19801027 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.12 in South America

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 27th, 1980 in South America. The class begins with the reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto Two, Chapter One, Text Twelve and comes with Spanish Translation.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.12

kiṁ pramattasya bahubhiḥ
parokṣair hāyanair iha
varaṁ muhūrtaṁ viditaṁ
ghaṭate śreyase yataḥ

Translation: What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.

Purport: Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructed Mahārāja Parīkṣit about the importance of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord by every progressive gentleman. In order to encourage the King, who had only seven remaining days of life, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī asserted that there is no use in living hundreds of years without any knowledge of the problems of life — better to live for a moment with full consciousness of the supreme interest to be fulfilled. The supreme interest of life is eternal, with full knowledge and bliss. Those who are bewildered by the external features of the material world and are engaged in the animal propensities of the eat-drink-and-be-merry type of life are simply wasting their lives by the unseen passing away of valuable years. We should know in perfect consciousness that human life is bestowed upon the conditioned soul to achieve spiritual success, and the easiest possible procedure to attain this end is to chant the holy name of the Lord. In the previous verse, we have discussed this point to a certain extent, and we may further be enlightened on the different types of offenses committed unto the feet of the holy name. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhu has quoted many passages from authentic scriptures and has ably supported the statements in the matter of offenses at the feet of the holy name. From Viṣṇu-yāmala Tantra, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has proven that one can be liberated from the effects of all sins simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Quoting from the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Śrī Gosvāmījī says that one should neither blaspheme the devotee of the Lord nor indulge in hearing others who are engaged in belittling a devotee of the Lord. A devotee should try to restrict the vilifier by cutting out his tongue, and being unable to do so, one should commit suicide rather than hear the blaspheming of the devotee of the Lord. The conclusion is that one should neither hear nor allow vilification of a devotee of the Lord. As far as distinguishing the Lord is holy name from the names of the demigods, the revealed scriptures disclose (Bg. 10.41) that all extraordinarily powerful beings are but parts and parcels of the supreme energetic, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Except for the Lord Himself, everyone is subordinate; no one is independent of the Lord. Since no one is more powerful than or equal to the energy of the Supreme Lord, no one is name can be as powerful as that of the Lord. By chanting the Lord is holy name, one can derive all the stipulated energy synchronized from all sources. Therefore, one should not equalize the supreme holy name of the Lord with any other name. Brahmā, Śiva or any other powerful god can never be equal to the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. The powerful holy name of the Lord can certainly deliver one from sinful effects, but one who desires to utilize this transcendental potency of the holy name of the Lord in one is sinister activities is the most degraded person in the world. Such persons are never excused by the Lord or by any agent of the Lord. One should, therefore, utilize one is life in glorifying the Lord by all means, without any offense. Such activity of life, even for a moment, is never to be compared to a prolonged life of ignorance, like the lives of the tree and other living entities who may live for thousands of years without prosecuting spiritual advancement.

* * *

Jayapatākā Swami: Here, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is glorifying the great opportunity that Parīkṣit Mahārāja had, that he has seven days in which to be fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is only seven days left in his life. But he is stating that better to have a short time in Kṛṣṇa consciousness rather than a long life which is just wasted in material activity. So, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unlimitedly more important than any other than any material activity. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it says that if one thinks that chanting the holy name is equal to doing ten million aśvamedha-yajñas, ten million. That means he is a complete atheist, a rascal number one. The holy name is Kṛṣṇa and has unlimited potency. It is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. Any material activity, even great sacrifices which are material are nothing compared, or not at all to be compared with the holy name which is transcendental.

