Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.15

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Sixth Canto, First Chapter, verse number eight. [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

asmāt puraivāśv iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavi [SB 6.1.8]

Prabhupāda: We were reading yesterday this fifteenth verse.

Harikeśa: I asked you if you wanted to go back to eight, and you said yes.

Prabhupāda: Who said?

Harikeśa: I thought you did.

Prabhupāda: You thought. I didn't say.

Nitāi: He told me that...

Harikeśa: That's what I thought.

Prabhupāda: You told him, but I didn't say.

Nitāi: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Nitāi: Tasmāt puraiva...

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Nitāi: You want me to [indistinct]?

Prabhupāda: Fifteenth. [break]

Nitāi: [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ [SB 6.1.15]

[break]

Prabhupāda: Yes. Word meaning.

Nitāi: [leads chanting of synonyms; devotees struggle]

Prabhupāda: You have no...? All right.

[03:38]

kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ [SB 6.1.15]

Kecit means "somebody, "very rarely." "Somebody" means "very rarely." It is not so easy thing to become vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ. Yesterday I explained that Bhagavān, Kṛṣṅa, says that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. Manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3].

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

Siddhi means perfection of life. Generally they take it aṣṭa-siddhi of yoga practice—aṅimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, siddhi, īśitva, vaśitva, prākāmya. So these are called siddhis, yoga-siddhi. Yoga-siddhi means you can become smaller than the smallest. Our actually magnitude is very, very small. So by yoga-siddhi, in spite of having this material body, one yogī can come to the smallest size, and anywhere you keep him packed, he will come out. That is called aṅimā-siddhi. Similarly, there is mahima-siddhi, laghima-siddhi. He can become lighter than the swab of cotton. The yogīs, they become so light. Still there are yogīs in India. Of course, in our childhood we saw some yogī, he used to come to my father. So he said that he could go anywhere within very few seconds. And sometimes they go early in the morning to Jagannātha Purī, to Rāmeśvaram, to Haridwar, and take their bathing in different Ganges water and others. That is called laghima-siddhi. He become very light. He used to say that "We are sitting with our guru, and just touching. We are sitting here, and after few seconds we see in a different place." This is called laghima-siddhi.

So there are many yoga-siddhis. People become very much puzzled by seeing these yoga-siddhi. But Kṛṣṅa says, yatatām api siddhānām: "Amongst many such siddhas who have got yoga-siddhi," yatatām api siddhānām kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3], "somebody may understand Me." So one may achieve some yoga-siddhis; still, it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṅa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṅa can be understood only such persons who has dedicated everything to Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Kṛṣṅa wants that, demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṅaṁ [Bg 18.66]. Kṛṣṅa is only understandable by His pure devotee, not anyone else.

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya- 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.]

Those who are favored by the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṅa, they can understand Kṛṣṅa. Others, na cānya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan. Ciram means for long time, for many years, if they speculate only what is God or what is Kṛṣṅa... That process will not help us. There are many Vedic version like that:

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136]

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṅa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṅa really is.]

Kṛṣṅa, His name, His fame, His attributes, His activities... Śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved... Nāmādi means "beginning from the holy name." So not possible... So if we keep ourself on the material platform, then for thousand years we may chant, it will be difficult. That is called nāmāparadha. Of course, holy name is so powerful that even by chanting with offense, gradually he becomes pure. Therefore we should not give up chanting. Any circumstances, we should go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. But the warning is that if we keep us on the material platform, then it will be not possible to understand Kṛṣṅa, His holy name, His attribute, His form, His activities. It will be not possible.

So the process is bhakti. And when you come to the platform of understanding Kṛṣṅa, then immediately you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is... Kṛṣṅa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

So then first of all people do not understand what is the aim of life. They do not care at the present moment. They have no distinction what is sinful life or what is pious life. But we may, what is called, not believe in these things, but things are there like that. Just like if you infect some disease, it will come out. You believe or not believe, it doesn't matter. Here is our doctor sāhīb. He knows that if you have infected some disease, it will come out. So we are infecting so many infectious qualities. There are three qualities—sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa—and according to our infection, we have to accept a different type of body. Karmaṅā daiva-netreṅa [SB 3.31.1].

