720928 - Lecture SB 01.03.23 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720928SB-LOS ANGELES - September 28, 1972 - 38:23 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (Govindam prayers playing; sings along) (leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dhvani) Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances) (break)

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Chapter Three, text number 23. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime

vṛṣṇiṣu prāpya janmanī

rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo

bhagavān aharad bharam

(SB 1.3.23)

Prabhupāda: Ladies. (ladies chant) That's all right. Word meaning.

Pradyumna:

ekonaviṁśe—in the nineteenth; viṁśatime—in the twentieth also; vṛṣṇiṣu—in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty; prāpya—having obtained; janmanī—births; rāma—Balarāma; kṛṣṇau—Śrī Kṛṣṇa; iti—thus; bhuvaḥ—of the world; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; aharat—removed; bharam—burden.

Translation: "In the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, the Lord advented Himself as Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa in the family of Vṛṣṇi, or the Yadu dynasty, and by so doing He removed the burden of the world."

Prabhupāda: So, ekonaviṁśe. Eka ūna. Ūna means less. Eka means one. And viṁśa means twenty. So this is the way of Sanskrit literature: ekonaviṁśe, "Less than one of twenty." That means nineteen. Ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime: and next, twentieth. So Balarāma first appeared, and then Kṛṣṇa appeared, ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime vṛṣṇiṣu: in the family of Vṛṣṇi, Vṛṣṇi dynasty. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vārṣṇeya, because He appeared in the Vṛṣṇi family.

Just like sandalwood. Sandalwood is known as "Malayan sandalwood." Malaya. There is a country, you know, East Asia, Malaysia. Now it called Malaysia. So formerly they were growing sandalwood in large quantity. Now they are growing rubber, no more sandalwood. They are not interested with the sandalwood. They are now interested in rubber wood. Because you have got motorcars, you require motor tires. So formerly these Malaysian sandalwood was very famous. So sandalwood can grow anywhere, but because in Malaysia sandalwood was very largely growing, therefore sandalwood was generally known as malayaja-candana. Malayaja, in Sanskrit. "The sandalwood of Malaysia."

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa can appear from anywhere. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa's birth, appearance, work, they are not ordinary. Divyam, transcendental. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If anyone understands, tattvataḥ, in truth, then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), then such person, after giving up this body, he does not take any more a material body. Punar janma naiti mām eti: "He comes to Me." That is success of life. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, the . . . His transcendental appearance, disappearance, activities, if you try to understand, then your life is success.

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to make people understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, he will become liberated from this material bondage. Actually, every one of us trying to get out of some kind of bondage. We feel that, "I am bound up under certain circumstances, so I must get out." This is called ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. Duḥkha-nivṛtti means avoiding painful situation.

So everyone is trying to avoid painful situation. That's a fact. We are struggling. I have got income, say two hundred dollar; so that is not sufficient for me. So I am struggling hard to get five hundred dollars, to avoid this painful situation. Again when in five hundred dollars I feel another pain, so I try for one thousand dollar. In this way go on increasing, and the painful situation will never be mitigated. That will continue. Otherwise, why millionaires are committing suicide? He has got money. But they do not know that the any amount of material comforts will not make them happy. That is not possible.

So we have repeatedly discussed this fact, that other countries . . . like India is advertised very poor country. But still, majority of the people in India, they are happy. People do not know. Although materially they haven't got possession . . . they have got only two cloth or even one cloth—in the village you will find, they are so poverty-stricken—but still they are following the Vedic principles: taking bath early in the morning, going to their business, whatever they get, eating, husband, wife, children. They are happy. People say "primitive." But you want, after all, happiness. Primitive or advanced, what is that? In advanced civilization, if you commit suicide, why not primitive?

So they do not know. They do not know what is actual happiness. Therefore the struggle is going on. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These rascals, they do not know that real happiness is Viṣṇu, God, Lord Viṣṇu. When we approach Viṣṇu . . . just like we are. Our happiness is here: Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa, we are working day and night. The karmīs are also working day and night, but they are not happy. We are happy. That they do not know.

