19800511 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.21 Sunday Feast

The following is a Sunday feast lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 11, 1980. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 15, Text 21.

Jayapatākā Swami:

Text 21, Chapter 15, Canto 1.

tad vai dhanus ta iṣavaḥ sa ratho hayās te
so ’haṁ rathī nṛpatayo yata ānamanti
sarvaṁ kṣaṇena tad abhūd asad īśa-riktaṁ
bhasman hutaṁ kuhaka-rāddham ivoptam ūṣyām

Translation: (Anuvāda): I have the very same Gāṇḍīva bow (Arjuna is speaking), the same arrows, the same chariot drawn by the same horses, and I use them as the same Arjuna to whom all the kings offered their due respects. But in the absence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, all of them, at a moment’s notice, have become null and void. It is exactly like offering clarified butter on ashes, accumulating money with a magic wand or sowing seeds on barren land.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: As we have discussed more than once, one should not be puffed up by borrowed plumes. All energies and powers are derived from the supreme source, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and they act as long as He desires and cease to function as soon as He withdraws. All electrical energies are received from the powerhouse, and as soon as the powerhouse stops supplying energy, the bulbs are of no use. In a moment’s time such energies can be generated or withdrawn by the supreme will of the Lord. Material civilization without the blessing of the Lord is child’s play only. As long as the parents allow the child to play, it is all right. As soon as the parents withdraw, the child has to stop. Human civilization and all activities thereof must be dovetailed with the supreme blessing of the Lord, and without this blessing all advancement of human civilization is like decoration on a dead body. It is said here that a dead civilization and its activities are something like clarified butter on ashes, the accumulation of money by a magic wand and the sowing of seeds in a barren land.

Jayapatākā Swami: Here we see, Arjuna was the great warrior in Kurukṣetra yuddha. And he defeated so many mahā-rathīs. He was assigned by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to guard the queens. But Kṛṣṇa’s dūta, Viṣṇudūta, came disguised as Gandharva and when they came to take away the queens, Arjuna’s weapons were powerless. Arjuna’s weapons were powerless. In the same way, we should understand that everyone’s power is derived from the Supreme Lord.

Here in the west, we see that there are so many machines. And these machines have made a vast development. But with only machines, is it possible to be happy? Huh? (In Hindi) Kevala yantara dvāra kis kī sukha ho sakta ke? Simply by machines is it possible?

(Aside: In Hindi) My Hindi bahat achā nahī. Thoṭa Thoṭa jāntā hun.

That simply with machines, one is not possible to be happy. We cannot eat nuts and the bolts.

In this regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Founder ācārya, he used to criticize the western disciples. That “You westerners, you are simply attached to machines. You cannot go to sleep without smelling a machine at night. (laughter). That if you have some telephone or some machine, then you can get to sleep, otherwise not.”

And he told the story about one jila, one fisherman, in India. That in previous time, the gṛhasthas, they were habituated to asking if anyone was hungry. And so, one gṛhastha, he went outside and he looked to see if anyone was hungry, he called... He saw one fisherman. He said, “Have you taken your meal? Āp kā khāna ho gaya?” “Nahī!”

So, he brought him inside. Then, he said, “Please leave your basket outside.” (laughter) Basket is smelling too much. So, the fisherman came inside and on the courtyard, he gave him some food. He asked the fisherman, “Do you have any place to sleep tonight? He said, “No.” “It’s alright you sleep here and you leave in the morning.”

“Thank you very much.”

So that night, the fisherman went to sleep. About 1 or 2 in the night, the gṛhastha he had to get up for some nature’s call. And when he saw how the guest is doing, he sees he is tossing and turning. He said, “How you are sleeping?” And his reply that, “My sleep is very disturbed. I cannot get to sleep.”

“Why is this? What is the difficulty?”

And the fisherman said, “The difficulty is I can’t sleep without my basket. I’m used to the smell. (laughter) Without smelling that basket, that fishy smell, I can't get to sleep.” So, then the gṛhastha, “All right so bring in your basket. So, you can go to sleep.” Then he went to sleep soundly.

In the same way, everything has to have a machine in the west. If you brush your teeth, it needs machine. Everything. So, in this way, people have become addicted. Machines are okay. Nothing is wrong with machines, except that if we think that machines our happiness, then we are foolish.

Because every day they are inventing a new machine. But these machines aren't what is going to give us the actual happiness we are seeking. If we use the machine in Kṛṣṇa’s service, or we use the machine in our business and give something to in Kṛṣṇa’s service, that will give us actual spiritual bliss.

