760217 - Lecture SB 07.09.10 - Mayapur

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760217SB-MAYAPUR - February 17, 1976 - 35.29 Minutes

Śāstrījī: (chants verse, with Prabhupāda and devotees repeating) (break)

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇam punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

(SB 7.9.10)

Dayānanda: (chants synonyms; devotees chant responsively)

Translation (03:52) "Prahlāda Mahārāja continued to think that a brāhmaṇa who has qualified himself with all the brahminical qualities, twelve in number, as they are stated in the book known as Sanat-sujāta, such a brāhmaṇa, if he is not a devotee and averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is especially lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater even, but his mind, words, activities, wealth and life—everything—is dedicated to the Supreme Lord. Such a low person is better than a brāhmaṇa as above mentioned because such lowborn person can purify his whole family, whereas a so-called brāhmaṇa falsely in prestigious position cannot purify himself."

Prabhupāda:

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

This is the verdict of the śāstra: śvapacaṁ variṣṭham.

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇam punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

(SB 7.9.10)

Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction, that don't be falsely proud unless you have got the qualification. That is our mistake, dambha, dambha. And the pure life begins when we give up dambha, false prestige. Adambhitvam amānitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam (BG 13.8). This is the begin . . . one who is falsely proud, he is . . . (aside) What is that sound? One should not be falsely proud. Everyone . . . material world means everyone is falsely proud. Everyone is thinking, āḍhyo 'smi dhanavān asmi ko 'sti mama samaḥ. Everyone. This is the disease. "I am the richest," "I am the powerful," "I am the very intelligent." Everything, "I am." This is called ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). This false prestige, when one is absorbed with false things, he becomes vimūḍha, rascal. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. This is false prestige. We have to give up this false prestige. Ahaṅkāra must be there, because you are a reality. You are not false. Your body is false, but you are reality: "I am soul." That realization must come: ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Not that ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, "I am dog," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this." This is ahaṅkāra, this false ahaṅkāra. But giving up all these nonsense prestigious position . . . a dog is also thinking he's in a prestigious position: "I am dog. I can bark very loudly. Gow! Gow!" He's also thinking that. Similarly, if I also think, "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am this," what is the difference? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He is completely under the control of material nature, and he's thinking falsely that "I am very advanced in . . ." so on, so on. This should be given up.

So how it is given up? When one becomes devotee. Manye tad-arpita-mano-vaca. One who has given everything to Kṛṣṇa, the our sannyāsa, tri-daṇḍa, that is tad-arpita-mano-vaca. Tri-daṇḍa means "I am accepting, my Lord, three kinds of chastisement from You, that I dedicate my body, my mind and my vaca, my words." This is called tri-daṇḍa. You should understand, those who are sannyāsīs, tri-daṇḍa-sannyāsī. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they take one daṇḍa. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. That is their philosophy, that "Only Brahman is there, and nothing else. So I am Brahman; you are Brahman"—one, monism. That is their philosophy. Of course, that is our philosophy also, because everything is Kṛṣṇa. Nothing . . . there is nothing except Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad . . . mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "Everything I am." But their mistake is that because everything is Kṛṣṇa, er, Kṛṣṇa is everything, therefore everything is Kṛṣṇa. No, that is mistake. That Kṛṣṇa explains, that:

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ

(BG 9.4)

