Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.13

Anantarām Śāstrījī: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [chants verse, with Prabhupāda and devotees repeating] [break]

sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ [SB 7.9.13]

[01:46]

Dayānanda: Translation: "O my Lordship, all the demigods headed by Lord Brahma, they are all Your sincere servants, situated in transcendental position, and they are not like us, my father, the demon Hiraṅyakaśipu, the demon. Your appearance in this fearful form is Your pastime for Your own personal pleasure, and such incarnation is always for the good and protection of the universe."

Prabhupāda: "Like my father"? Udvijantaḥ is not described here, the meaning of udvijantaḥ?

Dayānanda: "Udvijantaḥ—on account of Your fearful appearance they are all afraid."

Prabhupāda: Udvijantaḥ, [Bengali with Śāstrījī] "disturbing," huh? It has to be corrected.

sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno... sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ [SB 7.9.13]

So, distinction between deva and asura. Brahmādayaḥ, beginning from Brahmā... Lord Brahmā is the supreme prajā-pati. From him, marīcy-ādi, ṛṣayaḥ, all great ṛṣis, they were born. Then, from them, other demigods—Indra, Candra, Varuṅa... So these devas, they are not like the asuras, disturbing elements. That is the difference between the asura and deva. The asura will create a situation which is very, very disturbing to the whole human society. And when there are so many asuras, disturbing elements, at that time the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down, descends, in His incarnation. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, trying to pacify the Lord, that "This, Your incarnation, is for the benefit of Your servants, vidhi-karāḥ." Vidhi-karāḥ means servant. Vidhi-kṛt. Vidhi means law and order, and one who executes the law and order, they are called vidhi-karā. So all the demigods, they are appointed by the Supreme Lord to execute the law and order. Because this material world is a chaotic condition, therefore there is necessity of law and order. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. In spiritual world everyone knows that "The Lord is our master, and we are all servants." That is spiritual world. And material world means that "Why there should be one master? We are all master. Why you are searching after one God? Don't you see? All we are gods, loitering in the street, especially the poor god, daridra-nārāyaṅa." This is all material conception. Lord is one, Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says, declares, in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7]:

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

"There is no more superior authority than Me." In many places... Asamordhva. Asama: nobody can be equal with God, neither anybody can be higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be two Gods. Then there is no meaning of God. Now they manufacture God. In every street, every lane, there is a God.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "All these big, big demigods, they are Your servants." Vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmnaḥ. "You are in transcendental position, and we are all servants." Ekala īśvara kṛṣṅa āra saba bhṛtya. This is said by Caitanya-caritāmṛta author.

ekala īśvara kṛṣṅa āra saba bhṛtya yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya [Cc Ādi 5.142]

[Lord Kṛṣṅa alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.]

Master is one: Kṛṣṅa. There cannot be two master. The master can expand Himself as masters. That is another thing. The master is one. 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-rūpam. The master can expand Himself in many, many thousands and millions of forms, but they are advaita. They are not different. Just like Kṛṣṅa, when He married 16,108 wives, so He expanded Himself also into 16,108 forms, Kṛṣṅa. But those expansions, 16,000 expansions, they are one, the same Kṛṣṅa. This is to be understood. Kṛṣṅa may expand Himself in so many forms, but still they are the same. In another place it is exemplified, dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya [Bs 5.46]. Just like one candle original, and a second candle, a third candle, a fourth candle... You light up many millions of candles, but they are of the same potency. The candle power is not reduced because we have ignited so many candles from the original. No. Advaitam, acyut... Pūrṅasya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

Even though Kṛṣṅa expands Himself in millions and millions and forms, still, all of them are the..., of the same potency. That is called sattva-dhāmnaḥ. So there are different types of expansion of Kṛṣṅa. They are called vibhinnāṁśa, svāṁśa. Kṛṣṅa expands Himself svāṁśa. That is viṣṅu-tattva. That is advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs 5.33].

Then vibhinnāṁśa: mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhutaḥ [Bg 15.7]. Jīva also expansion of Kṛṣṅa. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṅa, but we are vibhinnāṁśa, separated forms. And svāṁśa, viṣṅu-tattva, that is one. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṅa's expansion.

So sarve hy amī vidhi-karāḥ. These vidhi-karāḥ, they are not svāṁśa; they are vibhinnāṁśa. Brahmā and other demigods and we, we are of the same category. Not that because one has become Brahmā, so he is equal to the Supreme Lord. No. That is not possible. Śiva-viriñci-nutam [SB 11.5.33]:

[My dear Lord, You are the Mahā-puruṣa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I worship Your lotus feet, which are the only eternal object of meditation. Those feet destroy the embarrassing conditions of material life and freely award the greatest desire of the soul, the attainment of pure love of Godhead. My dear Lord, Your lotus feet are the shelter of all holy places and of all saintly authorities in the line of devotional service and are honored by powerful demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. My Lord, You are so kind that You willingly protect all those who simply bow down to You with respect, and thus You mercifully relieve all the distress of Your servants. In conclusion, my Lord, Your lotus feet are actually the suitable boat for crossing over the ocean of birth and death, and therefore even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva seek shelter at Your lotus feet.]

