Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.10

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

[Prabhupāda interrupts to correct third line]

sūta uvāca yadā parīkṣit kuru-jāṅgale 'vasat kaliṁ praviṣṭaṁ nija-cakravartite niśamya vārtām anatipriyāṁ tataḥ śarāsanaṁ saṁyuga-śauṅḍir ādade [SB 1.16.10]

[break] [03:54]

Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: While Mahārāja Parīkṣit was residing in the capital of the Kuru empire, the symptoms of the Age of Kali began to infiltrate within the jurisdiction of his state. When he learned about this, he did not think the matter very palatable. This did, however, give him a chance to fight. He took up his bows and arrows and prepared himself for military activities."

Prabhupāda: So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the ideal monarch. Yadā parīkṣit kuru-jāṅgale 'vasat. He was so powerful king that there was no possibility of anyone rising against him. He was so powerful. Therefore he was peacefully living in his capital, kuru-jāṅgale. So he was not getting any opportunity to fight because there was no enemy with whom to fight. But as soon as he got the news that Kali has entered in the jurisdiction of his kingdom, he got the chance of fighting.

Those who are sportsmen, they want to play. Naturally, one who is expert in some art... Just like there was one Bhasmāsura. So... Bhasmāsura? Bhaumāsura? What is the name?

Devotees: Bhaumāsura.

Prabhupāda: Bhaumāsura. So Bhaumāsura, by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got one thousand hands. And he wanted to fight, but he was so powerful that nobody would dare to come before him to fight. Therefore he was practicing to fight with the hills and mountains, and cracking them and smashing them. So one day he complained to Lord Śiva, "My Lord, you have so kindly given me the hands to fight, but I don't find any opponent to fight. So what is this use of these hands, so many?" So Lord Śiva could understand that "He is a demon." So he said, "You rascal, one day you will find some enemy when your desire will be fulfilled for good." [laughter] So he had to fight with Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa finished him. So it is a natural desire.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja had no desire to fight, but he got the news that the Kali has entered. His grandfathers, the Pāṅḍavas, left kingdom, that "Now the Kali is coming. Let us retire timely. So the next king, our grandson, will look after it." Not that everyone should remain at home until he is forced by death to get out of home. That is not very nice principle. One should retire timely. That is the system, Vedic system. Brahmacārī... Suppose one lives for hundred years. Twenty-five years remain brahmacārī at the shelter of guru. Twenty-five years. So guru teaches him to remain brahmacārī, naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. Just like my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. He was brahmacārī. He was brahmacārī, strict brahmacārī, ideal personality. So that is recommended for everyone. Up to twenty-five years' age, nobody should have any connection with woman. That is brahmacārī. Strictly.

That brahmacārī rules and regulation are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that he would go door to door for collecting alms for his spiritual master, and address every woman as mother, from the very beginning. From five years old, if a child is trained to call all woman as "Mother," naturally his culture is different. Because he has learned to call all woman as "Mother"; he has no other idea. A small child, any woman comes before him, he knows, "[S]He is my mother." So this was the practice. That is not only religiously, but morally it is so good, to look upon all woman as mother. That is the system. Still in India, any unknown woman who has no introduction with you, [s]he is addressed "Mātājī." Address her. She may be just like daughter or granddaughter, but one would address, as a respect to the woman, as "Mother," "Mātājī." This is Indian system. Now some rascals have introduced "Behenji," "Sister." But that is not śāstric. In the śāstra, all the woman except one's wife should be addressed as "Mother."

That is the instruction by Cāṅakya Paṅḍita, a great politician moralist. He says that "Who is learned scholar?" He was himself very learned scholar, but he is giving definition of learned scholar. What is that? Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: "Anyone who sees all woman..." Para-dāreṣu. Para-dāra means other's wife. Para-dāreṣu. Mātṛvat. Not his own wife, but other's wife. So except one has got one wife, and all others, others' wife. So mātṛvat para-dāreṣu, to treat and see others' wife as mother. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat: "And others' property as garbage in the street." As nobody is interested in the garbage on the street, similarly, if one is not interested in anyone's property... It may be insignificant thing, but one cannot touch it. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

This is the Upaniṣad, Īśopaniṣad, Vedic injunction. [aside:] Go to the wall. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam: "Don't touch any others' property." Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ: "Whatever is given by Kṛṣṅa, God, as His prasādam, you accept it. That you can enjoy. Don't touch anything." So similarly, a person should be so nicely trained up that the one wife with religious..., by performing religious ceremony is given to him, he should be satisfied with her, not to see other women, adulteration. This is Kali-yuga. This is Kali-yuga. Now this adulteration, prostitution, is common affair, common affair. Nobody sees other's wife as his mother. Nobody. And neither the woman sees other's husband as father. No.