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda explained at the time when he was giving initiation that how it was very joyful. No, it was a joy, very joyful because by remaining in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, the initiated disciples would go back to Godhead. Parīkṣit Mahārāja had seven days, so, he was fortunate. He knew when he was going to die, he could concentrate all his energy in Kṛṣṇa for those seven days. We are not so fortunate to know when we are going to leave this body. Could be even one hour, one day, one year, 10 years, 100 years. We do not know. We have to be prepared all our life so that whenever death comes, we are prepared like Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

What if we are doing some material activity and during that moment we die? then very unfortunate situation. So, the devotees they keep themselves occupied twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if you have a glass of milk. Milk is pure. But, if the snake touches the milk, even one drop of poison. You want to take that milk? It is only one drop of poison, whole glass of milk, very good. (laughter) So, to hear from the avaiṣṇavas on spiritual matter, it is considered like drinking milk with poison in it. Anything that is done that is not authorized by the bona-fide scriptures is considered a disturbance. These are all different verses in the Vedas,

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam
śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ
[Padma Purāṇa]

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate
[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101]

So, here Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he is giving Parīkṣit Mahārāja the pure Kṛṣṇa Consciousness without adulteration. So, Parīkṣit Mahārāja drinking that nectar of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his success is assured. Prabhupāda explained that how a devotee needs to always be engaged in continuous Kṛṣṇa consciousness to be fully successful. For instance, in the First Canto of Bhāgavatam, it is mentioned about pure devotional service as the highest goal of human life,

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
[SB 1.2.6]

So, ahaituky means without motive, without any material motive, but just to please the Lord; apratihatā means unbroken. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that, just like if someone is drinking water, it is like an unbroken flow of water, and if it is broken and it may spill all over. We need unbroken devotional service. Then it is considered that we are fixed and pure devotional service. We are doing devotional service but every so often there is a break, that is a great disturbance in our spiritual progress. Devotional service, to be fully satisfying, it has to be unbroken. Otherwise, if we interrupt the devotional service, we would not be spiritually satisfied. Just like in the beginning of the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, we did not have such a high standard for accepting new devotees.

I remember in Montreal, there was a person wanted to become a bhakta, but he was still smoking, in Montreal, in Canada. So, then Prabhupāda said, “You have to give it up in eight days. So, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One. One cigarette a day and then finish. So, we had a fire escape. So, during the day he did go out on a fire escape and take his cigarettes until he was finally had to give it up. Finally, had to give it up. Nobody thought that this was pure devotional service but a very neophyte person, but just to help him, some concession was being made in order to let him come up to the full standard. Then of course, in ISKCON, gradually the actual standard of brāhminical life was established in the temple, in the centers.

And so then we would not take the new bhaktas unless they were already capable of following all the principles. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he stressed this unbroken devotional service, then we can remain on the transcendental platform. Maybe somebody is practicing devotional service 23 hours and 55 minutes. But every day for five minutes. If he is smoking or doing some māyā, then that devotional service will not be fully satisfying to the self. That is why devotional service is special amongst all the yoga. Because one practices it twenty-four hours a day – whole life. The bhakti-yogīs are respected even by the demigods in higher planets. But to be a Vaiṣṇava, then is a very great thing. We want to achieve the full consciousness and then maintain it. So one thing of course, is to avoid breaking our devotional service with any material activity.

The other point brought up here by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī is no offense meant against the Vaiṣṇavas. The offenses against the Vaiṣṇavas are so serious that not only the person who commits the offense, not only the persons, who hear or witness the offense but all the people even living in the area. They all have to who are not at all connected. They all have to suffer reactions.

You know, heard the story how the Rāmacandra Khān had offered a bribe to a prostitute to make Haridāsa Ṭhākura fall down? For a thousand, thousand gold or silver coins. Silver. Thousand silver coins, those days they were very valuable. So, but she became a Vaiṣṇava instead. She was chanting ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’. Rāmacandra Khān he was very frustrated. He committed one offense to Vaiṣṇava Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Of course, he may have criticized Haridāsa Ṭhākura many times but one time when Lord Nityānanda came to his village. Lord Nityānanda was great by material standard, He is a great brāhmaṇa, so many prominent followers. So, Rāmacandra Khān being a Hindu landlord should have offered all respect to Lord Nityānanda. Landlord means like, he was like a lord in a feudal system. But he would not allow Nityānanda to come in his house. Instead, he said, “Let Him sit outside where we sacrifice the goats to Kālī.” And had Him sit on the place where they do once in a year – Durgā-pūjā. Like that, he made many offenses to Lord Nityānanda. When Lord Nityānanda left, he took cow dung, and he wiped the ground where He was sitting because he considered that Nityānanda had made it so contaminated. Nityānanda told him that, made a declaration that for all his offenses he is definitely going to have to suffer.