Otherwise, just a machine, just like Arjuna, he had his Gāṇḍīva bow, dhanuḥ dhīra. But when he needed them most, their power was finished. We have so many machines. Yesterday, I took a tour of the science museum and there it had a chart, 65 years before all oil finished. That is their prediction. Of course, if there is a war, then it will be finished much quicker. Then the situation will be very critical because all the farming is done in the western country by tractor. And tractor runs on what? On petroleum products.

Of course, in India, still they are using the bullock in most of the places. So now they are considered backward. But if there is a petroleum shortage, then they will be considered very advanced. In fact, you may be thinking, “I am just saying this”, but I have proof. Because I was recently in London and the government was advertising in the newspaper that all farmers who had known how to use horses, they should come and become instructors. And those farmers who wanted to learn how to use horses, they will get paid 100 pounds a week, because they are expecting a huge petroleum crisis.

Previously they had horses for plowing, for carrying the crops. But everyone forgot horses. They are just lying there unused. So now the government is paying people, please learn how to use the horse. You can never tell when the steamers coming with the oil are going to be bombed. When the oil is going to be finished?

I remember reading in the history books that British would criticize the Indian people that “Why you are using only bullocks? You should kill them all off and get tractor.” And now they are paying 100 pounds, “Please learn how to use horse. Save petrol, too expensive.” It is costing there about 4 dollars a gallon, in UK.

So actually, people may misunderstand that I am trying to say or criticize the technological advancement. Actually, that is not my purpose. But my purpose is actually to show that an over-emphasis has created an imbalance. Actually, we see others’ progression.

Originally when the big cities started to build up in India, all the village people were attracted by the high salaries to come from the gānv (village) to the śehara (city). They came from the village to the city to get the bigger salary. But they soon found that the rent was higher, expenses higher. Then they thought, “Well, let me go to the west, then I will get a very big salary.” So, then many of them of course have migrated to the United States, different countries. And many are nicely situated.

So, of course, I heard a story this morning that there was one Indian tourist who travelled all over the world by bicycle. And when he came to Chicago, he had parked his bicycle on the street, and he walked into a store to get some food. When he came out he saw his bicycle, everything was stolen. So, he said that, “Why is this? My mother told me that you don’t have to worry about theft in America. Everyone there is rich, so they won’t steal.” But of course, what happened? Everything he had got stolen.

Everywhere there is some misery, everywhere there is some happiness. May be in some place one thinks that “I am more miserable” and some place one thinks, “I am more happy.” But nobody is only happy and nobody is only miserable. There is always two: śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva (Bg 2.14) sometimes happy, sometimes sad. This is known as what? This is this material nature.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(Bg 7.14)

Kṛṣṇa says, my māyā is very difficult to conquer, very difficult to get out of. But someone who surrenders to Me, easily he can overcome these stringent laws.

So, what we are saying is that have everything... Actually, in this material world nothing is lacking, except one thing; that one thing is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa must be added. Otherwise, everything is vacuum. Without that one ingredient, nothing is full.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(ŚB 1.2.6)

This is how we get that suprasīdati, prasannātmā. (In Hindi) Sab lok to sukh hotha chāee. Everyone wants to be sukhi, happy. But the secret is there we have to add Kṛṣṇa, we have to add Bhagavān to our lives, you see.

If you think, you see… I have one devotee, he comes to our temple in Calcutta and he tells me, “(In Bengali) Amāra ye pari janma, ami america janma korebe pas svarga. Āśirvāda koren.” He said, “Please bless me that in my next birth, I can be born either in America or svarga.” This is his idea – either in heaven or in America. He equates the two. So, I of course discouraged him and said, “You should actually desire to go to Kṛṣṇaloka because you see there is no birth, no death; there is your actual real life.” But he said, “No! No! I have read lot of newspapers, I can understand that between the two places, either America or svarga, these places are the best.” So of course, you know firsthand that “What is the actual situation?”

So Śrīla Prabhupāda, he repeatedly said that “We should see things.” Just like India is technologically not so advanced as say, America, the west. But the west they are basically spiritually blind. They have no spiritual vision.

So, in one case you have a lame man; another case you have a blind man. Aṅdhopāṅga darśana. (In Hindi) Mathlab, aṅdhā pāṅga kho le jāyega. The lame man, he will get on top of the blind man and say, “You go here. You go…” He has good eyes. That actually this western civilization, they have got some capital, but they have no vision, “Where they are going?!” They are using simply to invent newer and newer machines, to do more and more useless things or to build bigger bombs. These are the two main uses.

