19810918 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.9

(Disclaimer: The following is a machine-generated transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. It will be reviewed and verified against the original audio soon.)

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 18, 1981 – in Miami, USA. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.9.

Hari is.

Nothing. Hare Kṛṣṇa Kisha Kṛṣṇa Hari Hare.

Dam Ki Nabadi Tanki Hari Mahajagoki Harinam Sankitam Sankita Kariki Maharaji Shirajari Dev ki Shanghai Jai Hrinam Shankitan Kariki Shima is my Englishaya Bhatija chaya.

Bhaddeh.

Play at 15.

Omaghanastia Ganana Salakaya Chakshunamilitang Namaste Sara satire Pashati Manobistangam Namo Mahabharana Kṛṣṇaya Kṛṣṇa Chaitan Manamni Gora Trisha Namonama he Kṛṣṇa Karuna Gobigaganta Danamastute Taptana Gorangi Rathe Brindhaboneshabanushuta Devī Pranami Hari Priya oṁ Nama Jaisi Kisha Bino Hari Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hari Hari Ramo Hari Ramo Ramo Hari Oṁ Namo Bhagavate Namo Bhāgavata Sudebaya Nārāyaṇato Jayamadi Mugakurotiba Chalang Pangulangayate Śrī Guru.

Deva Devae Patek Nanyang Pasi Yatram Ritu.

Parasparam Bahi Pahi Mohayogin.

Devade Jagat Pate Nanyang Tata.

Parasparami Jubarasa.

With the Deva Jagat Nanyam Pashi Naya.

Gutar Watcha Protect protect, protect. Mahayogin the great mystic Deva Deva the worshipable of the worshipped of the worship jagat pate o Lord of the universe.

Nah nah nyam.

Anyone else then you abhayam fearlessness. Do I see yātrā where there is mitu death paras param in the world of duality report by his divine grace the Ac Bhaktivedanka Swami Prabhupāda this material world is the world of duality. In contrast with the oneness of the absolute realm, the world of duality is composed of matter and spirit, whereas the absolute world is complete spirit without any.

Tinge of the material quality.

In the dual world, everyone is falsely trying to become the master of the world. Whereas in the absolute world, the Lord is the absolute lord and all others are his absolute servitors. In the world of duality, everyone is envious of all others and death is inevitable due to that dual existence of matter and spirit. The Lord is the only shelter of fearlessness for the surrendered soul. One cannot save himself from the cruel hands of death in the material world without having surrendered himself at the lotus feet of the Lord Uttara, the widow of the son of Arjuna, was approaching the protector of the Pandavas, Goan, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, because Maharaj Parikshit in her womb was being threatened or attacked by a Brahmastra weapon, the Pandavas were completely surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa. They completely depended upon Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa took especial care of them.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, here in the purport, he very clearly explains that the Lord is equal to everyone. He takes care of everyone, but that devotee who completely depends upon him, he takes a special care, just like a father takes care of all the children, but the little children, a child who completely depends upon the father, naturally he takes a special attention. So here is the secret for our success, that we should be so simple, like a little child, simply depending upon Kṛṣṇa. Although this statement may appear very simple, but actually we can see that this is one of the great secrets of devotional service, one of the great mysteries, because by that simple attitude of faith and dependence, along with that dependence means one is having faith. You can’t depend on someone unless you have faith in them.

So that dependence means that they have complete faith in Kṛṣṇa. And because they have complete faith in Kṛṣṇa never lets him down, he always protects them. Sometimes those devotees who are going out and preaching in the field, they want to know how to increase their preaching effectiveness or how they can become more Kṛṣṇa conscious in their service. Here we see the secret is given by Uttara Devī, as explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda. That is, to completely depend upon Kṛṣṇa, not that we depend on our false ego, or we depend upon some apparent material ability. The real quality is to depend upon Kṛṣṇa to reach the heart. Every person we speak to in this material world, Kṛṣṇa is there in the heart. Why, even the people we speak to, he’s even in the heart of the snakes, of the animals, of the birds, of every creature.

