731130 - Lecture SB 01.15.20 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

731130SB-LOS ANGELES - November 30, 1973 - 42:59 Minutes

Devotee: . . . Rādhā-Mādhava?

Prabhupāda: . . . (indistinct)

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: No, that I sing, but you do not sing before me?

Devotee: No, you sing firstly. Then we sing. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Oh. (Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dvani) Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

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

so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena

sakhyā priyeṇa suhṛdā hṛdayena śūnyaḥ

adhvany urukrama-parigraham aṅga rakṣan

gopair asadbhir abaleva vinirjito 'smi

(SB 1.15.20)

saḥ—that; aham—myself; nṛpa-indra—O Emperor; rahitaḥ—bereft of; puruṣa-uttamena—by the Supreme Lord; sakhyā—by my friend; priyeṇa—by my dearmost; suhṛdā—by the well-wisher; hṛdayena—by the heart and soul; śūnyaḥ—vacant; adhvani—recently; urukrama-parigraham—the wives of the all-powerful; aṅga—bodies; rakṣan—while protecting; gopaiḥ—by the cowherds; asadbhiḥ—by the infidels; abalā iva—like a weak woman; vinirjitaḥ asmi—I have been defeated.

Translation: "O Emperor, now I am separated from my friend and dearmost well-wisher, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore my heart appears to be void of everything. In His absence I have been defeated by a number of infidel cowherdsmen while I was guarding the bodies of all the wives of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: So after departure of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's all the wives, 16,108, they were being taken care of by Arjuna. But some cowherdsmen, they plundered all the queens, and Arjuna could not protect him . . . protect them.

So this is the instance, that we may be very powerful so long Kṛṣṇa keeps us powerful. We are not independently powerful, even in the case of Arjuna. We are very much proud of our janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). The material world, everyone is very much proud of his birth, riches, education and beauty. Beauty. These four things are obtained as result of pious activities. And as a result of impious activities, the opposite number: not birth in a very nice family or nation; no wealth, poverty; no education; and no beauty. But one should know that these assets, material assets . . .

Just like you American people, you have got nice assets. You are born of a very respectful nation—American nations are still honored all over the world. So that's a good opportunity for you, janma. You are born in . . . every American is . . . in comparison to India, every American is rich man, because any ordinary man earns here at least four thousand, five thousand rupees. And in India, even the high-court judge, he cannot earn so much. Utmost four thousand. So you should be conscious that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa you have got all these things.

There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful—everything. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ. But if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you misuse these assets, then again punar mūṣiko bhava. You know the story, punar mūṣiko bhava? Anyone knows?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Punar mūṣiko bhava means "Again you become a mouse." (laughter) A mouse came to a saintly person, "Sir, I am very much troubled." "What is that?" People generally go to saintly person for some material profit. That is the nature, animalistic nature. Why you should go to a saintly person for some material benefit? No. You go there to learn what is God. That is real business. Anyway, saintly persons sometimes receive. "So, what you want?" Just like Lord Śiva, his devotees are all like that, mouse, want something. "Sir, this cat troubles me very much." "So what do you want?" "Let me become a cat." "All right, you become a cat." So he became a cat.

Then after few days, he came back: "Sir, still I am in trouble." "What is that?" "The dogs, (laughter) they trouble us very much." "So what do you want?" "Now I want to become a dog." "All right, you become." Then after few days, one after . . . there is nature's arrangement: one is weak, one is strong. That is nature's arrangement. So after all, he wanted to become a tiger. So by the grace of the saintly person he became a tiger. And when he became a tiger, he was staring on the saintly person, like "Oh."

(Prabhupāda makes a face) (laughter)

So the saintly person asked him, "You want to eat me?" "Yes." "Oh, then you may again become a mouse. (laughter) If by my grace, by my favor, you have become tiger, so I will again condemn you to become a mouse."

