Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!
Date: February 9th, 2012 Topic: Maharaj Prthu’s Going Back Home Verse: SB 4.23.26 Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami

SB 04.23.26 Prison Of Desires 2012-02-08
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saisa nunam vrajaty urdhvam anu vainyam patim sati

pasyatasman atityarcir durvibhavyena karmana

TRANSLATION: The wives of the demigods continued: Just see how this chaste lady, Arci, by dint of her inconceivable pious activities, is still following her husband upward, as far as we can see.
PURPORT: Both Prthu Maharaja’s airplane and the airplane carrying Queen Arci were passing out of the vision of the ladies of the higher planetary systems. These ladies were simply astonished to see how Prthu Maharaja and his wife achieved such an exalted position. Although they were the wives of the denizens of the higher planetary system and Prthu Maharaja was an inhabitant of an inferior planetary system (the earth), the King, along with his wife, passed beyond the realms of the demigods and went upward to Vaikunthaloka. The word urdhvam (”upward”) is significant here, for the ladies speaking were from the higher planetary systems, which include the moon, sun and Venus, up to Brahmaloka, or the highest planet. Beyond Brahmaloka is the spiritual sky, and in that spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikunthalokas. Thus the word urdhvam indicates that the Vaikuntha planets are beyond or above these material planets, and it was to these Vaikuntha planets that Prthu Maharaja and his wife were going. This also indicates that when Prthu Maharaja and his wife, Arci, abandoned their material bodies in the material fire, they immediately developed their spiritual bodies and entered into spiritual airplanes, which could penetrate the material elements and reach the spiritual sky. Since they were carried by two separate airplanes, it may be concluded that even after being burned in the funeral pyre they remained separate, individual persons. In other words, they never lost their identity or became void, as imagined by the impersonalists. The ladies in the higher planetary systems were capable of seeing both downward and upward. When they looked down they could see that the body of Prthu Maharaja was being burned and that his wife, Arci, was entering into the fire, and when they looked upward they could see how they were being carried in two airplanes to the Vaikunthalokas. All of this is possible simply by durvibhavyena karmana, inconceivable activity. Prthu Maharaja was a pure devotee, and his wife, Queen Arci, simply followed her husband. Thus they can both be considered pure devotees, and thus they are capable of performing inconceivable activities. Such activities are not possible for ordinary men. Indeed, ordinary men cannot even take to the devotional service of the Lord, nor can ordinary women maintain such vows of chastity and follow their husbands in all respects. A woman does not need to attain high qualifications, but if she simply follows in the footsteps of her husband, who must be a devotee, then both husband and wife attain liberation and are promoted to the Vaikunthalokas. This is evinced by the inconceivable activities of Maharaja Prthu and his wife. [End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 4.23.27]

HH Prahladananda Swami: Here we find that Maharaja Prthu and Queen Arci are going back to the spiritual world which is the perfection of all existence. How they obtained that desired goal? Of course it is by becoming fixed in pure devotional service of Krishna. Actually everyone has the same goal namely everyone wants to know how to become as happy as possible for as long as possible. And everyone has a different idea how that is going to be achieved. Prahlad Maharaja says, matir na krsne paratah svato va mitho ‘bhipadyeta grha-vratanam adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]

People don’t know that actually they should put their consciousness in Krishna. And because they don’t know that, because they haven’t understood what is the actual methodology in becoming permanently happy therefore they are trying so many different ways to reach that same happiness – whether it is by an individual study of books or philosophy or by joint endeavour to do something in this material world or by a combination of both. But the problem is the grha-vrata. The problem is the material conception of life that – grha means house. So the first house everyone lives in is the material body. In the material conception of life if I have a strong healthy, attractive body then I can become happy. If that is the key then I need a nice family, I need a nice society, I need a nice country, I need that everyone is happy – all the human beings are happy. And we can keep on expanding that conception but because it is all based on the bodily concept of life therefore there is no end to the attempt to become happy because it will never be achieved – durasraya

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]

Because there are so many false shelters that we think will make us happy. And happiness means I will be given some comfortable position in the material world that will protect us from the different miseries. But in spite of all these attempt nothing is actually achieved. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram [SB 7.5.30] because the senses and the mind are impelling us, “You need this. You need that. You need this material asset. You need this position. You need this fame.”So many different things you need and then when you get them all together you will be happy but there is no end – adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram, punah punas carvita-carvananam. They will do the same thing over and over again – whether one becomes Lord Brahma of whether one becomes the queen of the ants the same desire will be there. “I need this shelter and then I will become actually happy. And on the basis of trying to achieve that shelter we acquire so many things that we want and we are opposed to so many things – na socati na kanksati [Bg 18.54] On the basis of so many relationships that we form, so called friendship, so called enemies – all fighting to get some material shelter.

When someone if offering me some shelter that I think will help me then they become my friend. If someone takes my shelter away they become my enemy. My whole life revolves around simply to grab one shelter after another and lamenting of all the shelters I am loosing. Then there is no possibility of finding the real shelter.

nasti buddhir ayuktasya na cayuktasya bhavana na cabhavayatah santir asantasya kutah sukham [Bg 2.66]

For one who is not in spiritual consciousness or Krishna consciousness they can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be happiness without peace?

