Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.28–29

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [chants verse]

na hy asyānyatamaṁ kiñcid astraṁ pratyavakarśanam jahy astra-teja unnaddham astra-jño hy astra-tejasā [SB 1.7.28]

[03:25]

Translation: "O Arjuna, only another brahmāstra can counteract this weapon. Since you are expert in the military science, subdue this weapon's glare with the power of your own weapon." [break]

sūta uvāca śrutvā bhagavatā proktaṁ phālgunaḥ para-vīra-hā spṛṣṭvāpas taṁ parikramya brāhmaṁ brāhmāstraṁ sandadhe [SB 1.7.29]

[04:36]

Translation: "Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: Hearing this from the Personality of Godhead, Arjuna touched water for purification, and after circumambulating Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa, he cast his brahmāstra weapon to counteract the other one."

Prabhupāda:

na hy asyānyatamaṁ kiñcid astraṁ pratyavakarśanam jahy astra-teja unnaddham astra-jño hy astra-tejasā [SB 1.7.28]

sūta uvāca śrutvā bhagavatā proktaṁ phālgunaḥ para-vīra-hā spṛṣṭvāpas taṁ parikramya brāhmaṁ brāhmāstraṁ sandadhe [SB 1.7.29]

So counteraction. This is military science. Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda, and military science also, one of the part of the Vedas, Dhanur Veda. It is called Dhanur Veda—how to utilize dhanuḥ. Dhanuḥ means bow and arrows. Similarly Āyur Veda. Āyur Veda means medical science, how to protect the āyuḥ, because the body is perishable. So in the Vedic knowledge, everything is there to guide the human society. It is stated in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam [SB 1.1.3]. Nigama means Veda, and that is kalpa-taru. Nigama kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam. It is compared with the tree. What kind of tree? Desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taroḥ. Kalpa-taru. The kalpa-taru can be found in the spiritual world, not in this material world. The spiritual world is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. What is that? Kalpa-taru, cintāmaṅi kalpa-taru. Cintāmaṅi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-taru. In the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana, it is described that the houses, palaces, in that land, spiritual land, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is made of cintāmaṅi, cintāmaṅi kalpa-taru.

cintāmaṅi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-taru surabhīr abhipālayantam lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.29]

So kalpa-taru means whatever you want you can get from that tree. Because everything is spiritual. For example, he can give you... Just like you are a spiritual being, I am also a spiritual being. If I say, "Bring me a glass of water," you'll bring. "Give me some fruit," you'll give me. "Bring this," you'll bring. Because you are spirit soul, you can supply me whatever I want. This is the spiritual idea. Not that I wanted a glass of water, you can supply me a glass of water only. No. If I want other things, you can supply me also. This is an example, crude example.

So when there is no material obstacles, then the spiritual world can be utilized for any purpose. Here, because we are covered with the material body... There are two energies, it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: material energy and spiritual energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg 7.4].

[Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.]

This is material energy. And Kṛṣṅa says apareyam: this is inferior. Aparā. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. There is another, superior energy. What is that superior energy? Living. It is not dead. Jīva-bhūtā mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg 7.5].

[Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.]

Without spiritual energy, this whole universe is useless, anywhere you go. The modern scientists, they are going to—so-called—they are going to this planet, that planet. And they do not find any spiritual energy. They simply see the material energy—sand and rocks. That cannot be. Because... They can bluff, because people are not aware of the whole science. They can bluff. In this material world there are two energies working: material and spiritual. There cannot be only material. There must be spiritual energy. So they say that there is no life, that means there is no spiritual energy. It cannot be accepted. It cannot be. It is out of question. Because here we find jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg 7.5]. There must be living entity who is conducting this material energy. This body is very beautiful, very useful. Why? Because the spiritual energy, the soul, is there. Otherwise, it has no value. So when there is a planet, when there are other things, how it has developed? This is a reasoning. This is sense. Because the material energy cannot develop without spiritual energy. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yaya idaṁ dhāryate jagat. There cannot be anything material without spiritual energy. What is this body? How this body came into existence? Because the spiritual energy, the soul, is there. A dead child born, it will not grow, because the spiritual energy is not there. So it has to be concluded that as soon as there is material, a manifestation of the material energy, there must be spiritual energy. It cannot...

