Srila Prabhupada speaks on: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1

Bombay, Dec. 25, 1976

Audio for this lecture: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/761225sbbom/
Prabhupada Radio: https://prabhupadaradio.com

Prabhupāda:

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam
[SB 5.5.1]

This verse we were discussing yesterday. Portion of the verse was explained, and portion of the verse we shall try to explain this night.

Tapo divyam. Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear sons, this body, human body, nāyaṁ deha, this body is not for wasting life, dogs and hogs." They are not wasting. They are in the gradual evolution process. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṇa]. They are coming to the human form of body gradually, by nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. So long we are in the lower species of life, we are conducted by complete laws of nature, prakṛteḥ kriya..., guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, according to the different guṇas.

There are three guṇas; therefore the material nature is called guṇa-mayī. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Kṛṣṇa says that this material energy... There are three different energies of the Supreme Lord. He has got multi-energies, parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. We can see His activities are going on, different varieties of activities in this world, but they have been summarized into three divisions = sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... The animals, they are in the tamo-guṇa. Then gradually they are elevated by the evolutionary process to the rajo-guṇa, and then we are elevated to the sattva-guṇa. That is the brahminical qualification. And we have to surpass the sattva-guṇa also. Not that coming to the platform of sattva-guṇa we become perfect. No. There is chance of falling down from the sattva-guṇa. We have got practical experience in this age, Kali-yuga, many persons have fallen down from the platform of brahminical qualification. The brahminical qualification is the platform of sattva-guṇa = śamo damo titikṣava ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. This is the brahminical culture.

So if by coming to the platform of brahminical culture one is sure... That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sometimes sattva-guṇa is overpowered by rajo-guṇa or rajo-guṇa is overpowered by tamo-guṇa or sattva-guṇa is overpowered by tamo-guṇa. In this way, topsy-turvy it is going on. That is material world. But if you want to become above the material platform, then you have to take to the platform of devotional service. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā:

māṁ ca avyabhicārena
bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

If you take to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we can overcome the jurisdiction of the three guṇas. That is also advised by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna = traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna [Bg. 2.45]. This whole world is being conducted by the three guṇas, and if you want to go above the three guṇas, then you have to take to this platform, nistraiguṇya. Nirguṇa. Is called nirguṇa. Nirguṇa does not mean that no quality. No. Nirguṇa means nirastaḥ yatra, these material qualities. Do not think, as some philosophers think like that, that after being brahma-bhūtaḥ, as it is stated, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished.

That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

When you come to this platform of transcendence, brahma-bhūtaḥ... Because we are going on under the wrong impression that "I am this body." This is the most fallen condition of the present human society. They are taking this body... Of course, this bodily conception of life there was even five thousand years ago, when the Battle of Kurukṣetra took place. Arjuna was very much disturbed on the platform of this bodily conception of life, because he thought that he belonged to a particular family, and in that battle he was to fight with his family members. So he declined to fight. But Kṛṣṇa, to raise him from that platform, He chastised him, that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: "My dear Arjuna, you are lamenting for a subject matter, and at the same time you are talking just like a very learned man."

aśocyān anvaśocas tvam
prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca
nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ
[Bg. 2.11]

That means indirectly He accused Arjuna that "You are not paṇḍita. You're a fool, because you are lamenting on the subject matter on which no paṇḍita laments." So what is that? This bodily conception, agatāsūṁś..., gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. This body, dead or alive, is not the subject matter of study by learned scholars---this is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā---dead or alive.

So actually we are concerned at the present moment with the body. Either "Indian," "American," "Hindu," "Muslim," "brāhmaṇa," "kṣatriya," they are all bodily conception of life. But śāstra says that those who are on the bodily conception of life, they are no better than the animals.

yasyātmā buddhiḥ kuṇape tridhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijneṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
[SB 10.84.13]

If on the bodily conception of life we take leadership, then the position is sa eva go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, animal, and kharaḥ means ass. So he is no better than the animals go and kharaḥ. So how he can take leadership? This is the difficulty at the present moment, that we take leadership of the society although we remain on the bodily conception of life. They cannot take leadership.

So another place it is condemned = śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ [SB 2.3.19]. These are śāstric injunction, that when we elect some leader without any spiritual knowledge, then what is the position? The position is that the elected person is also one of us. And what is our position? Our position is without spiritual knowledge, without being beyond the bodily conscious of life, we are no better than śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. Śva means dog, and viḍ-varāha means the stool-eater hogs, and uṣṭra means camel and ass. Ass means gadā, khara. Khara means ass. So this is a long definition. The summary is that without spiritual knowledge, with bodily conception of life, we are no better than the dogs, camels and these hogs and asses. So we should not become like that. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advises that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed [SB 5.5.1].

Now in the bodily conception of life we are so much contaminated that our existence is now polluted. Actually it is polluted, because Kṛṣṇa says, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. This is our position. Our position is we never take birth. We are not subjected to take birth because we are part and parcel of God, spirit soul. And na jāyate na mriyate vā: we do not die. How we are seeing... Every day we are dying. My father die, my brother die, my neighbor die. How is that? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. This is our position. We do not die, even the body is destroyed. So where is that knowledge throughout the whole world? There is no such [indistinct]. There is no university, no school, no college to impart this knowledge, that na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], this simple word. This is fact.

And who is speaking? The Supreme Personality of Godhead. He accepted. Arjuna accepted. Arjuna listened to Kṛṣṇa about Bhagavad-gītā, and he understood that "Here is the Supreme Person." Not only that; he admitted that "Not that I am Your friend." Just like it has become a fashion if I like somebody, I make him God. Kṛṣṇa is not that type of God, by meditation or by votes. He is God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Just like when He was only three months old on the lap of His mother, the Pūtanā came to kill Him. But He killed that Pūtanā rākṣasī. He was that time also God, when three months old. And He had not to go..., undergo the austerities of meditation. He had no time. So from the very beginning up to the time of His departure from this world, He is God. That is God. God is not manufactured. God is always God. Neither God falls down. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as Acyuta. Cyuta means falling down, and Kṛṣṇa is acyuta.

