721030 - Lecture SB 01.02.19 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721030SB-VRNDAVAN - October 30, 1972 - 38:56 Minutes

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

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

(SB 1.2.19)

(break) (leads chanting of synonyms) (break)

tadā—at that time; rajaḥ—in the mode of passion; tamaḥ—the mode of ignorance; bhāvāḥ—the situation; kāma—lust and desire; lobha—hankering; ādayaḥ—others; ca—and; ye—whatever they are; cetaḥ—the mind; etaiḥ—by these; anāviddham—without being affected; sthitam—being fixed up; sattve—in the mode of goodness; prasīdati—thus becomes fully satisfied.

Translation: "At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion, rajas, and ignorance, tamas, and lust and desire, kāma, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy."

Prabhupāda:

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

(SB 1.2.19)

The beginning of the chapter was yena ātmā suprasīdati. We have to make ourself peaceful, yena ātmā samprasīdati.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā samprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

So everyone, even in this age, the advanced materialistic person, they seek after peace, peacefulness of ātmā, or self. Take for example that in Western countries the younger generation, coming from very rich family, rich nation, but they have given up the standard of living as it is observed by their fathers or grandfathers. They do not like it. Because they are not satisfied, yayātmā suprasīdati, there is no satisfaction of ātmā. Therefore they have given up.

Bhoga and tyāga. Bhoga means enjoyment, and tyāga means renunciation. So actually, in this world, some people are very much busy in the matter of bhoga, enjoying—the karmīs. And some people are very much engaged in the business of tyāga, renouncement. These two kinds of activities are going on.

One is very, very busy for acquiring things for enjoy . . . sense enjoyment, and when he's dissatisfied, he cannot fully enjoy, neither he's satisfied, he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. There is no need of this world. The grapes are sour." The same story: the jackal and the grapes. A jackal wanted to eat the grapes, and it jumped many times, but could not approach the grapes. So at last he satisfied himself that "There is no need of the grapes. It is sour."

So this brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā is like that. When one is fed up or tired of this world, he cannot enjoy it due to age or other circumstances, at that time he says, jagan mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? If God is truth, then creation of God is also truth. Why it should be mithyā? But because he has no knowledge, sufficient knowledge of the Vedic instruction, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, pūrṇam idam, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (ISO 1), he does not know that creation of God is complete. There is no defect.

When God created this world, he created it perfect. Take, for example, we require water. So in every planet there is sufficient water, these oceans and seas. And they are very nicely preserved, adding with, what is called? Salt? What is the chemical name? Sodium . . .?

Devotee: Chloride.

Prabhupāda: Sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is preservative. So the water is preserved, mixing with sodium chloride. Just see how perfect arrangement. And the water is evaporated on the sky by distillation, making sodium chloride separated from the water. Distillation means to take the pure water, distilled water. Now, the distilled water is taken on the sky, and as rain it drops on the ground, and it is stored on the mountain hill. Gradually, the whole year, the water is coming down in this shape of river, and supply is there. First of all, the whole land is moistened with water by rainfall. Then portion, and some of the water is preserved in Iceland, in the shape of ice.

So there is complete arrangement. We have not seen. Paśyati jñāna-cakṣusā. Because we have no knowledge, we do not see how things are nicely arranged by God for our maintenance. Everything is there. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). Everything is complete. It is our mismanagement. We, the so-called civilized human being, we have created problems. We have created problems: "This is my land. This is my country. Why you are coming here?" Then there is fight, there is spoil of things, so many things. Because they do not know, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything belongs to God.

The . . . now they have developed the Communist idea that everything belongs to the state. But that is also imperfect. There is no peace, still. Sthite sattvam. Ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthite sattve prasīdati. What is that? Ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. They do not know that we have to come to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa. Then there will be peace.

Because sattva-guṇa means knowledge, rajo-guṇa means passion and tamo-guṇa means ignorance. So this world is being carried on by these three guṇas. Those who are accepting the tamo-guṇa, they are kāma, lusty, too much lusty. And those who are in rajo-guṇa, they're too much greedy. And those who are in the sattva-guṇa, they know things. That is brahminical qualification. That is brahminical qualification. Veda jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipro brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. By reading Vedas, one becomes a vipra. Then not only vipra, but when . . . vipra means brāhmin.

So to become brāhmin by qualification is not sufficient. One must know the Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman. Just like Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). That is real stage. That is brahminical stage. Don't think that Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He, after studying Bhagavad-gītā, he became brāhmin, because he understood Kṛṣṇa. He says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. He understood Kṛṣṇa rightly. Others, they . . .

That story of the yājñika-brāhmins . . . not story, fact. They could not understand Kṛṣṇa. When the yājñika-brāhmins were engaged in sacrifice, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma was requested by their friends, cowherd boys, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, we are hungry. Please give us some food." They knew Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Kṛṣṇa said that, "There is a sacrifice. A great ceremony is going on. The brāhmins, the yājñika-brāhmins, are engaged. Go there and ask some food." So they approached. You'll find this description in the Kṛṣṇa Book.