We are also doing the same thing. We are not lazy. We are not sleeping. Everybody is busy. Somebody is going to write, somebody is going to type, somebody is going to sell books, somebody is preparing prasādam, somebody is cleansing, somebody is going to saṅkīrtana. Not a single moment we are lazy. But because we are working for Kṛṣṇa, there is happiness. Nobody is paid here a single farthing. Rather, he brings money. But still, he is happy. But the karmīs, they are getting money, salary; still, they are not happy. Why?

This is practical. Here we sometimes chastise that, "You cannot live with us. Go out." But he cannot. Unless there is happiness, why he is sticking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Those who are going back, again coming. They could not find any happiness. Again, they say . . . here, the people say: "These are foolish people, working under some idea." But they are happy. Must be happy. But they do not know this. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know how happiness can be attained.

Happiness can be attained when you come to God. Because you are part and parcel of God. The same example, a little child is crying. Nobody could pacify it. As soon as the child is put on the breast of the mother, immediately happy. Because the child is the part and parcel of the mother. And immediately he understands that, "Now I have come to safe, my mother." Immediately happy. This is practical.

Similarly, we are all part and parcel of God, Viṣṇu. So unless we come to Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu—Kṛṣṇa is Viṣṇu—there is no happiness. It is not possible. It is not possible. But the rascals, they do not know. They are trying to become happy by so-called scientific advancement. What is this science? Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. The aim of life is to come to the platform of happiness, where there is no distress at all, simply happiness. That is our aim. There cannot be any distress. Only happiness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).

So you see so many pictures of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is playing with His cowherd boys; Kṛṣṇa dancing with His girlfriends, gopīs; Kṛṣṇa is stealing butter; Kṛṣṇa is doing so many—simply happiness. Simply happiness. You won't find Kṛṣṇa is morose and sitting or crying. (laughter) Even if He is killing some demon, very laughingly, as easy job. You see? So either He is killing or dancing, He is happy. So we are giving this information of happiness, the topmost happiness, without any . . . ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that spirit soul, the Supersoul or the individual soul, their nature is to become happy. Ānandamaya. Happy. Spiritual life means happiness. There is no distress.

But that happiness can be attained in cooperation with the Supreme. We are sparks of fire. So with the fire, if the sparks are "fhut-phut" . . . you see sometimes, the sparks—it looks very beautiful. The same spark, as soon as falls down from the fire—extinguished. The fiery quality immediately extinguished. So our material condition is like that. We have given up the company of Kṛṣṇa, and we wanted to be happy in this material world, therefore we are suffering. So same spark, particle of carbon, if you put again to the fire, it will again become red hot and fire. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are trying the sparks, which by chance has fallen down from the fire, to pick it up again and put it in the fire. That is real happiness.

So here it is said that rāma-kṛṣṇā iti. God appeared as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. There are some foolish persons who are misled by another imitation Ramakrishna. You see? But those who are intelligent . . . this rascal Ramakrishna said that, "I am the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa." Another rascal believed, "Oh, he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa." Why I say rascal? Because here it is said, rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo bhagavān aharad bharam. There must be symptoms of Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. Anyone will say: "I am Rāma-Kṛṣṇa," and he becomes Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? How? What is the test? The test is bhagavān aharad bharam.

When Kṛṣṇa and Rāma appeared, Balarāma, He killed so many demons to make the world peaceful. The beginning of killing was their maternal uncle Kaṁsa. Not only that beginning. From the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth: Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, the Keśī, and so many asuras . . . every day, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to go in the forest and some asura would come to disturb Them, to kill Them, and Kṛṣṇa will finish them.

And the friends will come at home and narrate the story to their mothers, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. Such a big demon came, and He killed immediately in this way and that way." That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that because one has got some so-called meditation, He becomes Kṛṣṇa without any test. But what is the proof that he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? But they do not take the proof. They simply pose a bogus man as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.

So this Rāma-Kṛṣṇa is different from this bogus Ramakrishna. Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān. They are actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and They proved it. Not that Rāma-Kṛṣṇa is dying out of cancer disease. Yes. We are not after such kind of Ramakrishna. Besides that, when there is real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, why I shall go to the false and imitation Ramakrishna? They say the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. That's all right, the same, but I don't find any proof that the same. So why shall I take to this imitation Ramakrishna? Why not take this real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa?

