Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.36

Nitāi: "O Kṛṣṅa, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death."

Prabhupāda: Where is that boy who said that some Nepali boy has come? You told me some new boy has come?

Bhavānanda: This young boy.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Oh.

śṛṅvanti gāyanti gṛṅanty abhīkṣṅaśaḥ smaranti nandanti tavehitaṁ janāḥ ta eva paśyanty acireṅa tāvakaṁ bhava-pravāhoparamaṁ padāmbujadvayam..., padāmbujam [SB 1.8.36]

So in the previous verse it has been explained, bhave 'smin kliśyanti. This is the problem, kliśyanti: simply laboring and... Kliśyanti means suffering, suffering the hard work. Everyone. Kliśyanti. Everyone is working very hard for maintenance, struggle for existence. Tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate [Cc Madhya 6.154].

[The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṅu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.]

Here, in this material world, you have to work very, very hard, just even for maintenance, and what to speak of sense gratification? This is the position. Bhave 'smin kliśyanti. Bhave 'smin kliśyanti avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. If you work hard, at least there is some expectation... Just like ordinarily a man, a boy, takes education, works very hard so that he may be very successful in examination. And then he passes. Then he works hard to get a good job. Then, in the job, in the service, he works very hard so that he get..., he may get promotion. So the hard working is going on. You cannot stop it. Kliśyanti. But unfortunately, they do not know the aim of life, "Why we are working so hard." That is the difficulty. But generally they want—"We are working hard for sense gratification, that's all; enjoy the senses." That is the whole civilization.

So intelligent person, they should be aware that "Simply for sense gratification if we are working so hard, then this is being done by the animals also. Then what is the difference between us and the animal?" But they are so mad after sense gratification... Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vi... They are prepared to work for something which one should..., just like stealing or black-marketing and... There are so many things. They are working hard. Even a, a thief, he is risking his life, not to work hard, but he's risking his life. Especially in the Western countries, the burglars, they risk their life because there the law is that anyone trespassing within your house, even ordinarily, you can kill him. Is it not? The law is so hard that even if you, if you enter anyone's gate, anyone's property, without permission, he can kill you. Is it not I am right? Yes. Here in India we don't take it so seriously. So many people are passing here and there. But in your country... I know that one of our boy went to pick up some flowers in Los Angeles, and he was fired. Of course, he did not like to kill him, but the firing was there. So just see. For sense gratification the thief taking the risk of his life. The working... Not only working hard. Those who are not thief, they are working very hard to get some money, honestly or dishonestly, and those who are not very honest, to steal they make so many plans, so many devices to steal at the risk of life.

So the life in this material world is not very easy-going. Therefore this very word is used, bhave 'smin, bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām. Everyone is working very, very hard. But they do not know what is the aim. Why they are working so hard, that they do not know. Generally, as I have already explained, that a man works very hard to get some money, some good bank balance, so that in old age he can live very peacefully, without any disturbance. Of course, that is not possible, because at that time he may have money, but he is full of anxieties. A family man, old man, is always cintā-magna, cintā-magna, as "This boy is not well-situated. That boy has not educated..., his education is not yet finished. And that girl has lost his [her] husband. Husbands are rejected." Where is the peace? There cannot be peace. Kliśyanti. Again he tries to adjust that boy, that girl, that grandchildren, that..., going on. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya, he has said, bālas tāvat kriyāsaktaḥ.[?] The children, they are very working hard for playing. They're also getting perspiration, but they are taking pleasure in jumping and this way and that way. So bālas tāvat kriyāsaktaḥ. And yuva... What is another name of yuvaka?

Devotee: Youth.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is the Sanskrit name? Yuvakas tāvad yuvatī-raktaḥ[?], that "Young men, they are busy working very hard: 'Where is woman? Where is woman? Where is that girl? Where is that girl?' " He's also busy. The boy is busy, and the young man, he is also busy, love affairs, to find out a suitable mate. Similarly... Yuvakas tāvad yuvatī-raktaḥ. And after young life, when one becomes old, vṛddhas tāvad cintā-magnaḥ: The old man is full of anxiety, absorbed in thought, "How to do it? How to do that? It is not..." In this way everyone is busy. Parame brahmaṅe ko 'pi na lagnaḥ. Nobody's interested in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. This is the difficulty. That they do not know. They... That the..., "This human life, we are working so hard..." Just like we have taken this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We are also working very, very hard to collect money and to construct temple and to educate people. This is also working hard. But we have got an aim. It is not without aim. Theoretically or practically, we have accepted it that if we can please Kṛṣṅa, then our future is hopeful. We have got some hope. But what these people have got hope, these karmīs? They have no hope. Simply wild goat chasing, that's all. They do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [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.]

