| Bhagavad-gétä 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972
Prabhupäda: saïjaya uväca Madhusüdana. Kåñëa is described here as Madhusüdana, the killer of the demon Madhu. Madhu-kaiöabha-ari. So Arjuna was attacked by a demon of forgetting his duty, being too much afflicted by bodily relationship. This is our position. In this material world, we are so much attached to this bodily relationship that it is to be considered just like we are ghostly haunted. In a poetry, Prema-vivarta, it is said that piçäcé päile yena mati-cchanna haya, mäyä-grasta jévera haya se bhäva udaya. Mäyä-grasta jéva. Mäyä-grasta. Mäyä means illusion, hallucination. So we are, in this material world, we are all illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something as fact which is not. Something... Just like in dream we see sometimes I am attacked with a tiger; my head is being cut off. So many things. So actually there is no tiger, my head is not being cut off, but still, I am crying: "Oh, here is a tiger, here is a tiger!" So our attachment for this world is like that. It is illusion. I am thinking that "Without me, everything will be spoiled. My presence is required." And so on, so on. Just like sometimes our political leaders. Each and every one of them thinks that without him, the whole situation will be spoiled. Even Mahatma Gandhi, he was so attached that he would not retire from political life—unless he was killed. The attachment was so strong. But after passing away of Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru or so many big, big leaders, the world is going on. There is a Bengali proverb that "When the king dies, it does not mean the kingdom stops." The kingdom goes on. But when, so long, the leader or the person in charge remains there, he thinks that "Without me, everything will be spoiled." This is called mäyä. This is called illusion. According to Vedic system, therefore, there is forced renunciation. Nobody wants to retire from family life, but the Vedic injunction is that after one has passed fifty years, he must leave his family life. Païcäçordhvaà vanaà vrajet. In the beginning, as a student life, he’s trained up, brahmacäré, undergoing severe austerities, penances, and taking instruction from the spiritual master about the temporary existence of this material world. In this way, he’s trained up very nicely. And even after training, if he appears to be attached to this material world, he’s allowed to go home and marry. And some of the brahmacärés are allowed to remain naiñöhika-brahmacäré, without going home and accepting a wife. But one who cannot, he’s allowed to accept wife and become a householder and remain there for twenty-five years. Because generally, the brahmacäré was going home at the age of twenty-four years, twenty-five years. So after marriage, he may get a child. So living there for twenty-five years, means the child is grown up. Then the husband and wife takes leave, not leaving for good, but vänaprastha, traveling in pilgrimages like Våndävana, Prayäga. That was the system. And after two months, again he comes back and remains home for another two months. Again goes out. In this way, the whole process is how to give up attachment from this family life, from this world. And when he’s trained up fully, he takes sannyäsa. That is our Vedic system. So the attachment of this material world is very strong. That is stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam by Åñabhadeva: Puàsaù striyä mithuné-bhävam etam. This whole material world is an attachment of male and female. Puàsaù striyä mithuné-bhävam, sex impulse, attachment. Tayor mitho hådaya-granthim ähuù. And when they are married, when they are united, then it becomes a hard knot in the heart. Ato gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittair janasya moho ’yam ahaà mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Then gradually, after being united, one becomes attached to gåha, home, apartment, kñetra,... Formerly there was no industry. So everyone must have some land to produce food. Gåha-kñetra, suta, then children; äpta, friends; vitta, then money, because without money, nothing can be maintained. Ataù gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittair janasya mohaù. He becomes more and more illusioned. And ahaà mameti: [SB 5.5.8] "Oh, this is my country. This is my family. This is my house. This is my children." So on, so