[The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.]

Every one of us, we are working under the modes of material nature, and according to our association we will have to accept a certain type of body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

Unfortunately, there is no science, there is no college, there is no university to learn this science of nature, how things are going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27].

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

Prakṛti is being there.

So we are in this material world on account of this infectious condition. This is our problem. And we have to die. That's a fact. If you say that "I don't believe in death," that is not excuse. Death must be there. You must die. So in this way our life is going on. So in the human form of life we can rectify this. This is the process of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that if we rectify our constant association with different material modes of nature... And as the result of this association, we are accepting one body and again dying, and again accepting another body, again dying. This business will be stopped. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6].

[That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.]

Somehow or other, if you become fit to go back to home, back to Godhead, yad gatvā, then you haven't got to come back again.

But they do not understand that this material conditional life is always miserable. They have accepted, "It is very nice." Animals. Animals... Just like in the slaughterhouse, livestock godown, there are so many animals, and they are going to be slaughtered. Everyone knows. They also know, the animals. But on account of their animal quality, they cannot do anything. Similarly, we are also put into the slaughterhouse of this material world. It is called mṛtyu-loka. Everyone knows that he will be slaughtered. Today or tomorrow or fifty years after or a hundred years after, everyone knows that he will be slaughtered. He will die. Death means slaughter. Nobody wants to die. The animal also do not like to die, but they are forcibly killed. This is called slaughter. Similarly, who wants to die? Nobody wants to die. But by nature's law he has to be killed. That is slaughterhouse. The whole material world is slaughterhouse. We have to realize that. And it is called mṛtyu-loka. This is the problem. But they do not take it very seriously, like animals. The animal, he does not take very seriously. And even if he knows he will die, he cannot take any step.

So our position is like that: mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt. Teṣām ahaṁ anukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ. Teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt [Bg 12.7]. So we should understand our position. Nobody wants to die, but he is slaughtered. Again he is given another chance, another body. Again he is slaughtered. This is the laws of nature, going on. Daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg 7.14].

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

We should seriously understand this, that how to stop this slaughtering process of material nature. That is intelligence. Otherwise, to become happy like cats and dogs, "Oh, I am very nicely eating and jumping. I don't care for being slaughtered," that is not very good intelligence. Intelligence is how to stop this slaughtering process of nature. That is intelligence. That is being discussed.

So anyone can get out of the slaughtering process by devotional service. That is stated here, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā. Kecit. That is not very common. Very rarely one comes to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā. Simply by devotional service, one can get out of this dangerous condition of being slaughtered. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā. And who are they? Vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ, devotees of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa's name is Vāsudeva. He is son of Vasudeva; therefore His name is Vāsudeva. So vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ. Parāyaṅāḥ means "Our ultimate goal is Vāsudeva, nothing more." They are called vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ. Vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti. Agham means the material contamination. We are always associating with material contamination. So if we become vāsudeva-parāyaṅāḥ... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [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.]

the same thing. Here it says kecit—means very rarely. And Kṛṣṅa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Sudurlabhaḥ, "very rare."

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, although it is very rare, we are trying to deliver Kṛṣṅa and love of Kṛṣṅa. So this is the topmost welfare activities to the human society, because it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṅa, and we, under certain process, we are delivering Kṛṣṅa, and it is being effective. The process is so nice. Even the Europeans and Americans, they did not know what is Kṛṣṅa five, six years ago. But they are now very serious. Even one priest in Boston, he was astonished that "These boys, Christian boys or the Jewish boys, they are our men, and they did not care to know what is God, what is... Now they are after God; they are mad. How it is?" There are many practical proof. Just like in our many temples. Los Angeles temple, it was sold by the church because nobody was coming. Nobody was coming. We have many churches purchased in that way. Now you will see in Los Angeles it is always packed up. So we did not bring all these men from India. The men are the local men, and the church is the same church. Why they are coming? Why they are taking interest? So this is the effect of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. He is personally being merciful. He is distributing, Kṛṣṅa Himself. Therefore so quickly. So if we keep ourself in the right way of executing Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then it will be possible—even in this very life we shall be perfect. Perfection means tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

