Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.20

Devotee: ...Rādhā-Mādhava?

Prabhupāda: [indistinct]

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: No, that I sing, but you do not sing before me?

Devotee: No, you sing firstly. Then we sing. [laughter]

Prabhupāda: Oh. [leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava, then prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break]

[05:25]

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

so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena sakhyā priyeṅa suhṛdā hṛdayena śūnyaḥ adhvany urukrama-parigraham aṅga rakṣan gopair asadbhir abaleva vinirjito 'smi [SB 1.15.20]

saḥ—that; aham—myself; nṛpa-indra—O Emperor; rahitaḥ—bereft of; puruṣa-uttamena—by the Supreme Lord; sakhyā—by my friend; priyeṅa—by my dearmost; suhṛdā—by the well-wisher; hṛdayena—by the heart and soul; śūnyaḥ—vacant; adhvani—recently; urukrama-parigraham—the wives of the all-powerful; aṅga—bodies; rakṣan—while protecting; gopaiḥ—by the cowherds; asadbhiḥ—by the infidels; abalā iva—like a weak woman; vinirjitaḥ asmi—I have been defeated.

[10:24]

Translation: "O Emperor, now I am separated from my friend and dearmost well-wisher, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore my heart appears to be void of everything. In His absence I have been defeated by a number of infidel cowherdsmen while I was guarding the bodies of all the wives of Kṛṣṅa."

Prabhupāda: So after departure of Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's all the wives, 16,108, they were being taken care of by Arjuna. But some cowherdsmen, they plundered all the queens, and Arjuna could not protect him..., protect them.

So this is the instance, that we may be very powerful so long Kṛṣṅa keeps us powerful. We are not independently powerful, even in the case of Arjuna. We are very much proud of our janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ [SB 1.8.26].

[My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted, because one who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot address You with sincere feeling.]

The material world, everyone is very much proud of his birth, riches, education and beauty. Beauty. These four things are obtained as result of pious activities. And as a result of impious activities, the opposite number: not birth in a very nice family or nation; no wealth, poverty; no education; and no beauty. But one should know that these assets, material assets...

Just like you American people, you have got nice assets. You are born of a very respectful nation—American nations are still honored all over the world. So that's a good opportunity for you, janma. You are born in... Every American is... In comparison to India, every American is rich man, because any ordinary man earns here at least four thousand, five thousand rupees. And in India, even the high-court judge, he cannot earn so much. Utmost four thousand. So you should be conscious that by the grace of Kṛṣṅa you have got all these things.

There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful—everything. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ. But if you do not become Kṛṣṅa conscious, if you misuse these assets, then again punar mūṣiko bhava. You know the story, punar mūṣiko bhava? Anyone knows?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Punar mūṣiko bhava means "Again you become a mouse." [laughter] A mouse came to a saintly person: "Sir, I am very much troubled." "What is that?" People generally go to saintly person for some material profit. That is the nature, animalistic nature. Why you should go to a saintly person for some material benefit? No. You go there to learn what is God. That is real business. Anyway, saintly persons sometimes receive. "So, what you want?" Just like Lord Śiva, his devotees are all like that, mouse, want something. "Sir, this cat troubles me very much." "So what do you want?" "Let me become a cat." "All right, you become a cat." So he became a cat.

Then after few days, he came back: "Sir, still I am in trouble." "What is that?" "The dogs, [laughter] they trouble us very much." "So what do you want?" "Now I want to become a dog." "All right, you become." Then after few days, one after... There is nature's arrangement: one is weak, one is strong. That is nature's arrangement. So after all, he wanted to become a tiger. So by the grace of the saintly person he became a tiger. And when he became a tiger, he was staring on the saintly person, like "Oh."

[Prabhupāda makes a face; devotees laugh]

So the saintly person asked him, "You want to eat me?" "Yes." "Oh, then you may again become a mouse. [laughter] If by my grace, by my favor, you have become tiger, so I will again condemn you to become a mouse."

