Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.16

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṅya-tīrtha-niṣevaṅāt [SB 1.2.16]

[break] [leads chanting of synonyms]

śuśrūṣoḥ—one who is engaged in hearing; śraddadhānasya—with care and attention; vāsudeva—in respect to Vāsudeva; kathā—the message; ruciḥ—affinity; syāt—is made possible; mahat-sevayā—by service rendered to pure devotees; viprāḥ—O twice-born; puṅya-tīrtha—those who are cleansed of all vice; niṣevaṅāt—by service.

[03:10]

Translation: "O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva."

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṅya-tīrtha-niṣevaṅāt [SB 1.2.16]

So our purpose is, as described in the previous verses, how to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. Our present consciousness is absorbed in so many external subject matter. One is self-centered, bodily conscious; some of them are family-wise, family conscious. Some of them community conscious, society conscious, nation conscious or international conscious. Utmost. No more; finish their business. But still, you have to extend more and more. "International" means within this u..., within this planet. But what is this planet? It is only insignificant spot within the universe.

So if you increase your consciousness more and more, then it may be interplanetary consciousness. But what is this interplanetary? This universe contains millions of planets. That's all right. But there are millions of universes also. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa-koṭi [Bs 5.40].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]

Not only one universe. This universe which we are seeing, this is only one of them.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu compared this universe... One devotee, he requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My Lord, You have come. Please liberate all the people of this universe. And if they are sinful, so all their sins I may take, but they may be delivered." This is Vaiṣṅava philosophy. "Others may be delivered by the grace of the Lord; I may rot in the hell. That doesn't matter." Not that "First of all I go to the heaven, and others may rot." This is not Vaiṣṅava philosophy. Vaiṣṅava philosophy is, "I may rot in the hell, but others may be delivered." Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ [Maṅgalācaraṅa 9].

Vaiṣṅava is meant for delivering all the fallen souls. Just like a very good example: Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Christian idea, he took all the sins of all people and he sacrificed his life. Very good example. Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura also. There... Nityānanda Prabhu. The Vaiṣṅava is always eager how to deliver all these fallen souls rotting in the hell of māyā. Therefore here it is recommended, syān mahat-sevayā. You have to take shelter of a mahat. Mahat means mahātmā or Vaiṣṅava.

Mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is mahātmā: sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That mahātmā, simply by dressing like me with a saffron cloth, does not become a mahātmā. The mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg 7.19]

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

There are many mahātmās, but one who has understood Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa, is the cause of all causes...

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1]

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

He's mahātmā. One who knows that Kṛṣṅa, Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the origin of everything... Kṛṣṅa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ [Bg 10.8]

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

Actually one who knows things as they are, they understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg 7.19],

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

"Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa, is the root of everything." Here also it is stated that śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeve..., vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ [SB 1.2.16]. To know, to become inquisitive about Kṛṣṅa, to know about Him, this is required. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said,

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa ihā haite kṛṣṅe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa [Cc Ādi 2.117]

Siddhānta, to become a pure devotee, a staunch devotee of Kṛṣṅa, one has to learn about Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is, therefore, coming personally to teach us what He is. That is required. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruci [SB 1.2.16]. Our life is meant for becoming Kṛṣṅa conscious. Ruci.

This ruci is very important thing. Ruci means... Just like we like to eat some favorable food. That is called ruci. Somebody is interested in eating some salty food, somebody's interested some sweet food, spicy food... Just like we have got taste for different types of food, similarly, when we shall increase our taste, propensity for Kṛṣṅa, that is the beginning of our perfection. Before that, we are in the material consciousness.

When we increase the taste for Kṛṣṅa, for understanding Kṛṣṅa... This ruci comes when one is actually liberated. This ruci. Tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. First of all, śraddadhānasya. As it is stated here, śraddhā, faith. Kṛṣṅa is... Kṛṣṅa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7]:

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

"There is no more superior authority than Me." Mattaḥ parataraṁ na anyat. Na, "Nobody else. I am the Supreme."

