740208 - Lecture BG 04.02 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740208BG-VRNDAVAN - February 8, 1974 - 19:31 Minutes

(poor recording)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . so we have explained rājarṣi, the big kings just like Manu, Ikṣvāku coming from the sun god. The Indians, it is known that there are two kinds of Kṣatriya dynasty. One is coming from the sun, and another is coming from the moon. Candra-vaṁśa and sūrya-vaṁśa. So here we specially refer to the dynasty coming from Sūrya, or the sun god. So there is no question of impersonalism. Sun god is a person. He is the resident, or the predominating deity, in the sun planet, and from there by descendants Manu and Ikṣvāku. In this way Ikṣvāku dynasty is there always in the Rāmāyaṇa. Maharaja Ikṣvāku, the forefather of Lord Rāmacandra raghuvānśī.

So the kings were supposed to know the science of God. This is the . . . (indistinct) . . . because the king, or the monarch, used to rule over the country and the special business of human form is to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, or the science of religion—whatever you call it—or the science of the human goal of life. That is missing. Nobody knows the science of human goal of life, the science of human birth or the science of human society. Nobody knows. They are living just like animals, cats and dogs, simply working:

divā cārthehayā rājan

kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā

nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ

vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ

(SB 2.1.3)

divā cārthehayā rājan

kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā

(SB 2.1.3)

This is the materialistic way of life. What is that? Divya, out of twenty-four hours, twenty hours sleeping, that is very successful (laughter) "I have slept so much. I got the opportunity of sleeping." Divya. We have seen in Calcutta sometimes that the peons, they took their letters from the office and come out from the office and lie down in Dalhousie Street, at least four hours sleep, and then go to another office to deliver the letter. When he comes back it is enquired, "Why you took so much time?" "Oh, this man was not there, that man was not there. I had to wait"—all false. But he thought that "I have got salary and the opportunity of sleeping." This is . . . (indistinct) . . . this is ordinary life that, "I have got this opportunity to sleep so much." And our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau: one who can conquer over sleeping, eating and mating, that is real victory.

nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau

(Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka)

The spiritual life means to conquer over these, especially sleeping, eating and mating. Then we should know that we are advancing in spiritual life. Otherwise you are still victim of mayā. This is the test. You haven't got to inquire from others that whether you are making spiritual advancement. If you can test your activities, "How much I have conquered over sleeping, eating and mating?" Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59) . . . (indistinct)

bhakti-pareśānubhava-viraktir

anyatra syāt

(SB 11.2.42)

Bhakti means advancement in spiritual understanding, pareśānubhava, realizing the Supreme, and viraktir anyatra syāt. Virakti means detachment for other things. Other things means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Four things. This is viṣaya. Narottama Ṭhākura says:

viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī-bṛndābana

(Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura)

You have come to Vṛndāvana to see, that if you have got viṣaya, then you are blind; you cannot see. That is not possible. Viṣaya chāriyā. Viṣaya means this āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca (Hitopadeśa): eating, sleeping, mating and defending. When . . . therefore Vṛndāvana is meant for the paramahaṁsa, like the Gosvāmīs. But we think that coming to Vṛndāvana we become Gosvāmī. But those who are thinking like that, "Simply by coming to Vṛndāvana I have become Gosvāmī," and cheating like cats and dogs, they are Vṛndāvana's dogs. They, such persons who want to enjoy material facilities in Vṛndāvana, then next life will take birth as monkey and the pig and the dog. Then? "I'm in Vṛndāvana . . . (indistinct) . . . is false." No, it is not false. After this birth you will be delivered. But because he treated himself as cats and dogs, therefore he has to take the birth of dogs, pigs, and like that, monkeys, and then next birth. So we don't think that the Vṛndāvana's dogs, monkeys and pigs, they are ordinary living beings. They are also Vaiṣṇava, but due to their animal propensity they took another life. Material nature is so strong, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī (BG 7.14). But this one life—you see—that is there for punishment; no more. That is their advantage. Therefore you see there are many devotees in Vṛndāvana, but still . . . so this is . . . (indistinct) . . . so:

viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha'be

(Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura)

We must care about this life. Viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha. We have to cleanse our heart, completely freed from desires for viṣaya. That is wanted. If we actually take advantage of Vṛndāvana, we get the mercy. Viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana. Because materialistic life means—that is explained in Bhāgavatam—that nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ (SB 2.1.3). At night they'll sleep as much as possible—ten hours, twelve hours, fifteen hours, as much as possible. Of course, there is no fifteen hours night, but as much as possible. So:

nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ

vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ

(SB 2.1.3)

