New York City, 1973 - SB. 2.1.1 - Part 5 - (DVD 13)

SUBTITLES FOR SP11-01-SB 2.1.1 NY 73

[00:46]om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

[01:15]variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa atmavit-sammatah pumsam srotavyadisu yah parah [Bhag. 2.1.1]

[02:25]srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [Bhag. 2.1.2]

[03:11]So Pariksit Maharaja questioned. So Sukadeva Gosvami… “What is my duty?

[03:23]Now I am going to die within seven days, what is my duty?”

[03:30]So he enquired about Krsna because Pariksit Maharaja, born in a Vaisnava family,

[03:46]Arjuna’s grandson… Pandavas, they are Vaisnavas and devotee of Krsna,

[03:54]so from the childhood he had the opportunity to worship Krsna.

[04:01]He was playing with Krsna Deity, so naturally he was inclined to hear about Krsna.

[04:11]So he enquired, “What is my duty? Shall I simply hear about Krsna, or something else?”

[04:20]So on hearing this question, Sukadeva Gosvami is congratulating,

[04:30]variyan esa te prasnah: [Bhag. 2.1.1] “Oh, your question is very wonderful, very welcome,

[04:40]variyan.” Variyan means “very welcome,” what I have given, variyan. “Glorious, yes.

[04:56]Glorious prasnah, because you have enquired about Krsna.”

[05:02]So variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa: “My dear king, this question

[05:17]is all-auspicious for all the people of the world.” If you simply enquire about Krsna or hear

[05:31]about Krsna, even though we do not understand, but that vibration of Krsna… Just like

[05:39]we are chanting “Hare Krsna,” we may not understand what is meaning of Hare Krsna,

[05:46]but still, because it is transcendental sound, it is auspicious. Wherever you chant Hare Krsna,

[05:55]they may hear or they may not hear, it is auspicious for them. So we are sending our men for

[06:08]street sankirtana. It doesn’t matter whether people are eager to hear it or not, but it is auspicious.

[06:17]It will create an atmosphere which is very, very congenial to the human society.

[06:25]That should be our principle. Not that because we are chanting, nobody is taking care,

[06:33]we shall not be disappointed. Our, this sankirtana movement is so nice that simply by chanting,

[06:46]the vibration will create an auspicious atmosphere, variyan esa te prasnah [Bhag. 2.1.1].

[06:54]Now you can practically see, those who are old members… So I began in this New York

[07:06]in that storefront simply by chanting. So I did not bribe you American boys and girls to come

[07:18]after me. This is the only asset was chanting. That in Tompkinson square park, this Brahmananda

[07:26]Swami he first came to dance in my chant. (laughter) He and Acyutananda, that was the first

[07:34]dancing of our Krsna conscious movement. (laughter) Yes. And I had no mrdangas.

[07:42]That was a, what is that?

[07:46]drum.

[07:48]Drum, little drum. So I was chanting Hare Krsna for from two to five, three hours, and so many boys

[07:58]and girls were coming and joining, and there was first photograph in the Times, New York Times,

[08:07]they appreciated, and people also appreciated. So this chanting, the beginning was only chanting.

[08:16]There was no, nothing more. At that time there was no program of prasada distribution.

[08:24]That, later on it came. So we should always be confident that this chanting is not a vibration

[08:39]of this material world. This is not vibration of material world. Narottama dasa Thakura says,

[08:46]golokera prema-dhana hari-nama-sankirtana. It is imported from the spiritual world.

[08:55]It is completely spiritual. Otherwise how it is possible? Sometimes the so-called yogis,

[09:04]they say that chanting… In Bombay there is a so-called rascal, he says, “The chanting of Hare

[09:12]Krsna mantra and chanting of Coca-cola is the same.” He is such a rascal. He does not know

[09:21]that this is not a vibration of this material world. But one who has no knowledge,

[09:28]they think that “What is the meaning of this chant, ‘Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna’?”

[09:33]But they can practically see that we can go on chanting day and night, still we shall not become

[09:43]tired, but any other material name you take, after chanting three times you will feel tired.

[09:51]That is the proof. You can go on chanting day and night, you will never feel tired.

[10:01]So these people, poor people, they have (no) brain to understand.

[10:06]Anyway, the chanting is so auspicious, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given His

[10:18]benediction, ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].

[10:25]We are suffering in this material world because we are not cleansed of our understanding

[10:37]or of our heart. The heart is not cleansed. So this chanting will help us to cleanse the heart.