This is the mistake committed by the Māyāvādīs, that "If everything is Brahman, then whatever I worship, that is all right." That is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ. Just like this microphone: it is Kṛṣṇa. But if I worship this microphone instead of the Deity, then I am a fool. Then I am fool. This is the mistake the Māyāvādīs commit. They put the argument, "If everything is Kṛṣṇa, everything is Brahman - so whatever I worship, that is Brahman." Kṛṣṇa says, "No. That is not. Everything is Myself." This is called simultaneously one and different, acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (BS 5.37). This is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Kṛṣṇa is always in Goloka. Just like here is Kṛṣṇa. He's in Goloka, but He's so powerful, omnipotent . . . this is called omnipotency. In spite of His becoming in Goloka, He's everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and you or me. I am here; I'm not in upstairs. I'm here only. But Kṛṣṇa simultaneously can be everywhere. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So many pretenders, they claim that they are God: "I am God." But are you present everywhere? Can you say what I am thinking now? No. That he cannot. Still, he claims "God." Nonsense. How he can become God? If you cannot say what I am thinking now, then how you can become God? God is situated everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (BS 5.35). Everywhere. Paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Even within the atom there is God. So how you can claim "God"? Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Then they will answer, "I'm not in God now. I am God, but māyā . . . therefore I cannot say now." That . . . "why you have become under the control of māyā? Then māyā is greater than God. Then how you can become God? Māyā is greater than God." So they cannot answer this. Because their theory is foolish, they cannot answer all these things. Actually, unless one is a devotee, he'll have all these bad qualification.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is thinking himself that "I am less than śvapaca." Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says,

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha

jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha

(CC Adi 5.205)

He said that "I am insignificant, more insignificant than the stool-worm." The worm . . . there are worms in the stool. "So I am lower than that." Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha: "My value is less than the worm in the stool." This is called tṛṇād api sunīcena. It is not that Kavirāja Gosvāmī is artificially posing in that way. No. He's sincerely . . . no Vaiṣṇava thinks himself, "I am very big man." No. He's not Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā (CC Adi 17.31). This is Vaiṣṇava. Even he is exalted more than anyone in this world, still he thinks himself as lowest: "I am lower than the worm in the stool." Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he is engaged to offer prayers to the Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva. So he's thinking in that way, that "What . . .? What form of prayer I can offer? I am born in a demonic family, low-grade family, and Brahmā, he's coming from Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, Janaloka. They are so exalted. They could not satisfy the anger of the Lord, and I am born in low family. How can I do this?" This is his idea.

But he's taking courage in this way, that in the śāstra it is accepted that even one is born in low, low-grade family, śvapaca . . . śvapaca means the most low grade. They're eating pigs. Now, according to Vedic civilization, the pig-eater, even cow-flesh eater is given better position. But the pig-eaters, they are the lowest, śvapacas, untouchable. They are called untouchable. Any meat-eater is untouchable, but especially the pig-eater, śvapaca. In India still, no even meat-eaters . . . generally those who are meat-eaters, they take meat of such animals like goats, lambs, like that, those who are meat-eaters. And they never take cow's flesh because cow is protected, go-raksya. So in the Bhagavad-gītā to the meat-eaters also it is said, kṛṣi go-rakṣya vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). Even if you are meat-eater, don't eat cow. You can eat others animals. But don't eat . . . "we are śvapacas," śvapaca is there. So if you are at all meat-eater, you can eat pigs, goats, but don't eat cow's flesh. That is very sinful. Why it is sinful? Because it's a very, very important animal in the human society. Very important animal. You get milk and milk products, then your brain becomes very nice, memory sharpened. That is, therefore, important. Don't eat. It is economically.

So śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Who is that śvapaca? Now, who has given everything to Kṛṣṇa, tri-daṇḍa. That means even a person coming out of the family of a śvapaca, dog-eaters, dog-eaters, pig-eaters, yes. Śvapaca means dog-eater. Yes. Pig-eaters are also better. But the dog-eaters, they are the lowest. I think in China and Korea they are very much fond of dog-eating. So they are the lowest. So if . . . so here it is proof that dog-eaters or pig-eaters or any low-grade man is not prohibited to become a devotee. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They say that without becoming a Hindu or born in India, nobody can become brāhmaṇa, nobody can become sannyāsī. But here is the proof. In the śāstra it says, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. The dog-eater is also highly praised. When? Tad-arpita-mano-vacana: "When he sacrifices everything—his body, his mind, his words—only for Kṛṣṇa." This is called tri-daṇḍa-sannyāsa. So why the low-grade man cannot be offered tri-daṇḍa if he is qualified? If he has dedicated everything to Kṛṣṇa, why he should be prohibited? No. That is not the śāstric injunction. Śāstric injunction is for anyone. Nobody is prohibited to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says even pāpa-yoni, less than the śūdra . . . śūdra is also pāpa-yoni. Even woman is called pāpa-yoni according to strict . . . striyaḥ śūdras tathā vaiśya. Vaiśya. Except brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas, everyone is considered to be lowborn, according to the Vedic injunction. But not that because he is lowborn, he cannot elevate himself. That is not the fact. The present, so-called Hindu society is degraded because if one is born in higher family, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya—he may be less than a śvapaca—he's accepted as a brāhmaṇa. That is the fault.