So we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa admits, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7], ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]. We are sons of God, Kṛṣṇa. Not that by imagination. God Himself says. And all śāstra says that jīva is equal in quality with God. That's a fact. Then why we are subjected to this birth and death, old age and disease? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā = janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. We are trying to solve all problems of life, but real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Where is that scientist, where is that education to conquer over birth, death, old age and disease? They are trying to control = birth control, over-population. But that is not a problem. Birth control cannot be. That cannot be. The birth is increasing. That is not possible. And why birth control? That is also a long subject matter. There is no need of birth control, because Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4] = "I am the father." And Kṛṣṇa is not only ordinary father but He is the controller of nature:

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

So nature is producing our foodstuff, and He is the controller. And He is the father. So how there can be a scarcity of food? This is a bogus propaganda, that because the population is big, therefore we cannot... This is our incapability. We cannot manage---we accuse that "overpopulation." But actually if you study śāstra, if you accept Kṛṣṇa as the father, the Supreme Lord, He is not a poor man. He knows. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. He knows past, present and future. So it is not that because there is overpopulation there is scarcity of food. No. That is not the cause. The cause is that as soon as people will become godless, the supply will be stopped. That time is coming. That time is coming. It is predicted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that anāvṛṣṭi, durbhikṣa and kara-pīḍitāḥ. People, gradually being godless, they will be suffering from these three principles. There will be no more rainfall. Therefore last time when I was in Europe---I do not know what has happened now---there was scarcity of rain, and England was making plan to import water. So this is scientists' program. There is enough water in the sea, but they cannot use it. So that is hand of God. Unless God helps, Kṛṣṇa helps, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram... [Bg. 9.10]. The vast ocean, although the water is there, you cannot use one drop. You are so controlled.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Ahaṅkāra, our false egotism, we are suffering by the punishment offered by nature.

So the cause is godlessness. If we become godless, the prakṛti will restrict supply---so much so there will be durbhikṣa, anāvṛṣṭi. How we can control? Because you may be very great scientist, you may deny the existence of God, but when there is anāvṛṣṭi you are looking up on the sky, "When there will be cloud? When there will be rain?" Then, and taking this plea, our government will tax for relief fund. That is all mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anāvṛṣṭi durbhikṣa, karo-pīḍita. People will be so much harassed. And durbhikṣa, ācchina-dāra-draviṇā giri-kānanam [SB 2.2.8]. They will be so much harassed by these three principles---no rainfall, scarcity of grains, and taxed heavily by the government... They will be so much harassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam, they will be forced to leave home, that "Now it is hopeless. I cannot manage. Let me go to the forest." And there will be... Now we are getting rice or wheat or sugar. But these things will be completely stopped. Now we are getting milk powder, but there will be no milk. It is not my imagination. They are described in the symptoms of Kali-yuga, that the end of Kali-yuga these things will happen. That means more and more suffering. More and more you become godless, more and more suffering will be inflicted by the laws of nature.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says here that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed. This human life is not meant for, I mean to say, spoiling by working hard like the animals, as we have said that kaṣṭān kāmān. Kaṣṭān kāmān. We require something, some certainly, because we have got this body. The very easy solution is given by Lord Kṛṣṇa = annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg. 3.14]. You produce food grains. Why you are going to produce tools and implements and... Of course, we do not condemn. But at the sacrifice of producing food grain, we simply open big, big tire factory. When I go to Delhi I see, from Vṛndāvana, hundreds and thousands persons are coming from the village on cycle to go to the tire factory, Goodyear tire factory. So now eat tire instead of getting food grains. So this is misdirected civilization. Kṛṣṇa does not say that you produce tire tube. Kṛṣṇa says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You produce anna." This is practical solution. We have therefore started in Europe and America farming. And they are very happy. In our latest Back to Godhead the description is published about our farm in France. We have got a very palatial building. We have named it New Māyāpur. What is the place?

Hari-śauri: Chateau d'Oublaise.

Prabhupāda: I cannot pronounce this French word. [laughter] So anyway, our men, there are about three hundred men living there, last time, four months, five months before, I was there. It is very, very nice place. We are getting our own fruits, own vegetable fresh, and we are getting fresh wheat and milk. It is so happy life. You see?

So government is also advertising, "Go to the village." Actually that is life. Go to the village. Mahatma Gandhi also wanted to organize this life, but unfortunately you have changed. Now we have got place in Hyderabad about six hundred acres of land. We are also trying here. We have already done in Māyāpur. We are producing our own food, our own cloth, own milk, and we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the simplest life. This life is meant for not working like hogs and dogs. That is the instruction. Nayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. This is the business of the stool-eater hogs. But what is meant for human life? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed. Just rectify your existence. You are not to die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Why don't you take this formula seriously, that "I am not subject to die. I am not subjected to death. Why I am forced to take birth and die?" This one question, that is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now this life is meant for... "I am Brahman. Now I must inquire about my identity, about my constitutional position, how I can become happy, why I am put into this tribulation." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Kṛṣṇa says; I am not saying. This place, Kṛṣṇa says, this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. But we are trying to mitigate our distresses by material adjustment. But Kṛṣṇa says no, that is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Whatever plan you make, the nature will break it. You have to suffer here. Because you have preferred to come into this material world and want to become happy---you do not know what is the way of happiness---you must suffer. Kṛṣṇa does not like, because you are His son, but it is a punishment under the control of the material nature.

So if we want to avoid this punishment, duḥkhālayam..., janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-dosānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9], this polluted condition... This is polluted condition. I am eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. So our question should be... [break] The human life is meant for inquiring about our permanent life. He requires a guru. Not a guru who can give me some so-called happiness by manufacturing some material things. No. The guru means, as it is described by Viśvanātha Cakravartī,

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyana-guṇārnavasya
vande guroḥ śrī caraṇāravindam

Guru means one who can deliver me from this duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Māyā... We are in the duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, but under the influence of māyā we are thinking we are living very, very happily, or we are not trying to solve the question. No. This kind of solution will not help you, because you have to die. Whatever you make solution, Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]. If you don't agree to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, "All right, make your arrangement. But at the time of death I shall come and take away everything, whatever you have got." Mrtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. Then your bank balance, your skyscraper building, your country, your family, your good name---everything will be taken away. And you have to accept another body, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Now whatever assessment we're given in this life, everything will be taken away, and we'll be forced to accept one body which you cannot deny.

Karmanā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. According to your karma you have to accept another body, because you are under the laws of material nature.

puruṣaḥ prakṛti 'stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya
sad-asad-janma-yonisu
[Bg. 13.22]

Puruṣaḥ. This living entity, he's puruṣaḥ. Factually he's not a puruṣaḥ, he's a prakṛti. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

apareyam itas tu viddhi
me prakṛtiṁ parām
jīva-bhutāṁ mahā-baho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat
[Bg. 7.5]

This material world is matter, bhūmir āpo 'nalo-vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4]. They are described as prakṛti, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. And again He says that apareyam, "These are inferior prakṛti." But there is a superior prakṛti. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Who is that? Jīva-bhūtam, the jīvas, living entities.

So we are prakṛti. We are trying to become puruṣaḥ. Puruṣaḥ means enjoyer. So our, I mean to say, endeavor to become puruṣaḥ... Everyone is trying to be puruṣaḥ, enjoyer. And at last he wants to become the supreme puruṣaḥ: "I want to become God." When everything is baffled, then he wants to become God. So this puruṣaḥ, when he's struggling, manaḥ ṣaṣṭānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7], hard struggle for existence to become puruṣaḥ, but he cannot become puruṣaḥ. He's prakṛti. He's enjoyed. He's predominated, and the predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the enjoyer; we are enjoyed. We are not enjoyer. So that is mistake. That is our māyā. We are not enjoyer.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us the direction, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Don't try to become puruṣaḥ, enjoyer, artificially. Better instead of serving your senses, you become servant of the Supreme Lord. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to convince people that "Don't try to become master artificially. You'll never be successful. Just agree to become servant of Kṛṣṇa." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66]. That is your perfection.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]

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Srila Prabhupada speaks on: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1

London, Sept. 12, 1969

Audio for this lecture: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/%C5%9Br%C4%ABmad-bh%C4%81gavatam-551-690912sb-london/
Prabhupada Radio: https://prabhupadaradio.com

Prabhupāda: [chants maṅgalācaraṇa]

...ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ

["I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance."]

