Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17

[recorded on faulty equipment]

Nitāi: "Sri Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of all the truthful devotees, cleanses the desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted."

Prabhupāda:

śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṅi vidhunoti suhṛt satām [SB 1.2.17]

Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29]

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

This is the way of śānti. Śānti means "peacefulness." How it is? Not by this peace treaty. That kind of śānti, or peace, is going on perpetually—there is never śānti; it is simply formality. Śānti cannot be attained without Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Peacefulness, it is not possible. Temporary, you can make some arrangement, but it has no value. Even amongst the relatives—father and the son or husband and wife, brother and brother—there is no peace. Everywhere there is some disagreement and separation. This is the law of nature, of the material world, not of the spiritual world. Spiritual world, there is śānti. The material world: envious. "If you improve more than me, I will become your enemy." This is the nature of material life.

Therefore, the bhāgavata-dharma, or the cult of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is not meant for the materialistic person. It is for the person who is spiritually interested. "Spiritually interested" means he is a paramahaṁsa. Parama means "the supreme," and haṁsa, haṁsa means "the swan." Paramahaṁsa means "the supreme swan." What is the special qualification of the swan? That if you give the swan to drink milk mixed with water, it has got a special power: she will drink the milk portion, and the water portion will not touch. Haṁsa. And paramahaṁsa means the person who knows what is the essence of this material world. He is called paramahaṁsa—who knows.

Just like we are all living entities. You have got your body; I have got my body; everyone has got his body. And what is the essence of this body? The essence of this body is the life. If there is no life, you may have very nice, beautiful body; I may have very strong, beautiful body; but as soon as the life is gone, it is has no use[?]. Therefore the essence of the body is the [indistinct]. Similarly, this big, gigantic body, cosmic manifestation, there is also life. Otherwise, how it is going on? Anyone can understand this philosophy, that this body is very important, belonging to such-and-such great personality, scientist or philosopher, politician—whatever it may be—but so long the life is there. Otherwise, no more politician, no more scientist, no more philosopher. Similarly, it is very simple to think: unless there is life within this cosmic manifestation, how things are going on so nicely?

So one who is interested with that essence of this gigantic cosmic manifestation, he is called paramahaṁsa. He is no more interested in any other thing. Active principle. What is the active principle? Just like medical science, they take active principle from a drug. Similarly, those who are paramahaṁsa, they can understand that what is the active principle of this cosmic manifestation. There must be some. Must be some. There is no doubt. But one who is interested knows. Therefore, in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṅāṁ satāṁ vāstavam atra vedam atra [SB 1.1.2].

[Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṅa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.]

Here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So with this idea, to become paramahaṁsa, or to understand the central point—because if you simply understand the central point, then everything is understood. That is Vedic injunction. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].

[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]

If you simply understand Kṛṣṅa, then everything becomes understood. It is so nice. Yasmin vijñāte. By understanding the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṅa, sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, everything becomes understood.

Just like one big scientist, our disciple, Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara dāsa, M.S., Ph.D., he has dedicated his very advanced scientific book—we cannot even utter the words, [indistinct], like that [laughter]. So [laughs], he is a great scientist, admitted by many universities: Gauhati University, Calcutta University, here in Boston University, and then again California University. He is not ordinary man. But he admits in his dedication that "I dedicate this book to my spiritual master, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, because he has given me the real knowledge that Kṛṣṅa is the origin of everything."

Now, I am not a scientist. I am not a scientist, but I could teach a scientist, or convince him, that Kṛṣṅa is the original, the origin of everything. And unless he is convinced that Kṛṣṅa is the origin of everything, how he has written it? So many scientists will challenge him, but he is prepared to accept this challenge. So how it was possible for me to convince a big scientist? It was exactly as I have stated: that if you understand Kṛṣṅa, then you can teach even the greatest scientist, the greatest philosopher, greatest politician—everyone. That is Kṛṣṅa [indistinct]. You don’t require to be a great scientist to teach a scientist; but if you simply understand Kṛṣṅa, then you will be able to teach even the greatest scientist. The greatest philosophers, greatest anyone, let them come; we shall teach. We shall become their teacher. We challenge. Why? Because we know a little about Kṛṣṅa.

There is a verse in the Bhāgavata, athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ. One devotee says, "My dear Lord, one who has got a little fragmental grace of Your lotus feet, he knows the Absolute Truth."

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayam- prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ... na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan [SB 10.14.29]

[My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.]

"A devotee of Kṛṣṅa, he can understand the tattva, the truth, simply a little mercy, by the mercy of Kṛṣṅa. Others, they may continue to speculate for many, many births, they will not understand You." Therefore Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṅa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

Just like this scientist, he has surrendered. His study of science is perfect. When one surrenders to Kṛṣṅa, perfectly knowing well that Kṛṣṅa is the origin of everything, that is the perfection of knowledge. In another place, the... I think in this chapter, you will find,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Everyone is engaged in different occupational duties, whatever he may be. But one should be interested to know whether, by executing this kind of duty, "Whether I am becoming perfect?" But they have no such interest. Neither they could know what is perfection. That human life is meant for achieving the perfection. That is the aim of life.

