730506 - Lecture SB 01.08.44 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730506SB-LOS ANGELES - May 06, 1973 - 36:20 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Go on.

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

sūta uvāca

pṛthayetthaṁ kala-padaiḥ

pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ

mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭho

mohayann iva māyayā

(SB 1.8.44)

(break)

sūtaḥ—Sūta Goswami; uvāca—said; pṛthayā—by Pṛthā (Kuntī); ittham—thus; kala-padaiḥ—by chosen words; pariṇūta—being worshiped; akhila—universal; udayaḥ—glories; mandam—mildly; jahāsa—smiled; vaikuṇṭhaḥ—the Lord; mohayan—captivating; iva—like; māyayā—by mystic power.

Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntīdevī composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power."

Prabhupāda: Pṛthayā itthaṁ kala-padaiḥ pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ. Akhilodayaḥ. Akhilodayaḥ, enlightening or enthusing the whole universe. How? Mandaṁ jahāsa: little smile. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased and smiles little, then the whole universe will be pleased. Akhilodayaḥ. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭaḥ. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased, satisfied, then the whole universe will be satisfied, because the whole universe means part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.

(aside) What is that sound, "kat-kat"?

Devotee: Preparing for the feast. They're preparing for the feast.

Prabhupāda: This should be stopped. Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām (SB 4.31.14). Just like the parts of my body, they are indriya, senses. The senses are satisfied, the different parts of my body is satisfied, when there is food satisfaction in the stomach. If your stomach is hungry, then how you can be satisfied? You cannot be satisfied. Even there is various arrangement for your sense gratification, but if you are hungry, then you'll not be satisfied.

So the whole world is dissatisfied because the spiritual hunger is not satisfied. Kṛṣṇa is the central point. So spiritual hunger means . . . we are, our general propensity is to satisfy our hunger. So Kṛṣṇa is the center; Kṛṣṇa is the root, mūla. Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ (SB 4.31.14). Just like watering to the root, you can satisfy the whole tree—the trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits, everything—if there is water in the root. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the root of all creation. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "Everything is emanating from Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Whatever you see, that is coming from Kṛṣṇa. There are so many other words.

What is this world? This world is made of two energies: material and spiritual. Actually it is spiritual, but some portion is material. The same example, that this my body is full of consciousness, sensation, but some parts, just like the nail, there is no consciousness, there is no sensation. If you cut the nail, you won't feel any pain. But just a, a small, I mean to say, one tenth part of an inch, if you come down on the skin portion, immediately there will be sensation and painful, as they're side by side. Therefore, similarly, the material creation and spiritual creation is side by side. The material creation is another part of spiritual creation. Just like the cloud. The cloud is creation of the sunshine, not that the sunshine is creation of cloud. This is the mistake, modern science. By the sunshine, the cloud is created. But when the cloud is created, the sunshine becomes covered. You cannot see the sun.

Similarly, this māyā . . . māyā means absence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is māyā, absence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you forget Kṛṣṇa, this is māyā. When we remember Kṛṣṇa, know Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. Just like you have experience that you go through the cloud and then come to the sunshine, there is no more cloud. So below the cloud there is darkness, there is . . . we cannot see the sun. So the sunshine is profuse sunshine. Not that cloud can cover the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Kṛṣṇa is within the universe, within the atoms—everywhere. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Every heart, there is Kṛṣṇa. But we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Simply, somehow or other, we have been covered by the illusion of māyā. That's it. So as soon as we come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness atmosphere, shining atmosphere, then there is no māyā. Māyā is illusion.

So here Kuntīdevī says, erm, Sūta Gosvāmī says that pṛthayā itthaṁ kala-padaiḥ. Pṛthayā. Kuntī's another name is Pṛthā. His . . . her father's name is Mahārāja Pṛthu; therefore she is called Pṛthā, daughter of Pṛthu. So when Kuntī offered prayers to Kṛṣṇa in very chosen, nice words, all the words . . . therefore Kṛṣṇa is known, His another name is Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka. Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, He should be offered prayer with supreme words and feelings. Supreme words and feelings. The language should not be cheap, or the idea should not be cheap. Just like when we offer prayer to Kṛṣṇa, we follow the path by Lord Brahmā. Brahmā offered this prayer in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.29)

Each word is full of meaning. Cintāmaṇi, prakara, sadmasu, kalpa, vṛkṣa. So Kṛṣṇa should be offered by chosen words. Uttama-śloka, very nicely arranged.