They do not know the real aim of life is to satisfy Viṣṅu, svārtha-gatim. Yajña. The varṅāśrama-dharma... When Rāmānanda Rāya was asked by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "What is the actual aim of life for which one should work?" so immediately Rāmānanda Rāya quoted one verse from Viṣṅu Purāṅa that,

varṅāśramācāravatā puruṣeṅa paraḥ pumān viṣṅur ārādhyate pumsām nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṅam [Cc Madhya 8.58]

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṅu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṅa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṅas and āśramas.’]

The aim is to satisfy Viṣṅu. We should always remember this fact, that we are eternally servant, part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, or Viṣṅu. As I have given many times the example, there are so many parts of the body, but what are they meant for? To satisfy the belly. You are walking, you are catching, you are thinking, you are doing so many things—what is the aim? The aim is satisfy the stomach. You cook, you earn hard money, and then you purchase goods and cook nicely and put it into the stomach. Is it not?

So that... There is a story in the Hitopadeśa: Udarendriyāṅām. Udara. Udara means this belly, abdomen, and indriya means senses. Udarendriyāṅām. What is that? All the different parts of the body—hands, legs, fingers and everyone—they held a meeting, that "We are working day and night, and this rascal abdomen is sitting down and eating only. [laughter] He is doing nothing. We are collecting everything, and putting into the stomach, and he is eating, very..., sitting nice. So strike: 'We shall not work.' So strike." Udara... Udara said, "All right, you strike. What can I do? I cannot work. You can strike." So they did not work. Did not work means there was no food, no food given to the stomach. They..., gradually they became weak. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, they became weak, because if there is..., if you cannot eat, naturally you shall be... Then again, next meeting they held that "What is this? Why we are becoming weak?" Then they decided that "The stomach must be given, sir. We have to work."

This is our position. Kṛṣṅa is bhoktā, and we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. That means we have to work for Kṛṣṅa. This is a fact. If you don't work for Kṛṣṅa, then you'll starve. That is the position. But these rascals, they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [SB 7.5.31]. Exactly in the same way as these rascal, different parts of the body, limbs, they did not know that "Without satisfying the stomach, we shall die," similarly these rascals, these karmīs, these, those who have come to this material world, they do not know that without conscious, Kṛṣṅa consciousness, without satisfying Kṛṣṅa, they'll simply starve. Struggle for existence. Kliśyanti. Simply their labor will be frustrated. That is the philosophy.

Therefore bhave 'smin kliśyanti. Kliśyamānānām. Simply wasting time, without knowing what is the aim of... The aim of life is you have to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. We have repeatedly that... Therefore Kṛṣṅa says nothing, that "The most confidential knowledge, Arjuna, I am giving you. I have spoken to you Bhagavad-gītā in so many detail, but because you are My intimate, dear friend, I give you the most confidential knowledge." Guhyatamam. This word is used. What is that? "Surrender," that's all. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"This is the most confidential... Simply surrender and do what I say." That is the fact. If we act as Kṛṣṅa says, then we shall be very, very happy. There is no doubt about it. And if we do not act, then we shall suffer. This is fact. There is no question about it. Just like... Just like I have several times told you that Kṛṣṅa says, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. No—annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg 3.14].

[All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.]

Bhavanti means you flourish. You become healthy. Your mind becomes sound. Your brain becomes sound. If you eat properly, naturally... Just like the stomach must be satisfied. If the stomach is satisfied, you get the energy immediately. Different energy is produced, different secretion is produced, and one secretion is sent to the heart, one secretion... That is medical science. And then it is turned into blood, and there are different veins, they are distributed all over the... This big machine is going on, big factory; simply you have to give the raw materials to the factory, and things will come out.

