19820427 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.21.9-23

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The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 27, 1982 – in Śrī Māyāpur, India. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.21.9-23.

When the demonic followers of Maharaj of Bali saw that their master, who had been determined in performing sacrifice, had lost all his possessions to Vamanadeva, who had taken them away on the plea of begging three paces of land, they were very angry and spoke as follows. When the demonic followers of Maharaj Bali saw that their master, who had been determined in performing sacrifice, had lost all his possessions to Vamyanadeva, who had taken them away on the plea of begging three paces of land, they were very angry and spoke as follows. Translation this V is certainly not a Brāhmaṇa. This Vāmana this Vahman is certainly not a Brāhmaṇa, but the best of cheaters, Lord Vishnu, assuming the form of a Brāhmaṇa, he has covered his own form and thus he is working for the interest of the demigods.

This Brāhmaṇa is certainly not a Brāhmaṇa, the best of cheaters, Lord Vishnu, assuming the form of a Brāhmaṇa, he has covered his own form. He has covered his own form and thus he is working for the interest of the demigods. Text 11 translation O our Lord Bali Mahārāja, because of his position Our Lord Bali Mahārāja, because of his position in performing the Yagya, has given up the power to punish. Taking advantage of this, our eternal enemy Vishnu, dressed in the form of a Brahman chadi beggar, has taken away all his possessions. Our Lord Bali Mahārāja, because of his position in performing the Yagya, in performing the Yagya, has given up the power to punish.

Taking advantage of this, our eternal enemy Vishnu, dressed in the form of a Brahmachari beggar, dressed in the form of a Brahmachary beggar, has taken away all of his possessions. Has taken away all of his possessions. Let me just read through without repetition. Text 12 translation Our Lord Bali Maharaj is always fixed in truthfulness, and this is especially so at present since he has been initiated into performing a sacrifice. He is always kind and merciful toward the Brahmanas and he cannot at any time speak lies. Therefore it is our duty to kill this Vamanadeva, Lord Vishnu. It is our religious principle and the way to serve our master. After making this decision and demanding, followers of Mahārāja Bali took up their various weapons with a view of killing Vamanadeva. Text 14 Tesarave Sula Pati Sapnaya Anichanto Valerjan Padravan Jata Manyava Translation O King.

The demons, aggravated by their usual anger, took their lances and tridents in hand and against the will of Bali Maharaj, they pushed forward to kill Lord Vamanadeva. Tan abhijavato ditijani kapanipa prahasyanuchara Vishnu Pratya shedham, O King. When the associates of Lord Vishnu saw the soldiers of the demons coming forward in violence, they smiled. Taking up their weapons, they forbade the demons to continue their attempt. Jayanta Sutadevascha pushpadantotvata Sarave nagayuta pranas jam te jagnorasurim Translation Nandasunanda Jaya Vijaya Prabhala Bala Kumuda Kumuraksha, Vishwakshena, Patatri Rat Garuḍa, Jayanta, Sutadeva, Pushpadanta and Satvata were all associates of Lord Vishnu. They were as powerful as 10,000 elephants. And now they began killing the soldiers of the demons. Hanyaman Svakan Vishwa purusha nucharai Bali varaya masang rabdan kabya sapam.

When Bali Maharaj saw that his own soldiers were being killed by the associates of Lord Vishnu, he remembered the curse of Sukaracharya and forbade his soldiers to continue fighting. O Viprachitti, O Rahu, O Nemi. Please hear my words. Don’t fight. Stop immediately. For the present time is not in our favor. O Deity. By human efforts no one can supersede the supreme personality of Godhead who can bring happiness and distress to all living entities. Yo no Bhavayo pragashit abhavaya devakasham saiva bhagavanadya vartate. The supreme time factor which represents the supreme Person was previously in our favor and not in the favor of the demigods. But now that same time factor is against us. Baleena satchivair buddhya durgayer mantra divi samadhi verupayas up.

No one can surpass a time representation of the supreme personality of Godhead by material power, by the Council of Ministers, by intelligence, by diplomacy, by fortresses, by mystic mantras, by drugs, by herbs or by any other means. Text 23 Bhavad Bir Nirjita Yeti bahusho nucharahare daive nardhyvadya yudhi jitvanadantina. Previously being empowered by providence, who defeated a great number of such followers of Lord Vishnu. But today those same followers, having defeated us, are roaring in jubilation like lions. Translation with repetition. Previously being empowered by providence, you defeated a great number of such followers of Lord Vishnu. But today those same followers, having defeated us, are roaring in jubilation like Lions purport. Bhagavad Gītā mentions five causes of defeat or victory. Of these five daiva, providence is the most powerful.

