Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.13

Prabhupāda: Chant.

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Page 141, text number 13. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

śaunaka uvāca ity abhivyāhṛtaṁ rājā niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ kim anyat pṛṣṭavān bhūyo vaiyāsakim ṛṣiṁ kavim [SB 2.3.13]

Prabhupāda: [interrupts the chanting of the verse to correct devotees] It should be pronounced like "it yabhi vyāhṛtaṁ rājā." It yabhi vyāhṛtaṁ rājā. [devotees repeat] It yabhi vyāhṛtaṁ rājā niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ. Like that. Go on. [chanting continues, with corrections]

That's all. Now, word meaning.

Pradyumna: [reads synonyms]

iti—thus; abhivyāhṛtam—all that was spoken; rājā—the king; niśamya—by hearing; bharata-ṛṣabhaḥ—Mahārāja Parīkṣit; kim—what; anyat—more; pṛṣṭavān—did he inquire from him; bhūyaḥ—again; vaiyāsakim—unto the son of Vyāsadeva; ṛṣim—one who is well versed; kavim—poetic.

[08:10]

Translation: "Śaunaka said: The son of Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was a highly learned sage and was able to describe things in a poetic manner. What did Mahārāja Parīkṣit again inquire from him after hearing all that he said?"

Prabhupāda: Hm. So Vaiṣṅava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is learned and poet. So these are the qualification of Vaiṣṅava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualification mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and one of the qualification is kavi, poet. Every Vaiṣṅava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaiṣṅavas... In the later ages, within two hundred years... During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time there were Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṅava; Locana dāsa Ṭhākura; Kavi-karṅapūra. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyāpati, Caṅḍīdāsa. No, Caṅḍīdāsa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam.

So a Vaiṣṅava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of māyā will come out. Good qualities are already there. Just like Kṛṣṅa has got sixty-four good qualities in full, and we are minute particles of Kṛṣṅa; therefore we have got also those good qualities in minute particles. But these good qualities are now covered. Just like fire is covered by the ashes, so it does not act. Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act.

So we are fire. Kṛṣṅa is fire; we are also fires, in quality. Just there is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks, the sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Kṛṣṅa. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God. I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget. We can say we are God, but teeny God, not the Supreme God. Spark. Fire, blazing fire, and the spark. Now this quality, fire, this also becomes almost unseen when we are in this material world. Just like if the fire sparks fall down out of the blazing fire, it becomes extinguished. So in order to ignite again our fiery quality, we must go back to the original fire. Then the fiery quality, the brilliant fiery quality, will again be exhibited.

This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. So when we are in the process of going back to home, back to Godhead, out of so many qualities, twenty-six quality becomes very... At least, they become manifest. And out of the twenty-six qualities, one quality is to become a poet. Poet he is. Nobody can become poet unless he is poet. So kavi. And ṛṣi. Ṛṣi, muni-ṛṣi, those who are philosophers, learned scholars, they are called muni-ṛṣi.

So? Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "A pure devotee of the Lord automatically develops all godly qualities, and some of the prominent features of those qualities are as follows: He is kind, peaceful, truthful, equable, faultless, magnanimous, mild, clean, nonpossessive, a well-wisher to all, satisfied, surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, without hankering, simple, fixed, self-controlled, a balanced eater, sane, mannerly, prideless, grave, sympathetic, friendly, poetic, expert and silent. Out of these twenty-six prominent features..."

Prabhupāda: So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, we should verify, "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42].

[Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.]

If we are advancing in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then our detachment for material things will..., attachment for material things will decrease.

This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached, and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualification.

The first qualification is "kind." Just like these sannyāsīs. Our Rūpānuga Gosvāmī, he has got a nice child, wife, nice wife. But, being kind to the humanity, he has accepted sannyāsa. This is kindness. No homely comfort. This is kindness. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṅau.

tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṅeśakau karuṅayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau [Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 4]

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopīs' love for Kṛṣṅa and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.]

Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were ministers. Ministers, not ordinary men. And therefore their association was most aristocratic. Maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīm. Maṅḍala-pati means big, big man, who have got many followers, leaders of the society. So he gave up that association, tuccha-vat, "Eh, what is this nonsense?" Gave up, Rūpa Gosvāmī. Tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant, "What is this?" Then what did they do? What he became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṅeśakau karuṅayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. You have seen Rūpa Gosvāmī's picture—only a little cloth, kanthā. Kanthā means handmade quilt. All rejected cloth, they are put together and sewn; it is called kanthā. They utilize even rejected cloth. That is called kanthā.

So this Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rūpa Gosvāmī; all the Gosvāmīs. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellow who have forgotten Kṛṣṅa and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread, that's all—mūḍha—so by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaiṣṅava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaiṣṅava is peaceful. Peaceful, truthful. Truthful. A Vaiṣṅava knows the ultimate truth: Kṛṣṅa. Therefore he's truthful.

And equable. He has no distinction, "Oh, here is a man, here is an animal. The animal has no soul; the man is soul." They have no such conclusion. Every living entity has soul. As Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg 14.4].

