Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.1

Prabhupāda: Kīrtana, kīrtana. Have kīrtana. [kīrtana] [Prabhupāda leads chanting] [break] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. [obeisances] [break]

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Where is Pradyumna?

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Eh? Where is Pradyumna? Eh?

Devotee: Pradyumna? There he is.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Prabhupāda: All right, take it. Begin.

[08:45]

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

[leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

śrī-śuka uvāca evam etan nigaditaṁ pṛṣṭavān yad bhavān mama nṛṅāṁ yan mriyamāṅānāṁ manuṣyeṣu manīṣiṅām [SB 2.3.1]

Prabhupāda: [interrupts the chanting of the śloka] Repeat once, twice more. [chanting resumes] Next? Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, you can.

Kīrtanānanda: Translation?

Prabhupāda: No. First of all read.

Kīrtanānanda: Chant?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

[Kīrtanānanda chants; Prabhupāda corrects him: mriyamāṅānām] Karandhara. [chants] You. [another devotee chants] Anyone? More? [chanting resumes] Very good. Anyone else?

Devotee: Hṛdayānanda. [chants verse]

Prabhupāda:

evam etan nigaditaṁ pṛṣṭavān yad bhavān mama nṛṅāṁ yan mriyamāṅānāṁ manuṣyeṣu manīṣiṅām [SB 2.3.1]

So, translation? Read translation? Translation? Oh, no. Word meaning. Yes.

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms]

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam—so; etat—all these; nigaditam—answered; pṛṣṭavān—as you inquired; yat—what; bhavān—your good self; mama—unto me; nṛṅām—of the human being; yat—one; mriyamāṅānām—on the threshold of death; manuṣyeṣu—amongst the human beings; manīṣiṅām—of the intelligent men.

[15:33]

Translation: "Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as you have inquired from me as to the duty of the intelligent man who is on the threshold of death, so I answered you."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Now, this is the important part of the verse, that "man who is on the threshold of death." Who can say that "I am not on the threshold of death"? Is there any man in this universe who can say that "I am not on the threshold of death"? Can anyone say? Everyone is on the threshold of death. That's a fact. But such questions are made amongst them... Everyone is subject to death, and threshold, on the threshold of death.

Nobody can say that "I shall live for so many years." No guarantee. Everyone is on the threshold of death. Any moment, we can die. Therefore it is said, "As sure as death." All other things may be not sure, but death is sure. Therefore, before death, one... Manīṣiṅām, manuṣyeṣu manīṣiṅām. Not ordinary man. Manīṣī. Manīṣī means thoughtful. They question, "What is to be done now, before death comes? Shall I die like cats and dogs, or shall I die like human being?" This is the question. Cats and dogs dying, nobody cares. But a human being dying, there are so many ceremonies, mourning, because human life is important.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although he was on the threshold of death, he was allowed seven days' time. He was cursed to death, but he was given seven days' time: "You, King, you shall die within seven days—after seven days—being bitten by serpent." This was the curse given to him. He accepted. He could counteract it. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was Vaiṣṅava. He was very powerful. But he thought that "Yes, I am offender. The brāhmaṅa boy has cursed me, I shall accept it."

So he prepared himself for death. For seven days he placed himself on the bank of the Ganges without drinking a drop of water, and for seven days continually he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Parīkṣit Mahārāja..., er, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. That was decided. Harer nāmānukīrtanaḥ. In any circumstances of life, hearing and chanting is prescribed. So Parīkṣit..., Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "My dear King, I have explained to you what is to be done now, at the time of death."

So we should take example, or instruction, from the behavior of Parīkṣit Mahārāja that on the threshold of death... Everyone is on the threshold of death, but the foolish person, they do not know. Foolish person thinks that "I shall live forever." That is foolishness.

ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yamālayam śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param [Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.116]

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was asked by Dharmarāja, "What is the most wonderful thing within this world?" He answered this, ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yamālayam: "Everyone, every moment, is going to the Yamarāja's place, the superintendent of death, where a man's life is scrutinizingly studied, what he has done, and..." I say man, not animal. Animal, they have no such thing, "wrong" or "right," because it is animal. But a human being must have this conscience, "right" or "wrong." Pravṛtti, nivṛtti.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ na vidur āsura-janā [Bg 16.7]. Asura-janā, those who are demons, they do not know these two things, pravṛtti and nivṛtti, what is our duty and what is our not duty. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca... That is modern civilization. They do not know. What is our duty to do and what is our duty not to do, they do not know. Neither any education in this life what we should do, what we should not do.

