760406 - Lecture SB 07.09.51 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

760406SB-VRNDAVAN - April 06, 1976 - 27.20 Minutes

(Poor recording)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "The great saint Nārada Muni said: Being pacified in this way by the devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja with prayers offered from the transcendental platform, Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva gave up His anger. Being very kind to Prahlāda, who was lying prostrate, offering obeisances, the Lord spoke as follows."

Prabhupāda:

śrī-nārada uvāca

etāvad varṇita-guṇo

bhaktyā bhaktena nirguṇaḥ

prahrādaṁ praṇataṁ prīto

yata-manyur abhāṣata

(SB 7.9.51)

So Nṛsiṁha-deva was very angry. Everything is natural. If somebody becomes angry, it takes some time to get out of the anger. So Nṛsiṁha-deva was very, very angry because His devotee, Prahlāda, was so much treated ill by his father, it became intolerable . . . (indistinct) . . . children, they naturally attract the affection of the elderly people.

So whatever we see in our dealings within the material world, the same things are there in the spiritual world. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This affection of the Lord, of the superior person to the inferior children, is natural. So wherefrom this affection comes? It comes from the Supreme Lord. Everything. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1). Whatever you see in this material world, same prototype of things are there in the spiritual world.

Then what is the difference? The difference is, here everything is polluted, but in the material world . . . er, in the spiritual world, there is no influence of the material qualities. Nirguṇa. This is nirguṇa. Here everything is . . . Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi is here.

We should understand what is the difference between material and spiritual. Here in this material world, everything is polluted. But it is . . . (indistinct) . . . polluted. Why? Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Out of these three guṇas, sattva-guṇa is the best. If one is situated in sattva-guṇa, then there is chance of being promoted to the stage of nirguṇa. The tamo-guṇa is the lowest state, and ignorance, foolish . . . (indistinct) . . . can be found in animals. This is tamo-guṇa. Pāpa-yoni, this is tamo-guṇa.

Then if one is fortunate, he can be situated in the rajo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa, at least there is some material interest, intelligence. So . . . But above that, there is sattva-guṇa, to understand things as they are.

In this way, when you get full scope for understanding of things as they are—not falsely studying and speculating, but proper . . . (indistinct) . . . that is called sattva-guṇa, prakāśa. Just like darkness at night, you cannot see anything. That is tamo-guṇa. Then in between the darkness and sunlight, there is a period, darkness, early in the morning, it is not completely illuminated, but the darkness is not gone. The . . . (indistinct) . . . that is the mode of passion. Everyone gets up early in the morning and begins his work. And in the sunshine, one can work very nicely; he can see how nature is situated, how things can be done. Similarly, one who is dominated by the tamo-guṇa, he is like animal. He is like animal. But taking this body as self, this is tamo-guṇa. Sa eva go-karaḥ. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

So at the present moment we see that 99.9 percent, they are all in tamo-guṇa, because they are taking this body as self. Anyone goes any part of the world, ask him, "Who are you?" He will say, "I am the material body. I am Mr. such and such," "I am Russian" or "I am German," "I belong to this family" and so on, "this nation"—all the body. That is our practical experience. Nobody knows that he is not this body. This is tamo-guṇa.

And few may be trying to speculate that he is not this body; he is something else. That's a fact. But because on account of being influenced by the tamo-guṇa, he cannot understand . . . (indistinct) . . . and we have to come to the stage of nirguṇa, even there will be no sattva-guṇa. Here sattva-guṇa, the mode of goodness, is sometimes not . . . (indistinct) . . . they are attracted by the lower qualities, by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa mixed. It becomes mixed.

But if you want to become devotee, then you have to overcome even this mixed quality of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. You have to come to the platform of nirguṇa: no more influenced by the material qualities. That is the bhakti stage, nirguṇa. Therefore, here it is said, bhaktyā bhaktena nirguṇaḥ.

So bhakti is the only platform which is nirguṇa, and from that platform you can please the Supreme Lord. Here it is clearly said, prahrādaṁ praṇataṁ prīto. You cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the material platform of rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. That is not possible. You have to come to the platform of bhakti. Bhaktyā mām (BG 18.55) . . .

