750927 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 Hindi - Ahmedabad

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

750927SB-AHMEDABAD - September 27, 1975 - 39:12 Minutes

(Hindi translated into English)

Prabhupāda:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yenātmā suprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

Dharma, what is dharma (supreme occupation)?

Why so much noise? Too much noise. That's all right.

Organizer: Please be quiet. To listen to Swamiji's lecture reduce noise, reduce noice, be quiet! Be quiet! Be quiet, stop the noise, stop the noise. There can be no lecture by Swamiji otherwise, it is too noisy in the program. Be quiet. Be quiet. If you become totally quiet then we can have the program. There is no need to talk, be quiet. Nobody can talk here. Unless you are completely silent there can be no program.

Prabhupāda: Sa vai pusā paro dharmo.

Organizer: Please do not talk here.

Prabhupāda: . . . (indistinct)

sa vai pusā paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokaje

Srimad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Chapter two, Text 6. Sukadeva Goswāmi says, he was questioned that when Bhagavān, Lord Sri Ka, the incarnation, left this abode to go to His personal abode, where did He leave behind dharma (religion), jṣāna (knowledge). So it is said in the Bhāgavatam, puranarka guna uditah, krsnena svadhama upagatih. The Lord, after He departed to His personal abode, left behind religion and knowledge in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So it is revealed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is the best religion! sa vai pusā paro dharmo, paro means it does not belong to the manifested material world. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord after discussing two of his energies, has spoken about the material nature: bhḻmir āpo 'nalo vāyu, kha mano buddhir eva ca.

One material, this material energy which includes eight elements, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego. This is aparā. The Lord says, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakti parām.

There is one more energy, that is parā-prakti. Who is that parā-prakti? Jiva-bhḻtā mahā-bāho, yayeda dhāryate jagat.

The living entities like you and me, all living entities, I am also prakti, but parā-prakti.

So there are two kinds of religions. When it is religion practiced in relation to one's body it is aparā dharma, Nikrisht; and utkrisht religion is parā-prakti. In the Nikrisht religion, there is pravtti and in the utkrisht religion there is nivtti, pravttir eā bhḻtānā nivttis tu mahā-phalā.

'Till we are practicing prākta dharma, then we will have the fruitive mentality, that by working hard, I will be able to keep the body very happy, in this life and by performing pious activities, in the future also when in Svargaloka I will be able to keep the body very happy. This mentality is not superior religion, it is inferior religion. And because I am superior energy, so the superior religion is the one appropriate for me. So Sḻta Gosvāmi is discussing this superior religion: sa vai pusā paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokaje.

What is parā dharma? By following which one develops taste for devotional service to the Lord. That is parā dharma: sa vai pusā paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokaje.

So devotional service is not mundane but transcendental. That is why the Lord has said in the Bhagavad-gītā:

mā? ca yo 'vyabhicārea

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guān samatityaitān

brahma-bhḻyāya kalpate

Devotional service is executed in the Absolute platform. The mayavadis conclude everything with the impersonal Brahman realization. But in reality just having impersonal Brahman realization will not work out. We should be engaged in activities of the Absolute. What is that activity? This is also disclosed by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhḻta prasannātmā

na socati na kākati

sama sarveu bhḻteu

mad-bhakti labhate parām

After self-realization of the Absolute, that is Aha brahmāsmi, I am not made up of material elements, earth, water, fire, and air, No! This body of ours is made up of earth, fire, water, air, sky, of all these elements. This is not me. Aha brahmāsmi, I am spirit, I am spiritual. This knowledge is called knowledge of the Absolute, Aha brahmāsmi. After acquiring the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, what are the symptoms, the Lord has explained. brahma-bhḻta prasannātmā, if one has actually realized the Absolute Truth in reality then he is fully joyful. And till we are in the material concept of life, that I am this body, that I have acquired this body in this country and so I am India, I am American, I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am fat and juicy, there are various descriptions of the material body. When we give up this bodily conception of life then we get the knowledge of the Absolute. That is the brahma-bhḻta stage. Now our situation is, jiva-bhḻta. The living entity is actually a part and parcel of the Lord.