So when we have faith in this explanation of Kṛṣṅa... As Arjuna said... Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava [Bg 10.14]:

[O Kṛṣṅa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.]

"My dear Kṛṣṅa, whatever You are saying, I accept them in toto, word to word." This is required. Not that I give up this portion, I give up that portion, whatever is to my purpose... Just like sometimes the politicians, scholars, they also try to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Because Bhagavad-gītā is very authoritative book, they want to exploit. They do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā; otherwise they would have preached Kṛṣṅa.

Because what is Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa, the supreme. That is to be taught. That is to be understood. That is Bhagavad-gītā. Not that keeping Bhagavad-gītā in front, a scapegoat, I become great politician and great scholar and give my own opinion: "In my opinion, it is like this." This is nonsense. What you are, your opinion? We don't care, we don't care for all these nonsense who gives his own opinion, as if Kṛṣṅa left something to be opined by another rascal. This is their business. He becomes greater than Kṛṣṅa, to interpret Kṛṣṅa's words. This is rascaldom. We don't accept.

We accept yad vadasi keśava, following the footsteps of Arjuna, who directly understood Bhagavad-gītā. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṅa, whatever You say, I accept them as it is." Then others may say, "Well, Arjuna was Kṛṣṅa's friend. So just to flatter Him, he might have said like that." No. Arjuna gave immediately evidences that "I..., not only I accept You, but great personalities like Vyāsa, Nārada, Devala, Asita and many others." Authorities. Just like when you speak something in the legal court, you give evidences from other judgment, authorities. That is a good case.

Similarly, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṅa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg 10.12]:

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

"My dear Kṛṣṅa, I accept You. You are the Supreme Brahman." Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahmeti bhagavān, paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Therefore Bhagavān is paraṁ brahma. Simply impersonal Brahman realization is not finishing the business. You have to go further, further, further. In the Īśopaniṣad it is said, "My dear Lord, kindly wind up Your blazing effulgence so that I can see You actually." That is stated in the Īśopaniṣad.

So one should not be, I mean to say, amazed simply by realization of impersonal Brahman. There is further business. Brahmeti paramātmeti. Just like we are experiencing daily the sunshine. So if we become satisfied with the sunshine only—"Now we have come to the light"—that is not perfection. You go to the sun planet.

Because from there, from the sun planet, the sunshine is coming out. So the source of sunshine is the sun planet. But unfortunately, it is very difficult to enter into the sun planet. And if you enter into the sun planet, you'll find there is a predominating deity whose name is Vivasvān, god, sun-god. These are the statements. As Bhagava..., Bhagavad-gītā says,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt [Bg 4.1]

[The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.]

So formerly people used to go to the sun planet. It requires such yogic mystic power. Just like Durvāsā Muni, he used to travel all over the universe and beyond the universe. He reached to the Vaikuṅṭha planet also by yogic power, and he returned within one year. So it is possible. You can go. The yogīs, the perfect yogīs, they can transfer them to any planet they desire. Any planet they desire. These are stated in the śāstras, in the Bhāgava..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So to become Kṛṣṅa conscious, that is the highest perfection of life. Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, impersonal effulgence. Just like the sunshine. Then localized sun, the sun globe. Then further, if you are able to enter the sun globe, you'll find there is a predominating deity. There are also cities and palaces—everything, just like in this planet.

But this planet is made prominently of earth, and that planet is made predominantly of fire. That is the difference. Fire is also one of the elements, material elements—earth, water, fire, air. So if this planet is made of earth, why not other planet made of fire? What is the scientific reason to deny it? Because I cannot live in the fire, it does not mean other living entities cannot live there.

There are different kinds of living entities. Just like you cannot live within the water, within the ocean, but there are other living entities... Just like fish. They live very comfortably within the water. So why should we conclude that there is no life in the sun planet or moon planet? This is not perfect knowledge. From Vedic books we can understand that this moon planet is one of the heavenly planets, and people live there. They are demigods. Their duration of life is very long. And one can go to that planet by performing the rituals. They are described.