I’ve been living now in India, ten years. This is my second time which I have left India in ten years. So still, I am having culture shock. I am having culture shock coming here - all the big car and all the machines. They took me to the big shopping mall and so many machines, for what?

They have machine to brush the teeth, machine to cut - just every kind of machine imaginable. But you look at the people and they are unhappy. Their... When the 5 O’clock bell rang, everybody was running to get out, all the employees, because they want to go home.

They just recently took a Gallup poll to the all the Americans: “Do you like your job? Do you like the work you do? Are you satisfied?” 80% said, “No, I don’t. I can’t stand the work I do. I am only doing it for the money.” And 20% of that 10% they didn’t... they wouldn’t say. And 10%, either they were liars or they are crazy. (laughter) So this is the situation.

People are doing but they are not satisfied. Why? Because this is not Kṛṣṇa in their lives, you see. I go in the villages: in UP, in Bihar, in Tamil Nadu, in Orissa, in Bengal, Assam and there you ask the people. They are living a simple life, they don’t have anything. They just have a grass hut, they have a cow, little land. And immediately you see... But you ask them, “Are you happy? You want something?” “No, I am alright.” But then their son, he goes to college and is he happy? “No, I need a watch. I need a terry cotton shirt. I need this, I need that.” He is completely in anxiety. This is the difficulty, they are brainwashed. So actually, it doesn’t make any difference whether you have a watch or don’t have a watch, whether you have Kṛṣṇa, that’s what counts.

Actually, look at Arjuna, he was the ruler of the world. In Hastināpur, there was one government for the whole world, and he was the king and the king’s brother: Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna; they had so much opulence, aiśvarya-pūrṇa. But they didn’t have any difficulty because they had Kṛṣṇa. So, our philosophy is not that one has to give up - whatever you have alright, you got that due to your good works. Now use that in Kṛṣṇa’s service and be happy. This is the secret.

Everyone is asking so many questions. On the radio they are asking questions. In the morning when the birds wake up, pakhi, pakṣi, they are also asking questions. Getting answers. The sports announcer - he is asking questions, getting answer. And the businessman - (In Hindi) kyā lābh? he is asking question. He’s getting his answer. Housewife is asking question, getting answer. Everyone is asking question and getting their answer.

But why no one is satisfied? That is the mystery. “Why no one is satisfied, in spite of all these questions and all the answers?” Because they are not asking the right questions. (In Hindi) “May kaun hūn?” “Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Who is the Supreme Being? What is my relationship with Him?” These questions, no one has time to ask. It doesn’t fit within the TV schedule, you see. So, this question, people should ask. That is the difference between animal life and human life.

(In Hindi) “Dharma, yoga, paśu, samān samān manuṣa”. Dharma and religion and animal life added together equal human life. So, what is human life without dharma? (In Hindi) Kyā hai boliye? Paśu life. It’s animalistic life. So, people who are intelligent, they get sick and tired of animalistic life.

So actually, the Indian culture can give these people direction. Actually, how they can use opulence? No one knows what to do with their opulence. They are spending it on expensive and more expensive cigarettes and getting lung cancer. This is advancement. No one knows how to be happy. How to be happy? One has to be sattvic. He has to be in mode of goodness. If one has his senses controlled, then he has peace. And if he is peace, then he can be happy. And how can one control his senses in this Kali-yuga? It is not possible except by fixing one’s mind by devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Then one automatically gets controlled very easily. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, little bit every day, few moments, offering some bhoga to Kṛṣṇa, taking the prasad.

There is no reason, why every family in every country, around the world can’t get together every night, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa for a short time. There is no reason why not. Of course, there are many bhajanas, there are many kīrtanas that are authorized, we don’t mind. We say “Hare Kṛṣṇa” because this is known as the mahā-mantra.

In the (Kali) Santaraṇa Upaniṣad it says,

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare

iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ
kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanam
nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ
sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate

These sixteen words, they are the medicine for all the ills of the Kali-yuga. They destroy all the kalmaṣa, all the contaminations of this Kali-yuga and they are authorized by all the śāstras, all the scriptures.”

So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is simplified in the Nārada Pāñcarātrika. It describes that, “All the Vedic mantras, all the tantras, everything has been combined into one mantra and that is the eight syllables – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare” You see. This is not a concoction. This is being chanted all over, and actually that it has come to the west has been predicted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu who is the Kali-yuga avatāra of Kṛṣṇa. He predicted “pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma” Which means that in every town and village throughout the world, My name will be spread, My name will be sung. This was predicted 500 years ago and now it is true.