Nacha Daivat Parang Balam Bali Mahārāja knew the secret of how he had formerly been victorious because Providence was in his favor. Now since that same providence was not in his favor, there was no possibility of his victory. Thus, very intelligently he forbade his associates to fight. Thus end the purport by his divine grace. Bhaktived. So today we’re reading the history of Bali Maharaj post capture era. How the demons had defeated the demigods because the will of Providence was on their side is well documented. Now we see that the time has changed. So Bali Maharaj was intelligent enough to see that when the time is against you, there is no use in wasting time and trying to fruitlessly preserve a lost position. This understanding of how time is working is something which modern man could well use.

Unless one is able to get on the good side of Providence, there’s no hope. If the American people think that always the good providence will be on their side just due to some birthright, then they are foolish. Similarly, if any other people think that way, they are foolish. There is a secret for keeping providence as one side. The one secret Bali Maharaj, how he got good providence on his side was by performing Vishnu Bhakti, by performing Vishnu Yagya, rather sacrifice to Vishnu. By performing sacrifice to Vishnu, he was able to succeed.

If there’s any secret for the American nation’s success, I would assume that secret must be the religious fervor and austerity and sacrifice which the forefathers had originally performed in the United States when forming this country and worshipping in churches, which was why they originally had prayers in every church, in every school, and why even on the money today it says in God we trust. As the people become more materialistic and think that there’s no reason to do sacrifice to God, then Providence will turn on them as it has in any other great kingdom or great empire or great nation in the past. Providence does not stay with one for long. However, we see here that the demigods lost one time. Even the demons were able to win when they performed the sacrifice to Vishnu to Kṛṣṇa.

But actually the devotees that were mentioned here, the personal army of Vishnu who are not demigods, they are personal associates of Vishnu. Nanda Sunanda Jaya Vijaya Prabhalabala Kumar Kamuraksha Vishwakshena and Patatri Rat Jayanta Suttadeva Pushpadant Vedānta And Satvata, they are the personal army of Vishnu. You have heard of Jayavijaya before. These are all very great devotees. In the temples of Ramanuja, who worships Nārāyaṇa and Mahavishnu. You will find deities of all these soldiers of Vishnu. Especially Vishwakshena, Garuḍa, Jay Vijay and other gatekeepers. They’re all glorified in these temples. Vishakshaina, they say, is the commander in chief. There’s seven gateways, so the outer gate and the second, third, fourth like that. There’s the different gates. So depending on which gate they’re at, there’s two for each. And they have name like Jai Bijai, Bala Subala, like that type.

So these associates, of course they’re simply serving Vishnu for his pleasure. Therefore they don’t lose. When they enter into the fight, then it means it’s already over. But we see that Indra, even he sometimes loses. Because although Indra is an associate, he also is an associate of Vishnu. He’s a devotee of Vishnu with material desires, while these others basically are not. Someone with material desires is always subject to forget his position in relation to Vishnu. And if that happens, just as Indra committed a great offense against his spiritual master, then one time even Indra became a pig. Sometimes Indra gets defeated. Sometimes different things happen. Because when someone is enjoying this material energy, the material energy has a way of intoxicating one, making one forget his relation with Kṛṣṇa and making one neglect the devotional service to Vishnu.

And thus if someone else does, like Bali Maharaj did great sacrifice, then he developed more sukriti, he developed more pious strength. These great warriors in the battlefield of Kurukshetra or the Ramayan, it was not simply physical prowess. It’s not physically possible for someone to have the strength of 10,000 elephants. 16 year old boys would go on the battlefield and fight against you. Why they would perform huge tapasya, these Kshatriyas. Arjuna stood on his. On his. I believe it was on his toes also. Just like Hiranyakashipu for a similar. Not exactly the same. I believe he stood one leg or something. It was a very difficult penance, meditation to worship Lord Shiva to get from him some special weapons. The Katrias would do special penances and get special divinely empowered weapons, missiles, chariots, all different kinds of equipment, plus even mystic powers and divine blessings.

This was the way the Kshatriyas, they would come veritably armed with all type of supernatural powers and supernatural weapons into these wars. That’s why you could see like Abhimanu, a 16 year old boy, he could fight with so many Maharatis and different. And they could fight ordinarily just ordinary foot soldiers. Thousands and thousands they could fight against Akshahini. So it was dependent upon not only their military training which was also part but even the military training was based upon controlling airs, knowing mantras. They were able to control so many subtle factors of their body in this way these Maharathis and ati Rattis and Rattis were able to fight against hundreds, thousands and even tens of thousands of people depending on their. It wasn’t only that they just were Bruce Lees or something. They learned karate.

They were actually accomplished type of yoga practice for developing these powers. And thus they had willpower over matter. They had developed certain mystic power. These weapons were imbibed with various type of mystic power. And this way their fighting was highly technical and highly empowered. They got the blessings of Kṛṣṇa or of demigods. And this way they were able to fight and become invincible. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He got the blessing that he couldn’t be killed by day or by night, by land or in the sea. Ravana, he had some blessing like that he couldn’t be killed by any demigod or by any demigod, by any demon, any animal. No man. Man is insignificant. He didn’t think that to ask that a man couldn’t kill him. He was too puffed up. So he said any demigod and any demon.

