Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.17

Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Three, Chapter Twenty-eight, verse seventeen. [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat sarva-loka-namaskṛtam santaṁ vayasi kaiśore bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram [SB 3.28.17]

[02:28]

Translation: "The Lord is eternally very beautiful, and He is worshipable by all the inhabitants of every planet. He is ever-youthful and always eager to bestow His blessing upon His devotees."

Prabhupāda:

apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat sarva-loka-namaskṛtam santaṁ vayasi kaiśore bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram [SB 3.28.17]

This word is very important, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. Anugraha. Anugraha means favor. Just like the father wants to favor the son always. Father wants that "My son may become very fit, competent, to take all my favors." This is father's wish. Every father, even in this material world, if father is very big man, great man, he wants that "My son also, let him become bigger than me." Is it not, practical? So if God, Kṛṣṅa, is the original father... Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4], Kṛṣṅa says. It is not concoction or contemplation. No. It is the fact. Kṛṣṅa says,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo-yāḥ tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg 14.4]

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

"I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." It doesn't matter in different forms. He does not say that "I am the father only of the white, not of the black." He never says. He has no such distinction: white, black, European, American, or poor, rich, bird, beast, human being. No. He does not make any discrimination. He is always ready to bestow favor as the original father. That is God.

Therefore this very word, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram: "How this rascal will give up this material job and come to Me and take all My favors?" This is God's desire. And we are so obstinate, we want to take some favor from this minister, that minister, this person, that person this... Failure. Kṛṣṅa says, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29]: "I am friend of everyone."

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

And here is the word, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. And He's very, very eager to give all His favors, and still people are not becoming Kṛṣṅa conscious. Just see how rascal they are. So we say, anyone who is not Kṛṣṅa conscious, he is a rascal. Is he not a rascal? He is claiming that "I am the seed-giving father of everyone," sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg 14.4], "in all species of life." He does not make any discrimination, that "I am the seed-giving father of this class of men or this species of men or for the human being." No. He says sarva-yoniṣu. Yoni means the form, just like you have got your different forms. But that form doesn't matter. Form is external. But the internal is the same spirit soul. Therefore you are seeing now a new thing in the history of the world, that the Africans and Indians and the Americans and the Europeans are dancing—"Hare Kṛṣṅa." Just understand. Don't be rascal and fools, that you do not understand what is the potency of Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. If you become so rascal and fool, if you do not understand, then you are animal. Here is a practical example. How it has become possible that the white Americans, Europeans, and other colors and the black African, they have forgotten everything? When they chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and dance, do they remember that "I am African," "I am American," "I am Indian"? No. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. [devotee laughs] [aside:] Why you are laughing? It is so important thing.

So this is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

This is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage practical, not that "I am Brahman. I am the same God." These rascals have spoiled the whole thing. Here is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, when you forget your material identification and you become one in connection with Kṛṣṅa, that "We are all devotees, servants of Kṛṣṅa. Let us enjoy, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and dance." This is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Not that artificially smoking cigarette and he has become brahma-bhūtaḥ. He is cigarette-bhūtaḥ. Bhūtaḥ and cigarette smoker. How he is brahma-bhūtaḥ? These rascals say like that, table talks, "I am Brahman." Brahman. Doing all nonsense, and he has become Brahman. Brahman he is. Everyone is Brahman, but there is no realization, neither they do know the method of realization. Brahman... Everyone is Brahman, there is no doubt about it. Because we are all minute part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, therefore if Kṛṣṅa is Brahman, Para-brahman, we are also minute particle of Brahman. There is no doubt about it. Gold..., gold mine, big gold, and a small particle of gold, they are qualitatively one—gold. But the gold mine is different from the gold particle. These rascals, they do not understand it. The gold particle is claiming to become the gold mine.