So the brāhmins refused, because they could not understand Kṛṣṇa. They thought that, "Unless the sacrifice is finished, how the foodstuff can be distributed?" But they were so ignorant that they could not understand that the person for whom the sacrifice was being performed, He's asking personally. That is ignorance.

So Kṛṣṇa says therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Simply by becoming brāhmin, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. He must become a devotee. Because Kṛṣṇa is understood by simply devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa does not say that to . . . "By becoming brāhmin, one can understand Me." No. Brāhmin stage is impersonal realization of Brahman. There is no personal realization. When the personal realization is there, he's called Vaiṣṇava, brāhmin-vaiṣṇava.

The brāhmin has got two titles: brāhmin-paṇḍita. Still, in India, a brāhmin is addressed as paṇḍita, however rascal he may be. Because it is expected, when one is born in the brāhmin family, he must be well-learned. These are the six occupational duties of brāhmin: paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. A brāhmin must be very learned scholar, studying. All Vedic knowledge is meant for the brāhmins. Saddhaya, tapasya, satyam, śaucam, tapa, ārjava, titikṣā, jñānam, vijñānam, āstikyam, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). These qualifications must be there to become a brāhmin.

So in spite of becoming a brāhmin, qualified, śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmin, he is expert in his occupational duties. Ṣaṭ-karma means paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana, six kinds of occupational duties. But avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa, uh . . . yes:

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro

mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ

avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syād

vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ

(Padma Purāṇa)

This is the injunction of the śāstra. In spite of his good qualification, expert in six occupational duties of a brāhmin, if he's an avaiṣṇava, if he has not understood Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he cannot become guru. Therefore, according to Vedic system, not a brāhmin is accepted as guru, but when he becomes gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means fully controlled in full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He can become guru.

The . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī's, the . . . that six kinds of control. One who has controlled over his speeches, over his anger, over his tongue, over his mind, over his genital, over his belly, when one has full control over these six things, he's gosvāmī. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt (NOI 1). He can make disciples all over the world. That is the injunction of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was himself gosvāmī.

In the beginning, when he was a minister, he was not gosvāmī, but later on, when he became completely educated by Śrī . . . Śrīla Mahāprabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, both the brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they became gosvāmī. And other gosvāmīs, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, they became their assistants.

This Vṛndāvana, the present Vṛndāvana, is the excavation of the six Gosvāmīs. This place where we are sitting, here the six Gosvāmīs used to assemble daily for discussing on Bhāgavata. Especially it . . . it is the place of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī's and Rūpa Gosvāmī's nephew.

So this culture, as Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the progress, the system is described here. It is not that Kṛṣṇa consciousness we have manufactured a type of religious system. No. We don't manufacture, neither we can manufacture. It is not possible. Defective human being, how he can manufacture religion? That is not possible. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma, the principles of dharma, has to be accepted from directly from the Supreme Lord. So now the Supreme Lord is helping. We have begun this process.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

First of all, one has to wash off all these dirty things from the heart. Then he can come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not abruptly. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that even without washing, if one comes seriously to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus foot, then He takes charge. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi

(BG 18.66)

He takes charge. If we . . . so there are two processes. Either you can go through the prescribed method, as they are described in the Vedic injunction . . . tapasā, brahmacaryeṇa, tyāgena, śamena, damena (SB 6.1.13). These are the processes. One must undergo austerity, penance, tapasā; brahmacarya, one must be brahmacārī, not unnecessarily using sex life. So tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā, tyāgena (SB 6.1.13). Tyāga, renunciation, is required.

So this is one process. Another process, that if you fully surrender unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa sincerely, then all things are done automatically, immediately. Only by kṛṣṇa-bhakti one becomes purified immediately. So that kṛṣṇa-bhakti begins, as we have studied the previous verses, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). We have to hear patiently, by aural reception. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted this process. This is the process, Vedic process—to hear about Kṛṣṇa.

So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityam. This point we have discussed. The Bhāgavata has to be studied from a person bhāgavatam. Bhāgavata-sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One has to learn Bhāgavatam from a person where you can surrender. Praṇipātena. Paripraśnena sevayā. Two things. There must be service and surrender. And between the two things, surrender and service, there is paripraśna.

You cannot ask about spiritual knowledge from a person by challenging. No. That will not help you. Just like Kṛṣṇa .When he was talking with Arjuna like friend, the problem was not solved. Then Arjuna surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). He understood that "Simply by friendly talkings and argument, there cannot be any conclusion of spiritual life." One must surrender. He knew it. Gurum eva abhigacchet. Must. Abhigacchet is vidhiliṅ form of verb. Means "He must." There is no other alternative.