So you American people, you have become tiger now, Nixon tiger. But if you don't behave obligely, if you don't feel obliged . . . if the tiger feels obliged that, "By the grace of the saintly person, I have come to the stage of becoming a tiger. I must be very much obliged to him." But instead of becoming obliged, if you want to eat, then again become a mouse. If the saintly person has got the power to make you from mouse to tiger, then he can convert you again from tiger to mouse. You must always remember this.

So by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, you have become so powerful nation—rich, beautiful, educated. By grace of Kṛṣṇa you have become, but if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then you are again going to be mouse. Remember that. Nobody will care for you. Just like Englishmen: Englishmen, they established the British Empire, great, powerful, most powerful nation in the world. Now they are not so. Because they misused their power. So you get power, opulence, by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And if you misuse it, then you become again . . . that is happening. That is the nature's law. Nature's law.

So here, Arjuna, by his personal behavior, he is showing that, "Without Kṛṣṇa . . . I was so great fighter that I took charge of the sixteen thousand wives of Kṛṣṇa to take them safely. Because Kṛṣṇa passed away, so they must be given protection." He was Kṛṣṇa's friend, but he could not do so. All the queens were plundered by cowherdsmen. Therefore he says that gopair asadbhiḥ. Cowherdsmen, they are not very powerful. They are ordinary men, cowherdsmen. But Arjuna was kṣatriya, so powerful, so he was defeated by them. Therefore he is regretting that asadbhiḥ, "If I would have been defeated by another powerful person, that would have been glory. But I have been defeated by the cowherdsmen." Just see. Asadbhiḥ. They are not counted amongst gentlemen. Asadbhir abaleva.

Abaleva. Abalā, another name of the woman. Just like if somebody attacks woman . . . any young man, when he has got sixteen years old, he can attack any woman. But a woman, even though she is sixteen years or eighteen years or twenty years, she becomes immediately victim. So abaleva. Even the woman is higher in age, still, she cannot protect. Therefore woman requires protection. Woman requires protection. According to Vedic culture, woman has no independence. Because they cannot keep their independence. It is not possible. A sixteen-year-old boy can go safely all over the world, but a sixteen-year girl cannot. That is not possible.

By nature, they are weak. So they require protection. And until she reaches youthhood, she is protected by the father. As soon as she reaches youthhood, she is given to a young man, her husband, to give protection. And in old age she is protected by the elderly sons. This is the Vedic culture. There are three phases of life: childhood, youthhood and old age. So . . . because they are weak. In the Western countries, the women are given freedom like man, but that is unnatural. Unnatural. Therefore these poor souls are being exploited by the other section. It is a great deficiency of the Western sociology.

But the Vedic culture is different from this. Woman is not given independence. And generally one man marries more than one wife. That is Vedic culture. Just like see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has 16,108. That is allowed. Kṛṣṇa was Personality of Godhead. He could maintain . . . why sixteen? Sixteen millions wife. That is not difficult for Him. But even ordinary man, kṣatriyas especially, they used to marry more than one wife. Still. Not only wife, but one wife, one princess is married, and along with her, hundred, two hundred maidservants, they will go with the king. Just like when Vasudeva was married to Devakī, some hundreds of maidservant was given with. So women . . . the conclusion is that women are weak. They should be given protection. They should not be ill-treated. Just like a father gives protection to the children. It does not mean it is ill-treatment. There is no question of. But protection. Otherwise, abaleva, they can be victimized by any man, powerful, because man is powerful.

So so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena. We also require. Don't be proud, "Because I am man, I don't require protection." Here it is said, Kṛṣṇa said, er, Arjuna said, puruṣottamena so 'haṁ rahitaḥ: "Now I have no protection." Arjuna was so great hero. Still, he required protection. Puruṣottamena. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer. The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. If He does not give protection, you cannot enjoy your life. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says . . . Kṛṣṇa is giving protection, but not as much as He wants to give you protection, because you deny to accept it. Because you deny to accept His protection, therefore He is giving protection to you as much as you want. And if you want full protection, then the condition is, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "Give up your own manufactured, concocted means of protection. You just surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection." Protection for what? "Protection from sinful activities."

