Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.1

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

śrī-bādarāyaṅir uvāca evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam upadhāryātha tān rājan pratyāhur naya-kovidāḥ [SB 6.2.1]

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Prabhupāda:

śrī-bādarāyaṅir uvāca evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam upadhāryātha tān rājan pratyāhur naya-kovidāḥ [SB 6.2.1]

So two parties, Yamadūta and the Bhagavad-dūtā. So this human life is the junction, which way to go: to the Yamadūtas or to the Bhagavad-dūtās. There is no three. Two alternative. In the Bible also it is said, "Either you go to hell or go to heaven." Is it not? This is right. Yamadūta means go to hell, and Bhagavad-dūtā means go to Vaikuṅṭha. This is the junction.

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25]

[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]

Now make your selection. So long we are in the lower, animal life, nature is giving chance. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni [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.]

Then nature brings you in the platform of human life, developed consciousness, and you can take advantage of the śāstra. Anādi bahirmukha kṛṣṅa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṅa veda purāṅa karilā [Cc Madhya 20.117].

[Forgetting Kṛṣṅa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.]

Veda-Purāṅa, why they have been made? It is made for the human being. This is the chance. Veda-Purāṅa is not made for the cats and dogs. They are not supposed to read Veda and Purāṅas. Similarly, if the human being does not take care of the Veda-Purāṅa, then he is no better than the cats and dogs. Ataeva kṛṣṅa veda purāṅa karilā: to revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta-varān nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction.

So long you were in the lower grade of life it was not possible for you to take the path of Vedas and Purāṅas. That was not possible. But now, even if getting the human form of life, if you sleep for sense gratification like cats and dogs, then the Yamadūta... Yamadūta. Kṛṣṅa nāma kara bhāi āra saba miche, palaye barā kathā naya yo māche piche.[?] These are very easily understandable. You cannot avoid Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is not possible. If you avoid, then yo māche piche—the Yamadūta will carry you. You can say, "I can do whatever I like. Why you are forcing me to become Kṛṣṅa conscious? I can do whatever I like. There is no need of your preaching Kṛṣṅa consciousness. I am independent. I don't believe in the next life." That is the general statement of the rascals and fools. But the fact is different. If you don't take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then Yamadūtas. Then you'll be punished. You cannot avoid. You are completely dependent on Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme, and you are the servant. You have declined to serve Kṛṣṅa; therefore you must be punished. This is the nature's way. Daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

You cannot escape. You cannot escape the mundane, man-made laws, but you cannot the God-made laws. That is not possible.

So Yamadūtas, they came to take him. Now the Viṣṅudūta... Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā. So Bhagavad-dūtā... Bhagavān is not alone, without any followers. In the Vaikuṅṭhaloka Bhagavān is there in His innumerable forms. There are innumerable Vaikuṅṭhalokas, and in each and every planet there is innumerable devotees. He is not alone. Advaitam acyutam anantam ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṅa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [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.]

So Yamadūtas... As the Yamarāja has got his adherent order carriers, similarly, in the Vaikuṅṭhaloka there are so many order carriers. In the Vaikuṅṭhaloka there is not a single person who is not a devotee. That is Vaikuṅṭha. Vaikuṅṭha means... Kuṅṭha means anxiety, and vigata-kuṅṭha iti vaikuṅṭha. There is no anxiety. And the material world means anxiety: "What will happen? What will happen?" Even the sparrow, you will see, you give them some grain, they are eating, but they are looking this way, that way: "If somebody is not coming to kill me?" Everyone—full of anxiety. That we are forgetting, that we are trying to remain in this material world very happy, but that is not possible. Anxiety, full of anxiety.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, hitvātma-ghātaṁ gṛhaṁ andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśyrayeta. He was asked by his father what was the best thing he had learned. So he said, "I have learned this best thing." What is that? Hitvātma-ghātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta [SB 7.5.5].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest [vana]. More clearly, one should go to Vṛndāvana, where only Kṛṣṅa consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