[10:47]srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana kirtanah

[10:52]hrdy antah stho abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam [Bhag. 1.2.17]

[10:56]Chanting is so nice that as soon as you take to chanting, or hear about Krsna-

[11:03]the chanting is also hearing about Krsna-so immediately the cleansing process begins,

[11:13]ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as soon as our heart is cleansed,

[11:18]bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, then we become free from the blazing fire of

[11:26]this material existence. So chanting is so auspicious, therefore Pariksit Maharaja here,

[11:36]Sukadeva Gosvami says, variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa [Bhag. 2.1.1].

[11:44]In another place also, Sukadeva Gosva…, Suta, Suta Gosvami says, yat krtah krsna-samprasno

[11:55]yayatma suprasidati. When the great saintly persons in the Naimisaranya enquired about

[12:04]Krsna, he replied like that. Yat krtah krsna-samprasnah: “Because you have enquired about

[12:12]Krsna, it will cleanse your heart, yenatma suprasidati. You will feel a very transcendental bliss,

[12:23]comfort, within your heart.”

[12:25]So variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam [Bhag. 2.1.1]. Loka-hitam. Actually our, this movement

[12:35]is the prime welfare activities to the human society, loka-hitam. It is not a business. Business

[12:47]means my hitam, my benefit only. It is not. It is Krsna’s business. Krsna’s business means

[12:56]Krsna is for everyone; therefore Krsna’s business is meant for everyone. We therefore welcome

[13:04]everyone. There is no distinction. “Come here and chant,” loka-hitam. And a sadhu, a saintly

[13:13]person should always think of loka-hitam. That is the difference between sadhu and ordinary

[13:23]man. Ordinary man, he thinks only of himself, or expanded himself, for family,

[13:35]for community, for society, for nation. These are all expanded selfishness. Expanded.

[13:46]When I am alone, I am thinking of my benefit only. When I am little grown up,

[13:52]I think of my brothers and sisters, and when I am little advanced, I think of my family.

[13:58]Little advanced, I think of my community. Little advanced, I think of my country, my nation.

[14:06]Or I can think of the whole human society, internationally. But Krsna is so big that Krsna

[14:20]includes everyone. Not only human society, animal society, bird society, beast society,

[14:27]tree society-everything. Krsna says, aham bija-pradah pita: “I am the seed-giving father of

[14:36]all these forms.” There are 8,400,000 different kinds of forms. Krsna claims “They, all of them,

[14:49]are My part and parcel living entities, but they are now covered by different dress only.

[14:57]But they are living entities.” This is Krsna consciousness vision.

[15:02]Therefore one who is actual Krsna conscious, pandita, panditah sama-darsinah… [Bg. 5.18].

[15:10]Panditah, he does not see the outward dress; he sees the living entity encased in this

[15:20]particular type of body. So he has no concern with the body. Therefore a sadhu always

[15:28]thinks of everyone’s benefit. Just like Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami. Of the Gosvamis

[15:38]it is said, lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau. Because they were benefactor for all

[15:50]kinds of living entity, therefore they were honored tri-bhuvane, in three worlds. Tri-bhuvane.

[15:59]Lokanam hita-karinau. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau. A sadhu’s business is for the

[16:08]benefit of all living entities. A sadhu does not like to cut even a tree, because he knows,

[16:19]“Here is a living entity. He is standing here for many years by his karma, and he has to

[16:30]continue this for many years more. So he cannot avoid this because it is nature’s law.”

[16:37]Just like if you are put into prison for six months, nobody can save you, nobody can make

[16:46]you less, one day less than six months. So we get our particular type of body, we have to

[16:56]remain in that body for a certain period by the laws of nature. So by cutting the body-

[17:05]the living entity does not die-but because we check the continuation of his period,

[17:14]therefore we become sinful. You cannot cut even a tree without Krsna’s purpose.

[17:22]Without Krsna’s purpose we cannot kill even an ant, we cannot cut even a tree,

[17:30]then we shall be liable to punishment. So a sadhu sees that “Here is also a living entity.”

[17:41]Panditah sama… vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini suni caiva sva-pake ca

[17:49]panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]

[17:51]Pandita does not make any discrimination that “Here is an animal, here is a man.” No, he sees,

[17:58]“The animal is also part and parcel of Krsna. He has got a different body, and the man also,

[18:07]he is also a part and parcel of Krsna, he has got a different body. Karmana, according

[18:15]to one’s karma, he is put into different type.” So loka-hitam.

[18:21]Now, this krsna-samprasnah, the question and answer about Krsna, if we simply hear,

[18:33] that is recommendation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir.