So then one Mohammedan lord who was against him. He came and attacked his village, looted all the houses in the whole village, burned them down, looted his house, molested his women, and forced him to eat cow-meat and become a Muslim. What is the race? [Aside: Race means cow in Spanish] So, Prabhupāda explained that because of his offenses, his whole family, even the whole village, they all had to suffer. So, it is so dangerous to commit Vaiṣṇava offenses.

Actually, one of the previous ācāryas said that we can even… if we give up our life trying to protect the Vaiṣṇava, that is glorious. That, so what does this mean? That we should not offend Vaiṣṇava. There are many other offenses to the holy name, ten offenses. All of these offenses we should avoid. In the purport, the condensed commentary on avoiding offenses is given. We can see that Rāmacandra Khān, he was lying about the devotees. He was very offensive to the devotees in so many ways. Tried to do many things which were destroying the good, destroying or even I mean just directly mistreating Nityānanda Prabhu Himself, sending prostitutes to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So many offenses.

Of course, Lord Caitanya did not take it in offense when a devotee… when Lord Caitanya was hearing a devotee chanting, He would not take offense. Lord Caitanya did not take it as an offense when He was listening to a devotee chant, and He was going to embrace the devotee. But then one of His disciples said, “Lord Caitanya! Don’t do it. That is a woman. It is a woman who is chanting.” Lord Caitanya was in such ecstasy He did not even consider this is a man or woman chanting. He was only hearing the soul chanting in pure devotion. So, Lord Caitanya said, “Ah! You saved Me!”, it would be a disaster otherwise if people saw a sannyāsī embracing a woman, very depreciating. (laughter) For trying to help someone from some type of spiritual degradation or mistake, That is considered a constructive criticism. Lord Caitanya didn’t take offense generally for something like that. We should also remember however that we have Deities now in the temple, we have to be careful to avoid sevā-aparādhas. So many offenses mentioned in Nectar of Devotion and other books to the Deity. These offenses are not as serious as offenses to the holy name. In the sense that one could get forgiven for those offenses by chanting the holy name. But that does not mean we should not avoid committing those offenses also.

So just like wearing shoes in the temple, shouting loudly in front of the Deities material shouts, arguments. So many other points. So also, for the Prabhupāda said that in the temple, if the brāhmaṇa break principles, it is also a great offense and the whole temple becomes contaminated. And sometimes Prabhupāda would make us bathe the Deities in milk to purify the temple from offense committed by a brāhmaṇa. Especially if someone is worshipping the Deity at the same time, they are not strictly following, this can affect the devotee. Someone is cooking and they are not following. Then you also get their mentality goes into the food. Of course, what to speak of if you want to eat the food of a karmī, cooked by karmī. Lord Caitanya said,

viṣayīra anna khāile malina haya mana
[Cc. Antya 6.728]

Lord Caitanya has said that. If you eat the food of people who are, you know, absorbed in material enjoyment. Then your own mind becomes affected or contaminated.

In fact, Prabhupāda gave an example that in the Mahābhārata, Draupadī, she was insulted in the capital of the Empire of the world, which was dedicated to preserving Vedic culture in the world and the empire... So how could this type of uncivilized activity go on? And why did not Bhīṣma or Droṇācārya object? When Draupadī said, appealed to them that, “Please look what they are doing?” How can you allow them? Duḥśāsana was trying to strip her naked, right in front of everyone and she cried out, “Grandfather Bhīṣma, Droṇācārya, How can you allow this?” They did not say anything. This is like great sages that became… They could not understand. How is it possible that they did not object? So, Vyāsadeva Himself explained there because they were eating food from Droṇācārya, who was a non-devotee. Excuse me, from Duryodhana, who was a non-devotee, who is a non-devotee. Their consciousness had become contaminated.

