Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.19

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

māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā [SB 1.8.19]

[Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy, You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.]

[01:20]

Hmm. So, Kṛṣṅa is covered by a curtain, māyā-javanikā. Javanikā means curtain, and māyā, "deluding." We have explained yesterday that Kṛṣṅa is existing outside and inside. Outside... Inside He is existing, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe, pointing out. Hṛd-deśe means this heart; the Lord within, īśvaraḥ. Not only within the heart, but within the atoms, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṅḍa-koṭiṁ yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṅḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.35]

[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]

Govinda, because He has entered within this universe, therefore the cosmic manifestation is possible. Otherwise it is not. Just like I am the soul, you are the soul. Because you have entered this body or I am entered this body, therefore the movement of the body is possible. As soon as I or you leave this body, it is dull, no more, no movement. It is very easy to understand. Similarly, how the movement of the cosmic manifestation is going on, the so-called scientist, philosopher, rascals, they do not understand, because Kṛṣṅa has entered. It is very easy to understand. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, very minute part. Still, because I have entered this body, therefore the body moves, the activities of the body going on. Is it very difficult to understand?

So, anyone can understand that this lump of matter, big cosmic manifestation, until a thing like me, soul, is there, how it is going on nicely—how the sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the oceans are flowing in due order? Everything is in order. That we have to understand by the symptom. It requires little brain. Just like as soon as in the morning you see no more darkness, it is now..., there is light, immediately you can understand there is sun, sunrise is there. Similarly, as soon as you see the world order is going on very nicely, there must be God. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: "Under My direction," Kṛṣṅa says. He personally says, and if you have got intelligence, you should understand also. But if you are dull rascal, then you cannot understand. Therefore, here it is said, "You dull rascal, you do not know that Kṛṣṅa is covered by a curtain given by māyā." That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā also, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg 7.25].

[I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.]

So you have to require..., you have to acquire that knowledge how to understand the existence of God, Kṛṣṅa, everywhere—inside and outside. So Kuntī-devī says that "You are within and outside." Kṛṣṅa is within, within your heart, and Kṛṣṅa is outside also. Otherwise how this big cosmic manifestation is going on? Huh? Not only that; He is everywhere, even within the atom, aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayān... Still we cannot understand where is Kṛṣṅa. This is our misfortune. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, they cannot understand. Why they cannot understand? That because they are duṣkṛtinaḥ, always engaged in sinful activities. Who can see Kṛṣṅa? Who is not sinful. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam [Bg 7.28],

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

one who has finished his life of sinful activities, he can understand Kṛṣṅa. Therefore it is our request to everyone: Please do not commit these four kinds of sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. This is the preliminary qualification to understand God. Especially one must not kill animals. The Bible also. Therefore it is said, "Thou shall not kill. You rascal, if you want to understand what is God, you must stop this killing art. Thou shall not kill." But these rascals will not understand. This is the mis..., misfortune. And therefore God is always covered to their eyes.

Kuntī-devī therefore said, māyā-javanikācchannam. Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā. Ajñā means rascal, who has no knowledge, dull, dull-headed, mūḍhāḥ, ass. These words are used in the śāstra. Why mūḍhāḥ? The word is used as an..., an ass. The ass, amongst the animal, is the most, I mean to say, what is called, foolish, most foolish. The ass works very hard and bears burden, heavy burden, tons, but he does not know, "Why I am carrying so big burden? Why I have taken so much responsibility?" That he does not know. So here you will find so many big, big politicians, leaders, they have accepted big, big burden like an ass, but they do not know why they are doing so. They do not know. Their only solace is a temporary satisfaction that "I have become president," "I have become this, master," "I have become this," for few years. But he does not know what is his real business. So therefore the karmīs, they are working hard day and night, but he does not know why he is working so hard day and night.

So actually, they are working so hard simply for sense gratification. That's all. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

Śāstra..., Ṛṣabhadeva says that this body... This is also material body, but there is distinction between this body and the dog's body or the hog's body. The hog is, with this material body, he is working day and night, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" That is his business. As soon as he gets some stool, he eats and he is satisfied: "Now my labor is satisfied." Similarly, those who are working very hard day and night simply for sense gratification, they are no better than the hogs and dogs. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān [SB 5.5.1]. He does not know, "Why I have got this first-class body, human body, civilized body? What is my business?" Not for eating meat and gambling and intoxication. It is for self-realization, to understand what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God, and what is the aim of my life. It is meant for that.

But they do not know, and because they do not know, asses, mūḍhas, Kṛṣṅa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, they will not accept the existence of God, although God is inside and outside. This is the description of the mūḍhāḥ. Here it is said, ajñā. Ajñā means ignorant. And what is Kṛṣṅa? Kṛṣṅa is adhokṣajam. Adhok..., adhokṣaja. Adha, adhakṛta. Adhakṛta means subdued. Akṣaja, our knowledge, direct perception. We are very much proud of our eyes, akṣa. So Kṛṣṅa's another name is Adhokṣaja: where your eyesight fails to see you, see Kṛṣṅa; therefore he is Adhokṣaja. Akṣaja jñānam. Knowledge received through direct perception of the senses is called akṣaja jñānam, and Kṛṣṅa is adhokṣaja, where knowledge by direct perception cannot reach. And perfection of life is when you become attached to that Adhokṣaja. In another place of Śrīmad... [break] Peace will be possible when you develop your loving propensity for the Adhokṣaja, who is beyond your sense perception. Therefore those who are duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ—many languages have been used in the Vedas—they do not know what is the aim of life, they are simply thinking, "I am this body," then this kind of thought is there in the dogs and cats also. He is also thinking, "I am this body." So this modern civilization is big dog civilization, that's all. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means that he must be interested to know Kṛṣṅa and God. That is human civilization.

So, māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam. Avyayam means imperishable. Avyayam na lakṣyase: they cannot see. Na lakṣyase, observed, cannot be observed by them, na lakṣyase. Mūḍha. Again the same word is used, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ [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.]

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

This word is used. One who does not know what is God and what is his relationship with God, he is a mūḍha. In so many places, there are so many śāstras you will find this word mūḍha. Here it is said, na lakṣyase mūḍha. Mūḍha-dṛśa, whose sense perception is just like blind man. A blind man is given a elephant, an elephant. Now, "Mr. Blind Man, just understand what is this." So, he is blind, he simply, I mean to say, moves his hand over the leg. "Sir, it is a column. It is a big column." So blind man, he cannot see; he thought that elephant is big, big column. So anyone who is speculating about God, he is the blind man studying the elephant, like that. Or the frog in the well studying Atlantic Ocean. What he will understand? Suppose a frog is informed, "Mr. Frog, Dr. Frog, [laughter] I have seen a big, vast mass of water." "What is that?" "Atlantic Ocean." "How big is it?" "Very, very big." Maybe, he is in the three-feet well. "Four feet?" "No, no, very, very big." "Five feet?" "No, very big." "Six feet?" [laughter] How he will understand the Atlantic Ocean? He can simply imagine, maybe three-feet, four-feet, five-feet well. But beyond all feet, that he cannot understand. Because of mūḍha-dṛśa, his direct perception, and he is a rascal.

So by mental speculation, so-called big, big philosophers, they cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa can be understood by the mercy of Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa comes. Kṛṣṅa is visible. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs 5.38].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

When you are trained up how to love God, Kṛṣṅa, then Kṛṣṅa will reveal Himself, and you will see Him. Premāñjana-cchurita. Not with these eyes, but another eyes. What is that eyes? Premāñjana, love, the ointment of love, when it is smeared in your eyes, then you can see. Just like there is medicine, eye ointment, or surma, in India it is called surma. Sometimes you apply, your vision becomes very cleansed, and you can see things very nicely. So we have to cleanse our eyes to see Kṛṣṅa, by the ointment of love of Kṛṣṅa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilo..., santaḥ [Bs 5.38]. Then, when you are saintly person, santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti, He... He is, actually He is already indicated in the śāstra that God is situated within your heart. So then when your eyes are clear, then you can see, hṛdayeṣu, always existing. But so long you are mūḍha-dṛśa, you are mental speculator, the curtain is covered; the covering is there, you cannot see Kṛṣṅa.

Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam na lakṣyase, "You are not visible," mūḍha-dṛśa, "by persons who are rascal and simply believe in direct perception," mūḍha-dṛśa. How it is? In Sanskrit language you will find exact example is given, naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā. Just like you have gone to see a performance, dramatic performance, and some of your relatives, say your brother or father, is playing there, but he is dressed in such a way that you cannot recognize he is your father. Although he is in your front, the father or the brother whom you see every day, this man, being..., has dressed himself in such a way, he is playing the part of a king or something else, you cannot understand. Somebody says, "Did you see your father is playing?" "Where is my father? Where is my father?" This is the position.

Because Kṛṣṅa is playing His part in a different way. He has got so much business because He is directing the whole universal affair. You can understand, if one man becomes busy in so many things, his brain becomes puzzled. But Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa is situated in everyone's heart—not only the human being; the animals, the trees, plants, everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

And what He is doing? He is giving direction. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

Kṛṣṅa says, "I am sitting in everyone's heart," sarvasya ca aham hṛdi sann... Again hṛdi, in the soul, in the heart. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, "I am giving particular direction to everyone." He is forgetting something, He is reminding..., he is reminded something. In this way Kṛṣṅa is doing. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanam. How much busy is that? The thief wants to steal something, somebody's house, so he is also praying God, "Please give me some opportunity so that I can steal." So Kṛṣṅa is giving him direction, "All right, you steal in this way." And the same person in whose house the stealing will be committed, he is also praying, "My dear Kṛṣṅa, please protect me from thieves." So he is also believing. That just see Kṛṣṅa's business: He is giving direction to the thief, and giving direction to the person in whose house the stealing will be committed.

So if..., just try to understand how much Kṛṣṅa is busy. And that is God. Although He is performing so many contradictory business, contradictory business, opposing business, still His full brain, His full brain, He does not forget to dance with the gopīs at the same time. This is Kṛṣṅa. This is Kṛṣṅa. If you are busy with so many transactions, you forget to see your wife and children and forget. But no. Kṛṣṅa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

Although He is busy dancing with the gopīs, although He is busy to play with His cowherd friends, goloka eva nivasaty, in this way He is living in the Goloka, and akhilātma-bhūto, still He is in everyone's heart and giving direction, all contradiction. This is Kṛṣṅa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṅa, rascal. Kṛṣṅa is not so easy. Kṛṣṅa is Kṛṣṅa. You are you are. That is real philosophy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol! [offer obeisances]

Prabhupāda: Now, who is the priest?

Devotee: Jagadīśa.

Prabhupāda: Now begin mantra. Namaḥ.

Devotees: Namaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Apavitram.

Devotees: Apavitram.

Prabhupāda: Pavitro vā.

Devotees: Pavitro vā.

Prabhupāda: Sarva.

Devotees: Sarva.