Therefore we have to reach the conclusion ultimately as Prahlad Maharaja says: balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha [SB 7.9.19] We may have very nice parents, a child may have very nice parents. They may try to protect the child. That is certainly a fortunate child. But in spite of all the parents attempts to protect the child he may die anyhow. And even if he grows up and he lives into a very old age still eventually he is going to die even if his mother is wishing him to live forever. And nartasya cagadam[SB 7.9.19], one may have very nice medicine and very nice doctor and they may try in so many different ways to help the patient and they may succeed or they may not succeed but even if they succeed in protecting the patient still he will die anyhow.

This is really not meant to be a depressing class. [Laughter] It is reality. Udanvati majjato nauh[SB 7.9.19] and even when they have the perfect boat and they may even proclaim it to be unsinkable like the Titanic but still it may sink anyhow. Even if it doesn’t sink then eventually they will drown in the ocean of material existence and die.

Therefore taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihanjasestas [SB 7.9.19] Unless Krishna protects us there is no protection. And even if Krishna wills that for some time we will be materially protected ultimately we have to leave this body either to go to the spiritual world or to some other place in this material world. Therefore Krishna is offering real protection and Krishna’s devotees are offering real protection.

Here we find the example of Arci and Maharaja Prthu. Note this is a real example. Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita:

yada sattve pravrddhe tu pralayam yati deha-bhrt tadottama-vidam lokan amalan pratipadyate [Bg 14.14]

Even if we become very sattvic – it is part of our process to become very sattvic – but even if we become very sattvic – yada sattve pravrddhe tu – even if we achiev that we strive for becoming clean and truthful and austere and rigid etc. yada sattve pravrddhe tu pralayam – at the time of death yati deha-bhrt – the embodied soul will go somewhere. Tadottama-vidam lokan – he may go to the planet where many pious people are living. Amalan – pure personalities – relatively pure in the material world but still one has to come back to the material world.

rajasi pralayam gatva karma-sangisu jayate tatha pralinas tamasi mudha-yonisu jayate [Bg 14.15]

What to speak working hard just to maintain our house whether it is our physical body or our material health or our material families and this and that and everything and we want to get our fame and prestige of being a good maintainer of our family. We continue the dynasty on.

Now I am over sixty years old. So I went home and my mother said, “When are you going to get married?” [Laughter] My mother is ninety-three years or something and still worrying. She still thinks she is like twenty-five or something. [Laughter] So even when one works very hard and get satisfies all the relatives. Yes the dynasty goes on. Everyone should be happy. There are lawyers in the family and doctors. You know when they put the tombstone on the ground, “Here is a lawyer.” And everyone can, “He died in a good way.” [Laughter]

What to speak of mudha-yonisu jayate! When works in the mode of ignorance then he goes down to the animal species of life. In any case,

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah [Bg 14.18]

As long as we are in the material concept of life either we get free from these attachments. One may gain some knowledge that I am looking around in the material world and so much fraction, so much hatred, so many friends are trying to help me achieve what I want to achieve in the material world, so many enemies preventing me from getting what I want. He is my enemy and I will kill him. The other is we all will be killed sooner or later. So much is mine and I will get more and more and more and that goes on and on.

So one may be absorbed in the mentality so much that one is not aware of that mentality. He thinks that it is completely normal. “This is me. It is my personality. It is the way I feel. It is the way I do things and if you don’t like it you know where you can go!!! You don’t love me. You don’t appreciate me therefore what do I have to do with you? Goodbye. Get lost!” This is what is binding us in the material world. This is our prison. All these ideas that, “I need this and I need that and then I will get my goal and achieve what I want. I will go to the heavenly planets. I will perform some sacrifice.”

yaksye dasyami modisya ity ajnana-vimohitah [Bg 16.15]

In the Nandana-kanana forest I will kiss the apsaras there. I will find real love. So as long as we have so many different goals then along with that we will have so many different attachments, so many different diversions and the real goal of life will be completely missed.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg 18.54]

Prahalad Maharaj said really we have no enemy in this world – even these people who are taking away our money, taking away our prestige or threatening our material body (of course that is not very nice) – all these different personalities who are seemingly inimical towards us, they are not our ultimate enemy. Our ultimate enemy is our uncontrolled mind. When Ambarisa Maharaja was threatened by Dhurvasa Muni physically by the fiery weapon that he had created in order to kill him, to chastise him Ambarisa Maharaja took it as an opportunity to focus his mind completely on Krishna and the result was he was so much absorbed in ecstasy. Tears of ecstasy were flowing from his eyes and the fiery demon was coming to kill him. Because he took shelter of Krishna therefore he became a great asset.

vipadah santu tah sasvat tatra tatra jagad-guro bhavato darsanam yat syad apunar bhava-darsanam [SB 1.8.25]

Queen Kunti is praying for problems because when there are problems our false shelter is taken away. They had a kingdom. It was taken away. They had prestige – it was taken away. Their wife was insulted, everything was taken from them and the only shelter they had was Krishna. And because they had Krishna they were in ecstasy.

