761210 - Lecture Festival Disappearance Day, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati - Hyderabad

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

761210DB-HYDERABAD - December 10, 1976 - 38:18 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . (indistinct) ". . . simple expression of reverence and love. The disciple, Abhaya Charan Dāsa, was to become His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, founder-ācārya of International Society, Krishna Consciousness."

So whatever I appreciated forty years ago, the same principle is going on. There is no change. What I understood, my spiritual master . . . practically I met him in 1922, and this poetry was written in 1936. That means fourteen years before writing this poetry, I met my Guru Mahārāja in 1922. At that time I was quite a young man, twenty-five years old only, and I was posted in a very responsible position, as the office manager of Dr. Bose's laboratory. And I was fond of, in those days, of Gandhi's movement. In 1922 I joined Gandhi's movement, and I gave up my educational career because one of the Gandhi's program was to boycott the universities. That's a very long story. And many students gave up their educational career and joined this Gandhi's movement, and I was one of them.

So Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra Bose, he's a very important man. At that time he was managing director of Bengal Chemical Company. Now there is a street in the central Calcutta, Dr. Kartik Bose Street. So he was very important man, and he was our family physician and my father's very intimate friend. So when I gave up my education and I was joining Gandhi's movement, at that time Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose asked me to join him. So with the permission of my father, I joined. So I was fond of, at that time, the Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. And then, when I joined Dr. Bose's laboratory, of course, I was dressed in khādar. So Dr. Bose liked that dress, khādar dress. He told me one day that "Out of your whole Gandhi's movement, I like this khādar only." (laughter) Dr. Bose said. And why? "No, because this will give impetus to industry. This hand spinning will gradually give impetus to India." Actually that happened. He was himself an industrialist. Actually in India the chemical industry was given birth by Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose. He was very important man. He started this Bengal Chemical.

So 1922 I met my Guru Mahārāja through the exigency of my intimate friend Mr. Narendranath Mullik. And I would not go. He told me information, "There is a nice sādhu. Let us go and see." I did not like very much these sādhus in those days, national spirit. So I said, "I have seen many sādhus. They come at my father's care. I was not very much pleased with their behavior." So he dragged me forcibly: "No, I have heard this person is very exalted." So I went. And his first opening version was that "You are educated young men. Why don't you preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gospel in the Western countries?" I did not know. So this was his blessing in the first meeting. I did not know, but I . . . because we belonged to a Vaiṣṇava family, we were very much worshiper of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, our family Deity. So I was very much pleased that "Here is a personality who is going to preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gospel." I was very much pleased.

So anyway, from 1922 to 1933, yes . . . practically I was not initiated, but I got the impression of preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult. That I was thinking. And that was the initiation by my Guru Mahārāja. Then officially I was initiated in 1933, because in 1923 I left Calcutta. I started my business at Allahabad. So I was always thinking of my Guru Mahārāja, that "I met a very nice sādhu." Although I was doing business, I never forgot him. Then, in 1928, these Gauḍīya Maṭha people came to Allahabad during Kumbha-melā. As the Kumbha-melā is going to be held this year, a similar big Kumbha-melā was held in 1928. In those days they came to open their branch in Allahabad, and somebody recommended that "You go to . . ." At that time I was running on my big pharmacy, and I was very well known man in Allahabad as the proprietor of the pharmacy. So somebody recommended them that "You go to Abhaya Babu. He is a very religious man. He'll help you." So when they entered my shop I was very much pleased that "These men I met in 1922, and now they have come." In this way, we become reconnected. And in 1933 I was officially initiated, and my only qualification was . . . when I was introduced to my Guru Mahārāja for initiation, so Guru Mahārāja immediately said, "Yes, I shall initiate this boy. He is very nice. He hears me very patiently. He does not go away." So that was my qualification. The high standard of philosophy which he was speaking, speaking at that time . . . practically I could not follow what was, he was speaking, but still, I liked to hear him. That was my hobby. Whenever . . . I was asking that "When Guru Mahārāja will speak?" So he took it very seriously.

And then, in 1936—it's a long history—during this Vyāsa-pūjā day, this Vyāsa-pūjā day, whatever I studied about our relationship with my Guru Mahārāja I expressed in this poetry, and since that day my Godbrothers used to call me "poet." And Guru Mahārāja also very much appreciated this poetry. Now somehow or other you have found it. (laughs) I thought the poetry is lost, but I do not know how it was found out by some of our disciples. I think it was found out in London museum or somewhere else by Guru dāsa. They had a stock of Harmonist, and from the Harmonist, my Guru Mahārāja's paper, this poetry was found. Otherwise I thought it was lost. So anyway, this poetry is "Adore, adore ye all the happy day, blessed than heaven, sweeter than May." So I heard that the month of May is very pleasing in the Western countries, so I compared the happiness of this day with the May Day. They call May Day?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "When he appeared at Purī, the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared as the son of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his fourth son. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has, he was family man. He has several children, sons and daughters. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, known in his previous life as Bimala Prasāda Datta, son of Kedaranath Datta . . . his father, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his name was. He was magistrate and he was manager also, the managing board of Jagannātha Purī. The system is the local magistrate becomes the official manager of the managing board of Jagannātha Purī. So at that time he was situated in Jagannātha Purī, and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared at Purī. And the Ratha-yātrā, the Ratha-yātrā ceremony takes place, and sometimes the big ratha stops at interval. So the house in which Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared, in front of that house the ratha stopped. So his mother took the advantage and . . . because Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was magistrate, so the son, the little baby, was brought before the ratha, and the pūjārīs allowed him to bring the child before the Deity, and the child was placed before the Deity and a garland was offered by Jagannātha. So that was the first sign of his becoming the ācārya. In this way there are many incidences. So therefore his birthplace is mentioned, "the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." "O my master, the evangelic angel, give us thy light, light up thy candle. Struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace."