So there are so many things, but we must know that if we understand Kṛṣṅa slightly in truth, then our life is perfect. Not that… You cannot understand Kṛṣṅa fully. He is so big and so unlimited. So this is not possible. Kṛṣṅa even Himself does not know how great He is. "God is great," we say, but we do not know how great is God. That is intelligence. So that greatness..., you cannot understand Kṛṣṅa or Kṛṣṅa's greatness. Life after life, hearing with thousands of millions of ears, still you will not be able to understand. Ananta, Ananta-deva is explaining about Kṛṣṅa by… Ananta, or unlimited faces..., mouth, unlimited mouths. He has got many mouths—still He could not finish. So that is not possible. But if you try to understand about Kṛṣṅa, then Kṛṣṅa will help you how to understand. That is stated: śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ. Kṛṣṅa is so kind. If anyone is interested to know about Kṛṣṅa, to hear about Kṛṣṅa, then,

śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

So Kṛṣṅa, to know about Kṛṣṅa… If you think you don’t understand Kṛṣṅa, if you simply chant Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa… Actually we are advising: kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! he, kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! kṛṣṅa! Chant like that, you will become perfect. Immediately you become perfect. Yes. Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya. Kṛṣṅa means… Hearing and chanting means to become perfect. We are all sinful. We are all sinful, material world. Anyone who is living in this material world, he must be considered sinful. It is a question of degree. Unless we are sinful, there is no question of accepting this material body. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19]. We are committing sinful life. Therefore, next life we are getting another type of body. [indistinct] Bhagavad-gītā. Why different types of body? Why not the same body? No.

kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg 13.22]

Because we are associating with certain quality of material nature. There are three qualities of material nature: sattva-guṅa, raja-guṅa and tamo-guṅa. So one of them I must associate, one of them. So if we associate with sattva-guṅa, we will get a different type of body. If we associate with raja-guṅa, then we get a different type of body. If we associate with the tamo-guṅa, then we have to get a different type of body. This is the law of nature. Exactly like that if you infect a certain type of disease, you get that. Nature’s law. You cannot avoid it. If you infect typhoid disease, then you must suffer from typhoid. Similarly we, during this living condition, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19], we are…, our position is that we are changing body after body, and we are suffering according to the body.

So if we want to stop our suffering, then we must stop getting another material body. This is [indistinct]. And that you can do only by Kṛṣṅa consciousness; otherwise [indistinct]. Otherwise it may be in the modes of goodness, that much. Here in the material world, you can elevate up to the modes of goodness. And what is the result of goodness? Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā [Bg 14.18].

[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]

If you associate with goodness, then you can be promoted to the very, very higher planetary system, ūrdhvaṁ. There are ūrdhvaṁ, adhaḥ and madhyaṁ are the planetary systems of the world. Therefore, it is called three worlds. And there are other planetary system. Just like this earth is called Bhurloka. It is situated in the middle. And above us there are seven lokas, and down there are seven lokas.

So in this middle position, if we associate with goodness, then we can be promoted to the higher planetary system. Just like Brahmā has got..., he has got very, very long duration of life. The standard of living in other planets, other planetary system, is thousand, thousand times more comfortable. We can get up, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā [Bg 14.18]. We can get promoted. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ: and if we associate with rajo-guna, then we can remain in the middle position. And if you associate with tamo-guna, then you will go down. Just like here we see some of the animals are meant for the slaughterers. So in previous life, they also slaughtered. Therefore, they are waiting to become to be slaughtered. Mām saḥ. This is Sanskrit word of…, means, mām means "me"; saḥ means "he." "I eat you this time; you eat me next time." [laughter] This is called karma-bandhanaḥ. Yajñārthe karma anyatra loko 'yaṁ karma [Bg 3.9].

[Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṅu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.]

"Now we are very happy that we have got so much, so many living stocks. I shall kill one and eat, enjoy." But he does not know that he is making the path so that he will be also eaten. This is karma-bandhanaḥ.

So this is going on, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19]. We are getting one type of body and eating or sleeping or mating according to the body. There are so many hundreds, thousands. So eating, sleeping, sex life and defending—everywhere. Either as insect or as big man, everyone knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to enjoy sex life and how to defend in his own way. That is not real business of human life. Real business of human life is here mentioned, śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ: just try to hear about Kṛṣṅa. We are opening so many centers just to give chance to people to hear about Kṛṣṅa. That’s all. And if one hears, then, or chants, immediately he becomes purified, puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ. And as..., as much as, the more you become purified, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṅi vidhunoti: then all the dirty things accumulated within the heart on account of contamination of this material world, that becomes cleansed. And as soon as it is cleansed, you understand that you are eternally related with Kṛṣṅa. He is the Supreme Master, and we are servitor—"Let us serve Kṛṣṅa." That is perfection of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [end]