So, at that moment they could not… because of contaminated consciousness, they could not give the proper... make their proper decision. We can see that how it is important to keep ourselves in a spiritual consciousness – eating kṛṣna-prasāda, regularly chanting and hearing, serving, becoming fixed in an unbroken devotional service. So, we can always make the correct decision, if we can stay in full consciousness always. That is why this is actually a yoga. It is a triumph of remaining in full consciousness. Kṛṣṇa said, that is why he said first of all, in the Bhagavad-gītā Twelfth Chapter, “Simply think of Me in pure consciousness. If you cannot do that, then follow regular principles of devotional service. And by doing that you will remain in pure consciousness.” If you cannot do that, then you work for Kṛṣṇa and offer the fruits of your labor like this, He gave different alternatives in the level of their importance.

If someone cannot fully follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then they should work for Kṛṣṇa. They should follow as far as they can. But for those who are initiated, for those who are dedicated to going back home, back to Godhead, then they should fully follow the process unbroken, without material motive.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Different connections… So esoteric, that I cannot reveal it (laughter) that someone could study. This mentions about creation and different steps. There are many steps mentioned in the Bhāgavatam. A lot of the things in the Bible are symbolic or allegories, someone can study if any connection. But, there seems to be a lot of connection with the Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit and falling into sense gratification. In the whole garden, you can eat all the fruit except for the forbidden fruit. One can have the whole world for using in Kṛṣṇa’s service, but if you want to enjoy the world, not use it for Kṛṣṇa’s service, then you fall down from the spiritual platform.

Everything we do has to be for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa has expressed through sādhu, śāstra and guru. Do something which will… First of all, Lord Caitanya was asked who is the Vaiṣṇava? He said, “Anybody that chants ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’ is a Vaiṣṇava. Some people who chant, they do not follow regular principles. So, they are to be considered neophytes that intimately, one does not associate with them, eat their food, things like that. But then someone who is a Vaiṣṇava, is initiated, is strictly following. They are called as ‘Prabhu’. The first stage, you offer respect in your heart, where they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. The second stage, you offer them obeisances by bowing down to them. Then at a third stage, we accept the spiritual master and you surrender your life to that.

Offense is something which is we do not want to commit to any Vaiṣṇava. We do not want to obstruct any Vaiṣṇava in their spiritual progress. Say that there is a new bhakta or a friend of Kṛṣṇa that comes to the temple. And some older devotee, thinks that, “I am a great older devotee. This is a neophyte. New person, does not know anything.” Then says, “You stupid, you nonsense. Why?” You know, just. starts like criticizing this new bhakta, you know, completely. This friend of Kṛṣṇa completely fries out a new devotee, then leaves the temple and never comes back. So that older devotee is the cause of his spiritual frustration and destruction. He can fall down from his position by committing an offense even against the Vaiṣṇava, it mentions in eleventh or twelfth Canto of Bhāgavatam, so it has to be something. No? Maybe my example was not hard enough. It has to be something really, you know, offensive.

Offensive means it is not constructive. It is not true. It is done with a motive of not helping a person. Not with the idea of helping the person. Nityānanda Prabhu didn’t do anything to him but Rāmacandra Khān was so offensive to Him, also against Haridāsa Ṭhākura saying, “Oh, Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He must be falling down with so many women. He is a bogus sādhu. I am sending a prostitute to show that he will fall down. The third day we will go there, and we will see him having relation with this woman.” The third day they went up there to see, to find Haridāsa Ṭhākura with the prostitute. Instead, she is shaved up with a white sārī, chanting japa. (laughter) She became like a... Like a nun type, you know, like widow just chanting the nāma, Rāmacandra Khān saw that, he was shocked, but still he wouldn’t give up even a bit and was offensive.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam kī Jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda kī Jaya!

Devotees: Śrīla Ācāryapāda kī Jaya!