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

["When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?"]

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

["I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion."]

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

["My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service."]

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

[SB 5.5.1]

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

This is a verse instructed by Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons. Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva was incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, long, long years ago. And He was the emperor of the whole world. Formerly there was only one king on this planet. In every planet there is a predominating personality. In every... Not only this planet; all other planets also. And the predominating deity, or you may call the king or emperor, in the moon planet he is called Candra.

Similarly, the predominating deity or the emperor in the sun planet, at the present moment he is called Vivasvān. So the predominating deity or the emperor in each and every important planet, they are mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That means the author of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has complete knowledge not only of this universe, but also beyond the universe.

Beyond the universe, there is spiritual sky. There are also different planets. But in those planets the predominating Deity is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. And in this material world, in each and every planet, the predominating deity or the person is a very pious human being or living being. Generally, human being. In other, higher planetary system they are also like human being. Their features are exactly like us: two hands, two legs, one head, like that. But they are very pious. They are God conscious.

Every..., in every planet the living entities or human being, they are of different grades. Just like in this planet also, in some portion of this world there are savages, uncivilized persons, and in some portion of the world there are civilized persons, intelligent persons, God conscious persons; as there are different grades of persons in this planet, similarly, there are different grades of beings, living beings or human beings, in different other planets.

The higher and lower grades are calculated in terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Consciousness is there everywhere, every living entity. Not only human being, but also animals, the consciousness is there. But the difference is, consciousness without Kṛṣṇa is lower grade, and consciousness of Kṛṣṇa in different degrees, they are higher grade. And when the consciousness is completely Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest position, or that is the real position of living entity.

So this human form of life... Mahārāja Bharata is instructing to His sons. He had one hundred sons. So all of them assembled together, and the king, before retirement, was instructing.

[aside:] Let him come in.

[pause] So, instructing His sons. It is the duty of the father that before retirement... Now, here is one significant point. Why the king was retiring? That is the system, Vedic system. Either one is king or one is ordinary human being, at a certain age he must retire. That is Vedic system. Not that because one is king and one has ample opportunity for sense enjoyment, therefore he should indulge in sense enjoyment without retiring from family life. That is not Vedic system. The Vedic system is, the aim is, how to elevate oneself to the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Vedic system.

You have read Bhagavad-gītā. In the Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll find, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

The whole Vedic system is designed, or planned, how to know Kṛṣṇa. So if you follow Vedic system, then the ultimate objective should be to know Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic version and corroborated by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the original compiler of Vedas; therefore His version should be accepted, that the objective of studying Vedas means to know Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ.

Therefore the king, Ṛṣabhadeva, is advising, instructing His sons... He was retiring. Why He was retiring? He could enjoy His kingdom. Just like at the present moment, either a king or a family man does not retire. Even a poor man living in with family with great difficulties, but if you ask him to retire, he'll not be agreeable. We have asked many old men—he's suffering; he's not happy within his family members—but if I say, "Why you are taking so much trouble with the family? Why not come and live with us in Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society?" he'll not agree. Because he has no Vedic training. Up to the end of this life he'll stick to the family life.

Many, many politicians... In our country we have seen many old politicians, seventy-five years old, eighty years old. Not only in our country; in other countries also. In your country, Great Britain, Mr. Churchill, unless he was forced to death, he would not give up politics. Our Gandhi, he was killed by another political group. Then he was forced to retire.

When Gandhi attained Independence, I requested him in a letter, "Mahatma Gandhi, now you started your struggle with the Britishers, that they should go, and Indians should have their independence. Now you have attained Independence and Britishers have gone. Now you preach Bhagavad-gītā. You have got some influence. You are known throughout the whole world a very saintly person, and you also pose yourself that you are a great scholar of Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you take up Bhagavad-gītā and preach?" There was no reply.

And he was still meddling with politics, so much so that his own assistants became disgusted. And it is said that he was planned to be killed. Just see how much intoxication of this materialistic way of life. He was considered a mahātmā, a great personality, and he got his svarājya. The Britishers left India. Still, he would not give up politics. Still, he would stick—unless he was forced to give up, he was killed. Similarly, Jawaharlal Nehru also. Nobody would retire voluntarily—unless he is killed by somebody or he is killed by the laws of material nature. This is the disease. He cannot give it up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

The māyā is so strong that even an old man advertising to be very pious man, he cannot give up politics. Because māyā is so strong, he's thinking, "If I leave political field, my countrymen will suffer, and so many disaster will happen." He's thinking like that.

But actually, things will go on. Many politician came and gone. In your country there were many, many great politicians; they came and gone. But your country people are still living and they are going on. In Germany also, many Hitlers came and gone. Similarly, in India also many Gandhis came and gone. But things are going on.

This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

Everything is being done by the laws of nature. You cannot change it. There is a plan, God's plan. It will go on. You don't have to bother yourself, that without you, everything will be topsy-turvied. No. You cannot do anything. You are falsely thinking that your leadership is very much needed. No.

I was thinking. When I was householder, several times there was indication given by my Guru Mahārāja that I should give up my family life and become a sannyāsī and preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In several way there was hints from my spiritual master, but still, I was not willing. I was thinking, "If I go away, then my family, my sons, my daughters, they will suffer." But actually, I have left my family connection in 1950.

Actually '54, but introductory in '50, for the last twenty years. But they are living; I am living. They are not dying in my absence, and I am not suffering without being in my family. On the other hand, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, I have got better family members. I have got nice children in a foreign country. They are taking so much care of me, I could not expect such care from my own children.

So this is God's grace. We should depend on Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is kind, wherever we go, everyone will be pleased, everyone will be kind. And if Kṛṣṇa is unpleased, even in your family life you'll not be comfortable. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, at a certain age, it is indicated that one should retire from family life.

So this Ṛṣabhadeva Mahārāja, He was retired. Although He had one hundred sons, all obedient sons, He was emperor, anything was at His command—still, He was retiring. That is the Vedic system. He had no disadvantage. He was personally the incarnation of Godhead, an emperor, very obedient sons, opulence, everything complete. There are many instances. His son, Bharata Mahārāja, he also retired. You have seen Parīkṣit Mahārāja. After his retirement, this Bhāgavata was recited before him. His grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, they voluntarily retired.

So that is the system. In the early age, either you become a son of a king or you are son of an ordinary man, you must go to the āśrama of spiritual master and live there as servant. That is called brahmacārī. Brahmacārī's life means to serve the spiritual master as menial servant. Whatever he will ask, the brahmacārī will do. It is so much strict that brahmacārī, whatever he collects, he gives to the spiritual master, the spiritual master's property. It is not his property.

