730417 - Lecture SB 01.08.25 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

730417SB-LOS ANGELES - April 17, 1973 - 44:11 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (leads singing of Jaya rādhā-mādhava)

(prema-dhvāṇī prayers) Thank you very much. (break)

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

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat

tatra tatra jagad-guro

bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād

apunar bhava-darśanam

(SB 1.8.25)

Prabhupāda: Now girls. (men continue)

(Prabhupāda has conversation aside about a photograph)

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Devotee: It's the wife of Bhaktivinoda.

Prabhupāda: What? Bhaktivinoda's wife. Now ladies.

Devotee: Women.

Prabhupāda: Girls. That's all. Word meaning.

Pradyumna: vipadaḥ—calamities; santu—let there be; tāḥ—all; śaśvat—again and again; tatra—there; tatra—and there; jagat-guro—O Lord of the universe; bhavataḥ—Your; darśanam—meeting; yat—that which; syāt—is; apunaḥ—not again; bhava-darśanam—seeing repetition of birth and death.

Translation: "I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we can see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths."

Prabhupāda: So very, very interesting verse that vipada, calamities, danger, that is very good if such danger and calamities remind me of Kṛṣṇa. That is very good. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). A devotee, how he receives dangerous position? Danger must be there. Danger . . . because this place, this material world is full of dangers. These foolish persons, they do not know that. They are trying to avoid the dangers. That is struggle for existence.

Everyone is trying to become happy and avoid danger. This is the material business. Ātyantika-sukham. Ātyantika-sukha, ultimate happiness. A man is working and thinking, "Let me work now very hard, and let me have some bank balance so when I shall get old, I shall enjoy life without any working." That is the inner intention of everyone. Nobody wants to work. As soon as he gets some money he wants to retire from work and to become happy. But that is not possible. You cannot be happy in that way.

Here it is said, apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The real danger is . . . she is speaking of apunar. Apunar means . . . a means not, and punar bhava means repetition of birth and death. The real danger is repetition of birth and death. That has to be stopped, and not this so-called danger. This is all . . . the material world is full of dangers. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Just like if you are on the ocean. If you are on the ocean, you might have very strong ship, very safe ship, but that is not safety. Because you are on the sea, at any time there can be dangers. Perhaps you remember from your country, there was, what is that, Titanic?

Devotee: Titanic.

Prabhupāda: Everything was safe, but on the first voyage it was drowned, and all important men of your country, they lost their life. So danger there must be, because you are in a dangerous position. This material world itself is dangerous position. So our business is . . . that danger must be there. Now our business should be how to cross over the sea as soon as possible. So long you are on the sea, you are on the dangerous position, however strong your ship may be. That's a fact. So you should not be disturbed by the sea waves. Just try to cross over the sea. Go to the other side. That is your business.

Similarly, so long we are in this material world, there must be dangerous calamities, because this is the place of calamity. So our business is, even within these calamities, dangers, how we develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, after giving up this body, we go back to home, back go Kṛṣṇa. That should be our business. We should not be disturbed by the so-called calamities. They are not so-called; they are factual.

So this question was there by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa, that "Whatever You are speaking, it is all right: that I am not this body, I am soul. Everyone is not this body. He's soul. So on the annihilation of this body . . ."

(aside) Stop that.

"On the annihilation of the body the soul will exist. But when I see my son is dying or my grandfather is dying, I am killing, how can I solace me that my grandfather is not dying, my son is not dying, the . . . simply it is changing? Because I am accustomed to think like that. So there must be grief." So Kṛṣṇa replied, "Yes, that's a fact. So that you must have to tolerate, that's all. There is no other remedy." Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata (BG 2.14).

Kṛṣṇa never said that these are not facts, what Arjuna explained that, "I know that when my son is dying, my son is changing the body, or my grandfather is dying, changing the body, I know this. But still, because I am affectionate on the skin, so I must suffer." The Kṛṣṇa replied: "Yes, the suffering is there. Because you are also on the bodily concept of life, so suffering must be there. So there is no other remedy than to tolerate. There is no other remedy." Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14).

Just like in your country it is very chilly in the morning to take bath, a little difficult task. But does it mean that those who are devotees, they will stop taking bath? No. Even it is chilly, cold, one must take bath. The duty must be done. The duty must be done, even it is little suffering. That is called tapasya. Tapasya means we must prolong or proceed with . . . with our Kṛṣṇa consciousness business in spite of all dangerous and calamitous condition of this world. This is called tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting the difficulties of life. Sometimes tapasya, in the system of tapasya, in hot season, summer, in scorching heat of the sun, still they ignite some fire all round and sit down in the midst and meditate. There are some processes of tapasya like that. In chilly cold one goes into the water up to the neck and meditates. These things are prescribed in tapasya.

But Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not give you such prescription. He gives you very nice program: chant, dance and take prasādam. (laughter) Still we are unwilling. We cannot accept this tapasya. You see? We are so fallen. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). This is a kind of tapasya which is very easy to do, and it is very pleasant. Still, we are not agreeable. We shall rot in the street, lie down anywhere and everywhere, and still I shall drink and have sex and lie down. So what can be done? We are giving good facilities: "Come here, chant, dance and live very peacefully and take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Be happy." But people will not accept. That is called misfortune.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said: etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ (CC Antya 20.16, Śikṣāṣṭaka 2). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ: "In the transcendental holy name of God, Kṛṣṇa, there is all potencies." As Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited potencies, similarly in the name, holy name of Kṛṣṇa, there is unlimited potency. So nāmnām akāri bahudhā. And there are many names of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got thousands and thousands of names. Kṛṣṇa name is the chief name. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. And there is no hard-and-fast rule, that you have to chant in this time or that time. No. Any time. Any time you can take. And the name is identical with Kṛṣṇa. On this logic, the name, holy name of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa. He's no other than Kṛṣṇa. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is living in Goloka Vṛndāvana and the name is different. Just like in material world we have got this conception, the name is different from the fact. But in Absolute world there is no such difference. That is called absolute. The name is as potential as Kṛṣṇa is potential.

So you have got this tongue. You can chant Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa—immediately you become directly in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Because the name Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa person is not different. Identical. So even if you think that Kṛṣṇa is far, far away . . . Kṛṣṇa is not far, far away. Kṛṣṇa is within you. He's not far away. He's far away, at the same time nearest. So even if you think that Kṛṣṇa is far, far, His name is there. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa becomes immediately available. Aniyamitaḥ. And for making Kṛṣṇa available in this shortcut way, there is no hard-and-fast rule. You can chant any time, immediately you get Kṛṣṇa. Just see the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that etādṛśī tava kṛpā: "My dear Lord, You have given me so nice facilities to contact You, but durdaiva, but my . . . I am so unfortunate, I have no attachment for these things. I have no attachment. I have got so many attachment for other things, but I have no attachment for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is my misfortune." Kṛṣṇa has given so much facilities, that He is present before you by transcendental vibration in His name, and the name has got all the potencies of Kṛṣṇa. So if you remain in contact with the name, you get all the benefit of Kṛṣṇa's benediction. But still, I am not inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is misfortune.

So a devotee never takes dangerous position as very reverse position or very calamitous position. He welcomes. Because a surrendered soul, he knows either danger or festival, these are all different demonstration of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. In the śāstra it is said that just like there are two kinds, two sides, religiosity and irreligiosity, just the opposite. But in the śāstra it is said the religiosity is just the front portion of God, and irreligiosity is the back portion of God. So God's front portion or back portion, is there any difference? God is absolute. Therefore a devotee, either in opulence or in danger, he is not disturbed. He knows both these things are Kṛṣṇa. Either in dangerous position . . . "Now Kṛṣṇa has appeared before me as danger."

Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda Mahārāja and Nṛsiṁha-deva. Nṛsiṁha-deva is dangerous to Hiraṇyakaśipu, and He is the supreme friend to Prahlāda Mahārāja—the same Personality. Similarly, God is never dangerous to the devotee. Devotee is never afraid of dangers. He's confident that the danger, that is another feature of God. "So why shall I be afraid? I am surrendered to Him." So Kuntīdevī says that vipadaḥ santu. Vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat. Because he . . . she knows how to remember Kṛṣṇa at times of danger. So he is . . . she is welcoming danger, "My dear Lord, I welcome such dangers when I can remember You." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa when his father was putting him in dangerous position. So if you are put into the dangerous position and if that dangerous position gives an impetus to remember Kṛṣṇa, that is welcome. That is welcome. "Oh, I am getting this opportunity of remembering Kṛṣṇa." So how it is welcome? It is welcome because seeing Kṛṣṇa means I am advancing in my spiritual life so that I'll not have to suffer any more of these dangerous position.

Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). If you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the result will be, after giving up this body, Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body, punar janma naiti, you don't take birth again in this material world. That is wanted. Suppose I am very comfortable at the present moment. My body is kept in a very comfortable position. But there is death, and there is another birth. So after giving up this body, if I get the body of a cat and dog, then what is the meaning of this comfortable position?

Because death is sure, and janmāntaṁ tataḥ dehāntaram. Dehāntaram means you have to accept another body. If you do not know what kind of body you are going to get . . . you can know it. That is stated in the śāstra, that if you have got such-and-such mentality, you get such-and-such body. So in a comfortable position, if I keep myself in the dog's mentality, then I am going to get my next life as dog. Then what is the value of this comfortable position? I may be in comfortable position for twenty years, fifty years or, utmost, hundred years. And after that comfortable position, when I give up this body, if, due to my mentality I become a cat and dog and mouse, then what is the benefit of this comfortable position?

These people, they do not know that. They think, especially in this age that, "I am now in comfortable position. I have got enough money. I have got enough state. I have got enough comforts, enough food. So as soon as the body's finished, so I am not going to take birth again. So, so long I am living, let me enjoy life." This is the modern philosophy, hedonism. But that is not the fact. Kuntī is therefore anxious: apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). Apunar bhava, not to repeat. If you see always Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Your consciousness should be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought.