So such prayers, we can have many. Because many devotees of Kṛṣṇa . . . just like Kuntī is offering her prayer. So we can practice how to offer prayer to Kṛṣṇa. Instead of writing ourself, if we, in the beginning, follow the footprints of the great devotees of Kṛṣṇa and follow their principles, taken to heart, how they have spoken, that will be advantageous, because Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Kṛṣṇa . . . the Māyāvādī prayers . . . what is that prayer? Now, call Kṛṣṇa by ill names. That is their prayer. They offer prayer to the Supreme that, "You have no eyes. You have no hand. You have no leg. You cannot speak. You cannot . . ." So many things, all negation. So is that prayer? If I say, "You have no eyes," so in an indirect way it is to call you, "You are blind." If you have no legs, that means you are lame. You cannot hear: you are deaf. You cannot speak: you are dumb. So is that prayer? If I say, "My dear sir, you are blind, you are lame, you have no eyes . . ."

So these rascals' prayer is like that. He does not know what is the name of the Supreme. "O my dear, You have no legs, You have no hands, You have . . ." This is not prayer. This is not prayer. Prayer must be description of the Lord about His activities. Just like Brahmā is offering prayer, surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). "Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, You are so fond of Your surabhi cows, surabhīr, that You are always engaged in taking them to the forest and enjoy with Your cowherds boy." The Māyāvādī will think, "What is this? The God has become a cowherd boy? How it is? He must be very exalted. How it is that He is cowherd boy?"

But he does not know the nature of the Lord. He's free. He loves everyone. He loves His great devotee, He loves the cows, He loves the calves, He loves the trees, fruits, flowers, water, everything, because everything is manifestation of His energy. Just like you love any part of your body. Not that if there is some pain on your head, you take very much care, and when there is pain on your toe, you do not take care. No. You spend as much money for the pain of headache. Similarly, you can spend as much money when there is some pain on the toe. So Kṛṣṇa, being Absolute, there is no such distinction that "Here is head, important, and here is leg, nonimportant." No.

So this caste distinction . . . Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Just like we have got division of my body. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. The head is working nicely because without brain, there is no work. So the working of the head certainly is very important. Similarly, the walking of the leg is also important. So Kṛṣṇa's thinking, taxing the brain or walking, there is no such difference. In our body also there is no such difference.

But because we are in the materialistic world, dual world, we make distinction: this is superior, inferior. But for Kṛṣṇa there is no such thing, "superior," "inferior." Everything is Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He accepts a material body. But these foolish people, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa has no material body. For Kṛṣṇa, everything is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa has no material body. It is for us to distinguish between matter and spirit. But Kṛṣṇa, being the original source of everything, He is absolutely spirit. That's all. The Supreme Spirit. He has no such distinction.

The same example, as I have given many times: Just like for an electrical engineer, there is no such distinction that "This is heater" and "This is cooler." Heat and cool, opposite. But the . . . for the engineer, electrical engineer, he takes as much importance for the heater, as much for the cooler. So for Him, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. It is for us. Because we are now in the dual stage, the world of duality, relativity. This world is relativity. We, we cannot work so nicely with material consciousness. But Kṛṣṇa has no such thing. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. There is no distinction, "material" and "spiritual."

So even we offer Kṛṣṇa prayer with broken languages, because Kṛṣṇa is Absolute, Kṛṣṇa will accept it. Bhāva-grāhī, bhāva-grāhī-janārdana. Janārdana, Kṛṣṇa, sees how much your heart is pure for serving Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not see the wording, the grammatical composition of your prayer. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said . . . when other demigods were afraid of approaching Nṛsiṁha-deva, so Brahmā requested Prahlāda that "You offer prayer." So Brahmā's prayer is very . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayer . . . so Prahlāda Mahārāja says that, "What prayer I shall offer to the Supreme Lord? Such big, big demigods like Brahmā and others, they are present here.

Even goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, is present here. They are afraid, or they could not offer proper prayers to Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, to pacify Him. He's very angry. So everyone is afraid." So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am born in a low family. My father is Hiraṇyakaśipu. So how I can offer prayer? If big, big demigods could not offer prayer and satisfy the Lord, so what I can do?"

This is humbleness of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is so humble. He is induced, he's ordered by Brahmā, that, "You offer prayer. Your prayer will be accepted." So then Prahlāda Mahārāja considering that viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt (SB 7.9.10): "I can understand this, that Kṛṣṇa is not satisfied by the prayers of a Brāhmin who is qualified with twelve nice qualities. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied simply by devotion. I can understand. Because all these big, big demigods headed by Brahmā, they could not . . . they are asking me. That means Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied simply by bhakti."

That's the fact. That is the fact. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says that, "A little flower, little water, little fruit—that's all—if somebody offers Me with devotion and love, then I eat." Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. He is self-satisfied, pūrṇa. But if His devotee offers Him something with love and affection, then He accepts. So do not think that, "We have made such nice, sumptuous plate for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa must eat." No. There is no such thing "must." You cannot make Kṛṣṇa must. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa will see how much you have love for Him. Then He will accept. Otherwise He'll reject.