And the spiritual master, if he forgets to call one disciple, "My dear son, come and take your prasādam," then he will not take prasādam even, without being called. He will starve. Of course, spiritual master does not forget, but these are the injunctions, that if he does not ask you, "Come and take your prasādam," then you should not touch, yourself. These are... There are so many strictures.

So this is the beginning of life, and these strictures are followed even if he is son of a king or even if He is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also undergone this disciplinary action when He was a brahmacārī for some time. So this is the system. In the beginning of life one should become brahmacārī, and then he marries, lives with wife and children, utmost twenty-five years. Then he retires. The husband and wife goes from one pilgrimage to another, in this way travels. Because the children are grown up. And when the husband is completely free from all family attachment, he takes sannyāsa. This is the process: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa.

So this Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, before retirement it is the duty of the father to give instructions how to look after family affairs, their personal affair, their spiritual advancement, everything. So here Ṛṣabhadeva is instructing, "My dear sons, do not think that this particular body, human body, is equal to the body of the cats and dogs and hogs. Don't consider like that." He has particularly mentioned viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the stool-eater. As in the human society, the dog-eater human being is considered the lowest of the human society, similarly, in the animal society, the animal which eats stool is considered the lowest.

So the gradation of human being is also calculated according to the eating process. This is... Modern thinker also says, in your country, Dr...., Bernard Shaw? He has written one book. I think it is named You Are What You Eat. So eating is very important thing. If you eat like cats and dogs, then you'll become cats and dogs even in this human form of life. If you behave like cats and dogs, you become cats and dogs even in the human form of life. Similarly, if you work hard, very hard, like cats and dogs or hogs, then what is the value of your human life? Human life should be very sober, peaceful, full of knowledge, full of bliss, peaceful, devotee. These are the good signs of purity. Simply working hard like animal and eating like animal and... No.

That particular thing is being instructed by Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons, "My dear sons, this human form of life..." Ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. "Everyone has got body, but the body in the human society is to be treated differently. It should not be just like the hogs." The hogs, whole day and night, they are after stool and sense gratification. Similarly, if human being, his whole day and night after eating and sense gratification, then he's missing the opportunity. That is the instruction.

Human life should be regulated. "You should eat this kind of foodstuff," "You should have sex life in this way," "You should sleep in this way," "You should act in this way," "You should think..." They're all regulative principle. You cannot do unrestricted things. In the human society there are books of regulation—not for the animal society. The law book is meant for the human society, not for the animal society. So the human society becomes free, without observing any social conveniences or social custom or abiding by the laws—no, that is not human body; that is exactly like animal body.

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, you should not spoil this body, human form of body, like the hogs." He has specifically mentioned the name of the hogs, viḍ-bhujām. Then what it is meant for? He said, tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

This human form of life is meant for austerity, penance. You should voluntarily accept some regulative principles, even they are not very much liking to you. Just like our students: they are, from the very beginning of their life, they are accustomed to certain habits, but we are restricting. We say, "You cannot do this," and they are accepting, following. This is called tapasya. Tapo. Tapasya.

Tapasya means I am habituated to smoking, suppose, and the spiritual master says, "You cannot smoke." So if he gives up smoking, he feels some inconvenience, some uncomfortable position. But because a spiritual master has ordered, he gives it up. This is called tapasya. Even at his inconvenience, he abides by the order of the spiritual master, regulative principle. That is called tapasya. He feels some inconvenience, but what can be done? He has accepted one spiritual master.

A spiritual master means voluntarily accepting a great personality whose rules and regulation he must abide by. This is accepting of spiritual master, voluntarily accepting somebody, "Yes, sir. Whatever you'll say, I'll accept." Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who abides by the rules. That is called śiṣya. Or English, "discipline." From discipline, disciplic, disciplic succession. From the discipline. So either you take English or Sanskrit, the same meaning. Śiṣya means who accepts the ruling of his spiritual master; and disciple means also the same thing: who becomes disciplined by the spiritual master.

So tapasya means even at the inconvenience of my personal comforts, I must abide by the orders of my spiritual master. This is called tapasya. And who is spiritual master? He does not manufacture any rules and regulation. He refers to the śāstra. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. If you want to know who is a spiritual master, if you know who is a saintly person, then you should keep in the middle the śāstra, the scriptures, and you will corroborate.

The saintly person, the spiritual master and the śāstra corroborate if they are abiding one another. Yes. If spiritual master says something which is not in the śāstra, or scripture, that is not good. Of course, sometimes we do not..., we cannot understand; but that is the principle. Similarly, a saintly person also, a mahātmā also, cannot disregard the regulative principles of śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya [Bg. 16.23]

[But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.]

"A person who gives up obedience to the ruling of the scriptures," yaḥ śāstra-vidhi..., vartate kāma-kārataḥ, "and he acts in his own way, by his whims," na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, "he cannot attain perfection." These are the versions of Bhagavad-gītā. Na siddhiṁ sāvāp..., na sukham: "And at the same time, he cannot be happy." Na parāṁ gatim: "And what to speak of liberation?"

So therefore this tapasya means voluntarily accepting the rulings of scriptures, spiritual master, saintly person, and mold your life in that way. So He is instructing His sons, "My dear sons, don't spoil your life living like cats and dogs and hogs. Utilize your life by tapasya, by voluntarily accepting the rulings of śāstra, spiritual master, saintly person." The question may be that "Why this injunction? Why I shall not live like an animal? And why I have to live under the regulative principles of scriptures and saintly person and spiritual master?" The answer is also there: tapo divyam.

Tapo divyaṁ putrakā

[SB 5.5.1]

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

"My dear sons, this form of life should be utilized for tapasya." Why? Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: "If you accept these principles of life, then your existential condition will be purified." At the present moment we are contaminated by the material nature, modes, mostly ignorance and passion. So He's advising that if you abide by the rulings of tapasya, then your existential condition will be purified. Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet.

Then the question may be, "What is the use of purifying?" The answer is also there: yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam [SB 5.5.1]. "And when your existential condition will be purified, then you will be situated on the transcendental platform of blissful life." And one may question, "What is that?" Now, brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are hankering after happiness, pleasure. So when your existential condition will be purified and you will be placed in the transcendental platform, at that time you will enjoy eternal happiness.

You are all... After all, you are after happiness. Why you are struggling so much hard in this material existence? For happiness. Why you are after sense gratification? For happiness. Why you want to possess? For happiness. Why you want to become beautiful? For happiness. Why you want to eat so many things? For happiness. You go on. The happiness, your ultimate goal.

But the happiness which you are now deriving from the sources you have manufactured, that is temporary. If you want to become happy by intoxication, how long? That is temporary. Any way. If you want to be happy by sex indulgence, how long? That is also for a few minutes, few seconds. But if you want eternal, continued happiness, then you have to purify your existentional condition, you have to place yourself in the transcendental position, and you will feel that happiness.