When Haridas Thakur was sitting in the cave, the guha at Phulia, just by the side of the Ganges in Nadia district, and the devotees would come to visit him, there was a big snake there, and they were always very frightened about this snake, because going for a darshan, when you have a snake, not ordinary snake, but a mayan eating python about 20, 30ft long, just while you’re having darshan, there on the one side there’s a python. So naturally one could get a bit nervous under such a situation. So this was the exact position of those devotees, the Brahmanas, who are coming to see Haridas Thakur. So they requested him that dont stay here, its a bit dangerous place. He said theres nothing to worry about but they were always feeling a bit nervous.

So one day he decided, let me go out so that these people coming may not be disturbed. As soon as he decided to leave that cave, the snake got up and left. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa was in his heart didn’t want his devotee to go through the difficulty of leaving, he just told the snake, go on out. Generally, Kṛṣṇa doesn’t interfere but sometimes to please a devotee then Kṛṣṇa takes some special care. When Haridas Thakur was being beaten in 21 marketplaces by those demons Lord Caitanya revealed to Haridas Thakur during his mahā Prakash Leela that I personally came there with my Sudarshan chakra to cut off their heads. But when you were wishing them all good, you were wishing them all benediction. How could I cut off their heads? So instead, Lord Caitanya took the beatings from those demons.

So similarly, when the devotee is preaching and he’s meeting a person, Kṛṣṇa, in that person’s heart by the blessings, by the good will, by the complete dependence and surrender of that devotee, that person’s heart can be touched by Kṛṣṇa and the special mercy and for the preacher to feel that it is Kṛṣṇa’s mercy only that someone’s heart was touched is the real understanding free from all type of dangers of illusion. We can see how his mother Uttara was completely sinless how she was completely unassuming she simply wanted to take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa doesn’t turn away surrendered souls in this material world as someone wants to surrender, there’s ever the chance that the person will not accept that service because it does not suit his interest.

Therefore, there are so many deserted partners from marriage there are so many lost lovers, so many unemployed people because everything, even the so called love of this material world is on a business level. But the relationship between the devotee and Kṛṣṇa is on the level of kaprima, on the level of pure love and affection for Kṛṣṇa he doesn’t refuse the service of a pure devotee someone who is simply giving that service to please Kṛṣṇa. Hari Das Thakur was asked by one lady devotee that what is the best way of chanting? There are different opinions. Some say chant loudly. Some say chant softly. Some say chant mentally what is the best way?

So Haridas Thakur revealed that the best way of chanting is loudly that loud chanting is hundred times more effective than soft chanting because by loud chanting so many other living entities are benefited by hearing the hari naam, hearing the hare Kṛṣṇa, mahā mantra, animals, birds, bees, even microorganisms, they all benefited so by serving others, by bringing them closer to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is especially merciful, and one gets forgiven for offenses. When one gets forgiven for offenses, the path of devotional service becomes very easy, and one advances most quickly. Therefore, loud chanting is more effective. Similarly, from this, we can understand that service which is bringing more people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that service which is bringing more people into the service of Kṛṣṇa, frees one from offenses. And that’s why it is more effective.

It is more purifying if one dedicates his life for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, for establishing the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the world than by broadcasting that message. Just like loud chanting, by loud broadcasting, one is getting purified offenses. That means that one is chanting, and one’s devotional service will get a special shelter by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It will be more effective. So we should take these very secret and wonderful lessons to heart. If one wants to make a special advancement very quick, return back to the spiritual perfectional platform, then we need to take all the advantages that are at our, that are available. So this loud broadcasting of the harinam preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is how we can advance more efficiently, more rapidly.

Sometimes devotees think, first, let me read a lot or do a lot of preliminary work, then I will begin my preaching career. But after we have a basic understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, actually, it’s the preaching which makes us more purified quicker, because it’s not a scholastic exercise that we understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, all these big scholars that read the different books, they’d all be, you see, realized souls. But in spite of reading the books of Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Kṛṣṇa, they don’t understand, because Kṛṣṇa keeps himself covered by Yoga Māyā, except to his devotee. Except for the devotee, no one can know him. So therefore, simply by scholastic endeavor, or by other type of external endeavor, because of so many subtle offenses that we are liable to commit, this will not be as effective.