In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, yānti deva-vratā devān. If you are serious to go to the planets where demigods live, you can go. There are rules and regulation, rituals. Just like if you want to pass law examination, you prepare for that examination, and you pass, you become a lawyer. You become an engineer.

Similarly, any planet you want to go, you prepare in this life. Don't degrade yourself to become again cats and dogs, but you prepare yourself to be promoted to the other, higher planetary system, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ [Bg 14.18].

[Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.]

You can go there. Kṛṣṅa says. Kṛṣṅa says,

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25]

[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]

So there is another planet... Not another planet, another nature, sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg 8.20]. There is another nature, eternal nature. That is called Vaikuṅṭhaloka. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg 15.6]. Every dhāma, every place, is Kṛṣṅa's. He is the supreme proprietor. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg 5.29]: "I am the proprietor."

[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.]

But there are differentiation, paraṁ dhāma and aparaṁ dhāma. This is aparaṁ dhāma. This material world is aparaṁ dhāma, inferior nature. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. There is another prakṛti, another nature. There is Vaikuṅṭhaloka. Not one, two, but millions, unlimited. And the topmost planet is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is mad-dhāma, Kṛṣṅa says, or tad-dhāma.

So all these informations are there. Simply we have to know. Unfortunately, because we are too much materially absorbed, we cannot understand. We cannot understand. Neither we are very much interested to know. So vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There is no ruci, because they are conditioned by the material nature, by the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa... Tamo-guṅa is the lowest, rajo-guṅa is the via media, and one who is the sattva-guṅa, he can understand.

Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is meant for making people brāhmaṅa. Not to keep him in ignorance, not to keep him in the position of a śūdra. The whole Vedic scheme is that from the lowest grade of li..., existence, one can be elevated to the highest grade. Śudhyanti. Śudhyanti, purification. That is purification. In ordinary life also there are purificatory methods, daśa-vidha-saṁskāra.

That purificatory method begins before the birth, which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Not that a man, a high-caste brāhmaṅa or kṣatriya or even vaiśya... Especially brāhmaṅa and kṣatriya. Especially brāhmaṅa. He's not meant for giving birth to a child like cats and dogs. He has to observe the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In the śāstra it is said in a brāhmaṅa family, if the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, he immediately falls down to the śūdra class. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ.

Because this garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, therefore it is to be taken, accepted, everyone is a śūdra. But the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is to again elevate the śūdra to the standard of brāhmaṅa. This is the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Because without brāhmaṅa... Just like without head, what is the value of your body? Brāhmaṅa means the head.

mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha catvāro jajñire varṅā viprādayaḥ pṛthak guṅair [SB 11.5.2]

Brāhmaṅa means the head. Therefore brāhmaṅa is offered so much respect. Because head, without head... In the head, in the brain, you conceive something, and the hands and legs, they execute the order. Similarly, the head of the society, they should be the brāhmaṅas. They are not interested in capturing political power. No. Brāhmaṅa is to give instruction. We find from Vedic literature, there were committees, privy council committees of great sages and brāhmaṅas. They would give the king advice that "You rule in this way." And if the king is disobedient, sometimes the brāhmaṅas would dethrone them or kill them. That was Vedic system.

We find from the life and ruling of Mahārāja Pṛthu, how he was ruling over the world, how he was observing that every community, either brāhmaṅa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, they were properly employed. There was no unemployment question. It was the duty of the king to see that not a single man is unemployed. He must be engaged. So they made arrangement like that.

So what is the idea? The idea is to elevate everyone gradually to the position of brāhmaṅa and Vaiṣṅava, and thus make their life perfect. That is the scheme of Vedic civilization. Cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

Not that "Keep the śūdras or the mlecchas in the downtrodden position, and let me advance." No. Everyone should cooperate. Why the śūdras or mlecchas and yavanas should remain as such? Actually, India's falldown is meant by that process. Nobody cared. So many Muslims, they converted, but the higher caste, they did not care: "Oh, they have become Muslims. Reject them." Why reject? Kṛṣṅa says,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Why these Muslims were neglected? Why they were not turned into Vaiṣṅavas, just like we are doing? This is the fault of the leaders. Therefore India is now divided, Pakistan and Hindustan.