"The Supreme Lord is worshiped even by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva." Nobody can be equal. This Māyāvāda philosophy that in whichever form you worship the Lord, they are all the same—no, they are not same. Therefore here it is said, vidhi-karāḥ, brahmādaya, "They are all your servants, vidhi-karāḥ." Vidhi-karāḥ means who executes the order of the Supreme Lord. That is devatā. And one who wants to become one or equal with the Supreme Lord, they are asuras. They always create disturbance. At the present moment there are so many asuras. Everyone is defying the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. Everyone is trying to become God. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. If we want to adjust this chaotic condition, then we require the incarnation of God. That is already there. Nāma-rūpe kali kāle kṛṣṅa-avatāra [Cc Ādi 17.22]. This Hare Kṛṣṅa movement is the incarnation of Kṛṣṅa in the form of name. There is no difference. The saṅkīrtana movement which was inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṅa Himself. So abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ [Cc Madhya 17.133].

[The holy name of Kṛṣṅa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṅa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṅa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṅa Himself. Since Kṛṣṅa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṅa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa Himself are identical.]

So this Hare Kṛṣṅa movement is not different from Kṛṣṅa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So if we take shelter of this holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṅa, then we shall be saved. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

We shall become sādhu simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. 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.]

We are all sādhus, actually, originally, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, but in contact with māyā we have become asādhu. Sādhu means who are pure devotees. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. That is sādhu. Otherwise there is no sādhu. The so-called sādhu, they are not sādhu. Sādhu means bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, bhajate mām ananya-bhāk [Bg 9.30].

[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]

So by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, even the lowest of the mankind, narādhamā, he can become a sādhu. "What is evidence how one can become sādhu simply by chanting?" Yes. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddharilo tāra sākṣi jagāi and mādhāi. Just see how Jagāi-Mādhāi became sādhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu introducing this saṅkīrtana movement, He is making everyone sādhu. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Everyone is becoming sādhu. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk.

So this avatāra, nāma-rūpe avatāra, there is no difference. Nāma-cintāmaṅiḥ-kṛṣṅaḥ caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.133].

The nāma is also vigraha, another form of the Lord, rasa-vigraha. So if we take shelter of this avatāra, rucy-avatāraiḥ... Every avatāra, every incarnation of Kṛṣṅa, is very pleasing. Because Kṛṣṅa is the reservoir of all pleasure, therefore His avatāra... Just like Nṛsiṁhadeva, although He is very ferocious to asuras... They are disturbed. They are disturbing elements and they are disturbed. But Prahlāda Mahārāja is not disturbed. He's peaceful. So Lord's incarnation, either He is very ferocious or He's very kind, for the devotees there is no disturbance. Devotees are not disturbed, and the asuras are disturbed. So take shelter of the holy name of the Lord, then disturbing condition of this material world will not touch you.

Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam [Cc Antya 20.12].

Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam. There is a blazing fire. That is the duty; that is the business of... Vande guroḥ śrī caraṅāravindam. How to extinguish the blazing fire of this material world—that is the duty. Every devotee, every pure soul, duty is how to extinguish the blazing fire. And that can be done only by pushing on this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Otherwise, it is not possible. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam-bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṅam... Śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā. The ultimate benefit of life is compared with the moon. So spreading Kṛṣṅa consciousness means spreading the moonlight. Therefore we have named this temple Śrī Māyāpur-candrodaya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Gaura-Hari, Māyāpur-cand... Caitanya-candra. Caitanya-candra anurāga. The Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, this, kurutānurāgam. Caitanya-candra-caraṅe kurutānurāgam. Caitanya-candra-caraṅe kurutānurāgam. Sādhava sakalam eva vihāya durāt caitanya-candra-caraṅe kurutānurāgam. This is the instruction of Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, one of the great devotees of Lord Caitanya. So they are of the same, I mean, opinion. There is no difference, opinion, between the modern devotee and the old devotee—a devotee is devotee—as there is no difference between modern gold or old gold. Gold is gold. So we should take the path of devotional service, following Prahlāda Mahārāja, and his prayers, his instructions are so valuable that even simply by reciting this Prahlāda Mahārāja's stotra, this stotra... This prayer of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very, very important. You read it carefully and try to understand. Even the most wretched demon can become a great devotee.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [end]