741210 - Lecture SB 03.25.42 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

741210SB-BOMBAY - December 10, 1974 - 35:03 Minutes

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

mad-bhayād vāti vāto 'yaṁ

sūryas tapati mad-bhayāt

varṣatīndro dahaty agnir

mṛtyuś carati mad-bhayāt

(SB 3.25.42)

(break)

"It is because of My supremacy that the wind blows, out of fear of Me; the sun shines out of fear of Me; the lord of the clouds, Indra, sends forth showers out of fear of Me. The fire burns out of fear of Me, and death goes about taking its toll out of fear of Me."

Prabhupāda:

mad-bhayād vāti vāto 'yaṁ

sūryas tapati mad-bhayāt

varṣatīndro dahaty agnir

mṛtyuś carati mad-bhayāt

(SB 3.25.42)

The ultimate, mṛtyuś carati mad-bhayāt. So bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt (SB 11.2.37). In the previous verse the Lord Kapiladeva said that, "If anyone wants to get out of this fearful situation . . ." Bhayaṁ tīvraṁ nivartate. Ātmanaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ bhayaṁ tīvraṁ nivartate. We are always fearful. Material life is not very happy life because we are always fearful. That's a fact. Nobody can say: "No, I am not afraid of anything." That is false. Everyone is afraid of something, everyone—bird, beast, human being, everyone, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt—because we have got absorption in the second category of life. Second category means this bodily conception of life, dvitīya abhiniveśa. I am thinking at the present moment that "I am this body." Everyone is thinking. Therefore, when there is fear of destruction of this body, we become very much afraid, perplexed. We have seen in Los Angeles: there was earthquake, and all the neighborhood, women especially, began to scream, fearful, "Now death is coming."

So everyone is afraid. This is the material nature, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, four things, material wants: eating, sleeping, fearing and defending. So Kṛṣṇa said that if you want, want to . . . Kapiladeva and Kṛṣṇa, the same. Kṛṣṇa has many forms. Kapiladeva is one of the form, āveśāvatāra. There are many incarnation. Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gī . . . Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a list of different avatāras, er . . . the conclusion . . . Lord Buddha's also name is there. Kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati, sura-dviṣām (SB 1.3.24). So Lord Buddha's name is there, and Jayadeva has also given his poem Daśa-vidha, Daśāvatāra-stotra. In that Daśāvatāra also, Lord Buddha's name is there: keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So Vaiṣṇavas, they know, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, how many avatāras are there. They do not accept therefore any bogus avatāra. Some rascal would say that "I am avatāra," the Vaiṣṇava will not accept. Tasmāt śāstra-vidhānoktam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that śāstra-vidhānoktam (BG 16.24), kāryākārya. We have to accept and reject according to the śāstra, not that any bogus man comes and says that "I am avatāra." That is not acceptable. The Vaiṣṇava will not accept. A foolish man may accept; that is different thing. So certainly, the Supreme Personality has got many avatāra, but each avatāra has . . . has been mentioned in the śāstras, different avatāra. So Kapiladeva is avatāra. Therefore He is saying "Me," mad-bhayāt. Mad-bhayāt.

So mad-bhayād vāti vāto 'yam. These are the very strong sources of fearfulness. If there is cyclone, it is very fearful. It is going on very nicely, but if it is a big cyclone, then it is fearful. So there is necessity of cyclone also. There is necessity of scorching heat. There is necessity of rainfall. So there are different directors and officers, and they are all servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master, supreme master, is Kṛṣṇa, and all others, they are bhṛtya, servant. The demigods. The demigods, they are all servants of Kṛṣṇa. Demigods there are: Sūrya, Candra, Vāyu, Varuṇa and Bṛhaspati, so many, thirty-three crores of demigods. They have got different planet. But all of them are servants of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The modern so-called scientists, they say, "There is no demigod. There is no God. This is all natural function." That's all right. Nature is working. But nature is matter. Matter cannot work without the direction of the living being. You cannot say matter works independently. That is not possible.

Everything is . . . just like here it is said . . . now we have got experience in the beach, there is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative śāstra. Here Kapiladeva says that . . . there is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayāt vāti vātaḥ. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it, it is automatically happening. No. There is direction. Kṛṣṇa says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10): "Under My superintendence, prakṛti, nature . . ." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Kṛṣṇa, or God, but you cannot defy the natural . . . nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."