And maybe I think that was all he was worried about. So he never said man. So Rāma, he appeared as a man, Kṛṣṇa appeared as Rāma and that was his pastime as a man. Kṛṣṇa is his pastime as the supreme personality of Godhead. And Rāma is his pastime as a man. Vāmana is his pastime as a Brāhmaṇa. Matsya is his pastime as a fish. Vraha is his pastime as a boar. Kurma is his pastime as a tortoise. In each species he comes. So his pastime as a human was Ram. So that’s why he only accepted one wife. He didn’t himself do so many. Just like Kṛṣṇa expanded 16,000 times to enter into his palaces and then a million times to dance with the Gopīs. And Kṛṣṇa did. You won’t find as many apart from floating the rocks and a few things.

Generally Ramachandra, he played the role as if he were a human being so that he could get through the loophole in Ravana’s benediction to kill Ravana but of course, actually he was Kṛṣṇa come as a human being, as Ramachandra. He was the perfect king. And also the monkeys, because they were animals. So monkeys and humans were fighting against Ravana. Of course, other than Ravana, the other Rakshas and others, they didn’t have any protection anyway. That’s the point is that this Indrajit and these other men with Ravana, other great Rakshas. They were also worshiping and doing pūjā for Durga Kali. Different to get certain powers so that they could fight. This was the natural way that these warriors would get superpowers to be able to fight. Otherwise you can be two times or three times or five times.

Or even maybe 10 times more than another person. How can you be. Even in Calcutta, they have special guards at the jute mills who are. Jute mills are like big factories that they produce. They take the jute and make carpets and things like that. So I went. I went to one jute mill. And they had 12,000 employees. Working three shifts, 24 hours a day. So then I went there. And then the personnel manager introduced me to all the guards. Who were all from other states. And the point about the guards, he said, this guard, he can take on six men. This one can take on 10. This one can take on 15. And this one can take on 25. They’re strike busters. If the laborers try to do a strike. Then one of these guys can take on so many.

Accordingly, they were being paid. But I think 20 or 25 was the maximum that they could boast of. That was 25. Apparently the guy was pretty wild. So anyway, dovetailing and material service, the propensity of fighting. But we can see that, you know, how a person can be as powerful as 10,000 men. Or 10,000 elephant like it was. Of course, these katrias were huge and massive. And had so much strength. But physically, at the same time, the actual superiority they would gain by. They would actually perform austerities, sacrifices. So whether they were demons or whether they were devotees, the katrias they were. It’s one of the rules that katrias are supposed to worship demigods. The devotees, katrias, they worship demigods as parts of Vishnu. Especially the kings, just to establish the society. In the past, they used to maintain that type of worship.

It was allowed. But they would worship Kṛṣṇa or Vishnu. And the supreme position and the demons, they generally wouldn’t worship Vishnu. Bali Maharaj, being a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, was an exception. He worshipped Vishnu. Thus it was more easy for him to Defeat Indra. The thing is that without the blessings of Kṛṣṇa, without providence one side, then it’s not possible all to succeed. One may have a good streak for 100 years or 1,000 years. It’s known in history, as far as we can know, that there were so many big empires when they became hedonistic, when they became materialistic, they all decayed, they all fell apart. You know how the Romans were eating and then vomiting and again eating again and doing all kind of things. And any civilization that becomes very materialistic, they fall apart.

So in the same way, the cultures that are on this world today. If they just become materialistic and lose touch with the spiritual purpose of life, then they will fall apart. And somebody thinks that educating the people in the values of spiritual life is a waste of time. Those people are very foolish. Because it’s the only thing which is going to protect the human civilization on this planet. Otherwise the civilizations fall as they have always fallen in the past. And people like to say that history repeats itself. Then why can’t they understand that unless there’s a spiritual rejuvenation. That today these big countries, especially like America, they’re going to fall because of becoming more and more materialistic. Unless the people turn around and become spiritualized. So when the time is against one, then it’s useless to make a big offensive.

That’s another moral of this thing, is that if time is against you, then you should rather gather your strength and dig in, so to speak. To make an offensive, one has to have some reserve strength. And another person is very strong. And it’s like the moth going into the fire. So similarly, at different times, one has to be able to read what is the present situation and when is the time to dig in and when is the time to expand. When is the time to make a strong offensive? Just like Śrīla Prabhupāda said, if someone prematurely thinks to enter into some kind of an offensive action. Then the stronger party can destroy that person. So one has to be able to understand when is the proper time and make accordingly the offensive move. Or conversely, the defensive move.