So what was she afraid of? Visan mahagneh purusada-darsanad [SB 1.8.24] She prayed to be fed poison again or be thrown into a house made of lak and the house put on fire. Was she afraid of being sent into a forest where there was man-eaters? No what she was really fearful of:

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir edhamana-madah puman naivarhaty abhidhatum vai tvam akincana-gocaram [SB 1.8.26]

She was afraid of developing this mentality that I need so many things. I don’t have enough prestige. I don’t have the right position as … would be happy. I do not have enough wealth. I don’t have enough influence. I don’t have enough bodily beauty. I don’t have enough material education. I don’t have enough in order to get my goal of happiness in the material world. I need more and more and more.

So she says that actually we are intoxicated. We are intoxicated by this false conception of material existence, by this false identification of this body which we love so much which is just a virtual reality. It is just an idea. It is just a five star movie that we are watching where we are the hero and the heroine in some kind of drama created by material nature in which we are rooting for the hero, namely our heroine, namely our body.

When there is success we feel good, “Oh! We are loving our body and everything is great.” And when there is failure, “Oh what a lamentable scene in the movie! Let me cry. Poor hero! Don’t worry. I love you anyhow.” In good times or in bad times this body is always the hero and there are some demons who don’t believe that. There are certain devotees who do. We are for the devotees and are against the demons. Eventually the demons will be annihilated and the devotees will be protected. But it is just an imagination and we are intoxicated by it. We are so absorbed in the drama we have forgotten who we are. And then if we want more of the drama, we want to increase the drama, we want a more better position, more material education, more bodily beauty, more wealth, more, more! Then we become crazy, completely mad or insane. No one can talk to such an insane person. They are convinced that they know what the goal of life is and they are going to achieve it. They are like the flies. You can talk to the fly. He sees the fire, he is going for it. No matter how much we chant hare Krishna to the fly, preach to it, quote Bhagavad-gita, he is going into the fire..

Anyone who is intoxicated by this idea that he is this body and then on top of that the second goal which is not Krishna consciousness or you can expect they are going to become mad. Therefore Queen Arci had the right goal because she had the right person to follow.

naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam niskincananam na vrnita yavat [SB 7.5.32]

So we have to be warned how to get success in this life to get out of our miseries. We have to choose the real shelter. We have to chose the shelter that Krishna is giving us, whether the holy names or the deities or the Srimad-Bhagavatam or the Bhagavd-gita and above that those devotees who are exemplifying and taking shelter of those shelters. We have to see those shelters and we have to see those who are taking shelter of those shelters and we have to take shelter of them.

We need real shelter. Niskincananam – who doesn’t believe that these other things are not really shelters? My body is my shelter. My family is my shelter. My society is a shelter; my bank balance is a shelter. Only Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, the holy name, the service to the devotees, worship of the deities and preaching – making the world spiritual, making our home spiritual. These are the real shelters in life. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [CC. Madhya 17.186] And if we follow those shelters, those mahajanas then we will actually get the goal of life.

tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [CC Madhya 17.186]

Yes we may argue in so many different way what is the shelter, how to achieve it. We may study the scriptures, we may follow the rsis, we may do so many different things but who is really taking shelter of the real shelter? That we have to look for and when we find such a person then we have to take shelter at least of their example and appreciate it. Therefore it is said,

krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya- nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya [ NoI: verse 5]

That if one is chanting the holy name, they are taking shelter of the real shelter and we should appreciate that and we should respect that. That is how we take shelter of them. Even if they are not following very strictly still in our heart we have to appreciate that here is Krishna’s servant, somehow or the other by good fortune they are taking that much shelter of Krishna and I should appreciate them for doing it. In that way I will take shelter of Krishna in the same way.

If someone is initiated, worshipping the deities, worshipping the holy names, following the principles strictly then I must co-operate with them to give other people the shelter of Krishna’s holy name, of the process given to us by our previous acaryas.

If one is seen to be very strictly following all the regulative principles, chanting the prescribed number of rounds every day and always thinking how to expand the Krishna consciousness movement, then I should take their example and their instructions and try to follow in their footsteps and do the same thing. Then what is the result. What will be our shelter? The shelter will be that we will realise that there is no difference between Krishna and His name. That of course cannot come all at once. Therefore it is said, adau sraddha – at first there is something – that there is something in the Hare Krishna Movement. I can’t put my finger on it but it is good.

It may not be the devotees, at least it is the prasadam! There is something good here. So let me associate with the devotees to at least find a recipe or something. [Laughter] Then we hear about Krishna – how in Goloka Vrindavana there are sweet balls that taste good forever, “Oh I have to go there.” Prabhupada even said that I want to go to Goloka Vrindavan and see what Krishna has in his lunch pack. [Laughter] So that is not bad. Good idea. Just like that thief who heard that there is this little boy in Vrindavan and His body is covered with ornaments.

So he said, “I must go there and steal these ornaments.” So he was so anxious, “Where are those jewels. Let me go there and find this boy and steal whatever I can from Him.” Krishna say, “Oh he wants to find Me, okay.” So Krishna appeared, “Yes. What can I do for you?” “Ah! Ornaments! Little boy come here.” He started stealing all the ornaments. After some time this boy is so beautiful, He is so kind, He is so sweet. He said, “Oh I don’t need these ornaments.” Krishna said, “What are you doing?” He said, “Here are Your ornaments. I don’t need them.” “No, no, no. You take the ornaments.”