But that is not fact. Nature is working under the direction. This is atheism . . . er, theism. One who knows. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that these natural, I mean to say, ingredients, prakṛti, jaḍa-prakṛti, or material nature, five elements, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, this marut, vāyu and tejas, this sunshine, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, and water, the seas and oceans, the land, vast land; kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, then sky—they are different manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's external energy. They are not independent. There are many śāstras. Therefore one has to consult the śāstras. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is also said: "The material nature is very powerful." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44): "The material nature is so powerful that it can create, sṛṣṭi; sthiti, it can maintain; and it can destroy also." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana: "It is so powerful, it can do that." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā.

But how the material nature is working? Chāyeva yasya bibharti bhuvanāni durgā (Bs. 5.44). The material nature is working just like shadow. Shadow. If you have got this real hand and there is shadow, if you move your hand, the shadow of the hand also moves. Similarly, this material nature is working in touch with the spirit soul. Just like big pilot is flying in the sky—we have got experience—but it is not independently flying. There is the pilot. He is pushing the button, and it is flying. A big car, big machine, big factory—without touch of spiritual touch, there is no question of moving. We have got this practical experience. Where is the evidence that without the touch of spirit soul that machine is moving? Is there any evidence? Then how you can say that without God the whole universe is moving? There is no evidence. We have no such experience. Then how you can say that without the direction of God, the material nature can move? There is no such experience. And from the evidences of śāstra . . . here it is said: "The wind is blowing, the water is moving, the sun is giving scorching heat—everything—all under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Not only that, direction, but it is said bhayāt. Bhayāt. Bhayāt means if the respective directors or agent of different material elements, if they do not work properly, then he is punished, as the master punishes the servant. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10).

When Kṛṣṇa was present, there was Giridhārī. Giridhārī, He lifted the mountain, Govardhana Hill. Govardhana-dhārī. So Nanda Mahārāja was arranging to worship the Indra, Indra-yajña. There are different kinds of yajña. But Indradeva was little proud that he is all in all. Everyone thinks. If he is in power, then he tries to give some trouble to others. Similarly, all the demigods, they are, if they are not satisfied, they will give you trouble. Similarly, the Indra-yajña was there, but Kṛṣṇa said to His father, "My dear father, there is no need of Indra-yajña. You better worship Govardhana Hill. He is symbolic representation of God because the cows, they get their food, grasses. So better you make this Govardhana-yajña." So first of all, Nanda Mahārāja was not willing, but out of the affection of Kṛṣṇa . . . that is devotee, that Kṛṣṇa . . . devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they are acting always in love for Kṛṣṇa. So Nanda Mahārāja changed his idea of worshiping Indra. Rather, on the contrary, all the ingredients he collected, he worshiped the Govardhana Hill and stopped Indra-yajña. So Indra became very much angry, and he sent the vicious cloud, and whole Vṛndāvana was inundated by flood. And Kṛṣṇa showed that "Your power is not even competent to compare with the finger of My hand." Therefore He lifted the Govardhana Hill with the finger of His left hand and saved all the people of Vṛndāvana. Then Indra came to worship Him. These things are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So everyone is servant. Everyone is servant. You do not . . . you, you can perform yajña for ordinarily, but if you keeps . . . if you be simply under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, you do not require to perform different demigod yajñas, deva-yajña. That is not required. The example is given that if you pour water in the root of the tree, you do not require to pour water in the branches, in the twigs, in the flowers, in the fruits. It is automatically done. If you supply food to the stomach, then you do not require to feed the eyes, hands, legs, separately. There is no need; neither it is possible to give separate, I mean to say, food, materials for nourishing the different parts of the body. One place is sufficient. Similarly, if we worship Kṛṣṇa, the source of everything, the root of everything . . . aham ādir hi yajñānām . . . devānām. Deva-yajña.

So Kṛṣṇa says that you don't require to perform different yajñas. That is not possible in this age especially. It requires large amount of wealth to perform such yajñas. Nowadays people are suffering for want of sufficient food grains, and in the yajña tons and thousands of mounds of food grains are offered in the fire. That is good. But there is no food grains, there is no ghee. That is not possible in this age. Therefore yajña is not possible. The . . . you can perform very easily the saṅkīrtana-yajña. Then everything will be performed. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who are intelligent person, they can perform yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña.

This is recommended in this age. Other yajñas is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). Tretāyām. Yajña performance was very prominent in the Tretā-yuga, at that time. But at present moment it is not possible. Dhyāna-yajña, dravya-yajña, jñāna-yajña and saṅkīrtana-yajña. So in this age, saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Sumedhasaḥ means those who have got good brain. And it is so easy, anywhere you can perform. Any part of the world, you assemble together. Saṅkīrtana means bahubhir militvā (quoted in Śrī Amnāya-sūtra 62), by intermingling various persons. Just like we are doing here saṅkīrtana—kīrtana and saṅkīrtana. Kīrtana means alone, and saṅkīrtana means in the assembly of many others. That is called saṅkīrtana. So that is recommended, that many persons, you sit together. There is no need of even instrument, but because Lord Caitanya introduced this khol, karatāla; otherwise this clapping is sufficient.