We are victimized by our sinful activities due to ignorance. We do not know what to do, what not to do. Out of ignorance we do something, and we become victimized by the laws of nature. But if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, He will give you protection. You will never be victimized. You will never be victimized. Because Kṛṣṇa says:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

Kṛṣṇa will guide you. Kṛṣṇa is within yourself, and He can speak to you. You can hear Him also, provided you are fully surrendered.

So it does not mean that Arjuna was not fully surrendered. Arjuna was fully surrendered, and Arjuna was fully protected by Kṛṣṇa. Neither these queens, sixteen thousand queens, could be plundered away by some cowherdsmen. But the . . . it is an instance that even a person like Arjuna, he will be helpless without Kṛṣṇa. He will be helpless, what to speak of ourselves. He will be helpless. That is his . . . he is showing that example. Kṛṣṇa was . . . so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena: "Now I am bereft of the association of my dearest friend, Kṛṣṇa." Sakhyā. Sakha means friend. Sakhyā priyeṇa. Not only friend; very dear friend, priyeṇa. Suhṛdā. Suhṛdā means . . . suhṛt. There are different kinds of friends. But suhṛt is a friend who always thinks of his friend how he will be happy. That is called suhṛt. That is . . . this description is given about the devotees also. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). A devotee is always thinking how whole world will be happy. Suhṛdaṁ sarva . . . not only human being, but animals, birds, trees, beasts, everyone. A devotee does not like to see even a grass is unreasonably cut. That is devotee . . . (indistinct) . . . that is the . . .

Therefore Vaiṣṇava . . . what is that? Vaiṣṇavānām? Vaiṣṇava is happy. Just like, take Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja said . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja was praying Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva to pacify Him. So the commentator says that Prahlāda Mahārāja might have been very much afraid of this ferocious feature of the Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva. So he assured Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord, don't think that I am afraid of Your this feature. No, no." Naivodvije. "Neither I am afraid of this materialistic existence." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). "I am quite confident that I have no fear." And he has practically seen that his father teased him in so many ways, but at last he was protected. So why he should not believe? He knows that, "I am dedicated my life to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not so ungrateful that He will not give me protection. How it is possible?"

But one who does not believe in Kṛṣṇa, he thinks that he will protect himself. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are not God-realized, they think that they will be protected by their society, friendship, love, country, nation, like that. But that is not possible. Just like you are flying in the sky so many aeroplanes at a time. Sometimes in a bunch, in a group, they fly. But if one of the aeroplane is in danger, no other aeroplane can help him. He'll finish. So similarly, we are also flying as aeroplane in the open sky. The protection . . . you don't expect protection from your so-called society, friendship and love, materially. When there is question of danger, you have to protect with your own strength.

Therefore if we want actually protection, we should take protection of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29): "I am the friend of everyone." He can become friend. He is living within our heart as friend. But we refuse the guidance of such a nice friend. That is our misfortune. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so friendly, that you are . . . just like one bird is flying from one tree to another, and another bird is following him. So similarly, we are flying from one body to another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). And Kṛṣṇa does not leave us. He also going with you, just to give you guidance. But we won't give Him. Just like father . . . it is very natural. Father naturally wants to guide the son, without any motive. That is father's nature. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or God, the supreme father, is naturally inclined to give us protection. Naturally.

Therefore He comes, Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa's two business. First of all, preaching, these rascals who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa that, "We are very intimately related. I am the father of all living entities. So you come to Me, come to home. You will be happy. I am not poor. I can provide you with all necessities." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That one can provide everyone with necessities of life. Actually He is doing. What government is doing for the cats and dogs and the ants and the trees? They are not doing anything. Rather, they are cutting. When there is jungle, for their paper mill they are cutting all the trees. No protection for the trees. They are all cutting all the throats of the cows and animals for eating. So the government cannot give protection. Nobody can give protection. Only Kṛṣṇa can give you protection. Therefore we should always seek the protection of Kṛṣṇa. That is our security, not any other thing.