mamaivāso jiva-loke

jiva-bhḻta sanātana

mana-ahānindriyāi

prakti-sthāni karati

We are fighting in this material world trying to be happy , using our senses and our mind. This is our situation. We should get liberated out of this. This is the basic aim of human life, no other work is needed to be done. Jivasya tattva-jijṣāsā, the sole purpose of human life is to enquire into, what am I in reality? am I this body? Or something else? Or brahma-vastu? If you have this knowledge then you are in the brahma-bhḻta stage. That knowledge can be acquired quickly if: mā? ca yo 'vyabhicārea, bhakti-yogena sevate.

If we serve the Lord with pure devotional service, then this knowledge of the Absolute can be attained quickly.

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yoga prayojita

janayaty āúu vairāgya

jṣāna ca yad ahaitukam

Lord Vāsudeva if we serve His lotus feet with devotion then, janayaty āúu vairāgya, he is very quickly detached from the material world and also acquired knowledge. So it is said here, sa vai pusā paro dharmo, so one needs to follow the path of religion but one should follow that path of religion which leads to the developing of devotional service for the Lord, Adhokaja. This is real religion. The Lord is called Adhokaja, which means that He is beyond our mundane knowledge and material senses. It is only an experience, that the Lord is there. The Lord is there, He is there before us but we cannot see him with my material eyes, though I can feel His presence. So that is why he called Adhokaja. By mental speculation, what if God, whether the Lord is formless or with form, what is His form, what are His activities, all these experiences cannot be had through other religions. Only through the superior religion, sa vai pusā paro dharmo. This has been said in the Bhagavad-gītā also, and the same thing is being said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sa vai pusā paro dharmo. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also the Lord says:

brahma-bhḻta prasannātmā

na socati na kākati

When a person is in the brahma-bhḻta stage, when he realizes the Supreme Brahman, then he will not have any desires and no lamentation. 'Till we are in the material concept of life, till then we will be a hankering for the things we don’t possess, "I need to possess that." And when the things we possess are destroyed then there will be lamentation. This is called material life. Material life- hankering and lamentation. And when you are in the brahma-bhḻta stage then these two things will be absent.

brahma-bhḻta prasannātmā

na socati na kākati

sama sarveu bhḻteu

And at that time we can see all the living entities with equanimity. Like, paitā sama-darsina. When one is in actual knowledge, self realized, he sees the soul in every living entity. He doesn’t see the outer covering of the body, that he is a human being, he is an animal, he is a brāhmana, he is a dog. No, he does not see the body of a dog nor does he see the body of a brāhmana. He sees the pure soul, this is Brahma-darsana, one who has seen Brahma. We should reach to this level, that is the purpose of human existence. We can adhere to religious principles only in the human form of life, not in any other forms of life. That is why there is a religion for the human beings only not for the animals. If we give up adhering to religious principles, then we are animals. dharmea hina pasubhi samāna. All the existing religions, the meaning of religions is "duty", "occupational duty". The brāhmana has an occupational duty, the kṣatriya has an occupational duty, the vaisya has an occupational duty, the úḻdra has an occupational duty. But the real meaning of religion is to connect with the Lord. Just like there is law, for everything there is a law. You walk on the street, there is law there also- keep to the left, keep to the right. So go anywhere, we have to adhere to the rules of the government. So follow any religious principle, but it means we have to be connected with the Lord and work under His guidelines. Nirbandha ka-sambandhe yukta vairāgyam ucyate