Therefore, it is forbidden, those who are nondevotee, those who are not initiated, those who are not chanting regularly, their offering to Kṛṣṇa will not be accepted. We must be very careful. We must know our position, whether I am sincerely following the principles of devotional service. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti. So either you offer Kṛṣṇa prayers or you offer foodstuff, everything must be along with bhakti, devotion, love. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept.

As Kuntī, Kṛṣṇa . . . Kuntī offered prayers. She's a woman. She has not much very learning. But still, whatever she has offered, kala-padaiḥ, according to her, as much, as many nice words could be collected, she has offered. Kala-padaiḥ pariṇūta, worshiped. So worship, for what purpose? Akhilodaye. For the enlightenment of the whole universe. For akhilodaya. By offering prayer to Kṛṣṇa, everything becomes auspicious, akhilodaya. Then Kṛṣṇa . . . whatever you speak for Kṛṣṇa, it is applicable. Whatever you speak. Because Kṛṣṇa is everything.

If you say: "Kṛṣṇa is the noblest man," that is applicable. And if you say: "Kṛṣṇa is the greatest thief," that is also applicable. This is absolute. Because He has stolen so . . . so much butter, well-known butter thief. So not only that; so many things. If you say: "Kṛṣṇa is the greatest cheater," that is also applicable. And if you say: "Kṛṣṇa is the most benevolent, beneficent," that is also applicable. They're absolute. That is absolute. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1): wherefrom everything is coming.

So these words, what we think, "This is good word; this is bad word," so for Kṛṣṇa there is nothing like that. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Rather, what you think bad, that becomes good when it is applied to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Kṛṣṇa advised Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja that, "You go to Droṇācārya and speak him, to tell him that 'Your son is dead.' " Because Droṇācārya will not die unless he hears . . . he gets a shock of his son's death. So his sons was living. So unless he gets this shock . . . so he would not believe anybody. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was the truthful dharmarāja, Yudhiṣṭhira. So Kṛṣṇa asked him that, "You go on and tell this lie, that 'He is . . . your son is dead.' " But Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja hesitated: "Oh, I never spoken lies. How can I say it?" You see?

So this was a mistake by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, because the so-called truthfulness or untruthfulness of this relative world is not applicable to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got a plan. If we execute the plan of Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest truth. But we should not imitate unless we are actually ordered to do such thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa was personally asking. So unless we are ordered by Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, we cannot violate the morality of this world. That is not possible. It is a great philosophy. It requires little brain to understand. So man nimitte kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ puṇya eva kalpate. So if sometimes we have to do something which is sinful for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, not for others, not for me . . . for me, even if we do so-called pious activities, that is also impious. And if we do something for Kṛṣṇa which is in the estimation of the world impious, that becomes pious. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy.

So therefore it is said that vaikuṇṭho. Mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭhaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is Vaikuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha means anxiety, doubt, kuṇṭha. If you are doubtful, if you are in anxiety, that is called kuṇṭha. And vaikuṇṭha means without that thing, doubtfulness or anxiety. So in other word, whatever you do for Kṛṣṇa, there is no more doubt or anxiety. Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore His name is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. There is a verse, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he engaged his mind to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ.

We have different senses. The mind is the center of all senses. Therefore our first business should be always engaging the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Always thinking of the lotus feet. Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ (CC Madhya 22.113). Always. Then everything is all right. Then when you have to talk, vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, simply talk of Kṛṣṇa, this Vaikuṇṭha. You can talk of Kṛṣṇa about His pastimes with the gopīs. You can talk of Kṛṣṇa about His pastimes when He's killing the Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura. Both are the same. Some of the rascals, they decide that to talk of Kṛṣṇa about His embracing the gopīs is very good, and the talk of Kṛṣṇa killing Pūtanā or other demons, that is not good. That is rascaldom. Anything about Kṛṣṇa you talk, vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are so many description, so many other things, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, so each word of Bhāgavatam is value. Each word of Bhagavad-gītā is value. Because there is relation. Similarly, if you dovetail everything in Kṛṣṇa's service, everything is good. Everything Vaikuṇṭha. That is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane.

So that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to dovetail everything in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Make Kṛṣṇa center, and all your activities will be spiritual. That is distinction. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). As soon as anything is done for Kṛṣṇa, the bhakti . . . so the beginning you cannot do so, that anything you can dovetail. No. In the beginning you have to learn first of all how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You are . . . we are in the training period. We are in the training period. We should not imitate: "Oh, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was ordered to speak lies, so let us go on speaking all lies." No, not that. You cannot do so.

First of all, be trained up. For being trained up, you have to follow the regulative principles, the orders of spiritual master. In this way, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). When your all parts of your limbs will be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170), in this way when you are actually advanced, then whatever you do in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is good.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)