Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.39

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

neyaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra yathedānīṁ gadādhara tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti sva-lakṣaṅa-vilakṣitaiḥ [SB 1.8.39]

[break] [01:13]

"O Gadādhara, Kṛṣṅa, our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so."

Prabhupāda: Those who have got books, there should be one correction. It is written "how." It should be "now," n-o-w, not "how."

neyaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra yathedānīṁ gadādhara tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti sva-lakṣaṅa-vilakṣitaiḥ [SB 1.8.39]

So Kuntī... Kṛṣṅa was in Hastināpura, the capital of the Kurus. So wherever He was walking, that impression of His lotus feet was there, and on account of this, everywhere, full of opulence. Full of opulence. So Kṛṣṅa was leaving Hastināpura. Therefore Kuntīdevī was regretting, that "If You go away, then it will be not so beautiful as it is now on account of Your presence."

So, taking this instruction from Kuntīdevī, if we try to keep Kṛṣṅa, so everything will be opulent. There will be no scarcity. On account of Kṛṣṅa's presence... But how Kṛṣṅa will be present? Kṛṣṅa is already present. But His presence will be more and more appreciated by this kīrtana. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. This is the statement by Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says that "I do not live generally in Vaikuṅṭha." Kṛṣṅa lives everywhere. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [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.]

Kṛṣṅa lives in Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is His... Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni [Bs 5.43]. That is His own abode, nija-dhāma. But still, Kṛṣṅa is akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ. Expanding Himself in many, many forms, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

Ananta: there is no limitation. So Kṛṣṅa is present everywhere. Aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-stham [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.]

Just like government is everywhere. Here we are sitting in this open field. Here is also government. But when the governor comes, it becomes a special feature. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa is present everywhere. He's everywhere. But still, He personally comes. He personally comes. So not only that Kṛṣṅa personally was present five thousand years ago, but if we are sincere devotee of Kṛṣṅa, then Kṛṣṅa is present as soon as we glorify Him. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. Those who are pure devotees... Caitanya Mahāprabhu also becomes present when there is real, offenseless kīrtana.

So Kuntī wants to keep Kṛṣṅa in her kingdom because on account of His presence, everything is victorious. Yatra... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yatra kṛṣṅo yogeśvaraḥ [Bg 18.78]. Yatra... "Wherever Kṛṣṅa is there, and wherever His devotee, Arjuna, is there," Sañjaya said, "all victory, all opulence, everything is there." He assured, he informed Dhṛtarāṣṭra, that "This combination of Pārtha and Kṛṣṅa means all opulence, all victory." In other words, he assured Dhṛtarāṣṭra that "You are expecting victory by the superior strength of your sons, Duryodhana and others, but don't hope like that. It is not possible. Because victory will be there where there is Kṛṣṅa and where there is His pure devotee."

So if we remain pure devotee... What is that pure devotee?

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

This is pure devotion: no other desire. "Other desire" means material desire. Because we are spirit soul, our desires should be spiritual. Just like human being should desire like a human being, not like a dog. The... To desire like the dog, that is other desire, and to desire like a human being, that is real desire. Our philosophy does not teach to become desireless. That is not possible. Desire must be there. But it should not be other desire. "Other desire" means... Then what is the real desire? Real desire is how to become a sincere servant of Kṛṣṅa. That is real desire. Except this desire, anything—all "other desire." Or how to become servant of Kṛṣṅa, the means and the way, the process, that is also pure devotional desire.

So wherever Kṛṣṅa's pure devotees are there and when the pure devotees chant, Kṛṣṅa is there. This is the secret. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. So we, if we keep ourself pure devotee, without any other desire, material desire, then you should know that Kṛṣṅa is present there. And as soon as Kṛṣṅa is present there, then, on account of His presence, all opulences are there. Kṛṣṅa is Mādhava. Mādhava means the husband of the goddess of fortune, Rādhā-Mādhava. So try to keep Kṛṣṅa always. Then all opulence is automatically there. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ [Bg 6.22].