So at this time, Bali Maharaj could correctly understand the time is against me and these fools. Why are they attacking Vishnu? You cannot defeat Vishnu. Vishnu’s materialistic associates like Indra. We may defeat them because they’re very puffed up. And if they make mistake, we can defeat them. That’s possible. But we can’t defeat Vishnu himself. So he’s calling off his men, Bali Maharaj, as the king of the demons. He is taking his material duty being a king of the demons. And he’s fulfilling that as the king of the demons. He’s supposed to fight against the demigods. All right, so he fought against him. Now he lost. So now he’s telling not to fight. But actually at heart, he’s a devotee.

But if he didn’t take the role of being the king of the demons if he didn’t fight against the demigods, if he didn’t do then he would no longer be the king of the demons. He couldn’t have any authority. So he had to take that particular role which was his birthright. And in that role now we can see that in the future it’s Vishnu’s plan that you’re a devotee. You’re the king of the demons. Now you will engage the demons in the sacrifice of Vishnu. You will engage the demons in devotional service. Even the demons can be engaged as devotees of Vishnu. Vishnu is actually impartial. But the demons, they think that the supreme lord is favoring the demigods. Actually, the lord favors the demigods in material affairs. Because in material affairs, the demigods confirm. The demigods support Vishnu’s plan. But.

And the demi and the demons, they always oppose Vishnu’s plan in the material affairs for their own sense gratification. The demigods, they want sense gratification, but they want it at the same time. They respect and accept the supremacy of Vishnu. Well, the demons, they don’t accept that anyone is supreme. They are basically like Mayavadis. They think that no one ultimately is supreme. Vishnu is also somehow another not supreme. This is their misconception. There’s no supreme God. Ultimately, there’s simply laws of nature or some kind of evolution or something. Vishnu Bemita on the top of the ladder. But they can also become Vishnu one day in the future. Something like that. This is the basic idea of the demons. Much like we find today that people think that there’s no God. God is dead, that we will become immortal and we can become all powerful.

The demonic civilization has a similar idea today. So in this world, Prabhupāda said there’s always imans. There’s a demigods and the demons and the demigods. They’re the bad and the good. They’re always opposed against each other. But actually Kṛṣṇa is neutral. He’s actually not on either side. But for material affairs, if the demigods, they ask him to help, so he will help them. And as a general rule the demons, they won’t ask Kṛṣṇa to help because they don’t have faith in Kṛṣṇa. So he doesn’t help. But actually he’s neutral. And in spiritual matters, whether a person is a demigod or a demon by birthright or by nature. If the person surrenders to the Lord, he will give him shelter to. Just like Bali Maharaj was ultimately given shelter. Prahlad and so many others, Chitraketu.

When he took birth again as a demon, then we could see that how as a demon, what’s his name is that demon, Vishwa, Vitasur, Vikasur. That he was preaching pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness to Indra. While Indra was concerned about maintaining his material position as the king of Heaven. Vitrasur was simply trying to do his duty, which was he was conjured up as the enemy of. As Indra’s enemy or whatever. And he wanted to actually go back to Godhead. And he understood that was the real purpose of life, was to develop pure shelter of Kṛṣṇa. So in this way we see a strange situation where the good and the bad are opposed to each other in the long run. Providence always stands with those, even materialists, who are actually of the demigod nature, who believe in God and who perform sacrifice to God.

But if they neglect God, if they neglect to worship and follow religious principles, they become more materialistic. They start acting just like the demons. Then the demons, who are generally just a shade less powerful than the demigods, then they get the upper hand. Kṛṣṇa allows that happen so that the demigods get reminded again that they have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. So we’re seeing the scene set where although still they haven’t taken off the coins in God We Trust in America. But people more and more becoming dependent upon their money, upon their strength. And so as a result, we hear how the dangers in so many fronts are increasing. But they still can’t see the writing on the wall. Unless they actually depend and simply surrender to God, to Kṛṣṇa, that they won’t stand it.

That they will have to suffer great losses at the hands of demons in order to bring them around again to understand that without the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, there’s no shelter at all. This material shelter is just like a sand castle that can fall at any moment. So actually, the devotees, they’re completely neutral. The devotees are completely neutral. It appears that devotees are demigods. But actually the devotees are simply personal agents of Kṛṣṇa. They’re neither the agents for the good guys or the agents for the bad guys. They’re willing to help Good guys and bad guys, anyone become Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. The demons, they thought, oh, these are the enemies. This is the enemy Vishnu and his personal associates. And so if they attack Vishnu, naturally then the devotees, they also defend Kṛṣṇa and they kill demons who attack. Generally the devotees won’t attack Vishnu.

It’s just the demons that attack. Even in a society of demigods, someone may be influenced by demonic mentality. So we can see that these similar things happen even today in the world. We should not identify with the demigods nor should we misidentify with the demons. We shouldn’t identify with either the demigods or the demons. We should identify with Kṛṣṇa. We should identify with the devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, with being Kṛṣṇa’s personal agent, personal servant. This is our program. So that’s why for the devotee, it doesn’t make a lot of difference what happens in the world. Of course, a devotee wants that demigods should win if the demigods will establish actual God consciousness in the world. But if the demigods become overcome by demonic mentality, then it’s very hard to differentiate.