Therefore in another place, there is a version by the yogī..., by the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ramante yogino 'nante. The yogīs, they are also having sense gratification. But where? Anante: "with the Supreme." They are also having sense gratification. Ramaṇa. Ramaṇa. Ramaṇa means sense gratification. Just like Kṛṣṇa's name is Rādhā-Ramaṇa. His sense gratification is with Rādhārāṇī. So the sense gratification is also there, but not this sense... Don't consider like this. Here it is only... Sense gratification is a perverted reflection of the spiritual sense gratification. The whole devotional line of service is also sense gratification.

Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam

[Cc. Madhya 19.170].

["'Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one's senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.']

Hṛṣīka means senses, and Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. The master of the senses is Kṛṣṇa. So when your senses will be applied for the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa, that is your transcendental position. And when your senses will be employed for your sense gratification, that is material. This is the difference. So when one is situated in the transcendental platform, when one's existential conditions are purified by tapasya, by voluntarily accepting austerity and penance under the guidance of spiritual master, śāstras, scriptures, saintly person, at that time it will be possible that you are in the platform of satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa and you are fully satisfied.

How it is? The practical example I have given several times, that in this body there are different parts of the body. The different parts of the body cannot enjoy senses or satisfy independent. The different parts of the body will depend on the whole body. You can catch up an nice cake, foodstuff, but the fingers, the parts of the body, cannot enjoy it. But if the fingers catch it and puts into the mouth, it goes to the stomach. Then there is some secretion from the stomach, and it goes to the heart, it turns into blood, it is transfused in different parts of the body, and immediately your finger becomes red. This is the process. Tapo divyaṁ yena [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

Sense gratification is there, but through Kṛṣṇa. Then you feel complete sense gratification. Just like the gopīs, perfect. All devotees, but gopīs are the supreme.

So this is the process of human life, that we have to purify our present existentional condition by voluntarily accepting the regulative principle given by the spiritual master, śāstras. Then we become purified. At that time our senses are employed in the service of the Supreme, and we actually enjoy our senses.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. [end]

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Srila Prabhupada speaks on: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.17

Nairobi, Oct. 26, 1975

Audio for this lecture: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/751026sbnai/
Prabhupada Radio: https://prabhupadaradio.com

Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Three, Chapter Twenty-eight, verse seventeen. [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat
sarva-loka-namaskṛtam
santaṁ vayasi kaiśore
bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram
[SB 3.28.17]

[02:28]

Translation = "The Lord is eternally very beautiful, and He is worshipable by all the inhabitants of every planet. He is ever-youthful and always eager to bestow His blessing upon His devotees."

Prabhupāda:

apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat
sarva-loka-namaskṛtam
santaṁ vayasi kaiśore
bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram
[SB 3.28.17]

This word is very important, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. Anugraha. Anugraha means favor. Just like the father wants to favor the son always. Father wants that "My son may become very fit, competent, to take all my favors." This is father's wish. Every father, even in this material world, if father is very big man, great man, he wants that "My son also, let him become bigger than me." Is it not, practical? So if God, Kṛṣṇa, is the original father... Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4], Kṛṣṇa says. It is not concoction or contemplation. No. It is the fact. Kṛṣṇa says,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
sambhavanti mūrtayo-yāḥ
tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
[Bg. 14.4]

"I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." It doesn't matter in different forms. He does not say that "I am the father only of the white, not of the black." He never says. He has no such distinction = white, black, European, American, or poor, rich, bird, beast, human being. No. He does not make any discrimination. He is always ready to bestow favor as the original father. That is God.

Therefore this very word, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram: "How this rascal will give up this material job and come to Me and take all My favors?" This is God's desire. And we are so obstinate, we want to take some favor from this minister, that minister, this person, that person this... Failure. Kṛṣṇa says, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29] = "I am friend of everyone." And here is the word, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. And He's very, very eager to give all His favors, and still people are not becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just see how rascal they are. So we say, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a rascal. Is he not a rascal? He is claiming that "I am the seed-giving father of everyone," sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4], "in all species of life." He does not make any discrimination, that "I am the seed-giving father of this class of men or this species of men or for the human being." No. He says sarva-yoniṣu. Yoni means the form, just like you have got your different forms. But that form doesn't matter. Form is external. But the internal is the same spirit soul. Therefore you are seeing now a new thing in the history of the world, that the Africans and Indians and the Americans and the Europeans are dancing---"Hare Kṛṣṇa." Just understand. Don't be rascal and fools, that you do not understand what is the potency of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. If you become so rascal and fool, if you do not understand, then you are animal. Here is a practical example. How it has become possible that the white Americans, Europeans, and other colors and the black African, they have forgotten everything? When they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, do they remember that "I am African," "I am American," "I am Indian"? No. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. [devotee laughs] [aside:] Why you are laughing? It is so important thing.

So this is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
[Bg. 18.54]

This is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage practical, not that "I am Brahman. I am the same God." These rascals have spoiled the whole thing. Here is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, when you forget your material identification and you become one in connection with Kṛṣṇa, that "We are all devotees, servants of Kṛṣṇa. Let us enjoy, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance." This is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Not that artificially smoking cigarette and he has become brahma-bhūtaḥ. He is cigarette-bhūtaḥ. Bhūtaḥ and cigarette smoker. How he is brahma-bhūtaḥ? These rascals say like that, table talks, "I am Brahman." Brahman. Doing all nonsense, and he has become Brahman. Brahman he is. Everyone is Brahman, but there is no realization, neither they do know the method of realization. Brahman... Everyone is Brahman, there is no doubt about it. Because we are all minute part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore if Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, Para-brahman, we are also minute particle of Brahman. There is no doubt about it. Gold..., gold mine, big gold, and a small particle of gold, they are qualitatively one---gold. But the gold mine is different from the gold particle. These rascals, they do not understand it. The gold particle is claiming to become the gold mine.

This is Māyāvāda. And they are making people atheist = so 'ham. So 'ham, it is Vedic version. That is all right = "What is God, I am also the same thing." But not... "The same thing" does not mean that as God is powerful, I am also powerful. No. You are qualitatively the same thing. That's all right. But if you claim quantitatively that you are the same powerful as Kṛṣṇa, then you are mistaken. Kṛṣṇa can lift, when He is seven-years-old boy, the whole mountain. And a seven-years boy, when he is here, he cannot even seven kilo. So you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa potencies your potency. But as Kṛṣṇa... When you are out of this material conception of life, bodily concept of life, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], when you become purified by giving up these all designation.

Designation... What is that designation? "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African," "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am woman," "I am man," so many designations. So you have to give up these designation. You have to give up these designation. "Then, if I'll not remain African, then I'll become Indian?" No. That is also designation. "I am Hindu. I become Muslim?" No, that is also designation. You have to become purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. All kinds of designations. [child making noise] [aside:] This child may be... All kind of designations. You have to give up this designation that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African." No. No designation. Simply become pure Brahman. Then ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi, not that "I remain a Christian," "I remain a Hindu," "I remain black," "I am white," and "I am Brahman." No, not that. You have to give up your designation.