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that the principles of Kali-yuga—meaning adulteration, prostitution, animal-killing, drinking, intoxication, gambling—these things are coming gradually... Because the age Kali-yuga, this is Kali-yuga. Just like before winter there is some wind, very cold. One can understand, "Now winter is approaching." So of course, you cannot stop winter, but you be careful so that you may not catch cold, coughing. You dress yourself nicely, have warm cloth. You cannot... It is no use fighting with the seasonal changes. That is not possible. Just like it is raining. It is no use to fight with the cloud and rain, stop it. That is not possible. But you can take raincoat, umbrella, so that you may not be affected. That is your business. So Kali-yuga has entered. Kali-yuga has entered all over the world. Not now; five thousand years ago, during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Gradually, people are degrading, only on these principles: illicit sex, animal slaughter, intoxication and gambling. These are the four pillars of the platform of Kali.

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when... That means five thousand years ago, all over the world these things were unknown. You won't find in history these things. So as king, he has to punish the debauchers, the rogues, the thieves. So immediately he become alert. He said, niśamya vārtām anatipriyām, when he got news. So although no enemy is there attacking, but Kali is attacking. Kali's attacking. Kaliṁ praviṣṭaṁ nija-cakravartite. Praviṣṭam. Kali has already entered in his own jurisdiction, cakravartī. The cakra, cakra means circle, and vartī means remaining in the center. So a king is supposed... A king or the spiritual master or the head is supposed to be the center of a circle. So his kingdom is supposed to be the circle. He is the center. Nija-cakravartite, within his jurisdiction, within the circle. Kaliṁ praviṣṭam, niśamya. As soon as he heard, he became alert to punish.

That is responsible king. Not that "They want to drink, and we can levy tax for drinking." Because by, I mean to say, encouraging people drinking... That we see in India now. Gandhi started his movement on this basis. Nobody could drink even tea. At least amongst his associates, nobody could drink even tea. No cigarette. Gandhi was very strict. And of course, he could not prohibit, but he was also against illicit sex, drinking, gambling. But he prohibited. He introduced prohibition in so many states. But now government is encouraging. Government is giving license, "Yes, openly you can drink." Kali's influence. Meat-eating. In India, at least, we never saw big signboard in a beef shop. In upper country, even there was... Always there are meat-eaters. So the meat shop is kept out of the vision of public. I mean to say, privately one could purchase, and if one was accustomed to eat meat, he could not get the chance daily. Because in the family, no Hindu family will allow meat-eating or fish-eating. No. In our childhood we have seen; our family also. If one wanted to eat meat, then he would do it hundred miles away, secretly. Nobody will know. Or he will go to some rascal hotel. That was the system. Now they are keeping chickens, everyone's roof. This is the advancement, Kali's advancement.

And government is giving license, "Yes, you manufacture liquor." Because it is a great profit for government. I know. I had also license to keep in my medical business this rectified spirit. Rectified spirit means pure alcohol, from which whiskey is made. Absolute alcohol. So I know that the cost of rectified spirit, distilled by the government, was one rupee per gallon. One rupee per gallon. But the same rectified spirit, when turned into liquor by some process—not any very difficult process, just making it coloring or flavoring; the real thing is the rectified spirit—the government would charge sixty rupees per gallon. The cost is one rupee, and they would sixty charge rupees. Because government knew it or know it that when a man becomes drunkard, he will drink at any cost. At any cost. Pramatta. Pramatta. Matta means mad, and pramatta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṅa matta. So people are already mad under the influence of this material nature, and our government, all over the world, encouraging that "You become more mad, more mad." This is their welfare activities.

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit was not that kind of government. It is the duty of the government or the king to see that the citizens are properly raised to the spiritual platform, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is the duty of the government. Therefore the social division is brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. 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.]