But in general, the devotees want to see the rule of God consciousness in the world. Therefore they work to that end wherever or however it can be achieved. So in that regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote so many different articles Kṛṣṇa conscious communism. He also wrote articles on America’s heritage. That in any way that Kṛṣṇa consciousness could be established, that God consciousness could be established, that we’re willing to advise any group whether they’re apparently demigods, apparently demonstrated that ultimately if they become devotees, then they become greater even than the demigods, they become sadhus. But of course, generally speaking, the demigods are the ones who accept God consciousness. And even though it’s offered to demons, by the very nature of their mentality, they fail to accept it and thus they lose. But the devotees are so liberal, they’re willing to offer both demigods and demons the opportunity.

The demigods wouldn’t think offering an opportunity to the demons because there’s that enmity. But the devotees are very liberal in this regard. They’re willing to offer even an enemy a chance to become a devotee. That’s why great souls like Nārada Muni are considered to be greater than the demigods because they’re so liberal that they will go even to the demons and offer them opportunity to be developed as pure devotees of the Lord. So in this age of Kali, the demonic influence is very great. It’s so great that there’s no good quality. It’s an ocean of faults. There’s no good quality except one Hastih Yaka Mahanguna AKA one great quality. And that quality is not an ordinary quality. That’s a great quality. Kirtanareva Kṛṣṇa. That’s Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana. We should know that we’re not this body. One may be born one time.

Just like a person is thinking the whole time. He might be riding the missile launcher in America, facing the missile over to Russia. He may be whole time Russia conscious. He may die there. And next birth, he may be born as a Russian because he was thinking of the rest. Similarly, there may be Russians who born as Americans and vice versa. Man, if he dies thinking of his wife, he takes birth as a woman. Woman dies thinking of her husband, she takes birth as a man. If you die thinking of Kṛṣṇa, you go to Kṛṣṇa. You die thinking of the demigods. You go to the demigods, you die in ignorance, you become a tree or animal. Dying goodness, you become a demigod. Dying passion, you become a human being. All these laws of nature are very strict.

So we have to understand we’re not the body. This body is conditioned from birth. In the place that were born. We have to transcend the conditioning and actually come up to our original consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it’s very easy to concentrate on Kṛṣṇa. When we leave the body and go back to our original position. People are naturally conditioned to think according to their body. Indra, when he became a pig, he couldn’t remember he was an Indra. He could only relate as a pig. It’s very hard for a person not to relate. Born in America, I am an American. Born india, I am an Indian. Born in Russia, I am a Russian. Born as a dog, I am a dog. But the point is that we should understand that we’re not the body. We’re neither Russian, American, Canadian. We’re actually pure spirit, soul.

Kṛṣṇa Das, Anu Das, Nitya Kṛṣṇa Das. We’re the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. If we take that consciousness, then it’s very easy to understand what is our duty, what is our requirement. We need the help of a devotee. Just for instance, Brihaspati wanted to come down and participate in the pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he took birth to Saiwabruma Bhattacharya in Navidwi before Lord Caitanya came. But when he took birth in Avadweep, what happened was because he was there before Lord Caitanya. There were so many scholars in Avadweep that when he got all of the instructions from all the different scholars he being converted into a Māyāvādī and he completely forgot what he was there for. So then he went to Jagannath Purī and he became the tutor or the guru, the teacher for all the Mayavari Sannysis in Jagannath Purī and he left Navadvi.

So Lord Caitanya used to go to school right near the house of Sarabhumvadacharya. It’s called Vidya Nagara. But Sarabhuma had already left. So I believe Lord Caitanya studied in the tola of Gangadas Pandit or someone of that. And Lord Caitanya would go there every day, crossing across the river, go through the bamboo forest and then go and study. He’d sit under the trees. Those trees are still standing. We took the Perikram party there this year. Those trees, nobody knows what kind of trees they are. As far as anyone knows they’re the only trees of their kind in the whole world. But of course the Bengalis haven’t been there anywhere else in the world. So they don’t know that might be somewhere else also. But they have never seen them anywhere india. They’re very. They flower all year round. They got not.

They’re just pretty unusual kind of trees. So the same trees in the same place are still standing there. Then of course Lord Caitanya, after he took Sannyas he went down to Jagannath Purī and there he met Sarabhavamba the chariot because. But Sarabhomma, he couldn’t understand the position of Lord Caitanya on his own. Even after Lord Caitanya chastised him in different ways. It was actually the mercy of Gopāla Gopīnathacharya, his cousin brother or brother in law. Some relation on an equal level that he was able to gradually gain some faith in Lord Caitanya. And finally by Lord Caitanya’s mercy then he could understand that Lord Caitanya himself was Kṛṣṇa. You know how he was teaching Lord Caitanya for seven days all different teachings from the Vedānta Sutra. Then Lord Caitanya, he didn’t say a word. Then he asked Lord Shaitanya, don’t you understand?