So therefore Arjuna submitted. And he was enlightened. So simply by hearing from the authoritative sources, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, as it is described. But we don't find anywhere saptāhaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. No. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.

So nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Abhadra. Abhadra means the quality of ignorance and passion. They are abominable. Ignorance is most abominable, abominable, and passion is abominable. These two things must be given up. But simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the person bhāgavatam, one can get rid of these dirty things, namely mode of ignorance and mode of passion. Then the balance is the mode of goodness.

There are three guṇa, modes: ignorance, passion and goodness. So if we can, somehow or other, can avoid the low-grade modes, namely ignorance and passion, then naturally we come to the platform of goodness. That is also not sufficient. Therefore it is said here, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, almost finished all dirty things. "No, I am now situated in goodness, in brahminical qualifications." So the śāstra says it is all right. But still it is dirty.

Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is described that that is also a cause of bondage. "I am very learned. I am now become brāhmin." So he does not know that is also this false ego that, "I am brāhmin. I am very learned. I am very advanced." This is also cause of bondage. He does not know that. Simply to become free from the modes of ignorance and passion is not sufficient. One must be free from the modes of goodness also, the so-called goodness. Then you come to the transcendental platform. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170).

These are upādhis. "I am a good man," "I am a bad man," both of them are designations. From spiritual point of view, there is no difference between good man and bad man. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna (CC Antya 4.176). So long you are in the material platform, the so-called goodness and badness, they are all the same—because you are in the material platform.

So to become a very good man . . . just like an ideal good man was Gandhi. Or somebody else. We are giving, because Gandhi's respected all over the world as a very good man. That's a fact. But that is not sufficient. That is not sufficient. Therefore the śāstra says that you should become free from becoming a good man or bad man. You must become a devotee. That is required. To become a good man of this world is not a very good qualification.

Therefore it is said here, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. To become bad man . . . and if you become a good man, it is partially acceptable, because you have avoided the two other things, namely ignorance and passion. But that is not sufficient. But it is favorable. To become a good man, to become a brāhmin, is favorable. Because to . . . by becoming a brāhmin, one is able to understand things as they are. He's not in ignorance.

Just like a ignorant, a cats and dogs, they are under the bodily concept of life: "I am this body." But a brāhmin is not in the bodily concept of life. He knows, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am part and parcel of Brahman." This knowledge will help him. And here it is said that ce . . . tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ . . . (SB 1.2.19): so long one is influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion, he is busy in greediness and lusty affairs.

So at least he's free from the lusty desires and greediness. The whole world is working, especially in Western countries, you see, they are working so hard. They have got their nice motorcar, nice roads, and very, very nice ways also, flyover, one road is flying over another road, another road, another road. Very good facility for driving motorcar, and they have got enough motorcar also.

Every third man has got a car. But what are these civilization? Kāma and lobha, lustiness and greediness. That's all. The basic principle is lust and greediness. That's all. This is their qualification. So anyone who has become free from this lusty and greedy status of life, he's advanced. He's advanced. Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Because these lusty desires and greediness will not help him at any time to realize his self or to realize God. That will not be helpful.

So at least if he comes to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa, then he can at least understand that, "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. My duty is different from these bodily activities." Brahmā-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The lusty and greediness keeps one always in lamentation and hankering. Na śocati na kāṅkṣ . . . na kāṅkṣati. Akāṅkṣā. These people, they have no end of their akāṅkṣā, hankering—one after another, one after another, one after a . . . sarva-kāma. In the śāstra they are called sarva-kāma. There is no end of their lusty desires.

So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. By the hearing process, one becomes gradually free from the lusty and greedy platform, and he comes to the platform of knowledge. And at that time he can understand at least that, "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. And what is my duty as spirit soul?" That duty, if he understands, that is, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is the duty.

When he comes to this platform that, "My duty is to execute devotional service," that is required. He comes to the platform. Or at least, in between sattva-guṇa and śuddha-sattva. Sattva, sattva-guṇa, without being contaminated by the other two guṇas, modes of nature, namely, ignorance and passion. Pure. That is devotional stage.

So tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19), if we can come to that platform, śuddha-sattva . . . sattvaṁ viśuddham. Sattvaṁ viśuddham. When we, our existence becomes completely purified from the influence of these material qualities—the beginning is the modes of goodness—then at that platform, at least, the other lower-grade modes, namely passion and ignorance, cannot attack us. Ceta etair anāviddham.

When a man is in the platform of goodness, he's satisfied in any circumstances. That these boys, European and American boys, they are coming of rich family and rich nation. They are accustomed to so many material advances. Each and every one of them knows how to drive car, and they were driving cars also. They had cars. But now, because they have to come to the platform of goodness, they don't care for anything. They can lie down on the street underneath a tree. Ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. Because their heart now cannot be pierced by the desires, lusty desire and greediness. So in this way we have to make progress in spiritual life and advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) (end)