That requires practice. And that practice means this paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by chanting, you'll be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And the beginning will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, because we have got our heart... Everyone---we are living entity---we have got heart that is full with dirty things. That dirty things is "I am this," "I am that," "I am that," "I am that," that dirty things. So we have to cleanse these dirty things, that "I am European," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." These are all dirty things. You have to simply think, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. When you think like that, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then all these dirty things will automatically vanish.

That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you become realized soul, that "My position is that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa..." I am nobody's servant. But if one becomes Kṛṣṇa's servant, he becomes everyone's servant. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why you are trying to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world? Because we have accepted this principle, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's servant. Kṛṣṇa wants to deliver these rascals from this misconception of life, so let me do something for Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you are servant of Kṛṣṇa, if you actually realize, then you have to do something on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa wants. The first-class servant is he when he serves the master without asking for it. If he understands that "Master is now in need of this thing," if he brings it, oh, first-class servant. He's first-class servant, because he knows the master wants it.

So Kṛṣṇa wanted, as Kṛṣṇa, that "All these rascals may give up their so foolish engagements and surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66]. That was Kṛṣṇa's last word in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa wants this, that "These rascals they are suffering in this material condition of life, three miserable condition, and still, they are so rascal, they do not come to their senses. Still, they want to remain servant of māyā. So let Me directly say, 'You rascal, give up all this engagement. Surrender unto Me.' " That is Kṛṣṇa. But they will not do it. "Why shall I surrender to You? I have got so many things. I have got my nation, I have got my family, I have got my this, I have got... Why shall I surrender to You, give up everything?" Such a rascal. Cannot be convinced any way. Whole world is servant of somebody, but he declines to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the disease, material disease. He will remain servant of thousands and millions of establishment and person, but he will disagree. As soon as Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up. You become My servant," "No, no. Why can I? Why shall I do it?" This is materialist.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa came as Kṛṣṇa's servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Rūpa Gosvāmī understood. When he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu he offered his respect in this way, namo mahā-vadānyāya: "the most munificent, charitably disposed incarnation." Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "People cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, but You are so merciful, You are giving direct love of Kṛṣṇa." When there is question of love? Unless I understand you fully, what kind of man you are, what is your position; you also understand, when we find of the same category or same..., then there is question of love.

So people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. How they will love Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many, many millions of person, somebody may try to become perfect. They do not know how to become perfect. They remain cats and dogs, simply engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. They are cats and dogs. They are not human being. What is the difference between cats and dogs and human being? Human being is also interested... So long this body is there, we are interested in eating, sleeping, mating or de... But that is not our main business. Our main business is how to understand God and love Him. That is our main business.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yenātmā samprasīdati
[SB 1.2.6]

This is the business. We are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this, that. They are all third-class, cheating religion. What is real religion? That is religion which teaches how to love God. That is religion. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Christian religion. If it teaches how to become lover of God, then it is first class. And what for this love? Ahaituki: "without any cause." People love somebody else to get some return. No. Ahaituki: without any expectation of return. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūṇyam [Brs. 1.1.11].

Just like these European, American or African boys. They have joined this Kṛṣṇa con... They have not come here for some material profit. No. They have not come here. Others may come. You can say, "The Africans are poor. They have come." No. Nobody has come for material profit. What about the Europeans, Americans? They are not poor. They have got enough money. Why they are after Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after me? I am not rich man. No. That is called ahaituki, "without any motive." Nobody. "Kṛṣṇa is my lovable, worshipable. I shall worship Kṛṣṇa." This is wanted. Ahaituky apratihatā. And if you have got this intention, that "Kṛṣṇa is my Lord. I must love Kṛṣṇa. I must learn how to love Him," then apratihatā---no material condition can check it. Either you become American or African, black and white or this or that, nothing can check you. You can go on---if it is motiveless. This is wanted.

So I am very glad that you are trying to capture what is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this is the only process. Think always... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām [Bg. 18.65]. Think always, "Kṛṣṇa is my Lord." That is thinking. This thinking should be always. It doesn't cost anything. If you think, "Here is Kṛṣṇa. He is my Lord," what does it cost? And where is the loss? There is no loss, but the gain is enormous if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And who will engage his mind in Kṛṣṇa unless he is a devotee? How you become devotee? Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda... [SB 7.5.23]. This śravanaṁ kīrtanam. Simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, chant about Kṛṣṇa, then you become automatically. You don't require any education. Simply sit down and hear about Kṛṣṇa, śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Not other subject matter. Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. If you do not understand, if you simply hear the chanting, you become pious. You become pious.

So this is the simplest method how to make life sublime and superb, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And here it is said that apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. Sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable by the devotees. He is worshipable by the nondevotees also. But how the nondevotees are worship... How Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the nondevotees? They do not want to worship Kṛṣṇa. How he makes...? He doesn't want, that's all right. But nature will oblige him to worship. How he can escape the laws of nature? Kṛṣṇa will come before you as death, and you have to worship Him. Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]. If you do not take advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṇa within your lifetime, Kṛṣṇa will come, just like Nṛsiṁha-deva came to Hiraṇyakaśipu = "You rascal, now do you think that you are independent? Do you think?" Immediately finished, within a second.

So if you don't worship Kṛṣṇa during your lifetime, then you have to worship at the time of your death, and He will take away all your possession. Therefore He is worshipable by everyone---devotee and nondevotee. The devotee take advantage of this life and worship Him, and the rascal, fools, demons, they are forced to worship Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Therefore it is called sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. You have to worship Him. You cannot escape, you rascal. If you escape, then the time will come---He will take you, He'll take everything, all your possession, and the nature will give you the body of a dog. Just go on barking for so many years. This is the law of nature. You cannot stop it. It is not possible. You better take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and worship as sane man, as nice gentleman. Then your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories... [break] [end]

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Srila Prabhupada speaks on: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.42

Bombay, Jan. 17, 1975

Audio for this lecture: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/750117sbbom/
Prabhupada Radio: https://prabhupadaradio.com

Nitāi: "Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances."

Prabhupāda:

kaṣāyo madhuras tiktaḥ
kaṭv amla iti naikadhā
bhautikānāṁ vikāreṇa
rasa eko vibhidyate
[SB 3.26.42]

Rasa, taste, is one, but it becomes varieties by different combination of bhautikānām, material elements. This is chemistry. Chemistry means mixing of different chemicals and produced another element. Just like soap. Soap is mixture of fat and soda. So fat, oil, is something else, and soda is another thing, but if you carefully mix them together, it becomes soap. So the whole world is the mixture of these five elements = kṣitir āp... Fire, water... Tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam [SB 1.1.1]. The Sanskrit word is tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ. Mṛd means this earth, and teja means fire, and vāri means water. You take earth mixed with water and put it into the fire; it becomes brick. Then you take another mixture; that becomes cement. And take the help of cement and take the help of brick; then construct a house.

