750702 - Lecture SB 06.01.19 - Denver

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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750702SB-DENVER - July 02, 1975 - 22:02 Minutes

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) Sixth Canto, First Chapter, text number 19. (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

akṛn manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgi yair iha

na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān

svapne 'pi paśyanti hi cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ

(SB 6.1.19)

(break) (02:30)

Translation: "Those who have given up all varieties of religiosity and who have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa alone by fixing their minds on His lotus feet may not have fully realized Him. But due to their simply surrendering unto Him they have become attached to His name, fame, quality and pastimes. By such surrender they have become completely purified of all sinful reactions, although they may not have accepted the principles of atonement. Even in dreams such a surrendered soul does not see Yamarāja or his order carriers equipped with ropes for binding sinful men."

Prabhupāda:

sakṛn manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgi yair iha

na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān

svapne 'pi paśyanti hi cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ

(SB 6.1.19)

So this is the profit of Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that if anyone only once has fully applied his mind in thinking of Kṛṣṇa and surrendering, then he becomes immediately saved from all miserable condition of this material life. So that is our perfection of life. Somehow or other, we surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So here it is stressed, sakṛt. Sakṛt means "only once." So if so much profit is there simply once thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then we can imagine, those who are always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is their position.

They are very safe, so much so that it is said, na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne 'pi paśyanti. Svapna means dreaming. Dreaming is false. To see the Yamadūtas, or the carriers of order of Yamarāja, superintendent of death, to see face to face . . . at the time of death, when one very sinful man is dying, he sees the Yamarāja or the order carriers of Yamarāja. They are very fierce-looking. Sometimes the man on the deathbed becomes very much fearful, cries, "Save me, save me." This also happened to Ajāmila. And that is the story we shall narrate later on. But he was saved. For his past activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he was saved. That story we shall get later on.

So this is the safest position. Otherwise, this material world is full of danger. It is dangerous place. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam. It is the place of miseries. You cannot become happy in a place which is meant for miseries. That we have to understand. Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality, that duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15): this material world is place of miserable condition. And that also aśāśvatam, not permanent. You cannot stay. Even if you make a compromise that "Never mind it is place of misery. I shall make adjustment and I shall stay here . . ."

People are so much attached in this material world. I have got practical experience. In 1958 or '57, when I first published this book, Easy Journey to Other Planet, so I met one gentleman. He was very enthusiastic, "So we can go to other planet? You are giving such information?" "Yes. And if you go, you will not come back." "No, no, then I don't want to go." (laughter) He said the whole idea is that we shall go another planet, just like they are making the fun: they are going to moon planet. But they could not stay there. They're coming back. That is scientific advancement. And if you go there, why don't you stay there? And I read the newspaper that when the Russian aeronautics went, they were looking down, "Where is Moscow?" (laughter)

So our attachment is so strong, that even it is duḥkhālayam . . . just like some hogs, they are living in filthy place and eating stool. And if you say that "I will take you somewhere else, a good place," then they will not go there. This happened. It is stated in the Bhāgavata that once the king of heaven, he was cursed to become hog. And he was living amongst the hog society. And when Lord Brahmā came to call him back, that "Mr. Such-and-such, for your bad behavior you became hog. Now come back to heaven," so he refused, "No, I have got so much responsibility. I cannot go." You see? This is material . . . it is called māyā, illusion. Even you are in the most abominable condition of life, we will feel, "Now we are very happy." So that is our position.

We do not want to leave this place. Therefore we create nationalism, Communism, this "ism," that "ism," because we want to stay here permanently. But unfortunately nobody will be allowed to stay, even if you want to stay. That is the miserable condition of material life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So we have to leave this place. And when we leave, then, according to our proportion of sinful or pious activities, we get next body. So those who are very, very sinful, they go to the hellish condition of life, the planets. They are down this universe. There is the kingdom of Pluto, or Yamarāja. And he comes at the time of death, and the sinful man . . . is very, very fierceful, odd looking, and they come to take. So here it is said that one who has once surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, for them there is no such fear. Even in dream they will not see the order carriers of Yamarāja or Yamarāja.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving this benefit to the human society. It is very easy, not difficult. Without any condition, you simply chant and remember Kṛṣṇa. It is not at all difficult. Everyone can . . . here you are seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṇa. So while chanting, if you remember this Deity, is it very difficult? We are opening these centers, giving this education, and from śāstras, all information we are giving. So you take advantage of it. Don't spoil life. Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). This human form of life is obtained after many, many millions of years. We have to come through the evolutionary process from aquatics to plants, trees, insects, serpents, birds, beasts.