So associated with the devotees we hear the glories of Krishna. That is the most significant thing in this world. Everyone is glorifying something – some other shelter but the devotees would glorify Krishna as the only shelter. Mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66] Krishna says that. Ma sucah [Bg 18.66] Don’t worry. Take shelter of Me and all the other shelters. Actually you will see that all these other false shelters become real because they are also Me. If you remember Me, if you see everything in relation to Me, if you see everyone in relation to Me, then they become a shelter in that sense.

sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam sarva-bhutani catmani iksate yoga-yuktatma sarvatra sama-darsanah [Bg 6.29]

A true yogi observes Me in all beings and sees everything in Me. Indeed the self realised soul sees Me, the same Supreme Person everywhere.

So everything everywhere reminds you of Krishna then they become nice shelter. But Krishna says, “Don’t worry. If you take shelter of Me all shelters will be automatically achieved.” If you water the root of the tree then automatically all the water goes to all the leaves and branches, so don’t worry – Ma sucah. Put up your hands and chant Hare Krishna and don’t worry and the result is you will be able to feel My presence because you won’t be worried about all the other presences. All the other things that you are thinking about, that you are worried about, that you are hankering for and lamenting about, you will only have Me in your mind and then you will have the real shelter and bliss of the holy name.

Therefore we have to practice in the association of devotees, hearing the philosophy and becoming gradually convinced that there is a Krishna and he is supremely nice. Everything about Him is nice and especially His holy name has come to this world in this way to give us the supreme shelter. It may not give us wealth or prestige, it may not change our position, it may not do anything or it may do exactly the opposite. We take shelter of the holy name and suddenly here we are with nothing but the holy name. [Laughter] And all we can do is go to Krishna and complain, “I thought You were my friend. You keep on smiling but what is that smile about? [Laughter] What is really in Your mind anyhow?” But by that time we will be so blissful we won’t really care.

So we take shelter of the process that Prabhupada has given us – hear about Krishna’s glories and then gradually become convinced that all this other glorification going on that, “I have achieved this and I have achieved that.” It is just a dream. It is a nightmare and the only way of waking up from this nightmare is to take shelter of the holy name and take shelter of the process by which we can take shelter of the holy name.

nasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255]

So it is not that we have to give up anything. Prabhupada will always emphasise we gave up the most important thing, Krishna. So when we gave up Krishna, the only thing we ever had. Actually we gave everything we ever had! Now we are just falsely thinking that we have so many different things. Now we have to simply desire to give back the stolen goods. Utilise whatever we have. Prabhupada said that if you are a brahmana then try to prove Krishna’s existence. Don’t be proud if you are a scientist or a brahmana and you have some knowledge, don’t decry Krishna trying to put Him in the background as being less important.

If you are a ksatriya like Arjuna then try to fight for Krishna’s cause. And if you are a vaisya then try to utilize whatever assets you have in the sankirtan movement to spread the holy name. But after all Prabhupada said most important thing is to hear and chant about Krishna – develop that taste to hear and chant about Krishna. In the absence of pure taste simply dovetail whatever you have. Try to use that for Krishna and the result is that taste will be gradually developed and one day there will only be taste, tato rucih. Everything will be seen as being part of Krishna, everything will be tasteful, our lives will become blissful and we will be able to affectively give that happiness, bliss and knowledge to others. Thank you very much! [Applause] Any questions or comments?

Prabhu: What are the reasons that someone tries to always and fully or at least… take shelter in the right way successfully doing so and even sometimes have setbacks?

HH Prahladananda Swami: What was that?

Prabhu repeats: A devotee may always or fully take shelter in the right way but if he is not successful in this or even if he has serious setbacks what could be the reasons for this?

HH Prahladananda Swami: The reason is that we are not serious enough. We don’t have enough practice and we are attached to so many material objects. Therefore Krishna says – (because Arjuna asked the same question) – “My mind is so flickering even if I try to fix it on You or on devotional service still it goes away just like the wind.” So Krishna was sympathetic. He said, “Yes.”

asamsayam maha-baho mano durnigraham calam abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate [Bg 6.35]

It is undoubtedly very difficult to curb this restless mind but it is possible Arjuna by suitable practice and by detachment.

So we have to practice. Not that we must become disturbed, “Oh, my mind went away.” What to speak of our minds! Our souls have gone away, our body has gone away. We have gone away for so long. So it goes away for a few moments or whatever it goes away for then bring it back.

sanaih sanair uparamed buddhya dhrti-grhitaya atma-samstham manah krtva na kincid api cintayet [Bg 6.25]

Wherever the mind wanders gradually step by step with full conviction one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the self alone and should think of nothing else.

yato yato niscalati manas cancalam asthiram tatas tato niyamyaitad atmany eva vasam nayet

From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self. [Bg 6.26]

So we should not lament if the mind goes away and we did something wrong. We should bring it back to Krishna again. This lamentation is not good especially if it is too long. We should lament like Pariksit Maharaja lamented putting the snake around Samika Muni. We should lament a little while so we don’t do it again but we should then bring it back to Krishna again and find out what we did wrong. If we did something wrong there is a reason for it. So we should investigate what I did wrong and how I should not do it again.

Instead of wasting energy on lamenting we should use that energy to find out the root cause of the problem and then eliminate it and then if we can’t do that, then just chant the holy name and fix the mind upon Krishna and Krishna will reveal everything. Dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg 10.10] He will give us the intelligence by which all progress will be made and all our problems will be solved. But this hankering for some happiness in the material world produces so many different unwanted activities and desires. There is always this lamentation.