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that this whole cosmic manifestation is combination of material energy and spiritual energy. So therefore in the Vedas... Veda means knowledge, vetti veda vido jñāne. In the Sanskrit verb vid, vid-dhātu. Vid-dhātu means knowledge, "to know." Vetti veda vido jñāne vinte vid vicaraṅa[?]. Labhe vindati vindate. So vid-dhātu. From vid-dhātu the "veda" has come. Veda means knowledge. So from the Vedas you can have all different types of knowledge, namely material knowledge and spiritual knowledge, both, perfectly. Because we have now forgotten our spiritual energy. We do not cultivate spiritual energy. Therefore the Veda is there. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in simple Bengali language, it is said, anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli' gela, ataeva kṛṣṅa veda-purāṅa karila [Cc Madhya 20.117].

[Forgetting Kṛṣṅa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.]

Because these rascals, anādi-bahirmukha, do not know. [bird chirping in background] Just like this bird chirping, but he does not know what he is, wherefrom he is coming, where to go—nothing. That is low-grade life. So we are now forgetful of our spiritual energy, and because we do not know spiritual energy, therefore we have no knowledge of God. This is our position, and it is coming since very, very, very, very long time. Time immemorial. Therefore the Vedas are there. Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli' gela, ataeva kṛṣṅa veda-purāṅa karila.

So we have to utilize the Veda-purāṅa. The Veda-purāṅa is here in India. It is not for India; it is meant for the whole universe. But still, it is available in India. That is India's special position. Indian civilization is not very much interested with the four-wheeled civilization. India is interested in spiritual cultivation, Veda-purāṅa. So this science, as it is mentioned here, unnaddham astra-jñaḥ. So Arjuna was expert in military science, and still, he was a devotee. It is not that only a brāhmaṅa with very clean cloth and clean habit, satya-śaucābhyām... Brāhmaṅa's first qualification is truthfulness and cleanliness, satya-śaucābhyām. This is the first qualification. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.42].

[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṅas work.]

Tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ yamena niyamena vā [SB 6.1.13].

[To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.]

So this is brahminical qualification. But there are others also. A kṣatriya, he is expert in the military science, how to kill. So the killing art is there. You cannot make it null and void by advocating nonviolence. No. That is required. Violence is also a part of the society. Just like here is some itching sensation. This is violence. That is required for the comfort. So similarly, Arjuna was kṣatriya. He knew the art of killing. And still, Kṛṣṅa is... Kṛṣṅa also, He appeared as a kṣatriya in the dynasty of kṣatriyas, Vasudeva, son of Vasudeva. He also knew the art of killing. That is also one of the part of His business. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg 4.7]. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

So vināśa—requires violence.

So we cannot decry violence. That is also required. Kṛṣṅa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā, the science of God, in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We cannot condemn violence. That is not possible. But there is no violence in the spiritual world. That is a fact. Violence is only in the material world. Therefore when Kṛṣṅa desired to fight... Because all desires are coming from Him, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Anything that we have got experience, everything is there in God. Therefore He's God. Not that minus something. Nothing minus. Everything. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Raso vai saḥ. These are the Vedic injunctions. He is the reservoir of all rasa, humor or mellow. So this is also a mellow. Sometimes cruel men, they take pleasure by killing. I've seen it. One hotel man was cutting the throat of one chicken, half-cut, and it was throbbing, jumping. His child was crying because he could not see such horrible scene. And the man, the hotel man, he was laughing and pacifying the child, "Why you are crying? Just see how he's throbbing, how he's jumping." So one subject matter, the rasa is different, humor is different. He's one..., enjoying one rasa, the father, and the child is crying. That is also another rasa.

So the whole world is full of rasa. Ādi-rasa. The sex life is called ādi-rasa. There is bībhatsa-rasa, hāsya-rasa, karuṅa-rasa, mādhurya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, śānta-rasa. There are so many rasas—twelve rasas. Anvaya vyatireka, ādi-rasa. So janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described this ādi from ādi-rasa. Ādi-rasa means the conjugal love. That is called ādi-rasa. So janmādy asya yataḥ. Wherefrom the ādi-rasa comes? The attraction between man and woman, that is a fact. The attraction is there in everywhere. Either human society or animal society or bird society, bee society, the attraction is there. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam [SB 5.5.8]. This whole world is existing on mithunī-bhāva, sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45].