When one is not connected with the Lord, it is not a religion. That is animalistic religion. When we remain connected with the Lord and adhere to religious principles that is real religion. dharma tu sākād bhagavat-praitam. That is why we are reading to you from the Bhāgavatam this, sa vai pusā? paro dharmo. Transcendental, not mundane, not material, sa vai pusā paro dharmo yato bhaktir, bhakti means devotional service. bhaja-sevāyām. So there are nine kinds of devotional service.

sravaa kirtana vio smaraa pāda-sevanam

arcana vandana dāsya sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

These are the nine kinds of devotional service. Just like you are hearing, this is also devotional service. And I am chanting the glories of the Lord that is also devotional service. Sravana kirtana vio, on which topic should we hear and chant? This is not a political meeting, sravaa kirtana vio, we are hearing and chanting about Bhagavān Viu, that is devotional service. Otherwise we are anyways hearing and chanting, all this noise is also hearing and chanting of one kind, of other matters. Not that kind of hearing and chanting. Sravana kirtana vio, if we hear and chant about Visnu, that is devotional service. Any other topic we hear and chant about is not devotional service. Sravana kirtana vio, and if we hear and chant then smaraa, remembrance will be there, we will remember things related to the Lord. If you go to the temple this is arcana, sravana kirtana vio smaraa pāda-sevanam arcana.

Arcana, you go the temple and pay your obeisances to the Lord, watch the ārti, someone ring the bell, someone dances, sings, all this goes into the account. Sukriti, this is called sukriti . We must accumulate this sukriti. If we do that, just like you collect paisa by paisa and after some time you will find it has become two thousand or four thousand rupees. Then it is substantial, a penny is not enough but if you collect little by little so one day it will become two or four thousand rupees and you will be of some use to you. Similarly this sukriti, you keep accumulating it, Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. So this auspicious activity of devotional service if you collect it little by little, then one day you will be able to over come the greatest dangers.

The example of this is the story of Ajāmila. He was a brāhmana boy but due to bad association all his good qualities became bad qualities. He associated with prostitutes, became a thief, scoundrel, rogue but one thing, he was the son of a brāhmana and engaged in devotional service, with the permission of his parents, in his youth he was spoilt. But because of this sukriti, when he became thief, dacoit, prostitute monger, at that time he had a number of sons. One of his sons, his little son he named him Nārāyaa and all of us are always attached to the little son. He would call his son all the time, "Nārāyaa, son sit here!", "Nārāyaa, son drink this milk!", "Nārāyana, son eat this please." So this calling of Nārāyaa Nārāyaa, became accumulated in his account. So in the end when the the order carriers of Yamarāja came, out of fear he called out to his little son, "Son Nārāyaa, see who are these people who have come to take me?" So because he took the name of Nārāyaa, the Viudḻtas came to protect him. This description is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sixth Canto, it is very deep and beautiful description. So because he took the name of Nārāyana, he was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Yamadutas and he went to Vaikuntha. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya, that little calling out to Nārāyana, worked out well for him. In this Kali-yuga this path of devotional service especially hearing and chanting, this is. All of you accept it. We have this Krishna consciousness movement. The subject matter of our preaching is that, all of you remain in whatever position you are in the society. It is not that we are asking all of you to become renunciates, leave your business, leave your homes. No. We do not say this. You remain in your position. Sthāne sthitā sruti-gatā tanu-vā-manobhi. But engage your ears in listening to the pastimes of the Lord, this is our point of view. This is the scriptural injunction also, just like all of you have come to here mercifully to listen to something. Keep doing this. sravaa, nothing else. If you do nothing else but go to these saintly gatherings and hear the pastimes of the Lord from the lotus mouth of the experienced devotees, then your life will be successful. Simply by hearing.

svatā sva-kathā kṛṣṇa puya-sravaa-kirtana

hdyantastho hy abhadrāi vidbunoti suht satām.

It is mentioned in the scriptures, that if you kindly, simply hear about the Lord, svatā sva-kathā ka, Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that when He sees that you have acquired a taste for listening to the pastimes of the Lord, then at that time itself He becomes more merciful. The Lord is sitting in your heart: iúvara sarva-bhḻtānā hrd-dese 'rjuna tihati.