So we should be intelligent enough. We should not be bluffed. Kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Without being very intelligent, nobody surrenders to Kṛṣṇa.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

So anyone who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, He is the most intelligent man. Jñānavān. Kṛṣṇa says, unless one is fully wise, after many, many birth. After many, many birth. Because everyone is trying to place a competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Just like I have said it: "Oh, why that Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? Here is another with big beard, Ramakrishna." So . . . but he is not wise.

That kind of Ramakrishna is for the foolish man, and those who are presenting, he is also foolish. But bahūnām . . . in this way, foolishly accepting something as God . . . when one actually becomes wise, after many . . . if he is actually searching after God . . . catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, ārto arthārthī jñānī, anisandesu . . . jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). Jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha. Jijñāsuḥ.

So four classes of men comes to God. If they are pious, if the background is piety, then out of that class of men, inquisitive, jijñāsu; jñānī . . . jñānī means those who are wise; and ārta, distressed; arthārthī, those who are in need of money. Generally people, ordinarily, if he is pious, then when he is in distress, he prays to God, "My dear Lord, I am in distress. Kindly save me." Or if somebody is in want of money, he also approaches God, "My dear Lord, for want of money I am suffering. Kindly give me some money." These are two classes. And the other two classes: jñānī, simply for knowledge, what is the actual constitutional position of God, he is called jñānī; and inquisitive, and inquiring what is God. So these four classes of men try to understand God or approaches God.

So out of these four, two classes, those who are in distress, or those who are in want of money, as soon as they get money, they forget God. Or as soon as their distress is over, they forget God. But these two classes, inquisitive and wise, they continue to search out what is God. So out of these two classes, when one understands what is God, he is perfect. Bahūnām. That becomes possible after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). What kind of knowledge?

Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: Kṛṣṇa is everything, Vāsudeva. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vāsudeva. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: that type of great soul is very rare. So in other words, those who have taken Kṛṣṇa as everything, they are the greatest soul, the topmost soul within the world. They cannot be misled by imitation Ramakrishna. They are interested with the real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva.

So Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Vṛṣṇi family, and our business is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa fully. He is unlimited. But still, by following the footsteps of great mahājana, great devotees, personalities, we can understand to some extent Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. So we may not understand fully. If we simply take it for granted, even without understanding Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme and our business is to love Him . . . real our aim is how to love Kṛṣṇa.

Just like the gopīs. They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. Or the cowherds boy, they did not know. Even Mother Yaśodā did not know that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But their love for Kṛṣṇa was spontaneous. They did not know anything beyond Kṛṣṇa. If you come to that stage, that is perfection. Not that we want to know what is God. What you will know? What knowledge we have got we can understand what is God?

But we can see by God's activities. When Kṛṣṇa appeared, His all activities were uncommon activities. So far as a human being . . . He was not human being, but He was playing as human being. The human being marries. So His marrying is also wonderful. He married 16,108 wives. This is uncommon. This is uncommon. Nobody can marry like that. Not only marrying. Mussulman nawabs, they used to marry also many wives. Not many wives. One nawab was there, he married 160 wives. They have got in Lucknow . . . when you go to India, you will see. That is now fallen. That all the wives of the nawab was living . . . that's a . . . now it has been turned into a big park. There are small houses.

So he could not reach all the wives every day or every night. That was not possible. Humanly it is impossible. Hundred and sixty, that means if he goes, visits every, it will take at least six months. So after six months one queen, or nawab, might have seen her husband. But Kṛṣṇa was not like that. Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself also in sixteen thousand forms, and each and every one of his wife was accompanied by Kṛṣṇa personally.

So this incarnation all described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. These symptoms, the father's, mother's name, the place, the activities, everything is being described. So we cannot be cheated by a false incarnation of God. That is not possible. So the cheated, those who want to be cheated, they are cheated. But we don't want to be cheated. We want real God. Therefore nobody can cheat us.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (obeisances) (end)