In this way we have come to this human form of life. And in this life we can hear about Kṛṣṇa, think about Kṛṣṇa, see Kṛṣṇa's Deity—so many opportunities. And if you take this opportunity, be accustomed to think of Kṛṣṇa . . . when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, means God. Kṛṣṇa is the God, Supreme. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa has very kindly agreed to come to your city, Denver city, this temple. Take advantage of it. Come daily, see Kṛṣṇa, think of Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam and be happy. This is our movement.

We want to see that everyone is happy. That is the Vedic vision. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is human life. Human life means paropakāra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, to do others something auspicious. That is human life. The animal life means do . . . "For my good, I will do harm to many others." That is animal life. So this is not life, the human life, that for our sense gratification we are killing so many animals, we are doing so many mischievous things, we are cheating others. We can do that, but we are becoming more and more implicated. At the time of death the Yamarāja will come and take us to the hellish condition. Therefore foolish people, they want to forget that there is next life. No, there is next life. We are discussing every day. Next life is there. We are every moment getting a different body. This is the scientific study. I do not know why they cannot understand. This is biology. Biology means we are, every moment, we are getting a new body. This is biology.

So we have to give up this body and we have to accept another body. So labor or work for such body which will no more be material body. This is intelligence. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Next body means as we are acting, according to the resultant action of our activities we get next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). How you get next life? In this life we are acting in a certain way, and by nature we shall get a similar body. Nature's law is so perfect that the law you . . . just like infection. I have several times explained: you infect some disease, the disease will come out. Not that somebody will come to award you the disease. By nature's way it will come out. If you say that "Somebody will come," no. The nature's law is so perfect. Just like if you touch fire, immediately it will burn, not that you have to wait. Similarly, nature's law. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you are associating with different modes of material nature, you are creating your future.

So there is future life. You should take it. You should try to understand it. It is not very difficult, but by the modern education we have become so dull-headed, we cannot understand the simple truth that we have to change this body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). So this is a fact. You take it. So we must have the next life at least without any danger. Not to go to the hellish planet. At least remain in this planet. That we can do. Yānti bhūtāni bhūtejyā. (BG 9.25) If you want to stick to this planet or this world, that also you can get the facility. And if you want to go to the higher planets, that also you can get. And if you go to the hellish planet, that also the possibility is there. And if you want to go to Kṛṣṇa, that possibility is also there. Yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām (BG 9.25). So we are creating a situation by our activities, our next life. This is the fact. So why not work for going back to Kṛṣṇa? This is intelligence. So what is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇa? Now, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). You won't have to again come back and accept this material body. This is benefit.

So sakṛd api kṛṣṇa manaḥ. Mind has to be fixed up to something. The yogīs, karmīs, the jñānīs and the bhaktas. The karmīs, their mind is fixed up, "Where to get money? Where to get money?" That's all. This is karmī. Just to live comfortably, enjoy sense gratification, this is karmī. And jñānī means they want to . . . because they are disgusted. They are better than the karmīs. They want to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence, jñānī. And yogī, they . . . actual, their business is, yogī, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogīs, they are always in meditation and thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is real yogī, not to show some gymnastic feats. These things are required to concentrate the mind. But where to concentrate the mind? Concentrate the mind in the Supreme Soul, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. That is yoga system.

So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is above all of them because by nature, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he cannot think anything else except Kṛṣṇa. He is worshiping the Deity in the temple, he is going to distribute books, Kṛṣṇa books, he is talking of Kṛṣṇa, he is eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. So here it is said sakṛd api. If once one does like this, he becomes saved. So if we go on with this habit, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our position is very secure, and keep yourself in that secure position rigidly. Then your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupāda. (end)