This body, this material body, we have to give up. Everyone knows. But those who are not becoming perfect, they will have to come back again to accept another body. But those who are developed in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, this is the final giving up material body, go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. And try to execute it very carefully, lovingly. Then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg 4.9].

So one who becomes fit for going to the spiritual world, Kṛṣṅaloka, Vaikuṅṭhaloka, where is the question of his sinful reaction? Aghaṁ dhunvanti. No sinful man can go back to home, back to Godhead. So if one is actually, somehow or other, becomes fit for going back to home, back..., that means automatically his sinful reaction of life... One may question how it is. If a man is sinful for many, many lives, how simply by becoming Kṛṣṅa conscious he becomes free from the reaction? Yes. Kṛṣṅa says. You haven't got to take proof from anyone else. Kṛṣṅa says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi... [Bg 18.66]

Kṛṣṅa says, "I shall give you release from all sinful reaction which you have committed for many, many births." Kṛṣṅa says. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. There is no question of worrying about it, that "Oh, I have committed." But the thing is that after surrendering to Kṛṣṅa, don't commit any more sinful life. Then you are perfect. Whatever you have done is done. It doesn't matter. But after surrendering, if you think, "It is a good business. I have surrendered," no, that is not surrender. Surrender is that sarva-dharmān parityajya. He has no other business. That is surrender. You cannot become a devotee of Kṛṣṅa and engage in sinful activities. Then it is not surrender. You want to do your business on the strength of Kṛṣṅa's blessing—no. That is not allowed. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya. All kinds of activities, occupational duty, you should give up. Simply be engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service.

Kṛṣṅa's service... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, in the beginning he was hesitating to be engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service. Kṛṣṅa wanted him to fight, to take part in the fight. But he was hesitating. But when he was instructed Bhagavad-gītā, he understood, he decided, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg 18.73],

[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṅa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]

"I shall fight." This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We have got many programs according to our mental concoction. That will not help us. If we simply act as Kṛṣṅa desires, then our life is perfect. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

This is bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanam. You have to cultivate Kṛṣṅa consciousness as it pleases Kṛṣṅa, not whimsically. Ānukūlyena. Just like Arjuna got orders directly from Kṛṣṅa. One may argue that "Where is Kṛṣṅa?" No, you have got Kṛṣṅa's representative, guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. The representative is there. If you act according to his instruction, if you want to please him, then Kṛṣṅa is pleased. Just like in office the managing director or the proprietor is not in contact. Of course, Kṛṣṅa is in contact with everyone: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

But even taking this crude example, still, the office superintendent, if he recommends somebody, some clerk, that "This man is working very nice," that is accepted by the managing director. There is no difficulty. Therefore, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo: if you want to please Kṛṣṅa, you please Kṛṣṅa's representative. Śrī-guru-caraṅe rati, sei se uttama-gati. We are singing daily. So Kṛṣṅa is not absent. Kṛṣṅa is already within you, but He manifests Himself as guru, prakāśa. This is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

So things are very easily performed if we follow the system of the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. And we should; we must. It is not that optional. If you make it optional, you will suffer. That is the Vedic injunction. Kṛṣṅa also says, mām eva ya prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. You have to surrender to Kṛṣṅa or become... Otherwise, you will suffer by this material energy. That you cannot avoid. So every one of us, at least those who have taken Kṛṣṅa consciousness as their life and soul, they should execute devotional service very sincerely. Then their success is assured.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [offer obeisances]

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa. That is nice. Kīrtana?

Devotee: Kīrtana? [kīrtana] [end]