So actually we are in a very precarious condition, the modern civilization, I mean to say, manipulated by the Western people. It is a soul-killing civilization, this civilization. By nature the chance is given after many, many evolutionary process. Jalajā nava lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣā viṁśati (Padma Purāṇa). The evolutionary theory is there in the Padma Purāṇa. It is not Darwin's theory. Darwin stolen it from Padma Purāṇa, and he presented in a distorted way of his own imagination. Otherwise, the Darwin's theory is not the original. The theory . . . it is not theory—fact. Jīva-jātiṣu. It is wandering within the cycle of jīva-jāti, different species of life. Tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). This is Vedic knowledge, this evolutionary process. It is not Darwin's theory.

So by that process, lower animals, and then the chronological order is there. First of all aquatics, jalajāḥ. Jalajāḥ means aquatic. Then sthāvarāḥ: trees, plants. Then flies, then birds, then beasts, then human being. In this way, bahu sambhavante, after many, many millions of years we get this opportunity of human life to realize God. And this civilization is denying, refusing the opportunity to the human society to understand God—such a soul-killing civilization. It is a fact. They are denying: "What is God? There is no God. Everything is science," although they cannot explain science. They cannot do anything; simply talking like nonsense. Last night some girls came, so they are students of botany. So I asked them, "Can you manufacture a seed which can give birth to a big banyan tree?" "No, sir, it is not possible." Then what kind of botany you are studying? Actually what is their science? They talk simply something which is going on in the middle portion. Where is the beginning and where is the end of knowledge, that they do not know. They are theorizing only in the middle. They do not know janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), where is the beginning of this science. That is . . . beginning is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). He is the beginning. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 7.10). That seed, you scientist, you cannot manufacture. What chemicals are there that if you put in the earth and pour some water and it will grow a big tree? These scientists, they cannot explain what is the chemical composition is there. But there is. So that is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. So this knowledge means to understand the original source. That is philosophy: find out the original source. That is knowledge. So the vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo (BG 15.15). Actually the knowledge terminates when you understand Kṛṣṇa. He is the source of everything. So there is a "struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace."

So we got this information from His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and that knowledge is still going on. You are receiving through his servant. And in future the same knowledge will go to your students. This is called paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā prāp . . . it is not that you have become a student and you'll remain student. No. One day you shall become also guru and make more students, more students, more. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu mission, not that perpetually . . . yes, one should remain perpetually a student, but he has to act as guru. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is not that because I am acting as guru, I am no longer student. No, I am still student. Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Mahārāja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāśana (CC Adi 7.71). We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. Āra nā kariha mane āśā. So we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.

So recently . . . I am very pleased to say that our Harikeśa . . . I ordered him to go immediately to Poland, and he thought that he was being punished. That was . . . no. I was thinking that "Here is a important, a very intelligent boy. If he is given chance to preach he'll come out very successful." So I see the glimpses that he has got in our post. He's a very good organizer. That's a chance. At that time he might have thought that I was separating him. No. My, my good will was there, that he should be given chance for better opportunity. So I am very much happy that he is doing there very nice. So this should be the attitude. My Guru Mahārāja wanted me to preach in the Western countries, although I was at that time a ordinary manager in a chemical firm. I never thought, but I took it seriously. So from that 1922, in nineteen hundred seven . . . 1965 it was fruitful. How many years?

Devotees: Forty-three.

Prabhupāda: Forty-three years. So it is better late than never. Yes. So he desired me. I thought, "Now I am a family man. Let me adjust things." I would have accepted immediately, but I was not so intelligent at that time. I thought, "My responsibility to family is there. Let me wait." But still, Guru Mahārāja was so kind to me that when I was gṛhastha, I was seeing him in dream and, and I was . . . he asked me, "You come with me." So I was going, and after that, I was thinking, "Oh, I will have to take sannyāsa and go with him?" So it appeared to me very horrible. I was not very much inclined to take sannyāsa, but Guru Mahārāja is so kind that he ultimately forced me to take sannyāsa and do this work. So it is all his kindness. So this is the memory of his kindness.