It will be much slower than engaging ourselves in actively distributing the mercy of Lord Nithai Gore. Why the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement has expanded so quickly because the devotees have become purified. Purity is our force, and preaching is the essence. Because they preach, therefore, that helps their purity internally. But here we can see the danger. If we lose our dependence on Kṛṣṇa, then naturally Kṛṣṇa, he will not protect us to that same extent. Because we are not asking always in our heart of heart for that protection. We are thinking that I know how to do, I am very expert. Then what happens is we miss out from Lord Caitanyas mercy so very intensively. We have to maintain always our complete dependence and faith on Kṛṣṇa.

In this material world, to be dependent on somewhat means to be weak, because ultimately anyone in this material world can let us down, because theyre all subject to the influence of the senses. No matter how faithful a wife, how faithful a husband, how faithful a friend. When it comes to the attachment to the senses and different allurements of the senses, there is every possibility of fall down and other considerations are forgotten.

(Side B of the Cassette)

Fall subject, they fall prey to the senses when different allurement comes or they become angry. Even Lord Brahma was running after his daughter at one point. So these senses are so strong that if we depend on another conditioned soul in this material world naturally will be let down sooner or later. Therefore, it’s a weakness but to depend on Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is never under the influence of this material world, he is always transcendental. This was even accepted by Shankaracharya because see, Kṛṣṇa has a transcendental form which is above the contact of this material world. Kṛṣṇa Surjoshama, Māyā, Hoyana, Jaha Kṛṣṇa Taha, Māyā, Nahi, Adhikar Kṛṣṇa is like the sun and nescience is like darkness. Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, there’s no nations darkness cannot stand before the light of Kṛṣṇa.

Last night it was pitch black because there were rain clouds in the sky but as soon as the sun started to come, even before it came there was illumination. Similarly, for the devotee who is preaching, the devotee who is dedicating and depending on Kṛṣṇa, even before Kṛṣṇa is fully visible just like the sun rising in the east, already the sky becomes illuminated, already that person’s consciousness becomes illuminated and becomes inspired with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda very proudly would tell the people india how the christian priests were commenting that your boys and girls of your hare Kṛṣṇa movement their faces are very bright. How do they get this effulgence or brightness in their face?

He was very proud of that because even they may not have all realized Kṛṣṇa directly or may not have realized Kṛṣṇa face to face but even in the preliminary stages as Kṛṣṇa is coming closer to the devotee who is depending on him, already there is illumination, already the light is taking away the darkness and one can see things as they are. Who is happy in this material world or who is not happy?

Therefore, those who say that one should spend so much time studying or so much time preparing after one has a basic understanding, basic preparation there’s no need to wait until one becomes fully Kṛṣṇa realized, then one should preach, no, because we have so many offenses we need to preach as soon as we’re strong enough to do so to get rid of those offenses that will bring us close to Kṛṣṇa, that will attract Kṛṣṇa to us because we depend on him why Kṛṣṇa was immediately attracted when Uttara ran up and said, pahi mahayogi deva jagatpath no one else except for you no one else is there to protect me except for you and not even that she wants her own protection but she’s praying for the protection of the embryo in her womb.

Similarly, the devotee praying for deliverance of the foolish people who may show some little attraction for Kṛṣṇa, they’re stopping, they’re hearing, they are showing some attraction. Yesterday in the Miami airport, were sitting down and there, right next to us, there was 167 year old lady who was reading the science of self realization in Spanish, very much absorbed in RLA Prabhupāda’s literature, very enlightening to the heart to see how the people, they like Śrīla Prabhupāda as the richer. That means that they’re having some attachment, some attraction to Kṛṣṇa. And the devotee praying to Kṛṣṇa for their deliverance, praying for their mercy, depending on Kṛṣṇa, those who are a little bit attached, naturally they will be able to get the mercy. So this is a perfect platform to attract Kṛṣṇa to us.

Śrīla Prabhupāda said, do not try to see Kṛṣṇa act in such a way that Kṛṣṇa will want to see you. So in this way, just as she was crying to Kṛṣṇa for protecting the embryo dependent, this whole world is dependent on the preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There’s no other hope. Who else is preaching pure God consciousness in this world? In the western world, there’s not even a trace, there’s not even a resemblance. So therefore, that means that these people who are just like in the Bhagavad Gītā describes one of the stages is like womb, embryo in the womb that’s considered to be very covered up. The other is like fire in the smoke, fire covered by smoke. So there may be some people who are like fire covered by smoke. But the animals, they are considered like the embryo covered by the womb.

