741025 - Lecture SB 01.08.45 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

741025SB-MAYAPUR - October 25, 1974 - 27:48 Minutes

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

tāṁ bāḍham ity upāmantrya

praviśya gajasāhvayam

striyaś ca sva-puraṁ yāsyan

premṇā rājñā nivāritaḥ

(SB 1.8.45)

(break)

(Thus accepting the) ". . . prayers of Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, the Lord subsequently informed other ladies of His departure by entering the palace of Hastināpura. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King Yudhiṣṭhira, who implored Him lovingly."

Prabhupāda:

tāṁ bāḍham ity upāmantrya

praviśya gajasāhvayam

striyaś ca sva-puraṁ yāsyan

premṇā rājñā nivāritaḥ

(SB 1.8.45)

So this verse . . . all the ladies of the palace . . . it is natural for ladies, when there is separation, they cry. So they were shedding tears, but Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked them to stop, not to cry, because it may be inauspicious. Kṛṣṇa was going home, and everyone should give Him farewell, a smiling face. But they could not do so. It was not possible. They were feeling so much of Kṛṣṇa's separation that they were crying, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked them not to cry.

(reading) "No one could make Lord Kṛṣṇa stay at Hastināpura when He decided to start for Dvārakā, but the simple request, Yudhiṣṭhira, that the Lord remain there for a few days more was immediately effective. This signifies that the power of the King of loving affection, which the Lord could not deny. The almighty God thus conquered only by loving service." Kṛṣṇa, although ready for going, still, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja stopped. And because Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is the elder cousin of Kṛṣṇa and very exalted, pious king, could not . . . Kṛṣṇa could not refuse the order. (reading) "The almighty God is thus conquered only by loving service, and nothing else." Prāyana . . . prāyaśo ajito 'py jita 'py asi. Kṛṣṇa is Ajita. Nobody can conquer Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can order Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can supersede Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is powerful than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is richer. Everything . . . Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Therefore His another name is Ajita. Ajita means . . . jita means conquered, ajita means who is never conquered. Kṛṣṇa had so many fights with the demons. Even in His childhood, the demons could not conquer over Kṛṣṇa. Beginning from Pūtanā, when He was only three months old, and up to the killing of so many other demons, Kṛṣṇa was never defeated. That is the history. He was never defeated. Ajita. Therefore His name is Ajita. But Ajita becomes conquered. Ajito 'py jita 'py asi. Although Kṛṣṇa is never conquered, still, you can conquer Him. How? Simply by becoming His beloved devotee.

Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva is one of the recognized stalwart devotee of Kṛṣṇa, mahājana, authority. Whatever Bhīṣma will speak on devotional service, that is authoritative. All the twelve mahājanas . . . svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ (SB 6.3.20). So Bhīṣma wanted to conquer over Kṛṣṇa. He promised. How he conquered, that you know, the story, that when Duryodhana showed some reluctance, that "My dear grandfather, you are not fighting with the Pāṇḍavas wholeheartedly because you have got affection for them. So you are on my side. You should fight wholeheartedly." A little criticizing. So to . . . in order to please Duryodhana, Bhīṣma promised that "Tomorrow I shall kill all the five brothers. Is that all right?" "Yes, sir. Do that." "So they cannot be saved unless Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise."

Kṛṣṇa said that . . . both the parties were informed that, "It is family fight. I cannot take part in the family. But I can divide Myself into two: My soldiers one side, and I am one side. But even if I am in one side, I'll not fight." So this was His promise, that He would not fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. But Bhīṣma obliged Him to fight, to break His promise in order to save Arjuna. Therefore Bhīṣma conquered over Kṛṣṇa, because He had to break His promise. Arjuna was in such a precarious condition that unless Kṛṣṇa would take up the weapon to stop Bhīṣma . . . Bhīṣma was determined: "All right, let, let me kill my grandson." So in battlefield, it was a great ocean of fighting, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, they were compared with big, big sharks, crocodiles, in the ocean. That was described by Parīkṣit Mahārāja that, "Only for Kṛṣṇa, my grandfather Arjuna was saved. Otherwise, it was impossible for my grandfather to conquer over the fight, to come out victorious. It is simply due to Kṛṣṇa."

So Bhīṣma conquered over Kṛṣṇa. Instead of conquering over Arjuna, he conquered over Kṛṣṇa. So similarly, here also, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he conquered over Kṛṣṇa's decision. If we become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then ajito 'py jita 'py asi. This is the statement of Lord Brahmā, that Kṛṣṇa can be conquered. Just like Yaśodā-mā conquered over Kṛṣṇa. That Dāmodara-stotra you are reading, how Kṛṣṇa was afraid of His mother. So any devotee can attain that stage, controlling Kṛṣṇa by love and affection. There is no question . . . a devotee never likes to control over . . . they want to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is also service. When a devotee conquers over Kṛṣṇa or controls over Kṛṣṇa, that is also service. That is not actually controlling, because Kṛṣṇa wants to be controlled. Just like a father sometimes says to his children, small children, to rise over the body, and they kick the father. And they . . . the father feels some relief; it is a kind of massaging. So similarly, everyone worships Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Being, and therefore Kṛṣṇa wants sometimes to be, I mean to say, thought as insignificant subordinate. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that, "Everyone worships Me, but without worshiping, if somebody, I mean, controls over Me, I am very much happy."

