741009 - Lecture SB 01.08.29 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

741009SB-MAYAPUR - October 09, 1974 - 28:45 Minutes

Nitāi: "O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial."

Prabhupāda:

na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitaṁ

tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam

na yasya kaścid dayito 'sti karhicid

dveṣyaś ca yasmin viṣamā matir nṛṇām

(SB 1.8.29)

So Kuntīdevī is clarifying the matter that people may think that Kṛṣṇa was partial to the Pāṇḍava family and He was envious to the Kurus because He always took part on behalf of the Pāṇḍavas. That has been described. So just like worldly men, we, we make some friends and we make some enemies. To somebody we are envious, and to somebody we are very friendly. This is material nature. The material nature means to become envious, generally. And if somebody satisfies my sense gratification, then he's friend. That is also temporary. As soon as the sense gratification process is disturbed, then again envious. The real nature is enviousness. So Kuntīdevī says that "Because You are playing the part of human being, and it appears that You are partial to somebody and You are envious to somebody, this is viḍambanam, this is Your misleading. Actually You are not like that. Actual . . . but because You are playing the part of the ordinary human being—not ordinary, but as human being—so Your dealing like that appears that You are, to some . . . to somebody You are very partial and somebody You are inimical."

But that is not the fact. People cannot understand Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa can be understood by the devotee only.

nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya

yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ

mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti

mām eva param avyayam

(BG 7.25)

Those who are mūḍhas, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is playing, although like that, ordinary human being, the mūḍhas cannot understand. Just like Kṛṣṇa killed Pūtanā, but she got elevation to the position of His mother. Superficially it appeared that Kṛṣṇa killed the Pūtanā, but Pūtanā, Kṛṣṇa took her as her (His) mother. Although she came to kill Kṛṣṇa with poison on her breast, but Kṛṣṇa thought that, "This woman has come to kill Me, but because I have sucked her breast, she is My mother." So any way, the service side, Kṛṣṇa always accepts, a little service. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Svalpam asya. A little service to Kṛṣṇa is feasible, is helpful, to save a man from the greatest danger.

So further she explains, na yasya kaścid dayitaḥ. Dayita means favorable. Na yasya kaścid dayitaḥ asti karhicid dveṣyaś ca yasmin. And nobody is envious. The Bhagavad-gītā also confirms, samo 'haṁ sarva bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti kiñcana (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa is, as we discussed the other day . . . just like the sun is equal to everyone, but we are not able to take the sunshine equally. Somewhere the sun is covered with cloud. Someone is sitting within the dark room. In this way, we are unable to take the sunshine equally. But sun is distributing equally. Na hi harati jyotsnā candraś caṇḍāla-veśmani. There is the . . . Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, caṇḍāla-veśmani. Caṇḍāla means untouchable, the dog-eaters. In the Vedic conception, the dog-eaters are untouchable. Actually they should be untouchable. Meat-eaters are untouchable, especially . . . there are different kinds of meat-eaters. Some eat the goats, some mutton, some cows, some hogs and some dogs. Just like the Hindus, they eat goats, but they do not eat cows. Some religious conception. And the Muhammadans, they use . . . eat cows, but they do not eat pigs. Hārāma. The Muhammadans say: "To eat pig is hārāma." So everyone has got some distinction. But the caṇḍālas, they eat everything, up to the dogs. We have seen in Korea, and in China also, they eat dogs. Here in India, Assam side, there are dog-eaters. So there are different kinds of flesh-eaters. And you'll find in Āyurvedic dravya-guṇa, there are so many different types of meats and fleshes described, and the eating such flesh, what benefit or harm is there, that is described. So formerly, how they were analyzed.