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

So he's kind not only to the human society. These philanthropist, altruist, nationalist, this-ists, that-ist, this..., they are partial. First of all, they are..., may be kind—they are not kind; they are all selfish—but even though they are kind, they are kind to their own men, not even outsiders. Not to the outsiders. In your country, they will throw away grains. But there are so many hungry people; why they should not give? Produce more, if you have got land, you have got men. And they are not producing, they are not engaging. The men are becoming hippies, and they're lying idle, without any production. God has given so much land. Work. Produce. Distribute prasādam. This is kindness. But because they are not Kṛṣṅa conscious, they cannot be kind.

Faultless. You cannot find any fault of the devotee. Faultless. Magnanimous: thinking of all living entities. There is no distinction, "Oh, I am American, I shall think for the Americans," "I am Indian, I shall think for..." No. Magnanimous. And the most magnanimous is Lord Caitanya. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te [Cc Madhya 19.53].

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

Magnanimous, giving kṛṣṅa-prema, which is very rare. Kṛṣṅa says, manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3].

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

It is very difficult to understand what is Kṛṣṅa, and Lord Caitanya is distributing Kṛṣṅa like anything. Therefore mahā-vadānyāya, magnanimous.

Mild. Mild and meek. Clean. Always cleanliness. Because they have surpassed the stage of brahminical life. Therefore, must be very clean: by taking bath, by washing cloth, keeping the kitchen very clean, everything clean. Temples... Tan-mandira-mārjanādisu.

Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau. The temple should be, I mean, bright, always clean. Then nonpossessive. Materialistic person, they are trying to possess more, more, more. A Vaiṣṅava, simply what is absolutely necessary must have. Just like we don't keep any furniture in our hou... What is the use of furniture? We can lie down on the floor. So many things, materialistic persons they possess. But we try to simplify the matter, plain living.

Well-wisher to all. Well-wisher. Just like we are advising our all student that "Save your country. They are becoming hippies. It is not... Future is very gloom. Try to save them." So Vaiṣṅava will always think like that, how people will be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. A Vaiṣṅava desire is not exploitation. Vaiṣṅava desire is that "How others will be happy. How they will understand Kṛṣṅa. How they will get happiness in this life and next life." This is Vaiṣṅava.

Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." [laughs] No, this is not Vaiṣṅava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demon. At least you'll be saved if you keep with the company of the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ [SB 3.25.25]. If you give up the company, then you again become rogues and demons. Therefore you must be satisfied, in whatever condition. "Whatever Kṛṣṅa has given, that's all right." Satisfied.

Surrendered to Kṛṣṅa. And that satisfaction can be achieved only when one is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṅa. If I have surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa has taken my charge, Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg 18.66],

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

then why shall I bother myself? If I am thinking, "I am suffering," it is also Kṛṣṅa's grace. We should take like that. Even in my consideration I am in a position which is apparently suffering, we must accept as Kṛṣṅa's grace: "All right, I have surrendered to Kṛṣṅa. If Kṛṣṅa is giving me suffering, that's all right." That is surrender. "Oh, I have surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, and now Kṛṣṅa is giving me suffering? Oh, leave Kṛṣṅa consciousness," that is not surrender. Surrender means in any condition you'll remain surrendered. That is surrender. Not that I put my own condition, and if you satisfy me, then I shall... That is business; that is not surrender. Surrender means in any condition, fully surrendered to Kṛṣṅa.

Without hankering. What is the hankering? Why shall I be hankering? I know Kṛṣṅa will give me all protection; otherwise, why shall I hanker? Without hankering. Simple; no duplicity. Simple. The worldly men, they are duplicitous, speaking something cheater. That is the..., one of the qualification of materialistic man. He must be a cheater. There are four defects: commit mistake, to be illusioned, to become cheater, and imperfect senses. This is called material life, conditioned life. He must commit mistakes. However a great philosopher...

We are talking about the philosophers; so many contradictory things they say. Because he's an ordinary man. How he can say the right thing? It is not possible. The right thing can be said only by liberated person. Therefore we take advice from the liberated person. Just like we are understanding all these from Vyāsadeva, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Meade's book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge.

Mannerly, prideless, grave. Grave means don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, but don't talk nonsense. Grave. That is called gravity. Grave. Sympathetic. We should be very much sympathetic. If some of our fellow men fall sick, we must take care of him, give help him.... Because, after all, we have got this body. Sometimes we may fall sick. So one..., we should be sympathetic. And friendly. Everyone friend. As Kṛṣṅa is friend of everyone, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29], so if we are Kṛṣṅa's representative, how I can be enemy of anyone else?

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

I must be friendly. Friendly. Poet. And expert. And silent. Silent worker, not advertising. Silent. These are the qualifications of Vaiṣṅava. So we must try to follow; not imitate, but follow. Follow, that is nice.

Then?

Pradyumna: "Out of these twenty-six prominent features of a devotee, as described by Kṛṣṅadāsa Kavirāja in his Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the qualification of being poetic is especially mentioned herein in relation to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. The presentation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by his recitation is the highest poetic contribution. He was a self-realized, learned sage. In other words, he was a poet amongst the sages. "

Prabhupāda: So? Next verse?

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse]

etac chuśrūṣatāṁ vidvan sūta no 'rhasi bhāṣitum kathā hari-kathodarkāḥ satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam [SB 2.3.14]

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Have kīrtana.

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