So suhṛt means . . . Kṛṣṇa is suhṛt. Suhṛt means who always, I mean to say, trying for our welfare. He comes Himself, and even though we do not accept . . . Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He gives plain advice that, "You always think of Me, become My devotee, offer your respect, obeisances, unto Me. That will make your life perfect." But we shall not do that. We shall not do that. We shall think of so many other things, but we will never accept thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We shall become devotees of so many rascals, even of a dog also, but we shall never become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. We are devotee or master to our wife, to our children, to our country, to our society, but as soon as you say that, "You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa," oh, he is enraged immediately, "What nonsense you are speaking? I have got so many work to do. Why shall I become devotee of Kṛṣṇa?" (laughter) This is the disease. This is the disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa ultimately says that, "You give up all this nonsense, and if you surrender unto Me, then I shall give you protection." Naturally.

Just like we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not devotee to the people in general. Then why we are preaching? We are devotee. We are actually devotee, without any motive. Any so-called political leader, he has got some motive. When he becomes devotee of the nation, he has got some motive. But we have no such motive. We simply say plainly that, "You become happy by becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You are now devotee of your lust, anger and illusion. You have become devotee of so many things, rascaldom. You simply become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then your problems will be solved." Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ (Brs. 3.2.35, CC Madhya 22.16).

We are devotee, somebody. But we are not devotee of somebody; we are . . . we have got some motive. Just like now it is coming to exposure: so many leaders, they got election, pretending themselves devotee of the nation—in everywhere, not only in your country. But actually, they were not devotee of the nation; they were devotee of their own lusty desires. That's all. That, "If I occupy this post, then I shall be able to fulfill my lusty desires." Nobody is devotee. Devotion is only applicable to Kṛṣṇa. If somebody is proclaiming himself that, "I am devotee, servant of my nation, of my society, of my wife or my children"—all false. Here nobody is devotee. Everyone has got some motive. Even the intimate relationship between husband and wife, there is some motive. The husband has got some motive and the wife has got . . . as soon as the motive is not fulfilled, divorce: "Ah, no more now. Take another chapter."

So this is going on. You see? This is going on, and therefore in the name of devotion, in the name of love, in the name of faith, they are trying to satisfy their own senses. This is called illusion. And he will never be happy so long he will try to satisfy his senses. And that is the truth. They will never be happy. Because . . . I have given this example: the parts and parcel of your body. If separately the part and parcel of the body wants to satisfy itself, it will never be satisfied. The only means of satisfaction is that the part and parcel conjointly work and satisfy the stomach, and then it will be satisfied. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If we want to satisfy ourself, our senses, independently, we shall never be satisfied. This is the fact. You have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be satisfied. This is the process. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).

Because actually the owner is Kṛṣṇa. I am claiming, "This is my hand." It is not my hand; it is Kṛṣṇa's hand. He has given us to use it. So if I don't use it for Kṛṣṇa, then it will be criminal. It will be criminal. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Simply for Kṛṣṇa you have to work. And if you work for your sense gratification, then you will be entangled. This is called karma-bandha. You will be entangled more and more. Yāvan mano vai karmaṇe saktaṁ tāvat na muñcante deha-bandhāt. So long we will be, I mean to say, sense-gratifying minded . . . because everyone's mind is absorbed in the thought of gratifying his own senses. So, so long we shall be absorbed in this type of thoughts, then we have to accept a body, either human body or other body. There are 8,400,000 different types of forms and body. So we have got different types of desires also, because we are—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)—we are under the modes of material nature, and the material nature has got the modes, different modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. You mix up these three: three into three, it becomes nine; nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one; eighty-one into eight . . . it increases. It increases. Therefore we see so many varieties of life, according to the mentality. So if we work on our . . . according to the dictation of the mind, then we become entangled. And if we work under the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, then we become free. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol . . . (cut) (end)