Therefore we give different varieties of engagement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not divert our energy. Now when we are selling book, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are selling book, but if we think that the selling book may be diverted into selling jewelry, that is not very good idea. That is not very good idea. Then we become again jeweler. Punar mūṣika bhava. Again become mouse. We should be very much careful. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be diverted. Then you are gone to hell. Even there is danger, even there is suffering in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should tolerate.

That is the instruction of . . . we should welcome such danger, and pray to Kṛṣṇa. What is that prayer? Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8): "My dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I am put into this dangerous position." That is the viewpoint of devotee. He doesn't take danger as danger. He takes, "It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy." What kind of mercy? Now, bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. "Due to my past activities, I was to suffer so much. But You are mitigating that suffering, giving me little suffering."

Just like a token punishment. Sometimes in the courts a big man is culprit. So say, if the judge wants 100,000 dollars, he can pay immediately. But he asks from him, "You just give one cent." Because that is also punishment, but minimizing. Similarly, we have to suffer on account of our past deeds. That's a fact. You cannot avoid. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). But those who are in devotional service, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their sufferings are minimized, a token. Just like one was to be killed. So instead of being killed with his knife, he gets some little cut on the finger.

In this way, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bha . . . those who are in devotional service, they are, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa assures that "I give you protection from the reaction of sinful life." So when there is very, very grievous criminal activities behind his . . . sometimes it is like that. Instead of hanging him, there may be little cut by the knife on the finger. This is the position.

So why should we be afraid of danger? We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because if we live Kṛṣṇa conscious, in any circumstances, then my benefit is that I am not coming again in this material world. Apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The repeatedly as you think of Kṛṣṇa, as you see Kṛṣṇa, as you read of Kṛṣṇa, as you work for Kṛṣṇa, some way or other, if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your benefit. And that benefit will save you from taking birth again in this material world. That is real benefit. And if I am become little comfortable by so-called other engagement, and if I forget Kṛṣṇa, and I have to take birth again, then what is my benefit? We should be very much careful about this.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be disturbed at any circumstances, even there is heavy suffering. That is the instruction of Kuntīdevī. Kuntīdevī's welcome, welcoming: vipadaḥ santu tāḥ . . . tatrata. "Let there . . ." Because, before winning the battle of Kurukṣetra, all these Pāṇḍavas were put into so many dangerous position. That is already described in the previous verses. Sometimes they were offered poison, sometimes they were put into the house, lac, and it was set fire. Sometimes big, big demons, man-eaters, and big, big fighters. Every time . . . they lost their kingdom, lost their wife, lost their prestige. They were put into the forest. Full of dangers. But within all those dangers, Kṛṣṇa was there, with all those dangers. When the Draupadī was being naked, Kṛṣṇa was there, supplying cloth. Kṛṣṇa is always there.

Therefore Bhīṣmadeva, while he was dying . . . he was grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas. So when the Pāṇḍavas came to see him on his deathbed, so he cried that, "These boys, my grandsons, they're all very pious. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the topmost pious person. His name is Dharmarāja, the king of religiosity. He is the eldest brother. And Bhīma and Arjuna, they are devotees and so great hero. They can kill thousands of men. They're so powerful. So Yudhiṣṭhira, Yudhiṣṭhira is there, and Bhīma is there. Arjuna is there, and Draupadī is directly the goddess of fortune. There was this injunction that wherever Draupadī will be there, there will be no scarcity of food. In this way, the combination was so nice, and over and above them, Kṛṣṇa is always with them, and still they are suffering." So he began to cry that, "I do not know what is the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa that such pious men, such devotees, they are also suffering."

So don't think that, "Because I have become a devotee, there will be no danger, no suffering." Prahlāda Mahārāja suffered so much. The Pāṇḍavas suffered so much. Haridāsa Ṭhākura suffered so much. But we should not be disturbed by those suffering. We must have firm faith, firm conviction that, "Kṛṣṇa is there. He'll give me protection." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Don't try to take benefit of other shelter than Kṛṣṇa. Always take to Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: "My dear Arjuna, you can declare it to the public that My devotees are never vanquished." Why declaration was advised to be made by Arjuna? Why He did not declare Himself? There is some point. Because this declaration, if Kṛṣṇa makes, there may be violation, because sometimes He violated His promise. But if His devotee promises, it will be never violated. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. "Oh, My devotee has declared this. I must see that it must be executed." That is Kṛṣṇa's position. He's so much attached to His devotee. Therefore He said that, "You declare. If I declare, people may not believe it. But if you declare, they will believe it. Because you are devotee. Your declaration will never be . . ." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. Kṛṣṇa wants to see that: "My devotee's promise is fulfilled. My promise may not be fulfilled, may be broken."

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in . . . at all circumstances, even it's the most dangerous position. We must keep our faith in Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, and there will be no danger.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (kīrtana) (end)