So it is very easy, saṅkīrtana-yajña. You sit down familywise, all the family members. If you perform saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is saṅkīrtana-yajña, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tīvraṁ bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools, we are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization, that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. And not only birth—there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.

So we should not misuse this . . . labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte mānuṣyam (SB 11.9.29). We should not waste our this valuable life, human form of life. We begin our this evolution. First of all, the world is covered with water. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam. Now, still, three-fourth of this univer . . . earthly planet is covered with water. In the beginning, there was the whole earthly planet was covered with water. Gradually, the water is drying up, and the land is coming. Then we are calculating, "This is Asia. This is America. This is Europe." Land is coming out. And gradually land, land, land, land—there will be only land, no water. That means destruction. When there will be no water, and scorching heat, the whole earthly planet will be ablaze and everything will be burned into ashes. Then again there will be rainfall, and everything will be mixed up, and then again there will destruction. This is going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). And similarly, our position with this body. This will be also dissolved again. This nice form you have got, I have got, but when it will be finished, this is finished forever. We are not going to get any more. You will get different body, not exactly this body. It is bubble. One bubble lost, that is lost forever. That is lost forever. But we are so foolish, we are thinking, "This is permanent settlement." Permanent settlement. This is called ignorance. There is no question of permanent settlement. Temporary under the . . . prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Under the laws of nature we are getting different types of bodies, different types of opportunities. And it is going on. But we are spirit soul; we are not this material body.

So we must have sense and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to save ourself from this material condition of life, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. And if you think, when Kṛṣṇa says that, "You surrender unto Me. I will give you protection . . ." So because we are foolish, we think Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because we are mūḍhas, rascals, we think that Kṛṣṇa is a person like us, mānuṣīm. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He comes to be visible by us exactly in the same way as we are. Mānuṣīṁ tanum. But we think, when Kṛṣṇa comes, "Oh, He is a man. He is a man like us. God is different." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. Because we are mūḍhas. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ.

So they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), we foolish people, we think, "Oh, it is too much. Kṛṣṇa is so proud that He is commanding us that 'You surrender unto Me.' Oh, I am not so fool. I am not going to do that." This is the position. Mūḍha. Because mūḍha, they are taking Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. Because He is so kind He comes as human being and gives you the right information, right instruction. But we are so rascal that we do not accept it. Do not accept it. That is our misfortune. Those who are fortunate enough, they accept Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That fortune comes not so easily—after struggling, after associating with Vaiṣṇava, with devotees, after cultivating knowledge for many, many births.

So we should take this chance. We should not be foolish. Don't be foolish, mūḍha. Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa and execute Kṛṣṇa's service, what Kṛṣṇa says. Do that, you will be saved. You will be saved from these clutches of māyā, repetition of birth and death. Even if you fall down, if you do not be able to execute devotional service fully, still, you will get next chance as a human being. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). You will get again chance of this human body. But if you don't take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no guarantee. You can become next life a cat, dog, tree or anything, according to the infection and quality. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if you give even little service to Kṛṣṇa, your next life as human being is guaranteed. And that is not ordinary human life, but śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). Nārada Muni said that, "If one engages himself in devotional service out of sentiment, it doesn't matter. Still, if he does some service to Kṛṣṇa, then he is gainer. And one who is very practical, does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and take to material activities and thinks that he is very advanced, there is no gain." He is under karma. According karma, he will get body.

But a Kṛṣṇa conscious human being, even though he is unable to execute properly, even if he falls down, his human life is guaranteed. His human life is guaranteed. And that life in a rich family and in very nice, I mean, purified family, śucīnām. Śucīnām means purified family, nice brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava family. Or śrīmatām. Śrī means opulence, those who are possessing opulence, means big mercantile family, big rich family or big nice brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava family. You get again chance. Just like the children of these Kṛṣṇa conscious members, from childhood they are getting. Our this boy, Mr. West, he is getting chance to worship Kṛṣṇa. So this is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). And how he is satisfied. There are so many children in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. From the very beginning of life they have got chance for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, attending maṅgala-ārātrika, taking prasādam and reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. Life is successful. Just see.

So we are after giving chance to the bewildered persons, misled person, materialistic person, to take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and their success is guaranteed. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). If you think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, how? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't think Me that I am ordinary person. Under My direction the wind is blowing, the sea is working, the sun is heating, and the so many things are going on." Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). "Don't take Me so slightly." Everything is explained. Now it is our business to accept it or not accept it.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)