this: any plan, that is becoming baffled. Practically you can see. Formerly they, when we were students, they invented League of Nation. That became useless. Now they have invented United Nation. This will also . . . this is already useless. So these kind of plan will never make you happy. This plan: to be attached to Kṛṣṇa. Then he will be happy. Hmm.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Yet they do not wake up to this. In this age, the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord is the prescribed method for waking up. The ways and means are most scientifically presented by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and intelligent persons may take advantage of His teachings in order to bring about real peace and prosperity. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also presented for the same purpose, and this will be explained more specifically later in the text."

Prabhupāda: Mmm. Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) (break) (kīrtana) (end)