740714 - Lecture SB 01.16.24 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740714SB-LOS ANGELES - July 14, 1974 - 24:40 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dhvani)

Thank you very much.

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

idaṁ hi mamācakṣva tavādhi-mūlaṁ

vasundhare yena vikarśitāsi

kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā

surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam

(SB 1.16.24)

(break) (leads synonyms) (break)

"Mother, are you the reservoir of all . . . mother, you are the reservoir of all riches. Please inform me of the root cause of your tribulations by which you have been reduced to such a weak state. I think that the powerful influence of time, which conquers the most powerful, might have forcibly taken away all your fortune, which was adored even by the demigods."

Prabhupāda:

idaṁ hi mamācakṣva tavādhi-mūlaṁ

vasundhare yena vikarśitāsi

kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā

surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam

(SB 1.16.24)

So kālena, kālena means "by the time." In the Bhagavad-gītā there is, sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa (BG 4.2). So time is very powerful. Time is eternal, and it is very powerful. So the inquiry is, "Vasundhare, the reservoir of all riches, whether you have been plundered or taken away of all your fortunes in due course of time?" Vasundhare, this planet . . . there are innumerable planets. This is one of them. And it is referred here that surārcitam. Surārcitam. Sura means the demigods, and arcitam means worshiped. So the demigods, they live in higher planetary system. Their standard of life is far, far better, thousands and thousand times better. Therefore when this planet is more opulent, even the demigods, they eulogize, surārcitaṁ, saubhagam. That kind of opulence is certainly very great fortune. So all these inquiries are being made because Kṛṣṇa left this planet. "When Kṛṣṇa was present, so the opulence of this planet was so great that even the demigods in higher planetary system, they were also envious. So that is now . . . because Kṛṣṇa is not there, so that opulence is now taken away. So whether you are so much sorry for this purpose?"

So this planet or any planet, they are all full with opulence. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ (Īśopaniṣad invocation). By . . . anything created by God is complete. Several times I have explained, just like in this planet we require water. Water is required for cleansing, for cultivating . . . so many things water is . . . profuse water required. So Kṛṣṇa has provided this planet, three-fourths part of the planet is full with water. But you cannot utilize it unless Kṛṣṇa touches. There is scarcity of water. You require so much water. Suppose in the desert you can pump water from the sea, but that will not be effective. It must be managed by Kṛṣṇa. The water must be evaporated by the machine, sunshine, and they'll be turned into cloud. And when that water is poured, then it will beneficial.

So you are always dependent on Kṛṣṇa and His mercy. You are thinking that "We shall adjust these material things and become happy." That is foolishness. That is not possible. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛti is there. All the riches are there. Everything is there on the ground. Just like we are getting so many things from this ground---the trees, the plants, the foodstuffs, the minerals, so many things. There is everything, complete. You'll see in your garden there are different types of flowers, color, scent, flavor. But wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from the earth. Can you make any scent from the earth? But the scent is coming from the earth. The rose flavor, wherefrom it is coming? It is there. Anyone can understand. But you cannot extract that. Kṛṣṇa requires His hand. When Kṛṣṇa is there in the form of seed . . . Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 7.10): "I am the seed of all living beings." The seed. That . . . just like there is sex. Unless the seed is there, there is no child. Similarly, unless the seed is there, there is no plantation. The banyan tree is there because the seed is there, and the rose tree is there because the seed is there. And Kṛṣṇa claims, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. And Kṛṣṇa's potencies are there in the seed so that different types of seeds producing different types of flowers, fruits, color, flavor. This is Kṛṣṇa's supervision. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10).

So ultimately, time and earth and everyone is abiding by the Lord, by the orders of the Lord.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

Budhāḥ, those who are not rascals. Budha means intelligent. Budha. Budha means intelligent. So those who are intelligent, they know that everything is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. So why not depend on Kṛṣṇa only? Why so many other attempts? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

(BG 2.41)

Vyavasāyī means one who knows business particularly. Vyavasāya. Or one who knows confidently, "It is . . . this is the cause; this is the effect." Those who know that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, so they are fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha. One. Just depend on Kṛṣṇa. One who does not know this, they depend on so many things. Buddhi avyavasāyinā.

So if we want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, we shall fix up our mind on Kṛṣṇa, and . . . how to become fixed up, that art will be given to you by the spiritual master. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says in connection with the explanation of this verse, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, so he says, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ means to take the words of the spiritual master as life and soul. That is vyavasāya . . . that is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thakur says that, "Whatever I am ordered by the spiritual master, that is my life and soul. I don't care for liberation. My only business is to serve my spiritual master." And in the song you have just sung, ye prasāde . . . what is that? Ye prasāde . . .?

Rāmeśvara: Pūre sarva . . .

Prabhupāda: Pūre sarva āśā. You do not know the meaning. Ye prasāde means "By his mercy, all our desires are fulfilled." Ye prasāde pūre sarva āśā.

So, so this is our process, to depend on Kṛṣṇa. "Depend" does not mean I shall remain idle. Depend means to work according to the direction of the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya (Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura). Depend does not mean, "Now let me sleep, and Kṛṣṇa will do everything. Depend on Kṛṣṇa." No, not like that. Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that "You sleep on this chariot. (laughter) I'll . . ." Hare Kṛṣṇa. He never said that. He said, "You must have to fight." Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). "Fighting you have to do. But you always think of Me." This is the success. Not that depend on Kṛṣṇa means, "I have not to . . . nothing to do."

So everything is there. Here it is said that surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam. All opulences are there. I have already explained. Anything fortune . . . there are mines. There are petrol. There are water. Everything is there. But as soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, then the time will take away everything. Yes. It will not allow. Time will not allow to enjoy. Then there will be strife, there will be misunderstanding. Just like the petrol is there in . . . within this earth, but because we do not know how to use them, therefore there is scarcity of petrol. Petrol is there. We do not know how to use Kṛṣṇa's property. We are trying to use everything as my own. But factually it is not. Factually it is everything Kṛṣṇa's. So if we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, every one of us, there is no scarcity, no want. Because the things are there already. There is no question of scarcity. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, there is scarcity. It is very clear. We have forgotten that this petrol belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right. This land belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But the Arabians are thinking, "This land belongs to us." Therefore there is difficulty.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. If people simply learn this, that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa . . . īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (Īśo mantra 1). Sarvam means "everything." Not that "This much is mine, this much is Kṛṣṇa's." No. Sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiṣcit jagatyāṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuṣjīthāḥ . . . simply we shall use as much He has allotted for us, then there is peace and prosperity, without any difficulty. Otherwise, you go on adjusting your material possession; the time will take away everything. When you die by the . . . in due course of time, then whatever possession we have got, all finished. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham (BG 10.34): "I am death." Kṛṣṇa is everything, so death is also Kṛṣṇa. Just like here is a picture of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Such a great demon, so proud. He was thinking that "I am the proprietor of everything." He was chastising his son, doing everything, whatever he liked. But when Nṛsiṁha-deva came, within a second, everything finished. Everything finished. But Prahlāda remained the same. Prahlāda is not finished; Hiraṇyakaśipu is finished. So those who are trying to be very, very big by material possessions, they'll be all finished. But if you remain in the position of Prahlāda, you'll never be finished.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)