But śāstra does not say that without . . . even if you are born in a high family, brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya family, and if you do not act or if have not the qualification of brāhmaṇa, dvi-ṣaṭ, twelve qualifications . . . what is that? Dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda . . . that is explained, what are the twelve qualifications. Dharmaḥ: "He must be strictly religious principles." Dharmaḥ. Dharmaḥ begins strictly when one is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. There begins dharmaḥ, because Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He says that dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge (BG 4.8). He comes to establish the principles of dharma. And why He is speaking sarva-dharmān parityajya? Why? If He has come to reestablish the principles of dharma-dharma-saṁsthāpanārtha, then why He says sarva-dharm . . .? Sarva so-called dharmas, they are not dharma. Dharma means dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the order that is given by God. That is dharma. And anything, so-called dharma, that is not dharma. That you manufacture, so many things. That is another thing. But real dharma, the . . . just like I have several times explained, law means given by the government. You cannot manufacture law. That is not law. Similarly, dharma means the order given by God. That is dharma. Just like Kṛṣṇa says. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7): "When there is discrepancies, misuse of dharma, I appear." So He has appeared. He therefore said that "This is not dharma." You are declaring, "This is Hindu dharma," "This is Muslim dharma," "This is Jain dharma," "This is Christian dharma," "This is family dharma," "This is country dharma," so on, so on, so on. You have created so many dharmas. But Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66): "You give up all these dharmas." "Then what I . . . shall I accept?" Mam ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja. That is dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma.

The Bhāgavata also says, dharmaḥ-projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2): "The so-called dharmas, cheating process, is given up, kicked out." Projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita. That is called projjhita. Śrīdhara Svami gives his note in this connection: atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirastam. Anyone who is desiring for liberation, that is also cheating. That is also cheating. How you can be liberated? You are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Where is your liberation? You must serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your dharma. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). If you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, then you are immediately culprit, immediately punishable. That is going on. Māyā is engaged to punish.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhāre

As soon as. As soon as one tries to become independent without serving Kṛṣṇa, that means he is in māyā. He's in māyā. Immediately māyā is there. Just like as soon as you become a criminal, a thief, immediately you are under the jurisdiction of the police, immediately, without the . . . you may hide yourself for time being, but immediately you have become criminal. Similarly, as soon as one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately a criminal, punishable. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta . . . (BG 7.15). He does not know what he's doing, this rascal narādhamāḥ, mūḍha. These mūḍhas . . . therefore when we say that a man who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is narādhamāḥ, mūḍhāḥ, that is a fact. But the world is such that satyaṁ bruyāt priyaṁ bruyāt ma bruyāt satyam apriyam. They want if you can say the truth, but don't say the unpalatable truth. But that is social etiquette. When you speak about spiritual life there is no such scope. You must speak this truth: "Yes, you are rascal. Because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are rascal, mūḍha. You are sinful. You are lowest of the mankind." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ.