You don’t ask any questions. You can’t understand what I am saying. Because normally a person understands. Some question would come up.

(Side B of the Cassette)

He says, no, I understand the verses perfectly. I just can’t understand what you’re talking about. So then he said, what? Normally the verses are very difficult to understand and then you explain them, so that makes them easier to understand. But he says, no, I understand the verses. It’s just what you’re saying is completely off the wall. I mean, completely unfathomable. So then Tharbooma was no fool in one sense. I mean, he knew that what Lord Caitanya was saying was a challenge. So then he said that. Then what is your explanation? So then Lord Caitanya explained that, well, in the Vedas there’s the direct interpretation which is very clear and very easy to understand. But you’re giving some indirect word jugglery that I can’t understand. And this way Lord Caitanya explained the Atmarama verse finally.

And that convinced Sarbhavam Bhattacharya that Lord Caitanya had some exceptional power. But finally it was by Gopīnatharya’s blessing actually that Lord Chaitanya blessed our Bhattacharya to understand. So actually he was Bihaspati. He would come down. But because he had taken a human birth and he had this association, he was born in Avadweep with all the Pandits. He became entangled in Māyāvādī philosophy. So even that’s a danger. We may think, well, all right, next earth, I will take a birth as a devotee. Maybe even we’re born in a family of devotees. Maybe not. Maybe we’re born in a rich family. So even a person is a devotee, but he’s born in a rich family.

Because of the whole intoxication of being born in a particular family with so many relatives and the culture and everything, a person can completely get entangled and forget that, forget all about his spiritual previous life, his devotional service. And even when the devotee meets him, it may be very difficult to convince him initially about the purpose of devotional service or why he should take it up until he gets over that false conditioning that he had. But once such a person gets over that covering which was basically from only this life then they take off very quickly in devotional service. So there are many devotees in the Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement. Of course, if they are covered up, we can know that they had to take birth in many cases was because they didn’t finish their devotional life in the last birth.

So they should be very careful not to mess it up again in this life. Even if someone seems to gain some rapid progress in this life Possibly due to previous births, some residual credit was there, or possibly due to some special mercy of Vaishnavas and spiritual master. But one should not become casual or take it for granted, but to be very careful. Because obviously one has taken birth in anything except for the most exceptional cases, because there was some negligence in the previous birth, one was in the material world, otherwise one wouldn’t even be here. So one should be very careful not to make the same mistakes again and again to try to finish off in his life. Because when we take birth again, no matter how nice a birth it is, there’s always a danger of various kind of contamination.

Of course, the best birth is when someone is born in a family of devotees. So devotees, mother and father should be very careful to try to give their children as good an opportunity to become Kṛṣṇa conscious as possible, so that they don’t have to take birth again in immaterial, so they can fix their mind on Kṛṣṇa and go back to Godhead. We have seen that if a mother or father, they can do that assures their own perfection. Just as Dhruva Maharaj’s mother, just by directing the child to look for Kṛṣṇa in the forest, she was considered a spiritual master and she was elevated back to the spiritual sky even before Juva. So even I know india There was one parent, although he chant 16 rounds, but he put his son forward for initiation first said that I am not so advanced.

You should initiate my son at least. If my son can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. I will get the at least. I think there’s no hope for me. I came too late. But there’s hope for him. So if he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then I am assured to go back to Kṛṣṇa. And this way his son is called Putra who can. Pu means hell and Tran means to deliver. To deliver the father from hell or from the material world, which is itself like a hell, that is a putra. So the sons, the boy, they should think that not only myself, but my grandparents, my parents, my grandparents, great parent, they’re all depending. I have to become a devotee, I have to be serious. If I am not serious, I will be wasting so much time I will regret it in the future.

If I be very serious in Gurukul, very serious in my studies, very serious to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, understand the philosophy, to chant and hear properly, then not only will I perfect this human life, but my parents and grandparents, they will all be delivered, even one parents. In Māyā, the son can deliver that parent by just being himself or herself. Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in this Kali Yuga, there’s so many bad qualities, but there’s the one good quality that’s chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa hastiga Mahanguna Kīrtana. It’s very difficult to be materially successful in the real sense. What they call material success now is actually insignificant because someone amasses so much paper money. But they can never achieve any peace. A real type of happiness of that standard. It’s very difficult to achieve that because of so many difficulties. There’s so many difficulties and dangers and fears and anxieties.

It’s very hard to get any kind of material happiness in the mode of goodness. In this fallen age of color, little bit of happiness and passion, ignorance one can get in the mode of goodness. It’s very hard to get any kind of happiness which is the only peaceful happiness in this material world. But it’s easy to get spiritual happiness in this Kali Yuga. It’s easy to transcend this material world in this Kali Yuga because of Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana because of chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa india. And they’re very expert in how to stay very happy. Just like demigods on this world. So many people flower power this and that.