The brāhmaṅas should be ideal teachers of Vedic understanding. The kṣatriyas should follow, even by force. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. As soon as he heard that Kali, these four principles of Kali, has already entered, he immediately took his bows and arrows and... "Who is that rascal, he is drinking? Kill him." That was kingdom. "Kill him, that rascal." So if one man is killed because he was drinking, then others will be very careful. That was king's duty. "Anyone who has got illicit sex, kill him. Anyone who is drunkard, kill him. Anyone who is eating meat, kill him." No other consideration. "Directly kill him." Then you see within a few years all these things will stop. Within a few years. But the government must be strong. But the government wants that "You go to hell by drinking, but we are making profit. One rupee cost, we are getting sixty rupees. Go on with this business." This is Kali-yuga. Everyone is doing his own personal interest.

The Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is quite opposite. Only interest of Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. No more personal interest. They are thinking of personal interest, but they do not know what is personal interest, these rascals. Just like the same example I have given many times that the part and parcel of my body... Suppose this hand gets one nice sweetmeat, and if the fingers think that "It is our personal interest to enjoy the sweetmeat," that is mistaken idea. The fingers catching a sweetmeat cannot enjoy it. The real interest, personal interest, is give it to the stomach. Don't smash it. Give it immediately to the stomach, and your interest is fulfilled. Immediately your fingers will be fed. This is personal interest: to enjoy through Kṛṣṅa, not directly. But these rascals, they do not know. They defy Kṛṣṅa, "Why Kṛṣṅa? I am Kṛṣṅa. I am God. I am everything." Therefore they are suffering. They do not know actually how to fulfill the personal interest.

That we are teaching: "Fulfill your personal interest through Kṛṣṅa."

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.]

The rascals, they do not know that his personal interest is Kṛṣṅa. That he does not know. Therefore he is rascal. And Kṛṣṅa says. It is not that we have manufactured this word. Kṛṣṅa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg 7.15].

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Kṛṣṅa is asking everyone, "Please surrender unto Me. Give up all this nonsense engagement." That is his interest, the living entity's interest. You surrender or not surrender to Kṛṣṅa, what Kṛṣṅa gains or loses? He has got many servants. He can create His servants. He doesn't require your service. But if you surrender to Kṛṣṅa and render service unto Him, that is your interest. That is your interest. They do not know this.

So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. And people, the blind leaders, are teaching everyone that "This is your interest: You eat whatever you like, you drink as much as you like, you go on gambling." If such leader is there, there is no restriction of eating. If such svāmījī comes, that "No, no, you can eat everything," "Oh, a good svāmījī." And "This svāmījī is very conservative." Just like Allen Ginsberg told me, "Swāmījī, you are very conservative." Because I restrict. But he does not know that actual benefit will be derived when you are actually conservative. Otherwise you are going by the waves of māyā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore said, kanno māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi: "You are being washed away by the waves of māyā, material energy, illusion. Why you are putting yourself in such dangerous condition, sometimes being drowned, sometimes up, trying to...?" This is struggle for existence. The only remedy, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, jīva kṛṣṅa-dās, e biśwās, korle to' ār duḥkho nāi: "If you accept this principle, that 'I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa,' then you become immediately saved from this washing away by the waves of māyā."

So already, anyone who is in this material world, he is being carried away by the waves, the three guṅa, the three modes of material nature. Somebody is carried away in goodness, sometimes we see passion, sometimes in ignorance, but everyone is being carried away. Traiguṅya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṅyo bhavārjuna [Bg 2.45].

[The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.]

So everyone is being carried by the material modes of nature. One has to become above this, nistraiguṅya. How it can be? That is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā:

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena yah sevate sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26]

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

Immediately.

So it is the duty of the king, it is the duty of the government, it is the duty of the father, it is the duty of the guru, it is the duty of the husband to see that his subordinate is being trained up in Kṛṣṅa consciousness in this life, so that there will be no more death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum [SB 5.5.18].

[One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a relative, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.]

People do not know that he is being carried away. One is being carried away by the clutches of māyā in the cycle of birth and death. They do not know it, neither they want any solution. Although everyone does not want to die, but no scientist, no philosopher can give you any information that death can be checked.

There is a way. Here is the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, whereby you can stop your process of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

He comes back. These things are there, information is there, the process is there. Everything is there in Vedic knowledge, Vedic cultivation. Simply people have to take it. Then they will be happy. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya...

Prabhupāda: Vāsudeva, you can sing. [kīrtana]

Why don't you take this one?

[end]