So whole material world is nothing but tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ, exchange of, elementary, this earth, water and fire. The same principle here also = taste. Just like we cook the same oil, ghee, and salt and turmeric, but we prepare different preparations, hundred, two hundred preparation, simply by the process of mixing earth. So that is going on. Now, by Kṛṣṇa's energy... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. His energy is working in such subtle way, mysterious way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is known as Yogeśvara. So the same earth, same water, but the seed different, so one tree is coming to produce chili, another tree is coming out to produce tomato, another tree is coming out to produce mango. Different taste. Mango is sweet, tomato is sour, chili is pungent. But these things are required, varieties. Although the source is one... Source is one---the earth---but the earth contains all other five elements. Kṣitir āp tejo vāri mṛd vyoma. Everything is there in the earth. Everything is there, and by the expert handling of the prakṛti, and behind the prakṛti, Kṛṣṇa, varieties of things are coming. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness = how things are coming by the handling, expert handling of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10].

The blunt scientists, they are seeing simply prakṛti is the cause of these varieties. But that is not the fact. The fact is it is the Kṛṣṇa's manipulation, mixture, mixing of the elements, and different varieties are coming out. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. Śrūyate. You cannot see how Kṛṣṇa is handling, but śrūyate, you can understand from the śruti, by the Vedic literature, as it is said here:

kaṣāyo madhuras tiktaḥ
kaṭv amla iti naikadhā
bhautikānāṁ vikāreṇa
raso eko vibhidyate

Bhautikānāṁ vikāreṇa. Just like earth, water, fire, air, they are bhautika. But they are not mixing together. The original, I mean to say, manipulator is Kṛṣṇa. Just like we have got experience, I have given just now experience, that oil is there. Suppose oil is acid, and soda is called alkali. The acid is there, alkali is there, but when a person comes, mix it proportionately, it becomes another product = soap. Similarly, everything is being manufactured like that, but how it is done? That is the expert handling of the Supreme Lord. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. He has got multi-energies, subtle laws, and He is working. But still, He has nothing to do Himself. That is God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Although He is handling... He is doing everything. Otherwise how it is possible? We have got experience = there is oil, and there is alkali, or soda, but they are not mixing together. For mixing together, you require another, living energy. Otherwise, automatically there cannot be soap. The soap factory is there, but the manufacturer is also there.

So we have to understand in that way, that so many varieties, natural varieties, are coming out not automatically. The blind scientists, they say they are coming automatically. That is not very good sense. Nothing can come automatically. Matter cannot come together automatically. There is some machine or handling. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. He is doing that, and still, He is doing nothing. That is... Just like if I have to make soap, I have to do it or I can ask my servant to do it. I can give instruction to my assistant, servant, that "Do like this." So anyway, the background is myself. The background is neither the servant nor the ingredients. There is another example = the potter's wheel. Potter's wheel is producing earthen pots. So what is the cause? Somebody will say that "The dirt, earth, is the cause of this pot because it is made of earth." Another will say, "No, the cause is the wheel. Because the wheel is going around, therefore it is coming out." But these two causes, prakṛti and pradhāna, ingredients and the instrument, they are not causes. The cause is the potter. Cause is the potter. The potter is giving force going around. You have seen it. With the rod it moves like that. When the wheel is in motion, then the earth is brought into a shape of different shape of pots. Therefore material cause, remote cause, efficient cause, they are not cause. Real cause is Kṛṣṇa, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1].

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
[Bs. 5.1]

So that is confirmed in the Vedic literature, Upaniṣad. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. His energy is working---the same earth, the same seed, ingredient of the seed. There is variety of the seed also. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 7.10] = "I am the seed, seedling." The same process = There is a seed of rose tree. You put into the earth and pour water---a rose tree will come out. And similarly, looking another, chili seed, but it will come chili. The earth is the same; water is the same. Just like on the riverside there are many trees. Their eatable is the same water, standing in the same earth, but different trees are coming out. Different taste fruit, different flower, difference..., all difference. So therefore, the difference is there in the seed. So you cannot understand. You cannot chemically analyze the seed, small seed, but the potency is so strong. So you cannot study by your so-called physical or chemical science.

So we have to understand, as Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I am the seed." Such subtle things, how it is coming out? In the small seed what is the chemical composition? You put the seed, sow the seed, anywhere and put little water, that tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ, but the things are coming out differently. How the variety is possible? Therefore we cannot mix up. There is rose scent within the earth. Otherwise wherefrom the rose is getting its scent? There is. Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca [Bg. 7.9]. Pṛthivyām, on this earth, there are potency of different flavor, different taste. Now let the chemist come and take the earth and make different taste. That is not possible. That is not... Therefore you cannot simply say that prakṛti is the cause of everything. No. Prakṛti is there, the same water. Prakṛti means earth, water, air, fire. The same water is there, the same fire is there, same water is there, and same earth is there. So why varieties are coming? You take from the water, from the earth, varieties of smell, varieties of taste. So that you cannot do. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to accept the statement of Kṛṣṇa, as He says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 7.10] = "I am the cause." And the śāstra confirms it, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1] = "He is the original cause of everything."

So in this way we have to study everything, and ultimately, if we come to the point of Kṛṣṇa, then our knowledge is perfect. Otherwise it is imperfect. Kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam.

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā
sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ
avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito
yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam
[SB 1.5.22]

You are scientist---very good. You are botanist, you are physist, and so many, mathematist, and so on, so on. Because these things, laws, are going on. People are studying the laws of mathematics, laws of physics, laws of chemistry, laws of botany, biology. Divide into different departmental scientific knowledge. So that, do that---very good. Become learned..., very big scientist, very big botanist. Similarly, from other point of view, pious activities, you become very noble, a man of charity or tapasya or austerities, penance, so many things in the spiritual line---jñāna, yoga, karma. That's all right. As you deal with material science, you become big mathematician, chemist, physician or lawyer, or so many, naturalist. Similarly, spiritually, you become karmī, jñānī, yogī. Do that. That is not discouraged. But what for you are trying? Why you are trying to become a chemist or physist or a man of charitable disposition, educationist? Why? If I ask... If anybody asks, "Why you try to become a scientist? What is the aim of your life?" what will be the answer, possible answer? Huh? The materialist will say, "For developing civilization." Developing civilization means to, in their view, developing the process of sense gratification. That's all. But śāstra says, "No, not that. That is not the aim. You become a great scientist. There is no harm. But why you should become a scientist?"