This is Māyāvāda. And they are making people atheist: so 'ham. So 'ham, it is Vedic version. That is all right: "What is God, I am also the same thing." But not... "The same thing" does not mean that as God is powerful, I am also powerful. No. You are qualitatively the same thing. That's all right. But if you claim quantitatively that you are the same powerful as Kṛṣṅa, then you are mistaken. Kṛṣṅa can lift, when He is seven-years-old boy, the whole mountain. And a seven-years boy, when he is here, he cannot even seven kilo. So you cannot compare with Kṛṣṅa potencies your potency. But as Kṛṣṅa... When you are out of this material conception of life, bodily concept of life, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170], when you become purified by giving up these all designation.

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

Designation... What is that designation? "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African," "I am Indian," "I am European," "I am woman," "I am man," so many designations. So you have to give up these designation. You have to give up these designation. "Then, if I'll not remain African, then I'll become Indian?" No. That is also designation. "I am Hindu. I become Muslim?" No, that is also designation. You have to become purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170]. All kinds of designations. [child making noise] [aside:] This child may be... All kind of designations. You have to give up this designation that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am African." No. No designation. Simply become pure Brahman. Then ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi, not that "I remain a Christian," "I remain a Hindu," "I remain black," "I am white," and "I am Brahman." No, not that. You have to give up your designation.

That requires practice. And that practice means this paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by chanting, you'll be purified. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

Go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. And the beginning will be ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam, because we have got our heart... Everyone—we are living entity—we have got heart that is full with dirty things. That dirty things is "I am this," "I am that," "I am that," "I am that," that dirty things. So we have to cleanse these dirty things, that "I am European," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this," "I am that." These are all dirty things. You have to simply think, "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa." Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya kṛṣṅa dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. When you think like that, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa," then all these dirty things will automatically vanish.

That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg 18.54].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

As soon as you become realized soul, that "My position is that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa..." I am nobody's servant. But if one becomes Kṛṣṅa's servant, he becomes everyone's servant. That is the Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Why you are trying to preach Kṛṣṅa consciousness all over the world? Because we have accepted this principle, that "I am Kṛṣṅa's servant. Kṛṣṅa wants to deliver these rascals from this misconception of life, so let me do something for Kṛṣṅa." This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And if you are servant of Kṛṣṅa, if you actually realize, then you have to do something on behalf of Kṛṣṅa, what Kṛṣṅa wants. The first-class servant is he when he serves the master without asking for it. If he understands that "Master is now in need of this thing," if he brings it, oh, first-class servant. He's first-class servant, because he knows the master wants it.

So Kṛṣṅa wanted, as Kṛṣṅa, that "All these rascals may give up their so foolish engagements and surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ [Bg 18.66]. That was Kṛṣṅa's last word in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṅa wants this, that "These rascals they are suffering in this material condition of life, three miserable condition, and still, they are so rascal, they do not come to their senses. Still, they want to remain servant of māyā. So let Me directly say, 'You rascal, give up all this engagement. Surrender unto Me.' " That is Kṛṣṅa. But they will not do it. "Why shall I surrender to You? I have got so many things. I have got my nation, I have got my family, I have got my this, I have got... Why shall I surrender to You, give up everything?" Such a rascal. Cannot be convinced any way. Whole world is servant of somebody, but he declines to become servant of Kṛṣṅa. This is the disease, material disease. He will remain servant of thousands and millions of establishment and person, but he will disagree. As soon as Kṛṣṅa says that "You give up. You become My servant," "No, no. Why can I? Why shall I do it?" This is materialist.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa came as Kṛṣṅa's servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te [Cc Madhya 19.53].

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

Rūpa Gosvāmī understood. When he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu he offered his respect in this way, namo mahā-vadānyāya: "the most munificent, charitably disposed incarnation." Why? Kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te: "People cannot understand Kṛṣṅa, but You are so merciful, You are giving direct love of Kṛṣṅa." When there is question of love? Unless I understand you fully, what kind of man you are, what is your position; you also understand, when we find of the same category or same..., then there is question of love.