So practically, we can see that in the western countries, many of the people, they are completely absorbed. Although human beings, they fit the description of bhakti, Vinod Thakur and other great saints, they are animals without horns and without tail. They don’t have any spiritual concept at all. They are simply acting on the basis of the senses. So even if they are at this stage, they’re an embryo covered by the womb. Then the devotee, out of compassion, this uttara, out of compassion for her embryo and her womb can see that there’s no other person to help. And Brahmastra, the deadly weapon of death, is approaching them very soon, much sooner than they expect. It may only be moments away.

Therefore, the devotee is praying to give these souls the mercy because nitāi go are so merciful, they want papi, tapi, jatochi, Lord Harina, Wudharilo, every fallen soul to get this mercy. Therefore, they hear these sincere prayers, and therefore people take these transliteratures, and they are benefited. The preacher is benefited. He is being forgiven by so many offenses. He is attracting Kṛṣṇa. He is learning to depend on Kṛṣṇa. He is being purified, and the person is being actually saved. He is being saved from that indestructible hand of death simply by even reading one word in a transcendental literature. So the prophet explained that begins one spiritual life. Each word describes in the Bhāgavatam. The JAnaDAgA biblio is like a revolution in the sinful life of the people.

Even if they read one word, that is the beginning, that has begun their connection with Kṛṣṇa, that has given them the first spiritual step. Then again, they will be inclined to read more, to do some more service, to have some more contact, gradually build up their spiritual bank, balance their spiritual credits. When they have enough Sukriti, then they will be eligible also to engage directly in pure devotional service. For Kṛṣṇa, it is simply a matter of time. The more intensely that one can engage, the more rapidly one can reach pure devotional service. But there has to be a beginning somewhere that someone is coming to movement and is distributing. The mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu means that he has got some special mercy in previous lives or in this life from devotees of the Lord.

What a greater, more wonderful engagement than to give that same mercy to others? Begin or help their spiritual life along? The more mercy they get in that way, as long as it’s given in such a way that they’re not inimical, they don’t become resentful of getting that mercy. Then they make a pure advancement without any inebriation, any inebriety. So we can take a very nice instruction from this feeling. Compassion, like Uttara felt, compassion for embryo for the people in this material world who are covered like an embryo in the womb with so many materialistic desires. But somehow or another, if their mind becomes attracted to Kṛṣṇa or engage in Kṛṣṇa service, hearing, remembering, chanting, these are all services to Kṛṣṇa. When they read that sakirtana, it’s also a śravaṇa, a hearing, a chanting.

And when they try to understand, when they remember that this all part of remembering, in this way they’re engaging different services. By engaging in these nine practices of devotional service, they become connected with Kṛṣṇa. Then they are further purified as friends of Kṛṣṇa, as devotees, as preachers. This way all good fortune is achieved. Yesterday we read that the witch Māyā, practically speaking ghostly, haunts the materialist therefore, they’re very nervous. But when someone who is haunted by this witch Māyā meets a pure saint, pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa who is representing Kṛṣṇa for the purpose of delivering fallen souls. And when that empowered devotee speaks Kṛṣṇa consciousness sings various songs that drives away that witch Māyā and frees that person from the illusion. Therefore, it is essential that devotees give their association to the innocent people and free them from the clutches of Māyā.

Without that association, without hearing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without getting the transcendental literatures which give that same association, then they are always running away from Kṛṣṇa. And as long as they are running away from Kṛṣṇa keeping their face away from Kṛṣṇa being under the clutches of Māyā, then Māyā kicks them. Kṛṣṇa, Buli, Saiji, banadi, bahi muk autoi māyā, tar dai sang, saradi duk they’re given the miseries of this material world. They’re being kicked. Ultimately, they’re being killed. So be compassionate. Help the fallen souls. Take responsibility because no one else is taking responsibility. It was a desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that everyone should get this mercy. Therefore, it is the devotees who have to take the compassion. Uttara. She should have simply joined her husband in the fire. But she’s protecting her womb, her embryo, her baby. Because that responsibility, there’s no one else to do it.