And who can come to the platform of bhakti? One who is bhakta. Not the others, namely karmī, jñānī, yogī. No. They cannot. It is not possible. Therefore it clearly says here, bhaktyā bhaktena. The same thing is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to understand the Supreme Lord, tattvataḥ, in truth, not in your imagination . . . "God may be like this, God may be like that," these are all speculation. God, the Supreme Being, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BS 5.1). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva is the origin of everything. This knowledge, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Nothing else. That conclusion can be achieved when you are nirguṇa, not saguṇa.

So in the spiritual world, it is not void, not impersonal; it has everything exactly like this. There are . . . (indistinct) . . . there are trees, houses, everything. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (BS 5.29). Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. This kalpa-vṛkṣa, there is tree, but it is not like this tree. A different, kalpa-vṛkṣa. From this tree, whatever you want you can get it. That is called kalpa-vṛkṣa.

In the material world, because it is covered by the three guṇas, you can get the mango from the mango tree and orange from the orange tree, not that any tree you have grown you get both the mango and the orange. That is not possible. That is there in the spiritual world.

Just like if I ask you, "Please bring me a glass of water," you can give me. If I ask you, "Please bring me this little . . . (indistinct) . . ." you can give me. That means because you are spirit soul, whatever I ask from you, you can give me. Spirit soul. Whatever I order, you can supply because you are spirit soul. So the spiritual platform, you can get everything, whatever you want. So there is no need of working for something. As soon as you desire, the things are there. That is called nirguṇa.

Nirguṇa does not mean it is zero, as the Māyāvādī philosophy. They have no conception of the nirguṇa. Nirguṇa prakoshi, it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is always nirguṇa. He is not within anything of this material world. But those who are rascals, they cannot understand. They say that God is impersonal; when He comes He takes the help of material energy and gets a body, material body. This is their philosophy. No.

Kṛṣṇa says that "I appear," sa guṇān ātma-māyayā. These Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand what is ātma-māyayā. Personal energy, ātma-māyayā. Ātma-māyayā means spiritual. He does not appear in the material form. Those who are rascals and less intelligent, mūḍhās, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam . . . (BG 9.11). Because He come exactly . . . He is also . . . His form is like man. Dvibhuja murlidhara. Kṛṣṇa has two hands and Nārāyaṇa has four hands. Kṛṣṇa is always carrying His flute; this is Kṛṣṇa's līlā, form.

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kaminīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi . . .

(BS 5.30)

Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam. It is not that I just imagine the God's form with a flute. No. It is confirmed in the Vedic literature: veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitām . . . this is His original form. It is not the imagination of the Māyāvādīs. No. But they do not know; they cannot understand.

God's form can be understood by the devotees only. It is . . . Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to anyone except His devotee. Therefore, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. And these bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa says, "This bhakta who has fully surrendered unto Me with full knowledge, not blindly," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). When one has come to this platform that Vāsudeva is everything, sarvatma vāsudevyā, simply by worshiping Vāsudeva, you can worship everyone, all the demigods. There is no need of worshiping anyone else. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), only Kṛṣṇa. This is Vāsudeva.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is such qualified devotee. Therefore, by his prayer the Lord immediately became pleased. Prītaḥ. Prītaḥ. As soon as one is satisfied, naturally he will come out of his angry mood. This is natural. Prītaḥ yata-manyur abhāṣata. And we can speak very nicely when we are not disturbed in mind or we are not in angry mood. In this way, Prahlāda Mahārāja was accepted. He was accepted not . . . (indistinct) . . . especially by his prayer, which is nirguṇa . . . (indistinct)

So we should always remember that nirguṇa means without any material qualities. Material quality is saguṇa, "with the material qualities." So nirguṇa means without any material qualities. So karma, jñāna and yoga, they are all material qualities. Only bhakti is spiritual. Even in that bhakti, if you bring in karma, jñāna or yoga, then it is mixed; it is not pure.