They all want, you know, just like demigods on this planet, but they cannot stay out of tamasic and rajastic passion, ignorant activities because the power of this Kali Yuga is so powerful that it’s very hard to stay on the platform of goodness. But it’s easy to come up to the spiritual platform of pure goodness by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That facility is there, but the goal of that facility is to get out of the material world in this Kali Yuga, there’s no way to making a permanent solution that will last even for a considerable period of time. It’s too much unpredictable in Kali Yuga.

But by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, one can go back to godhead very easily in Kali yoga easier than one could any sati where it’s so easy to live like yamigats on earth in other ages, people would think, well, this is all right. There’s no much problem. There’s not much problem. There’s not much difficulty. Why bother about going back to godhead in due course. But now we can see the urgency. We can see how rotten the material nature gets, how easy it will be to fall into complete ignorance and passion. It’s very easy to see that in this Kali Yuga. And at the same time the door to go back to Kṛṣṇa has opened by the Mercy of Mithai Gorachandra Ki. You should take up the holy names and chant. Get on the train everyone. Go back to Godhead. Are there any questions and answers?

Why not? Yes.

A question about something you said yesterday. You said that it’s important for a wife to have good intelligence. So how does a woman develop with intelligence is automatically.

Ka conscious intelligence. In material intelligence, one may tend to choose that which is more bodily conscience. But in spiritual intelligence one can’t go wrong. The wife and children are soldiers. But they are considered to be fallible soldiers. Because one can not always depend on them. They won’t always be present. They won’t always give the proper advice in one sense. But if a person is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then of course that soldier can help one and defend one from so many attacks of Māyā. All one can try to do is to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. And thus one can be a great source of intelligence if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Material intelligence is not the qualification for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A person may be less materially intelligent, but maybe understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness because of a higher spiritual intelligence.

Or one may be more intelligent, but due to being falsely proud may neglect to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not only dependent upon a material intelligence, it’s dependent upon surrender upon a type of different type of spiritual intelligence which is not always connected to material intelligence. Often we have seen just more or less off the record that in a husband wife situation that sometimes when the husband is down, the wife seems to be spiritually. Sometimes when the wife seems to be a little down, the husband seems to be up. This way, often they can help each other. What’s disastrous is when both are down, at least if one or the other is up at any given moment, then they have a chance. And of course if both are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you have got a very wonderful situation.

But if both are trying to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you have a better chance of at least one being Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if both are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you can fix yourself right strongly in doing whatever is more pleasing to the spiritual master. In Kṛṣṇa. If one has a handicap, how much harder one has to work to overcome it. In sports and other things, some people have handicaps. They may not be as tall, or they may not be as fast as something in some competitive sports. But then they will try to make up for the ones that aren’t as tall. They may be faster, they may jump higher in basketball, something like that. So there might be a little bit of disadvantage sometimes. But one tries to overcome that by focusing on the other strong Points.

If.

A woman lacks in one area, they have advantages in other areas. That if they cultivate their being surrendered and humble to the will of Kṛṣṇa, to being enthusiastic, having good memory, other type of qualities which may be there in the woman, then that can be a very good purpose. But if the natural qualities of humility and other things don’t remain there, then of course it becomes more and more difficult to overcome the handicaps. Everyone has got handicaps and everyone has got good qualities. So one has to know how to take advantage of whatever good qualities are there. And thus one can overcome handicaps. There’s nine practices of devotional service. Just as one only has to do one properly, you can succeed. Similarly, there are so many qualities of a human being.

If you can just fully perfect one in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa and neglecting to engage the other ones in Māyā’s service, then even that one quality can deliver one completely to pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Is that all right? Yes.

I have heard it said that in this age, the devotee and the demon and the same body. So in our preaching work, how can.

We make the distinction the devotee and the demon?

I am not sure the reference on that, but I have been told that by certain devotees that in Kali Yuga, the devotee and the demon and the same body, these days they were on different planets.

You ever heard that, anyone?

Yeah, that the potential for being demoniac is within, you know, as much as well as the potential for being devoted.

The human beings are the lowest denominator. I mean, the human beings on this planet, you know what they call them, what’s like the Latin name Homo sapiens, are considered to be the lowest denominator in the broad human species that’s mentioned in the Vedas. Demigods and demons and others, they’re also, in a sense, type of purushas. They’re also within the broad category of human species, but they’re much more powerful. The demigods are hundreds and thousands of times more powerful. And the demons are just a hair less powerful than the demigods. The human beings in this age, because they don’t perform sacrifice, they’re more subjected to become prey to the influence of the demons in previous ages. Because the human beings would perform sacrifices, they would follow the Brahmanas. Therefore, the religious principles would protect them from demonic influences.

