Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.13

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

sarve te 'nimiṣair akṣais tam anu druta-cetasaḥ vīkṣantaḥ sneha-sambaddhā vicelus tatra tatra ha [SB 1.10.13]

[break]

sarve—all; te—they; animiṣaiḥ—without twinkling of the eyes; akṣaiḥ—by the eye; tam anu—after Him; druta-cetasaḥ—melted heart; vīkṣantaḥ—looking upon Him; sneha-sambaddhāḥ—bound by pure affection; viceluḥ—began to move; tatra tatra—here and there; ha—so they did.

[01:35]

Translation: "All their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity."

Prabhupāda: Read the purport also.

Pradyumna: Purport: "Kṛṣṅa is naturally attractive for all living beings because He is the chief eternal amongst all eternals."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṅa, the very name suggests attractive. Kṛṣṅa means all-attractive. He has got, because He's complete, pūrṅa, so He has got all the attractive features from material point of view, spiritual point of view. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṅa. And He delivers the fallen souls from the miserable condition. He attracts and He delivers. Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Kṛṣṅa means Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ brahman iti śabdyate. Rāma also, the same thing, Paraṁ Brahman.

So Kṛṣṅa is all-attractive, by opulence, by His power. Our definition of God is very simple. We do not define God as avyakta. Avyakta means "cannot be explained." If you cannot explain, then what you will understand? The Māyāvādī, they says that God cannot be explained. In the Vedānta-sūtra there is a sūtra: na śabdyāt. I, I forget the... God is explainable. Because in the Vedas there are mantras. Sa aikṣata, sa asṛjata. He glanced over the material nature. He created. Sa aikṣata. So these things are explainable.

So we don't say that the Absolute Truth is not explicable. It is explicable. We have got our explanation: pūrṅa. Pūrṅa means complete. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. He's also a living entity like us.

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

[yelling in background]

[aside:] Ask the rascals to stop talking.

But He's pūrṅa. That is the difference. We are not pūrṅa. We are defective. Especially when we come in the material world, we are defective in so many respects. By nature, we are defective, or not pūrṅa, incomplete, subordinate. He's therefore called the nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām.

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

He's complete, the chief all living entities.

So how do we explain it? It is very simple thing. Suppose I am here, and you are here. So you may be better than me. Nobody is equal. You don't find. We don't find. In every respect, two bodies equal you won't find—in bodily features, in qualities, in action, in thinking, in feeling. All you'll find varieties. Var... That is... Variety is enjoyment. If I agree with you in every respect, then where is varieties? Just like if you are given a nice dish of foodstuff. Somebody says, "Give me this one." Another says, "Give me this one." So variety of taste. Although all sweetmeats are made of the same ingredient, sugar and yogurt or curd, but somebody says, "Give me this rasagullā," somebody, "The sandeśa..." Somebody says, "Give me pantua." They're made of the same ingredient, but it is different taste.

So you cannot neglect these varieties of taste. That is enjoyment. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

We are all ānandamaya, joyful. Therefore there must be varieties. Without varieties, there is no joy. Simply hackneyed, one thing, "Brahman, Brahman, Brahman," nobody likes it. They keep with "Brahman, Brahman," they fall down or they again comes to the explanation of this Bhāgavatam. I have seen so many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, by "Brahman, Brahman," they could not attract audience. Then come to Bhāgavata reading and explains in nonsense way all the Bhāgavata, Māyāvādī. But they come to...

Because Bhāgavata is full of varieties. But they explain their own way. I have seen one big Māyāvādī sannyāsī explaining Bhāgavata, that "God became pleased..." in some stanza. "So if you become pleased, then God becomes pleased." This was his explanation. If I am pleased by drinking wine, then God is also pleased. This is his explanation. Yes. I'm a grand debauch. By debauchery I am pleased. So God is also pleased by my debauchery. Because God and I, the same. This is their explanation.