So you American people, you have become tiger now, Nixon tiger. But if you don't behave obligely, if you don't feel obliged... If the tiger feels obliged that "By the grace of the saintly person, I have come to the stage of becoming a tiger. I must be very much obliged to him." But instead of becoming obliged, if you want to eat, then again become a mouse. If the saintly person has got the power to make you from mouse to tiger, then he can convert you again from tiger to mouse. You must always remember this.

So by the grace of God, Kṛṣṅa, you have become so powerful nation—rich, beautiful, educated. By grace of Kṛṣṅa you have become, but if you forget Kṛṣṅa, then you are again going to be mouse. Remember that. Nobody will care for you. Just like Englishmen: Englishmen, they established the British Empire, great, powerful, most powerful nation in the world. Now they are not so. Because they misused their power. So you get power, opulence, by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṅa. And if you misuse it, then you become again... That is happening. That is the nature's law. Nature's law.

So here, Arjuna, by his personal behavior, he is showing that "Without Kṛṣṅa... I was so great fighter that I took charge of the sixteen thousand wives of Kṛṣṅa to take them safely. Because Kṛṣṅa passed away, so they must be given protection." He was Kṛṣṅa's friend, but he could not do so. All the queens were plundered by cowherdsmen. Therefore he says that gopair asadbhiḥ. Cowherdsmen, they are not very powerful. They are ordinary men, cowherdsmen. But Arjuna was kṣatriya, so powerful, so he was defeated by them. Therefore he is regretting that asadbhiḥ: "If I would have been defeated by another powerful person, that would have been glory. But I have been defeated by the cowherdsmen." Just see. Asadbhiḥ. They are not counted amongst gentlemen. Asadbhir abaleva.

Abaleva. Abalā, another name of the woman. Just like if somebody attacks woman... Any young man, when he has got sixteen years old, he can attack any woman. But a woman, even though she is sixteen years or eighteen years or twenty years, she becomes immediately victim. So abaleva. Even the woman is higher in age, still, she cannot protect. Therefore woman requires protection. Woman requires protection. According to Vedic culture, woman has no independence. Because they cannot keep their independence. It is not possible. A sixteen-year-old boy can go safely all over the world, but a sixteen-year girl cannot. That is not possible.

By nature, they are weak. So they require protection. And until she reaches youthhood, she is protected by the father. As soon as she reaches youthhood, she is given to a young man, her husband, to give protection. And in old age she is protected by the elderly sons. This is the Vedic culture. There are three phases of life: childhood, youthhood and old age. So... Because they are weak. In the Western countries, the women are given freedom like man, but that is unnatural. Unnatural. Therefore these poor souls are being exploited by the other section. It is a great deficiency of the Western sociology.

But the Vedic culture is different from this. Woman is not given independence. And generally one man marries more than one wife. That is Vedic culture. Just like see Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa has 16,108. That is allowed. Kṛṣṅa was Personality of Godhead. He could maintain... Why sixteen? Sixteen millions wife. That is not difficult for Him. But even ordinary man, kṣatriyas especially, they used to marry more than one wife. Still. Not only wife, but one wife, one princess is married, and along with her, hundred, two hundred maidservants, they will go with the king. Just like when Vasudeva was married to Devakī, some hundreds of maidservant was given with. So women... The conclusion is that women are weak. They should be given protection. They should not be ill-treated. Just like a father gives protection to the children. It does not mean it is ill-treatment. There is no question of. But protection. Otherwise, abaleva, they can be victimized by any man, powerful, because man is powerful.

So so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena. We also require. Don't be proud, "Because I am man, I don't require protection." Here it is said, Kṛṣṅa said, er, Arjuna said, puruṣottamena so 'haṁ rahitaḥ: "Now I have no protection." Arjuna was so great hero. Still, he required protection. Puruṣottamena. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer. The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṅa. If He does not give protection, you cannot enjoy your life. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says... Kṛṣṅa is giving protection, but not as much as He wants to give you protection, because you deny to accept it. Because you deny to accept His protection, therefore He is giving protection to you as much as you want. And if you want full protection, then the condition is, 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 your own manufactured, concocted means of protection. You just surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection." Protection for what? "Protection from sinful activities."

We are victimized by our sinful activities due to ignorance. We do not know what to do, what not to do. Out of ignorance we do something, and we become victimized by the laws of nature. But if you surrender to Kṛṣṅa, He will give you protection. You will never be victimized. You will never be victimized. Because Kṛṣṅa says,

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te [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.]