The whole Brahminical culture, the whole Varnashram culture was based upon sacrifice. The ordinary human being is considered to be just, you know, number one in power. Then ghosts are 10 times more powerful than others are 10. And it’s all described in the Bhāgavatam, how each one is ten times more powerful. But the Brāhmaṇa is so powerful that even so worshipful. Even Kṛṣṇa himself worships the Brāhmaṇa. So a human, when he’s second born, when he’s made into Brāhmaṇa, when he’s performing sacrifice, then he’s considered to be even more powerful than the demigod. Even the demigods would fear to be cursed by a Brāhmaṇa. Just like when Vishwamitribai. He was the Katria by birth, but by various austerities he became a Brāhmaṇa, he became a Rishi. So he created a whole duplicate Indra Loka, Swarga Loka. So Indra had to request him please to retract it.

And he agreed to various requests that Visramitra made. So Brahmanas were very powerful. And the Kali Yuga, that type of Brahmanical culture has disappeared. But a person can become a Brāhmaṇa by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although he may not be qualified, may be qualified technically to perform Vedic rituals, but no other ritual is authorized in the Kali Yuga except for the Hari Nama, Sankirtan Jagya, and worshipping the deity under the Pancharatrik system. So these are the two sacrifices that Kṛṣṇa conscious Brahmanas perform so they can kīrtana. They can protect people from demonic influence. That’s why Prabhupāda wanted to establish Brahmanas in society. Brāhmaṇa means that he’s supposed to be free from demonic influence by constantly performing Vishnu Jagya. If you form the sacrifice of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you keep the demonic influence at bay.

And if you neglect to perform your sacrifices, if you neglect to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then yes, in this Kali Yuga, the demonic influence are very strong and they can overtake one. If a Brāhmaṇa stops to act as a Brāhmaṇa, then he no longer gets the shelter. Being a Brāhmaṇa, one is initiated, then he has the responsibility of acting very strictly as a Brāhmaṇa. And by doing so, then one can remain free from demonic influences to the extent that one does not neglect his sacrifices. And this is what the society needs to be saved from demonic influence. They need the guidance to qualify Brahmanas, not Brahmanas by birth or Brahmanas by Brahman threats, but Brahmanas by their behavior and by their Samskaras, by their activities.

Yes, it seems like such a small percentage of people are actually able to appreciate the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness in that regard is that when emphasis should be placed on Prashantam distribution and Hari N, people are so degraded.

That RPA Goswami said, by whatever means you can get a person to become favorable and accept Kṛṣṇa, you should employ that means. So Kṛṣṇa Prasadam. If they will accept Kṛṣṇa Prasadam enchanting, then that’s our process. They accept literature. That’s our process. The message is the same, but the packaging may slightly vary according to the person receiving it. We know that in 1969 there were various ways that chanting was presented. In 75 it’s presented another way. Maybe in 82 it would be presented another way to different people. But our books are the same. And ultimately the teachings are the same. But in the initial presentation, so that people will take part in it may be explained from a different angle of so that the people can understand it. Kṛṣṇa conscious being absolute. You can look at the sun from Mount Everest.

You can look at the sun from Death Valley. Sun is visible from different angles. So because we have the absolute vision, we can present Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the angle of the person that we’re talking to. So that they can understand. But because we have the whole picture doesn’t affect us. And gradually, once they can see Kṛṣṇa from one angle, then you can start to educate them that there may be other angles also. So then they can relate with other people around the world in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Somehow or another, you have to get them out of body consciousness. Once they realize that they’re not the body, then Kṛṣṇa is no longer foreign. As long as they think they’re a Lynchburg hick, then they can’t figure out why anybody would follow Hindu something or this or that.

If they realize that they’re not the body, that they’re neither a Lynch Burger or a Hamburger or a Lindbergh or anything else, that they’re actually a pure spirit soul, then. But to understand that requires a little bit of spiritual strength. So that can be built up by naturally taking Prashanam, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, by associating with devotees. First, if one associates with devotees, then one can practice devotional service. If they already are being able to chant take Prashad, that’s very advanced. Generally, first they have to have enough faith just to. Just to go to a devotee, just tolerate standing next to one. Then if they associate with the devotee, then they build up the faith that when you give them prasad, you tell them the chant that they will do it.

Then as the death is already the beginning of Anarta Niriti then as they start to practice more and more then they accept a shelter of bona fide spiritual master then they become Nishta they become fixed in devotional service. So first thing is to get them to associate with the devotees and to be able to relate with them as people without the devotees coming down to their level completely. I mean in terms of you know can’t break principles or anything and then engage those people in taking prasad and chanting and Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. I hope never Dan it’s a Sanskrit name. Did you know that Dan was a Sanskrit name?

Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what it means.

It means charitable dang charity One who gives for the higher cause Dhani giving charity so you give your energy to Kṛṣṇa will benedict you that will help the devotees to stay devotees and the non devotees to become devotees and yourself to remain at his shelter. Sa Hare Nama Hare Hare.