So it is very difficult. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given one line of Vaiṣṅava behavior: asat-saṅga tyāga ei vaiṣṅava ācāra [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Simply to give up these rascals' association. The rascal means the Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī, yogī, all they are rascals. It is our open declaration. So we have to give up the company of these rascals. If we actually serious about advancing in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, we should not mix with them. We should not even invite them. Neither we shall take their foodstuff, accept their foodstuff. Dadāti pratigṛhṅāti bhuṅkte bhojayate ca... Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. Bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṅam [Upadeśāmṛta verse 4]. Prīti. If you want to make one friends, then these six kinds of dealings must be there. Dadāti.

Dadāti means there must be..., one must give something to the other, a friend. Just like I am friend. You are friend. I give you something. In return you give me something. Dadāti pratigṛhṅāti. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca: I open my mind to you, you also inquire confidential things from me. Or I inquire. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. And then bhuṅkte bhojayate: whatever you give me, I eat, and I give you, you eat. By these six kinds of dealings, prīti, love increases.

So in our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, we practice this. As far as possible, we are giving and taking. We are... We have made this program, Life Membership. We are giving our books, knowledge. Whatever we have got, little knowledge, we have written in our books, we are giving them: "Take it." And they are also giving: "Take this eleven hundred rupees." So this is dadāti pratigṛhṅāti. And they also come here to inquire: "Swāmījī, your movement is very nice. What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of that?" Guhyam ākhyāti, expresses their mind. Pṛcchati. They explain, "This is my position. I cannot do it. How can I do it?" And the Vaiṣṅavas reply them. Then we invite them in our Love Feast. In all our centers, we have got this arrangement.

We invite everyone: "Come on, take prasādam." And if somebody gives us something to eat, we also eat, provided he's not a Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī. Otherwise, we should not take. We can..., we cannot accept anything from these classes of men, atheist class. Then we'll be... Saṅgāt.

[Bengali aside:] Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ.

If we associate with these Māyāvādī, atheist class, karmī, jñānī, yogī, then we'll infect their quality.

So if we infect the Māyāvādī quality, karmī quality, jñānī quality, yogī quality... I see some of the students, still they practice some yoga āsana. That quality is not yet... He's not yet free. But this is nonsense. This is nonsense. We should, by promise, we should not associate with any of their qualities. That is... Asat-saṅga-tyāga-ei vaiṣṅava-ācāra, asat-eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṅābhakta āra [Cc Madhya 22.87]. Asat. Asat means bad element, bad association.

So asat-saṅga. We have to give up asat. "So who is asat, Sir?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu's speaking: asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṅava-ācāra. Vaiṣṅava's behavior, Vaiṣṅava's character should be simply to give up the company of the asat. Now, there are so many nice people, gentlemen. So if we give up, if we say everyone is asat... So we must know. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu next line gives: "Yes, asat eka strī-saṅgī." Eka strī-saṅgī. One asat is strī-saṅgī. Strī-saṅgī means too much attached to women. Or attached to women. Or attached to women. Too much or little—it doesn't matter. Attached to women. He's asat. And kṛṣṅa-abhakta—and who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṅa.

So these Māyāvādīs, karmī, jñānī, yogī, they are not kṛṣṅa-bhaktas. They'll say, "Kṛṣṅa is not God. I am God. I am also God. Kṛṣṅa is not God. I am God, but Kṛṣṅa is not God." This is their version. Therefore they're rascals. "I am God." They'll declare, "I am God. You are God. But Kṛṣṅa is not God. Except Kṛṣṅa, everyone is God." This is their version. So how much rascal they are we must know. So therefore we should give up their company. Asat-saṅga-tyāga vaiṣṅava-ācāra. Otherwise, asat...

Asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṅa... There are strī-saṅga, vaidha-avaidha. Vaidha means regular, according to śāstra. According to śāstra means restricted. Śāstra restricts. Śāstra means śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu means śāsana, ruling. From śās-dhātu, śāstra has come, śastra, weapon, has come. And śās-dhātu, from śās-dhātu, śiṣya also comes. These words are derived from śās-dhātu: śāstra, śastra, śāsana. Śāsana means ruling. Sanskrit is very nice language. From one verbal root you can manufacture so many words; therefore it is very difficult to make Sanskrit dictionary. It is very difficult. The so-called Sanskrit dictionaries available in the market, you won't find all the words. It is not possible. Because so many words are manufactured by one dhātu. How many they will add? But there is one book... What is the name of that book? Meaning, this word means this, this, this, that...?