So if I am in a state of hankering that is not good and if I am in a state of lamentation that is not good either. So forget about both of them. Simply try to figure out what I should be doing to please Krishna, do that, come to the platform of Krishna consciousness and then all the hankering and lamentation will vanish. Just like in the case of Dhruva Maharaja when there were so many Yaksas throwing an ocean to inundate him, they were sending raksasis and raksas with spears and tridents to kill him. They were throwing from the sky lances and boulders and different kinds of weapons to destroy him. Then when he chanted the holy names all these things went away and he was established again in his original position.

So it is good to find out what we did wrong so that we don’t do it again and it is even better to take shelter of the holy name. Then Krishna will help us to understand everything more clearly so that we become perfectly fixed in Krishna consciousness and undisturbed by attraction and aversion.

Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaja. I was thinking when you were making the point that indulgence in sense enjoyment only leads to misery which is one of our standard lines for preaching, but it is easy for those who have enough and more to enjoy than others to preach this to those who don’t have, because we also know by our own experience that unless we take the opportunity that we have and so to speak get some lust or greed out of our system. The process is not that we always become more and more greedy but we become more and more disillusioned with enjoying. So isn’t it fair or isn’t it unfair to expect that of others who haven’t had that opportunity – like for example in India a lot of people join Iskcon because it is a better life. There is more enjoyment. Whereas in the west if one joins Iskcon there’s a stepping down in terms of enjoyment. So could you please elaborate on that?

HH Prahladananda Swami: Therefore there is a gradual process. There are different orders – there is the brahmacari, grhasta, varnaprasta and sannyasa. It is systematic process by which we can gradually become detached in sense gratification.

Therefore we see in Caitanya-caritamrta that there was one thief who tried to steal everything from Lord Nityananda. He was planning to do so. Eventually all his attempts were a failure and he fell into the house of Lord Nityananda with his associates asking for forgiveness for his very sinful life. Lord Nityananda gave him full mercy and embraced him. He became ecstatic and he became a pure devotee of Lord Krishna and the Panca-tattva. And then for the rest of his life he went and preached to all of the thieves that they should also chant Hare Krishna. Because he was a recognised thief, reknown thief therefore they took him seriously. If this thief could become a pure devotee even though he was a top thief then we should become pure devotees too. That is what normal thieves do.

So that is the point. Just like we have Pundarik Vidyaniddhi, a wealthy personality in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lila. It is not that everyone was a poverty stricken beggar. He also showed the example of how to utilise things in Krishna’s service and at the same time becoming Krishna conscious. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir [SB 10.14.3] remain in whatever position but at the same time hear and chant about Krishna and utilise whatever assets you have in Krishna’s service. Ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi tais tri-lokyam [SB 10.14.3] In this way you will conquer Krishna. Krishna will reveal Himself to you and you will be a blissful billionare. Try to become a trillionare. In that way you will set the proper example for all other billionaires. Or if you are a poverty stricken beggar in the street you will also become a blissful beggar and all the beggars will become pure devotees like you. So remain in our position but utilise whatever we have and glorify Krishna with one’s body mind and words. Thank you very much! Grantharaj Srimad-Bhagavatam Ki! Jai! Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai! Gaura-premanande Hari-haribol. [Applause]

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Date: March 2nd, 2009

Download: SB 03.13.09 The First Quality Is Submission 2008-03-02

AKA “Father Son Relationship”
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.13.9
brahmovaca
pritas tubhyam aham tata svasti stad vam ksitisvara
yan nirvyalikena hrda sadhi mety atmanarpitam

TRANSLATION: Lord Brahma said: My dear son, O lord of the world, I am very pleased with you, and I desire all blessings for both you and your wife. You have without reservation surrendered yourself unto me with your heart for my instructions.

PURPORT: The relationship between the father and the son is always sublime. The father is naturally disposed with good will towards the son, and he is always ready to help the son in his progress in life. But in spite of the father’s good will, the son is sometimes misguided because of his misuse of personal independence. Every living entity, however small or big he may be, has the choice of independence. If the son is unreservedly willing to be guided by the father, the father is ten times more eager to instruct and guide him by all means. The father and son relationship as exhibited here in the dealings of Brahma and Manu is excellent. Both the father and the son are well qualified, and their example should be followed by all humankind. Manu, the son, unreservedly asked the father, Brahma, to instruct him, and the father, who was full of Vedic wisdom, was very glad to instruct. The example of the father of mankind may be rigidly followed by mankind, and that will advance the cause of the relationship of fathers and sons.

Prahladananda Swami: Here is an example of a proper relationship between a father and a son, that a relationship between a father and son is not meant for sense gratification. All relationships are ultimately meant to develop our relationship with the original father, Lord Krsna, who says in Bhagavad-gita:

sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam brahma mahad yonir aham bija-pradah pita

It should be understood that all living take birth in this world and that I am the original father. In other words, it appears to us that we have relationships with many living entities, but while we are relating with any living entity, behind every relationship; is our relationship with Lord Krsna. We cannot avoid a relationship with Lord Krsna. That relationship is eternal, as Krsna says:

mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah manah-sasthanindriyani prakati-sthani karsati

The living entities in this material world are mamivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah, they are all my parts and parcels eternally, although presently we are all struggling with material existence, namely with this material body. Therefore, in relation to this body, we form so many other relationships. Those relationships are not false, they are in relation to this body, but unless we understand properly our relationship with this body, unless we understand properly our relationship with the Supreme Lord, who is within the body, then we don’t actually understand properly our relationships with everyone else who are in relation with the body.