on. Mama. "Mine." And "I am this person. I am this body." This is illusion. So Arjuna appeared to be illusioned that "How I shall fight with my brothers and grandfather on the other side?" He became so much illusioned... Taà tathä kåpayäviñöam [Bg. 2.1]. He became illusioned not unnecessarily. He was very much compassionate, compassionate with his family members. Kåpayäviñöam, açru-pürëäkulekñaëam [Bg. 2.1]. And he was crying. There was tears in his eyes. Viñédantam idaà väkyam. And he was lamenting in this way: "How shall I fight?" So Kåñëa then began to speak. Kåñëa saw that "My friend, Arjuna, has become too much illusioned." So He wanted to kill the demon of illusion. Therefore He’s mentioned herein as Madhusüdana. Kåñëa comes. He has got two business: pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm [Bg. 4.8]. Side by side, giving protection to His devotees, sädhu... Sädhu means devotee. Devotee of Kåñëa is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gétä as sädhu. Api cet su-duräcäro bhajate mäm ananya-bhäk, sädhur eva sa mantavyaù [Bg. 9.30]. One who is strictly a pure devotee of Kåñëa, he is mentioned as sädhu. Sädhur eva sa mantavyaù samyag vyavasito hi saù [Bg. 9.30]. He is first-class sädhu. Even if he’s a gåhastha, it doesn’t matter. Generally, we understand sädhu means with saffron cloth. No. Sädhu’s qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Kåñëa. Sädhavaù sädhu-bhüñaëaù. Sädhavaù sädhu-bhüñaëaù. So now Kåñëa speaks, çré bhagavän uväca. Bhagavän. This Bhagavän means one who is full with six kinds of opulences. He’s called Bhagavän. aiçvaryasya samagrasya Bhaga. Bhagavän and Kåñëa. Kåñëa means all-attractive. Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa. Kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam. There are other great personalities. Lord Çiva is also sometimes described as Bhagavän. Similarly, Lord Brahmä, Närada, others are also sometimes described as Bhagavän. But real Bhagavän means Kåñëa. They are Bhagavän partially. All these things have been very much carefully analyzed by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé. He has analyzed in the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, which we have translated into English: Nectar of Devotion. He has analyzed that Kåñëa is cent percent Bhagavän. And Näräyaëa is ninety-four percent Bhagavän. And Lord Çiva is eighty-four percent Bhagavän. And all other living entities, all living entities, we are, we are minutely seventy-eight percent Bhagavän. That means when you come to the perfection of life, when you are actually in the spiritual stage, then you are..., you have got the qualities of Bhagavän in minute quantity, but not all the qualities—eighty, seventy-eight percent. These have been very nicely analyzed in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu. And the çästra says also: kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam there is a list of all the incarnations, that "Such and such incarnation appears for such and such particular activities." In that incarnation list there is name of Lord Rämacandra also, Lord Buddha also. Buddha’s name is also there. But in the conclusive portion it is declared there: ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam [SB 1.3.28]. In that list, the name of Lord Kåñëa, Lord Balaräma is there also. But the conclusion is given by Vyäsadeva that "Except Kåñëa, all others, they are plenary expansion of Kåñëa, or part of plenary expansion of Kåñëa." Aàça-kaläù. Aàça means direct expansion. And kaläù means expansion of the..., secondary expansions. So it is concluded there that ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù. All these incarnations, they are either aàça or kaläù. But Kåñëa, the name Kåñëa, kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam: He’s the original Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa. The same thing, here Vyäsadeva describes: çré bhagavän uväca. He’s not ordinary person. Bhagavän speaking. Bhagavän means... What is Bhagavän? Aiçvarya. Aiçvarya means riches. Nobody can be richer than Bhagavän. We have got our ideas of richness. I may be rich, but you are richer than me. Somebody is richer than you. Somebody is richer than another, another, another. You go, make proceed. When you find out the final richest person, that is Bhagavän. Aiçvaryasya sama... Samagrasya. All riches. Not that partial. One may have one thousand, another man, one lakh, one man, one crore, but nobody can say that "I have got all the monies." No, that is not possible. But Bhagavän has all the monies. Aiçvaryasya samagrasya véryasya. Similarly, strength, bodily strength or power. Aiçvaryasya samagrasya véryasya yaçasaù. And similarly, reputation. We are also reputed. But nobody can be reputed than Kåñëa. Just like five thousand years ago He spoke this Bhagavad-gétä, and He’s so reputed that Kåñëa spoke Bhagavad-gétä and still it is running on. Not only in India, but we are traveling all over the world. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gétä. So He’s so reputed. So aiçvaryasya samagrasya véryasya yaçasaù çriyaù. And beautiful. The most beautiful. Kåñëa, most attractive. Yaçasaù çri..., jïäna, knowledge, the book of knowledge which He has given, this Bhagavad-gétä, there is no comparison. There is no second book in the whole world which contains so full of knowledge. So jïäna. And vairägya also. In spite of all the property of Kåñëa, Kåñëa doesn’t care for this material world. He is busy in the spiritual world. Rädhä-mädhava kuïja-bihäré. He’s busy in Våndävana. He has many servants. Just big man has got many secretaries, servants, they look after, similarly, in this material world. His representatives—Brahmä, Viñëu, Maheçvara—they are managing the affairs of this whole universe. But He’s enjoying in Våndävana. Jaya rädhä-mädhava kuïja-bihäré. He has no concern. He doesn’t care what is happening here. But it, it does not mean that He doesn’t care, but He has no anxiety how the things are being managed. When it is mismanaged, then sometimes Kåñëa comes in His Väsudeva form. Not the original Kåñëa. Original Kåñëa never leaves Våndävana. Padam ekaà na gacchati. He’s always in His abode. cintämaëi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-våkña- He is very much adhered to His cows. Surabhér abhipälayantam. And He’s surrounded by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, these gopés. He is surrounded. Lakñmé-sahasra-çata-sambhrama-sevyamänam [Bs. 5.29]. We are, we are praying goddess of fortune to have some favor, but in the spiritual world, Kåñëa is served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. This is Kåñëa’s position. So I do not know why foolish people, they do not understand what is God. Everything is there. And He comes also, personally. Not only the God’s name, address, activities, and everything is there, but He comes personally also. He proves Kåñëa. He proved that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Kåñëa was present, He proved all these things. Aiçvaryasya samagrasya véryasya yaçasaù çriyaù. He proved. He had sixteen thousand wives, and each wife, a big palatial building of marble, bedecked with jewels and gardens with pärijäta flowers. These are description. Nobody can maintain sixteen thousand wives in sixteen thousand palaces. Not only that, not that if He enters in one palace, He lives with one wife, the other wives are vacant. No. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. And with each wife He was living comfortably. Each wife had ten children. And those children also had each ten children, grandsons. In this way, Kåñëa’s family was more than one crore, Yadu-vaàça. So if you study from material point of view, when Kåñëa was present, He proved that He’s Bhagavän. And Bhagavän means not a big beard and meditation. Kåñëa never became Bhagavän by meditation. He was not a manufactured God. He’s God always. He’s not manufactured. When He was on the lap of His mother Yaçodä, He was God. The Pütanä came to kill Him, but Kåñëa killed him. In this way, if we read the life of Kåñëa, He’s proved—Bhagavän. And not only He proved Himself, but all others, great authorities, accepted Him Bhagavän. There are four Vaiñëava äcäryas in the recent years and one Mäyäväda äcärya, Çaìkaräcärya. Çaìkaräcärya also, although he is inclined to the impersonal feature of the Lord, but he accepted Kåñëa: sa bhagavän svayaà kåñëaù. He accepted: "Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Näräyaëa." Näräyaëaù avyaktät. So other Vaiñëava äcäryas, Rämänujäcärya, Madhväcärya, Viñëusvämé, Nimbärka, lately Lord Caitanya, all of them accepted Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Arjuna, he also, when he heard from Him Bhagavad-gétä, he accepted Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà paramaà bhavän, puruñaà çäçvatam [Bg. 10.12]. So