Lecture – SB 7.6.1 Prahlad Maharaj… Wait, What Did I Just I Read – Video

Prahladananda Swami gave the morning class today. He begins by quizzing us on the previous verse and then continues with the first verse from the 7th canto 6th chapter. This is the start of Prahlad’s teaching to his fellow students.

The class ended prior to the end of the purport. I don’t know if we’ll have a followup class, but if we do I’ll get it posted.

Dallas, TX
2007-11-16

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.1

sri-prahrada uvaca
kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusham janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam

TRANSLATION

Prahlada Maharaja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life — in other words, from the tender age of childhood — to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.

PURPORT

The whole purpose of Vedic civilization and of reading the Vedas is to attain the perfect stage of devotional service in the human form of life. According to the Vedic system, therefore, from the very beginning of life the brahmacarya system is introduced so that from one’s very childhood — from the age of five years — one can practice modifying one’s human activities so as to engage perfectly in devotional service. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.40), svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: “Even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” Modern civilization, not referring to the verdicts of Vedic literature, is so cruel to the members of human society that instead of teaching children to become brahmacaris, it teaches mothers to kill their children even in the womb, on the plea of curbing the increase of population. And if by chance a child is saved, he is educated only for sense gratification. Gradually, throughout the entire world, human society is losing interest in the perfection of life. Indeed, men are living like cats and dogs, spoiling the duration of their human lives by actually preparing to transmigrate again to the degraded species among the 8,400,000 forms of life. The Krishna consciousness movement is anxious to serve human society by teaching people to perform devotional service, which can save a human being from being degraded again to animal life. As already stated by Prahlada Maharaja, bhagavata-dharma consists of sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam/ arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. In all the schools, colleges and universities, and at home, all children and youths should be taught to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, they should be taught to hear the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, to put them into practice in their lives, and thus to become strong in devotional service, free from fear of being degraded to animal life. Following bhagavata-dharma has been made extremely easy in this age of Kali. The sastra says:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

[Adi 17.21]

One need only chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Everyone engaged in the practice of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra will be completely cleansed, from the core of his heart, and be saved from the cycle of birth and death.

Download: SB 07.06.01 Prahlad Maharaj… Wait, What Did I Just I Read 2007-11-16

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Lecture – SB 7.5.56-57 – Spiritual Education – Video


Prahladananda Swami continued lecturing on the last verse of this chapter. The begining of the class is an interesting lesson on how well we actually listen and remember the verse. We do get it memorized eventually.
Download: SB 07.05.56-57_Spiritual Education_2007-11-15
Dallas, TX
2007-11-15

Continue reading below for the full verse and purport.
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.56-57

te tu tad-gauravat sarve
tyakta-krida-paricchadah
bala adushita-dhiyo
dvandvarameritehitaih
paryupasata rajendra
tan-nyasta-hridayekshanah
tan aha karuno maitro
maha-bhagavato ‘surah

SYNONYMS

te — they; tu — indeed; tat-gauravat — from great respect for the words of Prahlada Maharaja (due to his being a devotee); sarve — all of them; tyakta — having given up; krida-paricchadah — toys for playing; balah — the boys; adushita-dhiyah — whose intelligence was not as polluted (as that of their fathers); dvandva — in duality; arama — of those taking pleasure (the instructors, namely Shanda and Amarka); irita — by the instructions; ihitaih — and actions; paryupasata — sat down around; raja-indra — O King Yudhishthira; tat — unto him; nyasta — having given up; hridaya-ikshanah — their hearts and eyes; tan — unto them; aha — spoke; karunah — very merciful; maitrah — a real friend; maha-bhagavatah — a most exalted devotee; asurah — Prahlada Maharaja, although born of an asura father.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhishthira, all the children were very much affectionate and respectful to Prahlada Maharaja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahlada Maharaja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and eyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prahlada Maharaja, although born in a demon family, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life.

PURPORT

The words bala adushita-dhiyah indicate that the children, being of a tender age, were not as polluted by materialistic life as their fathers. Prahlada Maharaja, therefore, taking advantage of the innocence of his class friends, began teaching them about the importance of spiritual life and the insignificance of materialistic life. Although the teachers Shanda and Amarka were instructing all the boys in the materialistic life of religion, economic development and sense gratification, the boys were not much polluted. Therefore, with great attention they wanted to hear from Prahlada Maharaja about Krishna consciousness. In our Krishna consciousness movement, the guru-kula plays an extremely important part in our activities because right from childhood the boys at the guru-kula are instructed about Krishna consciousness. Thus they become steady within the cores of their hearts, and there is very little possibility that they will be conquered by the modes of material nature when they are older.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Prahlada Maharaja, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu.”

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhishthira, all the children were very much affectionate and respectful to Prahlada Maharaja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahlada Maharaja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and eyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prahlada Maharaja, although born in a demon family, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life.

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