Or one who has got facility for sex life, he'll . . . (indistinct) . . . this is night's business. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena. Vyavāyena means sex life. So, and what is day's business? Divā cārthehayā rājan, "My dear King, I am . . . (indistinct) . . . where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" Go to the . . . (indistinct) . . . downtown and speculate and go to the exchange money, money, money. So divā cārthehayā and as soon as he gets money, what does he do? Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). Now I will have to purchase this thing for my wife, for my child, for my brother—spending again enjoying night, again daytime earn money and spend. This is . . . (indistinct)

. . . nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ

vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ

(SB 2.1.3)

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv

ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api

teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

And what is their business? Their business is dehā, maintenance of this body, dehā. Apatya means changing, dehāpatya-kalatrā. Kalatra means wife. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv. Ādi, beginning from this body and then children and wife other . . . (indistinct) . . . friends, relatives, and so many others dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv. Ātma-sainyeṣv, this is struggle for existence. This material world is struggle for fight against the laws of nature. So we require some soldiers to fight. So materialistic persons think that here are my soldiers, my good wife, my children, my friends, my nation, my countrymen, my society.

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv

ātma-sainyeṣv . . .

(SB 2.1.4)

Considering they are my soldiers. Asatsv api, although they know that these soldiers will be finished at any moment. Asatsv api . . . (indistinct) . . . he has become mad. He is thinking these things will protect him.

pramatto teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

One time consider that in my childhood just like I am an old man I think sometimes where my father's gone, where my aunt's gone and my sister is gone, my brother is gone, gone, gone—that's a fact. One's life one cannot feel that so many relatives, so many friends all gone. So at the present moment, again I am depending on my wife, children and they will also go. They themselves will be gone how they can give me protection? People are mad after this materialistic way of life. They do not know the aim of life, the aim of human mission they do know nothing. They are gone, therefore mūḍhā, ajanata. These things are there. Ajānata, ajānata means one who does not know:

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasyājānato vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata-saṁhitā

(SB 1.7.6)

Lokasyājānato, these rascals they do not know. Therefore vidyā. Vidyā means the most learned, Veda Vyāsadeva, he is so kind upon the human society that these rascals they do not know the aim of life. Therefore sātvata-saṁhitā, he has made the Vedas,Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, the Vedanta philosophy, explanation on Vedanta philosophy, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In Mahābhārata there is Bhagavad-gītā, so many, so many, because these rascals they do not know what is the aim of life.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

(SB 1.7.6)

That bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṇa says one side Kṛṣṇa is giving us the lesson from the Vedic literature, Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela (CC Madhya 20.117). Anādi, from time immemorial, they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given us these literatures. Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. Vyāsadeva's name is Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. So we should take opportunity. There must be kṛṣṇa-saṅga to read from these books, to understand from these books, and the correct information from these books can be had by this process that Kṛṣṇa is recommending, what is that? Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam. These literatures should be understood by the paramparā system. Just like Kṛṣṇa says I told to Vivasvān, the Sungod, he told his favorite son, Manu. Then Manu said to his favorite son, because unless the son or the disciple is not very good recipient then what is the use of talking? What is the use of talking. There must be also nice receiver. That is called paramparā system. So:

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

(BG 4.2)

These things were that same person. They were educated in the spiritual science. That was the system. Nowadays the royal college the princes go there for education but what do they learn? They are dancing and . . . (indistinct) . . . but formally there was a royal college also for educating the princes. But who were the teachers? Great saintly persons. Not ordinary persons. Great saintly persons they used to teach and then they just like the spiritual master teaches to his disciples to make him another spiritual master. Similarly the rajarsi, the kings were taught by great sages . . . (indistinct) . . . Brahmins' committee, not that things were autocrat, no. In the history you don't find. All these kings were guided by a college of saintly persons, big brāhmaṇas, very well educated. Then when they were approved, then the king was enthroned and he used to . . . (indistinct) . . . not by these goats and some asses and cats and dogs.

śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ

saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ

(SB 2.3.19)

To take . . . (indistinct) . . . ordinary rascals. That means śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. Ordinary men what they are? They are just like dogs, viḍ-varā, the stool eating pigs. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra, camels, and kharaiḥ means ass. These four nice animals have been selected. Modern population means they have all these nice animals, dogs, pigs and camels and hogs. Why they have been selected specially? They have got special qualities. So hog means the servant of the master. It is very much subordinate to the master. For the master he can do . . . (indistinct) . . . and viḍ-varāha means one who has no distinction of eating anything they can eat, no discrimination what the human being should eat. Just like nowadays there is everyone is eating meat. That is not human food. So any human being who has no discrimination is compared to a pig. Pig has no discrimination. His food is up to stool. Similarly I have several times explained. Again we are repeating. Camel means it enjoys its own blood. Actually he is eating thorns. Thorns are not very palatable stuff, but when the camel takes this thorn and chew it there is cut in the tongue and the blood comes out. He tastes his own . . . (break) (end)