She must do it. Even others. She would rather join her husband and jump into the fire. Similarly, the spiritual master may be present or may not be present. But the fallen souls who are in this ignorant dependent situation depended only on the devotees to give them spiritual knowledge. There’s no one else to give it to them. Even though they’d like to simply go with their spiritual master, they know that it is their responsibility to take care of the dependents, bring them up to spiritual knowledge and then, in due course, when they also can take the responsibility when they become advanced, then one will also join the spiritual master. Until that time, one has to take that compassion and that responsibility.

So we can see here in this Śloka many correlations between our situation and how we should be dedicated to giving the mercy of Caitani Mahāprabhu to taking this responsibility. Even there might be something we’d like to do better. Even though we’re feeling some separation from our spiritual master. Still this responsibility is far more dear to the spiritual master and it is our duty to perform it. Even though it may seem an impossible task. Just like it was impossible for a simple woman to defend herself against an atomic weapon which was sent against her to kill her embryo. Similarly, Māyā sent so many different types of high powered weapons to bring the materialistic mind away from Kṛṣṇa. But when the devotee is purely depending on Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu then Lord Caitanya sends. Just like Kṛṣṇa sends the Sudarshan chakra, he sends his mercy.

And that mercy protects the conditioned soul against Māyā. Because of the intervention and the prayers of the pure devotees who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness glories to the mercy of Sikrishta. Chaitanya. Prabhunity. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare. Hare haray. Ram hari Ram. Ram. Ram. Are there any questions? Yes. The lack of hearing just by going out to become enthusiastic. Lack of understanding. Uttara, why? She was enthusiastic to protect her child. She knew that this was her responsibility. She saw the connection between her and the child. The child was given to her by the husband. It was her ward she had responsible. Because a devotee is not focused on the responsibility given by the spiritual master is somehow absorbed in some kind of selfish, materialistic consciousness or just due to ignorance has become put in that type of a selfish consciousness.

Selfish means not the real self interest but the interest of simply the body and mind due to some misplaced sentiments. If one actually sees the connection that the spiritual master has given us these fallen souls to deliver, he has given them. They’re our ward. Otherwise, we could simply go with the spiritual master. Or if the spiritual master is not present, we could commit suicide and leave our body. Why live in this world without our spiritual master? Or why be somewhere without him? We can just go wherever he is. We have another responsibility and we should see that these fallen souls are dependent upon us. If we have that compassion, if we see that connection, then how can we help but be enthusiastic to go and preach up to our full capacity when we don’t see that connection?

If you want liberation, if we want mystic power, if we want sense gratification to go to heavenly planets then why work so hard? We just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, do some service. Somehow or another, if we can simply stick it out till we leave this body then we’re guaranteed to get either heavenly planets or to get Vaikuṇṭha, get some liberation. If somehow or another we can stick it out, we will get back to Godhead. So instead of actually taking up the responsibility given by the spiritual master we’re just more or less waiting for some liberation from the present miserable condition. Therefore, that resolute determination, that pure devotion is not coming. That’s why liberation has been said to be an obstacle in the path of devotional service. This desire for liberation.

If we simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, to serve our spiritual master and how the determination to distribute his mercy cannot come. It must come. It’s only when our desires are not focused properly, when we’re becoming distracted by Bhukti muktiha. And therefore we become disturbed in our mind. Kṛṣṇa bhakta Niskam Otoyev Shanto because the devotee doesn’t have the Kṛṣṇa devotee doesn’t have any ulteriore. Lust is simply trying to give out the mercy. Taking the responsibility that was given by Caitani Mahāprabhu through the Guru paramparā. Therefore he is peaceful. But the others, those desiring Mukti bhukti, siddhi kami, liberation, sense gratification or mystic power. Theyre all unhappy, theyre all disturbed in their mind. And a disturbed person is very difficult for him to preach for a short time. One can do it.

So the solution is to purify our consciousness, to become situated in a mood of pure devotion that will attract Kṛṣṇa, that will bring us to the goal. Could you follow any other questions?