So forty years ago. I remember the same thing as it is in 1922, and still the same thing is going on. There is nothing new. We have nothing to do new. Simply let us present as it is; it will be successful. There is no . . . you see. The spirit of my writing is the same. "Misled we are, all going astray." This soul-killing civilization is misleading us. We must know it, this very misleading civilization. Our real aim of life is to understand our spiritual identification and search out our relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa. That is our real business. But this modern civilization is misleading us in different ways. So I wrote this, that "Misled we are, all going astray. Save us, lord, our fervent pray. Wonder thy ways to run - to turn our face, adore thy feet, Your Divine Grace." So this portion he very much appreciated.

So we have to find out ways how to turn the current. The current is sense enjoyment. Material life means the current is sense enjoyment, and this current has to be turned—sense enjoyment of Kṛṣṇa. Sense enjoyment is there, but the material civilization, the misled civilization, is that the sense gratification is taken personal. When this sense gratification will be turned towards Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Just like gopīs. Apparently it appears that gopīs, they were attracted by young boy, Kṛṣṇa, and for their sense gratification they made friendship with Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that gopīs used to dress themselves nicely because by seeing them, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, not that for their sense gratification. Generally a girl dresses herself to attract the attention of the boy. So the same thing is there, but it is Kṛṣṇa's sense gratification, not the gopīs. The gopīs did not want anything. But Kṛṣṇa will be satisifed. That is the difference between lust and love. Love is there, only possible when it is diverted towards Kṛṣṇa. That is love. And beyond that . . . not beyond that, below that, everything is lust. So we should always remember this. The senses are not stopped, but when the gratification of the senses is directed towards Kṛṣṇa, that is bhakti, and love. And when the sense gratification is directed towards personal self, that is lust. This is difference between lust and love. So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura knew this art, how to turn our activities for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore I . . . "Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore thy feet, Your Divine Grace."

"Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls." Why we are fallen? Because we have forgotten. We are . . . our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is eternal. Unless it was eternal, how you Western peoples could be devotee of Kṛṣṇa? Artificially you cannot be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The relationship is there eternally. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. By the process it is now awakened. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya (CC Madhya 22.107). It is awakened. Love between young man and young woman, it is not artificial. It is there. But by certain circumstantially, environment, the love becomes manifest. Similarly, our love for Kṛṣṇa, relationship with Kṛṣṇa, is eternal. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). But we have to create such situation that eternal relation should be awakened. That is the art. That is wanted.

So "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa we are paying heavy, heavy toll, tax, taxation. What is that taxation? The taxation is nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). This human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, but instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa we are understanding the so-called material science for sense gratification. This is our position. The energy which was given by nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is being utilized how to manufacture something for sense gratification. This is going on. This is māyā, illusion. Therefore it is "pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Toll tax. That we are paying because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore now we have manufactured the nuclear weapon—Russia, America—and you will have to pay heavily. They are already paying heavily. The armament preparation is going on. More than fifty percent of the income of the state are now being spent for this arm, heavily. Instead of other purposes, it is being spent for military strength, every state. So that heavy toll we are paying. And when there is war there is no limit how much we are spending for this devastation. So why? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact.

So these people, they have made the United Nation, unnecessarily fighting like dogs. So this will not solve the problems. The problem will be solved if they pass a resolution that the whole world, not only this world . . . Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-loka maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, so why not accept? Actually He is the proprietor. Who has created this planet? We have created or our father created? No. Kṛṣṇa has created. But we are claiming, "This portion is American, this portion is Indian, this portion is Pakistani." Unnecessary. What is the value of this claim? We may claim it for fifty or sixty or a hundred years, and after that, one kick: "Get out." Where is your claim? But they do not understand this philosophy. They are fighting, that's all, that "This is mine. This is my land," "This is my land." They do not know. Kṛṣṇa said, tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). "You are American today. Tomorrow, even within America if you become an American cow or American animal, nobody will care for you. Nobody will care for your politics." But this art they do not know. This science they do not know. They are under illusion. They are thinking that "I shall continue to remain American, so let me waste my time for American interest," so-called interest. There cannot be any interest. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done by nature. We are simply falsely thinking, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. This illusion is going on. "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." We are paying, paying. "Darkness around, all untrace. The only hope, Your Divine Grace." This message. Simply we are in darkness.

So we shall discuss later on again. Now just . . . what is the time now?

Devotees: Quarter to nine.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotees: Quarter to nine.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we shall discuss again. So the same thing, it is chalked out by Kṛṣṇa, and by paramparā system we have understood this philosophy. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So keep this paramparā system. This Vyāsa-pūjā is paramparā system. Vyāsa-pūjā means to accept this paramparā system. Vyāsa. Guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva because he does not change anything. What Vyāsa, Vyāsa-pūjā . . . what Vyāsadeva said, your guru also will say the same thing. Not that "So many hundreds of thousands of years have passed away; therefore I'll give you a new formula." No. There is no new formula. The same Vyāsa-pūjā, the same philosophy. Simply we have to accept it, then our life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)