As I have mentioned before, but it is always worthwhile to mention again for those who have not heard it, it is not that at any point that we ourselves as souls cease to become devotees. We are eternally devotees it is only a question of who or what we want to devote our energies to. It is only a question of who or what we want to give our love to. In the material concept of life, we take this body as our most beloved deity.

As I have said before many times, we wake up in the morning, we look in the mirror, and immediately we become curious after seeing the image within the mirror. We ask the image within the mirror “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the greatest of them all?” [Laughter] And at once, without any doubt or hesitation, we receive the message coming in our heart from the mirror on the wall that by good fortune and pious activities of many, many lifetimes, you have achieved the ultimate goal of life, having darshan of the supreme deity in the mirror. [Laughter]

Being convinced, being enthused by the message received within our heart, we vow to render unalloyed, uninterrupted service, twenty-five hours a day to the deity within our heart and the mirror. Fulfilling our vows, we perform abhiseka to our deity as part of our sadhana. Namely, we take a shower if we are a little pious. [Laughter] We decorate the deity, we clothe the deity, we make the deity smell nicely for other worshipers so that they can appreciate the deity. [Laughter] We offer all kinds of nice food to the deity, as much as within our means to serve the deity. We pray to the deity, the fire of digestion within the heart, its expansion, to please accept our offering and distribute it throughout the body, the other parts and parcels of the deity. And then we go out into the world, on sankirtan, to spread the glories of the deity all over the world. [Laughter]

This is also one conception of life, but it is not a complete conception of life. Unfortunately, in modern society, we don’t have the proper training, generally speaking, from our biological parents, what is this body, what are their bodies, what is everyone in this material world, how to see things properly. Without understanding the root, where everything is coming from, without understanding the purpose behind everything, it is very difficult to understand how to relate to the rest of the, well, in this example:

yatha taror mala-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah

That just like if one waters the root of the tree, naturally the water goes to all the leaves and branches. Or by supplying food to the stomach, naturally the food goes to all the different parts of the body. In the same way, by serving the root of the creation, namely Krsna, we have a relationship as son and father. By engaging in that relationship, then naturally we understand how to properly relate ourselves to all other living entities. If we do not understand our relationship with the father, how is it possible to understand our relationship with our brothers and sisters? If we don’t know who our father is, how do we know who our brothers and sisters are? If we don’t know who the original father is, how will we know that in reality, every living entity is our brother and sister.

Therefore the spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, that is his message, that all living entities are part and parcel of Krsna and we have to learn how to serve Krsna while simultaneously serving all living entities within this material existence. Therefore it is said:

tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah

The first quality is submission. Anyone who is taking the goal of life to become more and more powerful in the material world, they cannot be submissive to one who is surrendered to Krsna. It is said:

dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah

That if we want to understand reality:

tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna

It is very difficult simply by arguing. Kali-yuga is the yuga everyone is trained up how to become expert at arguing. Ultimately the essence of the argument is, “I say I’m the best and you say I’m not. There’s something wrong with you, but I forgive you because I’m a devotee. [Laughter] I simply have to educate you somehow or other what is reality. If you don’t understand who I am, then how will you understand everything else? But I am very patient. I will try many different ways. I will try not to get angry. Even if I get angry at you for not understanding reality, don’t worry, it is simply mercy.” [Laughter]

That is the essence of the argument: “I am the Lord, but I try to be benevolent to all my creation. Everyone has come to the material world to acquire this mood of being the lord of material creation, and in this way, learning how to be happy here in the material world. Unfortunately, there are some living entities who have not realized the truth. And my mission is to help them life after life until they finally realize who is the supreme, namely, me.”

Therefore everyone thinks, “Everyone should humbly approach me and when people humbly approach me, I feel good to them. My job is to help others realize that they should humbly approach me, but I should not degrade myself by coming to the platform of becoming too humble in relation to others.”

Therefore with such a mentality, it is very hard to become submissive. And what to speak of someone who is giving the message that ultimately I am not God. If someone is giving the message, “My dear sir, it is hard to see through your effulgence, I realize that, but somehow or other, I have realized that behind the effulgence, I am seeing God, therefore let me offer my respects to you, O Supreme. I realize that you are God, but I am trying to help you realize that you are God. For a small price, I can help you realize that you are God, fifty dollars in three months.”

But if someone comes with the message, “My dear sir, you are one-ten thousandth the tip of a hair in size and you are not getting any bigger. [Laughter] There is no health food that I have. There is no mantra that I can give you. There is nothing that I can give you. The only thing I can do is help you realize that you are one-ten thousandth the tip of a hair in size.”