The Lord is seated in everyone's heart but He watches your activities. We come into this world for sense gratification and get entangled, when will he give all this and look towards Me? That is why the Lord descends Himself. He is seated inside the heart anyways but He also appears outside, the Lord descends as an incarnation: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata.

And He also sends His representatives also, so that in what way we will look towards the Lord. We have forgotten the Lord and think we are very happy. But because we have forgotten the Lord, the Lord is unhappy. "Having forgotten Me, he is entangled in the material world for engaging in sense gratification."

mana-ahānindriyāi

prakti-sthāni karati,

And is working so hard, day and night like an ass for a piece of bread." Understand! So this is not our job. Human life is to be peaceful, wherever the Lord has given us as food, accept it and it is appropriate to utilize your time peacefully in discussing about the pastimes of the Lord. Jivasya tattva-jijṣāsā, this is our only business. This is the scriptural injunction also that do not try for anything else. This endeavor for food and drink is done by the animals also. The scriptures say:

nāya deho deha-bhājā? n-loke

kaān kāmān arhate vi-bhajā ye

Having gotten this human body, taking this body and making such great endeavor for sense gratification and not knowing any other good activities, this is done by the hogs and asses, so why should the human beings do the same? What is the goal of human life? Tapo divya, human life is meant for performing austerities, this is our Indian culture. Great kings have given up their kingdoms and gone to the forest to perform penance. All of you know this. Mahārāja Bharata, after whom this country is named, at the age of twenty four left his kingdom, his young wife the queen, and children and went to the forest to perform austerities. There are many examples of this kind. So human life is actually meant for performing austerities. Why do we have to perform austerities? Tapo divya putrakā yena sattva suddhyed.

Our existence now is impure. We get this material body due to our impurity and then we have to give it up and take on another material body, bhḻtvā bhḻtvā praliyate. This inconvenience, why has it occurred? Because your existence is not pure. By performing austerities if our existence is purified then we are spiritual, then we experience spiritual bliss. This is the goal of human existence.

tapo divya putrakā yena sattva

suddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhya tv anantam.

We also strive for happiness, but the real happiness is spiritual happiness which is eternal, that is not fleeting. This is also mentioned in the scriptures. So if you want to be self-realized in Brahman in Kali-yuga, there is a very simple solution. And that simple solution is this, that you hear the pastimes of the Lord, svatā sva-kathā kṛṣṇa.

Pastimes of the Lord means pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa pastimes, one of which is Bhagavad-gītā which Kṛṣṇa Himself speaks, this is also a pastime of Kṛṣṇa and the other one is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that is also pastimes of Kṛṣṇa but it is about Kṛṣṇa. Both are pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. So listen to Kṛṣṇa's pastimes—Srimad Bhagavad-gitā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Listen to this. sravaa kirtana, by hearing your life will be successful and where to listen to it from? Satā prasagān mama virya-savido bhavanti ht-kar?a-rasāyanā kathā.

Ka-kathā must be heard from such persons who are devotees of the Lord. Not from those who speak about the Lord for business purposes. One who has given his life in the service of the Lord, such a person is called a Bhāgavata. nitya bhāgavata-sevayā. So in every house you can listen to Bhāgavatam and purify yourself, it is not very difficult, if you so desire. Just like in our society, International Society for Krishna consciousness, their behavior is sanctified. They have given up four activities—illicit sex, other than their own lawfully wedded wife they do not have any relationship with any other woman. This is called illicit sex, this must be given up. And give up meat eating, you will be purified. And intoxication, look these children do not drink tea even, don’t smoke cigarettes. They have given up everything. They are purified. This is an austerity. By performing austerities our existence is purified. So we need to give up all these four kinds of sinful activities. Striya sḻnā pāna dyḻta yatra pāpas catur-vidha.