So similarly, you have to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. But we do not know that. Durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These rascals, they are thinking that "Without Kṛṣṅa, without Kṛṣṅa consciousness, without satisfying Kṛṣṅa, we shall adjust by this material advancement." That is durāśayā. Everything has been discussed. It will never be possible, sir. If you don't take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness... This is your wrong idea, that you will be able... Durāśayā. Therefore this very word is used, durāśayā. Āśāya. Āśāya means hope. So this is a wrong hope. You cannot. The exact, the same example: If the combined together, all the senses, they pass resolution, "Not to give any food to the stomach, and we shall be easier, not to work so hard"—but that is durāśayā. That is not possible. You are hoping wrongly. That is not possible.

So durāśayā ye... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31].

Then why people are leading in that way, the so many political leaders, social leaders? Nobody speaks of Kṛṣṅa. They are simply making plan... This party, the Communist Party, is making one plan; the other party is making plan; another party... But the world is suffering. So therefore they have been described in the śāstra: andha. Andha means blind, rascal. They do not know. Actually they have no knowledge that without Kṛṣṅa consciousness the human society can[not] be happy. That is not possible. They do not know this. But by Kṛṣṅa's grace, by our guru-paramparā's grace, we understand, we people who are conducting this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, that without being Kṛṣṅa conscious, nobody will be happy. Therefore our struggle is different. We are trying to make the people actually happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu: "Everyone become happy." Otherwise, what is the use of collecting so much money and constructing such big building and inviting them, "Please come here. We have got nice room, and you shall get food without any hard work"? Why we are...? Still, they will not come. Still, they will not come. Now, in this village we have got such a nice building. We invite, "You come here and..." But still, how many are coming? So therefore it has been used: kliśyamānānām. These rascals and fools must suffer. Must suffer. There is no other way. Kliśyamānānām.

The next step, it is said that..., that bhava-pravāha uparamam, in the next verse. What is that? Śṛṅvanti gāyanti. This is the process. Śṛṅvanti. Simply sit down. You haven't got to work very hard. Śṛṅvanti. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ [SB 10.14.3]:

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

"You..., you don't require to change your position. You simply hear." Therefore this very word is used in the beginning. What is that? Śṛṅvanti. Śṛṅvanti means "hears." Simply hear. And gāyanti. So... Just like we say "Hare Kṛṣṅa," and all repeat, "Hare Kṛṣṅa." Gāyanti. Śṛṅvanti, first of all hear: Hare Kṛṣṅa. The leading, I mean to, singer, he says, "Hare Kṛṣṅa," and we repeat, "Hare Kṛṣṅa." So śṛṅvanti gāyanti. Very simple method. Śṛṅvanti gāyanti gṛṅanti. And takes it very seriously, accept: "Yes, this principle will alleviate all my sufferings." Seriously. Śṛṅvanti gāyanti gṛṅanty abhīkṣṅaśaḥ. Abhīkṣṅaśaḥ means continuously, not that "For some days I do, and then again I go to my own habits." No. Abhīkṣṅaśaḥ, continually. And smaranti. And if you take it, then naturally you will think of Kṛṣṅa. Smaranti nandanti. And then gradually you'll be pleased. You'll feel pleasure. Otherwise, hackneyed, how you can continue? From early in the morning you are chanting. Unless you feel some pleasure, how you can do it? Artificially, it is not possible. Nandanti. And what is the subject matter? Tava īhita: simply glorifying the activities of the..., of Kṛṣṅa. Just like we sing, udilo aruṅa pūraba-bhāge, dvija-maṅi gorā amani jāge. This is our subject matter of singing. What is this? Now, activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that as soon as there is early rise of the sun, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately started His nagara-saṅkīrtana. Not of any other. Śrī Caitanya... Tavehitam. Simply... The subject matter must be there. If I hear, the subject matter must be there. The subject matter is Kṛṣṅa's activities. Caitanya and Kṛṣṅa is not different.

So tavehitaṁ janāḥ. Janāḥ, public, if they do it, then sa eva paśyanti. Such person... What will be the result? By this śṛṅvanti gāyanti gṛṅanty abhīkṣṅaśaḥ, by this process, what will be result? The result will be sa eva, ta eva paśyanti: "They will be able to see You—simply by this process." Has anybody seen Kṛṣṅa? Kṛṣṅa cannot be seen. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṅa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṅa really is.]