[18:41]You remain (in) your position, but you try to hear about Krsna. That is recommended.

[18:52]Simply you come in this temple and try to hear about Krsna, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van.

[19:02]That will purify. Krsna-kirtana, Krsna’s name is so powerful, simply if you hear “Krsna, Krsna,

[19:13]Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,” you become purified. You become purified. Therefore it is said, variyan

[19:20]esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa, atmavit-sammatah [Bhag. 2.1.1]. Atmavit.

[19:28]It is not that I am only eulogizing. Atmavit-sammatah. All great personalities who is self-realized,

[19:40]atmavit. Atmavit means one who knows atma. General people, they do not know atma.

[19:51]But atmavit means one who knows atma, aham brahmasmi, “I am spirit soul, I am not this body,”

[19:59]and one who is well-acquainted about this atma-tattva. So unless one becomes aware of this

[20:09]atma-tattva, whatever he is doing, he is being defeated. They are seeing… Generally people,

[20:19]they are thinking that “I am now constructing this big skyscraper building. I am successful.

[20:27]I have become Rothschild, I have become Ford.” That is not atma-vit. Atma-vit… Because

[20:39]he is materially opulent, that does not mean atma-vit. That’s a subject matter that will be

[20:46]discussed in the next verse, apasyatam atma-tattvam [Bhag. 2.1.2]. One who cannot see his atma:

[20:55]grhesu grha-medhinam. They are compact in this materialistic way of life, grhesu grha-medhinam.

[21:03]Their condition is very… Actually this is the position of the whole world. They are not atma-vit.

[21:12]They do not enquire atma-tattvam; therefore they are less intelligent. In the airport I say that we,

[21:23]our propaganda is to make people more intelligent. They might not have taken it very nicely.

[21:32]They thought that “This poor swami has come to make us intelligent.” But actually that is

[21:40]the fact. That is the fact. This is not intelligence, that, bodily concept of life, “I spoil my whole

[21:51]life for bodily comforts, and then after giving up this body, I become a cat and dog.”

[21:58]Then what is that intelligence? Is that very good intelligence? Actually it has happened.

[22:04]I do not wish to discuss. Our Godbrother, Sridhara Maharaja, says… He was speaking

[22:11]from a paper that one of our great politician, very, in India, he has now become a dog in Sweden.

[22:21]It is published. There were enquiries about some prominent men in India, and he has answered,

[22:34]and one of the answer is, “Such-and-such politician, he is now one of the two dogs of a

[22:41]gentleman in Sweden.” You see. So this time, in this life I may become very big man, or

[22:55]big politician, big diplomat, big businessman, but next life, after your death, it is your big,

[23:05]your greatness of this material will not help you. That will depend on your work, and nature

[23:13]will offer you a certain type of body, you’ll have to accept. Of course you will forget.

[23:20]That is the concession given by nature. Just like we do not remember what we had been in our past life.

[23:29]If I remember that suppose I was a king in my past life, now I have become a dog,

[23:41]then how much suffering it will be. Therefore by nature’s law one forgets.

[23:49]And death means this forgetfulness. Death means this forgetfulness.

[23:55]So this is a great science. People do not know it. Our Krsna consciousness movement is very scientific,

[24:04]authorized, so our business is to enlighten people as far as possible, and at the same time

[24:14]we must remain enlightened. We may not be again covered by the darkness of maya.

[24:21]That we should be… That you can keep yourself very fit not to be covered by the maya.

[26:35]Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. If you very strictly adhere to the

[24:39]principle of Krsna consciousness, then maya will not be able to touch you.

[24:44]That is the only remedy. Otherwise maya is always looking after the opportunity, loophole,

[24:52]how she can capture you again. But if you remain strictly in Krsna consciousness,

[24:59]maya will not be able to do anything. Mam eva ye prapadyante. Daivi hy esa guna-mayi

[25:07]mama maya duratyaya. It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of maya. It is very difficult.

[25:14]But Krsna says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] if one is strictly

[25:24]adhering to the lotus feet of Krsna, always… Therefore our, this program is twenty-four hours

[25:32]thinking of Krsna. Satatam. Satatam cintayo krsna. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. These are the

[25:44]recommended. So if we simply think of Krsna… If you cannot do anything, simply think of Him.

[25:50]That is the highest meditational perfection. So always chant Hare Krsna mantra,

[26:04]be in touch with Krsna in so many ways, then you are secure. Maya will not be able to touch you.

[26:15]And if we can somehow or other pass our days and at the time of death we remember Krsna,

[26:24]then the whole life is successful.

[26:26]Thank you very much. (end)