So, we would just like to remind you about the little pastime we sing here – “yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana.” The Yaśodāmayī, one-time Yaśodāmayī went to chastise Kṛṣṇa for eating dirt, and Kṛṣṇa was running away. And finally, after great endeavor, Yaśodāmayī caught Kṛṣṇa, Bāla-gopāla, and she was going to bind Him up by rope. When He is going to bind by rope, when she would take the rope around, she would bring it and it would be do uṅgalī (In Hindi) - two finger short. “What is this?” Then she call, “Give me a longer rope.” Then they bring a longer rope, again she take it, tie around. Again, two fingers short. Very unusual. Then again, she get another rope, a different size, again take it around, two fingers short. So, she was sweating. (In Hindi) Bahud takalīph ho gaya, jithna jāree rassī sab do uṅgalī kam ho jāta hai.

So finally, she simply prayed to Nārāyaṇa in her heart that “You please let me tie Kṛṣṇa, so that He will learn not to do any nonsense. I don’t want Him to get in trouble.” Then finally Kṛṣṇa, He said, “Alright, He let Himself be tied.” So, what do those two fingers stand for? (In Hindi) āp lok jānate hai? Do uṅgalī kam kyā matalab hai?

What do the two fingers short mean? Anyone knows? (laughter). Good guess. One finger means that, “You have to have... the devotee has to be a pure devotee - has to have pure desire simply to please Kṛṣṇa for His benefit.” And other finger short means that, “Kṛṣṇa has to give His permission. He has to give His sweet will.” Without the two things, without the devotee’s desire and without Kṛṣṇa’s desire, it can't succeed.

No one can force the hand over Kṛṣṇa. So Yaśodā, when she had the pure desire and Kṛṣṇa, He said, “Alright.” Then she could tie Him. Otherwise, nobody can tie Kṛṣṇa. So, you can also tie Kṛṣṇa. Lakṣmī is the Goddess of Fortune. Everyone wants Lakṣmī. But Lakṣmī is Cañcalā, she is very, very capricious, very whimsical. She doesn’t stay in one place. But she is always by the side of Nārāyaṇa. So, all good fortune is only there when we have Kṛṣṇa. And what does that take? We can capture Kṛṣṇa if we follow the footsteps of great devotees like Hanumān - a devotee of Rāmacandra, like Yaśodāmayī - the Holy Mother of Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa. We have to follow – “Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ – great devotees and serve the feet of devotees.” Then we can capture Kṛṣṇa, by His sweet will, when He says, “Alright, I am satisfied with your service.”

So, I thank you very much for coming here to this temple of International Society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, this is built for your service, so that you can come here and engage in devotional service. So, your lives can be perfect. So, you can become the greatest yogīs, just like the rāja-ṛṣis. In previous times, kings were ṛṣis. Now in this Kali-yuga, not only rājā but vaiśya, strīlok, śūdra, everyone, what to speak of the kṣatriya and the brāhmaṇas, everyone - all the people, they are to also become ṛṣi, they are also to become holy by serving in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

“Gṛhe thāko, vane thāko, sadā ‘hari’ bole’ ḍāko. Whether one is in the āśrama as a brahmacārī or whether one is in the āśrama his own gṛhe, gṛhastha-āśrama, everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everyone can perfect his life.”

So, we thank everyone for coming here and participating in these functions. And we hope that you will, day by day make advancement and become more and more attached to Kṛṣṇa’s Holy Name and be blessed.

Thank you very much!

Devotees: Jaya! (applause)

Jayapatākā Swami: Are there any questions? (Pause) Kuch praśana hai? (Pause) No questions.

Devotee: I have a question.

Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you.

Question: What really the place where the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas were living in India, (I forgot the name of the place. The capital.) What did it really, they see of the world in those days have to said they were ruling the whole world from there?

Jayapatākā Swami: Yes, it describes that when Yudhiṣṭhira assumed the throne in Hastināpur, he performed the aśvamedha-yajña, the Rājasūya and aśvamedha-yajña. And aśvamedha means that they sent the horse, four horses to four directions. And the countries where these horses went are described, so far as China, Europe, Africa. The description is given there correspond with all the continents. At that time, America was considered to be like a garbage pit. There was not considered anything is civilized. But all the other countries these horses went and all the kings of those places, they accepted Yudhiṣṭhira as the emperor.

This is very clearly stated both in Mahābharata as well as in Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Not only that, but after Yudhiṣṭhira, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he also performed this yajña, and he also maintained this vast power. The dating of that is about 5000 years.

