Lecture

[kīrtana]

Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Haribol. Prabhupāda ki jaya! [obeisances]

[03:27]

So,

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ [Śrī Vaiṣṅava Praṅāma]

Vaiṣṅava, devotees of the Lord, they are just like desire tree, vāñchā-kalpataru. Desire tree, of course, we have no experience, but there is description, in the spiritual world there are desire trees. Cintāmaṅi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa [Bs 5.29]. It is called kalpa-vṛkṣa. So,

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ [Śrī Vaiṣṅava Praṅāma]

Vaiṣṅava, devotee of Lord, can give you everything, whatever you desire, fulfilled, because a Vaiṣṅava can deliver Kṛṣṅa. So when Kṛṣṅa is achieved, so there is no more any desire.

Just like Dhruva Mahārāja: he underwent severe austerities, penances, meditation. His purpose was that "When I shall see God, Nārāyaṅa, I shall take benediction that I must have a kingdom better than my father or my grandfather achieved." That was his determination. Because he was a child, so his stepmother refused to allow him to sit on the lap of his father.

He became insulted, so he decided that "I shall take from Kṛṣṅa such a kingdom which even my father or grandfather could not imagine." It is childish determination, but it was a determination. He was a kṣatriya. His determination... And Kṛṣṅa fulfilled it. But from his part, when he saw Kṛṣṅa, Nārāyaṅa, he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: "My dear Lord, I don't want anything. I have got You now." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc Madhya 22.42].

[[When he was being blessed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Dhruva Mahārāja said:] ’O my Lord, because I was seeking an opulent material position, I was performing severe types of penance and austerity. Now I have gotten You, who are very difficult for the great demigods, saintly persons and kings to attain. I was searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found a most valuable jewel. Therefore I am so satisfied that I do not wish to ask any benediction from You.]

Actually, when one becomes Kṛṣṅa conscious... Kṛṣṅa consciousness means one can see Kṛṣṅa every moment. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs 5.38].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

Those who have developed Kṛṣṅa consciousness, love of Kṛṣṅa, they always see Kṛṣṅa. They do not see anything except Kṛṣṅa. That is described by Kṛṣṅa Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

He is drinking water but seeing Kṛṣṅa: "Oh, this taste of water is Kṛṣṅa." He is eating prasādam: "Oh, Kṛṣṅa is so kind. He has given me so nice prasādam." So actually Kṛṣṅa consciousness means that he always sees Kṛṣṅa in every activity. He has no other vision.

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said,

sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti sarvatra sphuraya tāra iṣṭa-deva mūrti [Cc Madhya 8.274]

[The mahā-bhāgavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord.]

A devotee is seeing the tree, but he is not seeing the tree. He will see how Kṛṣṅa's energy is working, that "Here is a tree, and it is so nice." He sees everything, everything in relationship with Kṛṣṅa. Nirbandhe kṛṣṅa-sambandha. Everything. Therefore a Vaiṣṅava is eulogized that vāñchā-kalpataru. He... Because he can give Kṛṣṅa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, kṛṣṅa se tomāra kṛṣṅa dite pāro [from Śaraṅāgati]. He is begging Vaiṣṅava, "Sir, Kṛṣṅa is yours. You can deliver Kṛṣṅa." Dhai tava pāche pāche: "Therefore I am after you, because you can deliver Kṛṣṅa."

And in the Brahmā-saṁhitā also it is said, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

If you want to achieve Kṛṣṅa by studying all the Vedas, it is very difficult. But if you approach a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa, he can deliver you Kṛṣṅa: "Take it immediately." Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. Therefore Vaiṣṅava is vāñchā-kalpataru. He can fulfill all the desires of our life because he can deliver Kṛṣṅa.

So in our paramparā system we are trying to create some Vaiṣṅavas in the world. There are many industrialists, many scientists, many philosophers, many politician, diplomats and leaders—so many things. They are trying also to solve the problems of the world in different ways, but they cannot do anything. It is impossible. They cannot do anything. They are themselves blind. They do not know actually what is the objective of life. So what they can give you? They can simply create problems. That's all. Ugra-karma. By engaging you in pungent, karmī activities, life becomes most miserable.

So this verse,

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo...

So Vaiṣṅava is the patitānāṁ pāvana. Fallen. Fallen means... Fallen means when one falls down from his actual position. That is called fallen. So every conditioned soul is fallen because he has fallen down from his actual position. What is his actual position? The position is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. That is the constitutional position of living entity. But he has fallen means he has given up the service of Kṛṣṅa and he has taken the service of māyā, means so many things.