So therefore this particular word is mentioned here, manīṣiṅām. In human society, those who are specifically intelligent, for them. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kāṛ, he says, kṛṣṅa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Catura means very intelligent. Without being intelligent, nobody can take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. But our propaganda is to educate people to become intelligent. They are foolish. They do not know the value of life. They do not know what is going to happen after death. No. Just like cats and dogs.

Therefore Upaniṣad says, Gargopaniṣad, etad viditvā yaḥ prayāti sa brāhmaṅaḥ: "One who leaves this body after knowing everything, he is brāhmaṅa." And etad aviditvā yaḥ prayāti sa kṛpaṅaḥ: "Or anyone who dies without knowing the value of life, he's kṛpaṅa, miser, cripple-minded," because he could not utilize the opportunity given to him by nature. Such nice, beautiful body, you American boys and girls—nice country, good facilities, no poverty—everything is very nicely given to you. But, if in spite of all these facilities, if you don't take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then you are kṛpaṅa, miser.

"Miser" means one who has got money, but he cannot utilize it. He is miser. And one who knows how to utilize money... There are many merchants, they get a few thousands of dollars from their father, but due to intelligence he increases to millions of dollars. That is intelligence. And miser, or foolishness, is that "I get some money from my father, but I spend it for nothing."

So this human form of life is specially meant for becoming brāhmaṅa. We are therefore creating brāhmaṅa. We are not creating śūdras. Śūdras are already there. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Anyone born is a śūdra. Śūdra means who has no knowledge: ignorant. He is called śūdra. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.44].

[Farming, cow protection and business are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there is labor and service to others.]

Śūdra is not intelligent. He cannot do anything nice, thoughtful. "Ehh, get some work, get some few dollars daily. Eat and sleep." That is śūdra. They cannot do anything independently.

A brāhmaṅa will not accept anyone's service. That is specially forbidden, that a brāhmaṅa..., brāhmaṅa, even if he is in difficulty, he should not accept anyone's service like a dog. The especially this word is used. A dog cannot live without master. A dog, if he hasn't got a good master, is a street dog. He may be killed at any time. He has no protection. Therefore this very word is used. Śūdra means dog. He must have a master; otherwise he cannot live.

So there are classes of men, śūdras. No, they must have a protection. Woman must have protection, because they cannot do anything independently. To give them independence means to create some trouble. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is clearly said, na strī svātantryam arhati. Woman cannot be given independence. No. They must be protected. When they are child, up to twelve years, thirteen years, say fifteen, sixteen years, not more than that, she must be protected by the father. And at the age of thirteen to sixteen years, she must be married, find out some boy who can take charge, the second charge. And when she's old, the charge is given to the elderly sons. So woman is protected like that.

So śūdras also should not be given independence. They should be given protection, but no independence. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ, in the Bhagavad-gītā there is. Striyaḥ means woman, śūdra and vaiśya—they are put into the same category. In Bhāgavata also, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā [SB 1.4.25].

[Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahābhārata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born.]

So one has to be enlightened. As the śūdra can be enlightened under good protection, similarly, a woman can also be enlightened. There is no, I mean to say, barricade to enlighten woman. Everyone can be enlightened. Everyone has got the light. But ordinarily, the śūdra and the vaiśyas, they are not to be considered very intelligent.

Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone is born śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By saṁskāra... Just like we follow. Not all of a sudden we accept anyone as brāhmaṅa. We give saṁskāra, chanting. First of all, association. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ [SB 3.25.25]. By good association, by the association of devotees, one can understand automatically what is God, what is Kṛṣṅa.

[aside:] Let him sit properly.

So saṁskāra... Saṁskāra... Although the śūdras are not given any saṁskāra... Because those who are in the very lowest stage of life, it is very difficult for them to accept saṁskāra, reformatory method. But this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, under the direction of Gosvāmīs and pañcarātra system, they are giving the opportunity everyone to become a brāhmaṅa. Because without becoming brāhmaṅa, nobody can understand what is Kṛṣṅa or what is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

One must be on the platform of goodness. When one is fixed up on the platform of goodness, the other two qualities—namely, ignorance and passion—cannot disturb him. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18].

[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]

śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṅi vidhunoti suhṛt satām [SB 1.2.17]

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Kṛṣṅa is within your heart. If you kindly continue to hear about Him, as you are doing, then Kṛṣṅa will be very much pleased, "Oh, this person is now interested in me." Because nobody's interested in Kṛṣṅa. So Kṛṣṅa is also silent to them. But as soon as you become interested, oh, Kṛṣṅa becomes very active: "Oh, he's trying to do something. I shall help him."

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām [Bg 10.10].