They are... So many people, they ask, "Where is God? Can you show me God?" That... That means people in general, they cannot see God. That is not possible. Because with these eyes, these senses, we cannot understand. We cannot understand even that why they are chant... Just like yesterday this man was asking, "Why this chanting?" Because blunt senses, they cannot understand what is the meaning of chanting and why chanting. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. It is not possible. But sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When we take to the service spirit... Here we are training people how to render service. Then, gradually, he will be able to understand what is this name of Kṛṣṅa, what is the form of Kṛṣṅa, what is the activities of Kṛṣṅa. And that is explained here.

So if you follow this process, śṛṅvanti gāyanti gṛṅanty abhīkṣṅaśaḥ smaranti nandanti, then ta eva paśyanti. When? Acireṅa: "Very soon." Not that after millions of years. No. Acireṅa: "Immediately." If he is actually serious, if he has no offense, then acireṅa. Śṛṅvan... Acireṅa, ta eva paśyanty acireṅa tāvakam. "Your..." What is that? "Your..." Padāmbujam: "He can see Your lotus feet." Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam [SB 10.14.29].

[My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.]

Padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśā... If one can see... Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā sa... [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.]

Nobody can see. But if one is fortunate, if he can see... That is possible by this process, śṛṅvanti gāyanti. That is possible. Then what will be the result? The result is bhava-pravāha uparamam, finish this business. What is that business? Working hard, day and night, without any aim of life. This will be finished. As soon as one is able to see the padāmbujam, lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, then immediately, bhava-pravāham.

So who can see unless he is advanced spiritually? First of all, everyone is under the impression there is no God. And another way of denying God: "Yes, there is God, but He has no form. He has no head, He has no tail, He has no leg, He has no... He has no, no, no..." It is another way of denying God, definition by negation. I... One says directly, "There is no God," and another man says, "Yes, there is God, but He has no legs, He has no hand, He has no mouth, He has no this. He has no that." Then where is God? It is another way of denying God. This Māyāvādī philosophy... [aside:] What is that? Crows? No.

So here the devotees, they are not impersonalists. They first of all see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, not that "No hand, no leg, no head." They means... Just like Upaniṣad, the Brahma-samaj, Rabindranath Tagore. So he addresses, "Ohe, tumi..." No, "Ohe tumi..." Who is that "Ohe," they do not know. Ohe. Impersonalist. Ohe tumi. In the Brahma-samaj, they pray, "Ohe." "Ohe." Why "Ohe"? If you know God, then you address Him by His name. Just like we say, he kṛṣṅa karuṅā-sindho... We know what is God. We don't say, "Ohe." Ohe. Why...? No. We know, "He Kṛṣṅa," directly address Kṛṣṅa, he kṛṣṅa karuṅā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate. So that is the benefit of the devotee. By this process, śṛṅvanti gāyanti gṛṅanti, you immediately, acireṅa, very soon, the more you are sincere, you'll be able to see first of all the lotus feet of the Lord. Padāmbujam, the lotus feet of the Lord, you'll be able to see.

And that is the way of seeing. First of all, you have to see the lotus feet. Then, gradually, the thighs. And then, then... At last, the beautiful face. Therefore the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the First Canto, Second Canto are two lotus feet of the Lord. We have to read very carefully, because we have to see, first of all, padāmbujam. Don't go all of a sudden to see the face of the Lord, just like the sahajiyās did. Their reading of Bhāgavata means rāsa-līlā. Rāsa-līlā is the smiling of Kṛṣṅa, where Kṛṣṅa is personally enjoying very sweet smiling. So you don't try to see the smiling of Kṛṣṅa immediately. First of all see, try to see, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, padāmbujam. Then gradually rise. When you are accustomed to see, as soon as you close your eyes, immediately see Kṛṣṅa's lotus..., then you go further, go further, go further, go further. And that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Canto, Third Canto, Fourth Canto. In this way, you have to go to the Tenth Canto. Then Tenth Canto means the head. And then, in the Tenth Canto, the chapters Twenty-nine through Thirty-five chapter, that is smiling. Don't try to see Kṛṣṅa smiling immediately. Then you will be baffled. It requires qualification, and it requires time, but if Kṛṣṅa is pleased, He can show His plea..., I mean, smiling immediately. That is special favor. But the general way is to see, first of all, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa and make your endeavor perfectly done by this śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ, śṛṅvanti gāyanti [SB 7.5.23].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

This is the process.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]