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Devotee: Synonyms and antonyms.

Prabhupāda: What is that? Name?

Devotee: It's a...?

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Devotee (2): Thesaurus.

Prabhupāda: Disorder?

Bhavānanda: Thesaurus. Thesaurus.

Prabhupāda: Oh. The Sanskrit name or Persian[?] name?

Bhavānanda: No, that is the name for the book. Any book which gives so many different words, word meanings for one word, is called thesaurus.

Prabhupāda: So this śāstra, śāstra-vidhi. Śāstra-vidhi. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantoḥ. Nityā hi. Na hi tatra codanā. One does not require encouragement. One is not taught in the school how to learn sexual intercourse. No. These things are already there. Nitya, nityā hi jantoḥ. Every living entity has got these propensities: intoxication, sex intercourse... Vyavāya āmiṣa. Āmiṣa: meat-eating, fish eating. They're there already. One does not require to be educated how to eat meat, how to drink, how to use sexual intercourse. No. It is already there. Nityā hi... Na hi tatra codanā. There is no need of encouragement.

Then why the śāstra's ordering that "You eat meat in this way. You drink in this way. You have sexual intercourse in this way"? What is the purpose? The purpose is to restrict him. Because by natural propensity he'll have... Just like in Western countries there is no marriage practically. But they have sexual intercourse. They think, "Sex is there, available. Why we should bound ourself by marriage tie?"

They think like that. So why the marriage is there? Just to restrict. Without marriage, the man and woman will be open to so many other men and women. Therefore it is to restrict: one man, one woman. Otherwise, if you associate with so many men and so many women, this is animalism. So in order to check him from the animal life, sex intercourse, the marriage is there. This is the purpose.

Therefore śāstra. Śāstra means simply restrict. One who is accustomed to restriction, he's perfect. Not indulgence. The animals are not restricted. But nowadays, better animal is restricted. They have got a time for sexual intercourse. But these, these animals, the four-, two-legged, two-hands animal, they have no restriction. Any time. Less than animal. Therefore śāstra is there.

So vaidha. Vaidha means what is sanctioned by the śāstra. That is vaidha strī-saṅga. Yes. One may have association with the women... There must be association with women. By God's creation, there is man, woman. They're meant for being united. So there in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that dharmāviruddho kāmaḥ aham: "When sex intercourse is there according to the śāstra, that is I am. That is I am." Dharmāviruddhaḥ. So there are rules and regulation, how to have sex life.

So... There are two kinds of association with women: vaidha and avaidha. Vaidha means according to śāstra, and avaidha means without any restriction, without any restriction of the śāstra. So asat, eka strī-saṅgī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. And the sahajiyās, rascals, they interpret asat eka strī-saṅgī: one who has got only one wife, he's asat; one must have many wives. The sahajiyās, you know, they keep so many women, like monkeys, in their company. You see. They have interpreted in this way. Asat eka strī-saṅgī.

So we, we, śāstra restricts, but rascals, they interpret in a different way, and they enjoy. The real purpose comes... Just like what is that sannyāsī in Australia who wrote against... What is the name?

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Where is Pradyumna? What is the name of that rascal sannyāsī? In Australia?

Devotee: Agananda. Agananda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Austria, Austria.

Devotee: Agananda. Agananda.

Devotee (2): No. Agananda Bharati.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Pradyumna: Agehananda Bharati.

Prabhupāda: Ajnanananda? No?

Pradyumna: Agehananda

Prabhupāda: Agehananda. That rascal says that "This, this is our ultimate goal: unrestricted eating meat and sex." Is it not? Did he not say like that?

Devotee (3): No, I think that's Rajneesh Acarya.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee (3): Rajneesh Acarya says that one should have unrestricted sex life.

Prabhupāda: So there are so many rascals. Therefore...

Indian man: Shakespeare writes in his books that marriage is nothing but legal prostitution.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is their interpretation. Marriage, Vedic śāstra enjoins marriage, and it is for prostitution. Just see the interpretation. All the great ṛṣis, they recommended: "Yes, you can go on, prostitution, with your prostitution, under the sanction of the śāstra." No, it is not that. The real purpose is to restrict. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating is recommended in Vedic literature.