[The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.]

If you can gain Kṛṣṅa... This is intelligence. The devotees, they don't want to become very powerful yogī, mystic yogī, by practicing gymnastic. No, they don't require it. Simply peacefully, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then everything is there.

Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He did not visit Jagannātha Temple. He considered himself... Or there was some agitation, that "This man belonged to the Muhammadan family, and now he is trying to enter the Jagannātha Temple. There will be some roar." So he did not like to agitate things. Vaiṣṅava is peaceful. Even Sanātana Gosvāmī, because he almost turned to become a Muhammadan... His name was changed—Sākara Mallika—because he was servant of the Muhammadan government. So he was also rejected by the brāhmaṅa community. Actually he belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṅa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṅa. So he also did not go even near the temple. This is humbleness. Actually, they are better than thousand times to become brāhmaṅa. But every Vaiṣṅava thinks himself tṛṅād api sunīcena [Cc Ādi 17.31],

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

that he is very, very lower, down. That is Vaiṣṅava humbleness.

Just like Jhaḍu Ṭhākura. We are discussing this in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He belonged to the caste bhuṅi-mālī. Bhuṅi-mālī means the sweeper, baṅgi. He became a great Vaiṣṅava. And Kālidāsa, one of the relative, uncle, of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was also very great Vaiṣṅava, mahā-bhāgavata. His business was to eat the remnants of foodstuff left by Vaiṣṅava. He did not care whether he's a brāhmaṅa-vaiṣṅava or śūdra-vaiṣṅava. Vaiṣṅava is not śūdra. But a Vaiṣṅava coming from śūdra family, sometimes they are called śūdra-vaiṣṅava. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he's sometimes called Yavana-Haridāsa. He's not yavana. He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brāhmaṅa. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name... The Vaiṣṅava never says, "Yavana-Haridāsa." He is "Nāmācārya Haridāsa." Vaiṣṅava... Why he should be yavana? Vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhiḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. Nobody should consider a Vaiṣṅava belonging to this caste, that caste. No. Just like here. The Deity is there. Everyone knows that Deity is made of brass metal. But that is not metal. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṅa in any other way at present, therefore Kṛṣṅa has appeared as made of metal. But He is not metal. Or even if He is metal, still He's Kṛṣṅa, because everything is Kṛṣṅa. So arcye viṣṅau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhiḥ. We should not consider like that.

So that Jhaḍu Ṭhākura declined to give his remnants. So when Kālidāsa wanted, "Sir, give me little your prasāda," "No, no," he said. "No, no, I... You are respectable gentleman, very rich. I am coming from low, low grade family, and how can I...? No, no, no. This is not possible." Then Kālidāsa Ṭhākura, Kālidāsa recited some śāstric pramāṅa that "Why you are thinking that you are low caste?" Śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam [SB 3.33.7].

[Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Āryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required.]

"You are better than..." Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṅa-yutād aravinda-nābha [Cc Madhya 20.59]. So even a caṅḍāla, he is better than a brāhmaṅa, who is a devotee. When he quoted all these verses to prove... There are many other verses—in Mahābhārata, in Padma Purāṅa, in Bhāgavatam. A Vaiṣṅava is never to be considered as lower caste. No. But he was thinking. So what was his reply? His reply was, "Yes, this is correct. The quotation you have given from the śāstra, it is quite correct. But it is meant for a person who has become devotee. But I am not a devotee, so it is not applicable to me. I am the lower caste." That was his reply. That is his humbleness.