Therefore, Rūpa Gosvāmī gives definition of bhakti, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Anyābhilāṣitā means no more jñāna and yoga. If you want to be profited, bhakti-yoga, show some yogic wonders . . . the yogīs, they . . . (indistinct) . . . some kind of wonders. If one thinks that because being a bhakta I shall also show some wonderful thing, then it is not nirguṇa; it is saguṇa. If you think that "I shall become a devotee. I shall get all the material comfort," that is the desire of the karmīs. That is karma-misra bhakti, jnana-misra bhakti. This is mixed up.

So long you are mixed up, you will get whatever you desire. Kṛṣṇa is quite competent to satisfy you in that service. It is not very difficult thing for Him. If becoming a bhakta, if you want some material comfort, it is not at all difficult for Kṛṣṇa; He can give you. But you are cheated. By your asking some material comfort from Kṛṣṇa, God, by your service, in exchange of service, you can get the material comfort, more than your expectation, then you must know you are cheated.

You are not cheated by Kṛṣṇa, but you cheat yourself. Kṛṣṇa is sarva . . . (indistinct) . . . whatever you want, He will give you. If you want to be cheated, He will cheat you. This is God. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). "If you want to be cheated, I will cheat you. If you don't want to be cheated, I will not cheat you." This is reciprocation, responsive . . . (indistinct)

So don't try to be cheated. That will spoil the . . . (indistinct) . . . don't ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. Simply we want to give everything to Kṛṣṇa, then that is bhakti. Don't try to take from Kṛṣṇa in exchange of your service. He can give you immediately. That is not difficult for Him. But don't do that.

Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered, "Prahlāda, you take one benediction. You take." Dhruva Mahārāja also, he was pure devotee. Dhruva was offered that "If you want the largest kingdom than Brahmā, and it was created, Dhruva star. You go there and enjoy." So he was then very regretful, that "How foolish I was. I came to offer my respects to the Supreme Lord for some material exchange." He became very regretful. He said, "My Lord, whatever I was asking, it was my ignorance. Now I don't want." Svāmin kṛtārtho'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42, Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 7.28). "It was a mistake that I wanted some material benediction from You." This is pure, nirguṇa. This is nirguṇa.

As soon as there is some demand, that is saguṇa; that is not pure. Simply avyabhicārī bhakti. Not mixed with jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Not covered by jñāna and karma and yoga. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, sakali 'aśānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). Bhukti, the karmis, they want some material profit. So Kṛṣṇa gives. And mukti, liberation, they are wanted by the jñānīs, to become free from this material botheration and become one with God. This is also another demand, jñānī.

So bhukti-mukti—mukti, they want mukti. A devotee doesn't want mukti. What is mukti? Naryana parayanah . . . (indistinct) . . . one who is actually devotee, he doesn't care where he is placed, in the hell or heaven, he doesn't care. He simply wants to serve Kṛṣṇa, never mind where he . . . (indistinct) . . . not even heaven or hell. The same thing: because a devotee does not live either in hell or heaven, he lives in Vaikuṇṭha always.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda:He doesn't care for hell and heaven. Just like Kṛṣṇa, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). He also lives within the core of the heart of the pig who is eating stool. But does it mean that Kṛṣṇa is in the stool? No.

So nirguṇa. We have to remain nirguṇa. Then it is bhakti, and by that bhakti you can please Kṛṣṇa. That is called prema, love. The devotee is eager to please the Lord as He wants, prīti-vāñchā, kṛṣṇendriya prīti-vāñchā tare nāma prema (CC Ādi 4.165). When you are eager to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is called love. And when you want to satisfy your senses, that is called kāma. That is difference between kāma and . . .

So here, in the material world, all activities are going on as kāma. You can expand. First of all you are satisfied by satisfying your senses. Just like a small child: you give you him something eatable, immediately he puts it in his mouth. This is satisfaction. He wants to satisfy his senses. When he grows up, he may distribute that eatable to his other brother and sisters. So this does not mean you have changed the quality of sense gratification. It is very . . . (indistinct)

In the material world we see sometimes you are working for your family. But if you work for the nation, you become a very great man. But what is the basis? The basis is sense gratification. Very big, big politicians, they work for the nation, sacrifice their life, but that exalted position, it is not nirguṇa; it is saguṇa. You can expand, expand, expand—unless you come to the point of satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa, you are saguṇa. And when you live to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is nirguṇa, that is devotion. In that state, you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda! (end)