"This is the first-class thing." What is that? "Now, giving up this gṛha andha-kūpaṁ, gṛhastha life." They are thinking very happy, husband, wife, living together, enjoying. But that is grha andha-kūpam. Andha-kūpam means if you are thrown into the dark well, it is like that. Of course, those who are Kṛṣṅa conscious, that is different thing. But ordinarily, the so-called household life means to be in the darkness, in the dark well. Gṛhānda-kū..., hitva: "One should give up." Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, when one is fifty years old, above that, he must give up family life. No more. Then sannyāsa. Not that up to the point of death one should remain a gṛhastha. No. If he wants to become free from anxiety, that is... Otherwise, anxiety. Tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām [SB 7.5.5]. Dehinām, one who has accepted this material body, he must be always restless with anxiety. This is the... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg 8.15]. You cannot avoid it.

[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, you can take it as a religious movement, bhāgavata-dharma. This is the only dharma, bhāgavata-dharma. Except bhāgavata-dharma, any other dharma, so-called dharma, is cheating. That is not dharma. Dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat pranītaṁ [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

Bhagavat-pranītam, therefore called Bhāgavatam. The word Bhāgavatam comes from the word bhagavat. Bhavārthe sipan[?]. Bhagavad-bhāva iti bhāgavata. So religion means what is given by God. Dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-pranītam. You cannot manufacture religion, nonsense, give this dharma, that dharma, that dharma. No. Dharma is only one. That is bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma. They are all cheating. Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. The fight between different religious principles, religious followers—"I am Hindu," "You are Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddha," "My religion is better," "Your religion is bad"—these are all not religion. Real religion is bhāgavata-dharma. In any other religion there is para-hiṁsa. Para-hiṁsa. In the history you will find many instances. In our country I have seen fight between Hindus and Muslims, and in the history you will find Europe, the Protestants and the Roman Catholics, and the Crusade.

So this kind of religion has no value. Religion means when one understands Kṛṣṅa, or God, he understands automatically that all living entities are Kṛṣṅa's part and parcel. Some way or other, they have been put into this māyā. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli gela [Cc Madhya 20.117].

They have forgotten. Therefore a devotee tries to bring them back to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, back to home, back to Godhead. This is vision. He has no discrimination that "Here is a Hindu," "Here is a Muslim," "Here is a Christian," "Here is an African," "Here is a white," "Here is a black." No. "Everyone is Kṛṣṅa's part and parcel. Let them revive their Kṛṣṅa consciousness and be happy." That is religion. All others cheating.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement we are pushing on. We have no such distinction. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Not that "They are Europeans. They cannot take to this religion." This is in the andha-kūpa, andha. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantrya 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.]

Such class of men are subjected to the punishment by the Yamadūta. Otherwise, paṅḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg 5.18].

[The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṅa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]]

Paṅḍita, they should be equal. Kṛṣṅa says,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striya śūdrās tatra vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Everyone has got the right to go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṅa says, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ: "Never mind he is born in the sinful family. That's all right. But he has got the right to go back to home, back to Godhead." And who will take up the work? If everyone has got the right to go back to home, back to Godhead, and by taking to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya... Kṛṣṅa says, "Everyone has got the right." Then who will teach them how to go back to home, back to Godhead? Who is the man? If you say, "No, no, they are untouchable, pāpa-yoni. They are untouchable. They cannot," so that is not the duty.