Kṛṣṅa will guide you. Kṛṣṅa is within yourself, and He can speak to you. You can hear Him also, provided you are fully surrendered.

So it does not mean that Arjuna was not fully surrendered. Arjuna was fully surrendered, and Arjuna was fully protected by Kṛṣṅa. Neither these queens, sixteen thousand queens, could be plundered away by some cowherdsmen. But the... It is an instance that even a person like Arjuna, he will be helpless without Kṛṣṅa. He will be helpless, what to speak of ourselves. He will be helpless. That is his... He is showing that example. Kṛṣṅa was... So 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena: "Now I am bereft of the association of my dearest friend, Kṛṣṅa." Sakhyā. Sakha means friend. Sakhyā priyeṅa. Not only friend; very dear friend, priyeṅa. Suhṛdā. Suhṛdā means... Suhṛt. There are different kinds of friends. But suhṛt is a friend who always thinks of his friend how he will be happy. That is called suhṛt. That is... This description is given about the devotees also. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29].

[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.]

A devotee is always thinking how whole world will be happy. Suhṛdaṁ sarva... Not only human being, but animals, birds, trees, beasts, everyone. A devotee does not like to see even a grass is unreasonably cut. That is devotee [indistinct]. That is the...

Therefore Vaiṣṅava... What is that? Vaiṣṅavānām? Vaiṣṅava is happy. Just like, take Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja said... Prahlāda Mahārāja was praying Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to pacify Him. So the commentator says that Prahlāda Mahārāja might have been very much afraid of this ferocious feature of the Lord, Nṛsiṁhadeva. So he assured Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My dear Lord, don't think that I am afraid of Your this feature. No, no." Naivodvije. "Neither I am afraid of this materialistic existence." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṅyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ [SB 7.9.43]. "I am quite confident that I have no fear." And he has practically seen that his father teased him in so many ways, but at last he was protected. So why he should not believe? He knows that "I am dedicated my life to Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa is not so ungrateful that He will not give me protection. How it is possible?"

But one who does not believe in Kṛṣṅa, he thinks that he will protect himself. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām [SB 2.1.2].

[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]

Those who are not God-realized, they think that they will be protected by their society, friendship, love, country, nation, like that. But that is not possible. Just like you are flying in the sky so many aeroplanes at a time. Sometimes in a bunch, in a group, they fly. But if one of the aeroplane is in danger, no other aeroplane can help him. He'll finish. So similarly, we are also flying as aeroplane in the open sky. The protection... You don't expect protection from your so-called society, friendship and love, materially. When there is question of danger, you have to protect with your own strength.

Therefore if we want actually protection, we should take protection of the Supreme, Kṛṣṅa, or His devotee. Kṛṣṅa is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29]:

[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 am the friend of everyone." He can become friend. He is living within our heart as friend. But we refuse the guidance of such a nice friend. That is our misfortune. Kṛṣṅa is so kind, so friendly, that you are... Just like one bird is flying from one tree to another, and another bird is following him. So similarly, we are flying from one body to another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

And Kṛṣṅa does not leave us. He also going with you, just to give you guidance. But we won't give Him. Just like father... It is very natural. Father naturally wants to guide the son, without any motive. That is father's nature. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa, or God, the supreme father, is naturally inclined to give us protection. Naturally.

Therefore He comes, Kṛṣṅa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg 4.7]. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

Kṛṣṅa's two business. First of all, preaching, these rascals who have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, that "We are very intimately related. I am the father of all living entities. So you come to Me, come to home. You will be happy. I am not poor. I can provide you with all necessities." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]. That one can provide everyone with necessities of life. Actually He is doing. What government is doing for the cats and dogs and the ants and the trees? They are not doing anything. Rather, they are cutting. When there is jungle, for their paper mill they are cutting all the trees. No protection for the trees. They are all cutting all the throats of the cows and animals for eating. So the government cannot give protection. Nobody can give protection. Only Kṛṣṅa can give you protection. Therefore we should always seek the protection of Kṛṣṅa. That is our security, not any other thing.