So Vaiṣṅava... Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kaṛ, Kṛṣṅadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he says that,

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha [Cc Ādi 5.205]

Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, such an exalted person, practically the most exalted personality in Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṅava... His Caitanya-caritāmṛta, there is no comparison. It is a postgraduate study. So the author of the book, he's presenting himself that "My position is lower than the worm in the stool." Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha. And jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha. Jagāi-Mādhāi was the example of pāpī, sinful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, pāpī-tāpī jata chilo hari-nāme uddhārilo, brajendra-nandana jei śacī-suta hailo sei balarāma hailo nitāi: "Two brothers who were formerly the son of..., Vrajendra-nandana, the Mahārāja Nanda, his son, Kṛṣṅa, and Balarāma, so Balarāma has become Nitāi, and Kṛṣṅa has become Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." But... Why They have become Nitāi, and Caitanya Mahā...? Now, pāpī-tāpī jata chilo: "Just to deliver all the sinful person." So "Did He... Did They do actually so?" "Yes." "Then where is the evidence?" Tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi: "Here is evidence. They delivered Jagāi and Mādhāi."

So Cai... Jagāi-Mādhāi in those days were taken as very, very sinful, although they were born of brāhmaṅa family. But by bad association, they became thieves, rogues, guṅḍā and drunkards, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. These are all good qualification now, very good qualification. If one is woman-hunter and drunkard and meat-eater, oh, his social position is very nice, up-to-date. Up-to-date. This is modern civilization. But formerly, especially a gentleman—gentleman means born of high caste: brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—if they would be woman-hunter, drunkards, meat-eaters, immediately they'll be rejected from the position. Immediately. That was Hindu society. No gentleman could... Still now, in some provinces, the high-caste men, brāhmaṅa, kṣatriyas, they'll never take..., touch these things. This is sinful. So Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were zamindars, very rich men, and brāhmaṅa. But because they were addicted to these habits, they were taken as the most sinful. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu delivered them: pāpī-tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo.

So the same principle is being followed at the present moment. And by the grace of Kṛṣṅa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the result is also same, because Jagāi-Mādhāi was delivered by Them. By the same Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, thousands of Jagāi-Mādhāi are coming to be purified. The process is the same. This is called paramparā system. If we follow the paramparā system strictly, then the effect will be the same. As it was five thousand years ago, five hundred years ago, the same effect will be now also.

So here, as Kuntīdevī says, that during the time of the Pāṅḍavas, five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṅa was present, so everything was very nice in Hastināpura. Śobhi. Śobhiṣyate. Śobhiṣyate. Everything was very beautiful. Śobhā. Śobhā means beautiful. So Kuntī is requesting Kṛṣṅa that "Don't go. Please don't go." It is, of course, Kṛṣṅa's duty. He was going to Dvārakā. But Kṛṣṅa..., Kuntīdevī was desiring like that, that "If You go away, then the beautiful Hastināpura will..." Na śobhiṣyate. Na ayaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra yathā idānīm: "As it is now beautiful, it will not be so beautiful." Yathā idānīṁ gadādhara. Kṛṣṅa's another name is Gadādhara. Tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti. Why it is beautiful? "Because You are walking, and the impression..." Kṛṣṅa has got special impression under the feet, in the sole, and that is being impressed. Simply by impression. Because Kṛṣṅa is absolute, by Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet impression, by vibration of His name, by glorifying Him—everything is Kṛṣṅa. Everything is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is absolute. Either Kṛṣṅa's impression of the lotus feet, or chanting of His name, or His personal presence, or glorifying Him—it is the same; there is no difference. Therefore it will be our duty to keep..., keep Kṛṣṅa always present by chanting His holy name:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc Ādi 17.21]

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

So if we keep this principle in this temple, as it is now being appreciated... This is the most opulent temple in this district. That is being admitted. People are coming here to see this temple. It is being advertised. The other day, one gentleman, that Gopal, he said that "In Navadvīpa, they simply inquire, 'Where is that American temple?' " They inquire. It is already nicely advertised, and it will be more and more advertised, provided you keep Kṛṣṅa here by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra.

Thank you very much. [break] ...taste only Kṛṣṅa prasādam. This advantage we want to give to the whole world. Therefore we are opening so many centers all over the world, giving them chance: "Come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and take prasādam. Go home."

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. That's all right. [end]