The duty is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila jāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

Anyone who has taken birth in India, if he's a man... If he's a dog, if he's a cat, that is another. If he's a man... Manuṣya janma haila jāra. So what is his duty? Janma sārthaka kari. First of all awaken your own Kṛṣṅa consciousness—you understand Kṛṣṅa—and then go out, kara para upakāra. Because people are in darkness. People are in darkness. They have forgotten Kṛṣṅa. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness meant, not that "I have understood Kṛṣṅa. Now pack it up in the box and see sometimes: 'Oh, I have become Kṛṣṅa conscious.' " My Guru Mahārāja condemned this. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṅava: "My dear mind, you are thinking that you have become a very good Vaiṣṅava and chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and smoking bīḍī." This imitation has no value. My Guru Mahārāja condemned it. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṅava: "What a rascal you are. You are thinking that you are Vaiṣṅava." Nirjanera ghare... What is that? I forget now. Tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. Pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, you are very much proud of becoming Vaiṣṅava. In a solitary place you are imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura." Nirjanera ghare, pratiṣṭhāra tare: "Your this solitary chanting of Hare Kṛṣṅa means that you want cheap popularity—'Oh, he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa.' " That is not possible. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

So by imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, keeping connection with woman and doing all nonsense... You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You must work. You must go out for chanting, for preaching. This is the real chanting. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa' upadeśa. This is wanted, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has never said that "You may imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and in a solitary place, 'Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa... Bīḍī bīḍī, bīḍī.' " Not like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Go out."

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra' ei deśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

So our request is, you all foreigners, so you have learned something about Kṛṣṅa consciousness. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. Although He expected that every Indian should go out for parupakāra, but anyway, some of the Indians, at least one... But you take this mission and go everywhere, in every corner. I am thankful to you. You are already doing that, in Europe and America, [people are] deep asleep. Because people are sleeping under misguidance, and they are becoming candidate for being carried away by the Yamadūta. This is the position of the whole world, Yamadūta. Palaye barā kathā naya yo māche piche. Yamāduta will not excuse you, however you may be very proud of becoming independent. This is not possible. To save the human civilization, the rascal civilization, that "There is no life after death, and you go on enjoying as much as you like," this wrong civilization is killing civilization. So you save them. You save them. Otherwise, the Yamadūta is there.

Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam, upadhārya. They listened to the words of Yamadūta very carefully, upadhārya, not that haphazardously they heard. No. Their reason, their everything, that "This man was like this, and he must be carried to Yamarāja for punishment..." Why punishment? No, to make him purified, it is said. Punishment required. This is nature's law. Just like if you have infected some disease, the punishment is you must suffer for it. The punishment is good. If you have infected some disease, and when you suffer, that means you become purified from the disease. Suffering is not bad; to become purified. Therefore when a devotee suffers, he does not take it ill-ly. He thinks that "I am being purified. I am being purified."

tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṅo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk [SB 10.14.8]

A devotee, when he is in troubled condition, he thinks, "My Lord is so kind that He is purifying me. I am suffering from my past misdeeds. So Kṛṣṅa is so kind that He is purifying me, giving me little suffering. That's all right. Therefore I must be obliged to Him." And he offers more respectful obeisances to the Lord: "My Lord, You are purifying me." If one lives like this, mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk, his liberation is guaranteed.

Dāya-bhāk. Dāya-bhāk means just like the son inherits the father's property without any check. Nobody can check. Law is there—"The father's property must be inherited by the son." Similarly, those who are strictly, I mean to say, in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, despite all kinds of hindrances, his liberation is guaranteed. His liberation is guaranteed. And if he becomes little..., immediately disturbed with little inconvenience, and "What is this nonsense, Kṛṣṅa con...? Give it up. Let me enjoy," then he is again in the clutches of māyā. But if one sticks to Kṛṣṅa consciousness in spite of all difficulties, then his liberation, going back to home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk [SB 10.14.8]. This is the statement of the śāstra. Dāya-bhāk means nobody can check it.

So we should be very careful to stick to Kṛṣṅa consciousness without being agitated or deviated in any circumstances of life. Then we will not be liable to the punishment of Yamadāta. That is the incident happening here. Slightly he became Kṛṣṅa conscious at the end of life and chanted "Nārāyaṅa"—immediately the Viṣṅu, Bhagavad-dūta came: "Oh, he has chanted Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. That's all right. Let him take back home, back to Godhead."

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]