As you’ve probably heard the story before, one time, our eternal father within this movement, Srila Prabhupada, was telling one of his sons in Los Angeles. This particular devotee was a Temple Commander in one of the biggest temples we had in the movement at that time, 1968. There were at least twenty devotees in the temple. It was a maha big temple. [Laughter] He said, “My dear son, in the spiritual world there is one planet called Goloka Vrindavan. It is infinite. It is so infinite that all the other infinite planets known as Vaikuntha planets, they can all fit into that infinite Goloka Vrindavan.

“And in that infinite spiritual world, sometimes there is a cloud that forms. It is so small that no one even thinks that it is going to rain. They hardly even notice it. And in that cloud that forms, the Supreme Lord in the form of Karanodakasayi Visnu expands himself . He rests there in the Karana Ocean, the Causal Ocean, and from his body unlimited universes emanate, more universes than there are grains of sand on the beach.

“And in one universe out of all those practically unlimited universes, the Supreme Lord has expanded himself as Garbhodakasayi Visnu as he has expanded himself in all the universes. He is lying down in the Garbhodaka Ocean. From his navel sprouts a lotus flower and the smallest Brahma of all the universes is born with four heads. In that lotus flower, there are unlimited planets that he creates. One of those planets, which is floating like a little speck of dust in the air, one of those little planets is called the Earth planet. On the Earth planet there are so many continents, one of which is North America. In North America, there is one state called California, in which there is one city called Los Angeles. In Los Angeles there is one street called La Cienaga Boulevard. On that street is one house. In that house is temple. In that temple there is one devotee. He is the Temple Commander and he thinks he is controlling everything.” [Laughter]

The original father comes to teach us that he is:

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah

That he is the source of everything. Everything is flowing from him. The wise who know that worship him with all their hearts. And what happens after that?

mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca

The devotees who discuss that science of how to love Krsna, how to love everyone and everything in relation to Krsna, they learn not only to become more humble, seeing how great Krsna is, but more transcendentally, discrimination how to please Krsna, how to love Krsna in all his different forms. It is not that we are fanning Krsna with one hand and stepping on Krsna’s foot with the other. We have to love Krsna in the form of his Deity, in the form of his books, in the form of his devotees, even in the form of the Supersoul who is residing in the hearts of all living entities, in the form of his energies.

The spiritual master teaches us how to recognize Krsna within everything and how to properly act in such a way as to advance, especially in this world, love of Krsna, awareness of Krsna within the hearts of all living entities. How to become nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin, not to think ourselves to be the Lord, but to always feel ourselves to be the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord. And that representative of Krsna who teaches us how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna is known as the spiritual master. He imparts the Vedic knowledge to us. The ultimate Vedic knowledge is how to see Krsna, how to love Krsna, how to serve Krsna, how to glorify Krsna. Krsna will reciprocate with us according to how we serve his devotees coming in that succession. What is the proof? What is the criteria by which Krsna reciprocates with us?

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Just like one time I was sitting, Srila Prabhupada talking to another devotee and myself in Buffalo, it was 1969, for hours. I was at the University of Buffalo in New York. I had the good fortune, I had classes in the afternoon, I would come sometimes and sit with Srila Prabhupada while he was preaching to guests or devotees or myself for sometimes two or three hours a day. One day I was getting a little bored. Srila Prabhupada was preaching and he mentioned many, many things out how we should deal with devotees, how to become Krsna consciousness. For instance, every ten minutes or twenty minutes, Prabhupada would stop and pick up his beadbag. He told us, “If you have any extra time, then pick up your beadbag and chant:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Then my mind was wandering a little bit, or a lot, and because before I came to the movement I was practicing hatha yoga sometimes up to eight hours a day, I was sitting there, I had read some books, I was trying to figure out how to dissolve clouds in the sky, etc. So while I was sitting there, Prabhupada was talking to me and another devotee, I thought, “Let me see what Prabhupada’s aura looks like.” I started to meditate on Prabhupada’s aura, and immediately, Prabhupada looked at me and said, “Our process is not mystic yoga, [laughter] our process is bhakti.”

“Oh, OK.”

bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah tato mam tattvato jnatva visate tad-anantaram

If one wants to enter into Krsna consciousness, whatever discrimination we have, we have to learn from the devotee how to infuse bhakti, love, service, with that discrimination. Nor should we simply love the devotees and not know how to properly serve them, how to have proper discrimination. That depends up on relying on the Supersoul within our heart. That knowledge of how to rely on the Supersoul within the heart, that sadhana, that knowledge is given to us by the devotee coming in disciplic succession.

Srila Prabhupada has given us so many techniques, especially the five important techniques how to love Krsna, how to serve Krsna, to worship the Deities, to serve the devotees, to chant the holy name, to read Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, to live in a holy place, and to make the world into a holy place. Unless we are engaged in those activities, unless we are engaged in the activities of yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa. Unless we’re engaged in the activity to spread Krsna consciousness, our awareness of Krsna, our love for Krsna, our Krsna consciousness will always remain incomplete.