Somebody is serving country, society, friendship, love, and so many things they have created service. At last dog service, cat service. But because they have forgotten Kṛṣṅa's service, therefore they are called fallen. These fallen conditioned soul are claimed by the Vaiṣṅavas. Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ. That is Vaiṣṅava's duty.

So you are doing your best to do this service, Vaiṣṅava, in this remote village. Our Sudāmā Prabhu is trying to give service to Kṛṣṅa. Our position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. We can give service from anywhere, from any position. It doesn't matter where we are. Because everything is Kṛṣṅa's property, everywhere Kṛṣṅa is there, so wherever we get possibility of rendering our service... So the literature distribution...

So kindly stick to this service attitude. Never be misled by the alluration..., allurement of māyā. Engage. Remain engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service wherever you are. Kṛṣṅa will see. We don't want any recognition from anyone else. We want recognition by Kṛṣṅa and His devotee. That's all. If they are satisfied, then our success, life success.

So this place, you all a little distant from the city, but we are not concerned with the city. We are concerned for distributing this knowledge, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So I have learned that there is a train service from here, it takes only forty-five minutes, forty-three minutes. So this place is very nice. It is... And expenditure according to our means. That is all right. When Kṛṣṅa will give us better place... This is also. Wherever Kṛṣṅa is at, that is better. That is best.

So my point is that you are all Vaiṣṅavas, and try to do something good to the people, because they are all suffering. All suffering. For want of, lack of Kṛṣṅa consciousness they do not know what is the aim of life, what is to be achieved. Simply they are working hard like hogs and dogs for sense gratification. They have no other ambition. They do not believe in the next life, although it is a fact there is next life. And they do not know. They are not educated there is next life; how much irresponsibly we are working.

Nature's law is very stringent. If you work irresponsibly, then you can, you have to accept... Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ [Bg 8.6].

[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.]

If you become attached to this material enjoyment, then you will have to accept a body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. You have to accept. But this education is not there, whole world. So simply these Kṛṣṅa conscious people, they are trying to educate people on this point. So it is sometimes very distressing. But never mind. Nothing is be distressed. When you serve Kṛṣṅa, there is no question of distress. Simply do your best, and people will surely be benefited wherever you go. A Vaiṣṅava, wherever he goes, he makes the place sanctified. Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca.

And kṛpā-sindhu. What these materialistic men can do mercy to the others? They cannot do anything. Here is the real mercy: to awaken a person to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is real mercy. Because for want of this Kṛṣṅa consciousness he is suffering millions and millions of years. Sometimes he is becoming tree, like that. Suppose here is a tree; it is standing for thousands of years. So in this way they're simply suffering. This transmigration of the soul, the soul is suffering. Vaiṣṅava is giving you information that "Why you are suffering? You just accept your original position, eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa, you become happy." This is Vaiṣṅava. Why you are suffering?

So māyā is there. Māyā does not want to lead the culprits. Because one who is not Kṛṣṅa conscious, he's a culprit, so māyā wants to give such person more and more trouble. But Vaiṣṅava risks his life to snatch him from the hands of māyā. So māyā, of course, when he [she] sees that "This man, this living entity, is now corrected; he is now taking to Kṛṣṅa consciousness," then she will not disturb.

daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

Māyā etāṁ... Māyā, she is the most sincere servant of Kṛṣṅa. She wants to chastise. Just like police. Police want to chastise a person unless he comes to his consciousness that he must abide by the laws of the state. That is police business. Otherwise police is not enemy. Similarly, māyā is not our enemy, but she has got a thankless task with that trident. So Kṛṣṅa is giving us the knowledge that "You surrender unto Me, and māyā will not trouble you." Māyām etāṁ taranti te.

So we are giving this information, that "You rascal, you are trying to be happy by your material plan. You will never be happy. Don't be fooled. You have been befooled so many lifetimes. Now just make an experiment in this life. Take to this Kṛṣṅa consciousness, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, and see whether you are becoming happy or not. Why not make...?" This is our method. That's all. It is very simple thing. You have tasted your life for so many years. Now why not taste this also? In this way, peacefully we have to execute our devotional service. And the more you do, more you become strong, more Kṛṣṅa is pleased upon you.

So our business is very nice, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We are happy. We are para-upakārī. We are doing good to others. That is puṅya-karma, pious activities. So keep yourself in this attitude. Never mind where you are situated. We are not concerned with a particular place or country or society. We are concerned with Kṛṣṅa. And everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa, wherever we go. We are here.

We are not in Japan; we are in Vaikuṅṭha, this temple. We are in Vaikuṅṭha. And we are doing the service of Kṛṣṅa, that Vaikuṅṭha service. So in this way, with this attitude, go on preaching. I am very pleased that you are doing your best. That I want.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]