[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṅas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṅas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]

These things are there. So wherefrom it comes, this ādi-rasa? Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described in his comment on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, that Kṛṣṅa is the origin of ādi-rasa, janmādy asya. From there, this ādi-rasa is generated. That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa. So everything is there. Otherwise, imperfectness. So as there is ādi-rasa, Kṛṣṅa is enjoying with the gopīs and Rādhārāṅī, similarly, He enjoys with bībhatsa-rasa, vīra-rasa, killing—killing is also vīra-rasa—because He is the reservoir of all rasas. So janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. So do not think that this violence or fighting is bad. No. Nothing is bad when it is utilized for Kṛṣṅa. And nothing is good when it is utilized for your sense gratification. Everything is bad.

So here Kṛṣṅa ordered that this is brahmāstra. He could not understand that intolerable temperature, heat, and Arjuna inquired, "Wherefrom the heat is coming?" So Kṛṣṅa informed him that "This is due to brahmāstra released by Aśvatthāmā. This rascal does not know how to counteract it." Naivāsau veda saṁhāram. "He does not know." Formerly, in the military science, you have released one kind of arrow, if I am expert, then I can release another arrow which will counteract your arrow. Naivāsau veda saṁhāram. It is called saṁhāram. So Aśvatthāmā released that brahmāstra. Now Kṛṣṅa advised Arjuna that "You release this saṁhārāstra," how to counteract. Unnaddham astra-jñaḥ. Unnaddham: "You know better than him how to counteract." Hi astra-tejasā: "By another..." [break] ...different astras are released by different expert military men. So that science is not yet discovered. By mantra. Just like here it is said that he took water, apaḥ. Spṛṣṭvāpas taṁ parikramya. Apaḥ. Just like we take, oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāsvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. Similarly, mantra and water can be utilized for very, very important purpose. Simply mantra and water. So this is the science. This is called subtle science, not gross. They have discovered this atomic weapon—they require so many chemicals. But when you come to the higher stage, subtle, then mantra and water will do. Nothing more. No more chemicals. Simply mantra and water. That is yet you have to learn.

But these things are there in the Vedas. If you are a serious student of Veda you can also learn, you can also fight like Arjuna. There is no difficulty. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says astra-jñaḥ. Unnaddham astra-jñaḥ. You can also become learned in the higher science of military art. You can also utilize. But that requires brain, good brain. That is not possible now, because the culture is lost. Now everyone is śūdra. Nobody is kṣatriya, nobody is brāhmaṅa. By the time... Kalau śūdra sambhava. The śūdras cannot learn all these Veda. Because śūdras have no right to understand Vedic knowledge. It is meant for the brāhmaṅas, kṣatriyas. Even not for the vaiśyas. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. They are rejected, woman and vaiśya and śūdra. Kṛṣṅa says. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. But Kṛṣṅa says, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "Even woman and śūdra and vaiśyas, low grade, they can also get parāṁ gatim, promotion to the transcendental world." How? Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

If you take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then even these low-grade-born persons, beginning from striya, śūdra, vaiśya, and down, caṅḍālas... Caṅḍālas..., means less than the caṅḍāla. Kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. They are caṅḍālas. Kirāta means the black clan, or the Africans. So they are called kirāta. Hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. Yavanas, khasādaya, Mongolians, without any moustaches. Kirāta-hūṅāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. "Even there are still more low-grade, sinful society," ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, "if he takes the shelter of a pure devotee, śudhyanti, becomes purified." Becomes purified. How? Śudhyanti. Because prabhaviṣṅave namaḥ. Lord Viṣṅu has got so exalted power that through His devotee He can purify anyone, never mind, even one happens to be caṅḍāla, and what to speak of others. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṅāḥ puṅyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg 9.33].

[How much greater then are the brāhmaṅas, the righteous, the devotees and saintly kings who in this temporary miserable world engage in loving service unto Me.]

If they can be delivered, then what to speak those who are brāhmaṅas. Brāhmaṅa means puṅya. Without having background of pious activities, nobody can take birth in rich family, in brāhmaṅa family. Nobody can become highly learned person, nobody can become beautiful. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26].

[My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted, because one who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot address You with sincere feeling.]

They're the action, reaction of puṅya. And just the opposite is pāpa. So everyone—there is no question of pāpī or puṅya—if anyone takes shelter of Kṛṣṅa, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32], it doesn't matter. Everyone can be elevated to the transcendental position of Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So this movement is there. Take advantage of it and elevate your life, and finish the material trouble. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg 8.15].

[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]

It is only simply full of miseries and temporary. This business must be stopped. And 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.]

simply by going back to home, back to Godhead, your all problems of life will be solved.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]