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. What is that verse? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṅa says. He's silent for the nondevotees, but he speaks to the devotees. That is very natural. If some big man... He talks with men who are intelligent, who is businesslike. Why he wastes his time talking with some rascals and fools? So Kṛṣṅa talks, but talks to the devotee. Who are devotee? Satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Those who are twenty-four hours engaged in rendering loving devotional service to the Lord. To such person Kṛṣṅa gives intelligence, not others.

So this process of hearing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, must be continued. That is our life. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ [SB 7.5.23].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

Śravaṅam means hearing. Kīrtanam means chanting about Lord Viṣṅu. Not for others. "Now I am hearing and chanting about Nixon," [chuckles] that will not help. Because everyone is busy in newspaper, "What Nixon said, what he is doing..." Everywhere.

The politicians, they have made the minds of general people, general public, that they're very much interested in what the politician says. Every day he sees that he's simply speaking all nonsense; still, he's interested. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

They are called "chewing the chewed again and again." Matir na kṛṣṅe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [SB 7.5.31]

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

Īśa-tantryām, by the laws of material nature, one who is bound up tight, hands and legs... We are all. We cannot, I mean to say, neglect the laws of nature. If you eat little more, then you have to fast for three days. That we actually know. If you expose little to cold, then you have to pay ten dollars to the doctor, fine. So they are so much bound up by the laws of nature; still, they are thinking, "I am free. I am independent. Where is God? I am God." Just see. Such foolish persons, that every moment he's being kicked on his face by the boot of material nature, and still he's saying, "I am God. I am independent." You see?

So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. Just like one blind man is speaking other blind men, "Please follow me. I shall lead you to the right path." "But you are blind yourself, and we are also blind. What will be the help?" But no, they will follow. In our country, Gandhi promised that "I shall give you independence in one year, if you follow me—non-violence, non-cooperation." People followed, but it took thirty years. But actually, that is not independence. So these politicians, especially, they mislead us. Not only politicians; the so-called yogīs, so-called... So many things. Real leader is Kṛṣṅa.

So if we surrender to Kṛṣṅa as Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66],

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"Give up all other occupation, duties. Simply just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't hesitate. Do it." Kṛṣṅa is personally canvassing. He's so kind, He comes personally. He speaks the whole truth in the Bhagavad-gītā. He's canvassing, "Please do it." He again comes as a devotee, Lord Caitanya.

Lord Caitanya is teaching how to surrender to Kṛṣṅa. There is no difference between Lord Caitanya's teachings and Kṛṣṅa's teaching. The same thing. In one form, Kṛṣṅa is saying that "You surrender unto Me," and Lord Caitanya says that "You surrender to Kṛṣṅa." The fact is the same. So we are following Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are canvassing, "Please surrender to Kṛṣṅa."

So our business is not very difficult. If we follow ourself, if we surrender to Kṛṣṅa fully and teach others also the same thing... Not that something adulteration. No. Exactly what Kṛṣṅa says. Then you become spiritual master, guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

"Under My order, you become spiritual master and deliver the people of your country." And what is that order? That yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]: "Whomever you meet, you simply speak what Kṛṣṅa has said, or what is spoken about Kṛṣṅa." That is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So every one of you follow the instruction, as you have received. Chant sixteen rounds regularly, without fail, and follow the regulative principles, and hear about Kṛṣṅa and preach about Kṛṣṅa—every one of you become a spiritual master. Simple thing. No education required. Because we are hearing about Kṛṣṅa, so we can speak the same thing. What is the difficulty?

If I hear from my spiritual master or from any learned man that "Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," so if I say by hearing that "Kṛṣṅa is Supreme Personality of Godhead," so I haven't got to search out whether Kṛṣṅa is Personality of Godhead or not, but if I accept the authority, then I speak the real truth. This is our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Therefore sometimes, when people say in India, "Swāmījī, you have done wonderful," and yes, I do not know. I'm not a magician. But so far I am confident that I did not adulterated the words of Kṛṣṅa. That's all. That's my credit. I did not like to take the position of Kṛṣṅa. I remained servant of Kṛṣṅa, and I spoke what Kṛṣṅa said. That's all. This is my secret. So everyone can do that. There is nothing magic. The magic will act as soon as you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa.

The magic will be done by Kṛṣṅa, not by me or you. He will do it. Just like a small child: Nobody can hurt him; the father will take care. He does not know. He's simply depending on father: "My father, mother," that's all. Kṛṣṅa says that "You surrender unto Me, I give you protection." He's not a liar. He's not inefficient. He's strong. He's sufficiently opulent. He can do that.

So believe in Kṛṣṅa's word and surrender unto Him, and don't spoil this human form of life. Death is sure. Before death, we must prepare to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [obeisances] [end]