Kåñëa is accepted universally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why people are making research, "Where is God?" I do not know. Why they are uselessly taking so much hard labor to search out God? Here is God, Kåñëa. Bhagavän uväca. So there is no reason, there is no, I mean to say, chance of not accepting Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kåñëa personally says that mattaù parataraà nänyat kiïcid asti dhanaïjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior element above Me." Ahaà sarvasya prabhavaù. "I am the origin of everything." Aham ädir hi devänäm. Then... There are so many statements, "Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So anyone who is actually serious about understanding about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difficulty. But because we are obstinate, because we are sinful, because we are lowest of the mankind, because our knowledge has been taken away by mäyä, and because we are atheists, we do not accept Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality. Otherwise, there is no reason. Kåñëa therefore describes: na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù prapadyante narädhamäù [Bg. 7.15]. Unless one is duñkåtina, always miscreants, full of sinful life, he cannot deny Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So our, this Kåñëa consciousness movement is preaching all over the world that "You are all advanced in civilization, and advanced in scientific knowledge, and advanced in everything, but you are missing one thing—God, Kåñëa. So here is God. Here is Kåñëa. You try to understand Kåñëa and be Kåñëa conscious and make your life successful." That is our propaganda. Thank you very much. Hare Kåñëa. [break] Indian: May I ask you one question? Prabhupäda: Yes. Indian: When there is bhajana singing... Prabhupäda: Yes. Indian: ...which I can understand the words... Prabhupäda: Hare Kåñëa? Indian: Or any bhajana of God. Then, you see, understand language and everything. You see, if it is just like Mirabhai and crying, tear comes from my face, and laughing, very instant laughing, laugh... Prabhupäda: Yes. Indian: And there is no other progress. Prabhupäda: No, that is añöa-sättvika-vikära. Indian: Sättvika-vikära. Prabhupäda: Yes, that is called vikära, transformation of spiritual platform. Yes. Indian: But still there is something more, something more. Prabhupäda: No, that is the... When one cries, transformed, that means he’s realizing Kåñëa. Indian: Yes, yes... Prabhupäda: He’s realizing like that. That is realization. Caitanya Mahäprabhu also used to do that. That is highest stage, mahä-bhäva. Indian: Mahä-bhäva, yes... Prabhupäda: Yes. Indian: So then I go in bhajana, wash out everything; I feel myself that there is only soul, no body. And then you see a man who sings or who are present, you see, they are also not their body. Simply soul. Prabhupäda: Yes, forget all material... Yes. Indian: All these things. Then there is only soul. Prabhupäda: Yes, that is perfectional, liberated stage. Indian: Liberated stage. Prabhupäda: Yes. Indian: And have you explained anything about this in your Gétä, in fifteen... You see? These three...? Prabhupäda: Gétä is just to understand what is God. And then, when you are actually engaged in God’s service, these things come. That is higher stage. Gétä is the ABCD of understanding God. Indian: So it will give you some more reflection... You see... Prabhupäda: Yes. But if we accept the ABCD, then we come to literature. Then we pass M.A. examination. Yes. So Gétä is the preliminary step, first step of understanding God. Indian: I am reading Gétä from my childhood. I like it. Prabhupäda: Very good. Indian: Yes. So I think your Gétä will give me some more reflection. Prabhupäda: Yes. I am explaining as it is. I am not interpreting. So it is being accepted. Indian: So I should read it. Prabhupäda: Thank you. Indian: That’s the inclination, that I should read the books. Prabhupäda: (laughing) Very good. Indian: Very good. Devotee: Hare Kåñëa! Prabhupäda: Jaya. (pause) Yes, let us discuss. [break] Indian (2): ...the Päëòavas. So if we do our work so perfect, we can’t do it. Otherwise, we... So I am an imperfect devotee. But the question, you see, I was wondering ... all the worldly duties sincerely and honestly to our capacity pride is necessary or inevitable. "Oh, I’m a brähmaëa. I’m worshiping God." But pride is necessary that