So this is the test. This is the test: that as soon as one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately he comes to the group of sinful activities, rascaldom, lowest of the mankind, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, all knowledge taken away, and he's an asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu's category. So this is not optional, that "If I don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is my wish, my desire." No. If you desire in that way, then you'll be punished. You'll become immediately . . . you cannot say, "It is my optional. I may become a thief; I may remain honest. That is my option." No. As soon as you become thief, you are punishable. Similarly, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately punishable. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The punishment will go on in various ways. That is going on. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). The punishment . . . this is punishment. That is presented by Kṛṣṇa. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This duḥkha, janma-mṛtyu, repeatedly to take birth and die, this is punishment. But these rascals, they do not care for it. They have become so rascal that "Oh, oh, that mṛtyu? I shall die, because it is nature." Why it has become your nature? Your nature is eternity. But they have no brain to understand. They have become so foolish. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The spirit soul . . . I am soul; you are soul. I am not dying. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. But these foolish persons, they do not know. They accept death, birth and death, old age and disease. There is no remedy. The so-called scientists, philosophers, they cannot give any remedy. The only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That they do not know. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya. That is remedy. You have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

janma karma ca me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

(BG 4.9)

This is . . . if you want to be really happy, if you want to be really in your original position, eternity, then you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no alternative. It is not possible. It is not optional. The more you delay accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more you are put into sufferings of this material world. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that . . . the brahminical qualification is certainly very good. Within this material world there are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who are in the tamo-guṇa, they are the lowest, mūḍhā, narādhamā. Rajo-guṇa, they are little better. They have got some activities, just like materialistic person. But sattva-guṇa, they are simply interested in spiritual realization. So spiritual realization means God realization. Unless one becomes a devotee . . . just like in our Indian society, they say brāhmaṇa paṇḍita and brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. So paṇḍita, that is general qualification. Without becoming a paṇḍita, he's not a brāhmaṇa. But above paṇḍita, one has to become a Vaiṣṇava. Then he's perfect brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava.

So these are the twelve qualification of the brāhmaṇa enunciated in the dharma-śāstra. There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra. The most important of the dharma-śāstras is the Manu-saṁhitā. (break) . . . and doing all nonsense. Such kind of bhakti, aikāntikī harer bhak . . . utpātāyeva kalpate: it is simply disturbance in the society, without full knowledge from the śruti-smṛti, if by sentiments one becomes bhakta. That is not bhakta. Bhakta must be following the regulative principles, the instruction of guru and so on. So here Prahlāda Mahārāja said the dvādaśa-guṇa. The dvādaśa-guṇa is dharmaś ca, dharmasya satyaṁ ca dhāmaś ca tapaś ca amātsarya hi titiksa-anusūyava-yajñāś ca dānaṁ dhṛtiḥ sutaṁ ca vratāni vai dvādaśa brāhmaṇasya. So one must be qualified with these twelve qualities. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is given, nine qualities, so, śama dama satyaṁ śaucam, jñānam-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma sva-bhāva . . . (BG 18.42). So you cannot become a brāhmaṇa simply by becoming a son of a brāhmaṇa. That is not possible. That is not the injunction. Just like you cannot become a high-court judge simply by becoming the son of a high-court judge. No. You must be qualified how to become a high-court judge. Then you'll be accepted. Not that . . . you cannot say, "I am . . . my father is high-court judge; I am high-court judge." That is going on. No. So here are the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād viprāt. Must be there, twelve qualities; at least nine qualities. Then you become a brāhmaṇa. And Nārada Muni supports this in another place, that,

yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ

varṇābhivyāñjakam

yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta

tat tenaiva vinirdiśet

(SB 7.11.35)

Nārada Muni said, the greatest authority. He said that these are the qualities of brāhmaṇa, as described. If these qualities are found elsewhere, anyatra. Suppose a man is born in the śūdra family, but he has developed these qualities, then he should be called a brāhmaṇa. And suppose a person is born in the brāhmaṇa family but he has acquired the qualities of śūdra or caṇḍāla, then he should be called caṇḍāla. This is Nārada Muni's statement. And Śrīdhāra Swami gives his comment upon this śloka, that birth is not primary; the qualities are primary.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja also explained. Prahlāda means he is in the Satya-yuga, long, long, millions and millions . . . the principles was this, that simply born in a brāhmaṇa family, he does not become, even with qualities. He must be a devotee. And a devotee, if he, even if he's born in a family of dog-eaters, he is variṣṭham. He is fully qualified. We shall discuss again.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)