Now, śāstra says that avicyutaḥ arthaḥ. Arthaḥ means purpose. If somebody asks, "What is the purpose of becoming scientist? What is the purpose of becoming physicist?" so different men will give different answers = "It is meant for this purpose," "It is meant for this purpose." But kavibhiḥ, those who are actually learned, advanced learning, they have said that avicyuta. Avicyuta means without any failure, without any contradiction. You say that chemistry is required for this purpose. I say chemistry is required for this purpose. Another man says chemistry is required for this purpose. But difference of opinion. That is not accepted. Avicyuta, infallible purpose. What is that infallible purpose? Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Nirūpita means it is already settled. You haven't got to make research anymore. Nirūpita means it is already concluded. What is that? Yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam [SB 1.5.22]. If you can explain the activities of Kṛṣṇa, Uttamaśloka, how He is acting, how is the chemical process is going on under His direction, if you can write a thesis on this subject matter, that ultimately Kṛṣṇa is behind that, then your this study of chemistry is perfect. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Nirūpita means it is concluded---no more argument. That is the purpose. That means if you are intelligent enough actually, then through any source of knowledge you come ultimately to Kṛṣṇa, that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. The Kṛṣṇa says. But if by your education, if you come to the same point, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. He is in the background, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], cause of all causes," then that education is perfect. Otherwise it is śrama eva hi kevalam. Otherwise it is simply laboring for nothing, waste of time. This is the purpose. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam.

So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. Very, very big chemistry, physical laws, mathematics---everything is required to understand the potency of God, how He is working. Actually, everything is being done by His potency. Here the different tastes, the material is the same, but the method of mixing the material and different tastes are coming out in existence---so how that expertly management of mixing is going on, if we can explain by our chemistry, by our mathematics, then our studying of chemistry is perfect. Then we are perfect. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā [SB 1.5.22].

Another place,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
[SB 1.2.13]

Hari-toṣaṇam is the ultimate goal. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. You become a chemist; it doesn't matter. You become physist, mathematician; it doesn't matter. Unfortunately, due to the Kali-yuga, as soon as one become a big chemist, doctor of chemistry, he says, "I am God. There is no need of God." As soon as the little... Svapari jala-matrena phala phariyate.[?] You'll see the small fishes. They are practically on the edge of the water and making, "fut, fut, fut." The big fishes, they are down the water. So these so-called material chemists, they are nothing, a small fish. Those who are big chemist, big scientist... Just like Professor Einstein. He used to accept how God's brain is working. He appreciated. He was a great scientist. And the ordinary scientist also, they think that "Now we are able to do everything without God. Therefore we are bigger than God." That is not fact. You are greater scientist when by your scientific knowledge you prove the existence of God and how He is working so finely that varieties of things are coming out of material nature. That is the perfection of knowledge. Otherwise, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Hari-toṣaṇam. Unless Kṛṣṇa sees that you are trying to glorify Him by your knowledge... Then He becomes satisfied, that "I have given him some knowledge, and he is utilizing this knowledge for My glorification. He is My devotee."

Devotee's business is to glorify. He doesn't take any credit for himself. Actually, there is nothing to be taken credit. The all credit goes to Kṛṣṇa. A devotee neither claims; neither it is possible. Even he may be very, very big devotee, he will never claim any credit for his glorious activities. His glorious activities means to make Kṛṣṇa glorious. That is his glorious activities. Not that like the so-called materialist, he takes..., wants to take the credit. No. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya samsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ [Bg. 18.46]. Sva-karmaṇā. You may be engaged in any pattern of work, any department of work. But by dint of your work you establish the existence of God, Kṛṣṇa; and whatever is being done, it is being done by the expert management of Kṛṣṇa. The sun is rising exactly in the time, and it is setting exactly in the time. And the temperature, according to the different season, the movement, uttarāyaṇa, dakṣiṇāyana---everything is managed so expertly under the order of the Supreme. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ [Bg. 9.10]. Don't think the sun is working so nicely automatically. No automatically. The master is there = Kṛṣṇa. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ [Bs. 5.52]. The sun is so powerful substance within this universe---there are many millions of suns; this is one sun only---but it is carrying out the order of Kṛṣṇa. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ: unlimited light, unlimited fire, unlimited heat. Aśeṣa. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. There is no comparison with the sunlight, sun's heat. There is no comparison within this universe. Unlimited. For millions and millions of years it is, from the sun, the light and heat is coming out, but there is no diminution. It is the same as it was millions of years ago, and after giving you light and heat for millions of years, the same quantity of light and heat is still there.

So if it is possible for a material thing that after giving unlimited heat and light it remains the same, similarly, the Supreme Lord, by expanding His potencies, by His energy, He remains the same. He does not diminish. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. So if we can see in the material object that the heat being emanated for many millions and millions..., it remains the same heat, it maintains the same heat, same light, why it is not possible for the Supreme? Therefore Īśopaniṣad informs us that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate. If you take the whole energy of Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, then still, the whole energy is there. But you will be surprised nowadays, modern Gods... There are so many modern Gods; I do not wish to name. But one modern God, he gave his power to his disciple, and the..., when he came into consciousness, then he was crying. The disciples inquired from the guru, "Why you are crying, sir?" "Now I have finished everything. I have given you everything. I have given you everything; therefore I am now finished." [laughs] That is not spiritual. That is material. I have got hundred rupees. If I pay you hundred rupees, then my pocket is empty. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa can make hundreds of thousands and millions of Kṛṣṇa; still, He is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. The potency is never exhausted. That is called pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate.

So this imitation God will not help us. The real God. Real God,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
[Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam, He never exhausts. He is never exhausted. It is said that,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.48]

The millions of universes are coming out within His breathing period, and again they are annihilated when the breathing is taken inside. In this way the universes are coming out. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa means the universe, and nātha, the Lord of the universe, means Lord Brahmā. So he has got a duration of life. And what is that duration of life? The breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ...
[Bs. 5.48]

That is God, that by breathing, unlimited number of universes are coming out and going in. And the duration of existence of each and every universe is the duration of life of Brahmā. That we cannot calculate. Even we cannot calculate his twelve hours.

So that is God. We accept such kind of God, not a little magician. No. That is not possible. We cannot accept such cheap gods. We accept Kṛṣṇa, the sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], and we want to be eternal servant. That is our actual position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. By His unlimited potency, energy, unlimited universes are coming out with unlimited number of varieties of planet, and each planet is differently situated, different atmosphere, different temperature. So in this way varieties. That is ānanda. Kṛṣṇa has created these varieties because He is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]. Ānandamaya. Unless there is variety... So we are part and parcel of that variety-maker. We are also one of the varieties, jīva-śakti. We are also one of the varieties. So how we can become variety-less, nirviśeṣa? That is not possible. Even artificially we try to become nirviśeṣa, variety-less, our constitutional position is that we want variety. How it can be stopped?

Therefore in the śāstra it is said, the so-called Māyāvādī, impersonalist, monist, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Although they get up to the position of oneness, monist, but from that position they fall down. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ Because they have no information of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, where to enjoy ānanda, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12], and they are by nature seeking after ānanda, this so-called oneness, monism, that will not please them. They will require again ānanda. But because anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, they have not worshiped Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, they come down again in this material world and worship the feet of māyā. That is their position. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. And as soon as you are engaged in the service of māyā, that is your adhaḥ patan. Adhaḥ patan. As we, all these materialistic person who are within this material..., you are serving māyā. Everyone is serving. Nobody is without serving. But they are serving māyā. So you have to transfer, transfer your service from māyā to Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful, and you will taste different varieties of prasādam perpetually and enjoy life eternally and blissfully.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]

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