So if we actually try to understand Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa consciousness, there is solution for all the problems of society, of government and everything. It is not a sentimental movement. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. One must increase the taste for understanding Kṛṣṅa. Just like Kṛṣṅa came. He came not only to dance with the gopīs. He took part in politics. He killed so many demons. He established good government. He showed how householders' life.

Kṛṣṅa.... It is all described in our Kṛṣṅa book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He was lying with His beautiful queens, and as soon as there is cock crow, immediately He would rise, early in the morning, three o'clock. The queens will be disgusted: "Now it is early in the morning. Kṛṣṅa will go away." But Kṛṣṅa immediately gave up the company of the wife and immediately rise and immediately take bath and do the needful, as it is enjoined in the Vedic performance. He's ideal gṛhastha.

He will give in charity every day thirteen thousands of cows to the brāhmaṅas. Read all these things. Don't think that Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is simply dugdughi.[?] Not dugdughi. It includes everything, all-pervasive. Kṛṣṅa is ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

Kṛṣṅa is the root of everything. Therefore anything you conceive of—politics, sociology, philosophy, religion, anything—there is adjustment if you become Kṛṣṅa conscious. That is the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ [Bg 3.21].

[Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.]

Therefore we want some leading personalities to become Kṛṣṅa conscious so that others will follow. So that others will follow. But if we go some leading personality, minister or prime minister, "Oh, we are secular. We have rejected Kṛṣṅa, that's all." Nonsense, what is your value, rejecting your Kṛṣṅa? Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṅāḥ [SB 5.18.12].

[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]

You are rejected.

You have no good qualification. You have rejected Kṛṣṅa; therefore we reject you. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṅāḥ. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṅa conscious, he has no value. We don't give any value, however he may pose himself as a very great man. No. We say, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṅāḥ. Mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ. "Because you are not Kṛṣṅa consciousness, you are hovering on the mental plane. Therefore you must fall down." This is the conclusion of śāstra.

So here it is, śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya [SB 1.2.16]. Just like you all people have gathered, there is śraddhā, that "Let us hear something about Kṛṣṅa, what Swāmījī's spoke, speaking." This is called śraddhā. This śraddhā has to be increased. Then when you come to the point of ruci, vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ, that is the beginning of our perfection.

At the present moment, there is no ruci, no taste. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There are so many exalted persons, but they have no ruci, they have no taste. They have lost all taste. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There are two faults. Either people could not preach properly so that they could not create taste of the people in general... It is not the fault of the people in general; it is the fault of the so-called preachers also. Because they could not create taste, they wanted to take the place of Kṛṣṅa. That was their purpose. Imitation Kṛṣṅa. Imitation God. That will not do.

You have to create taste, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. 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.]

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he first met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he offered this prayer: namo mahā-vadānyāya, "You are the most munificent incarnation because You are giving Kṛṣṅa. You are giving Kṛṣṅa. You are..., You are greater than Kṛṣṅa." Mahā-vadānyāya. Because Kṛṣṅa asked everybody to surrender. He did not give Himself immediately. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's also Kṛṣṅa, in the form of devotee, He's giving Himself, "Take Me," without any price.

So vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ [SB 1.2.16]. People should be educated how to increase the taste for understanding Kṛṣṅa. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Everyone should come forward. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. One should behave himself as Kṛṣṅa conscious; then he will be able to make others Kṛṣṅa conscious—not by theoretical knowledge, but by behavior. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya.

So this is required. It is a very, very, very important movement. Any leader of the society, any political leader, any social leader, they should study. Our only request is that "Please try to understand this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement." Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛ says that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. It is not blindly accepting. Vicāra. Just judge yourself how great important this movement is. Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra, vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra [Cc Ādi 8.15]. If you are sober, thoughtful, you'll find it is sublime. It is sublime.

So that is our request. The people who are leaders of the society, they should take this Kṛṣṅa conscious movement very seriously, study, and then give their judgment, and people will be happy.

Thank you very much. [end]