we must do in our own hand. I cannot. Prabhupäda: Yes. If your life is so made that in every step you are feeling presence of Kåñëa, then it is Kåñëa consciousness. That is the first-class yoga, as it is confirmed by Kåñëa: yoginäm api sarveñäà Just like these boys, they are being trained up to think of Kåñëa twenty-four hours. Kértanéyaù sadä hariù [Cc. adi 17.31]. Just like we have constructed this pandal. Our business is to preach Kåñëa. So the energy employed for constructing this temple, that is also Kåñëa, that energy. Somebody is doing... Anything... Nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe yuktaà vairägyam ucyate. If our activities are always dovetailed for Kåñëa’s satisfaction, that is called vairägya. Vairägya. A man is engaged in business. That’s all right. But if the fruit of that business is made, is meant for Kåñëa, then sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya. That is sva-karmaëä. Generally, we work for our sense gratification. "I have got this money. I must use for my sense gratification or for my relative’s sense gratification or for my country’s sense gratification, for my society’s sense gratification." So this is materialism. But when the same thing is turned for Kåñëa’s sense gratification, that is spiritual. That is the difference between prema and käma. Käma. It has been very simplified by Kaviräja Kåñëadäsa Gosvämé in his Caitanya-caritämåta: ätmendriya-préti-väïchä täre bali ‘käma’. Ätmendriya-préti. If you want to satisfy your senses, that is called käma, lust. Kåñëendriya-préti-icchä dhare ‘prema’ näma. The same thing, when you try to satisfy the senses of Kåñëa, that is called prema. So we have to divert the activities for Kåñëa. That is Kåñëa consciousness. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he, in the beginning, he denied to fight. That, our subject matter. He was crying. "No, no, I cannot fight." So apparently Arjuna was very nice gentleman that he is forgetting his claim over the kingdom, he’s nonviolent, he’s not willing to fight with his brothers, and he was crying so compassionate. So from materialistic point of view, he was very nice. But immediately, as we’ll begin tomorrow, Kåñëa says that "Why you are thinking like anärya?" Anärya. Anärya-juñöam. "This kind of thinking is not for äryas, Äryans. It is for the non-Äryans." He did not... And the whole Bhagavad-gétä was spoken to Arjuna to make him ärya. And at the end, Kåñëa inquired from Arjuna that "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathä kuru. But Arjuna replied, kariñye tad-vacanam. Kariñye vacanaà tava. [Bg. 18.73] "Now I shall fight." And Kåñëa gave him certificate: bhakto ’si priyo ’si me. "You are very dear friend, and My great devotee." Now, fighting is not very good business, killing. But sometimes, by killing, one can become a great devotee of Kåñëa. He was a warrior, fighter. His business was to fight, but he fought for Kåñëa. Then he became a devotee. That is sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya. He... Arjuna, brähmaëa and kñatriya. Similarly, our..., means sva-karma, guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù. Our, according to Vedic system, there are four divisions. Cätur-varëyaà mayä såñöaà guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù [Bg. 4.13]. Not by birth, but by quality and actual activities. So there are brähmaëas. There are kñatriyas. There are vaiçyas. There are çüdras. There are brahmacärés. There are gåhasthas, vänaprasthas, sannyäsa. So everyone should be engaged to satisfy Kåñëa. That is the whole philosophy. Sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya. "You work as brähmaëa, you work as a kñatriya, you work as a vaiçya or çüdra. It doesn’t matter." Even Kåñëa has advised that "If you, even if you think that I am working as a vaiçya, it is not very good, because sometimes I have to speak lie for business’s sake. And brähmaëa’s business is very nice. No." Kåñëa has advised: sa-doñam api na tyajet: "Even in your profession there are so many faults, you should not give it up. You should go on." But the result must be given to Kåñëa. That is the secret. You may work as a brähmaëa, as a kñatriya, as a businessman, as an engineer, as a doctor, as a warrior, whatever you may be. It is, it is never condemned. No work is condemned. Every work is dignified provided it is meant for Kåñëa. That is Kåñëa consciousness. [break] Chant. (end) |