So people do not understand what is Kṛṣṅa. How they will love Kṛṣṅa? It is not possible. Manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg 7.3].

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

Out of many, many millions of person, somebody may try to become perfect. They do not know how to become perfect. They remain cats and dogs, simply engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. They are cats and dogs. They are not human being. What is the difference between cats and dogs and human being? Human being is also interested... So long this body is there, we are interested in eating, sleeping, mating or de... But that is not our main business. Our main business is how to understand God and love Him. That is our main business.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yenātmā samprasīdati [SB 1.2.6]

[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]

This is the business. We are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this, that. They are all third-class, cheating religion. What is real religion? That is religion which teaches how to love God. That is religion. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Christian religion. If it teaches how to become lover of God, then it is first class. And what for this love? Ahaituki: "without any cause." People love somebody else to get some return. No. Ahaituki: without any expectation of return. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūṅyam [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.]

Just like these European, American or African boys. They have joined this Kṛṣṅa con... They have not come here for some material profit. No. They have not come here. Others may come. You can say, "The Africans are poor. They have come." No. Nobody has come for material profit. What about the Europeans, Americans? They are not poor. They have got enough money. Why they are after Kṛṣṅa consciousness, after me? I am not rich man. No. That is called ahaituki, "without any motive." Nobody. "Kṛṣṅa is my lovable, worshipable. I shall worship Kṛṣṅa." This is wanted. Ahaituky apratihatā. And if you have got this intention, that "Kṛṣṅa is my Lord. I must love Kṛṣṅa. I must learn how to love Him," then apratihatā—no material condition can check it. Either you become American or African, black and white or this or that, nothing can check you. You can go on—if it is motiveless. This is wanted.

So I am very glad that you are trying to capture what is real Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And this is the only process. Think always... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

Think always, "Kṛṣṅa is my Lord." That is thinking. This thinking should be always. It doesn't cost anything. If you think, "Here is Kṛṣṅa. He is my Lord," what does it cost? And where is the loss? There is no loss, but the gain is enormous if you simply think of Kṛṣṅa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And who will engage his mind in Kṛṣṅa unless he is a devotee? How you become devotee? Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda... [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 śravanaṁ kīrtanam. Simply hear about Kṛṣṅa, chant about Kṛṣṅa, then you become automatically. You don't require any education. Simply sit down and hear about Kṛṣṅa, śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ. Not other subject matter. Viṣṅu or Kṛṣṅa. Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17].

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

If you do not understand, if you simply hear the chanting, you become pious. You become pious.

So this is the simplest method how to make life sublime and superb, this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. And here it is said that apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. Sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. It is not that Kṛṣṅa is worshipable by the devotees. He is worshipable by the nondevotees also. But how the nondevotees are worship... How Kṛṣṅa is worshiped by the nondevotees? They do not want to worship Kṛṣṅa. How he makes...? He doesn't want, that's all right. But nature will oblige him to worship. How he can escape the laws of nature? Kṛṣṅa will come before you as death, and you have to worship Him. Kṛṣṅa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg 10.34].

[I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience.]

If you do not take advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṅa within your lifetime, Kṛṣṅa will come, just like Nṛsiṁhadeva came to Hiraṅyakaśipu: "You rascal, now do you think that you are independent? Do you think?" Immediately finished, within a second.

So if you don't worship Kṛṣṅa during your lifetime, then you have to worship at the time of your death, and He will take away all your possession. Therefore He is worshipable by everyone—devotee and nondevotee. The devotee take advantage of this life and worship Him, and the rascal, fools, demons, they are forced to worship Kṛṣṅa at the time of death. Therefore it is called sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. You have to worship Him. You cannot escape, you rascal. If you escape, then the time will come—He will take you, He'll take everything, all your possession, and the nature will give you the body of a dog. Just go on barking for so many years. This is the law of nature. You cannot stop it. It is not possible. You better take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and worship as sane man, as nice gentleman. Then your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories... [break] [end]