Illicit sex, violence against animals. When the Lord has given us so many things then why should we indulge in animal violence? Where you get nothing else to eat, like in the desert, if someone kills an animal to appease his hunger then he is not considered to be that sinful. What can he do, what can he eat? And in India or anywhere else also, in America also there is plenty of things to eat. Drink as much of milk you want, eat as much as grains you want and, everything is available. But it has become a habit to eat meat, thousands of slaughterhouse are there. So these are all sinful activities. By committing these sinful activities one can never be happy nor achieve God. You can achieve the Lord when we are free from all these sinful activities.

yeā tv anta-gata pāpa?

janānā puya-karmaām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante mā dha-vratā

God does not say that you do whatever you like and you will attain Me. No. This is not a fact. We have to be free of sins because God is, para brahma para dhāma pavitra parama bhavān.

God is supremely pure so a sinful person cannot go to a pure person. So we also have to be purified. So the Lord himself says:

yeā tv anta-gata pāpa

janānā puya-karmaām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante mā dha-vratā

So what is this pious activity? Svatā sva-kathā kṛṣṇa puya-sravaa-kirtana. This hearing and chanting is the biggest pious activity and is very simple and nowadays yajṣa-dāna-tapa-kriyā, perform sacrifices, giving in charity and go to the forest to perform austerities, go to Himalayas, this is not possible. In this Kali-yuga this is impossible. That is why this sole pious activity, svatā sva-kathā ka, hear about the pastimes of the Lord. Be wherever you are and hear about the pastimes of the Lord and you will accumulate piety in this way. And willfully give up these four activities- illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. These four activities and:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Chant these names. Everybody can do this, it is not difficult. Be at your homes, do your business, do whatever you are doing. As and when you are purified, you will yourself give up these sinful activities.

svatā sva-kathā kṛṣṇa puya-sravaa-kirtana

The more you listen to the names, Hare Ka, the more you will be purified. Ceto-darpaa-mārjanam, the mirror of your heart will be cleansed and you will enlightened with all the knowledge in your heart. This is especially for the Kali-yuga,

harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva

nāsty eva gatir anyathā

All the other process, karma, jnana, yoga etc. these are not possible. The people of Kali-yuga are so fallen that the Lord is very merciful and has given us an even simpler solution.

harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva

nāsty eva gatir anyathā

So there is no restriction that only Hindus can chant the holy names, No! There is no question of Hindu or Muslim. Cāāla, Everyone is entitled.

kirāta-hḻāndhra-pulinda-pulkaúā

ābhira-sumbhā yavanā khasādaya?

ye 'nye ca pāpā

No question of being sinful or otherwise, everyone can chant the holy names of the Lord and if you give up the sinful activities then your human life will be successful. That is why, Sa vai pusā paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokaje. And the benefit of this is ahaituky apratihatā, this devotional service which you execute cannot be hampered by anything of this material world, no! In any situation you can hear the holy names of the Lord. Whether you are Hindu, Muslim, poor, rich, whatever you may be it doesn’t matter. Everyone can chant the holy name of the Lord, there is no restriction on anybody. It is open for everyone and the more you chant the holy names of the Lord your heart will be cleansed. It is like a mirror, just like if dust accumulates on the mirror you can’t see clearly, you have to dust it off the dirt. Similarly our heart is pure and by chanting the holy name of the Lord,

hdyantastho hy abhadrāi vidbunoti suh?t satām.

The Lord cleanses it and you can see how beautiful you are in the mirror. You do not have a material body but a spiritual one that is na hanyate hanyamāne sarire, even when this material body is destroyed the spiritual body is eternal and with that spiritual body you can go to the spiritual world to the spiritual Lord who is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha and stay with Him and enjoy spiritual bliss for ever with the Lord, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. This is our preaching message, you all accept it and be happy.

Thank you very much! Hare Kṛṣṇa! (end)