One time Srila Prabhupada wrote to me, as I’ve said before, I was trying to find out different realms of transcendental awareness, how to understand and how to come to higher levels of bhakti, ruci, prema, etc. Srila Prabhupada wrote to me and in the letter he tried to inspire me to go out on Harinam. This was in 1969. We were just starting Harinam, a little Bhagavad-gita book distribution on the streets. At the end of the letter he wrote to me, “The boys and girls in your country are generally good souls. That is why they have taken birth in such a nice country, that in New York in just two weeks they distributed three thousand Back to Godheads. I have heard that in Buffalo also you are distributing Back to Godhead very nicely.” Then he also mentioned, “In San Francisco we have just had Ratha-yatra and ten thousand boys and girls were chanting and dancing in full ecstasy. Please continue in this way and as Krsna sees that you are seriously trying to help bring his other children back to the spiritual kingdom, then he will bestow all his blessings upon you. Krsna is never ungrateful for our efforts to serve him, rest assured.”

This does not mean that only we should go outside and preach. This means especially we should go outside and preach to the innocent, but we should also act in such, as to the best of our ability, in relation to the devotees, we become their servant. We learn how to see the devotees as servants of Krsna, the higher devotees, those who have more realization of Krsna than ourselves, those who are equal, and those who are less advanced than we are, how to see them as our masters, as our prabhu, not as our das, how to pray to Krsna for the intelligence how to act, how to speak in such a way that we are appropriately servants of all the devotees, higher, equal or lower. In such a way that Krsna and the previous acaryas become pleased with us and therefore we are able to attain their mercy, the intelligence to understand things properly, and the love to feel things in Krsna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada once explained that even the topmost devotee who sees everything clearly, how does he see things, even when he’s taking the position of a spiritual teacher or a spiritual mater. In one lecture in Vrindavan in 1972, Srila Prabhupada is explaining how a devotee sees other devotees. He said a devotee, even the spiritual master, he understands that whatever knowledge about Krsna he has, it is coming by the mercy of his spiritual master and Krsna. He has no independent knowledge of Krsna other than that received by the mercy of his spiritual master and Krsna.

When he gives instructions to those who are his disciples, he understands, “I am simply an instrument, that knowledge is coming down in the disciplic succession.” When he sees his disciples following out those instructions, he learns from them how to become a better servant of his spiritual master. In that way he takes his disciples as his teacher.

In other words, we have to study Srila Prabhupada’s books. We have to hear from those who have more realization about Krsna consciousness than us, learn how to hear from everyone, especially the devotees, in such way that we become more and more humble. We realize that we are actually dealing with Krsna. We are not simply dealing with our material conceptions, whatever our material conception may be.

There we see superiors and we pray to them to help us advance to become a superior. We see our equals and we compete with them to become a superior. We see our inferiors and we try to push them down so they do not become competitors to us in our struggle to ultimately become divine incarnations of something. Instead we see every opportunity, a spiritual master like Srila Prabhupada or others who follow in their footsteps teach us how to see every opportunity as an opportunity to become more and more humble, to see more and more clearly that we are dealing with Krsna.

When Srila Prabhupada was installing Rukmini-Dvarakadisa in Los Angeles, he mentioned that Sanatana Goswami was talking to his Deity, Madan-mohan. Madan-mohan, before he had come to live with Sanatana Goswami, he was living in a very nice brahmana’s house getting very nice prasadam every day, but before he had come to live with Sanatana Goswami, Sanatana Goswami had given a disclaimer to Madan-mohan. He told Madan-mohan,” I am very poor. I do not have a nice house. I cannot give you nice food. If you want to come, it is up to you.

Madan-mohan more or less said, “All right, I will take my chances.” Lo and behold, he came to live with Sanatana Goswami and much to his surprise, his house was now on a branch of a tree. He thought, “All right, at least the prasadam should be all right.” Unfortunately, Sanatana Goswami would go beg every day and he would bring back one or two pieces of bread, rotis. He was offering these pieces of bread to Madan-mohan. One day, Madan-mohan, he more or less had it. Or as they say in English, he cracked. [Laughter] He said, “Sanatana Goswami, I came to live with you. I’m on a tree, my God, a tree. [Laughter] I said I’d accept whatever you gave me, but please, couldn’t you give me a little salt with the piece of bread?”

Sanatana Goswami more or less said, “Now you are asking for salt, next you will ask for sweets. [Laughter] What can I do? I am a poor man. I can hardly move. Please, out of love I am offering you whatever I have. Kindly accept it.” Srila Prabhupada said that Madan-mohan had to accept it because it was offered with so much love and devotion. He had no choice He was overwhelmed with Sanatana Goswami’s devotion.

Then Srila Prabhupada said, “But what is your qualification? What is the qualification of the things you have?” He said, “It’s nothing. The real thing is bhakti. ‘Krsna kindly accept. I have no devotion. I am rotten and I am fallen, but I am offering you these things’.” Then Srila Prabhupada started to cry. He said, “That will do. Don’t be puffed up. Always remember that you are dealing with Krsna. That is my advice to you. Thank you.”

So whether it is the Deity, or the Ddeity in everyone’s heart, we have been trained up by such an exalted personality as Srila Prabhupada and by those that follow Srila Prabhupada how to see the Deity in everyone’s heart, how to see the Deity in the books, how to see the Deity on the altar, how to see the Deity in the holy places, how to see the Deity in the association of the devotees so that we don’t become puffed up. We always learn how to love Krsna, and in that way, become empowered to spread Krsna consciousness as Srila Prabhupada desires.

Thank you. [Applause] There’s no time for questions, unfortunately.

Hare Krsna. Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Grantha-raja Srimad-Bhagavatam ki jai! Gaura premanande. . . haribol!

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