There is Kālī-pūjā. Kālī-pūjā, by sacrificing one goat before Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī's worshiped on the amāvasyā. Amāvasyā takes place once in a month. Therefore these rascals who are meat-eaters, they'll be restricted. If they accept the śāstra, "No, no, if we eat meat from the butcher's place, then we shall be sinful. Let us eat meat..." Just like in Calcutta you'll find so many butchers, they have kept one Goddess Kālī deity so that people will think now it is not sinful. Here the māṁsa, the meat is not..., it is sanctified. Hindu-brāhmaṅa-kati[?].

So these things are going on. Actually, it is restriction. And even when there is bali, the sacrifice is given, the mantra means, the mantra says that "This man is killing you. You'll get next life a human being. But you have the opportunity, option, to kill him." This is the mantra. Now, if somebody's responsible, he'll certainly think that "I am going to be killed by this goat again?" Māṁsa khadati. Mām: "He will eat me." That is māṁsa. So no responsible man will take that responsibility that "I will kill this animal. Again he'll become a man and he'll kill me. No, no. Stop this business."

So this is the process of restriction. Similarly those who are drunkards, for them is recommended by offering liquor to Caṅḍī, they can drink. Similarly, marriage is also like that. It is restriction. It is not prostitution. It is restriction. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā [Manu Smṛti, 5.56]. This is natural tendency. If you want, if one can stop it, that is called tapasya. And human life becomes perfect by tapasya.

tapasā brahmacaryeṅa śamena damena ca tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ yamena niyamena vā [SB 6.1.13]

[To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.]

This is human life. Not like animals, unrestricted. Animals are also restricted. So vaidha-avaidha. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has strongly restricted, that "Don't associate with these rascals. Asat." Asat means those who are interested in material affairs. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction. That is Vedic injunction: sad gama. Just try to make progress towards sat, oṁ tat sat. Don't be interested in asat. Asato mā sad gama, jyotir gama. So these are the Vedic injunctions.

So because these Pāṅḍavas and their families were all sat by association of Kṛṣṅa, therefore they were all perplexed within their mind, that "Kṛṣṅa is going back to His home. How we shall live? How we can give up Kṛṣṅa?" Those who are actually devotee of Kṛṣṅa, they cannot give up Kṛṣṅa at any risk. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, and the Haridāsa Ṭhākura in this Navadvīpa area. He was a Muhammadan. He took to kṛṣṅa-nāma. The Kazi called him, "You are Muhammadan. Why you are taking this kṛṣṅa-nāma?" "What is the fault, sir? There are many Hindus, they also become Muslim. So I like this." So he was punished. But he did not give up. He did not give up. One cannot give up. Prahlāda Mahārāja could not give up.

So that is explained, that sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. As soon as one associates with Kṛṣṅa's name, he associates with Kṛṣṅa. Therefore asat, māyā, cannot touch him. If he's purely chanting, without any offense, māyā cannot touch him. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir... [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

And as soon as māyā cannot touch him, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam.

The blazing fire of material existence extinguished immediately. This is the first gain. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra offenselessly, the first gain is mukti. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam means mukti. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, nāmābhāsa, not pure name. As soon as one comes to the platform of chanting pure Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, without any offense, he becomes immediately enhanced in love with Kṛṣṅa, prema, kṛṣṅa-prema.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting as ācārya. He was crying. Tava nāma-grahaṅe bhaviṣyati [Cc Antya 20.36]. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṅa me [Śikṣāṣṭaka 7].

[O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.]

So what is that verse? Prā..., cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Tava nāma, kadā tava nāma-grahaṅe bhaviṣyati. This is the ultimate, ultimate realization of chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, that one should cry. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said like that. So Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's name, identical.

These Pāṅḍavas were so purified by association of Kṛṣṅa. So they were thinking, "How we shall live? If Kṛṣṅa goes away to Dvārakā, then how we can live?" In this way, they could not make any solution. They were loitering here and there. Just like when you are disturbed in mind, you loiter, "What to do, what to do, what to do?" So they were doing that.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. Now begin. [end]