Even today, there are temples in Indonesia, in Thailand, in Cambodia, very big Viṣṇu temples. There are temples even in South America: of Viṣṇu, of Kālī, Durgā. Where did these temples come from? If there was not Vedic civilization? It was a very conscious plot by the British to reduce the stature of Indian history and to bring up Greek, Roman, all these things. But they have no explanation how these mūrtis, how these temples are in different parts of the world. Because if the Indians were too proud of their culture, they could not have been subjugated by the British.

So, in this way, history has been twisted. But actually, the Indian civilization is going back thousands and thousands of years before the Greek and other civilizations. This is also confirmed – Alexander the Great, when he went to India, he found nobody cared for him. And he found very big civilizations. He couldn’t find anyone to fight with. And finally, when they fought with him, he was, as you know, driven back! (Pause) Yes?

Devotee: It is said that in the west, so many crises are there, gas crisis, energy crisis, …potent. When do you think west will be out of all these crises?

Jayapatākā Swami: When they understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then they can actually understand what is the real crisis; that is birth, death, old age and disease. And these crises, they don’t have a clue for. Because they are thinking crisis is how to enjoy more and more. Therefore, there is energy shortage because there is misuse of energy. There is misuse of practically everything that Kṛṣṇa is giving. Therefore, there is crisis. Because as we are exploit Mother Nature, then she starts to stop giving. But as we utilize everything in the Lord’s service, then nature begins to give more and more abundantly.

When Mahārāja Pṛthu came, then he provided the whole world very sumptuously with all the necessities. People are not understanding that ultimately wealth is coming from the food grains and the food grains are coming from rain. And rain is coming from yajña, sacrifice. And nobody is doing any sacrifice to speak of. Therefore, so many difficulties are coming. If people just become a little Kṛṣṇa conscious, just a little bit, little pious, then you can see so many crises go away. But so long as the people are becoming more and more selfish, more and more engrossed in material desire, then they become more and more implicated, and crisis goes on increasing. The more people eat meat, the more they are forced to fight wars. Because they have to pay for the pāpa of killing so many innocent animals, you see.

Devotee: Thank you. How much time it will take do you think?

Jayapatākā Swami: If you help us, you see, then it can go quick. (laughter)

Devotee: If that is so, what is the reason of the crisis in India?

Jayapatākā Swami: Because there is a difference – is that one person who doesn’t know anything, if he goes on, you see, doing mistakes... Say that someone is committing crime but he doesn’t know that it is a crime; he is just a bhoga, doesn’t know he is doing it because he doesn’t know any better -so he will get one sentence. But if somebody knows better and he goes and does it anyway, you see... if one knowingly drinks poison that is worse, than if unknowingly one is drinking.

So, in the western countries they don’t know any better. They don’t know what is life. If you ask them “What is life? I don’t know.” He doesn’t know what life is. Eat, drink and be merry. Get a buck. They don’t know what's life. Some religious person says yes, to die and go to heaven. What is heaven? I don’t know. Who lives there? God. What does He look like? I don’t know. You see, they are very shallow understanding and so they can’t blame them too much. Until they get the opportunity to make it a choice. Then if they refuse it, then it is their misfortune.

But in India, everybody knows, “What is punar janma? What is rebirth?” Everybody knows, who is Bhagavān. Basically, this is taught. In spite of that they are neglecting. They are being misled by so many leaders who are discouraging them. Instead of build up your economy and maintain your dharma standard, they are saying, dharma… this is sectarian state. We can help no dharma, no tax exemption, no help, nothing. Instead, only the minorities, they are getting help. So therefore, because the people know yet they are being led into adharma, therefore, they are forced to suffer more.

In the śāstra, it says that of all the dvīpas of all the continents, one continent is puṇya-bhūmi. Puṇya-bhūmi Bhārata. That is the place for doing puṇya. But if people do pāpa in the puṇya-bhūmi, then it is worse. In other places, it is meant for saṅgha-bhoga, you can enjoy, you see. So, this is the difficulty. Because they know better, but they are committing offences to sādhus. And so many bogus sādhus are also there. So called sādhus who are not really sādhus that people can’t say who is the real sādhu, and who is the so called sādhu. And they get misled. Therefore, situation is critical.

Also, there has been 1200 years of foreign rule. Of course, within the 25 years of independence, it's not improved because the standard ideology is western. That is the difficulty. So, the Indian people, they won’t be happier just with technology. And the western people, they are not happy with just technology. Day by day, they are getting more and more degraded. Now the priest in the church, these homosexuals are becoming priests and making marriage between two men, two women. What is that? That's civilization? This thing unheard of in Vedic culture, practically speaking. So that is the difficulty.