So Kṛṣṇa, although He's playing the part of human being, His activities are transcendental. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). That is the distinction between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. He is killing. He has killed so many demons; from the very childhood His one side is killing—Pūtanā killing, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, then Keśī, and so many asuras He killed. But His killing and our killing is not the same. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. And in the Īśopaniṣad is . . . apāpa-viddham. That is Kṛṣṇa. If we imitate Kṛṣṇa . . . we cannot imitate. Therefore our business is to follow the words of Kṛṣṇa, not to imitate Him. That is suicidal. We shall follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as He is giving in the Bhagavad-gītā. But if we become so rascal to imitate His rāsa-līlā, then we'll go to hell. But the Māyāvādīs, they sometimes do that. That . . . in the Bhāgavatam it is forbidden that, "Imitation of this . . ." Idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ. What is that verse, vraja . . . no, that . . .? That, "These pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is Viṣṇu, with the gopīs, they should not be . . . not only they should be imitated, they should not be thought even within the mind that, 'We can also do like that.' " It is forbidden.

Then the question was . . . Parīkṣit Mahārāja questioned this, "Kṛṣṇa, He came to establish religious principles." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhū . . . vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya (BG 4.8). "So why Kṛṣṇa did this act?" Because it is forbidden to mix with others' wife or daughter. Without being married, according to Vedic culture, no man or woman can mix very intimately. That is even in the ordinary dealings. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that, "Except your wife, all women are your mother." This is paṇḍita. Who is a paṇḍita, learned? Now:

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu

para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat

ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu

yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

(Cāṇakya Paṇḍita)

This is the description of paṇḍita. Paṇḍita . . . and in the Bhagavad-gītā, the paṇḍita is described: paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). This is paṇḍita. Nowadays it has become the custom that unless you have got a university degree, either you may be in knowledge . . . māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ, you are not recognized as a paṇḍita. But in the Vedic scripture, the paṇḍita is different person. Anyone . . . this is the moral instruction by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu

para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat

ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu

yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

(Cāṇakya Paṇḍita)

He is giving the description of paṇḍita in three ways, "One who sees all women except his wife as mother—he is paṇḍita. One who takes others' money as garbage on the street—he is paṇḍita. And one who sees everyone, even to the ant, like himself that, 'If I . . . if somebody pin, pricks pin on my body, I get, I suffer. I feel pain. So why shall I give pain even to an ant?' " Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu.

In a higher sense . . . just like Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava, Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is feeling for . . . para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. This is Vaiṣṇava's business, because a Vaiṣṇava, when he comes to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he can understand that, "What I was previously and what I am now." Actually one is . . . he's happy. He feels that . . . yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ (BG 6.22). "So why these people should suffer without Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" That is samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Therefore preaching required. He preaches. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava, he remains compact in temple worship, that's all, to show the Deity and get some money and fill up the belly. My Guru Mahārāja condemned this process. Of course, it is condemned in this sense, that those who are thinking that, "I have got this temple. Let people come here out of sentiment and they'll pay, and it will be a source of income for my filling up belly . . ." This is most condemned. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that ṭhākura dekhiye payesara ujgarache, rastaya jara diye jivika bharyam kara bhalo, one should be honest. He should work for getting some money. Just like Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa never said that, "Arjuna, you sit down. I am your friend. I shall do everything for you. You sleep." No. Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He should fight. That was the instruction of . . . so kaniṣṭha-adhikārī is different.

And madhyama-adhikārī, they feel for others, that . . .

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu

bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca

prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā

yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

(SB 11.2.46)

And uttama-adhikārī, they have no such distinction. They see, "Everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is all right." But madhyama-adhikārī has to make distinction. Kṛpā upekṣā. He is very kind to the innocent, but those who are envious, he does not care for them. Those who are envious, he does not care for them. He rejects them, "Let them become envious," these madhyama-adhikārī. And īśvare, unto the Supreme Lord—prema. They learn how to love Kṛṣṇa and how to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa's devotee. So this is madhyama-adhikārī and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, uttama-adhikārī. There are different types of devotees—not all the same—according to the stages.

So ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. A Vaiṣṇava feels for others. A Vaiṣṇava understands that, "Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they are rotting under the spell of māyā. Let us do something for them." That is Vaiṣṇava. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, naivodvije para duratyaya, duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ (SB 7.9.43): "I am not afraid of the indefatigable vaitaraṇī." It is said in the śāstra that you have to cross the vaitaraṇī before going to the spiritual world. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that, "I am not afraid of this vaitaraṇī. It is very easy." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43): "Because I know simply by glorifying Your Lordship, I am . . . I can do that." Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). That is quite possible. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. So a pure Vaiṣṇava like Haridāsa Ṭhākura can simply chant. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised anyone, especially His confidential devotees . . . just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī: he was advised that, "You chant and don't eat very palatable food. Don't dress yourself very gorgeously." This instruction . . . but the chanting. Everyone was advised, whoever went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, "You chant."

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that, "I know . . ." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "I can . . . I have no problem, because I have understood what is the value of chanting Your holy name. But I have got another business." What is that? Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am simply concerned with these rascals who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "They are busy that māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). These rascals, for māyā-sukha, temporary material happiness, they have made very, very gorgeous arrangement," very, very big, big skyscraper building and very, very nice road, very, very nice car, and nice dress, nice this, nice nightclub, this club—simply for māyā-sukhāya. "This happiness is temporary. Still, they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, which will make their life successful and happy. They do not know." Māyā-sukhāya bharam. Bharam means humbug, humbugism. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "Those who have arranged like that, these rascals," śoce, "I am lamenting for them." This is Vaiṣṇava. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254).

So because you are preacher—you are being trained up to become preacher, especially in the Western countries—so it is your duty. I have several times requested you that, "You American people, you are fortunate. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). You have got the four things. Now, because these people are misusing these four material gains simply for sense gratification, māyā-sukhāya . . ." Māyā-sukhāya means sense gratification. Māyā . . . "They should be delivered from these clutches of māyā, and they should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is preaching. Preaching is required. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, certainly He took His birth here, but He did not remain here. He did not remain here. He could have remained here very easily. His influence was very great. He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita, very learned scholar, everyone knew. And He was very respectful. Otherwise, how He could gather 100,000 people in one day to go to the Kazi's house? That means He was very influential. But still, He . . . there was good wife, young wife, most affectionate mother. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu could stay at His birthplace very nicely, without any difficulty. And what will be difficulty? He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, Nārāyaṇa Himself, and there was Lakṣmī. But still, to show the example personally, āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya, He left home, He took sannyāsa, and He preached. So preaching is so important. And Kṛṣṇa also says that:

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ

mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati

(BG 18.68)

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu

kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ

(BG 18.69)

So Kṛṣṇa also, He was playing the part of ordinary human being, but He was, in His own life, He was demonstrating how Kṛṣṇa comes here, what for He comes, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. These things are to be understood. Unless we understand these things—why Kṛṣṇa came, why He took part in the battlefield, and there are so many other things ordinarily done—then, if we simply take Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being . . . mūḍha, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam . . . (BG 9.11). Because He's playing the part of human being, if somebody derides, mūḍha, then it is viḍambanam—he'll be cheated. That is explained here: tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. Viḍambana. They cannot understand. The devotees can understand. Kuntī could understand that, "Although Kṛṣṇa is playing the part of human being, He is for everyone's good. He simply presents. As enemy or as friend, it is beneficial." Either He is playing the part of enemy or as friend, it is the same thing because He is absolute. In the absolute world there is no such thing, "This is good; this is bad." Everything good in the absolute world. Kṛṣṇa's killing is as good as Kṛṣṇa's saving. It is the same thing.

So Kuntī could understand. The devotees can understand. So He has no partiality. Nobody should misunderstand that Kṛṣṇa has got partiality. No. This partiality and enimity, friendliness, these are material, duality. Here we cannot understand good unless there is bad. Therefore it is called relative world. We cannot understand father unless there is son. We cannot understand good man unless there is bad man. So these things, duality or relative world, they should exist in this material world. Therefore in order to approach to the spiritual world, one should become above this duality. Above this duality. This duality means the intermixture of the modes of material nature, traiguṇya. The Sanskrit word is traiguṇya. So Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45). So how one can become above these nistraiguṇya, er, traiguṇya? You . . . simply by devotional service, unalloyed devotional service. Anyone who is . . .

māṁ ca avyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

So we should be Kṛṣṇa conscious, always engaged in His . . . (break) (end)