So suhṛt means... Kṛṣṅa is suhṛt. Suhṛt means who always, I mean to say, trying for our welfare. He comes Himself, and even though we do not accept... 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.]

Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

He gives plain advice, that "You always think of Me, become My devotee, offer your respect, obeisances, unto Me. That will make your life perfect." But we shall not do that. We shall not do that. We shall think of so many other things, but we will never accept thinking of Kṛṣṅa. We shall become devotees of so many rascals, even of a dog also, but we shall never become devotee of Kṛṣṅa. This is the position. We are devotee or master to our wife, to our children, to our country, to our society, but as soon as you say that "You become devotee of Kṛṣṅa," oh, he is enraged immediately: "What nonsense you are speaking? I have got so many work to do. Why shall I become devotee of Kṛṣṅa?" [laughter] This is the disease. This is the disease. Therefore Kṛṣṅa ultimately says that "You give up all this nonsense, and if you surrender unto Me, then I shall give you protection." Naturally.

Just like we are preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We are not devotee to the people in general. Then why we are preaching? We are devotee. We are actually devotee, without any motive. Any so-called political leader, he has got some motive. When he becomes devotee of the nation, he has got some motive. But we have no such motive. We simply say plainly that "You become happy by becoming devotee of Kṛṣṅa. You are now devotee of your lust, anger and illusion. You have become devotee of so many things, rascaldom. You simply become devotee of Kṛṣṅa. Then your problems will be solved." Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.35, Cc. Madhya 22.16].

[O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered them so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.]

We are devotee, somebody. But we are not devotee of somebody; we are... We have got some motive. Just like now it is coming to exposure: so many leaders, they got election, pretending themselves devotee of the nation—in everywhere, not only in your country. But actually, they were not devotee of the nation; they were devotee of their own lusty desires. That's all. That "If I occupy this post, then I shall be able to fulfill my lusty desires." Nobody is devotee. Devotion is only applicable to Kṛṣṅa. If somebody is proclaiming himself that "I am devotee, servant of my nation, of my society, of my wife or my children"—all false. Here nobody is devotee. Everyone has got some motive. Even the intimate relationship between husband and wife, there is some motive. The husband has got some motive and the wife has got... As soon as the motive is not fulfilled, divorce: "Ah, no more now. Take another chapter."

So this is going on. You see? This is going on, and therefore in the name of devotion, in the name of love, in the name of faith, they are trying to satisfy their own senses. This is called illusion. And he will never be happy so long he will try to satisfy his senses. And that is the truth. They will never be happy. Because... I have given this example: the parts and parcel of your body. If separately the part and parcel of the body wants to satisfy itself, it will never be satisfied. The only means of satisfaction is that the part and parcel conjointly work and satisfy the stomach, and then it will be satisfied. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. If we want to satisfy ourself, our senses, independently, we shall never be satisfied. This is the fact. You have to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Then you will be satisfied. This is the process. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

Because actually the owner is Kṛṣṅa. I am claiming, "This is my hand." It is not my hand; it is Kṛṣṅa's hand. He has given us to use it. So if I don't use it for Kṛṣṅa, then it will be criminal. It will be criminal. Yajñārthe karmaṅo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg 3.9].

[Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṅu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.]

Simply for Kṛṣṅa you have to work. And if you work for your sense gratification, then you will be entangled. This is called karma-bandha. You will be entangled more and more. Yāvan mano vai karmaṅe saktaṁ tāvat na muñcante deha-bandhāt[?]. So long we will be, I mean to say, sense-gratifying minded... Because everyone's mind is absorbed in the thought of gratifying his own senses. So, so long we shall be absorbed in this type of thoughts, then we have to accept a body, either human body or other body. There are 8,400,000 different types of forms and body. So we have got different types of desires also, because we are—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27],

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

we are under the modes of material nature, and the material nature has got the modes, different modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. You mix up these three: three into three, it becomes nine; nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one; eighty-one into eight..., it increases. It increases. Therefore we see so many varieties of life, according to the mentality.

So if we work on our..., according to the dictation of the mind, then we become entangled. And if we work under the dictation of Kṛṣṅa, then we become free. This is the process of Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol... [end]