So to control over Kṛṣṇa is not a very easy job. Unless one is a great devotee, he cannot . . . just like the cowherd boys, they used to rise on the shoulder of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was defeated in play. So the bet was that one who is defeated, he would take the other party on his shoulder. So Kṛṣṇa became defeated.

itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

(SB 10.12.11)

When Kṛṣṇa was playing like that, taking His friend on the shoulder, so Śukadeva Gosvāmī made a statement, "Who is this person, taking His friend on His shoulder?" Now, itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. The great, great sages, impersonalists, they merge into the brahma-sukha. So brahma-sukha . . . Brahman is the effulgence of body of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī's pointing out that, "Here is the source of brahma-sukha. The impersonalists, they take pleasure to merge into brahma-sukha, but here the Personality, Kṛṣṇa, who is taking His friend on His shoulder, He is the source of brahma-sukha." In other words, the impersonalist enjoy brahma-sukha, and the devotee enjoys that Supreme Brahman by rising up on His shoulder. That is the position of the devotee. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: "And He's the Supreme Person for the devotees." Dāsyaṁ gatānām, those who have accepted to become the servant, eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, so for them, here is the Supreme Person.

And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: "Those who are under the influence of māyā, they are seeing Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human child, māyāśrita." And who are playing? Now, sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). They have come to this position so much so that they are rising on the shoulder of Kṛṣṇa. How? Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Puṇya-puñjāḥ, heaps of pious activities, many, many lives. First of all, one has to understand Kṛṣṇa after becoming very, very perfect. Hmm?

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

Out of many millions of persons, somebody is interested in making this life perfect. Generally, the karmīs, they do not know what is the perfection of life. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. They are being carried away by the waves of material nature.

Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is warning, "My dear friends, why you are being carried away by the waves of this material ocean?" Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. This is Vaiṣṇava's desire. Vaiṣṇavaḥ para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Kṛpāmbudhiḥ. So Vaiṣṇava vision is different. Vaiṣṇava vision is . . . he can see what is the position of these māyāśritānām, those who have taken shelter of this māyā, what is their position. Position is miserable. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And they are being carried away by the waves. Today, one kind of body; tomorrow, another body; tomorrow or next life . . . so in this way the karmīs are being carried away. So therefore, out of such millions of karmīs, one becomes jñānī. Jñānī.

Koṭi karmī madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that, "Out of many, many karmīs, one who is jñānī . . ." jñānī means one who knows that "I am not this body. I am spirit." But still, there is some mistake. They think that, "I am the Supreme Spirit." So 'ham. Māyā is so strong. Even after so much austerities, coming practically on the verge of perfection, they are misled by māyā, this so ham. So ham means "I am the same." But "I am the same" does not mean "I am the same Supreme." "I am the same in quality." So 'ham does not mean that, "I am as good as the Supreme Brahman." It does not mean. Part is never equal to the whole. We are part of the Supreme Brahman, mamaivāṁśaḥ. So in quality, just like a small particle of gold is also gold—quality is the same. A small drop of seawater is the same quality—salty. But that does not mean the drop of seawater becomes the sea. The māyā is so strong. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "The impersonalist, Māyāvādīs, although they think that they have become one with the Supreme, but their intelligence is not yet complete." Ye 'nye . . . ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They think like that: "Now we have become perfect, Nārāyaṇa." But Bhāgavata says, "Sir, you may think like that, that you have become liberated, but you are not liberated, because you are still in ignorance, because you are thinking one with the Supreme." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Your intelligence is not yet perfect."

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). Siddha . . . jñānīs are siddhas. Yogīs are siddhas. Although they are trying their best to become perfect, but still, they are missing Kṛṣṇa on account of aviśuddha-buddhi. And therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). Although by austerities they come to that platform of brahma-anubhāva, Brahman realization, still, they fall down, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, on account of neglecting to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So they cannot understand Him. Kaścit. Kṛṣṇa says, kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. Not that everyone, jñānī, will understand. Even one is jñānī, then he'll take many births to understand Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).

So to understand God, the Supreme Being, who is controlling the whole universe, it is very, very difficult to understand Him. But if we become devotee, then Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself. That is the . . . then not only the devotee understands what is Kṛṣṇa, but he attains the position that he can order over Kṛṣṇa, he can control Kṛṣṇa. This is devotee's position. So why a devotee should aspire for merging into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's rays? They have got a different position. So we should try to become a devotee simply by service. You can become a perfect devotee simply by service. There is no other method. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhakti means service, simply. That is bhakti. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Simply the spirit, bhakti . . . bhaktir uttamā. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). Ānukūlyena. Whatever Kṛṣṇa orders, if you discharge that, that is bhakti, simply favorable to Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says . . .

So Kṛṣṇa says very simple thing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If we become intelligent enough, then we fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). We take up the principle to think of Kṛṣṇa always, twenty-four hours. Satataṁ cintayanto . . . kīrtayanto mām. If you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, then satatam, twenty-four hours . . . that is possible, just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura used to do. Then you think of Kṛṣṇa without fail, and other things automatically come. Man-manā bhava mad . . . who can devote so much time for thinking of . . . unless he has become a devotee? So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. And a devotee is always ready to worship Kṛṣṇa, offer Him obeisances, however big he may be. In this way, we can attain this position of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Yaśodāmāyi when Kṛṣṇa, the Ajita, could be controlled, even by the devotee.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)